Akatitsune

The Promise

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 3

The Promise

"The Nidaime Hokage's reanimation jutsu huh? Uzumaki Naruto, you are one interesting individual indeed, I never would have expected this kind of jutsu from someone like you." Sasori said with what would have been a smile on his face had he possessed a normal human body, the puppeteer now standing a lone metre away from the blonde Uzumaki with Haku now standing on Naruto's right hand side.

"We both underestimated each other, I never expected something as crazy as the human puppet technique from you either." Naruto said with an amused smile plastered on his face.

"Heh, modesty even in the face of victory, you're a strange person, I can't honestly say that I have met anyone like you before, not counting myself of course."

"You've been drawing comparisons between us for quite a while now, initially, I had no idea where you were coming from, that is until I heard the story about your past. You see, I was also betrayed and manipulated by the sandaime hokage, and his students seem to have taken a page from his book too. I also know, just like you, what it feels like to face scorn and hatred from your own countrymen. To have your own people, the people you have spent your entire life protecting throw all your efforts back at your face, even wishing that you would simply disappear and never return, that is one of the greatest of pains a person can ever experience. Even though you're not a jinchuuriki, I can't help but feel like you and I could come to understand one another." Naruto said nostalgically.

"You have presented some interesting points, all of which I would find it hard to dispute. But where are you going with this, Uzumaki Naruto?" Sasori asked curiously.

"Earlier, you told me that you and I could have become good friends in a different world. That got me thinking, what if I were to create this different world? If I were to succeed and create the world that you were talking about, would you be willing to give our friendship a chance? Would you be able to put the past behind you and put in a sincere effort in starting a new life by my side, as friends?" Naruto asked with a dead serious tone, staring at Sasori's 'eyes' with an inquisitive expression.

"Are you aware of the fatal injury that your friend from the Yuki clan has inflicted on me? Unless you can create this new world of yours within the next five minutes, there is no value in even considering your words at this point." Sasori said matter of factly.

"Than let me ask you this retorical question, are you aware of my ability to ressurrect the dead with the edo tensei technique?" Naruto asked with condensing sarcasm.

"So by friendship, you actually meant that you wanted me to be a mere puppet in your jutsu arsenal?" Sasori asked indignantly.

"I don't understand why you're so offended, have you taken a good look at yourself lately? You're already a puppet, and I had nothing to do with that, you did that all by yourself." Naruto retorted with a truimphant smirk.

"Hehehe! That was a good one Naruto-kun, I don't think he has a comeback for that." Haku said with an amused smile.

"I know, but anyway, that was just a joke, Sasori-san. I don't intend to turn you into a puppet, at least, not my puppet." Naruto said, adopting a serious tone and expression once again.

"Than whose puppet would I become?" Sasori asked with a hint of sinicism.

"Right now, you're your own puppet, and that is how it would be when I ressurrect you. Don't think that I don't know what you were trying to do when you did this to yourself, I understand perfectly. When we first met, you were arguing with Deidara about what true art really is. That time, you said that art is something that has a beauty that is everlasting, something that can transcend time itself. You than went on to allude to the fact that your puppets do exactly that, they trascend time and can exist for a countless number of years. Following that, I than found out that you tried to turn yourself into those very puppets that you claimed to have the ability to transcend time and add the fact that your former partner in the Akatsuki was Orochimaru, someone who has sought immortality since he was but a teenager, well...when I put all of that into account, it makes it quite easy to discern what your greatest dream is in this world. You wish to become immortal, to exist forever so that you can continue to make breakthroughs in your art. You wish to create one of the greatest, if not the greatest of legacies in the history of the elemental nations, even surpassing that of the sage of the six paths, isn't that right, Sasori?" Naruto asked retorically.