69 Farewells and new horizons part one

I hate Webnovel's character and word limit. This would have been chapter 53 on F F N, but whatever. Part two of this will mean I'm completely caught up on what I've written and posted so far. Updates will be occurring about once a month, maybe a bit longer.

In light of this, would you guys like me to post my two other stories that I am currently writing on here as well? One is an HP fic, and the other is a Sasuke insert story. The HP one is around 110k words at this point, and the Sasuke one is around 40k. I will if you want me too, to give you more content of mine to read.

There's pretty much nothing else. Thank you for suffering my rambling. Here's the chapter.

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"No," Sasuke growled, glaring at the Godaime with unmatched fury as she just finished speaking, "I refuse."

Sasuke could suffer being around Itachi for the next year or so for two reasons only. One, he wanted to be strong enough to kill the Akatsuki, and especially Tobi. Two, Rin would be with him so he wasn't completely alone with Itachi.

But getting Itachi's eyes transplanted into his head was something he was never going to consent to. He wanted nothing to do with those eyes, especially the left one because of what Itachi did to him.

"This is not a request, Chunin." Tsunade said neutrally, her eyes narrowed. "This is an order from your superior. I will not have two of my Shinobi hampered by your constant refusal to help yourself."

Sasuke's fists clenched as he looked between Tsunade and his brother, the other Uchiha gazing back neutrally.

"Don't think that I enjoy forcing this," Tsunade said clearly, tapping her nails against a bottle that Sasuke was certain that it didn't contain water, "But I must look at the bigger picture to protect Konoha, especially with what is occurring in Iwa. If it requires me to force you to accept a power that only Uchiha Madara possessed, then I will do it to protect my home."

Sasuke really wanted to make his opinion known about the attempt at manipulating him into accepting. Having eyes that would never go blind when using esoteric abilities was definitely enticing, but he saw the comparison for what it was; an attempt to control him.

"I don't want to permanently be marked by you physically," He bit out at Itachi, curling his lip in hatred, "You already... how would Naruto describe it, Skullfucked me?" Sasuke enjoyed the look of irritation appear on his brother's face at the description his actions.

"You are no fool, Sasuke," Itachi sighed, not trying to scold him for his comment, "You know whatever you do will not sway the Hokage from her decision. You are not strong enough to fight her off, you have no experience in the outside world to hide, or contacts to hide you, and lastly, you do not have what it takes to betray your friends." He said softly, his eyes focused directly on Sasuke's face, "I will not let you hurt or hamper yourself out of your hatred towards me."

You already have. Sasuke wanted to say it out loud, but bit his tongue. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place, and he was royally screwed.

He hated Uchiha Itachi, perhaps as much as he did just a few weeks prior when he thought his brother murdered his family and tortured him for enjoyment. Sasuke, like he had been before, was forced into something he never wanted.

"Fine," He eventually said, walking towards the Hokage's desk, "Just get it over with so I can kill Tobi and protect my friends."

Tsunade rose to her feet and gestured to the two males in the room to follow her, Sasuke hurrying along to avoid walking next to Itachi.

They got to a specific room in the tower that was sealed off, the door opening when Tsunade pulsed chakra through the lock to unravel the traps set in place.

The room was revealed to be a sort of medical ward, two surgical tables right next to each other with different equipment next to it.

"I will need to keep your hair out of your faces and disinfect your faces." Tsunade explained shortly, walking towards the tables.

Sasuke shivered as he visualized what was about to happen.

He was going to have his eyes slowly cut out of his head and put into a jar. His eyes seemed to involuntarily twitch and he started looking around the room frantically, his breath ragged.

What if Tsunade made a mistake? What if he was blinded? He couldn't do this. He couldn't lose them! What connected him to his family and clan, his eyes, were all he had left of them.

I can't.

"I can't." Sasuke tried to calm himself down, but he was so unsettled by what was about to happen that he was ready to bolt. "I can't. I can't."

"Sasuke." Itachi's voice from right next to him cut through his thoughts like a hot knife through butter, "You are an Uchiha. Do you not want the power to protect them from harm? You wanted to surpass me, nothing changes. Do it for them."

Sasuke visualized Naruto being overwhelmed by a masked man, all the while he wasn't fast enough to help his friend. He imagined Kakashi being cut down trying to protect Hinata.

And Rin...

Sasuke wouldn't let his own weakness and self-doubt stop him from being strong enough. Naruto was better than him, he always was. With Rin having half of the Kyuubi in her, Sasuke needed something to make sure he could stand beside them.

'Let go with me, Sasuke.' He heard Naruto's voice in his head, the reminder shaking him from his fear.

Not the last of the old. The first of the new.

Sasuke's emotions stilled and he calmly walked the rest of the way towards the table, sitting down on it.

For them.

Tsunade nodded appreciatively at Itachi as Sasuke sat down, shivering as Tsunade ran her chakra coated hands across his face.

"This will be over quickly," Tsunade assured him, grabbing a syringe, 'This is a sedative. Which arm do you want it in?"

"Right." Sasuke replied simply, his Sharingan active as he looked around.

This would be the last thing he ever saw with the eyes he was born with. Something intrinsically part of him would be gone.

He barely felt the pinprick feeling, but the blurring of his vision was what had him realizing it started kicking in.

In a swirl of colours, Sasuke's world faded to black, his unconscious body going limp.

/////////////////

"I take it you're wanting to distract me with something positive before Rin leaves?" I looked up at Jiraiya, having just finished several reps of lifting a pretty heavy weight without the assistance of chakra.

Contrary to what I had initially thought from the series, chakra constantly flowed throughout your body and assisted your body in its functions, including muscles and bones. The trick to fast tracking strength and agility was to try and consciously not use chakra, or at least slow the flow of it.

In short, I was miserable. I felt chills and was uncomfortable from reining it in. It was like loosing my peripheral vision.

Jiraiya nodded, grabbing the bar with weight seals on it and tossing it aside, before helping me up.

The choice of landscape for training was the usual, a flat plain a couple miles out from the village.

"It won't be difficult," He promised, his eyes sparkling happily, "You're a damned good Shinobi already. You'll pass Gamabunta's test with flying colours."

I grimaced at the thought of hanging on to him for dear life as he jumped around. Heights were not a thing I particularly enjoyed.

Or perhaps it's the thought of turning into a bright red smear on impact that I don't like.

"Just get it over with." I muttered, not distracted in the slightest.

Rin was leaving with Sasuke and Itachi today, specifically evening time to be at their specific destination under the cover of dark.

I wasn't a hyperventilating mess like everybody thought I was going to be, even if they didn't specifically mention it. I could tell how everybody; Ino, Hinata, Kakashi, Anko, they were all very careful around me and didn't say anything to rile me up, even jokingly.

Sasuke had also been avoiding me and according to Kakashi and Hinata, them as well.

Rin had to fill me in on how Sasuke was acclimating, both physically and emotionally, to having Itachi's eyes.

But my mind went back to the impending test.

Given that it was several hours away, Jiraiya wanted the test with Gamabunta done now instead of later.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, seeing Jiraiya already unfurling the scroll on his back.

"Bite your thumb," He then went through hand seals at a slow enough pace for me to follow, "Do those signs, and press your hand against the scroll."

I nodded and looked at him expectantly, having not signed the contract yet.

"Use a drop of my blood to open up the link and you can try it out. Gamabunta might not like getting summoned right now by you accidentally." The way he worded the last part sounded a bit sarcastic, like he doubted I could pull it off.

A scoff escaped me as he bit the pad of his thumb and pressed it against my palm, leaving some blood.

"I'd say something messed up, but it'll disgust me more than you." I muttered, adjusting my posture to prepare for my next action.

I then went through the needed signs, pressing my palm against the scroll and forcing a fairly hefty amount of chakra into it.

I wanted to make a statement.

With a massive puff of smoke, a giant toad appeared under Jiraiya and me, the abrupt change in altitude making my stomach turn.

"How..." Jiraiya was at a loss for words at what I just did on my first try, "What the hell are you, gaki?"

A groan escaped me as I felt bile try and creep up my throat, a rumble and shifting of Gamabunta's body making me apprehensive.

"What do you need me for, Jiraiya?" Gamabunta asked, his voice rumbling so much I could feel it in my bones, "Who is with you? I can feel another."

"Now, don't buck us off," Jiraiya warned sharply, bracing his legs for movement, "Naruto used my blood to summon you, and he just did it on his first try."

Gamabunta took a deep breath and I let out a whimper that I immediately crushed down.

"I said no, Jiraiya!" Gamabunta tensed his legs and leaped up into the air without any warning at all.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" My scream was consumed by the roaring of the wind as I lost my footing and was forced on my back, the air torn from my lungs as I struggled to breath.

Gamabunta then landed on the ground and caused me to bounce up in the air, my back hitting the top of his head again and winding me once more.

Stop. Stop. I tried to speak, but I was unable to as he jumped again.

With as much willpower as I could muster, I twisted as he landed again and forced myself to my feet, placing my hands against Gamabunta's head to steady myself.

Grabbing an exploding tag from a pouch designated for them, I flung it to my left and detonated it right next to his ear, causing him to pause as he let out a groan.

"FUCK YOU!" I shouted, causing Jiraiya to give me a warning look. The bastard hadn't even shifted at all from the swaying.

"Heh," Gamabunta chuckled, "You wanna be that way, fine." Without warning, the giant toad rolled to the side and sent me flying, the wind rushing through my ears as I struggled to right myself.

Cursing every single amphibian on Earth, I released lightning chakra through my tenketsu and formed a protective shell of armour around me, right before I struck the ground at high speed.

The ground cratered under me and I slowly controlled my breathing, cutting the chakra feed before it started cooking my nervous system.

I'm going for your other eye, toad. I thought acidly, dragging myself out of the crater and staring up at a laughing Jiraiya and a collosal Gamabunta.

"What's the big deal?!" I shouted, glaring up at the toad, "You never rolled during Jiraiya's test or my dad's!"

"There is no test." Gamabunta said fiercely, absent-mindedly swatting at Jiraiya to mess with him, which the Sannin avoided without any issue, "I will not accept you as a summoner."

Gamabunta was really pissing me off. I needed Sage mode to face the threats out there, and this overgrown amoeba was impeding me over wounded pride.

"Because of this?" I grabbed at my hair, baring my teeth at him, "Or this?" I drew the Kusanagi from a storage seal in my right bracer and readied it, pulsing my bloodline ability through it.

Gamabunta's eyes narrowed at my response, Jiraiya frantically trying to get me to back down.

"I don't need to explain you two being idiots to Tsunade," Jiraiya groaned audibly, my hearing picking it up, "Please, don't destroy the environment."

The Toad boss huffed and peered at me closely, the scar he got from Ashina seeming to stand out even more.

"If Gamamaru confirms what Jiraiya thinks, I will let it go." He said slowly, any tenseness in his legs absent now, "But know this, you remind me of Uzumaki Ashina in all the worst ways. Do not do what he did."

With that, Gamabunta vanished in a puff of smoke, causing Jiraiya to start falling. The man adjusted quickly and landed with a tuck and roll to prevent himself from getting hurt, a scowl on his face as he stomped towards me.

"I told you to keep it civil." He shook his head, watching me put up the Kusanagi. "The Toads have every right to be skeptical of another Uzumaki."

Rin hasn't been mentioned. I scowled internally, knowing that it was me specifically they were guarded about.

"Tell me they'd treat Rin the same way." I countered with a hint of exasperation. "We going to Mount Myoboku to talk with that senile toad you talked about?" I asked with a little more politeness, having calmed down from Gamabunta being a jerk.

Jiraiya didn't bother defending them, remaining silent.

"Sorry for giving Gamabunta trouble." I said apologetically, even though I wasn't particularly sorry about it. "And you too."

Jiraiya had already asked that I not cause anything or take any bait from Gamabunta. Ashina was the only human that ever breached their defenses and beat him on their own home turf, so it was definitely a sore subject that the next prospective Toad summoner was not only a descendant of that specific man, but also looked like him and had the same bloodline ability.

"But why are you wanting me as the summoner?" I asked, hoping he would be honest, "And not Rin?"

The irritation Jiraiya had slowly bled away and was replaced with a neutral expression that I couldn't read, not even the faint shifting of his chakra gave anything away.

"This..." He paused and grimaced, looking around, "I'll summon us to Mount Myoboku and tell you." Without any warning, he pinched his thumb to reopen the cut and blurred through hand seals, grabbing ahold of me as we disappeared from Konoha.

My feet hit the ground and I staggered, pushing away from Jiraiya's grip.

"Thanks for the warning." I said flatly, silently running through what I just felt.

Getting reverse summoned felt similar to the feedback my clones gave me when I used Tobirama's Hiraishin marker, minus the wood chipper feeling.

"Well?" I looked up at my godfather, wondering why he was acting strange.

On the bright side, the land looked beautiful and the waterfall seemed to sparkle, the life giving liquid shimmering in a fluid curtain.

But back to Jiraiya, I'd already been told about Gamamaru supposedly seeing the future where a student of Jiraiya's would save the world, but he didn't act weird like this.

It was an unknown variable, and I hated those.

Jiraiya grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm wanting to train you in the Sage abilities of the toads and give you the contract over Rin."

"Can't the two of us have it?"

Jiraiya shook his head.

"I already asked before your father was killed. They only accept one summoner in training at any given time. You or Rin would have been left out even if Minato was still alive."

The thought of Rin being deprived of a force multiplier like Sage Mode didn't sit well with me, but I also needed it as much as her to survive the inevitable conflicts ahead.

"If the old toad says no to accepting me as a summoner," I was delicate with my words as best as I could, "Would Rin be the next summoner?"

Much to my relief, Jiraiya shrugged at first then nodded.

"I can probably get that done. You just happen to have the bloodline ability and hair they hate...Along with something stupid." He added under his breath.

"You realize I hear you clear as day, right?" I raised a brow, realizing I hadn't actually tried to sense the environment.

I reached out with my certified sixth sense and took a sharp intake of air at the feeling of the equally as beautiful lands we were in.

If this was what saturated Nature chakra felt like, I wanted nothing more than to bask in it forever. It felt both soft and indescribably dense, the feeling of it wanting to wrap around me making me shut my eyes in contentment.

"Naruto." Jiraiya shook my shoulder, pulling me from the short trance I was in, "Focus. I know it feels good, but you need to be here, not in your head."

Jiraiya could probably feel a sense of calm from it, but he couldn't actually sense it like I could.

"You have no idea how good this feels." I whispered breathlessly, gazing at nothing in particular as my senses seemed to be caressed by the chakra of the world, "No idea."

Thankfully, Jiraiya let me have a minute to myself for the purpose of practically drowning in the endless waves of calming ripples that seemed to shift steadily, almost as if the beating heart of the world itself thrummed through the air.

After being sated, I pulled in my sensing and blinked repeatedly, looking up at Jiraiya gratefully.

"Thanks for, you know, being patient." I said a bit awkwardly, my godfather laughing lightly and waving it off.

"Minato did something similar," He admitted, "But not to that level. You're sensing is very good."

Right as I was about to speak again, I felt a signature seem to form from the environment, causing me to turn.

I saw two toads, both of whom were familiar, even without me ever seeing them in the flesh.

Ma and Pa.

They likely were able to conceal their signatures in the chakra of their home, which made me secretly wonder how Ashina managed to get out of here.

"I see you brought the Uzumaki boy, Jiraiya-chan," Ma said, looking at me with an appraising gaze, "You look like the two." She said matter of factly.

At my raised brow, she clarified.

"Your father and your ancestor. I hope you are more like your father. He was much more respectful than Jiraiya-chan when we first met him."

I heard Jiraiya let out a scoff to my left, causing Pa to cut in.

"Take your marks, Jiraiya. You were a petulant little boy and you still are at heart."

Jiraiya huffed and didn't respond, much to my amusement. He might be able to trade insults with me, but the toads have known him for close to 40 years, so nothing he's said to them is new.

"Sorry to dash your hopes on the rocks," I responded, trying to sound respectful despite the content of my words, "But I'm on the fast track to be like Jiraiya, and I've already surpassed him."

The way a sapient toad scowls is very unique, at least I had thought so for my entire life that I knew they existed, and I just saw it for the first time when Pa did just that to my statement.

"I highly doubt that." The toad said, giving me a look, "The only way Jiraiya could be worse is if a gaggle of white haired children showed up from his... extracurricular activities."

I laughed at the comment while Jiraiya really didn't like that little jab at him.

"Let's just take the gaki to the old toad," He grumbled, the four of us walking towards a location I somewhat remembered, but didn't care about because of how much of my focus was on the environment.

I can sense the oil. I realized, focusing more and noticing how ridiculously bright it was. The only thing as potent was maybe Kurama's chakra, but his was as chaotic as Nature chakra here was peaceful.

Without warning, Jiraiya grabbed my shoulder and slowed down, keeping us out of earshot of Ma and Pa.

"Under no circumstances are to try and collect toad oil," He whispered, his grip on my shoulder hurting, "I'm not letting you get killed from curiosity."

The way his chakra sharpened almost made me freeze, the entire focus of his will settling on my shoulders.

For the first time ever, I was scared of Jiraiya.

"I understand." I replied, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding when he let go of me.

"Good." He said, quickening his pace for a moment.

We reached a place that was vaguely familiar to me, a chakra signature in it that had me stopping to feel.

Summons had a different feel to their chakra compared to humans. What I assumed was Nature chakra played a role in the makeup of their chakra and sapience. They felt shinier.

But Gamamaru, because there was no one else it could be, felt like Hiruzen times a thousand. I'd never thought I would ever feel a signature that felt shriveled.

"How old exactly is Gamamaru-sama?" I asked, injecting politeness and respect where it was due. "I can feel his chakra."

Pa looked over his shoulder at me, his strangely slanted eyes standing out as he kept walking.

"He is older than the Sage of Six Paths." He replied, stopping at the entrance with Ma, "This is where we stop. He wishes to speak with you two only." Pa looked at both Jiraiya and me.

With that ominous statement, the two toads left us at the entrance, my concern probably showing on my face.

"Don't worry about it," Jiraiya assured me, "They took awhile to warm up to me. You'll be on their good side like Minato."

I didn't say anything. With my luck, Gamabunta would be as annoying as Kurama was at times.

Fox. I addressed him, opening up the connection, You wanna have a look at the Toads' home?

"No," He responded lazily, sounding like he hust woke up, "I don't want to talk."

I'm bored and want to talk. I said, intentionally making myself sound whiny. The real reason I was doing this was to get him to accept tonight as a conversation point. I was going to need it once Rin left.

I heard Kurama grumble something under his breath, his chakra shifting some.

"Your sister's seal sounds all the more enticing. We can talk tonight if you desire conversation."

With that, Kurama's consciousness went to his Yang half, leaving me alone.

Jiraiya noticed that I went quiet, probably knowing what I was doing.

"Fox?" He asked, confirming my suspicion.

I nodded, steeling myself for meeting the oldest entity I'd ever encountered.

////////////

We entered the enclosure and I saw a toad about the size of Gamabunta lounging in a chair, several pillows helping prop him up.

Gamamaru squinted at us and smiled slightly.

"Ah, Jiraiya boy. I am happy to see you. How goes your attempts at wooing your teammate, Orochimaru was it?"

I bit my tongue and took several quick breaths to not laugh, Jiraiya's reaction was even better.

"No," My green faced godfather said deliberately slow, "It is Tsunade, and it's going well."

Gamamaru continued to smile pleasantly, a sigh escaping him.

"I am pleased that you are finding happiness, Jirai-" He abruptly cut off and stared directly at me, his eyes no longer squinted.

His signature now was like night and day compared to what it was moments ago. He looked and felt alert and sharp.

"Why are you here?" He asked, the gravelly tone to his voice making it somehow more intimidating.

I blinked at the hostility, the size difference being more than enough to offset how slow he looked from age.

But that didn't exactly assure me since this toad was friends with Hagoromo.

"I beg your pardon?" I said coldly, insulted by the seemingly laid back and relaxed toad's tone.

"Get out." Gamamaru ordered, "Back to the shadow, burglar!"

Before Jiraiya could tell me to stop or try and control the situation, I stomped towards Gamamaru.

"You are senile," I said flatly, glaring up at the sharp gaze of the millennia old toad, "And I'm not a thief."

Gamamaru's eyes seemed to take on a steely glint to them that his chakra matched in intensity.

"You were not supposed to live." Gamabunta pointed at me, "Why are back after your death?"

My blood froze in my veins, my lungs refusing to work at what was just said by a toad I knew could see events.

How? How does he know?

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I managed to stammer out, my entire body shaking in terror.

"You come here, into my home," Gamamaru rose from his seat, taking a careful stance, "And pretend that you are anything but a deceitful burglar?!"

My mind wasn't processing what he was saying, my worst fear becoming a reality right in front of me.

Jiraiya would find out. Everyone would find out. I would lose everything all over again. I would be alone in this hellscape of a world.

"Jiraiya boy, please escort Ashina out of here before somebody dies."

Jiraiya, who had been looking at me quizzically as I was on the verge of having a panic attack, looked taken aback.

"This isn't Ashina, Gamamaru-sama," Jiraiya said clearly, looking at me with concern, "This is my apprentice, Uzumaki Naruto. He is Minato's som and Ashina's descendant."

Gamamaru looked at me up and down, squinting his eyes as he focused on nothing but me.

"Hmmm," He tilted his head, a faint wheezing chuckle coming from his throat, "You look like him. You have that ugly red carpet for hair like he did."

I was trying to calm my racing heart and didn't say anything, the way he had said it made me think the worst.

"You alright, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, concern lacing his tone.

I shook my head, coming up with a reason as fast as I could.

"It reminded me of..." I trailed off and traced my index across my throat, cluing my godfather in on what I was getting at.

His widened slightly, before he grimaced and nodded his understanding.

"Gamamaru-sama," I cleared my throat uncomfortably, "I apologize for being rude. It was out of line."

"Oh, don't be sorry, young man." Gamamaru slowly leaned back and sat back down, his weathered face tight from his exertion. "You are... er, young." He eventually supplied, seeming to try and find the correct word.

With the hair raising incident over with, Jiraiya took pity on me and stepped forward.

"I brought Naruto here because I believe he is the Child of Prophecy you said would be trained by me and bring great change to the world."

To my relief, Gamamaru looked fairly lucid compared to just a couple minutes ago. Hopefully my presence gave a bit of a jolt to the noggin.

"How," Gamamaru paused, looking like he was thinking deeply, "How many have you trained again?"

Before I ever get this senile, I'm fighting the fox buck naked and with only a knife. I promised myself. If my mind starts to fade and I lose myself, I'm going out violently.

"Naruto will be the third I have trained." Jiraiya replied, giving me a reassuring smile. "He has the potential to be stronger than my Sensei was."

I fought the urge to snort. Without Kurama, I would probably be in a similar bracket as Hiruzen at his best or Itachi when I got older.

But with Kurama, I was a completely different beast entirely.

But to be fair, I had a greater incentive to be as powerful as I could be. I wonder what Hiruzen would have accomplished as a young man if he knew Tobirama would be killed on a mission or if he knew Madara was still alive.

"I have had dreams of many people, Jiraiya boy," Gamamaru responded to Jiraiya's statement, "But in none of those dreams did I see the boy in front of me."

Jiraiya shook his head sharply.

"That doesn't matter," He said, "Naruto is the one the prophecy pertains to. You spoke of fraternal twins and the oldest being powerful, remember?" The last portion of what Jiraiya said sounded off.

Gamamaru shut his eyes and looked in deep thought, trying to remember.

The only fraternal twins I could think of aside from Rin and me was Hagoromo and Hamura.

"It was Hagoromo I was speaking of, Jiraiya," Gamamaru finally spoke after a near deafening silence.

So he told Jiraiy- I couldn't finish the thought before Jiraiya's chakra flared and I jerked my head to face him.

The strangled choking sound that came from Jiraiya was followed by his chakra dimming so much that I could barely see it.

"It's... No," Jiraiya clenched his fists, "If Naruto is trained in Senjutsu, then he will be strong enough to be the change in the world. He is the one!"

"He will not receive Sage training from here," Gamamaru said, glancing towards me, "It is not in his future."

Before Jiraiya could speak, I stepped forward.

"Bullshit," I said flatly, not taking this lying down, "I need Sage training if I'm going to be strong enough to protect Konoha. Let me sign the Toad summoning contract so I can."

Gamamaru's shoulders moved and his posture straightened, his yellow eyes boring into mine.

"And if you are refused?"

"Then you won't be incorrect about comparing me to my ancestor." I nearly sneered, my fingers fidgeting some, "He managed to make a Senjutsu mask after stealing oil." My hand raised and I pulsed chakra through the digits to form a blade, "And I have a very bad temper."

"Naruto." Jiraiya hissed, his posture tensed and ready to put me down hard.

"I don't care," I glared at him, "I won't let some shriveled up amphibian get in the way of me protecting everything I care about, Jiraiya." My chakra was itching under my skin from my anger at being deprived of a weapon to protect me and those I held most precious.

"Jiraiya trusts me to be the next summoner for the Toads," I continued, toning down the wrath in my voice, "Is his judgement not enough for you?"

Gamamaru slowly trailed his eyes up and down at me, the lids slowly closing and opening as he sighed.

"You are a dead spot in my dreams; an emptiness in which a future I have seen might be denied."

That normally would have been ominous, but it actually encouraged me. It meant my existence had an influence on the world in the long run.

"Your sister..." Gamamaru trailed off, his head dipping as he started snoring lightly.

"Oi!" Jiraiya raised his voice somewhat, causing Gamamaru to jolt back awake.

"Where was I?" He blinked, rubbing at his face.

"My sister." I said, anticipating what he was going to say.

"Oh, that's right." Gamamaru smiled, "I see her violet eyes in more than one dream. She is a recurring one alongside another, a boy with soulful eyes."

Sasuke. I thought. Nobody else fit that description, especially since the two were going to be training together.

"They are intertwined," Gamamaru said, continuing to look at something that wasn't there, "Like Yin and Yang in unison. Lock and key. Sword and sheath. Where one goes, the other is beside them."

The comparisons started making me uncomfortable. Indra and Ashura were definitely intertwined, but the way Gamamaru was saying it bordered on creepy, especially for spiritual siblings.

"Her path leads to here, but your journey does not." Gamamaru finished, his eyes going to Jiraiya's after he seemed to snap out of the little trance he was in.

Jiraiya took a deep breath and looked at me with a look of sadness that shouldn't belong on a laid back man like him. This bothered him immensely.

"Have you seen any dreams or visions of who the Child of Prophecy is, definitively?" Jiraiya asked Gamamaru, his tone hinting at this being the last question before I would be leaving Mount Myoboku.

Gamamaru shook his head.

"No, I only see that you will guide the one to destruction or peace."

Jiraiya nodded quietly and bowed his head in respect.

"I'll let you get some rest, Gamamaru-sama. Thank you for talking."

Jiraiya then signaled me to follow him, his shoulders tight.

Once we got out, I broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Jirai-" I started to say, but he cut me off.

"I asked only one thing," He said sternly, his eyes narrowed, "And that was to not comment about stealing oil. I know you take denial to heart and I understand why you smarted off. Rin matters to you, but don't make things difficult for me when I'm trying to get Rin to have a smooth relationship with the toads."

I felt myself shrink under the criticism, Jiraiya's imposing height only playing a minor role in how small I felt.

The denial angered me. Whatever I wanted was given to me. Kakashi and Anko trained me, Fuinjutsu notes were laid out for me, Hiruzen let me take liberties in disobeying orders, and Jiraiya was personally training me.

But I needed Senjutsu to take on the Akatsuki, Pein, Obito, probably Iwa if war broke out...

And Madara if the worst should come to pass.

"Do we just leave now?" I asked listlessly, looking down at my feet.

"Rin and the resident two Uchiha will be leaving after while, so yes." Jiraiya replied, opening up the summoning scroll.

Before he started the process, he looked at me with a an ironclad expression.

"I will figure something out. Don't be an idiot like I was and reverse summon yourself to a summons realm. Rin will get the toad contract and I'll find one for you."

I didn't really care. This day was going to be awful and I wanted to just get it over with.

"Okay." I muttered, no longer feeling comforted by the extremely beautiful environment surrounding me.

Jiraiya went through the needed hand seals and sent us back to Konoha, the land of the toads disappearing from sight.

/////////////////

Itachi focused intently at a boulder in front of him, flaring chakra through the tenketsu that connected to the optic nerve and retina of the eye.

Amaterasu.

The black flames manifested at his line of sight and consumed the stone, melting it into a puddle of glassy liquid.

It wasn't until the transplantation of eyes that Itachi realized how foggy his eyesight from a distance was, everything now perfectly clear and sharp.

The pattern of his Mangekyo shifted to being more complicated than the kind that almost resembled a windmill in some ways; it had an a six pointed star pattern in the center now, with the original three blades remaining relatively the same in size. The contrast in how much chakra his Mangekyo abilities cost was also noticeable.

This was only the second day since Tsunade signed off on Sasuke and him being permitted to use their Sharingan, simply for precautions. The surgery went perfect and the two of them now had another potent weapon in their arsenal.

He already tried out his Susanoo yesterday, the speed of its conjuring and the lack of resistance to his will had him wondering how much more dangerous Madara was after taking Izuna's eyes.

Whether Sasuke attempted to test what his abilities were or not was unknown to Itachi. The moment he was capable of walking straight without Tsunade hounding him, his little brother had avoided almost everybody save for his teammates and Kakashi.

Wiping the faint dripping of blood from his eye socket, Itachi grabbed his gear that was in a storage scroll and was for the next two years at least.

Uzumaki Naruto forced the situation, but Itachi hoped, perhaps naively, that the older of the two Uzumaki was correct that Sasuke would eventually forgive him.

Before he could Shunshin towards his destination though, a faint shiver went up Itachi's spine and he spun around, his Sharingan flashing in preparation.

"Who's there?" He said coldly, his chakra responding to his will.

He spotted the slight bending of light around a large silhouette, only two people he knew were that size.

Jiraiya and Kisame.

"I see that Tsunade fixed your eyes." Jiraiya's voice came from the spot, his form materializing the rest of the way.

Itachi tilted his head at Jiraiya's presence, the act unusual from what he gathered about the Sannin's behavior.

"What interest does another Sannin have in me?" The Uchiha asked neutrally, hiding his curiosity.

Jiraiya snorted derisively. "I don't swing that way, like Orochi. Although those cheekbones and hair would be killer on a chick."

Itachi closed his eyes and counted to three, already having a bad history with two others that thought it amusing to make crass comments.

"I came here for three reasons," Jiraiya said seriously, all laid-back pretences gone, "One is related to our communication methods, another is something that just occurred between the toads and Naruto, and the last is about Rin and Sasuke."

Itachi ran through the possibilities that could be the reasons, coming up short.

"Was our current chosen methods insufficient?" Itachi queried, confused by Jiraiya's change in stance.

Agents of the Sannin would act as runners for messages, properly encoded of course.

"A better one has made itself available," Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head irritably, "The toads rejected Naruto as a summoner, meaning Rin is up as the next one."

That is a definite surprise. Itachi thought internally, frowning at the change.

Change was unpredictable, and unpredictable events seldom produced positive results.

"You mean to use the toads as a communication medium between you two," Itachi said aloud, nodding at the more secure method, "What were the other two about?"

"The reason Naruto was rejected and the subject related to Rin and Sasuke are tied together," Jiraiya said, shifting his stance somewhat, "The oldest toad in Mount Myoboku can see glimpses of the future through Senjutsu."

The prodigious and overall genius that was Uchiha Itachi hid his reaction as best as he could, but it still left him baffled.

"I will assume for the sake of this that you are not attempting to mess with me. Although it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility."

Itachi knew that Senjutsu gave sensory abilities when in use, but nothing about seeing glimpses of the future.

The Sharingan can seemingly predict what is about to happen. He mused, accepting that as an example of it being possible.

"Thinking about your eyes' ability?" Jiraiya raised a brow, causing Itachi to frown at his thoughts being accurately judged, "I've been around for half a century, kid. Forty of those have been as a Shinobi. I can read people well, you just happen to be the hardest one to."

Itachi didn't respond, silently requesting that the older of the two continue with what he was saying.

"The Sharingan and it's ability makes it plausible enough for you to accept, so that's fine enough," Jiraiya said, continuing his explanation, "The old toad said he saw it in Rin's future to go to Mount Myoboku, so we will be meeting up at the inn you will be staying at in two weeks for me to have her go through everything needed to sign the contract."

Whatever Jiraiya was going to say next was evidently uncomfortable for him, because he grimaced.

"It was also mentioned that she and a boy with soulful eyes are intertwined and tied together. The exact comparisons were Yin and Yang, lock and key, sword and sheath."

Itachi clicked his tongue in irritation. Tsunade had been the one that told him to practically babysit the two on top of training them. The two were close friends that were starting to mature, and things could happen.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out how dangerous an... accident," Jiraiya's discomfort was noticeable, "Would be for Rin or the surrounding landscape."

"A simple explanation will steer Sasuke away," Itachi replied simply, unconvinced of it being a particular issue, "And I doubt Rin will have any interest when the risks are known by her."

"You don't understand," Jiraiya shook his head, "Whether they become the closest of friends or something else, it was seen by Gamamaru. I'm not asking you to try and stop anything. That will just embolden them out of spite."

Itachi wanted to refute that, but Sasuke seemed to have a pathological need to defy him in everything imaginable.

He already is interested in her. Itachi bit the inside of his cheek lightly, exhaling through his nose audibly. I've seen it. She is everything he could ever want and he will not tolerate a third party, especially me, trying to take something from him or interfere.

His decision to hurt Sasuke seemed to punish him once more, the reminder feeling like a knife to his heart.

"I only ask that you make sure Sasuke isn't going to be a horny little idiot."

Itachi did not take kindly to Jiraiya's comment about Sasuke, his lip curling in disdain as he made his opinion known.

"My brother is not a lecher like you." Itachi remarked coldly, ignoring the chill that went up his spine at what Naruto had said about Sasuke and two other boys invading the hot springs.

His brother wasn't like that. He was an Uchiha, not a degenerate.

"I can tell you're bullshitting me." Jiraiya deadpanned, looking at him suspiciously, "You know something about him."

"It was a comment made in jest about a stupid lie concerning the hot springs." Itachi muttered, his irritation at Uzumaki noticable.

"What?!" Jiraiya practically barked, his eyes wide, "Sasuke was one of the three that infiltrated the hot springs?"

Itachi's breath caught in his throat at Jiraiya saying that. It meant Naruto wasn't lying about an incident occurring.

"What happened at the hot springs?" Itachi asked worriedly, his mind in free fall at the horrific possibility that his brother turned out much worse than he could have ever feared.

Jiraiya explained what happened weeks before the exams when three genin got into the hot springs and escaped after seeing all the Kunoichi bathing.

The specific one that was straddled by Inuzuka Hana and shouted 'Harder, bitch.' was unknown, but Itachi's prodigious mind made the all too unwelcome connection quickly.

Rin was loud and opinionated, along with being skilled at taijutsu and had knocked Sasuke to the ground when they had sparred. She was a shining example of being strong and unwilling to back down from a slight against her.

She also had a more wild look to her from the influence of the Kyuubi's chakra...

Similar to an Inuzuka.

If Sasuke had a... type, it would be a wild and untameable girl.

This can't be happening. Itachi felt nauseous at the thought of Sasuke being the type of boy that would do that. Henging as an adult to get a racy magazine from an adult store was one thing, but spying on women bathing and causing an explosion was beyond the pale.

"I didn't realize your brother had it in him to surpass me this early." Jiraiya finished with a surprised tone, causing Itachi to give a murderous glare at the man.

"I will ensure it is only a passing imperfection." Itachi said through clenched teeth, refusing to let his brother become an unsalvageable degenerate.

"If you don't want him suffering from broken bones and internal bleeding, kindly educate him on a subject I am intimately familiar with," Jiraiya crossed his arms, leaning on his right leg, "Don't try and ogle a blonde when she's bathing. And doubly so in Sasuke's case when his target is a Jinchuriki with a vicious little shit for an older brother and a Sannin for a godfather."

Itachi curled his fingers until his nails bit into his palms, not looking forward to the next several months of just himself, Uzumaki Rin, and his potentially... he couldn't put into words what he thought of Sasuke's distasteful predilections.

"Is there anything else?" Itachi asked tiredly, wanting to free himself of a Sannin that failed to live up to his legendary reputation.

Just like the other two, come to think of it.

Jiraiya shook his head. "I would have led with more serious things if everything out there has changed at all. Iwa has still gone dark, and a few hiccups are springing up where Orochimaru's village was at. The place is imploding after he got killed and it's showing."

That was a conversation the two plus Kakashi had just days ago, the situation having been brought up by Kumo ANBU that were running joint missions with Konoha's ANBU in acquiring salvage from any bases of Orochimaru's.

They had met with little success.

"I'll have more information when we rendezvous." Jiraiya finished, scratching at his temple, "And you've got some blood on your chin."

The spy master of Konoha then made a hand seal and vanished in a swirl of leaves, a faint trail in the ground from where he kicked of being noticeable.

Itachi put his hand against his chin and pressed, pulling it away a moment later.

Liar. Itachi sighed, disappearing in a blur just like Jiraiya had moments earlier.

////////////////

Rin had everything packed now and was standing outside of Sasuke's house right now, her friend getting ready as well.

Today was something she had looked at with excitement, and trepidation as well. On one hand, she was going to see the outside world and other things she'd never seen.

But on the other, she was leaving everything she ever knew and her brother...

Rin blinked rapidly as her emotions ran right under the surface of her thoughts, the sensation unpleasant.

She now understood why Naruto was so viciously protective and terrified for her safety.

He couldn't even protect himself and had been killed by Orochimaru.

No. She shook her head. He didn't die. He's right here. The fox saved him.

Sasuke was going to need her so he wouldn't be totally adversarial with Itachi, and she was going to need a familiar face and her friend when her precious people were here, in Konoha.

She wouldn't see Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, or Anko for a months, if not a year or two.

But being strong enough to protect herself and them mattered. The Akatsuki were extremely dangerous and could kill almost everybody she knew, and the only way to stop it was to train.

Wracking her knuckles against the door lightly, she opened the door slightly and put her face up against the crack.

"Sasuke." She called for him, hearing nothing in response.

"Sasuke," She repeated herself, "It's Rin. I'm coming in." She pushed the door open the rest of the way and entered the house, hoping Sasuke was ready.

Fox, She thought internally, trying to get its attention, Can you let me use your chakra to sense emotions?

The fox thankfully responded, although he grunted dismissively.

"It is not that simple. Your chakra may act as a suppressant like all Uzumaki, but it is not like you mother, the Shodai's mate, or even the Shodai himself."

Rin furrowed her brow at the comment, remembering the in-depth knowledge that Naruto learned from their ancestor.

Whatever, I need to to make sure Sasuke is okay.

"It still astounds me that you continue to hold affections for the little Uchiha."

Rin ignored the fox and cut the connection, focusing on her friend's wellbeing over sniping with the fox.

She focused and took a quick sniff of the air, scowling when she couldn't tell whether Sasuke was here.

"Sasuke!" Rin barked out this time, hearing shifting from the bathroom now.

Walking straight towards the location of the sound, Rin rounded the corner of the doorway and saw Sasuke, staring directly into the mirror of his bathroom, his hands clutching the sink tightly.

For several seconds, her friend, who she now noticed was paler than he usually was, kept staring in the mirror.

"They look wrong." He muttered, still staring at what Rin now realized was his eyes... Or technically Itachi's.

But if Rin were to be honest, she couldn't tell the difference at all. They were identical in shape, colour, and how they maintained a coldness that seemed to contain something more underneath.

"You're just seeing things." Rin responded, wincing a moment later when she realized how poorly worded that was.

Sasuke slowly pulled his gaze away from himself and looked at her with a faint hint of annoyance, until it bled away into nothing.

"What time is it?" He asked quietly, his gaze fixed on her chin.

"After 5," She replied, bending her knees to sink lower to the ground to meet Sasuke's gaze, "Can you please look me in the eye, Sasuke?" She asked kindly, hoping to stave off a potentially new habit.

Sasuke had a more noticeable fragility than Naruto. Her brother concealed it really well, but the cracks could be seen by her from how well she knew him.

But her friend couldn't conceal it.

"I," He swallowed audibly and sighed, looking at her directly now, "I don't like the thought of seeing everything through his eyes... But I'm dealing with it."

Rin shook her head and placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, causing him to twitch.

"Don't pretend that you're fine, Sasuke." She said gently, smiling softly, "We're going to need to watch each other's backs when it's just the three of us, so I need to help my best friend out, right?"

Sasuke smiled in return, more subdued than normal, but still there.

"I didn't realize I surpassed Hinata as your best friend."

Rin let out a short laugh and grinned brightly.

"She graduated to sister in all but blood."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and seemed more relaxed after she got here, the change of demeanor enough to alleviate her worries.

"You have your gear ready?" She asked, tilting her head at the lack of pack in sight.

With a barely concealed smug look, Sasuke pulled a scroll out of his pocket that Rin immediately recognized to be in Sasuke's fluid handwriting.

"When did you manage to make a stable seal?" She asked, surprised by the comparatively good design from how little training Sasuke had in Fuinjutsu.

Although Hinata was better, even if she was only decent at basic Fuinjutsu and had an understanding of more complex parts.

"I practiced after you used those seals during the exams," He replied, shooting her a look, "Which I won."

Rin snorted and didn't respond, the two walking right next to each other as they exited the house for the last time and started their trek towards the meetup near the gate.

/////////////

Next chapter will be posted immediately after this. I'm not leaving it on a cliffy.