Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• Invisible Bridge

“One has awakened the Six Path’s Senjutsu…” Madara stared at Naruto, before his gaze shifted to Sasuke, “… and the other awakened the Rinnegan, huh?”

The Rinnegan?

Sasuke awakened the Rinnegan?

That old man definitely had something to do with all that!

“However… I possess both of those powers! This is the final battle!” He raised his hands into a hand-sign, “My powers versus yours… Let’s settle who is superior, once and for all!”

Naruto, don’t forget I have the chains. There is a slight possibility of me being able to permanently incapacitate him, but you need to get close… Real close for it to work, do you understand? Akashi spoke up, thinking of a way for it to work.

I do. I’ll try and give you a clear way. The blond answered, staring at Madara.

Akashi felt a spike of chakra come from Madara and not even a moment later, purple lightning left the man’s fingers and raced towards them. Naruto grabbed one of his rods and threw it at the lightning, stopping it in place. For a moment, Akashi sensed Sasuke’s chakra spike and he noticed the boy had gone a little further away from them.

“You should pay attention!” Naruto yelled at the distracted Madara and jumped at him, rod at hand, ready to slam it onto Madara. Another spike came from Madara and the familiar feeling of someone being in between them and Madara came back.

Naruto’s rod slammed into a strong, invisible mass.

Seeing that Madara was about to use a jutsu, Akashi summoned his chains and blocked the thin laser which burst at them, but it still managed to cut Naruto’s black rod in half. The invisible mass moved and a blade came right at it. Somehow, it passed through and embedded into the ground away from them.

Sasuke had thrown the blade, but it seemed like the mass wasn’t physical.

Not even a moment later, Akashi barely had time to summon the chains, something slammed into them and knocked them away. Naruto landed on his feet, skidding back a few feet, “Thanks, Akashi!”

You don’t have to say it out loud, you know?

You know, eh? You picked up some of mom’s habits, didn’t you?

Shut up and focus on the fight.

“Those chains are a bother,” Madara commented, a light scowl on his face as he looked at them, “A bother indeed.”

“Sasuke, it’s headed your way!” Naruto called out as the invisible mass moved from in front of them and headed towards Sasuke, “Something I can’t see is ambling around you.”

“Oh yeah? I can see it clearly!” Sasuke replied, staring into one spot.

The Rinnegan had its perks, it seemed.

“Naruto! Akashi! Looks like our physical attacks have no effect on the other Madara!” The other Madara? Is that what the invisible thing was? So Madara had another him in another, separate space?

“Yeah!” Naruto replied.

One of Madara’s black orbs changed its shape and he took the newly-formed staff into his hands, “Well then… That left eye should suit me perfectly!” The man dashed at Sasuke, a hand extended towards him, reaching for his Rinnegan.

Really, of course it wasn’t that easy.

Sasuke disappeared from in front of Madara and his blade stood in his place. Subsequently, that caused Madara to impale himself straight through the chest.

Naruto turned around and Akashi was able to see Sasuke approaching them from the place where the blade was previously embedded in the ground, “Then try it,” Sasuke told the man, “That’s not enough to kill you, is it?” He questioned, “It seems your shadow returns to your body after a certain amount of time,” So it had a time restriction? “Naruto, Akashi, when his shadow emerges again, go after it. I’ll take on the visible one. However…”

“I used to hate it when you would order me around… Some things never change, huh?” Naruto interrupted him.

“Let me finish,” Sasuke reprimanded him, “This is our chance,” he continued, “Madara and his shadow will probably stay merged for a little while longer. I don’t care what it is, but get a Sage Power Jutsu ready. One that seals movement.”

One that seals movement, eh?

I’ll assist you with the chains. Akashi told Naruto.

Okay! Naruto replied.

Madara pulled the blade out of his chest and discarded it.

“Sage Art: Magnet Style Rasengan!” The Rasengan came to life atop Naruto’s palm and Akashi stared at it for a moment.

Where did he get something like that?

It’s from the One-Tail, Shukaku. Kurama spoke up after a while of keeping silent.

The giant tanuki which wrecked the forest during the Chuunin Exams?

Great.

“And I have Six Paths Power too… Chidori!” The Chidori burned black in Sasuke’s hand, “Naruto, shoot that towards me!” He hurriedly said, “I’ll take care of the rest.”

Shook it at him? What was he planning?

To… To teleport Madara between them?

“It’s a bit irritating, but there’s no time to argue!” Naruto replied, whipping his Rasengan in Sasuke’s direction at the same time Sasuke did the same thing with his Chidori.

Their jutsu’s slammed into Madara, who appeared in between them.

“Naruto, the jutsu the Sage of Six Paths gave you, you know it, right?!” Sasuke questioned over the loud screeching of his Chidori.

Jutsu?

“Yeah, the time is now!” Naruto answered.

Using that opportunity, chains whipped out of the blonds back and went for Madara. Sadly, before they could fully wrap around the man, Madara flew straight up and in his place was Shadow Madara. Akashi’s chains wrapped around the invisible Madara and held him in place.

“What?!” Sasuke exclaimed.

“He moved?!” Naruto asked, turning his head around, “Over there!” He followed the retreating Madara with his eyes, “Sasuke, we’ll hold this one down, so go after the real one!”

Sasuke looked at Madara and his chakra spiked, but nothing happened.

Did he plan on teleporting Madara back to them? Why couldn’t he? Was he out of range?

“Hurry, Sasuke!” The blond’s voice echoed, “Madara is heading straight for… Kakashi sensei!” Akashi could sense it, Madara reaching Kakashi. He sensed the change in Kakashi, as his chakra stuttered within him.

He also sensed Madara blink out of existence.

He had gotten Kakashi’s Mangekyou Sharingan.

Madara disappeared. Akashi informed Naruto.

He’s after Obito’s Rinnegan, I think… He and Sakura are within the Kamui. Naruto replied, filling Akashi in.

Huh… So they went to a safe location to try and keep the Rinnegan from Madara?

It didn’t work as well as they thought.

All of a sudden, Sakura’s chakra signal appeared. Had she left Kamui?

Naruto, Sakura just came back. He informed his brother.

We’ll go there after we bind this thing. After hearing Naruto’s plan, Akashi agreed, it wouldn’t take long.

A few black rods and a Shadow Clone kept the Shadow Madara stuck in place as the real Naruto went to where the others were.

_

Not even a minute passed, before Naruto landed next to them.

“What about his shadow?” Sasuke immediately asked.

“I stopped him cold with my Shadow Clone and Six Path’s Rods!” The blond informed the raven-haired boy.

“Naruto!” Sakura exclaimed, before her eyes widened, “Where is Akashi?!” She hurriedly looked around, green eyes trailing over each and every stone, not leaving one unturned.

What? So she cared about him now?

“Uh… He sealed himself along with Kurama inside me, so that both of us could survive,” he got straight to the point as he walked up to her, “Let me do it!” He stopped in front of Kakashi.

“What are you trying to do, Naruto?” She questioned and stood up, the green light on her palms flickering out of existence.

“Hey!” Sasuke said, but Naruto ignored him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He slowly crouched in front of Kakashi and reached towards his missing eye, settling his right hand over the closed lid and closing his own eyes. After a moment or so, he stood up, “Kakashi sensei, try opening your eye.” He said to the silver-haired man.

Kakashi did as he was asked and…

… his closed eye opened, revealing a whole, unhurt eye.

Seriously… Naruto was still unpredictable.

“No way! How did you do that?!” Sakura asked and Naruto turned to face her.

“It’s really hard to explain in words…” he grabbed his chin in thought, “… but I took a part of Kakashi sensei, and then I kinda… um… uhh…” He trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.

How did you manage to explain what I did, if you can’t even explain what you did? Akashi face-palmed, shaking his head at him.

Seriously…

“Hey, Naruto… I told everyone to stay alert!” Sasuke raised his voice at him.

“But it’s the first time I’m hearing of it!” Naruto argued back.

“Quit talking back for once, Naruto!” Sakura told him, “Anyway, you’ll have to explain about that eye later!”

“Madara stole Kakashi’s eye and went to where Obito is. The next time he appears, he’ll have both Rinnegan!” Sasuke jumped back in.

Akashi couldn’t help but notice Kakashi’s unusual silence.

He couldn’t see him, but he could feel what he was feeling.

The sadness within him had taken Akashi aback for a moment. Why was he sad? A heavy tone of melancholy seeped out of every pore of his being, almost drenching Akashi in it.

The others didn’t notice anything, typical, since they were arguing about something.

Akashi wasn’t listening to them, he was too caught up on what Kakashi was feeling at the moment.

Naruto had told him, when they were inside the blond’s mind, that Kakashi never gave up on him. That he was serious about getting him back to Konoha… Back to their home… Back to where they came from.

Was that the truth? Was that a lie? Did Naruto make it up so that Akashi wouldn’t continue his plan? The plan in which Naruto is the one to survive and Akashi is the one to die.

There was a sense of pride to the sadness as well.

Pride? For what? Did he feel proud of them?

Proud? He felt… proud?

…

…

Little one, are you all right? Kurama’s gentle voice asked.

I’m fine.

You don’t sound like you’re fine.

Just drop it.

Akashi-

I said drop it! His voice exploded through Naruto’s mind and the blond grabbed his head in pain.

“Akashi! Easy there!” He shook his head as if that would clear the pain away.

The redhead stayed silent, choosing not to say anything.

Akashi, I’m worried about you.

There’s no need for that.

Listen-

Please don’t.

Kurama went silent at the sound of his voice.

“Sasuke, what is your dream now?” Kakashi asked, making everyone glance at him, including Naruto, before they looked back to Sasuke. It was enough for Akashi to see the expression that was on Kakashi’s face.

There was nothing.

As if his sadness was wiped away, there was nothing left.

It seems like Kakashi had a way of blocking off feelings he didn’t wish to feel… Memories he didn’t wish to remember…

Nothing unusual there.

“What’s the true meaning behind you saying you’ll become Hokage?” Sakura questioned the raven-haired boy.

“It might be fate that reunited the old Team 7 like this, Sasuke.” Kakashi spoke up.

Fate? Fate? Fate? Fate? Fate?

Why must that word be the only thing he could hear? Why must that word the be only thing to plague his mind? Why must that word be the only thing he cannot forget?

Why… Why does he get reminded of the choice he has to make? The choice that was laid onto his shoulders. The choice which was nothing more than a burden for him to bear.

“If you don’t want to say what you’re thinking right now, that’s fine,” Kakashi continued, “But the fact that we were once Team 7 is undisputable… Right?” As soon as those words left his lips, Akashi sensed Madara.

Naruto, he’s coming!

“You haven’t forgotten the lesson from the very first mission to steal the bells, have you?” Kakashi questioned.

“Yes!” Sakura answered.

“Of course not!” Naruto exclaimed, “The answer is teamwork!”

Teamwork…