flypaw

Summary:

' "Please Itachi… I know I can't save Sasuke but I can save you." Itachi considered these words before knocking Naruto's hand away.' Redemption begins in the form of salvation, at least that's what Naruto believes. ItaNaru Spoilers for Manga Chapters 365+

Pairing:

ItaNaru

One-sided SasuNaru

Warnings:

Character death, Manga incorporation, predictions as to 'what happens next', sexual situations later on/eventual Yaoi.

(Chapter Twenty Nine)

Cursed Salvation, Descending Redemption

Chapter Thirty

Unconditional

not limited by conditions; absolute: an unconditional promise

無条件の

"So where exactly did the meeting take place?"

Naruto played with the curled edge of the envelope as he tilted his head to the side, thinking about the answer to Itachi's question. The pair of them was going over the meeting between Naruto and Killerbee for the final time in order to check that they had every available piece of information on it they could.

"The Council of Bijuu; it's an abandoned hall that used to house the nine of them. When one of the nine powers left the hall, their combined power shattered and the safe hold, the place that kept their existence hidden from Shinobi, broke; allowing their individual powers to be warped and twisted."

Itachi nodded slowly before looking out of the ever famous window and to the sun gleaming down on Konohagakure.

"Well, that just about concludes our little dream talk… I will go to the Kyuubi later; he is sleeping at the moment."

Naruto caught Itachi's raised eyebrow and automatically knew the question behind the facial expression. He grinned and explained how he felt that the Kyuubi was asleep. Itachi offered no resistance to that fact; merely accepting it, which, Naruto suspected, was very plausible. Even if Naruto had been lying about the newly created link, Jinchuuriki were a marvel to normal human beings and it could be a very true explanation.

"Well then, how about we spend a day to ourselves? Recently, with the war against Akatsuki and the overload to both you and Tsunade-sama, the village hasn't been walked upon by the Hokage as a social call… I think it would be nice to remind the people that you care for them and intend to listen to their needs; I suppose that is where many Kages fail."

Naruto nodded and stood up, donning his Hokage cloak and shrugging his shoulder for Itachi to perch upon. Itachi made a fuss and rolled his eyes in an over dramatic gesture while morphing slowly into the raven form that was now his second skin.

Naruto wondered what it would be like to change your form so fluidly into an animal. It wasn't a henge; a henge was merely an illusion place around your body that morphed the structure of your body, still leaving you as you. For example, you could henge into a rock, but you wouldn't be the rock. You'd still be human.

But with Itachi's technique, he was a full raven. Somehow his body had been completely morphed to contain it within the shell of a bird's and Naruto wondered if it was something he had learnt whilst in the company of the Raven Elders, as Fukasaku had mentioned.

All of these were questions for up on the roof, in the spare minutes they had between planning and signing documents.

Speaking of documents, Naruto looked over his free shoulder to see the neat pile of completed forms, resisting the urge to curl his palm into a fist and then jerk his arm back, shouting 'oh yeah, take that Baa-chan' whilst making the action.

Itachi cawed softly into his ear and Naruto grinned at the ebony clad animal, nodding as he did so. It was Itachi's little way of telling him to hurry up so that he could fly.

That was another thing; Naruto wondered what it would feel like to fly. Sure, he had been in the air before, jumped through the forces of gravity of just flung his body from some peak… but to fly of your own accord? The only humans he knew who could do it were Itachi and Sasuke, the elder because of the raven form and the latter because of his cursed seal transformation… or at least, when he had the cursed seal.

For a brief moment, Naruto contemplated the notion that Itachi had been jealous that Sasuke, too, could fly, but dismissed it as another 'ridiculous Naruto thought'; Itachi had done it out of the love for his brother and nothing more.

The love that would never be reciprocated.

Now there was the odd thing; Itachi had never sought anything but revenge out of Sasuke. He had willingly placed his life on the line countless times and every time had to deal with the hatred Sasuke shot towards him. It was the love only families felt; unconditional love, and Naruto wondered if that extended to him.

Naruto's thoughts had been made clear a few times; Tsunade had managed to abate the thoughts – for now – that Itachi was merely seeking compensation but something niggled deep within Naruto. He knew it wouldn't be long before the Akatsuki came down on Konoha, even more so now that they knew Naruto led them, and that would be the time that Itachi revealed his true colours, his true nature.

Grasping the wooden handle, Naruto pulled the door open and they were off, Shizune tilting her head as she looked at them in curiosity. Naruto smiled back at her and waved, ignoring any further looks from the people milling in the corridors.

He knew why they were looking at him of course; he had never really been out of his office at this time of day before, especially for a mere walk.

Naruto corrected himself; this wasn't just a mere walk, he would be visiting friends and villagers, each one of them part of his family.

Itachi showed unconditional love towards Sasuke and even to Konoha, Naruto realised as he developed his thoughts, the footsteps he trod seemingly echoing in the hallway, even though he knew they weren't.

Maybe they weren't so different, he mused, Uchiha and Namikaze, two to have formed a relationship and two who unconditionally loved the village of Konoha. They were also the two men who held the most power of all Konoha in the upcoming war, simply because of who they were and what they were.

Take Itachi; he had a profile on each of the Akatsuki members and, even if he couldn't specify details, he knew the basics and techniques that each remaining original member would use. He was also a wonderful Shinobi… a wonderful Shinobi that was supposed to be dead. And there was the second point on the pros of Itachi; secrecy,

As for Naruto; he had formed an alliance with the Hachibi's Jinchuuriki – the only remaining true Jinchuuriki aside from Naruto himself – and powerful allies across the nations. One of his closest friends was the Kazekage and, if things went well, the Raikage could be up for an alliance.

Of course, that would take some sugar coating, especially as Killerbee was most definitely not dead.

As Naruto stepped into the sun, Itachi launched from his shoulder and into the clear skies. It always amazed Naruto at how easily a large bird could become airborne, it did take a lot of flapping and ungraceful propelling but the result was one of true elegance.

"Naruto?"

Naruto's head snapped open and he found brown eyes peering curiously down at his own. He smiled after recognising the irises and the man drew him into a light hug.

"How are you, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and asked why Naruto insisted on keeping the suffix attached to his name, when technically the Hokage should simply call him Iruka. Naruto had replied with a smile,

"Because you will always be my teacher, Iruka-sensei, and I may not use the suffix from time to time but it's how I know you… it's who you are. Even if you quit being a teacher."

Iruka chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"So where are you off to on this fine day?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "I wasn't sure. I haven't been around recently and Ita… I thought it was a good idea to take a walk around, talk to some people and maybe catch up with my friends. I haven't been a very good one to them recently and I'm sure some of them may be a little bitter about that fact."

Iruka looked at Naruto with pride in his eyes and Naruto questioned him upon it.

"No, nothing… it's just that I can't help but think what an amazing person you are, Naruto. You know that your friends may not be the best pleased with you after a long absence and yet you're so prepared to just jump back in there to make it up to them. You really are one in a million and I never want to see that change. Promise?"

In a childish gesture, Naruto held out his hand, three fingers and a thumb curled so that only the thin pinkie finger remained. Iruka chuckled lightly and reciprocated the gesture, linking the two appendages and muttering the age-old oaths that were married to the finger promise.

"Well, in that case I shan't keep you Naruto. Just to let you know… it's Thursday today and the chosen spot for today is Ichiraku ramen. In case you didn't know, Ichiraku's has expanded their territory. Apparently one hard working man kept ordering double the amount of Ramen and they received a sudden influx of money, deciding to build a larger seating area and more people came to sample the Hokage's favourite food."

Iruka winked at Naruto before wishing him a farewell and walked off into the Hokage tower, presumably for Missions duty. Naruto watched him go with a small smile on his face; Iruka always seemed to bring out the best in his Hokage and Naruto thanked him for it. It was always nice to have someone who understood you yet did not pry into your secrets. For Naruto, Iruka was such a person.

Itachi was circling overhead and Naruto watched in amusement as the black feathers reflected the sunlight. Itachi dipped low and his caw echoed round the space they stood in; Naruto understood, however, and nodded in reply. It was time for them to move on and Naruto's feet took the path he knew Ichiraku ramen to be.

The traditional stall was still there, except there was a wooden frame that held a canvas roof and walls, just off the side of the counter. It was, Naruto assumed, the extra seating.

Sure enough, when he pushed back the white sheet, he saw that almost every seat was filled. Men, women and children of all ages sat, either eating ramen or chatting animatedly. Naruto's eyes filled with warmth as he saw the happiness of each table and walked up to the table.

"Naruto?"

It was the second time that day that his name had been used as a question and Naruto felt his lips quirk up in a smile.

"Good afternoon, Teuchi-san, I had heard a rumour that you had expanded but to this extent?"

The man behind the counter chuckled and Ayame pushed him back to the cooking apparatus, shaking her head.

"It's good to see you again Naruto! We've been getting a lot of orders from you via either Shizune-san or Tsunade-sama but it never beats a visit in person… even if you're not eating."

Naruto chuckled in a light hearted manor and nodded to her questioning look. In an instant, Ayame's head snapped back to her father and she barked out order's for 'The Usual'. Naruto assumed it was what Tsunade had been giving him and Itachi recently and was pleased to find that he wasn't disappointed.

"There you go."

Naruto thanked the pair and his eyes looked over to the crowded seating area. A large group of people caught his attention and his body yearned to be seated amongst them suddenly. Not one of them had noticed him yet, a fact he was thankful for. He had the choice; turn and walk away or go and sit down with them.

"I thought you always rose to a challenge, Naruto… wouldn't want to stain that record of yours now would you? And," Ayame held up a hand as Naruto opened his mouth, "you can't say that you're busy. If you were busy, you wouldn't have come all the way down here just to collect your lunch."

Teuchi nodded behind her and Naruto sighed heavily.

"Wish me luck then," the pair obliged and Naruto slipped the bag on the counter into his hands, picking his way through the crowds.

This was what he loved about Ichiraku's; no one paid any attention to him. Sure, they moved out of the way when he asked them to or just out of common courtesy, but it was letting someone through, not necessarily the Hokage.

The group concerned didn't look up until they noticed a shadow looming over them. Oddly enough it was Sakura who made the first move, breaking the icy silence that had overtaken the conversation.

"Sai! Move up, let Naruto sit down. How are you Naruto? It's been a while but none of us wanted to intrude… Tsunade-sama mentioned that you've been extremely busy recently, otherwise we would have stopped by."

Sai nodded in confirmation and soon, hesitant murmurs and agreement sounded around the group. Naruto seated himself between Sai and Sakura almost awkwardly and the group looked at him as he cleared his throat.

"I… well I just wanted to say that… things have been busy but – but it's no…" He trailed off, unsure of how to word himself. Sai shifted in his seat, pushing his head back a little, and Naruto saw a new addition to the group; the man he had taken from ROOT. His eyes widened and a smile illuminated his features,

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for hardly being here recently. Even Tsunade managed to spend time with her friends and I've been an inconsiderate friend to you. It would be my greatest honour if you could find it in your hearts to forgive a crappy friend such as me."

The group's silence remained until Kiba broke it with a barking laugh.

"Naruto you idiot. You're the Hokage… of course you'll be busy! We'd be selfish if we got pissy every time you couldn't make it."

Shikamaru's favourite three syllables accompanied Kiba's mini speech; "Troublesome."

"Thank you," and Naruto opened the bag, pulling out the warm ramen and tucking in, discussing trivial things such as who was dating who and how long they had been together.

"And you Naruto? Anyone caught your eye since you've been Rokudaime?"

Naruto glared at Sai as he spoke and shook his head, swallowing the last mouthful of ramen and sitting back in his chair. Sakura tilted her body back so that she leant against him slightly and he turned his body to accommodate her weight, knowing that now everyone could see him.

"In all honesty, no. Have any of you recently had the 'STI' talk from Iruka-sensei? I was given the honour a couple of days ago and let me tell you… I never want to meet Chlamydia-sama ever."

Everyone at the table blanched and Sai shook his head slightly;

"Did he go into genital warts?"

Naruto's body shook as he nodded, confirming the horror.

"With pictures."

The group recoiled and avoided looking at each other. A drawling voice broke the silence and blue eyes looked into Naruto's own.

"So we heard that you've been off training? Sakura took the time out from organising stuff at the hospital to go search around Ame with Kakashi-sempai and Sai but where exactly did you go Naruto-sama?"

Naruto's skin shivered as Ino added the suffix on and knew that she was a slippery one. She had been trained from birth how to use the human mind to manipulate and it was no surprise that a single word could be spoken almost in a threat like manner. She would definitely go far in life.

"Well, Ino, I have to admit that I cannot disclose everything as I may once have done because I would possibly break some rules that I laid down myself…. But I have been training with the Toads at their Sacred Temples in the Sage arts."

Naruto pushed his sleeve down a little in order to make sure that they wouldn't see the pale mark left behind by the Kyuubi. In a short while, Naruto knew he would receive something from Fukasaku – a small frog summon had explained it to him a few hours ago. It would, apparently, help in advancing his training and help him to capture the full potential of the Sage Arts.

"Well, let's just hope this secret training of our Hokage's has worked!" The group laughed at Ino's raised voice and a few people looked over in the restaurant. A queue had formed by the counter and Teuchi kept shooting glances over at Naruto's group, hoping that they would possibly leave soon so other customers could be seated.

They picked their bowls up and trooped over to the counter, thanking both Ayame and Teuchi politely before exiting the canvas tent. The teams split their various ways, leaving Sai and Sakura alone with Naruto. The ex-ROOT had excused himself to go back to their work, which Naruto assumed was the breaking of the organisation Danzou had left in Naruto's care.

"Naruto…"

Naruto turned to look at Sakura and nodded hesitantly.

"Thank you and, before you say anything, I would just like to say that I am so sorry for my previous behaviour. What I said and did was disgusting and I'm ashamed of myself. You do not have to forgive me for those actions but I just wanted to make it clear how I felt."

Naruto watched in amazement as Sakura bowed slightly, dipping her head to reveal the pale skin at her neck. It was the complete gesture of submission; if they had been animals, Sakura would be offering her jugular for the final crushing bite that would kill her.

As it was, Naruto smiled at Sai secretively before wrapping his arms around the woman before him and hugging her tightly.

"There is nothing to forgive, Sakura. Just because of some hateful words and a few actions doesn't mean I will lose a friendship that means more to me than ramen." Naruto chuckled at Sakura's outraged face, "Yes, you're more important than ramen. All of my friends are; ramen is replaceable."

The words were simple but Sakura's face broke into the largest smile Naruto had seen in a while. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to Sai, giving him a kiss too. The males waved goodbye as she turned on her heel and skipped down the path, obviously intent on returning to her hospital duties.

"So, Naruto, would you and Itachi like to come and visit ROOT? We're getting on very well, managing to break through to a few people, but there's one main group that are resisting and they're threatening other people… I think the power of the Hokage is something they could use right now."

Naruto grinned and started after Sai; why did the man even bother phrasing it as a question when he already knew the answer?

無条件の

Sasuke stared at the destruction of his room. Furniture was smashed into small wooden pieces and the feathers that had made up his pillow floated around the room, mocking him.

Slamming the door as he stormed from the room, Sasuke came face to face with Kisame's chest. He hated the fact that his brother's former partner was so damn tall and that the man found ever opportunity to tease him. It was almost as if he had an ulterior motive… but what could the man know that he didn't?

"Sasuke, how are we today? Feeling a little moody? Well, don't take it out on the room or Pein will think he has a rival. Heh, both of you are as moody as the other… only I wouldn't say it to Pein's face. See here's the difference between you two, he – hey, come back!"

Sasuke had begun to walk off, ignoring the man's annoying voice. How the hell had Itachi put up with him?

"Well, I know you're listening because you wouldn't want to miss any important information. As I was saying, Pein would have killed me by now but you… you're too rough around the edges. You're weak; you're pathetic."

Sasuke stopped as Kisame spoke the words Itachi had so many times. He whirled round to face the sword wielder and the man grinned at him.

"Madara wanted to meet you five minutes ago. I told him you wouldn't be late."

Sasuke cursed and brushed past the man, refusing to run but hoping that he wouldn't be late. That was one thing he had learnt since being here; Madara calls, you follow. On the event that you were late, if you ever contributed to the conversation, the 'Leader' would turn on you in a second and manipulate your words, patronising you as if you were a child.

He entered the room almost out of breath and placed a stony façade upon his body. Madara's head tilted to look at him and he crossed his legs in the godforsaken throne of his. It was just another reminder that he was 'supreme' and the Akatsuki merely his dogs.

"I wish to talk about something you suggested recently… and I feel it may be the only way to continue. Now that we know we failed at retaining the Hachibi, we need to set our sights on the Kyuubi, turn our attention to Konoha while they believe we're still going for the other beast. Their damned Hokage will certainly know by now that you failed," Sasuke hated the emphasis Madara placed on him, as if it was his entire fault.

"So he will most likely be waiting in a false sense of security, believing that he is safe. For the moment."

Sasuke nodded in slight agreement. He could not recall what it was that Madara was thinking of but that hardly mattered; the fact that Madara was thinking about a plan Sasuke had suggested brightened up the younger Uchiha's day considerably.

"I believe that the only way we can get to Konoha will be to send Pein in as a distraction, make it appear as if he is the one going for the Hokage. As you will be able to get into the Fire's defences undetected, it is part of the gift that Itachi passed onto you, and you will follow behind and kidnap the bijuu."

Sasuke's eyes bugged and he remembered that plan. Madara, before, had dismissed it as a stupid plan but ever since the failed sealing of the Hachibi, it was evident that a thousand plans had run through the mysterious man's head.

And, apparently, this one was the only plan that would work.

無条件の

(Chapter Thirty One)