The Legend of the Kyubi

(2) = Characters [Naruto].     

**************************     

"I think this is a good place to talk while Miko-chan talks to Sasuke and the others" - Kurama said while looking at Kisame normally - "Tell me, Kisame, what do you think about Akatsuki's plans?"     

"They are strange" - Kisame replied while frowning - "No matter how much I think about it, I still don't understand why they are trying to collect the Bijuu."     

"I have an idea why, but let's leave that for another time" - Kurama said while shaking his head - "For now I want to propose something to you."     

"I don't bat for that team" - Kisame snorted while folding his arms.     

". . ." - Kurama shot him a blank look.     

"Ok, sorry" - apologized Kisame as he noticed how he was annoying the wrong guy - "Tell me, what is it that you want to propose to me?"     

"I want you to do me a few favors, and if you do, I promise to fulfill one of your requests, no matter what it is" - replied Kurama calmly - "Although I'm going to leave some small restrictions that I don't think you'll mind."     

"What do you want me to do?" - Kisame asked as he raised an eyebrow.     

"I want you to put this seal on the Demonic Statue when you return" - replied Kurama as he handed him a strange piece of paper.     

Kisame took it carefully before trying to activate it, only to notice how nothing happened.     

"Relax, it only activates when it's placed on the Statue" - replied Kurama calmly - "That way there will be no problem detecting you and you'll be able to do your stuff without any problems."     

"That's a relief" - replied Kisame as he let out a sigh of relief - "Thank you for the 'kindness'."     

"I don't treat people who work for me badly" - replied Kurama calmly - "Anyway, now let's move on to the second one."     

Kisame remained silent as he waited for the albino's orders, though honestly, he wasn't too worried because it seemed that he wasn't plotting to cause him any harm.     

"The second thing I want to ask you, is a bit more dangerous" - Kurama said seriously while handing him another talisman - "I want you to put this on your teammate, Zetsu".     

"The artichoke?" - Kisame asked as he raised an eyebrow in surprise.     

"Exactly" - replied Kurama as he nodded calmly - "Let's just say he and I have an acquaintance in common."     

Kisame shrugged before nodding weakly and taking the talisman.     

"I guess that would be it" - Kurama said calmly, after all, with this he would freeze Akatsuki's progress and save the other Bijuu - "Oh, right, I was forgetting to tell you to watch out for the guy who calls himself Madara."     

"You mean the weird guy with the orange mask?" - asked Kisame in surprise as he remembered the guy who roamed their base from time to time.     

"Exactly" - nodded Kurama as his eyes glittered with mischief - "Let's just say he's not who he claims to be"     

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind" - Kisame replied as he narrowed his eyes because he had a bad feeling about both him, and Zetsu, and Kurama's words were making him start to understand why.     

"Ok, I think it's time to go to Itachi and the others" - Kurama said as he motioned for Kisame to follow him.     

"Tell me, who are you?" - Kisame asked curiously. If he was about to work for this unknown man, he would at least like to know his name.     

"My name is Uzumaki Kurama, leader of the Uzumaki clan of Uzu" - Kurama replied calmly as he activated his Rinnegan.     

"!" - Kisame's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of that strange eyes, after all, they were the same eyes their leader had, just with a different color.     

"And I have other titles, but they're not that important" - Kurama continued as he advanced in the direction of where Mikoto and the others were.     

"Anything I need to know about my partner's situation?" - Kisame asked as he raised an eyebrow.     

"He was reunited with his mother and younger brother" - answered Kurama calmly.     

* * *     

"I see they're doing better" - said Kurama as he arrived at the place and saw how Itachi was conversing with Izumi, and how Sasuke was acting a bit more like his version of his dimension.     

"Kurama-kun!" - Mikoto exclaimed with a smile as the Uchiha looked at the albino.     

"Kisame, what are you doing here?" - Itachi asked upon seeing his teammate.     

"Let's just say I screwed up and got detected while taking a break" - Kisame replied as he scratched his cheek - "Although I'm doing some work for Kurama-dono now."     

Itachi glanced at his teammate and then looked at his mother's husband from another dimension, searching for answers.     

"I'll explain later, for now, I have some things to do" - Kurama said as he approached Itachi. It was at that moment that the Uchiha noticed the albino's eye.     

"Rinnegan" - Itachi muttered in surprise as Sasuke was speechless - "The ultimate evolution of the Sharingan and the eye of the Rikudou Sennin."     

"!" - Sasuke was speechless when he heard this because it was the first time he was in contact with information related to this - "How can you possess the Rinnegan if you're not an Uchiha?"     

"Let's just say because of a series of coincidences that are best left unknown to you" - Kurama replied as he looked at the two Uchiha - "At least for now."     

Itachi tried to probe further into the subject but decided to put it aside for now.     

"I want you to train me" - Sasuke said seriously as he looked at the albino.     

Those present except Kisame, widened their eyes in surprise because they never expected this development.     

Kurama glanced at Sasuke before getting to thinking - "I find no reason to refuse, but you have to know that you won't be the only one I'll be training."     

"Who's the other one?" - Sasuke asked, though he honestly didn't care.     

"You know him very well, after all, you were teammates" - Kurama replied with an amused smile.     

"!" - Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, though if he thought about it, there was no reason to be surprised, after all, Kurama was the leader of the Uzumaki clan and Naruto was part of the clan, though deep inside him, something told him that there was more information that the albino wasn't revealing.     

"Is there a problem?" - Kurama asked as he raised an eyebrow.     

"None," Sasuke replied as he closed his eyes. His mentality had changed drastically with the revelation of his brother's actions and his motives, as well as his mother's affection, which was why he had decided to attempt to make amends for everything he had done to his former team.     

"It's good to see that your attitude is improving with just a little support" - Kurama smiled as he unconsciously put his hand on the boy's shoulder.     

Sasuke froze when the albino did this, but for some strange reason, he felt a small warmth invade his insides, after all, it was the first time someone gave him fatherly affection.     

Itachi watched this silently, but did nothing to intervene in Kurama and Sasuke's interaction, after all, his younger brother needed a pillar to lean on, a role model to help him get back on track.     

Mikoto smiled as she watched the interaction of her husband and her son from this dimension, only to frown as she remembered Itachi's words about how this dimension's Fugaku had been with Sasuke.     

"Alright, now there's only one thing left for me to do" - Kurama said as he looked at Itachi with a serious expression - "I want you to tell me the truth, how long do you have to live?"     

"!" - Sasuke and Mikoto's eyes widened in surprise when they heard this.     

Itachi sighed regretfully as he shook his head at how his biggest secret had been revealed - "When did you find out?"     

"Since I first saw you" - Kurama replied as he frowned - "Trouble with your lungs?"     

"Something like that" - Itachi replied as he shook his head.     

"Hmm, now that I see you more carefully, you're also going blind" - muttered Kurama, but this made both Mikoto, and Sasuke exclaim in terror, after all, they knew the reason for the blindness - "You should use your Dojutsu less!"     

"Kurama-kun, tell me you'll help him" - Mikoto said with concern.     

"I wouldn't be saying all this if I wasn't going to help him" - replied Kurama while looking at his wife - "This will be quick".     

Kurama activated his Rinnegan's Jutsu and everyone watched as a silhouette swallowed Itachi, only to spit him out after a few seconds.     

"Are you okay?" - Kisame asked, after all, this was the first time he experienced such a strange Jutsu.     

"I've never felt better" - Itachi replied as he checked his body and noticed how not only he could now breathe extremely easily, but also his vision had returned to how it was when he had just awakened his Sharingan - "Thank you."     

"You don't have to thank me" - Kurama replied as he took Mikoto's hand.     

Itachi just watched this in silence, although he had to admit that it was a bit awkward to see how his mother was acting like a teenager in love. Still, remembering everything she had to go through, it was a good time for her to be happy, even though this Mikoto, was not his real mother.