Ryu POV

Sasuke had kept fighting until I decided to get serious.

Ryu: Well Sasuke, I think you've earned the right.

Sasuke: What right?

Ryu: Sorry about this, but I haven't been using my full speed against you.

I sheathed my machetes and craned my neck to the right.

Sasuke: Your bluffing.

Naruto: Wait you haven't?!

Ryu: Just give me a second.

I took off my gloves to reveal that they were weighted.

Naruto: Oh that's right! A while back you used weighted clothing for your training for the Chunin exam finals!

Sakura: He did? But what will a few pounds do?

Ryu: Sakura, come over here for a second.

She did as I asked and I picked up a glove.

Ryu: Here.

I placed it in her hands and she fell down with it.

Sakura: Woah, this ways at least a ton!

Ryu: 1600 pounds. You weren't to far off though.

I removed the weighted vest I had on. I dropped it, making a whole in the ground.

Ryu: Now that, that is multiple tons my pink headed friend. Specifically 2.

I took off the ankle weights I had on before reaching down and grabbing the vest. I brought out a bag putting all of the weighted clothing inside.

Ryu: Sakura, if you use that monster strength of your you'll be able to carry it all. Sorry but besides me, your the only one who be able to lift it long enough.

Sakura: Leave it to me!

She put it on running back to others slowly.

Ryu: Alright Sasuke, seeing how I didn't need to take these weights off as I thoroughly defeated the rest of Team 7 without taking a single hit, I think your screwed.

Sasuke: Bring it.

Ryu: If you insist.

I bounced up a bit before disappearing from everyone's sight, including Sasuke's. I appeared behind him kicking him down off the rubble.

Naruto: Woah! Did any of you see him move?!

Sai: Not at all.

Yamato: Absolutely not.

Sakura: I blinked for a second and missed him.

I vanished to where Sasuke was going to land. He anticipated this and took out his sword to try and slash me. I moved out of the way and hit him with a straight punch to the face.

Naruto: Wow! I knew Ryu was strong, but who would've thought he still had more power in store?!

Sasuke kept trying to attack me but I kept dodging his swipes. First I ducked over one slash before I moved to the side to dodge a horizontal slash before I did a spinning backflip to dodge that last one. Sasuke preformed a set of hand signs before a Chidori formed in his hand.

Sasuke: Chidori Stream!

A slammed his hand down on the floor sending a Chidori traveling to me through the floor.

It was no use since I dodged all of it.

Sakura: It's incredible. He just pulls out one more surprise after he does another. It's like he just doesn't run out of ways to amaze us.

Ryu: Well Sasuke, I think times up for you.

Sasuke: Please. You haven't beaten me yet.

Ryu: Your wrong. After I took those weights off, the battle was over before it began.

I activated Shojo's Chakra but didn't make it noticeable. Sasuke blinked once and I was in front of him. Before he had the chance to move, I punched him hard enough to knock the wind out of him and knock him out.

I slung him over my shoulder before looking back to the others.

Ryu: Alright guys let's go.

Sakura: Umm. This may sound a bit strange but, you ARE the real Ryu right?

Ryu: Hm? Of course I am. Who else would I be?

Naruto: It's just, your so much stronger. It's like you just can't be beat. I'm not sure if I'd do any damage to you even with my new Jutsū.

I put my hand behind my head.

Ryu: Guys, come on. Even I'm not invincible. Everyone can be beaten.

Yamato: Well you sure haven't shown any signs of that. I need to say that your a completely different kind of fighter.

Sai: You are rather skilled.

Ryu: Lets go back while Orochimaru isn't here. Sai, Yamato, just grab onto my shoulder.

Yamato: Right.

Everyone grabbed on and we returned to the Hokage Office.

Tsunade: Ah, welcome back-

Haku: Is that Sasuke?

Ryu: Yup.

I felt Sasuke move before I dropped him down on a bench.

Sasuke: Ugh... What happened to me?

Naruto: You knocked you out that's what.

Sasuke: So I take it I lost huh?

Sakura: Pretty badly yeah.

Sasuke: Damn it. Well a deals a deal then.

Tsunade: Well then Sasuke, I'm going to need you to-

Ryu: Um, Lady Hokage, I don't like interrupting you, but I doubt Sasuke knows anything more than I do.

Sasuke: I actually know less. Orochimaru didn't let anything slip. The only thing he did was train me.

Tsunade: Well... Sasuke, I'll still need to deal with that pesky curse mark of yours. You'll stay here for another 3 hours so we can remove the negative side affects.

Sasuke: Wait, you can do that and I can still keep the power?

Tsunade: Yes I can. I did the same thing for Haku Kai and Mei.

Sasuke: ... Who are they again?

Haku: You have so much to catch up on.

Time Skip!!

After we got Lady Tsunade up to speed, Sasuke went under the process of improving his Curse Mark. I opened my eyes and saw Tsunade Sasuke and Haku walk out of the room.

Ryu: *Yawn* That was a nice nap. So how'd it go?

Haku: The operation was a success.

Tsunade: Go ahead Sasuke, try it out.

He nodded before closing his his eyes, and he entered his second stage of the Curse Mark.

Sasuke: It feels like I'm a little weaker, but I don't feel that tie to Orochimaru anymore. It feels... almost Natural.

Haku: That's how you know it works.

Sasuke retracted the mark and went back to normal.

Sasuke: Lady Tsunade. I know I just came back, but...

Tsunade: *Long Sigh* Fine.

Sasuke: ...What?

Tsunade: Your allowed to go after Itachi. But, only if Ryu and Haku come with you.

Haku: Huh? Ryu I get, but why me?

Tsunade: Cause there's a good chance Kisame will be with Itachi. And if I'm right, you want him dead more than anyone else right.

Haku: Yes, but I guess it's gone down over the years.

Tsunade: Well, it would actually help a lot if he was dealt with. He is an Akatsuki member after all.

Haku: Right.

Ryu: When should we leave?

Tsunade: Whenever you feel is right.

Sasuke: Then I think tomorrow morning is fine.

Ryu: By the way Sasuke, while we do that, I think we'll need to make a stop on the way.

Sasuke: What stop is that?

Ryu: You'll see.

Tsunade: Well, your all dismissed.

Ryu: Right.

We walked out of the building and I looked at Sasuke.

Ryu: Aren't you forgetting something?

Sasuke: Kakashi?

Ryu: Come on I know you still have it.

He smirked before getting his bag and pulling out is headband. After that he tied it around his head.

Ryu: Welcome back to the leaf.

Sasuke: I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good to be back.

Ryu: Alright grab on. Let's head back to my place.

They both nodded as they grabbed onto Ryu and teleported to his house.

Sasuke: You know, I never realized how big your house is.

Haku: Well now we need to find a way to not get completely defeated by Itachi.

We all walked into the living room and sat down somewhere.

Sasuke: I think if we all worked together we could defeat him.

Ryu: Sorry but we'll have to put a pin in that.

Sasuke: Why?

Ryu: Cause I caught a glimpse of his full power.

Haku: Compared to yourself what was he at?

Sasuke: Your the best comparison to him.

Ryu: Well, if I'm using my Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, I'd say he's still at least 3 times my strength.

Sasuke: That much huh?

Haku: That's not good.

Ryu: But I still have my other powers so if I use that then I could somewhat even the playing field.

Sasuke: Well that makes some things easier, but there's one other thing.

Haku: Whats that?

Ryu: Your not immune to Genjutsu, are you?

Haku: Oh right. Well I know how to break it easy enough, and he knows that you can break any Genjutsu.

Ryu: Well your not wrong.

Sasuke: You can?

Ryu: Yeah I figured that out 3 years ago. But his Mangekyou Sharingan can do more than just that. He's able to use Amaterasu Flames. Those can burn anything. And he has a Susanoo that could stage as much as mine can.

Haku: So how could we possibly beat him? He's most likely stronger than all three of us combined, and he's had more action than us, so he's bound to be more skilled too.

Sasuke: I have a new Jutsū, but if the Susanoo has any major defense it won't kill.

Ryu: Great. So far I can't see any weakness we could exploit. *Sigh* Guess there's only one sure fire way to have a chance.

Sasuke: And that is?

Ryu: Going at him full blast and hitting him with everything we've got straight from the start.

Haku: That sounds like something Naruto would say.

Sasuke: Sadly that's the only way we could actually do anything against him.

The all let out a dragged out sigh.

Ryu: We are so not ready for this.

Sasuke: We May never be ready.

Haku: Might as well try to formulate some kind of strategy while we can.

Ryu: One that he doesn't have a plan for at least.

Time Skip!

Ryu: Well I guess we could consider that I'm basically at the gateway to being immortal in a sense.

The three were still talking before Ryu came to a sudden realization.

Ryu: You know maybe we should stop right now.

Sasuke: Why?

Ryu: Cause this has been going on since 10 o'clock in the morning.

Haku: What time is it?

He pointed behind him to the clock on the wall.

Sasuke: Wait... if it's only 11 o'clock why do I feel so tired.

Ryu: It because we were talking for 13 hours.

Their eyes both jolted open before they went white.

Sasuke&Haku: "Maybe we should stop."

Ryu: I probably should've realized that after we all took showers and after we ate.

Haku: I didn't even see you glance at the clock this entire time.

Sasuke: You actually kept track of all this while keeping the time?

He yawned before scratching his head.

Ryu: Yup. From the time we started talking about how strong he was up until now. 46800 seconds exactly.

Haku: It's amazing how you have room to count all of that and not forget a single thing.

Ryu: What can I say. All this time going on A-Rank missions and even S-Rank missions has made me really aware of how long time flies. If you don't than things could go south.

Sasuke: Wait you've been on S Rank missions before?

Ryu: Yeah, only 2 though.

Haku: When was that?

Ryu: Well the first one was after I completed 10 solo A-Ranks when I was 12, and the last one was a month before I met Team 7. The hardest missions in my life, bar none.

Haku: What exactly- *yawn*.

Sasuke: Maybe stories can wait until tomorrow...

Neither Ryu or Haku bothered to go back upstairs to sleep and decided to spend the night in the living room with Sasuke.

A/n: Time to peer into Ryu's dreams.

Ryu opened his eyes to see nothing around him in a completely dark black devoid of light.

Ryu: Huh? What the hell is going on? Shojo? Are you there?

Shojo: What is this place? I can't find Haku or Sasuke anywhere?

???: Ryu~

A deep and ominous voice called Ryu's name.

Ryu: Who's there?

He was only met with a loud cackling.

Ryu: Show yourself!

Shojo: AHHH!!!

Ryu: Shojo!!

He turned to see that Shojo was gone. Then there was growling coming from behind him.

Ryu: What the hell?

He turned to see nothing for a minute, before seeing glowing red eyes.

Ryu: What the hell is that?!

The eyes vanished as there was snarling from behind him.

Ryu: Wait what?

He jolted his head behind him and saw the the red eyes were closing in rapidly in with and he saw a massive mouth with fangs sharpened to a point.

Ryu: HOLY-

Ryu POV

I woke up and hit my head on the ceiling from jumping so high. Haku was next to me and she was pushed of when I jumped, while Sasuke stumbled off of the other couch from the sudden commotion.

Haku: Ryu!

Sasuke: What happened?!

I patted my chest and looked at my arms to see if there was a scar anywhere but I was fine.

Ryu: I'm really not sure? I was asleep and I was in something like a completely black void. I saw something in there. Shojo was with me for a bit before she screamed and disappeared.

Haku: What was in there?

Ryu: I don't know.

Sasuke: Well it had to have been something that was nothing short of demonic if it spooked you. Let's just be glad that it was only a nightmare.

Ryu: I'm not sure if was just that. It felt so real. I could see the red eyes starting straight into my soul, its growl that sounded like a real monsters, when I saw that its teeth were so razor sharp. I couldn't see what it really looked like, I woke up before I could get a good look at its face even when it lunged are me.

I wiped off sweat that was on my forehead.

Ryu: I'll say it now if we come across anything like that we're running far away and- Oh My God Shojo! Are you there?!

Shojo appeared out of thin air and was holding her head.

Shojo: Ugh. What happened? It feels like I was hit by a bus.

Ryu: That's what I need to know. Do you have any idea what that was?

Shojo: Not a clue.

Ryu: Hold up, what time is it right now?

Sasuke: 6:30.

Ryu: I'm gonna go ask Kira about this. I'll be right back.

I teleported to Kira's front door and with a deep breath knocked. After about 5 minutes Kira came out with a black robe on and looked very tired.

Kira: Ryu do you know how early it is right now? You better have a good explanation for this.

Ryu: Can I come in for a bit?

She nodded and made way for me to walk in. We both sat down and she started making coffee.

Kira: Ok, I know that you want to tell me something. I'm all ears.

Ryu: Ok so I had this crazy dream. It was pretty weird. I was in this pitch black void where I couldn't see anything. I saw Shojo there for a minute. Then I heard a deep voice calling my name before she screamed and disappeared. Then this, thing came out and tried to attack me but the dream ended there.

Kira pored two cups and placed one in front of me.

Ryu: Thanks.

Kira: Anything you can describe about it?

Ryu: Well only 2 things. It's eyes where glowing red and they felt like they stared straight through me, and it's mouth had razor sharp teeth. For a minute I actually got spooked before waking up.

I sipped the coffee before letting out a sigh.

Ryu: That hit the spot.

Kira: Mmm. Well thankfully it was only a dream, but come to me if you have it again.

Ryu: Got it, thanks.

I finished the coffee before getting up and walking out the door.

Kira POV

Shonen: Kira... You don't think it was that do you?

Kira: I couldn't have been sure. If I told him than it would only worry him.

Shonen: He said a he could only see the eyes and teeth. If what we saw that day was true then it was...

Kira&Shonen: Black fur...

Ryu: Well guys it looks like we're dealing with Orochimaru first.

Sasuke: If I absorb his power than I can gain enough strength.

Haku: RYU NOOO!!!

Ryu: Shadow. Until the next one:

Follow Your Ninja Way!