Chapter 12

Kakashi and Gai were the first ones to make it to the battlefield in order to assist Naruto in the defeat of the fake Madara. They had barely made it in time, attacking at the last second so Tobi could not take control of the Nine-Tails. But the fight raged on with little to show. With the seven beasts against them, the Leaf Ninjas hardly stood a chance. Which is why when Naruto and B managed to free the resurrected hosts from their puppeteer before Edo Tensei was released, the Jounins couldn't believe their luck for still being alive.

During his time on the island Naruto managed to work hand in hand with the fox demon's chakra, which in the end saved their lives. But there was still the matter of 'Madara', who could manipulate his body for attacks to not touch him, and suck opponents up into an unknown void. It was when they were running out of ideas how to defeat this enemy that they finally manage to stumble upon a solution, and land a blow to the cheek of the mask. Then once again to a shoulder, when trying to confirm it wasn't a trick of the eye. There was a way to hurt the Akatsuki member and Kakashi was the only one who knew why that was possible.

"It's a Space-Time Ninjutsu," the General stated. "And it's his only jutsu."

"What do you mean?" Gai asked.

"The cut to the mask and the injury to the shoulder, both have one thing in common: they happened in the same areas Naruto and Tobi's bodies overlapped. This was only possible when I sent the kunai and Rasengan into another dimension with Kamui."

This information startled the Konoha ninjas, yet only made Tobi's eyes narrow.

"Which means his Ninjutsu is connected to my own."

"Does that mean everyone who uses that jutsu are connected?" Killer B's beast questioned.

"No, that's not it. Most likely it's only his and mine."

"Then why is it only the two of you?"

The ninja grew silent as Gai uneasily looked to his comrade. "Kakashi... is he...?"

"Where did you get that eye," the Jounin demanded to know.

"Where, you ask?" Tobi mused. "Hmm... if I dare say, it was during the previous Great War. The Battle of Kanabi Bridge. You participated in that and was hailed as 'The Sharingan Hero'."

"You're–!"

"Do not open your mouth so easily," the fake snapped. "You've degraded to a man who's all words and no action. Your words have neither value nor meaning. It's too late to regret it now. Reality will just harshly move forward. I'm sure you can understand. There is no hope for this world. That is why I wish to create one where heroes don't have to make pathetic excuses in front of graves."

Graves? Like the one in Konoha that the Jounin always visited to honor fallen comrades. How did Tobi know that? Only those in Konoha knew when they passed by. But 'Madara', a member of Akatsuki who had never been seen in the Village... How–?

"Are you still going on about that?" Naruto shouted. "I won't allow it, so you can forget it! There's a reason my dad sealed the Kyuubi in me and it's to defeat you!"

Naruto rushed forward surrounded in golden flames for the beast had lent him his strength once again.

The Uchiha brothers finally had Kabuto, trapped in a never-ending Genjutsu that would not break even when Itachi was gone. He made sure of that before approaching the snake.

"Is it over?" Sasuke question from where he stood.

The Akatsuki member nodded. "I will stop Edo Tensei," Itachi declared. "With this all the dead will disappear. And the battle will near its end."

As this information sunk in it made Sasuke uneasy. "But you'll be gone too..."

The young man nodded again in confirmation. "As Itachi Uchiha of Konoha, I will be able to protect my Village once more. I have no more attachments to this world."

That angered the rogue. "Why?" Sasuke shouted. "Why do you have to protect Konoha after all they did to you? Even if you may forgive them, I can't! You have no more attachments to this world? You're the one who made me this way! And how can Mai forgive them and you for everything that has happened? I don't understand! Tell me how I'm supposed to accept all of this!"

"The one who can change you is no longer me," Itachi declared.

However, there were two he could place his hope and trust in. Two orphans from very different Clans that could save his brother from darkness if only the ninja opened his eyes and listened to them. If only Sasuke could be shown what it meant to forgive.

"That's why stopping this jutsu is the least I can do now. To keep from slighting what I left in Naruto and Mai's hands."

Naruto...? And Mai? What did they have to do with all of this?

Forcing Kabuto's eyes to open Itachi ordered the young man to tell him the hand signs to stop Edo Tensei for good. The former assistant performed a series of hand signs without hesitation. The ones that would reverse the jutsu.

Sasuke scoffed. "Seems like there's no use saying anything more to you. When I saw you, I followed because I wanted to find out whether or not the things Tobi and Danzo had said were actually true. But that's not all I wanted to find out. When I'm with you, I remember the past. The feelings I had when I was a child and adored my big brother. That's why the closer we get to the old us, who had such a good relationship, the more I understand you. The more hatred I feel toward Konoha, the Village that made you suffer so much. It's been growing ever stronger."

He glared at the back of his brother's head.

"I know what you want me to do, how you want me to be. You're my older brother, you'll probably disapprove. But I'm also your little brother, so no matter what you say, I won't stop. Even if you try to protect the Village here... I'll stop at nothing to destroy it."

When the reversal was finally completed Kabuto's body froze, trapped. Slowly, the Akatsuki member turned to face Sasuke.

"I can feel my consciousness fading little by little," the young man relayed.

He approached Sasuke slowly, just like their final encounter among the Uchiha Clan's ruins.

"Before we say farewell, let me teach you about what you wanted to confirm. There's no need for me to lie anymore. The night I left you, I did everything exactly how Danzo and Tobi explained it to you. I'll show you the entire truth."

Before the younger Uchiha could protest he was sucked into the past. He could see everything, surprised to find Shisui, Itachi's best friend, present. Someone who committed suicide months before everything fell apart. His body was never found nor his eyes. It became clear now that one had been stolen by Danzo, and the other entrusted to Itachi for safe keeping to protect the Leaf. Shisui could not agree to the Clan's coup, nor could it be stopped when confronting the Root leader.

Even after his sacrifice the Village Elders continued to view the Uchiha Clan as traitors with Danzo heading this belief. Only the Third Hokage tried to defend them. Pressed further for this opinion to be reconsider when it was acknowledged that even the children, who knew nothing of what their parents were planning, be eliminated as well. All of this was said in front of Itachi when he made his latest report as an ANBU Ninja.

Sasuke couldn't believe his brother managed to sit there and listen without snapping. The only thing that was accomplished in that meeting was that the Hokage managed to buy the Uchiha a little more time to try and make peace between the Leaf and Clan. Though both already knew that was a far-fetched dream.

The Hokage wasn't the only one to confront Itachi shortly after the meeting. Danzo sought out the ANBU Ninja with the suggestion they may be able to save his brother from his impending doom. Upon seeing the annihilation of his Clan at the hands of Konoha's own ninja it could tip the scale allowing the desire for revenge to seep in. And the same could be said for Mai, a child not of the Uchiha Clan, but had become a part for their everyday lives. As they would grow, as ninja Sasuke and Mai would be seen as a danger, a liability, untrustworthy. Leaving Konoha with no choice but to kill them for fear of another rebellion. This offered Itachi a choice: join his family and die with them or join Konoha to help annihilate the threat to save his brother and adopted-sister. Danzo asked Itachi to become a double agent for the Leaf and sacrifice everything to save two innocent lives. Itachi didn't hesitate to accept the offer.

The scene shifted to an evening not too long after where Itachi met Tobi for the first time. He did not wear an Akatsuki cloak, but the mask was ever present, clothing dark to hide in the shadows. The young man had been aware of his presence for some time and the fact that this stranger knew the location of the hidden stones of their Clan only confirmed he was an Uchiha himself. His name was 'Madara'. Itachi knew the stories surrounding their original leader. And they made their own deal: Tobi could have his revenge on the Uchiha for what they had done to him decades ago, but could not touch Konoha, Sasuke, or Mai. Even though the child was not an Uchiha, Itachi knew of his interest in the Be Fong because she was the last of her own Clan. Full of possibilities to be great due to her Kekkei-Genkai. The two individuals agreed.

On the night when it all came to an end, the young man had to face his parents. The only survivors remaining of the Uchiha that had been quietly killed. None in Konoha would know what happened until morning.

"So, you're on their side," their father stated.

Both adults had their backs to the ANBU ninja, who stood behind them not because he was a coward.

"Father... Mother... I–"

"We understand, Itachi," his mother reassured.

It was because the criminal didn't wish them to see how this decision was breaking him.

"Itachi, promise me one thing," Fugaku spoke up. "Take care of Sasuke and Mai."

Of course he would heed their father's request. It was the whole reason he offered himself to be the Clan's executioner.

"I will," Itachi said. The hand that held his sword trembled.

"Do not fear it. This is the path you chose, is it not? Our pain will end in an instant. It's nothing compared to what you will face. Even though our way of thinking differs, I am proud of you. You are truly a gentle child."

With clenched teeth and silent tears Itachi murdered their parents.

Sasuke didn't have to keep watching to know what happened next. Remembering how two children would run into the room and find the floor stained in blood. How they would fear their older brother, someone they loved and looked up to, and tried to take in the horror witnessed in the streets. How their whole world burned to ashes and they were left picking up the pieces.

It happened in a rush. Sasuke felt himself brought back to the present feeling as if a lifetime had passed. Itachi's walking corpse was still present in front of him.

"I always lied to you, telling you to forgive me," he said. "I used these hands to keep you far, far away from me. I did not want you to get involved. But now I think maybe you... as well as Mai could have changed Father and Mother... changed the Uchiha. If I would have faced you from the start, stood at the same viewpoint as you, and spoke to you about the truth. But I failed. And speaking to you now like this isn't going to penetrate and sink in."

He was so close they were almost touching. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to move away as he stared back at his brother with wide eyes. Itachi's arm raised toward the teen.

"That's why, I wanted to show you the truth, even just a little. Because then you will understand everything and can help Mai find some closure in my absence. There is no time for me to find her. It's up to you."

The hand that always pressed against his forehead as a sign of affection passed by. It was out of character and made the teen wonder what the older Uchiha was doing.

"You two never have to forgive me," Itachi said.

The palm came around the back of his head before resting against it, pulling their foreheads together till they touch in an affectionate way. Itachi smiled.

"No matter what happens to you both from here on out, I will always love you."

And his soul was released. Denigrating before Sasuke's very eyes leaving him alone.

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The longer their altercation went on the more Kakashi began to think to himself that they knew their opponent. This fake Madara. Even more so when discovering that their Sharingan's shared the same dimensions. But there was no possible way and the Jounin refused to believe it. Still, just the thought shook him to the core. How–?

"Kakashi, snap out of it!" Gai shouted, breaking through his mild panic. "I know what you're thinking, so am I, but we cannot allow that to distract us! Naruto is still fighting on and we have to protect him at all costs! I can imagine what's going through your head right now. I'm thinking the same thing. But forget him now! Your student has plunged into battle before your eyes!"

Gai was right. He had to snap out of this and focus otherwise his own pupil would be lost. "Let's go Gai," the young man declared.

And Tobi began to activate Kamui, Kakashi preparing himself. This had to be timed perfectly.

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Even from their distance Mai felt the swell of chakra in the atmosphere, immediately recognizing the fox demon. "The air is suffocating!" Rock Lee exclaimed. "What is it?"

"It's Naruto!" the Be Fong answered.

They didn't understand. "It's not the other hosts?" Sai asked. How could one person produce this much power?

"No, they disappeared. In fact, every corpse's chakra is disappearing."

It was happening all over the battlefields as the dead began to cross over once more to their rightful place. No longer a puppet, no longer at the mercy of the enemy. They were finally themselves again in the end.

"Then that means..."

"The puppeteer was defeated!" Lee exclaimed.

But who had done it? And why was Naruto still fighting Tobi? Was he really this powerful?

They needed to move faster. "Sai..."

He already knew what she was going to say, "I'm on it."

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It had all been a trick as 'Madara' moved forward to restrain Naruto, to take the demon for himself. Along with obliterating Kakashi and Gai where they stood. He had miscalculated as the real Rasengan came in to hit its mark. The attack landed against the mask shattering it instantly. Finally, the Leaf Ninjas could see a face. Half of it was twisted in a hideous scar holding the Sharingan on display, and the other harboring Nagato's Rinnegan.

"Obito!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Naruto did not know who he was. This person did not look familiar. However, the Jounins seemed to know him instantly. A familiar face that haunted Kakashi since the day they parted. One he once considered a friend, an ally, a teammate. And now here he stood. Another Uchiha, a murderer, the enemy, the cause behind all of this suffering.

He was a person everyone had long thought died more than a decade ago. But there was no mistaking who stood before them.

Obito Uchiha.