The lost soul..

Naruto looked from one end of the hallway, to the other. Itachi and Kisame stared back at his red and black form, one apathetic, the other with blood lusting excitement.

"Two of the most feared S class criminals in the known Shinobi world in my office." He mused aloud before looking at their attire. "Ahhh, I see. So the reports are true then." He mused calmly before looking at the Uchiha. "There really is an organization after the Bijuu."

Itachi stepped forward. "Uzumaki Naruto." He looked around the office before looking back at him. "I see you have become rather important in my absence, Demon of Konoha."

Naruto said nothing he merely continued to stare at the Uchiha with his cold blue eyes.

The murderous prodigy spoke again. "You know why we're here." He stated simply.

Kisame picked it up where he let off. "So we can do this the easy way, or…" He grinned and placed a hand on Samaheda's hilt. "My way."

Naruto turned his eyes to the second Akatsuki member and with speed Kisame barely caught the ninja had closed half the distance between them with one sword already ready to swing.

Itachi's first instinct was to use a fire jutsu, but the problem was A) They couldn't attract too much attention and B) Kisame was in the way.

So he unsheathed a Wakizashi on his back and rushed forward intent on catching up to the youth.

Kisame knew he wouldn't be able to unsheathe Samaheda in time to block and so he placed his forearm in the way.

Naruto's blade dug deeply into his skin stopping at the bone Kisame curled his lip, but showed no signs of pain his other hand was already in a motion to cleave him with Samaheda.

Naruto stepped back with one leg, managing to do so in time to dodge Samaheda as it came down. Wooden splinters flew as the blade hit the ground. Naruto held his blade firmly in Kisame's forearm and used his free hand, delivering two quick punches to the shark's face.

He pulled his hand back and in one smooth motion he unsheathed his second scimitar, gripping the weapon in a reverse grip a clang was heard as Itachi's wakizashi hit his blade.

He pushed the blade up and swiped at the Uchiha's legs. Itachi leapt up and threw a kick at the blonds face. Naruto leaned his head forward, dodging the kick. He then raised his blade again and hit the back of Itachi's knee with the hilt of the blade.

Itachi gritted his teeth against the pain, the impact put him parallel to the ground, stil in mid air. Naruto then raised his leg and moved to kick him in the chest with an ax kick. Itachi caught the attack, using it to pivot himself in an awkward backflip, up, over the leg, and landing on his feet.

Naruto then wrenched his other blade free from Kisame's forearm and leapt up just seconds before Kisame's took a horizontal swing that would have cut him in half.

He stuck to the roof with chakra and crisscrossed his blades to block a vertical strike from the fish-like Akatsuki member. He felt the ceiling buckle slightly beneath his feet at Kisame's raw strength.

He turned and blocked another strike from Itachi, twisting the blade around he made an opening in Itachi's stance and took it. His scimitar entered the Uchiha's stomach just as he burst into ravens, which scattered black feathers all over the place

He pushed his blade down and leapt off the roof as dozens of kunai, thrown by the Uchiha hit the spot he had previously been occupying

As soon as he landed he was forced to block Kisame's Samaheda again as he swung. Even so, the force of the blow sent him crashing through the wall into the other room.

Kisame went to follow, but as soon as Naruto saw his figure through the newly made hole he catapulted back out, slamming into the blue skinned man with a very hard shoulder tackle that sent Kisame through the opposite wall.

He turned and again blocked Itachi's strike with one of his blades, he used the other to take a swipe at him but Itachi managed to block that with his wakizashi. Naruto continued to attack, his moves fast and precise, a flurry of metal and sparks was all normal individuals could see.

Slash-marks were formed throughout the length of the hallway as the exchange continued, eventually leading back into the office, now with more space to maneuver Itachi could get a breather.

He side stepped as Naruto came in with a downward swing, slicing his own desk in half in the process.

Itachi appeared again behind him stabbing him in the back, the wakizashi blade poking out of his chest. He growled low in his chest and delivered a hard elbow right into Itachi's gut, then raising his fist up, punched him dead in the face.

Itachi recoiled from the blow, but managed to twist the blade and pull it out. Naruto turned and delivered a brutal kick to the Uchiha's gut, sending him clear across the hallway, down to the reception desk.

Naruto threw his swords, stabbing them in the floor about two inches deep. He then made some fast handseals and let his arm fall to his side, where four large snakes came from each of his sleeves.

Thrusting his hands forward the reptiles practically flew down the hallway, streaking towards the Uchiha prodigy. Itachi threw several kunai and Shuriken towards the approaching reptiles but they merely twisted themselves out of the way hissing as they continued their charge.

Itachi muttered a curse under his breath and let his eyes shift to the form of the Mangekyo.

"Amateratsu!" Black flames exploded from his eyesockets streaking down the hallway. The wood withered and burst into flames as the black fire passed over it, incinerating the snakes and instantly turning them into ash.

Naruto released the jutsu on his snakes, and grabbed the two swords stabbed into the ground at either side of him. Picking them up he focused both wind and fire chakra into each one of the blades. "Katon: Daibakuha no Tate." (Fire release, great exploding wall)

Flames came from his blades, the heat making the papers in the office behind him combust. Due to the compressed space, the wall of flames extended down the hallway, forming a virtual pillar of fire that headed for the Amateratsu.

The two attacks met with an explosion that seemed to rock the whole tower. Naruto's flames offered resistance for a few moments before they gave way to the power of Amateratsu.

Itachi covered his yes as the explosion momentarily blinded him, when the explosion finally died down he looked and saw the entire hallway was in ruins.

He was about to step forward when the ceiling behind him exploded in a shower of splinters. He spun around just as a clawed gauntlet caught him by the throat bringing him down and pinning him against the floor. Itachi leaned his head to the side, barely avoiding the sword that stabbed itself where his forehead once was.

He lifted his leg and kicked Naruto in the back making him roll forward. Itachi got to his feet and turned, his sword already swinging.

Naruto caught the blade with his metal gauntlet and pushed it down with his left hand, with the sword in his right he took a quick stabbing motion to Itachi's face making the Uchiha prodigy lean to the side, he pulled back and stabbed again, making Itachi lean to the other side.

They continued this for a few moments, before Naruto swung horizontally, Itachi ducked under the swing, still keeping a firm grip on his Wakizashi before he delivered a powerful punch to Naruto's gut, making him hunch over slightly. The Uchiha then stood up, and delivered a strong knee to the boys face sending the blond Jinchuriki reeling from the blow. Itachi then grabbed him by the throat and forced him to look at him dead in the eye. "Tsukiyomi"

Itachi was the prodigy of the Uchiha clan, often being hailed as the one stronger than the legendary sannin and was the first person to wield the power of a mangekyo sharingan in well over a century, also knowing more ninjutsu that even Hatake Kakashi.

So it was no real surprise when the Uchiha knew for a fact that the second he entered the world of the Tsukiyomi that something was not right.

He didn't know what gave it away, perhaps because the world was not responding to his commands, perhaps because he couldn't feel the mental link he possessed which allowed him to control the illusion, or perhaps it was the fact that instead of facing he 'normal' Naruto he was facing a much more sinister version of the blond.

'Naruto's' grin widened to almost insane proportions as he raised his claws. "So this is the entertainment my container has provided me with." The Naruto chuckled to himself, his red eyes glinting in the shadows of the Tsukiyomi.

Itachi suddenly knew who he was facing. "The Kyuubi."

The legendary demon chuckled as its grin widened. It flexed its razor sharp claws and spoke calmly. "Come boy, if you can provide me some good entertainment then I will let you leave."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, he knew the chances of him beating the great demon in anything, even in the world of his Tsukiyomi, were very very slim.

So he had no choice other than to play along, since dispelling the technique didn't seem to be working.

He rushed forward to the Kitsune at incredible speeds, his Wakizashi glinting eerily in the red lights of the Tsukiyomi

He swung with a downwards, diagonal swipe, but the Kitsune, fluidly moved out of the way, Itachi looked behind him to see the grinning fox floating back. Itachi spun on his heel and rushed forward.

However, instead of attacking with the Wakizashi directly, he threw the weapon at his red eyed opponent.

Kyuubi swerved to the side, his smile still firmly in place, Itachi appeared in front of the Kitsune and plunged a kunai in his right collar bone and twisted it savagely.

Kyuubi kept on smiling even as blood escaped the corner of his mouth. He grabbed the Uchi's forearm, holding him in place and digging his sharp claws deep into the flesh.

A bright red fireball formed on the Kitsune's free hand and he slammed it into Itachi's chest, sending the Uchiha prodigy flying back.

Itachi coughed up blood and clutched his chest in pain, but quickly ignored it and righted himself in mid air, rushing back at the Kitsune with almost desperate fervor as he took out two kunai and engaged in Taijutsu.

Claws and metal met in furious and bloody slashes. Itachi did the best he could, but still received terrible lacerations along his forearms, his left hip, right shoulder clear across his stomach and down from the left side of his chest down to his lower right ribs.

With the use of the Sharingan he managed to catch a view of an opening and seized it shoving the Kitsune away with a harsh kick that connected to the red eyed devils face. The Kitsune's back hit a 'tree' within the ilusion world.

Itachi rushed forward and with blinding speed he plunged two kunai into the Kitsune's palms, running them straight through and stabbing them deep into the bark of the tree, effectively nailing him there.

Itachi pulled back and scowled as he saw the Kitsune's infuriating smile was still there annoying the fuck out of him.

Six kunai were gripped in each hand, he let a smirk cross his lips before he threw them all, hitting the Kitsune in every major vein and artery in the human, upper torso anatomy, including both lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, stomach and throat.

He was still smiling.

Itachi scowled as he saw the form chuckling softly, the rise and fall of his shoulders evident from a distance.

He walked over to his discarded Wakizashi and gripped it firmly before walking over to the Kitsune.

He stared straight into the animalistic slits that were dancing with sick glee before swiping the great demons head clean off, blood left as if it was a fountain. Itachi let his eyes follow the head before he spun and kicked it as it fell, sending it to another tree, his Wakizashi following shortly behind plunging into the Kitsune's skull.

He was still smiling.

Itachi resisted the urge to shudder, turning his back on the corpse he began focusing on dispelling his technique.

It didn't work.

The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he heard a chuckle coming from behind him.

"Ohhh, but little Uchiha, I said that you could leave, when I was done having my fun." Came a very dark and demonic voice from all around him.

Itachi spun around to where the corpse should have been. Note that the key word in that last sentence is 'should'.

Only his Wakizashi and various kunai remained embedded in the trees.

He turned back around and saw the red chakra forming a humanoid shape which quickly revealed the fanged grin and glowing red eyes, only this time they seemed much more demonic as they glowed with an unholy light. "And I'm not done having my fun yet."

Itachi leapt back, in a somersault, reaching his Wakizashi he gripped it in a reverse grip and rushed the Kitsune again.

Kyuubi rushed forward as well, his claws flashing. They passed eachother in an instant, appearing on the opposite sides of where they respectively were.

Kyuubi straightened and smiled just before his arms fell off, cut cleanly from the body.

Itachi looked over his shoulder and smirked himself but it died as red chakra shot from the wounds and quickly regenerated the lost limbs. Kyuubi turned around, its unholy red eyes and gleaming fangs were the only things visible of its face. "Hn, looks like I failed that time. But don't worry little Uchiha, we still have seventy one hours fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds to go."

Naruto, knowing that Itachi was currently trapped in a world of his own creation reared back his blades in preparation to kill the murderous prodigy.

Just then Kisame crashed through the wall infront of him to his left Samaheda already swinging, while his free hand grabbed Itachi and pulled him away.

Naruto leapt over the blade in a cartwheel like motion, landing on his feet, he backhanded Kisame in the face, Kisame snarled and caught his wrist before he pulled it back. He spun around, taking Naruto with him in the motion and slammed him against the wall.

Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke. Kisame turned again and blocked the two blades that would have taken a chuck out of his ribcage. Pushing the blond off, he then swung, aiming for the boys upper torso, Naruto ducked and then moved into Kisame's follow up swing, close enough to render his large blade ineffective, and plunged his sword into Kisame's stomach.

The shark man however, had a slightly different anatomy than humans, the blade would have pierced his kidneys, causing a painful death, if he had been a normal human, but his kidneys were a bit higher than normal humans and so, Naruto ended up not hitting anything vital.

Kisame punched the blond square in the face, sending him crashing into what remained of his desk. He was about to step forward but then he heard a thud behind him, he turned and received the biggest shock of his life that night.

Uchiha Itachi, the most feared missing nin alongside Orochimaru was laying on the ground, blood seeping from his mouth. His pupils were dilated and the Sharingan slowly faded into black obsidian.

The shark man sensed the approaching presences and knew this was one fight he couldn't win. He hoisted his partner over his shoulder and both immediately vanished in red wisps of smoke.

Naruto calmly walked out of the rubble and took his blade from the floor sheathing it, he rubbed his sore jaw and managed to turn his gaze into one of apathy just as the Anbu and Jounin entered the room.

The masked individuals looked at the wrecked room and turned to their -as of yet- unofficial Hokage for an explanation.

Naruto adjusted his jaw, and spoke. "I want all Anbu search teams to comb the village, your targets are two S class criminals, Uchiha Itachi and Hoshikage Kisame. Capture alive if possible if not dispose of them." He looked around the room once "And get someone to clean this mess up."

"Yes sir, right away." The Anbu captain saluted before they all vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto rubbed his forehead, he would definitely have to up the training programs. What good were the guards if they arrived after their leader was dead?