Rating: Eventual NC-17 most likely.

Pairing: Itachi x Naruto

Warnings: Sequel to Shadows of Leaves, won't be updated too regularly, violence, bombing-scenarios (and aftermath/destruction of whole nations), character death (minor, mainly random people) and I think that's it for now.

Summary:Five years, Oblivion wrought havoc on the world and Naruto left Konoha with everyone believing him to be dead. Now, a new threat has raised its head with the power to destroy entire nations in one swoop. The remaining nations are crumbling, but there is a sliver of hope in the mysterious village, Taiyōgakure, the village of the sun. Not everything is as it seems here though and there are far more secrets than anyone could have imagined lying in wait.

Shadows of the Sun

You can't find it by yourself because you're not in need. You won't understand it because it's too difficult for someone who's never seen the city. It's the place of laughter, and the wealth of the country seems pale in comparison to the wealth of the people. It sounds stupid... but it's the happiest place on earth, even in this devastation.

Iwa Refugee, Hi no Kuni, Unknown Checkpoint

Chapter Three

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Haruno Sakura knew exactly where she would prefer to be right now and it was not traipsing between the lands of Fire and Rain looking for a mythical village. She was tired from helping out at the hospital and looking after the wounded from Iwa, but she tried not to show it. Sakura knew she wasn't the only person in this position and she just had to deal.

It was times like these that Sakura was glad she held a simple position, not one of authority. Sure she was head of the hospital, taking over for Tsunade a few years ago, but she didn't have to have the weight of a whole village on her shoulders. Not for the first time, she wondered how Naruto had managed to cope as the Hikage for the amount of time he had, alone without any one to talk to, and her heart welled in sadness as she thought of her friend, alone and untouchable.

Sakura wasn't one to believe in fate, heaven or anything like that, but she hoped with all her might that Naruto was happy now, wherever he was. If there was anyone who deserved kindness and love, it was Uzumaki Naruto. She only wished she had realised it years before and reached a hand out to the lone shadow of a man before it was too late.

Her attention was pulled to the modern day again as Kiba held up a hand to pause, looking at the giant white dog by his side. Akamaru's head was low to the ground and he was inhaling deeply, looking up to Kiba a moment later and huffing for confirmation.

As Kiba too sniffed the air, Sakura marvelled at how well Akamaru and Kiba worked. She had seen ninja and animals work together, even with dogs such as with Kakashi's, but the pair were more than just a team. They sought reassurance and confirmation from each other, depending on the other wholly and without a doubt of trust. It must be nice, Sakura often thought, to have someone who you could trust without any hint of questioning whether they were to be trusted.

"Human presence, just one. Seems to have a slight chakra supply, possibly enough to lash out if provoked."

The team nodded, understanding the command. Whoever it was appeared to be of ninja upbringing, but whether they had been trained to control their chakra or whether they were just tired still needed to be inspected. They would approach cautiously in case the person viewed them as a threat.

Team Shikamaru had left Konoha a few hours ago, their destination the land of Steam. It was a small country, situated between the lands of Fire and Rain, but had garnered a fierce reputation due to the fact that the tales told of Taiyōgakure hiding in the sleepy mountains across the centre of the land of Steam.

With their mission being to talk to any survivors they could - hopefully bringing someone back to Konoha - they needed to search around the area supposedly holding the Village of Gold. People often migrated towards hope when it seemed all had been lost and Taiyōgakure was the very essence of hope for the survivors of the horrific, recent events. Sakura couldn't blame them for wanting to find a safe place, but how did anyone know that this Sun village even existed?

They didn't, was the simple answer, because it couldn't. No village was capable of burrowing away for years, hiding in mountains. With the amount of protection the village boasted (or rather, the stories of the village boasted), Taiyōgakure could take down villages in the blink of an eye.

How did people know it wasn't this village that was causing the destruction? No one had seen anyone who governed the village and yet everyone was happy to accept that - should it exist - Taiyōgakure was on their side.

What if the truth was harder to accept? Why did people cling to stories that could damage them further?

Sakura sighed to clear her head. She hadn't slept well since the first reports of Iwa (too much to do; not enough time) and her brain was running away with her. She had to focus on the task at hand and complete it before she could return to Konoha and sleep.

"There, to the left."

The group stopped, looking up as a bedraggled man came into view. He paused momentarily when he saw the group then carried on towards them.

"Are you looking for Taiyōgakure too?"

Sakura shook her head as Shikamaru answered, "Not really. We're looking for survivors to talk to."

The man nodded slowly, running a hand through his hair and grimacing at the amount of dirt in it. He looked slightly older than Kakashi, an eye covered and long sealing tags attached to his ears. His outfit was fitting of one belonging to Kirigakure, and Sakura assumed he was one of the many ninja looking for the fabled village.

"By the looks of it, you're all from Konoha. I suppose everyone else is feeling a little unsettled now it's happened to two villages and not just a one-off fluke?" His voice was bitter and Sakura frowned slightly.

It was understandable why he was angry. No one had really done anything after the loss of Iwa and it had taken the destruction of Kirigakure to push people into motion. Not that anyone could have done anything to stop the tragedy of Mizu, but it was easier for this man, who had lost his home, hi family, his life, to blame the other nations for not acting sooner.

"We are from Konoha," Shikamaru said, stepping in before anyone else could speak. Even in his mid-twenties Shikamaru managed to be the mediator for most people, intent on approaching the man for help, not confrontation.

"More eyes can be an opportunity. I have a small group of people from Kirigakure with me and we're all looking for the village." The man paused, straightening to his full height. "My name is Ao, I'm looking for the Mizukage."

That was the funny thing about disasters. Some people caved in and refused to share any information; while others, such as Ao, decided to share it all. Sakura admired the man for the honesty he was showing, sure now that he was a Shinobi.

"Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, Sakura and Sai," Shikamaru waved his arm around to introduce his team before tilting his head, taking in Ao. He wasn't a threat right now and they could always use information about what had happened.

"We'll join you," he stated simply and Ao led them off with only a brief nod. Their walk was interrupted mainly by Ao talking to Shikamaru, gauging the reaction of Konoha and the other remaining nations. The talk then turned onto the presence of the mythical village and Sakura was surprised to see how passionate Ao was about its existence.

"I don't doubt it exists," he muttered, looking around briefly before leading Team Shikamaru onwards, cutting through some scrub bushes and going round one side of the mountains. They had finally reached the vast structures in their entirety and it was amazing how small they could make someone feel.

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru posed the question, glancing at the members of his team, a signal to obviously listen in carefully, before returning a calculated gaze to Ao. Ao shifted the patch over his eye slightly, running the same hand through his hair as he did so in one smooth movement.

"Taiyōgakure. I don't doubt that it exists. Many people are sceptical, but I find myself taken with this... fairy tale of a village."

Shikamaru could see simply by looking at him that Ao wasn't a man who believed in happiness and sunshine. He was a hard-worn shinobi, through and through, but if someone like him could believe in the village did that make it even more possible for it to exist?

Ao chuckled. "Of course it's not a village of fairy tales. Not even I could be that fanciful, but the people are going somewhere. There aren't that many habitable places in these mountains - believe me, we struggled to find a place to camp out - and there have been a lot of people passing through."

Shikamaru nodded and Sakura thought about where the people could be. They were going somewhere, that much was obvious as bodies weren't exactly piling up on the mountain sides, but no one knew where it was they could be going. That was the hardest thing, not knowing or understanding.

"A few more minutes," Ao said before silencing the group. They walked quietly, members trading small glances every now and again. They were about to be led to a possible gold mine, where Konoha could potentially learn the whereabouts of Taiyōgakure, if they were fortunate enough.

They entered a cave, small and dark, and Ao led them to the back. He was quiet and careful, as if he didn't want to disturb something.

"I'm back with people from Konoha."

There was a small fire, around which a group of people were huddled, around five or six. They all looked up with wide eyes, dirty faces peering at the newcomers with curiosity.

They were children.

"They're going to help us find the golden village," Ao said, crouching down so that he was level with the seated children. They all turned to him, smiles beginning to creep across their faces as the fear was momentarily displaced.

"Ch-children?" Ino's voice was slightly shaky, almost as if she hadn't thought of the prospect of the victims being children. Sakura had been forced to when she went to look for survivors, Kiba had most likely smelt that they were children and both Shikamaru and Sai kept their emotions in check.

"An unfortunate side to all of this. Possibly the greatest, aside from the deaths," Ao said softly.

Akamaru neared the fire, whining in the back of his throat. Kiba huffed back, sending Akamaru forwards. The children's eyes fixed on the massive dog, watching as he sniffed the air, licking one of their hands.

Soon laughter filled the cave as Akamaru allowed the children to climb over him, batting at them gently with his paws. It also allowed the ninjas time to talk, and Ao directed them over to one of the corners with a wave of his hand.

"You probably understand why I want to believe in Taiyōgakure now. If it exists, they'll have a place to live. They don't have any parents..." Ao trailed off, eyes glancing between the Konoha group and the children playing with the dog. "I have to offer them some hope."

Sakura wondered how much hope you could have when your whole life was destroyed. Konoha had been dealt its blows in time, but never had the village been destroyed and hundreds, thousands, of people killed. She couldn't imagine holding onto a dream that was unlikely to be real, but wasn't that what people did in hard times?

People believed. People hoped. People dreamed.

The Village of the Sun was exactly these things. Stowed away, hidden, and the ultimate paradise in all the destruction, it was easy to see why everyone could suddenly believe. Sakura wanted to believe, but that wasn't the same as actually believing.

In her mind, Sakura couldn't handle that a wonderful, supposedly wonderful, place such as Taiyōgakure really existed. How could it when there were such horrors in the world?

Or maybe it was hard to accept that the village existed yet it hadn't made any visible movement against the threat. Which was a horrible thing to hold them accountable for, and even dismiss them for, but if they had so much power, why hadn't they done anything?

Of course, not even Konoha knew anything about these attacks. It was a safe bet to say that no one, not even the Raikage, the leader of their Alliance, had specific Intel. If he had, A would have shared it. That much was clear, as Kumo was sitting as tightly as Konoha, waiting and watching quietly.

Even the genius minds of the Nara clan were no match against a hidden enemy. Shikamaru had led the main investigations, thinking about every possibility as to who the enemy could be, but the results had turned up blank. They simply had no knowledge of something this destructive, and Konoha was unlikely to be willing to expend militant force to search over the nations. Any movement by another village that was as large as Konoha would cause a red alert from other nations, as well as leave the actual village open to attack.

"Would you consider coming back to Konoha?"

Shikamaru's question was blunt, but not cutting enough to be heard by the children. Ao's stature changed, the man drawing himself up a little more and fixing Shikamaru with a pointed stare.

"These children have hopes to see Taiyōgakure. I've made a promise to them and one to myself to find my Kage. I'm afraid we cannot be of help any longer if your option is to go back to your village and ours is to keep looking."

Shikamaru, for all his smarts, sometimes needed help in approaching people. Ino smiled at Sakura, shuffling forward slightly so she was just ahead of Shikamaru.

"May we assist? All we really want to do is find out a little more, and there's a high probability that you'll meet with some other people."

Kiba smiled too. "Plus Akamaru would make a good travelling companion."

Ao looked at the group, frowning slightly as he debated internally. While they raised good points, Sakura knew he still didn't trust them.

"I'm an experienced medic. Are any of the children hurt?"

Ao's eyes cleared, decision made, as he directed Sakura over to the children, calling one or two over. Sakura made a quick start, nodding to Ino as she began.

Men. Completely clueless that the two women had just manipulated them all into the desired outcome.

.

Terumi Mei was a stunningly powerful woman, Naruto noted. It was clear in the way she carried herself, from the way she spoke to the way she flicked strands of hair out of her eyes. She had commanded the former Bloody Mist for years now, handling the change in control from the dictator Yagura (who it was known had been placed under a genjutsu) and changing hundreds of former policies.

She had shaped Mizu into what it was today, or what it had been until yesterday. Naruto couldn't fathom how she felt, but he knew what it was like to lose your village, your home.

"I have to file some paperwork," was the first thing Naruto said as they stepped inside his office. Mei ignored him, walking over to the chair that sat in front of the desk and half-falling into it.

"Have you finally decided to pay attention?"

From the moment it had been mentioned that the Mizukage could be turning up at their doorstep, Naruto had known she would be difficult. Anyone whose village had been destroyed would be difficult, but the fact that she knew more about Taiyōgakure, could easily see the power that was hidden to everyone else in the village, and believed in the sense behind the fantasies made her even more likely to be angry.

She had lost her village, thousands of her people killed in seconds. There was nothing Mei could have done, but she wouldn't see it like that. Naruto knew his village carried enormous power, if not in the actual village itself then the people inside. But the fact that they had remained a secret prompted others to see them as a potential threat, unless they were thankful for sanctuary.

"It's not a case of paying attention," Naruto replied, pulling a form out from his desk drawer and sitting to fill it out. It was a session's form, one that was used to summarise the minutes taken from meetings. This particular one was summarising the question Naruto had posed to the civilian proportion of the village. They were happy to allow Taiyōgakure to, technically, go to war. Everyone was in the know now and everyone was on the same level.

"But Taiyōgakure will be helping the remaining nations in the upcoming war."

Mei's eyes fixed Naruto's and he allowed the natural colour change, his eyes sinking into a light purple. Mei was unfazed and raised her chin slightly instead.

"How can it be a war when we have no idea of the enemy?"

Naruto didn't see why he had to discuss his village's affairs with her, but he would anyway. Mei deserved to know, in one way, but it didn't mean that Naruto would put his village at a disadvantage. Mei no longer had her village and she had to realise that she couldn't control Taiyōgakure. She no longer had full authority and Naruto had the right to censor information to her.

"We already have a few ideas. Our main priority is to get any survivors into the village, through the makeshift camps and into houses. Then they can be provided for and set up a new life from themselves. When this is all over, they will be offered the choice to return to their village and start anew there. People matter the most to us."

Mei's eyes narrowed. "And the money? It doesn't just grow on trees."

Naruto nodded, signing his name at the bottom of the page and storing the paper away in a file. He returned the file to the cabinet and locked it, returning to the conversation as if there had been no gap.

"Our village happens to be very lucky. We are prosperous and money is not an issue for us. Anything we can make ourselves we do, but we are not adverse to a trading system with the other villages later."

Mei opened her mouth as if to continue questioning, but Naruto shook his head gently.

"I'm afraid I have another meeting to go to and you look as if you could use some rest. Take the evening and morning off, I'll have someone show you to my house, and we'll talk more later. Is there anyone you want us to keep a look out for and send them to you?"

The Mizukage lowered her eyes. "Thank you, Naruto. For everything... my villagers, your kindness... If Choujuurou or Ao come here, then please send them to me straight away."

It was amazing that Mei had lasted this long as she looked ready to collapse. Naruto helped her to stand, supporting her lightly as they exited his office. Naruto was to call one last council session before they began formulating proper plans, but it had to happen now. Time was of the utmost importance, especially as the other villages were likely to be targeted soon.

A member of the elite ranking ninja of Taiyōgakure (similar to Konoha's ANBU) was summoned by Naruto and he instructed the ninja to take Mei to his home and ensure she was comfortable. He promised talks for the following day, but she couldn't be expected to make informed decisions half-asleep.

That done, Naruto changed direction, heading for the room he held meetings in. As expected, every member of the former Akatsuki was sitting down, except for Itachi.

"I need someone to look out for two people. One is called Choujuurou and the other Ao. The Mizukage wants them to be taken directly to her."

A hand was raised, blue nails gently glinting as they caught the light. "I'll go," Konan said, standing and preparing to set out. Naruto nodded with a smile, thanking her silently.

"The main reason we're all here is to set up for tomorrow. We have full clearance to join in against our common enemy. Our priority must still be the people, that goes without saying, but we'll be taking an active role."

Naruto grinned suddenly, "I suppose you should go get some sleep. I'm going to look through admissions for our Mizukage's people before I go to sleep, but I'll need you back here first thing."

The group nodded, leaving the room in quiet as they had come. It had been a tiring day for everyone, but tomorrow and the following days would be even more so. Sleep was a fantastic idea.

It didn't take long for Naruto to check the admissions and he found neither of the names he was looking for. The Taiyōkage made one small detour before returning to his home, and he smiled as Itachi looked up.

"I'll see you later," Naruto whispered as he stole a kiss, waggling his fingers gently as they parted. Itachi watched sadly, wishing that all of this could be taken back, for more reasons than just wanting to go back home with his partner.

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They hadn't been walking for too long when they noticed a figure in a dark cloak. It was lined with gold, an odd choice of colours, but Sakura noted the change in Ao instantly.

"They're from the village."

At once, the children turned their attention from Akamaru to the figure, watching as the person drew closer. Sakura moved her hand subtly to where she hid her kunai and noted the others in Team Shikamaru do the same. No matter if they said this person was from 'the village', they could still be an enemy.

"We're looking for-"

"Taiyōgakure," the figure finished, her voice revealing her gender. The group had set out in the evening, knowing that the day would be crawling with more people, which would make it harder to pin point an accurate location. If they could find the village in the dark and with the extras from Konoha, then they would have a better chance of getting through this.

It had come from Sakura explaining they needed a proper hospital to deal with one of the children's injuries, or else they faced a possible leg amputation. The boy was hoicked up on Ao's back at the moment, sleeping peacefully thanks to the medicine Sakura had given him.

"Are you Ao?"

Sakura looked sharply to the mentioned man, not knowing where this could go. Apparently, neither did Ao and he too stiffened, a hand curling slightly to protect the child on his back. Team Shikamaru shifted, blocking the children from the woman's sight.

"Terumi Mei asked our kage to find you. You're to report straight to her. She's at the Taiyōkage's residence, inside of the village."

The woman was close now, close enough to see dark hair and a lip piercing. She seemed almost familiar, but whether it was the dark or she simply didn't know the woman, Sakura couldn't quite tell. She'd have to wait until she could see the woman properly.

"You'll take us to the village?" The hope in Ao's voice was extraordinary. Even now, Sakura was sceptical that this village existed.

"Yes," the woman replied, eyes glancing over the group. Sakura heard Ino take in a breath, but ignored her. They had more pressing matters than Ino being intimidated by some woman.

"Konoha, you cannot be allowed inside the village. You may leave now; your services are no longer needed."

Akamaru growled, sending the children skittering away from him for the first time. The woman in the cloak stared down at the dog before turning her attention to Kiba.

"Calm your dog," she said, directing her next statement to them all. "You don't need the village. Our decision has been made and if it is in favour of helping, we will likely see you again. If it isn't, then please let us help the people."

The children had gathered round the woman and she placed a hand on two of them, letting them be assured by her presence.

"Thank you for showing care, but this is far greater than Konoha. Please tell Tsunade-sama to be aware of that."

She turned, taking Ao and the children with her. Ao thanked Konoha briefly before returning to follow the woman supposedly from Taiyōgakure. They waited a moment, until the darkness swallowed the others, and then Shikamaru signalled for them to follow.

"We can trust her," Ino said quietly, remaining still when the others moved. "She's... I recognise her. She used to be part of the Akatsuki."

Sakura's eyes widened and her head snapped round to try and see where the woman had left. "You mean Konan?"

Ino nodded, biting her lip in worry. "Yeah. I'd recognise her anywhere. She has this way of speaking too. Almost as if she doesn't care, but when you listen, you can tell that it's tearing her apart."

Shikamaru drew level with his old friend.

"Are you sure? We need to make a decision now and this could be based solely on what you think."

Ino nodded, blond hair bobbing in the moonlight. "Positive. She was Konan."

Running a hand over his head, Shikamaru sighed. "Do we go back to Konoha with this news or try to follow her?"

It was Sai who made the decision.

"If she is Konan, then there's no way we'll be getting to the village. We might as well cut our losses and return, hoping that we can pick up some willing people on the way."

As hard a decision as it was to simply turn away, they had no other option. Anything involving the Akatsuki (former or non) was likely to be way over anyone's heads back in Konoha, but they could try.

They were starting to unravel the maze to the Village of the Sun.

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Notes:

Well it's pretty obvious that took more than a month to update. I'm so sorry. Updates are likely to still be sporadic I'm afraid.

But for now, here we are! Thank you so much for the support and rest assured this story WILL be finished, even if it's the death of me!

All of your support is greatly appreciated and helps kick me into writing so again, thank you so much!