Soulmating

A/N: Damn, I really can't stop writing. Here you go, the first chapter of this year! :D

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"Uchiha Itachi, we meet again." Naruto said.

"So it seems." Itachi responded.

"Everybody, don't look into his eyes!" Kakashi said to his team.

"Last time we met, you seemed a little surprised about me having the sharingan. But now, I have something that will surprise you even more." Naruto grinned, as he activated his Mangekyou sharingan.

"Impossible." Itachi mumbled.

Naruto smiled, but thought back at what Tsunade had told him.

"Naruto, after analyzing your eyes I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that somehow, your eyes can't reach their full potential. It seems that, although the connection allowed you to use the normal sharingan on Uchiha level, it won't do that for the Mangekyou sharingan. However, the good news is, that you are not affected by the biggest weakness of the Mangekyou sharingan: the deterioration of your eyesight. The Kyuubi heals you eyes just like any other part of your body, so you are able to use it more often than Itachi and Kakashi."

This would be interesting.

But then the sky went black. "It seems I'm already in your genjutsu."

"That is correct."

Then suddenly, vines came sprouting out of the earth, pulling Itachi down. "Or have I captured you in mine?"

Itachi canceled the genjutsu. "How..."

"It seems I can use an eye technique that is a bit like your Tsukuyomi. It allows me to hijack an illusion, or, if the illusion is too powerful, to just cancel it."

"Ah, but there is something else, isn't there? I can see it in your eyes. You can't use the power of your eyes to the full extent, or else you would've used a far more powerful illusion."

"Perhaps. But I have one advantage over you, Itachi. My eyes are healed by the Kyuubi. I can keep on seeing."

Itachi seemed shocked by this. "How far has your eyesight deteriorated, Itachi?" Kakashi added.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu." Itachi said, as he spew out a huge fireball.

When the smoke had cleared, a shadow clone of Kakashi flew out of the earth, punching Itachi in his face. As his clone held Itachi in place, the real Kakashi shouted: "Naruto, now!"

"Oodama rasengan!" Naruto yelled, as he pushed a huge rasengan towards Itachi.

And then the battle was over. Only, instead of Itachi's body, someone else was lying there. "I know this man." Chiyo said. "He is from the Sand. It seems they used some kind of jutsu to stall us."

"Which can only mean that they are already extracting the bijuu." Kakashi replied

"No time to waste then!" Naruto said angrily, as they ran towards the place where Gaara was.

---

The battle with Deidara hadn't taken them that long. Kakashi's Mangekyou sharingan had been awesome, perhaps even more awesome than his own. Sakura's and Chiyo's battle with Sasori, however, had been a lot more difficult. But the mission had been more than a success: not only had they managed to save Gaara's life, Sasori had decided to give them information on the location of Orochimaru current hideout. Naruto had never been more happy in his life. Finally they had a clue that could lead them to Sasuke. Unfortunately though, his happiness had been short term. Not only did Kakashi have to stay in the hospital because the Mangekyou sharingan overexcerted his body, but some kind of weird boy had been assigned to their team. His name was Sai, and Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that there was something terribly wrong with him. Nonetheless, they had been sent out towards Orochimaru's hideout, together with their new captain, Yamato. Though he and Sakura had been hesitant at first, they had realized that he was a powerful shinobi. So now, they were on their way to the hideout.

"How long until we reach the hideout, Yamato?" Naruto asked.

"Under five minutes. Ready yourselves, I sense multiple powerful chakra signatures."

Naruto tensed. The moment was finally there. He had been training for this the past three years. He had been dreaming of it. What he would do. What he would say. And now it was going to happen.

"We're here. Prepare to blast through the entrance."

Yamato use his wood element techniques to break open the door. They all burst through, but then they stopped. In front of them stood Kabuto.

"You." Naruto said.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you guys pass. Only you, Naruto."

"Then we'll just have to go through you." Sakura said.

"You go ahead Naruto. We'll catch up with you later." Yamato ordered.

And so he did. He ran through hallway after hallway, feeling like he was completely lost in the maze that was Orochimaru's hideout. But then he entered a huge chamber.

Sasuke was standing across him.

"Teme."

"Dobe."

A short silence ensued.

"You shouldn't have come here."Sasuke said

"You shouldn't have gone here."

"I'm serious Naruto. You will achieve nothing by coming here. All that could possibly happen is that you're going to be embarrassed by the fact that I kicked your ass."

"No, I'm going to take you back to Konoha this time."

"If you did that, Naruto, I would hate you for the rest of my life. If you take me back now, I won't be able to kill Itachi, and I would never forgive you for that."

"Why Sasuke? Why did you have to choose this path?"

"I didn't. Itachi chose it for me when he slaughtered my entire clan."

"I see I will not change your mind. Perhaps me kicking your ass will."

"Hn."

Naruto flew forward, trying to punch Sasuke. Before he had landed the hit though, he was suddenly paralyzed by a wave of electricity, and Sasuke drew his sword and held it to Naruto's throat.

"I'm not the same anymore, Naruto. I've grown more than you can imagine."

Suddenly, Naruto was back to the place where he stood at the start of their conversation. In his eyes, the Mangekyou sharingan were visible.

"So have I."

"How..."

"The Kyuubi's chakra allowed me to activate them. Kakashi actived his too, although I have no idea how he did it."

Sasuke stepped backwards. "We'll meet again soon, Naruto." He then blew up the roof, and disappeared, after which Yamato, Sakura and Sai came running in.

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing. Sasuke is staying with Orochimaru. Perhaps we'll have a chance after he kills Itachi."

"If he kills Itachi..." Naruto thought, not really sure if things would turn out right.

---

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"You again." Sasuke replied to the Sage of the Six Paths. Somehow he was once again in the temple in his mind.

"It is time."

"Time for what?"

"I have learned you all you need to know to have a chance against Itachi. Now, you must take action. I know you have been thinking of ways to kill Orochimaru. Now is the time."

"Hn."

A week later, he was standing over Orochimaru's dead body.

Itachi would pay.

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A/N: It's a bit of a short one, but this felt like all I wanted to include. I didn't really go in to the details of the battle with Deidara and Sasori, because that's not really that interesting to the story. In the same way, Hidan and Kakuzu will probably also just be mentioned. But I can say to you that the next chapter is going to be a great one. Naruto and Sasuke meet one final time before Sasuke kills Itachi. Oh, and there will be some smut :D
Replies to reviews:
unneeded: I always like missing updates, it means you can read more at once :P I'm happy you're still following the story, you'll really enjoy next chapter. I think you'll get at least 10, possibly 15 chapters more before the story ends, and I will try to get them all out before the end of march, though if I'm going to keep on writing at the speed I do now it might even be sooner :D