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Chapter Text

-One Week After Leaving the Village-

It was a hot, sunny day in the land of fire. The birds were chirping, the sky was clear and blue. Everything was perfect to Naruto's liking… he just couldn't enjoy it because a certain old pervert with long, white hair was constantly giggling. The high-pitched giggles erupting from the Sannin were unsettling, to say the least. How does a grown man hit such a high note? The blond did not know.

"Ugh!" He grunted in frustration as he sat up. He was supposed to be training and learning super cool techniques, not watching his master stare at girls in a hot spring all day!
Jiraiya's ears twitched in annoyance at the boy's attempt to gain his attention. Not only was it loud, but it threw off his delicate concentration. It's not every day you get to see beautiful women like this and he was certainly not going to waste this opportunity.

"Would you quiet down a little, gaki?" Jiraiya whispered harshly, glancing back at his blond pupil. "Or are you trying to get the two of us busted?"

Naruto's ears perked up at his master's choice of words. He frowned. "Us? What do you mean us?" He whispered back just as harshly, trying not to alert the women who were only about 25 feet away from them.

"You're here too, aren't you?" Jiraiya shot back. "Now if you don't stay quiet, you won't just ruin my research session, but you may also get us caught!" Hoping that the conversation was now over he turned back to his telescope to continue his 'research'.

Now, Naruto may not be the smartest shinobi in The Land of Fire, but even he knew what the white-haired Sannin meant when he said research. He had been around the self-proclaimed 'Super Pervert' to know that that title was legitimate.

The blond snorted in derision. "If we were caught, who do you think those women would want to beat up the most? The cute, innocent boy, or the old perv holding a telescope that dragged him here?" The longer the conversation wore on the louder the two of them got. They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't even notice the girls in the hot spring looking around for the cause of the sound.

The sage opened his mouth to retort but quickly closed it once he realized that his student was right. If those girls found them he would assuredly get one-hundred percent of the beating. However, he was going to keep that to himself. The blond didn't need to know just how right he was.

Finally thinking of a retort, a smug smirk appeared across the sage's face. "I believe after explaining my reasoning for being in this… compromising position, the ladies over there would jump at the chance to help me get my inspiration." His face got red as drool began to drip from the corner of his mouth. Somehow, he believed his own words were true.

These were the moments that truly dumbfounded Naruto. How could a Sannin, one of the three shinobi of legend, act this way? A man whose immense power struck fear into the hearts of countless shinobi was nothing but a big, foolish pervert. Naruto mentally sighed. 'And he's my master. I'm doomed.'

"Oh, please." Naruto scoffed at the sage's false boasts. "We both know that you're just a big pervert who uses research as an excuse to spy on pretty girls!" He shouted, pointing a finger accusingly at his master. His patience was wearing thin. It had been a week since they had left and he still hasn't done any actual training.

'I left the village to get stronger to go after Sasuke, not to tag along and watch him perv around all day.' He thought to himself bitterly.

Jiraiya's smirk only grew, Naruto was positive more boasts were coming. "I'll have you know that without my constant inspiration I would never be able to continue my world famous Icha-Icha series!" He shouted back defensively. "Without my books, how would my loyal fans be able to live on?"

A giant tick mark appeared on Naruto's head. "Are you serious?" He shouted. "I bet a five-year-old would be able to write better books than you! At least their books would have an actual storyline!" Naruto smirked. Jiraiya didn't seem to notice what their loud volume was doing but he certainly did. Things were about to get very interesting.

He had no idea how right he was.

Now it was the usually composed Jiraiya's turn to get upset. "Well, I'm very sorry your tiny brain is incapable of understanding the complexities of my literary masterpieces!" The amount of pride radiating from his master made the blond question whether he should just go home and train by himself. He was starting to think the white-haired jonin was a lost cause. "A compelling tale of lust, passion, and love all wrapped up in one." Jiraiya continued his smirk ever so present on his face. "It's simply perfect."

Naruto was no longer paying attention to his bombastic instructor. Jiraiya's little speech had been extremely loud; he needed to get out of there immediately! He peered over the shoulder of the older man, what he saw caused his eyes to light up in fear. He sputtered out an excuse to leave as he backed away slowly.

The sudden change in attitude and body language did not go unnoticed by Jiraiya. "Naruto, what's the matter? Are you okay" He asked with actual concern in his voice.

Naruto quickly shook his head in an attempt to alleviate the worry. "I-I'm fine, Ero-Sennin." The nervous tone in his student's voice only furthered the older man's suspicion that something was not right.

"Are you su-"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" He exclaimed as he cut the sage off. "I'm not feeling too well, I'll see you back at the hotel!" With that, the blond sped off, leaving a Jiraiya confused behind.
He heard the urgency in his protégé's voice, but he was unaware of the reason behind it. At least, for now, he was unaware. "What was all of that about..?" he asked himself aloud.

"Ahem!" The voice was light, but a seasoned shinobi could feel the bloodlust behind it.

Jiraiya turned around slowly, and what he saw before him made him visibly pale. A group of angry, half-naked women were standing there, cracking their knuckles violently with unnerving looks on their faces. He suddenly remembered where he was and what he had been doing prior to arguing.

Suspiciously crouched just outside of the women's side of the hot spring holding a telescope. This spot had a perfect vantage point of where the girls had been, something that the girls were definitely aware of. Jiraiya gulped. 'Compromising position, indeed.' He thought to himself.

"N-Now listen L-Ladies… I know this looks bad but I can explain!" His last-ditch efforts to sputter out a response fell on deaf ears. Despite being in a similar situation more times than he could even count it was still just as terrifying as ever. These women were clearly kunoichi, he could feel the large amounts of chakra radiating off them.
And it was all directed at him. 'If it weren't for the bloodlust, this would be kinda hot.' Even in this precarious situation, he couldn't keep his mind out of the gutter. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable pain.

The screams of the Great Toad Sage echoed through the town. Naruto, who only about 100 feet away from the beatdown, chuckled softly to himself. It had felt like an eternity since he last allowed himself to laugh. And knowing that Jiraiya would be okay allowed him to not feel bad for laughing at his master's misfortune.

For a moment, the weight on the genin's shoulders felt manageable. He needed that. 'Thanks, Ero-Sennin.' He thought to himself fondly as he slowly headed back to the hotel.

-Later That Day-

"I can't believe you got away!" Naruto ran a hand through his spiky hair and sighed. "I was kinda hoping they would get a few more shots in on you." He added with a sheepish grin. He loved teasing his sensei almost as much as he liked eating ramen. Almost.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at the verbal jab by his student. "I'm so sorry to disappoint you." He spat sarcastically, nursing a rather large bump on the back of his head. He winced as he rested a bag of ice on it. "Maybe next time I'll grope a couple of them then they'll really give me a beatdown." Despite that being a joke, the sage blushed slightly at the mention of groping.

"I doubt it." The genin said dismissively. "You seem impervious to serious injury no matter how many times those women kicked the crap out of you." Did pervs have some sort of defensive jutsu that they keep amongst themselves for times of danger? Naruto would have to look into that.

"When you have been beaten by Tsunade herself, no other beating can even come close!" The blond was fascinated by how his master could feel pride in those words. "Tsunade is scarier than all of those women put together, and that's only when she runs out of sake!" Jiraiya inwardly cringed at the last time Tsunade ran out of sake when he was around.

Naruto remained silent as a thought came to him. Jiraiya's mentioning of the Fifth Hokage reminded Naruto of why he was even here with the white-haired sage in the first place. He frowned slightly. While it was always fun to laugh at Jiraiya when he gets caught by women, that's not why they left the village with the intent to be gone for over two years.

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto's obnoxious voice broke through the peaceful silence that Jiraiya was entranced in. "When are we finally going to start my training?"

It has already been a week since they left the village and the blond genin was starting to get restless. He needed to get stronger as fast as possible. So many people were counting on him.

Jiraiya quietly weighed his options. Ignore him for now or make up some lie to trick the less intelligent blond.

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto's impatience didn't give the sage that opportunity.

Jiraiya clamped his hand over his ears in an attempt to drown out his obnoxious underling but to no avail. 'Where's a mute button when you need one.' He thought in exasperation.

"Once I get enough material to complete a few more chapters, we will start your training! I Promise!" he pleaded. He thought for a moment, trying to calculate how much peeping that would take. "I'd say another week or two should be enough." He added hoping that would be enough to calm down his student. He didn't think it would, but he was an optimist.

Naruto groaned in annoyance. That was definitely not the answer he was hoping for.

"Come on, Ero-Sennin. We both know I need to get stronger as fast as possible." His mind wandered to Sasuke. He gritted his teeth at the thought of him being with that snake Orochimaru. "I have promises to keep! I can't just wait around all day wasting time!"

Jiraiya gave the boy a questioning glance. "Oh? Just what exactly are you promising people?" He asked genuinely curious.

Naruto's eyes hardened. "I promised Sakura that I would bring back Sasuke. I have to get stronger so I can get him away from that creep Orochimaru!" The conviction in his voice spoke volumes about the boy's commitments he makes to his friends.

"Naruto." The wise jonin began. "You need to forget about Sasuke. You have more important things to worry about. The Akatsuki will be coming after you and I can't always be by your side to protect you." He knew his student wouldn't like the idea of forgetting about his friend but he needed to at least try.

"So, train me! If they are so strong then you need to make me stronger!" The blond purposely avoided any mention of Sasuke, much to the annoyance of his white-haired master.

'I will bring him back. No matter what.' The young genin thought defiantly.

Jiraiya sighed. He expected that he wouldn't be able to get through to the boy. He was the exact same way when he was younger. "Naruto, I understand that you're in a rush, but we've got plenty of time. Two years is more than enough time to make you into a great shinobi."

"But why can't we use all the time?" The boy asked hopefully. "You could just stop your research and help me get as strong as possible. It shouldn't be that hard to write a book, anyway."

Jiraiya went silent. Maybe Naruto had a point after all. With the threat of the Akatsuki looming over the shinobi world, wouldn't it make sense to train the boy as intensely as possible in the amount of time they have? 'Maybe I've been going about this all wrong.' He thought to himself.

The sage let out a sigh. 'The only problem is I need the money that this book will make to fund my spy network. If only I had a bit more time to finish it, then I could focus all of my time on making Naruto into a splendid shinobi.'

He tried to think of what to do as his mind finally finished processing the last thing his student had said. His mouth twisted into a tiny smirk. 'I only need a little more time, Naruto.' He thought to himself. He needed to play this perfectly. Naruto's natural competitive fire can help him buy a little extra time so he can finish his book.

"Not that hard to write a book?" The well-known author repeated condescendingly. "Oh, so you think that you can do a better job than me, gaki?" He asked with the mischievous smirk still plastered across his face.

Naruto's eyes burned with a fire that Jiraiya loved to see. That competitive fury that drives the young boy to new heights. It's that same fire that appeared when Tsunade challenged Naruto to learn the Rasengan in under a week. And, of course, he prevailed. The blond didn't even hesitate with his answer.

"No…"

Jiraiya had to conceal a small frown that desperately wanted to show itself. He was shocked. 'Wha- '

"I know I can do a better job than you!" Naruto finished smugly, cutting off the sage's inward surprise.

Jiraiya allowed himself a small chuckle. 'That's more like it.' He thought fondly. Now it was time for his challenge. Something he knew Naruto would never be able to turn down. A challenge was just another opportunity to show everyone how great he was. 'However, this is something completely out of your comfort zone, kid.'

"Fine, then. How about we make a deal then, Naruto?" This was a completely different Jiraiya from the one Naruto was with earlier today. Gone was the goofy pervert getting caught and beaten up by women; this Jiraiya meant business.

"I'm listening." The genin began, slightly unnerved. He still wasn't totally used to serious mode Jiraiya. "What is it?"

"You said you wanted to train seriously, right?" He inwardly chuckled at his own phrasing. That would easily catch Naruto's attention.

Naruto's eyes sparkled at the thought of intense training. So much so that he had already forgotten that unnerved feeling serious Jiraiya gave him. "Of course! I need to get stronger as fast as possible so I can save everyone!"

"Okay…" The sage began slowly. Naruto leaned forward in anticipation as he awaited his master's words. "I promise to devote every second we have to train you as hard as possible if…"

"If…" The impatient blond repeated eagerly.

"If you write your own novel and are able to get it published through my publisher." The Sannin finished with a large smile.

…

Complete and total silence.

Just as Jiraiya was about to break the silence to ask if his student was okay, Naruto voiced his opinions on the sage's challenge.

"What?" The blond blurted out in shock. He had not expected this. "What do you mean? You can't be serious!" Now while Naruto isn't exactly known for his modesty, if his time in the academy taught him anything it's that he was lacking in pretty much anything that had to do with academics. Writing is one of them.

"Oh, I'm very serious. Believe it." He said in a mocking tone. "Just a minute ago you said you'd be the superior writer between the two of us. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, gaki?"

Naruto huffed at Jiraiya's mocking of his catchphrase. It didn't sound nearly as cool when it came out of the old man's mouth. Naruto was just about to retort when Jiraiya cut him off.

"Oh, and before you hastily agree to all of this, there's something else you need to know." The Sannin continued as he ignored the dagger-like stare that he pupil was giving him.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" He asked in annoyance. There couldn't still be more to this challenge, could there? He was already asking the boy to do something he had never thought of doing. What else could there be?

"There is one more stipulation to this little bet of ours."

"Sti-pu-la-tion?" He sounded the word out slowly in confusion. His face scrunched up as he contemplated the meaning behind the very large word. "What's that mean?" He resigned.

Jiraiya let out an exasperated sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he debated if he should buy the boy a dictionary. This kid has a long way to go before he can become a competent writer.

"Never mind, Naruto." He did his best to brush off his pupil's confusion so he could continue. "What I'm saying is, you know what you get if you win. What happens when you lose?" The smugness in the man's voice did not go unnoticed by the blond.

Naruto scoffed. The phrasing of his master's words irritated. He was always written off before he was even given a chance to show everyone what he was made of. He pushed down any apprehension he had going forward. He was going to do this.

"No matter what it is I won't back down!" He exclaimed with a reenergized fire in his eyes. "There are too many people counting on me to quit now!"

The boy's determination reminded the Sannin of himself when he was younger. 'I don't think I've been giving him enough credit.' He thought fondly to himself. 'Maybe he can handle more intense training than I had initially thought. After all, the kid's got guts.' Jiraiya admired the guts to never give up more than anything else.

Jiraiya stared off into space for what seemed like a few minutes and it was starting to weird the blond out. He reached up with his hand and waved it in front of his master's face. Still no response.

"Uh, Ero-Sennin?" He asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

The sage blinked a couple of times and snapped out of his daze, only to realize Naruto had closed the already small distance between them and was standing on a chair so their faces were only inches apart. It was safe to say the boy was a little too close for comfort.

"You okay, Perv?"

Jiraiya's eye twitched slightly as he felt Naruto's breath slam against his face and into his nostrils. 'What a surprise smells like ramen.' He thought to himself, slightly disgusted.
Jiraiya took a few steps back to distance himself from his pupil's ramen breath and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that." He began. Naruto noticed that Jiraiya's face shifted back into what he called serious Jiraiya mode. Something told him that he wasn't going to like what the Sannin had to say next.

"I know how important your friends are to you, Naruto. However, if you lose this bet, as your master I forbid you from trying to go after Sasuke."

He was curious to see his student's reaction to this stipulation. Last time they had this conversation Naruto didn't listen to the wise hermit at all. He was dead set on bringing his friend back to the Leaf. Would he continue to ignore the words of his master or, with the circumstances now different, would he instead honor them? The sage did not know.
Meanwhile, Naruto's mind was racing. Had he heard wrong? How could he even ask him something like that? Sasuke was his best friend! He glanced up at the older man's face and the expression written across it told him that he had heard perfectly clear.

'W-What do I do?" He asked himself in desperation. 'If I want to get strong enough to save Sasuke… there's a chance I won't even be allowed to try and save him at all if I fail.'
Jiraiya felt slightly bad as he watched the inner turmoil his blond companion was going through. The truth was that no matter the outcome of this bet the sage has already committed to training Naruto as intensely as he could. He just figured the blond would give up in a few weeks and that would give Jiraiya enough time to finish his book. However, with this added wrinkle it may have just become a lot more complicated.

'Maybe this will be good for him. Show me how much you've grown, Naruto.' He truly did only want what was best for his godchild.

"T-This is probably the biggest decision of my life." The blond was finally able to find his words after a few moments of silence. Despite the almost impossible choice that Jiraiya has given him, he doesn't hold it against his master. After all, given the sage's own history with his former friend Orochimaru, there's probably no one else in the world that understands the Naruto better.

"So, what will it be, Naruto? Is it a deal?" He asked carefully. He awaited his answer with an outstretched fist.

Their eyes slowly met and Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly at what he saw. The piercing stare of Naruto made him feel as if he were swirling back in time. Those blue eyes gleaming with confidence and excitement made him remember his late student of many years ago, Minato. The prospect of a new challenge was too much for The Fourth Hokage to pass up, and it seems he passed that on to his only child.

The young blond has yet to even open his mouth but Jiraiya already knew what his answer was going to be. It was written across the boy's face.

"I'll do it!" Naruto yelled with all the enthusiasm he could muster. He reached out with his own hand and fist bumped Jiraiya's.

Jiraiya smiled and chuckled at his pupil's steely confidence. "Well, of course, you will, gaki! It would be no fun if you quit before it even started!" Seems like Naruto's enthusiasm was contagious as Jiraiya felt himself get caught up in the moment.

"Just you wait. I will win no matter what!" The blond exclaimed as he watched his sensei

Jiraiya dug into one of his bags that were littered around the room. After a moment, he took out a stack of paper and a pen. He came back and handed them to his protégé. "If you're so confident, why don't you show me if you have what it takes to be a world-renowned author like me." He said with a cocky grin.

The boy swiftly took the materials and stuck his tongue out at the older man. "I'll show you!" He looked down at the blank paper. He blinked… and blinked some more. A sudden realization struck him.

He twitched a little as he started to get more and more anxious. Naruto did his best to hide it but his master could see the sudden change in the genin's demeanor. What could be getting him so worked up?

Despite all his boasting and unshakeable confidence, Naruto didn't have the slightest clue about what his story would be about. 'Me and my big mouth…'

Chapter Text

"You know I don't need you to be here, right?" The blond didn't even try to hide his annoyance as he glanced over in the direction of his master.

Jiraiya kept silent and his face remained stoic as if he had not even heard the blond. He was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed just… watching the boy. It was honestly starting to creep Naruto out a little.

He sat there with an analytical gaze, but it was obvious that he enjoyed making his protégé uncomfortable. The small smirk that had appeared on his face was proof of that. He shifted slightly in his chair, but his eyes remained fixated on his student.

The boy huffed and looked back down at his paper while he tried to ignore his sensei's presence. However, looking down at his paper only reminded him that he had not written a single word in the three hours he had been sitting there. 'I'm doomed…' he thought to himself in despair.

"I'm just here in case you need any advice." The Sannin spoke his first words in hours. "I'm an experienced author, after all. My wisdom is invaluable, it would be stupid to not ask me any questions." He finished with a shrug.

Naruto scoffed. "Liar! Whenever you train me you always leave me by myself!" He pointed an accusing finger at his master before continuing. "Now that you have something to lose you're suddenly all supportive. I don't buy it!" He crossed his arms across his chest and cast an accusing frown at his sensei.

Despite looking a little guilty, the sage brushed off the boy's words. The kid was partially right. Jiraiya would love nothing more than to walk his pupil through the steps of his training, but that could be more harmful than helpful to the blond in the long run. Naruto needs to understand that to become a great ninja, you must be able to figure things out on your own. You can't have your hand held through every step and expect to grow and become stronger.

"Fine. I can tell when I'm not wanted!" The dignified sage stuck his tongue out in a childish manner. He stood up to leave, but before he left he reached into his pocket and placed something on the table beside him. Naruto couldn't help but notice the large grin the Sannin had on his face. "See ya!" He said with a wave as he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Naruto's eyebrow rose in curiosity but he refused to move from his seat. He didn't trust the grin that he saw one bit. Upon further inspection from afar the mystery object was revealed to be a book. 'It's just a book, anyway.' He thought to himself dismissively. That, however, did not sate Naruto's growing curiosity.

Whatever book it was, Jiraiya just put it there to mess with the blond. That much was obvious. Despite this obvious fact, it was doing its job. For whatever reason he felt compelled to see what it was that the Sannin had left him.

Naruto glanced back down at his blank paper. He sighed. He recalled Jiraiya's willingness to give him advice, something he was now regretting not asking for. Maybe that's what the book was there for. "It's worth a shot. Got nothing to lose, I guess." He said aloud to himself.

He stood up to get a better look and his face scrunched up in annoyance. He recognized the cover of the book immediately. Jiraiya had placed his latest Icha-Icha book on the table for the boy. "That idiot. I knew it was gonna be something that wouldn't help me." He grumbled to himself. "Like I would actually read one of his pervy books."

He would've ignored the book without a second thought but there was something else about it that caught his attention. He walked closer to the book to get a better look.

'A note?' He reached down and picked up the book. He started to read the note and instantly regretted his decision.

'I'll be gone for a few days, so here's a little bit of inspiration for your book in case you need it… try not to make a mess while I'm gone, gaki.'

He dropped the book as his eye twitched. A bright red blush creeped up his face and enveloped his cheeks.

"Dirty old man…" Naruto was wrong about there being nothing to lose. He lost a bit of his innocence reading that note.

He gave himself a few moments to recover from the images his mind had created for him. He sat back down and continued to stare at the blank paper in hopes of getting a wealth of sudden inspiration. After a few moments of nothing a feeling of hopelessness started to creep its way up his spine.

What if he just didn't have the ability to write a novel? How would he tell Sakura that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise and bring Sasuke back because he couldn't write a stupid book?

"I never expected this to be so hard!" He dropped his head down on the desk with a thud. Naruto knew he didn't know how to write, but when Jiraiya challenged him all he could think about was winning. This caused him to accept the bet before he had fully processed it. "I don't even have an idea for what my book will be about, either. What was I thinking?"

He glanced out the window. The dark skies let him know just how late it was. "It's already dark out?" he asked himself with a yawn. "Maybe I'll have some better luck tomorrow. No use in staying up when I haven't gotten anywhere all day."

He walked over to the couch and plopped down. He sighed contently as he sunk into the soft cushions. The blond kicked his sandals off and closed his eyes. 'I wonder where Ero-Sennin is...' He thought to himself as he drifted off into slumber. He fell asleep in what seemed like seconds.

-Early Next Morning-

"I don't think that's how it's supposed to be written." One high-pitched voice said loudly.

"What do you mean?" The same high-pitched voice asked in confusion. "How else am I supposed to write this out?"

The Naruto clones looked at one another and blinked, both of their identical faces scrunched up in complete confusion. Surrounding those two were eight more Naruto's. The ten Naruto's were split up in groups of two, making a total of five groups. One Naruto in each group was responsible for writing down any ideas that they may have, while the other's job was to simply say whatever came to his mind in hopes that it would give them an idea.

"How am I supposed to know?" The other Naruto shot back in slight annoyance. "I'm you, I can't know something you don't."

"Well then why do you think I'm writing it the wrong way?" The other blond retorted in just as much annoyance as his doppelganger.

"Because, we're dumb." The clone said causally with a small shrug.

The vast truth in his words caused the other nine Naruto's to all stop what they were doing and nod their heads in agreement.

After nearly two hours of trying to use his clones to help him get an idea, the real Naruto had had enough. He stood up and looked at his copies with a frustrated expression on his face. However, there was a silver lining to his frustration. Even though he and his clones made no progress on the story, this did make the blond realize something.

"We are dumb." He began with a small smile. "We've been trying to rush and get this story finished, but we don't even know how to write." He watched one by one as each clone realized that he was right.

"So, what are you saying?" One of the clones questioned. It appears not all the clones understood what he meant.

Naruto shot the clone an annoyed glance. He was aware that he wasn't the smartest of shinobi, but talking to his very own clones reminded him just how dense he was. "It means that I have to learn how to write properly before I can even start this book." He didn't like what just came out of his mouth but he knew that it was something he had to do.

The other blonds winced at the implications of the original Naruto's words. "That's going to take forever, though..." One of the clones said what the others were also thinking. The longer it took to write this book, the less time the blond would be able to train to face off against the Akatsuki.

"Yeah…" The original blond said in a sad voice. "But don't you guys worry! I'll study my butt off and have you guys back here to help me before the week it over! Believe it!" All nine of his clones smiled back at him with renewed confidence. They believed they have what it takes to write a book.

Naruto dispersed his clones in eight plumes of smoke. When the smoke cleared a single clone remained. He had a confused look on his face as he glanced over at the real blond. "Uh, why am I still here?" He asked with his face scrunched up in confusion.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "I need you to go into town and get me some books that will help me learn how to write." He explained as he reached into his pocket and threw the clone his frog wallet, Gama. "I figured while you did that I could make some instant ramen for lunch and by the time I finished you'd just be getting back here.

The clone gave his summoner an irritated look, but shrugged his shoulders in agreement. "Fine. Just don't expect me to rush back here it's been a while since I've been able to walk around and get some fresh air." He stuffed the very full frog wallet into his pocket and made his way to the door.

Naruto's eye twitched in slight annoyance. 'My clones are so stubborn. Talking to his master like that who does he think he is? He's lucky I'm nice…'

The blond shook his head away from those thoughts and brought his attention back to the task at hand. He needed to figure out a way to read all the books his clone brought back as quickly as possible while also retaining all the knowledge within them. He said he'd be able to do it in a week but he was beginning to doubt his own confident claim.

"I'm only one person… how can I do all of this by myself in such a short amount of time." He thought to himself desperately. If only he knew the answer to his dilemma was out buying his books this very second…

The blond clone happily strolled through the streets of Tanzaku Town. He had been stuck in the hotel room for the entire day and it was refreshing to get out for a little. He stretched out his neck, careful not to drop the plastic bag he had cradled in his arms. It contained a dozen books that will hopefully be the key to helping Naruto write a full-fledged novel.

'Hopefully these are the kinds of books he had in mind.' He thought as he reached into the bag and took out one of the books he bought. The cover read 'Writing for Dummies'. 'This is definitely the book for us!' He allowed himself a small chuckle at that.

He took his eyes off the new book and looked around the bustling marketplace that made Tanzaku Town such an interesting place to explore. Despite the town having suffered the aftermath of the fight between the Sannin a few months back, the townspeople still had smiles on their faces. The marketplace was bustling with customers looking to purchase food, antiques, and other interesting little trinkets. However, many tourists are initially disappointed shortly after arriving when they realize the towns famous castle is no longer standing at its center.

Jiraiya has insisted that this be their first stop, much to the genin's confusion. After Naruto's constant pestering Jiraiya told him that it was because this town had plenty of beautiful women for his research. They would stay in Tanzaku Town for a few months while Jiraiya finished up his book and then they would continue their travels.

The blond smiled as he recalled these memories that technically weren't even his. He knew exactly what the real Naruto was feeling and he took those emotions as his own.

Even though the real Naruto wanted to train more than anything, he still enjoyed spending time with Jiraiya. The man may be a hopeless pervert, but the strength and wisdom he possessed was admirable. He was the closest thing to a father the boy had ever had.

The blond clone was ripped from his thoughts as an enticing smell entered his nostrils. His head shot up and was delighted to see that there were several food stands all around him. Each one carrying an assortment of delicious looking foods. His mouth watered while he rubbed his growling stomach.

An evil smile crept onto his face as his patted his pants pocket that contained Gama. "A clones gotta eat too."

Multiple orders of food later and the blond let out a burp of satisfaction. "Man, all of that was so good." he said to himself happily while he bit into a piece of his grilled fish on a stick as he made his way home. Despite his stomach being full of food, this was all that remained of his intense food binge and he was determined to finish what he started. He had to because once he got back and the real Naruto saw what state his frog wallet was in… well let's just say this might be the last time this clone ever got to enjoy his day this much.

He reached into his bag of books that was now slung over his shoulder and took out the book he was looking at earlier. 'Wonder how long it'll take him to read all these books.' He thought to himself as he took another bite out of the delicious fish. He curiously opened it to the first page and began reading.

He continued to walk down the road with his eyes glued to the pages. The clone was slightly surprised by the contents of the book. Naruto disliked reading with a passion, so he wholeheartedly expected to hate every minute of reading it. To the clone's surprise, it wasn't that bad of a read. 'This is actually kind of interesting.' The clone thought to himself. Perhaps the blond had found an affinity for writing that he wasn't aware of.

The doppelganger finished the last of his fish and lazily threw the stick over his shoulder. Before he knew it, he had read the entire first chapter of the book. It appeared to be a basic introduction into the world of grammar and literary devices. Despite it being filled with very basic concepts, a lot of this information was brand new to the blond. 'And this is just the beginning. A lot of the other books I bought are way more advanced than this one.'

"It's about time you got back! What took you so long?" The loud voice made the clones head shoot up. His eyes immediately locked with the original Naruto's. He had been so lost in thought that he didn't even realize he was already in front of the hotel. "I was about to come looking for you. Thought you might've gotten lost out there."

The clone scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I wanted to make sure I got enough books." He explained as he reached into his pocket and tossed back the wallet to the original blond. It was technically the truth. The clone casually left out the part where he ate a ton of food. Naruto didn't need to know that part.

He caught it and quickly slipped it back into his own pocket. He thought Gama felt a little lighter than he should be but he just assumed he was imagining it. "So, these are the books?" He asked as he took the plastic bag from his clone.

"Yep! Just like you asked, boss!" The clone said proudly.

Naruto smirked. "Great job! I'll start reading these right away!" The confidence in his voice covered up what he was really feeling. He was still worried about how long it would take for him to finish all the books.

The clone saluted his master and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto was about to head back inside but something made him stop. A rush of memories flooded his mind. Memories of him eating that were not his own. His eye twitched as he reached back into his pocket and pulled out Gama. He was scared to open it, fearful of what he might find. He popped it open and his greatest fear was confirmed. "Half empty…" He said sadly. "That bastard. He didn't even bring me back any…"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Wait, how do I have his memories?" He said aloud as if someone would enlighten him, although no one else was around. "I wasn't there with him."

He concentrated. In the back of his mind there was something else there. He could feel it. Some other memory waiting to be accessed. He shut his eyes tight hoping that it would help put everything into focus. He reached for it and grabbed the memory. He eyes shot open and he quickly reached into the bag that his clone had brought him. He took out the book on top and flipped it open. He skimmed through the first chapter and to his amazement he recalled everything that was contained in it.

"What the…" His voice trailed off as he tried to piece all this information together. Somehow, he knew of everything his clone did while he was out. He was even able to retain the information within the book that the clone had read.

'Have I always had this ability when using my clones? He thought to himself. The gears in his brain started to slowly turn. 'I can just use my clones to help me read all these books! This is great! I won't even need a week to finish all of these.' His grip on the bag containing the books tightened. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. He quickly ran inside, a large smile plastered across his face.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Once inside his room he quickly summoned 11 clones. Each clone carrying the same determined look as the original. "You guys know what to do." He said gesturing to the books he had neatly stacked on the table. "There's a book for each of us. Grab one, read it, and then when you're done swap books with someone else. The more times we read each one the better chance I'll have of remembering it."

This Naruto is very different from the blond little knucklehead that was in the ninja academy. When he was in the academy just the thought of reading made him feel sick to his stomach. This time around, he felt something else. Sure, the drive and determination he felt when confronted with a challenge was there. He wanted to write this book and shove it in Jiraiya's face more than anything, but that wasn't all.

He recalled what his clone felt when he finished reading the first chapter of 'Writing for Dummies'. "I might actually enjoy this…" He mumbled to himself so lowly that his clones couldn't even hear him. They had already each grabbed a book and started reading. He shrugged.

"Guess I'll just grab a book then, too."

"I think I'm finally finished…" The aspiring author said as he closed one of the books he bought for what he hoped was the last time. He let out a relieved sigh.

Naruto squinted as a bright light shined in his eyes. He placed the book down on the desk and glanced over at the window in the room and was surprised to see that the sun was already up. "Did we really study the entire night?" He said to himself quietly. The genin yawned loudly as he stretched his tired limbs. He looked over at the sleeping clones that littered the hotel floor and chuckled. Most of them were drooling and a pair of Naruto's were even cuddled up against one another. They looked content despite the funny position they were in.

He began to reflect on the past couple of days. 'If I had known about this back in the academy maybe my grades wouldn't have been so awful.' He mused.

The method of using his clones to speed up his learning worked better than he could have ever dreamed. He was a little apprehensive at first, fearful that the first time was just a fluke and that it wouldn't work. That feeling of fear quickly subsided after he put his idea to the test the very first time. The amount of information he acquired was more than he learned in the academy 1000 times over. And that was just a few hours of reading!

The past 3 days the pack of blonds had been studying relentlessly. However, this was the longest amount of time they had read in one sitting. Normally, they would study for a few hours before he eventually dispelled the clones. Naruto did this so he could take a break while his mind gathered and processed all the information he and his clones had learned.

"There isn't any point in waking them up." Naruto stood up and dispelled his jutsu. Clouds of smoke subsequently filled the room as the clones puffed out of existence. The blond then began to walk over to open the nearest window in hopes that it would help disperse the smoke quicker.

He stumbled. "Wha...?" His vision started to get blurry and his balance began to fade. He grabbed his head as a shooting pain suddenly ripped through it. It felt as though his brain had swelled up to the point that his skull could barely contain it anymore. The pressure behind his eyes was so great that it felt like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

It was all too much for his young mind to take. He couldn't hold himself up anymore. He started falling, desperately trying to grab at something that would keep him upright. He fell unconscious before he even hit the ground.

THUMP

"N…to."

It was very faint but someone was calling his name. He could hear it, but he just couldn't pinpoint the source. The last thing he remembered was that he was about to open the window when suddenly everything went black. Everything was still black.

"Naruto!" The voice boomed again. This time it felt much closer.

Jiraiya's apprentice began to stir lightly. The sage could see his student's eyes moving ever so slightly behind his closed eyelids. He let out a big sigh of relief. 'I'm not sure what happened, but I'm glad I got here when I did. It doesn't seem like he's been out for very long.'

He noticed that there were quite a few books that littered the floor all around the blond. He immediately recognized what they were for. 'Well, well. Seems like he is taking this little wager serious after all.' The white-haired sage was certainly impressed. Despite the resolve his pupil had shown earlier, he half expected the kid to get frustrated and quit. However, this did not make his confidence falter. He still believed he was going to win.

"Ero…Sennin?" Came a groggy voice just beneath him. The genin's eyes were still glazed over, a sign that he was still very much out of it.

The aforementioned perv allowed himself a small smile at the sight of his god-child being okay. "Well, look who's finally up. Do you have any idea what time it is? No one said you could sleep in, gaki." He teased lightly. The boy didn't need to know how worried he really was. That would be much too embarrassing for the sage to admit.

The teasing hit its mark. The blond vigorously shook his head and shot to hit feet. The speed at which he moved slightly surprised Jiraiya. He was expecting it to be a bit longer before the kid was up on his feet again.

"Who are you to talk, you old perv?" He grumbled. "Last time I checked you sleep in all of the time."

Despite the trueness of those words, he brushed them off. There was something much more pressing that he needed to know about.

"Yeah, yeah, gaki." He said dismissively. "Tell me, what happened? When I came back you were unconscious on the ground. Is everything okay?" The concern is his voice was evident even though he did his best to hide it.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" The boisterous blond said as his put his hands behind his head in his trademark stance. "I just got a little dizzy, that's all!" While he may be stretching the truth a bit he really did feel fine. Because of this, he convinced himself that it was nothing to worry about. He didn't want to make his teacher worried either.

The look his sensei gave him, however, let him know that he wasn't buying it.

"Okay, okay." He resigned with a sigh. "The last thing I remember was that I had been studying with my clones the entire night and when I dispelled them my vision got really burry and I guess that was when I passed out." He explained. Hopefully his wise teacher had an explanation for it all, because he was drawing a blank.

The older man's eyes widened slightly, but his pupil didn't notice. "Reading with your clones?" He put his hand on his chin as he contemplated what this could mean. Or, at least, that's what it looked like to Naruto. In reality, Jiraiya already knew exactly what had happened.

'I guess he figured out what his clones are really capable of. Not bad.'

"How many clones did you make?"

"11." Was the simple response.

"Naruto." He began slowly. I don't think you should use your clones like that anymore." He was stern. There was no room for debate on this, it seemed.

"What?! Why?!" This wasn't fair! He figures out an awesome way to use his clone but he's not allowed to use it anymore!?

"It put too much stress on your brain. That's why you passed out. Your mind can only handle so much at once. You overloaded it."

Naruto was going to retort back, but nothing came out. He knew his teacher was right he just didn't want to admit it. The benefits of using his clones in such a way were very high, but he was fully aware he could damage his mind if he did it continuously. He grumbled lowly to himself.

"However." Jiraiya's voice cause the blond to look up from his brooding. "I think it'll be okay if you use no more than 5 clones and no longer than 3 hours at a time." He finished with a smile.

His student's eyes lit up in joy as he hugged his Master out of gratitude. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah." The Sannin said dismissively. The blond still wouldn't let go. "Get the hell off me, gaki…"

Chapter Text

After several days of studying his butt off alongside his pack of clones, the spiky-haired genin felt he was finally capable of writing a somewhat coherent piece of literature. His comprehension of spelling, grammar, literary devices, and plot construction was at higher levels than he ever thought possible. While he still had a long way to go before he mastered the craft of writing, he believed that he would continue to get better once he began putting pen to paper. Like being a ninja you can develop all of the skills you want, but without proper field experience, those skills were meaningless. It had all been surprisingly easy to grasp for him. He was unsure about whether this was simply because of his use of clones to expedite the process, or if he truly had some natural affinity for writing that he was unaware of until now.

He sat cross-legged in the middle of the room with his hands resting on his lap. The energetic blond let out a frustrated sigh while staring intently at the ground. He shifted slightly, leaned back and placed his arms on the ground behind him, propping himself up so he didn't fall backward.

While all of this new knowledge was great and all, there was a caveat. 'There's not much use in knowing how to write if I have no idea what to write about.' He thought, slightly dejected. His ability to write had improved exponentially, yes, but knowing how to do something does not mean you have the ability to apply it. Technical abilities are much easier to obtain than natural creativity. Both are necessary tools that an author must possess to make an interesting story. "I still don't know what my story is gonna be about…"

Naruto has begun thinking about possible story ideas almost immediately after he and his clones had finished their study session. Initially, he thought it was a brilliant idea to keep the clones around so they can help him on deciding a topic for his novel. However, that soon proved to be a very bad idea. Naruto was hopeful at first until one of his clones said their story had to be about ramen and only ramen. He was practically insistent on it. To make matters even worse, all of his clones agreed with the stupid idea! Before he knew it, he was having a screaming match with his clones about how ramen could not be a topic for any respectable story. They aren't writing a cookbook! The exchange got a little heated and one of his clones had to be forcibly dispelled with a smack to the head. After that idea went south, it was up to a singular Naruto to come up with the foundation of his story.

So far, after several days of trying his best to think of something, the results were not looking too good. He had nothing.

"What do people even read about?!" He yelled out in exasperation. The voice echoed back to him from the walls of the empty hotel room. The blond was suddenly regretting never reading a book his entire life.

"Gotta think." He repeated to himself as he rubbed his temples, praying for some sort of inspiration to pop into his head. He glanced over at the book Jiraiya left him that was still resting on the table. He shuddered. 'Not that kind of inspiration.' He thought to himself dryly.

As if on cue, Jiraiya walked through the front door. Naruto's head swung around to see who was responsible for the disturbance. When he saw it was just his master, he huffed. "What are you doing back already? Finally tired of staring at women for a living?" He asked mockingly.

Jiraiya looked the blond dead in the eyes, his round orbs blazing with a nearly unmatchable fierceness that his student had only seen from him a few times.

"How could you even say that?" He deadpanned. His tone was so serious that Naruto had to hold in his laughter. But this was no laughing matter to the white-haired sage. "The female body is one of utmost beauty, my eyes will never get tired from seeing their delicate figures swing and bounce around in a hot spring…" He trailed off, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

Naruto's eye twitched. You would think after spending so much time with his teacher he would be used to the ridiculous things that come out of the Sannin's mouth. However, you would be very wrong. The genin is continuously surprised by just how excessively perverted and self-diluted his master can be sometimes. He allowed himself a faint smile at the sage's antics. 'He's never boring to be around, though.' He chuckled to himself.

"Why are you back already?" The blond repeated his first question, completely ignoring the sage's over-the-top reaction.

"Well, you see…" He began, but then trailed off. He scratched the back of his head and let out a small chuckle. "I-I just wanted to see how my little protégé was coming along. Make any progress yet?" His hand remained behind his head as he waited for an answer. His sudden interest in the well-being of his student didn't sound very convincing to the blond.

"You got caught by a bunch of women again, didn't you?" His student asked without an ounce of humor in his voice.

"Hehehe." Jiraiya turned around and revealed that he wasn't actually scratching the back of his head. He was attempting to conceal a rather large bump that he got when a woman, who was much stronger than she appeared, kicked him in the back of the head. "How did you know?" He asked weakly.

"When you said you came here for my benefit." Jiraiya sweat dropped. His student had so little faith in him. "Normally you stay out quite a bit later than this, so I figured there had to be a reason you had to come back. Which brought me to the conclusion that you pissed off a bunch of women and had to go into hiding while everything outside cooled down."

"Well, isn't someone a little sleuth." The older man shot back sarcastically. Jiraiya sat down on the ground roughly 8 feet away from the boy and eyed him curiously. "But seriously, how are things coming along?" He asked genuinely. Jiraiya seemed more interested in women at times, sure, but that wasn't the case. He cared deeply for the boy he just has a hard time showing it.

Naruto opened his mouth to tell his master that everything was going great and that his book would be completed in no time. But something stopped him. Normally, his bombastic confidence would erupt out of his mouth and alleviate the worries of the people around him. It was a different ball game this time. He was out of his comfort zone and he knew it. Maybe asking Jiraiya for some of that advice he was talking about earlier wouldn't be the worst thing in the world? Unless, of course, he pulls out that pervy book again.

"Actually, can I ask you a question, Ero-Sennin?" He asked with much less sassiness than he had during their prior exchange.

The change of tone was not lost on Jiraiya and he gave his pupil a questioning glance. "What is it, gaki?" He, too, asked with a much more serious tone than before. The sudden shift in conversation interested the Sannin.

"Why do you need to spy on women to write those books of yours?" When the blond genin refers to his sensei's books, it's normally an insult or said with a mocking tone. However, this was different. He was genuinely curious. The sage was the self-proclaimed 'Super Pervert', after all. The man didn't have a shameful bone in his body, there was no need to make up excuses if he wanted to spy on women. Why call it research if the only intention was to be a perv?

Jiraiya looked intently at the boy as he flashed a proud smile. "Why, to ensure that my novels become the masterpieces that they are, of course!" The ever-present pride he exuded when referring to his works was as strong as ever.

"Yeah." Began the blond, not taking the easy chance to insult his master once more. "But why do you need all of that peeping to write your book? I thought you were a 'literary genius.' Shouldn't you be able to write them without your research?" He teased his teacher lightly. Okay, maybe he couldn't resist taking a shot at the older man. God, he loved doing that.

Jiraiya continued on, not even seeming to notice that his genin disciple was making fun of him again. "Yes, but you should know that almost every successful author implements his own life experiences into their finest works. Not only can it assist them in telling a compelling story, but it also gives that story a very realistic feel to it." Despite the perverted undertone of Jiraiya's words, considering the type of books he writes, his words were very wise.

Naruto's eyes lit up. Of course, how could he have been so stupid? It was in front of him the entire time. His mind was spinning in a dozen different directions. He thought about his life, his childhood, how he was treated, all the pain that it caused him. And despite all of that hardship, he still wanted to become Hokage and protect those close to him. These were perfect elements he could incorporate into a cohesive story.

A hero. His story would be about a great, strong hero who protects those around him with a power that is difficult for him to control. A potentially dangerous power that causes even those that he saves to be wary of him and treat him as more of a nuisance than the hero he actually is. A hero that continues to protect even those who shun him.

Jiraiya, completely unaware of the explosion of inspiration he set off in the boy's head, stood up abruptly. "Well, I should get back to it." A hint of excitement laced his voice. "All of this talk about peeping has got me in the mood for some more research." At this point even Jiraiya was using the words 'peeping' and 'research' interchangeably.

Naruto tore himself away from his overflowing thoughts at the sound of his master's voice. Under normal circumstances, he would berate his perverted sensei for going back out to spy on women so soon after getting beaten up. However, this time he wanted Jiraiya to leave so he could write down all of his thoughts before they leave his brain, undisturbed. "Thanks for the advice. Don't get yourself killed." He said harshly with a wave.

"I can't die yet" He responded with a thumbs up as he opened the door. "I haven't seen enough women from the Cloud Village, yet. I hear they're gorgeous." He finished as he shut the door behind him.

Naruto shook his at the older man's antics. 'He may be goofy ninety-percent of the time, but he really helped me out.' He thought to himself. The boy finally felt like he would be able to make some actual progress. A wave of relief washed over him.

"Time to get to work! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Suddenly, there were now seven identical Naruto's in the small hotel room. Each of them had an identical determined expression on their face. Well, except for one…

"Don't you guys think it's kinda dumb that we're basically writing a story about ourselves? Like, how self-centered can we get? I really think that the story about ramen would be a bette-"

There was a low thud, followed by a 'poof'.

"Does anyone else have anything to say?" The original blond-haired genin looked at his clones. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

The five remaining clones shook their heads vigorously.

"Good! Let's get to work!"

"Okay!"

-Several Hours Later-

It turned out that this time around, using clones would be very beneficial. Even though he and the clones were all the same person, they were useful when he needed to bounce ideas around. His clones did not hold back any criticism when they thought an idea wasn't any good. It was very odd to be repeatedly called an idiot by yourself. The blond began to contemplate if he was that big of a jerk to his friends.

When you're on the exact same page as the people that you are working with, it allows you to be able to work like a well-oiled machine. That became apparent to the child when he saw just how much the group had completed in just a few short hours of work. Some of his clones even went as far as to help him outline the story, develop a setting, and name the main character. His main character's name would be Menma. Naruto's reasoning, you ask? Ramen. The irony of that occurrence eluded him.

The genin finally stopped writing and put down his pen as light shined through his hotel window, temporarily blinding him. He was surprised. The fact that is was light out meant he had stayed up the entire night. 'Maybe we were working for longer than I thought.' He thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes. After his vision returned to him, he looked around his room.

There were four other Naruto's littered all across the floor, sleeping soundly. What happened to the fifth, you ask? About mid-way through the writing session, the aforementioned clone got upset with the original Naruto. He claimed to have a good idea regarding the direction the story should go. However, his idea was shut down. Naruto, being the petty child he can sometimes be, clearly had clones who acted the same way. The disgruntled clone took it upon himself to read some of the book that Jiraiya had left behind. When he was found out, an angry Naruto quickly dispelled the rogue clone. However, that didn't stop the memories of the book to be transferred back to the original.

Naruto shuddered as he tried to shake off the images that the book caused to creep into his mind. 'I'm really starting to think that these clones are more trouble than they're worth.' He thought to himself, slightly annoyed.

The disciple of the toad sage yawned as the exhaustion was finally starting to catch up to him. He gathered what he had completed so far and glanced over it. Three decently-lengthy chapters of a rough draft were what they had completed in just one day. Considering Naruto was aiming for a story with about 10-12 chapters, this was a better start than he could have ever hoped for.

Words could not describe how much pride he felt at the moment. This was by far the best work he had ever done by himself. When attending the academy, never thought he'd be able to achieve this quality of writing on his own. Hell, at that time he had no interest in being able to learn how to write, at all. All he cared about was becoming Hokage. 'So much can change in just a few months.' He thought to himself fondly. For once, he could look back to something from his past and not feel dejected or sad. He wasn't thinking about Sasuke, or how he was treated for the first twelve years of his life. It was nice.

He dispelled his clones and hid his completed work from the prying eyes of his mentor. 'Can't have that nosey little perv finding out just how much I have done. I wanna see the look on his face when it's all completed.'

After making sure everything was well hidden, he glanced over at the clock and a groan escaped his lips. It read 8:30 AM, meaning he would barely be able to get any sleep before Jiraiya came back and forced him to wake up.

Despite his busy schedule peeping on girls all day, the sage still somehow found the time to make it his mission to ensure Naruto never slept in. If his pupil wasn't up by 9:00 AM, Jiraiya would retrieve the coldest river water he could find and dump it on the unsuspecting blond. The sage said it was a great way to get his student used to the life of being a full-fledged shinobi. Shinobi had to be alert and ready to wake up at a moment's notice to respond to potential enemies.

While that seemed like a reasonable explanation, Naruto didn't buy it. He knew his master just enjoyed annoying him. Otherwise, he wouldn't go out of his way to get borderline ice-water. Room temperature water, or even loud noises would do the trick just fine.

Naruto glanced back at the clock. Taking into account his 10-minute mental rant, he only had about 20 minutes to get ready for the return of his teacher.

…

…

…

Twenty minutes passed by quickly, and to no one's surprise, at 8:59 the door to the apartment opened slowly. A head surrounded by spiky white hair poked out from the opening. The lack of noise told the sage that his target was definitely asleep. Perfect. Sharp eyes scanned the room intently, trying to locate the sleeping figure. His eyes settled on a tuft of blond hair that was sticking out over the back of the couch. 'You make this too easy, gaki.' He thought to himself deviously.

Jiraiya crept slowly into the room, using every ounce of his renowned stealthy abilities. As he crept closer and closer to the wild-haired boy, he slowly reached into his pocket and took out one of his many storage scrolls. He slowly unraveled it, revealing the kanji for 'water'. 'This is gonna be good.' He mused.

The sage sprung forward with great agility and a devilish grin. The intent to ruin the genin's slumber was plastered on the Sannin's face.

…

He blinked. Instead of the goofy little apprentice, he was expecting to see, a Naruto lookalike scarecrow was on the couch, covered in a blanket to complete the effect of a sleeping child. "Huh?" Confusion evident in the man's voice. "What is this?"

'Bang!'

Jiraiya immediately regretted that question. His target, Naruto Uzumaki, the Leaf Village's number one prankster, appeared out of nowhere and smacked the great sage in the back of the head with a comically large frying pan.

Naruto laughed hysterically at the way the powerful leaf jonin crumpled to the ground. He clutched his sides in an attempt to alleviate the painful cramps his intense laughter was causing him. A large bump could already be seen forming on the back of his mentor's head.

"Ha!" The student shouted triumphantly, towering over the master. "That's what you get for trying to mess with me, Ero-Sennin!"

Jiraiya, who was still recovering from the surprise attack, just grumbled something incoherently.

Naruto continued to laugh at the expense of his master. His stomach grumbled. "All this fun has really given me an appetite." He continued teasingly. "I hope we have some ramen!" He joyfully made his way to the kitchen, already thinking about the noodle-laden deliciousness that was his favorite food.

"We don't." Jiraiya, who was partially recovered, was still nursing the back of his head. 'Why does everyone always hit me in the same spot.' He thought to himself humorlessly.

Naruto's nose scrunched up in disapproval. "Huh? Why not?!" This was simply unacceptable.

"Because you have to start eating things besides ramen. That stuff is no good for your health." Was his wise master's simple response.

Naruto frowned. "Well, what if I don't want to." The blond shot back defiantly.

"Too bad." Jiraiya had to me admit he somewhat enjoyed seeing the crushed look on the ramen fanatics face. "Besides, if you ever want to make it past 5ft tall, you're going to have to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods. It may seem sadistic now, but trust me, you'll thank me later."

Naruto shivered. "Ugh, that word. Don't ever say it again." He didn't even wanna think about it. While he certainly wanted to be taller, if he had to give up ramen in the process it wasn't worth it.

The sage facepalmed. "Nutritious is not a bad word, gaki." He continued as Naruto's face got even more twisted in discomfort at the second utterance of that evil word. "I'm not saying you can never eat ramen again, kid. All I mean is that you have to put other things in your body if you want to get taller, faster, and stronger."

"Okay." The blond said weakly. He just wanted to change the subject. All this talk about less ramen and more 'nutritious' foods was making him depressed.

The sage let out an exaggerated sigh. It wouldn't do him any good to press more. For the time being, he'd leave him alone about his eating habits.

"So…" The sage began innocently. "Get any writing done today?" He had a curious glint in his eye.

"Not really." The blond answered vaguely with a shrug. "You were right. Writing is a lot harder than I thought it would be." On the outside, he tried his best to look defeated, but on the inside, he was far from it. He had gotten a lot more work done today than he had ever thought possible, but he couldn't let his master know that. He wanted to hide his progress from the sage and crush his hopes all at once.

Jiraiya smirked, completely unaware of his disciple's intentions. "Well, one day you're going to realize that I'm always right!" He said proudly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah… right." The sarcasm in his voice was audible.

"Shut up, gaki…"

-A Couple Weeks Later-

Location: Unknown

It was dark, cold, and damp. It was relatively silent, except for the periodic sound of drops of water lightly thudding against the ground. Stalactites hung from the ceiling as water slowly ran down to their tips.

A lone figure stood in the center of the dark cave. However, there was something odd about this figure.

A stalactite hung right above the man, a water droplet was forming at its tip. The surface tension of the rock was doing its best to fight against gravity. The reservoir of water eventually became too big and the water droplet began falling, on a collision course with its target.

Only for the drop to… pass right through the figure?

The figure did not appear to be a solid being. The staticky, ethereal figure seemed to be some form of a hologram. He had spiky hair, and his face was heavily pierced with what appeared to be some sort of odd, black metal. Despite not being physically in the cave, he stood with a commanding authority that could still be felt. A type of authority that exuded power and demanded the respect of all who would stand before him.

And most of that power rested in the figure's eyes. The cave was dark, yes, but those eyes appeared to shine as brightly as the sun in that damp, little cavern. They were purple, with deep black circles going around the pupil to form a rippling pattern.

He has been standing there for several minutes. He had not made a sound or moved an inch since he had appeared.

"You're late." He finally said. Oddly enough, he was still alone.

As if on cue, a few seconds later, another figure rose slowly from the ground. This being differed vastly from the other. He was solid and had what appeared to be a something similar to a venus fly trap surrounding his body. Half of his body black, half white. Whatever it was, it did not appear to be human.

"Hehe. Sorry." The creature's voice was surprisingly light, almost playful. It did not match his appearance in the slightest. "I have a job to do and didn't want to leave early and potentially miss anything important." His demeanor also contrasted heavily with the individual he was talking to. He was playful and goofy, while the other was stoic and intense.

"I suppose you have a point." The hologram figure said after a short pause. "Let us be quick. What is your report, Zetsu?" It was clear by the way he spoke that he was the one who was in charge.

"Uh, well…" The one now named Zetsu began slowly, sounding unsure of himself. "Will you hurry up and spit it out." A much gruffer, agitated-sounding third voice cut in abruptly. "We don't have all day."

Three voices, but only two figures stood in the cave. A normal person would have reacted to this abnormality, but the hologram figure did not even twitch. "I agree with black Zetsu, what is your report?" He commanded, looking more intently at the left side of Zetsu's face.

"They seem to be stationary for the time being. And by the looks of it, they do not appear to be moving anytime soon." His goofy tone was replaced with a slightly more serious one as he relayed the findings of his espionage to his leader.

"Why do you say that?" The leader questioned, referring to the latter part of the report.

"None of their stuff is packed up. If they were planning on leaving soon, they would have begun readying some of their things for travel." Was his simple reply.

"Interesting." The ethereal figure said after a short pause. "I would have thought they'd be constantly moving from place to play to avoid being detected." He closed his eyes for a moment, appearing to give something some thought.

"Why don't we just move in now?" Zetsu's voiced caused his leader's rippled eyes to snap open. He eyed him curiously, waiting for him to continue. "He is by himself for most of the day and vulnerable, it would be easy." The white half of the creature spoke with such enthusiasm.

"There's no sign of him?" He asked cautiously.

"No. For several hours out of the day they are separated."

"You're a fool if you truly believe that." He spoke with a harsh, unforgiving tone. "Do not underestimate that man. It will be your undoing."

White Zetsu recoiled slightly at those words but did not say anything further. He knew to listen to his leader when he spoke.

"I do not believe this is the proper time to take action." The pierced man looked down at a puddle of water on the cave floor. When he spoke the water rippled ever so slightly. Not enough for the average human eye to notice, but his eyes were far from average. His gaze shifted back up to his subordinate. "Even if we were able to capture the nine-tails, we would not be able to seal him right away. You know this. And because we cannot allow him to die before then, we run the risk of the Leaf Village attempting to get him back before we have a chance to do anything else." Zetsu nodded, seemingly following his logic. "More importantly, as long as he is being protected by him, the nine-tails is untouchable."

The intent of his once vague words finally revealed it was obvious who this man was. He was the leader, or at least a very high ranking member, of the S-Class criminal organization, the Akatsuki. And their target? Naruto Uzumaki.

"He's really that strong, Pain?" Zetsu looked as if he was about to say something else, but the eyes of his leader caused him to stop. It was not his turn to speak yet.

"Yes," The now named Akatsuki leader, Pain, said. "However." He began slowly, several possibilities running through his mind. "If the opportunity ever presents himself, perhaps there is a chance we could move early." That was all he had to say on the matter, he had some things he needed to think about. "Continue your surveillance. Let me know of any significant updates." He turned away, signaling that their meeting had now come to a close.

"Understood." White and black said in unison. Their body slowly lowered back into the ground until they fully disappeared.

The hologram of the man named pain remained stationary in the middle of the cave. His eyes remained shut as he began to think about his past. For a split second, a brief flash of an indiscernible emotion flickered across his face. No. He felt nothing. He was sure of it.

"Jiraiya-sensei, huh? How nostalgic." The hologram disappeared, his words echoed in the now empty cave.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: And the Winner is...

"Hey, Naruto! I'm going out to do some research, wanna come?"

Jiraiya heard a loud 'poof' and shortly after, Naruto walked into the room. He was nursing his cheek with an annoyed look on his face. "Why would I want to go out perving with you, Ero-Sennin?" He asked harshly.

His mentor noticed what looked like a bruise forming on his right cheek. He frowned. "What happened to you?" He asked with slight confusion.

Naruto just grumbled angrily about a clone 'calling him ugly.' Then after a few punches were thrown it was every Naruto for themselves. "It really makes no sense!" His outburst was slightly amusing to the older man. "He looks exactly like me!"

Jiraiya let out a sigh. "As much as I'd like to talk with you about your issues, there are beautiful women out there that I need to stare at." He thought about what he just said for a moment. "That didn't sound right…"

"Sounds right to me, because that's all you do." Came the young voice of his apprentice.

"Nuh-uh." His master shot back with a child-like tone. "I take notes!"

Naruto had no response to that. All he could do was put his face in his hands and wonder what it would be like to be trained by Orochimaru instead. 'Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.' He mused.

"You know, gaki." Began Jiraiya, causing the boy to remove himself from his disturbing thoughts and look up at him. "You're gonna have to throw in the towel soon on this little bet of ours." His words caused the blond's face to scrunch up in annoyance. "While I really do enjoy watching you lose, we do need to get started on your training pretty soon. It has been a few weeks already and I haven't seen you make any progress on your book, at all. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed."

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but he was swiftly cut off by his mentor.

"I understand that you really want to go after your friend, but a deal is a deal. I'm still going to train you, of course. I'll just stick to the training regimen I initially had in mind, but Sasuke is now gonna be off limits. Understand?" His tone was firm, yet not overly harsh. He had to be careful with how he phrased things, his student had a tendency to let emotions dictate his actions and the things that he says.

Naruto waited a short moment to ensure that his teacher had said all that he needed to say. Much to the surprise of the white-haired jonin, the blond was very calm and collected. He almost seemed like a different person.

"There are a few things I want to ask." He stated simply, to which the older man nodded his agreeance. "First, what is the difference between your original training regimen, and the one we were going to do had I won the bet?" His tone remained even, again, surprising the more experienced ninja.

'Something doesn't feel right.' He thought to himself. He shook off that feeling and began to answer his student's question.

"This bet was a test of your mental fortitude. Had you gone out of your comfort zone and written a book, something you have absolutely no business doing with your writing skills, it would have proved to me that your mind could handle incredibly strenuous training." He began, still watching the boy's unchanging reaction to his words. Instead of pressing the blond about his unusual behavior, he continued. "Unfortunately, now I'm not sure if you can handle it. I don't want to give you something that you aren't ready to take on. Something like that can cause lasting damage to the psyche of someone as young as you." Jiraiya paused, believing he said something that could possibly irritate the blond. "And that's not to say our training won't be intense! Rest assured, it'll still be the most difficult thing you've ever done in your life! We're just gonna take precautions, is all. Okay?" He clarified.

Jiraiya knew that he had stacked the deck against his disciple. It almost didn't seem fair and he felt a tad guilty about. However, Naruto needed to prove just how determined he was. He couldn't risk permanently harming his godson like that. He shuddered to think what Kushina would do to him when they met in the afterlife.

Had Naruto and his clones not just read a dictionary over the past few weeks, Naruto would have only understood about half of what the toad sage had said to him. He nodded slowly, affirming that he understood what his master had said.

"There was another thing I wanted to ask you." He began, continuing on as if he didn't hear a word the Sannin said to him.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. Now he was positive something weird was going on. Normally, the Naruto he knew would have interrupted him at least three times during that speech he just gave. "Okay, what is it?" He asked suspiciously. He glanced behind himself, making sure there wasn't another frying-pan-wielding Naruto ready to smack him.

"How can you say I've run out of time? You still aren't done with the research you have to do for your book. You were supposed to be done with your peeping about a week ago, but you aren't."

Jiraiya blushed slightly, embarrassed that he was being called out for his hypocrisy. "Well, you see, I've finished the majority of it!" He began, trying not to let the opinion his student has of him furtherly worsen. "We'll start our training tomorrow, I'll just have to do some research intermittently."

Naruto huffed. To him, it just sounded like more training where Jiraiya shows him how to do something once and then leaves the blond to his own devices while he goes around town and pervs the day away. That was not something he wanted to go through again. Not with the Akatsuki threatening to make their move in just a short couple of years. "You can take your half-assed training, and intermittent perv sessions, and stick them up your ass!" He crossed his arms across his chest in a defiant manner. "I'll have you know that there's no need for you to worry about training me and doing your research at the same time."

The sage couldn't help but hear the pride that was welling up in the voice of his student. If he wasn't interested in what was going on before, he sure was now. "Oh, and why's that?" He asked with genuine intrigue.

Naruto opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a knock at the door.

"That's odd." The older man said to himself. "Wonder who that is?" He opened the door and was met with a face he did not expect.

"What are you doing here?" He asked dumbly.

-One Week Earlier-

A handful of Naruto's scratched their heads in unison, their gazes resting on a rather large stack of papers. "Is that it?" One of them asked. "Are we done?" Another clone spoke with hope evident in his voice.

There was a short pause as the blonds looked to one another for confirmation.

"No!" One of the Naruto's broke the silence that had fallen over the group and shot up to his feet. "Have you read the ending? It blows!" He shouted. The angry Naruto grabbed the offending page from the stack and pointed a finger accusingly at the words written on it.

The original blond swiped the page away from his doppelganger, a sneer forming at his lips. "What do you mean? What's wrong with it?" He asked defensively.

"It's so unrealistic!" Another blurted out. The rest of the group grumbled their agreement, much to the displeasure of the real genin.

His eye twitched in annoyance. It would have been bad enough if someone else critiqued his work rudely, but he had to deal with five versions of himself telling him that his hard work sucked. "What's unrealistic about it?" He didn't know whether to be angry or hurt. After all, if his own clones thought this, did he in some way think it too? He glanced at his clones. 'I've noticed that some of my clones have thoughts that I don't normally have. But how is that possible? They're me?' His interest was piqued, but he would have to come back to that thought another time.

"The guy never gets the girl in the end in real life!" A third one blurted out, unaware of the real one's musings. "Don't you remember what we learned? It's so cliché!" The clone was referring to the books they had read that were so beneficial in developing the blonds writing abilities. The other Naruto's immediately nodded their head in unison at that statement.

Their minds drifted to Sakura, their pink-haired crush. They all hung their heads in dejection. Naruto definitely knew that heroic acts don't always get you the girl from experience.

"Yeah, you're right…" They all sighed loudly. "Guess we should come up with a new ending. Any ideas?" All of the energy that was once present in the group had been sucked dry. The blond did not like to think about his chances with his pink-haired friend. Actually, it would be more accurate to say his lack of chance with Sakura.

He got ripped out of his thoughts as one of his clones tapped him on the shoulder.

"What about this?" The clone asked. He handed the original a few sheets of paper. "I actually wrote this earlier while you were so focused on trying to complete your love story." He teased himself lightly. "Tell me what you think."

Naruto was unsure at first. This clone looked a lot like the one who said the plot should revolve around ramen. 'Wait, what the hell am I talking about? We're all identical.' He frowned at his own stupidity.

He began slowly reading over the several pages that were handed to him. The blond scanned every word thoroughly. His expectations were very high. After all, he technically wrote this material himself. As he continued to read the clones work, he recalled a segment from one of the books that he had read. 'While the ending does not mean everything to a story, a well-constructed ending is perhaps an author's most useful tool to convey the message he/she is trying to tell. In essence, it is the backbone of what the author is writing about.' The blond kept that in the back of his mind while he continued to read. What message did he want to convey? He was unsure.

Page by page, every word he read caused his excitement to increase. This was exactly what he was looking for! He was sure of it. "This is it." His voice was low almost a whisper. So low, in fact, that one of the clones asked him to repeat himself. He finished reading. "This is it!" He was much louder this time, words overflowing with enthusiasm. He looked at the clones with pride in his eyes. "I love me." There was a tear forming in one of his eyes.

The clone responsible for the work puffed his chest out and allowed himself a cocky grin.

"We did it, boys!" They all cheered loudly in victory. "While I would love to celebrate with all of you guys, I have some work to do before the old perv gets home."

The clones nodded back in understanding. "See ya later, chief." One of them said as they dispersed into clouds of smoke.

Without wasting any time, Naruto darted across the room to where Jiraiya's stuff was. Without regards for his master's privacy, he began swiftly rifling through the old man's personal belongings. "C'mon. Where is it?" He muttered to himself as he continued to look.

After looking through everything his master had left behind in the hotel, he still could not find what he was looking for. "All I need to know is the publisher's name and address." He continued to speak as if his clones were still there with him. "Ero-Sennin has to have that information stashed somewhere."

What almost felt inevitable, his eyes slowly fell on the book that was resting on the table. The book that Jiraiya had left him had remained there for over a week, untouched. The mere sight of the book made the blond uncomfortable. He shuddered. 'Anything but that. It's gotta be somewhere else!' The attempted reassurance did little to dissuade the apprehension that was building up inside him.

After a few more minutes of fruitless searching, he resigned himself to defeat. The genin slowly reached for the horrifying piece of literature. He took a deep breath, preparing his innocent mind for whatever his eyes may read.

He flipped the book open and started scanning the first couple of pages. His face quickly turned a deep shade of red. He had accidentally read a part of the first chapter. 'Who the hell reads this stuff?' His mind shifted to his other teacher, Kakashi. The blond sighed audibly. He had two insanely powerful mentor's, yet both were interested in this kind of material. At that very moment, Naruto did not know if he was lucky or cursed.

"There it is!" After a moment more of searching, he finally found it. "Land of Fire Publishing Company." His finger traced along with the words as he read them off the page. "The address is here, too! This is great!"

Once he was done copying down all the information he needed, he put the book right where it belonged. In the garbage. Naruto chuckled to himself. "A trashy novel, indeed." If his clones had heard him say that he would have definitely lost cool points.

-Present Day-

Naruto, interest piqued by his master's reaction, glanced over to the doorway. Standing there was a man in some of the most unusual clothing that the blond had ever seen, and this was coming from a person whose attire consisted of mostly bright orange.

The man was dressed in a grayish, almost green uniform along with a hat consisting of the same bland color. He wore dark goggles and had a bag strapped to the side of his body. From what Naruto could see the satchel contained a few small packages but mostly held what he assumed were letters. 'That's the weirdest looking mailman I've ever seen.' He thought to himself.

"596-03, at your service!" The man said enthusiastically. Naruto glanced up at his hat. Those very numbers were stitched into red cloth right below its bill. "I have a package for one, Naruto Uzumaki." The mail carrier seemed completely oblivious to the white-haired man's utter confusion.

"Who's this guy?" Naruto asked suspiciously. The man spoke in an odd, almost robotic, way. Yet, at the same time, he was enthusiastic. This odd behavior perturbed the young child.

"This is 596-03, and he says he has a package for you?" Hoping his apprentice would have an answer that would alleviate his current state of confusion. Initially, he was uneasy opening the door fearing it would be Anbu Black Ops members recruiting him for an emergency mission. Now he was just out of the loop.

"596-03?" Naruto repeated, dumbly, as he took his mail from the strange man. "That's not a name. That's just a bunch of numbers."

"That's right." The number man confirmed. "I am a courier ninja. Each courier ninja is designated their own set of numbers as a sort of identification marker. It is an important way to organize our operations.

The genin continued to eye the man up and down. "So, what are you? Like a postman or something?"

"Not exactly. Normal postmen don't risk their lives on a daily basis." Despite how robotic the man's voice was, he sounded very proud when he spoke about his work.

"Oh… so you're like an amazing postman!"

Jiraiya sighed. Sometimes his student's denseness was unprecedented. "Just shut up and let the guy deliver the rest of his mail, Naruto." The Sannin thanked the man and closed the door as the courier ninja took off for his next assignment.

"So…" Jiraiya crept over Naruto's shoulder. "What'cha got there?" He couldn't quite understand why someone would send Naruto anything, and how that person would know that they would even be here.

Naruto allowed himself a small smile. He was so curious about the amazing postman, that it had not even occurred to him what his mail could even be. Once his intrigue had worn off, he began putting the pieces together. There was a very strong chance that the outcome of their bet was located in his hands at that very moment. This was about to get interesting.

"Nothing you would be interested in, Ero-Sennin." The youth said vaguely. He shifted his shoulder, effectively blocking his teacher from seeing what was written on the package's exterior. The nosey sage was trying to spoil the surprise and his pupil was not having it.

In fact, just to get on Jiraiya's nerves his used his body to completely block the older man's view.

This only furthered Jiraiya's welling curiosity.

Naruto opened the large manila envelope and quickly read its contents. It was a letter addressed to him from Jiraiya's publishing company. His smirk grew large and larger as he continued reading.

"Gaki!" Came the frustrated shout of his nosey master. "Lemme see!" Jiraiya was practically bouncing up and down. How he hated being out of the loop! As a specialist in infiltration and spy tactics, his whole job was to be in the loop, being out of it was infuriating.

"Read it and weep, Ero-Sennin." The blond said as he held out the letter for his teacher to take.

Jiraiya quickly snatched it and began to read. He immediately recognized the header that this letter came from. It was the publishing company that published his masterpiece 'Icha-Icha' series. The gears slowly began to turn in his head. This was not good.

"Y-You…" He finally sputtered out. He rubbed his eyes and continued reading hoping that it was just his sight playing tricks on him, but the words on the pages didn't change. He had lost the bet. Naruto, the kid that can barely write his own name, was now going to be a published author.

"I what, Ero-Sennin?" There was an immense smile plastered on the boy's face. "What were you gonna say just now?" He asked cockily.

While it was certainly fun to rub his victory in the face of his sensei, Naruto felt something that he hasn't felt since he completed the Rasengan and won the necklace from Tsunade. The blond had put everything he had into proving the sage wrong. He felt as though all of his hard work paid off. But there was a different feeling. It wasn't just about winning, it was about creating something that he was proud of. Something completely his own. Mastering the Rasengan was great, yes, but he wasn't the one who invented the technique. He created Menma and his story, and it was good enough to get recognized by a major publisher. This was a crowning achievement in his life.

"…" Jiraiya felt as though something was caught in his throat. "You won…" He finally said as his head dropped in defeat. "I can't believe you actually did it!" He continued with his head still down. "All without me knowing!"

"Yeah, I'm awesome!" Naruto stuck a finger to his chest proudly as he spoke. "Oh, and I also used your name as a reference, so they would take me seriously." The blond grinned sheepishly. "But I'm still awesome!"

Jiraiya sighed. He really did not see this coming. It had taken him over a year to write a piece of literature that was good enough to get published, and yet his pupil had done it in a matter of weeks! It was inconceivable. 'I hate my publisher.' He thought to himself bitterly. Jiraiya was convinced that it was somehow their fault.

"I have to say, Naruto, you exceeded my expectations. I asked a lot of you, and you proved me wrong." While the sage was certainly bitter about losing to his student, he also felt a great amount of pride for the young blond. "I'm proud of you." He finished with a genuine smile.

Naruto blinked. The orphaned genin was definitely taken aback by those words. Growing up without parents, or really any parental role models always left him yearning for the acceptance of the adults around him. To Jiraiya, those words were a simple congratulatory statement, but to Naruto, they meant so much more. For an instant, he could almost feel what it was like to have a father. As inappropriate as his mentor was sometimes, Jiraiya was the closest thing the boy had to a father. And he wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world. "T-Thanks…" Was all the boy could muster out.

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Like I was bragging about before, a deal is a deal. Although, instead it's gonna be me on the losing end." He chuckled. "Since it's getting late, we won't start training today. Training will begin first thing in the morning. Make sure you're ready." Was all Jiraiya said as he walked towards the door.

"Wait a minute." The blond began. "You're not going to still go out and do research, are you?" He asked, an annoyed tone to his voice.

"No." The white-haired jonin answered simply. "I gave you my word. Had I won, I would have forced you to stop chasing after Sasuke. The least I can do is honor my part, as well. Don't worry, from now on training is going to be our one and only focus." The genin could tell that his words were sincere.

"Then where are you going?" He was confused. 99.9% of the time Jiraiya went out it was to conduct research. Did he even do anything else besides eat, sleep, and perv? The blond did not know the answer, but he would probably put his money on no.

"I have to write up the training regimen that we are going to use for you. I was so sure that I was going to win that I didn't actually write anything down." He grinned sheepishly. "Looks like I'm not gonna be able to get much sleep tonight."

"Couldn't you just write that here?" The boy asked.

"Trust me, you don't want me here to keep you up." There was a dangerous glint that appeared in the Sannin's eyes. "Also, I don't want you getting nosey and spoiling the surprises I come up with."

Naruto gulped audibly.

"You're going to need every second of sleep you can possibly get." Jiraiya may have been incredibly proud of what his student achieved, but he was still a competitive guy. He was upset that he lost. However, he thought it would be a good idea to take all of those negative emotions and throw them on top of his pupil. Naruto would certainly get what he wanted. The boy was about to get the most intense training of his life.

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" A now pale-faced Naruto stuttered out as he backed away slightly.

All he got in response was a sadistic grin by his sensei. He didn't like that.

Without uttering another word Jiraiya left the hotel room, his once sadistic smile now just a menacing grin. 'This is gonna be fun.' He mused. 'Well, it'll be fun for me.' He let out a laugh that reverberated against the walls of the hotel floor.

Naruto, now by himself once again, had a lot of things he needed to process. Most importantly, he was finally going to get the training he deserved. As terrified as Jiraiya made him about the prospect of their upcoming training, he also felt excitement. As he proved when he won the bet between him and the sage, and even his bet with Tsunade, he always rises to challenges put in front of him. This would be no different.

Then there was Sasuke. Had he lost, he would have to give up his pursuit to save his best friend from the grasp of that snake Orochimaru. Naruto loved training and getting stronger, but Sasuke was perhaps his biggest motivator for winning the bet. The fact he would be able to keep the promise that he made to Sakura was incredibly relieving. 'I'll save you, Sasuke. Don't worry one bit!' He thought to himself passionately.

The blond glanced over at the clock. It read 6:00 PM. As if on cue his stomach growled. "Guess I should eat dinner and then get ready for bed." He said aloud to himself. Based on how his master was talking the blond figured he was gonna get woken up much earlier than the 9:00 AM time that Jiraiya usually made him get up at. And if the training was going to be as difficult as the Sannin eluded to, the extra sleep would serve the genin well.

Naruto opened the cabinets in the kitchen and frowned. There was no ramen. How could Jiraiya expect him to train all day tomorrow without his premium fuel for dinner? This was already going terribly! After ensuring that the cabinets were empty his attention turned to the fridge. Inside there was a bento box with a note on it. He tilted his head in curiosity as he picked it up and began to read.

'I know you're probably upset that you lost the bet.' The blond allowed himself a smirk and kept reading. 'But it's for the best, I promise. As you probably already know our training starts tomorrow and you need to eat something more nutritious than ramen if you want to get stronger. Believe it or not, I made this food for you myself. And no, it won't kill you. Enjoy. -Jiraiya'

His teacher had clearly made the note with the presumption that Naruto had lost the bet. 'I guess I was supposed to find this after he went out perving.' He mused. A thought occurred to him.

"When did he have time to make food? I haven't left the hotel room in days?" The confused blond looked inside the bento box and to his surprise, the food actually looked edible. Jiraiya didn't come off as someone who knew how to cook so Naruto was a bit apprehensive at first.

It appeared to be steak, peppers, and other vegetables that Naruto didn't recognize. That wasn't surprising considering his fear of the word 'nutritious'. That was all served over a healthily sized bed of rice. He sat down at the table, picked up the chopsticks and slowly brought a piece of steak to his mouth. He took a bite and was shocked at the flavor he was tasting. "This is actually really good." The blond muttered to himself. The meat was tender and spiced wonderfully with spices that the boy did not recognize. The assorted vegetables were soft, but not too soft, and complemented the texture and flavor of the meat perfectly. "No way in hell he cooked this himself." He said as he continued to scarf down the delicious food.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Hopefully, that food would help give him the strength he needed to survive it.

Naruto finished the food and slammed the box back onto the table, his eyes brimming with determination. "I'm ready!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Sweet Dreams...?

Location: ?

Naruto had been running for what seemed like hours on end. The air was thick with mist, making visibility very poor for the genin. He took in a long harsh breath, filling his lungs with the oxygen necessary to continue. His heart was beating furiously, legs felt as if they were made of jelly, eyes heavy with exhaustion. Oddly enough, the blond had no idea why, or where, he was running. Stopping for a moment to calm down a bit, he leaned against a railing that he had been running alongside. Having been in such a hurry, the blond hadn't even taken in the surrounding area. Over the railing all that could be seen was water. Well, all that was able to be seen because of the sheer thickness of the fog.

'Am I on a bridge?' He mused, unsure of himself. A deep inhale of air left an almost fishy taste in the back of his throat. Where ever he was, he certainly didn't want to stay there for much longer. Energy now somewhat restored, the blond took off running, once again in the same direction. There was no logical reason why he was running this way, or at all, for that matter. The last thing he could remember was that he was running, so, he figured, wherever he was going was someplace important. Why was it important you ask? That was not something the blond could currently answer. The hope was that the answer would show itself soon. All that kept Naruto going was this strange feeling creeping its way up his body. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

There was just this sense of impending doom that he couldn't shake. It sent shivers up his spine.

He increased his pace, moving at speeds that would make a jonin proud. Whatever was about to happen, it wasn't good. That he knew.

After what seemed like more ten minutes of running, something could be seen in the distance. 'Light?' He thought to himself, as the fog lit up with a yellow, almost orange, hue. This had to mean that he was close. The answer was just up ahead.

The closer he got, the more his heart rate increased. Not from exhaustion this time, but from fear. Fear of what he might see. Fear of the unknown was something that even a seasoned shinobi dreaded. Naruto pushed those feelings down and continued his pace. 'No turning back now.' He thought in an attempt to motivate himself. The end of the fog was in sight. 'One more step!'

He broke through the fog and skid to a stop, waiting a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the now increased visibility. Now focused, his eyes immediately lit up in horror at what he saw. "This is…"

"NARUTO!"

Jiraiya watched as the boy's eyes snapped open in terror. The blond's pupils darted rapidly around the room, similar to the way a small animal scans its line of sight trying to locate a concealed predator. Even though the sage wasn't exactly quiet waking his pupil up, this wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "Naruto." He said much softer, putting a reassuring hand on his student's shoulder. "It's just me, Jiraiya. Are you okay?" He asked, shaking him ever so gently in an attempt to help him regain his focus.

It seemed to do just that as Naruto, still breathing heavily, shook his head vigorously to regain his senses. Now with focused eyes, the child realized where he was. He was back in the hotel room that he and Jiraiya were staying at. He blinked, now more confused than terrified.

"Is everything okay, Naruto?" Came the concerned voice of his teacher.

"Y-yeah." The blond said as he rubbed the side of his head with the palm of his hand. "I think I was having a bad dream." Voice laced with uncertainty. He glanced over at his alarm clock.

'5:30 AM' Read the evil device.

Jiraiya picked up on this. "You think?" He asked.

Naruto yawned as his face scrunched up in deep thought. There were memories floating at the back of his mind. Very recent memories that were just barely out of reach. He tried harder to get a hold of them, but they were just out of his grasp. "I don't really remember." He answered after a long pause.

"Do you remember anything, at all?" The sage continued to press, hoping his student would remember anything significant.

He thought for a moment. There was something. A detail he deemed so small and insignificant that there was almost no point in even mentioning it. But, considering that was all there was to mention, bringing it up could do no harm, either. "Water." Was the boy's simple response.

"Water?" The sage asked dumbly. "What about water?"

"There was water."

"Okay." The sage said slowly. "Do you remember anything else?" Water wasn't exactly something Jiraiya would deem relevant.

"I don't think so." The blond was now staring off into space. "I just told you that was all I remembered, didn't I?"

Jiraiya watched his disciple stand up and stretch out his arms. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" The sage didn't know how to approach this situation. Naruto was clearly a little shaken by whatever it is that he saw in his dream, but he was unable to remember anything about it except for the fact that it had something to do with water. How could he possibly help with that little bit of information? It's at moments like this where it becomes evident to Jiraiya that he is not cut out to be a parent. The only reason he tries at all is that he cares for the little blond so much. Not that he would tell Naruto any of that.

'What would Minato do in this situation?' He thought to himself desperately. Minato had all the makings of being a great father. The Namikaze was wise beyond his years, very patient with everyone he spoke to, reassuring, and had a kind face that made him easily approachable. Jiraiya wished that he had some of those qualities in order to be the father figure that Naruto needed, but he doubted that that would ever happen.

"I'm not even sure if there is anything that we can really talk about." The blond said unsurely. How can you talk about something that you can't really remember?

Now Jiraiya was the one deep in thought. How could he help his student cheer up a bit? Because of the blond's lack of memory, trying to talk about it would do little, to no, good. So, what else could bring the genin's spirits up?

"How about we take your mind off of all of this by finally starting that training I promised you? He asked hopefully.

Any negative feelings that Naruto had were immediately being washed away at the prospect of training. In fact, he was practically bouncing up and down from sheer excitement. How could he have forgotten? He beat Jiraiya in a bet, wrote a book, and was finally about to begin his super awesome training! It felt like an impossible dream that has somehow come true. "Let's go, Ero-Sennin!" The energetic boy sprang to his feet. Before Jiraiya had even realized what was going on, his student was fully dressed in his orange jumpsuit and halfway out the door. "Times a wasting!"

"Hold it right there, gaki." To which the blond, now sporting a pouty face, stopped in his tracks.

Jiraiya shook his head in disbelief. 'This kid is a roller-coaster of emotions, sometimes. I can never say he isn't an easy kid to cheer up, though. Give the brat training or a bowl of ramen and he's the happiest person you'll ever meet.' The jonin smiled lightly.

"What's the holdup, Ero-Sennin." His bouncing was now from impatience, not excitement. "You said we were gonna train today!"

"We have to pack up all of our stuff." Jiraiya said calmly, hoping his student will mimic his demeanor. "We aren't coming back here."

Unfortunately for Jiraiya, Naruto could not be calmed so easily. "Huh? Why not?" There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. The blond had grown accustomed to the hotel they were staying. It was cozy. Why did they have to leave already?

"Shut up and listen to me for once in your life. The sooner we get our stuff packed and this place cleaned up, the sooner we can start your training. Got i-"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

'POOF'

Jiraiya's eye twitched in annoyance at being rudely cut off by his student. 'At least he's listening to me, kind of.' The sage, now trying to ignore the blond, walked to his side of the room and began to pack up his own stuff.

"Alright, you guys! You heard the man! I want our stuff packed and this room cleaned up by the end of the hour!" The blond's eyes were blazing with passion. There was nothing more he enjoyed doing than training.

"That's only fifteen minutes." One of the doppelgangers huffed in annoyance.

"Exactly. Which is why you should be moving instead of complaining!" The original shot back harshly.

The Sannin was watching the whole exchange and could only sweatdrop. 'No wonder he got punched in the face the other day.' He thought to himself dryly.

Naruto, one knee bent and the other extended, leaned into a deep stretch. He winced slightly as his hamstring muscles burned lightly in response. Once completed, he sat cross-legged on the ground facing Jiraiya. For the first time in what felt like a long time to the Sannin, his pupil actually looked like he was going to pay attention. This surprised Jiraiya. After everything that transpired today - from his nightmare, to the excitement he showed afterward - the last thing Jiraiya expected from the blond was calmness. He smiled. A bit of silence every so often was refreshing. It was a rarity nowadays.

While Naruto was exuding a level of calmness, inwardly he was conflicted. Yes, he was ecstatic to begin his intense training, but he also could not shake what had happened during the morning. He doesn't have like that dreams often and couldn't remember the last time a nightmare was as intense as that. However, the most infuriating thing of all was that he could barely remember anything from the dream that had left him so rattled. 'You think something like that would have left a lasting impression on me that'd be hard to forget.' He thought, slightly annoyed at his useless brain. As far as he was concerned his brain had only two jobs. Let him know when he was hungry, so he could eat, and remember things! Simple, and yet, it still somehow managed to screw it up.

"This." Jiraiya's voice pulled the boy from his thoughts. The sage was gesturing to the decent-sized clearing they were standing in the middle of. "Is where we will be training for the next month or so."

The clearing was about one-hundred feet in diameter, surrounded on all sides by a dense forest. The ground, which had some grass patches here and there, mostly consisted of a firm, packed down dirt. Perfect for the boy to train on. They had found this clearing after several hours of traveling. Based on the position of the sun overhead, it was now roughly noon.

"Hmm?" The blond cocked his head to the side in apparent confusion. "Why are we not staying here for that long?" While Naruto didn't like the idea of trading in his comfy hotel bed for the cold ground, having to pack everything up and travel so frequently might be even worse. He just wanted to train!

"I thought it would be a good idea to use this time not only to train but to travel the world a bit. It would be a little dull to stay in the same place all of the time. We would have never left the Leaf Village if that was the case." He finished with a light shrug.

'What we really need to do is try and stay off of the Akatsuki's radar. Staying in one place might cause some unwanted trouble to come our way. I already cut it close by staying in Tanzaku town for too long, can't make that rookie mistake again.' Even though they had stayed in Tanzaku town for nearly a month, the sage was confident that the Akatsuki had not found them. 'In a secluded forest like this, a month should be completely safe.'

Naruto nodded in reluctant acceptance. He had a feeling there was something that Jiraiya wasn't telling him but decided not to dwell on it. As long as he got to train it really didn't make that much of a difference where they did it. Training was the only thing that mattered today.

Jiraiya inwardly sighed in relief. 'Thank God he's dumb.'

"Alright, Ero-Sennin." The impatient student chirped. "What super awesome jutsu are you going to teach me today?" He was rocking side-to-side in anticipation.

While the excitement was certainly there, Jiraiya noted that his protégé seemed a little different than usual. The Naruto he knew just a few short months ago would be in his face screaming that they should have started fifteen minutes ago. This Naruto was far more reserved than he had expected. The Sannin smiled. 'Perhaps he's finally starting to take things seriously.'

Jiraiya was right, in a sense. Despite not realizing it, the whole process of writing a novel had changed the blond's outlook on how a task should be completed. Had he gone in guns blazing, fully unprepared to write his novel, he would have failed miserably. However, the realization he had about being dumb and not having any writing skills at all was, quite possibly, the best thing that could have happened to him. Slowing things down, teaching himself the necessary tools to succeed, these were the keys to writing his novel. The boy didn't realize it, but he was carrying this methodology over into his training.

"Well." Began the older man. "You can start by not calling me 'Ero-Sennin' anymore. After all, I am your master and you should be showing me the proper respect."

Naruto brought his hand up to his chin and squinted his eyes. "I'll think about it, Ero-Sennin." He answered after a short pause.

'Sigh.'

"Just start with a warm-up." Muttered the older leaf ninja. His eyes scanned over the entirety of the clearing. "50 laps should suffice."

It was Naruto's turn to sigh. "Fine. We'd better do some actual training next." He grumbled as he started to jog around the circumference of the clearing.

Jiraiya, paying no attention to his student's grumblings, walked to the edge of the clearing and sat down against the trunk of a rather large tree. "Time to start the fun part." He said to himself as he began reaching into his bag. Slowly, while also watching to make sure Naruto wasn't half-assing his warmup, the sage took out the necessary materials for the next phase of the boy's training.

A set of light ankle and wrists weights, some ink, and a brush. A wicked smile appeared across his face. "The gaki wants some hard training? Let's hope he doesn't regret those words." With the small brush now dipped in ink, he grabbed one of the four weights.

Naruto, now on his fourth lap, sighed out of agonizing boredom. Despite really wanting to take his training as seriously as he could, jogging was not what he was expecting, or wanted. Muscles now warmed up to his liking, he scanned the area to find where his master had gone off to.

He noticed Jiraiya sitting against a tree at the opposite end of the field. Deciding anytime away from pointless running was well-spent, he walked over to him. As he got closer, the genin noticed that Jiraiya was scribbling out some weird symbols that he did not recognize.

"Hey, Ero-Sennin?" He called out questioningly. "What are you doing?" He took a peek at what his sensei was drawing, hoping the closer distance would assist him in figuring out what those odd symbols were. His face scrunched up in confusion. "What's with all the weird scribbles?" Gesturing to the small weights now adorned with odd swirly patterns.

He decided to not even ask about why the sage had such a such a creepy looking smile on his face. Something told the blond that whatever it was, he didn't wanna know.

"These aren't scribbles, gaki." The older man retorted, slightly annoyed that the blond did not recognize what he was doing. "This is Fuinjutsu, also known as the sealing arts."

"Sealing, huh?" His student repeated in feign understanding. Whatever it was, it looked kinda cool. Maybe that was something Jiraiya was gonna teach him. His excitement increased. "So what are those seals you're drawing for?"

The sage finished writing the necessary seals on the last weight. He picked up all four at once and infused a bit of his chakra into the seals. That way, they would respond to his chakra when he wanted to activate them from a distance. "Why don't you put these on and find out?" Jiraiya's tone betrayed nothing, but on the inside, he was chuckling mischievously.

Naruto nodded dumbly and took the weights from his sensei. Now, with a weight strapped to each limb, Naruto waited patiently for something cool to happen. The way Jiraiya was making Fuinjutsu sound, something cool was bound to happen, right?

The blond frowned. These felt like normal weights. The wrist weights were only a meager five pounds, and the ankle weights weren't much heavier. Naruto would venture to guess they weighed, at most, ten pounds. "Ero-Sennin, what is supposed to happ-"

"HA!"

Suddenly, it was as if Choji in his expanded form had just fallen on top of the blond. Arms now swinging at his sides, it felt as if the ground was a magnet and the weights around his limbs were hunks of metal. He struggled mightily, muscles bulging in an effort to keep the boy's body upright. The initial shock of the massive increase in weight, however, was too much and he could no longer resist. The blond crumpled to the ground. "What the hell are these?" He asked, head thrashing about in a vain attempt to help himself back up.

"Those would be gravity seal." His master said with a humorous tone. "With the seals I put on those weights, I can freely manipulate the amount of gravitational force that is exerted on them. I can either choose to make them as light as a feather or heavy as a boulder. In other words, they are the perfect tool to use for your training."

Had he not been pinned to the ground with what felt like hundreds of pounds of weight, Naruto would have found that explanation to be rather fascinating. For the time being, though, getting up to a standing position was the current objective. "That great and all." He said through grit teeth, still trying in vain to get up. "But, don't ya think you should lighten these up a bit?"

His anger, coupled with the very unthreatening position he was in, caused the Sannin to break out in uproarious laughter. Once calm, he obliged and reduced the gravitational force just enough to where the blond should be able to stand under his own power.

Naruto, now upright, shot his teacher a dirty look that carried the promise of pain the boy knew he couldn't deliver.

"Whoops." His master said lamely, throwing his hands up in exaggerated surprise. "Perhaps I made them a bit too heavy?"

"You think." The younger ninja said through gritted teeth. He tried to lift his arms up so he could strangle the bastard but to no avail. The weights were still too damn heavy for that.

"How heavy are these anyway?" The blond said, knees buckling slightly from the stress.

""Right now the seals are set to about eight times normal gravitational pull, give or take a few pounds. That means each wrist weight is roughly 40 pounds, and each ankle weight is somewhere around 80 pounds. That's a total of 240 pounds." The sage explained to his blond student. He noticed the dubious reaction that his student gave and smiled. "You're the one who wanted this training, gaki. Don't complain now that you have just what you asked for!"

His disciple grinned sheepishly at being called out. "Maybe you could reduce the weight a little bit more?" He asked hopefully.

Jiraiya shook his head, swiftly dashing the blond's hopes. Go finish your laps, gaki"

"I finished them already." He lied poorly in response.

"No, you didn't."

"How do you know?" He attempted to point his finger accusingly at the sage, but his muscles wouldn't let him. "You didn't even watch me!"

Naruto was just simply waved off by his sensei. "You've got 46 laps left." He replied smugly. "Go finish them. And when you're done you're going to be doing agility drills and other movements to improve your overall maneuverability."

Naruto began to open his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off. "Yes, with the weights on." His master said dryly.

Naruto grumbled something about a 'sadistic old man' and began to trudge through his laps.

Jiraiya shook his head. 'I guess the kid needs a little motivation.' He thought to himself.

"Naruto." The aforementioned blond turned his head towards the sound, a scowl plastered on his face.

"What?"

"You know your friend? The one with the big eyebrows on Gai's team?"

Naruto's scowl disappeared, confused by the turn the conversation took. His head now cocked to the side, perplexed. "You mean bushy brow? What about him?"

"How do you think he got so fast?" To which Naruto shrugged. "He did something very similar to what I'm making you do. These weights are going to help you greatly increase your speed in a short amount of time. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the next time you see your friend, you're even faster than he is. Not only that, but these weights are much more compact and won't restrict your movements like the bulky weights Gai uses." There was a tinge of pride in the sage's voice. Using his own sealing design, he was confident that his method would be even more effective than the one employed by the Leaf Village's Blue Beast.

Naruto's eyes lit up. Had he heard the older man correctly? Faster than bushy brow? He looked down at the weights strapped to his limbs. 'Can these really make me that fast?' He thought to himself, astonished. His eyes hardened. 'If that's true, I need to stop complaining and push through the strain. I need to get stronger.'

'There's that gleam in his eye again.' The sage mused. That was the same gleam the Sannin saw when he challenged Naruto to write a novel. 'If the outcome of that was any indication, this is about to get very interesting.' Goofy Naruto was fun to be around, sure, but serious Naruto was something to marvel at. 'The determination the kid carries in his eyes. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to bet against him when he looks like that.' He sat back down against the tree and just watched. 'Are you proud of him, Minato? Kushina?' He wondered.

…

…

Naruto grunted from the effort. Every step he took was a struggle, every swing of the arm to help with his momentum caused his biceps to strain. Only halfway through the tenth lap and his muscles were already begging him to stop. The only things that were keeping him going were the thought of all of his friends, and the desire to get strong enough to where he can protect those friends. "This… is… nothing." He grunted out in-between steps.

Jiraiya smirked.

"Every exercise you do will push your mind and your body to the very limit." The sage made sure to speak loud enough that his protégé could hear him on the other side of the field. "Even the most routine warm-ups are going to be so intense that your muscles are going to beg you to stop. Every time you think you're starting to get used to that weight, I'm going to double it. You're going to want to quit and I won't blame you." He stopped for a moment and allowed his words to sink in. "So, I ask you, do you still to continue." He concluded, tone firm but not harsh.

"Yes, I do!"

His lips turned up into a smirk at not being referred to as 'Ero-Sennin'. "Good."

…

…

…

"Come on!" The 13-year-old said through grit teeth as he took yet another step. He was 49 laps down and still going. The blond didn't even know how long he had been going for, or how he was still standing.

The sun was no longer directly overhead, now at about 45 degrees. It's been at least a couple of hours.' Wincing from the strain his body was under as he took another agonizing step. 'So much for this being a warm up.' He thought to himself bitterly.

After nearly three hours of dragging himself around with the added weight, he felt his muscles beginning to adjust. That didn't make it any easier on his exhausted muscles, but it was a start. At least there was a somewhat noticeable level of improvement.

"Ah!" He squealed, nearly tripped over his own feet.

'I'll be the luckiest person alive if I can get out of this training alive.' Jiraiya wasn't kidding when he said this wasn't gonna be easy. After just one day of walking, this was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. Apparently, the genin was too deep into his own thoughts, he momentarily lost his, collapsing face first into the dirt.

Jiraiya's student tried to push himself up with all of his remaining strength but to no avail. He was just too drained. "Dammit!" His eyes darted around the clearing, looking for the only man that could help him out of his predicament.

Except, no one was there.

"Really!?" He exclaimed. "Where the hell is that bastard?" The blond swore he was here just a moment ago. "He stayed for the first 49 laps, but not the last one? I mean, who does that!?"

The blond was starting to get angry, head flailing about. "When I find him, I'm going to kick his ass!" He shouted in hopes that it would somehow reach the ears of his master. He thought for a moment. "But first, I'm gonna need to stand…"

'There's gotta be something.' Eyes searching for anything to grab on to. 'A stick, a rock, a tree, anything!' Nope, there was nothing even close to being within reach.

"If only I could move my arms to make some clones." They were only 40 pounds each, but it felt as though a boulder was on top of them! The genin could feel the necessary chakra swirling around within him, it was right there. Without the necessary hand seal, it just had nowhere to be directed. He closed his eyes and concentrated. His goal was to try and force the chakra out of his body. Would that solve his problem? Who knew, but no sense in not trying anything. "C'mon!" The veins in his forehead bulged out from the effort. "It's there If only I could just-"

'Poof'.

Upon hearing the sound, his eyes snapped open in surprise. Looking to the left, then right, his eyes locked with another familiar pair of blue orbs. Standing beside him was, well… him! Could it be, a seal-less clone?

The clone blinked. He looked down at his hands, face scrunched up in confusion. After patting himself on the chest to confirm his solidity, he frowned. "Uh, how am I here?" He asked dumbly.

The real Naruto, however, didn't even register his doppelganger's question. Something much more interesting caught his attention. "You have weights on, too. Don't you feel heavy?" The clone didn't seem to have any difficulty standing.

"Huh?" The clone threw a few mock punches and kicks, bouncing off his heels for added assurance. "I… guess not." He concluded. "That's weird. I guess a clone of a seal doesn't exactly work like the original?" Voice laced with uncertainty.

Naruto silently thanked whatever deity that decided to bestow this good fortune upon him. "Alright, help me up. I need to go find that jerk!"

"Fine." The standing Naruto said, reaching down to pick up his bossy summoner. "Damn, you're heavy. You've really let yourself go, you know that?" The clone joked with a laugh.

The original, who's arm was now slung over the other's shoulder, didn't laugh. "You know if I didn't need you, I would so hit you right now." Despite his good fortune for being able to summon a clone who could actually stand, Naruto was in no mood for jokes, even if they were technically his jokes.

"You mean IF you could hit me you would so hit me right now!" His snickering was silenced by a heavy fist.

'Poof'

"That'll teach me not to be such an ass…"

Now, body fully erected, the blond could reflect on what had just happened. Anger now subsiding, he was overjoyed at what he had just accomplished. 'I made a clone without a seal! I didn't even know you could do that!' The genin didn't know how he had done it, but he was sure of one thing. That was something that definitely needed to be looked into.

"Now I gotta go find that bastard." He grumbled to himself. Taking another step, he suddenly remembered just how hard it was for him to walk with his tired muscles. He glanced over at a very comfortable looking spot in front of a tall tree.

"Now I gotta wait for that bastard to come back." Grumbling again as he walked in the direction of the tree.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Old Habits Die Hard

'Only five laps today, Naruto.'

When the blond had heard those words come out of the white-haired sage's mouth, he almost wept tears of utter joy. If had been a week since Jiraiya had introduced the chakra weights into Naruto's training, but this was the first day in which he wasn't required to do fifty laps for his warm-ups. Being happy was an understandable reaction, yes, but now the genin was beginning to feel different about the whole situation.

Naruto, who was currently on his fourth out of five laps, was jogging at a very modest pace. This was a far cry from his first day using the weights and he was proud of the progress he was making so far.

'What is the reason he's only having me do five laps? Is something else going on today.' Despite the great progress he had been making recently, he was currently unable to enjoy it because of the lighter warm-up. The blond has known Jiraiya long enough that he rarely does things, if at all, without some sort of reasoning behind it. 'I guess the only thing I can do is wait and find out what he tries to kill me with next.' He thought to himself as a drop of sweat rolled down his temple.

"This is ridiculous!" The angry shout caused the genin's head to snap towards the direction of the offending sound. It was Jiraiya- leaned up against a tree as always- with an irritated expression on his face. Upon closer inspection, his student noticed that the Sannin was angrily reading through a stack of papers.

"Wait a minute." The blond said incredulously. He recognized those papers. That was a copy of the transcript for his book, which had been given to him when he received his publication confirmation letter from Jiraiya's, now also his, publisher. Naruto also noticed that one of his bags was open and many of his things had been removed and were laying on the floor. Steam comically began to pour out of his ears as he stomped over to confront his nosey mentor.

"Hey, asshole!" The blunt boy yelled. "What are you doing going through my stuff? You left it all out on the floor! It's gonna get dirty!" If Jiraiya was a lot weaker and smaller, Naruto would definitely beat him up!

Jiraiya, ignoring the blond's outbursts how he usually does, matched his anger as he held up Naruto's transcript. "What is this? What am I reading?!" He exclaimed, pointing a finger at the offending text.

"What do you mean?" The genin shot back.

"This!" Jiraiya dragged his finger across every inch of the page for emphasis.

While he appeared animated and upset about something, the blond was unable to determine what he was actually angry about. "What's wrong with it?" He said irritably. He had put a lot of effort into producing that book and he couldn't help but get a bit defensive when someone criticized it. Especially a giant pervert who only writes smut!

"Where do I begin?!" The older man said in exasperation. "I'm already a few chapters in. Where's the romance? Or the drama?!" He rubbed his head in genuine confusion as he spoke, eyes filled what appeared to be a burning passion so intense Naruto could not make direct eye contact with him. "How could a student of mine not know the first thing about writing a successful novel?" He looked to his ward for answers.

Naruto let out an irritated sigh as his anger levels dropped to considerably lower levels. He knew that this was going to happen eventually. After all, it was the super pervert he was dealing with. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he addressed his master's qualms.

"Maybe there are none of those elements in this story because it is not a romance novel?! Did that ever cross your mind, perv?" If Naruto was being honest with himself, he wasn't that offended by anything Jiraiya had said. If the complaint had been about the overall quality of writing, that would have been a different story. In this case, it was just Jiraiya being Jiraiya, something Naruto wholeheartedly accepted as reality at this point. "How am I even supposed to write a novel about romance if I haven't even had a girlfriend, anyway?"

The sage raised his hand to answer the blond's question.

"If the word research comes out of your mouth, I will write a letter to Granny Tsunade and she won't be happy about what I have to say."

Jiraiya slowly lowered his hand.

Aside from being his usual childish self, Jiraiya was acting a bit strange. To Naruto, what the older man was saying did not match what his eyes were telling him. The Sannin's eyes were conveying a different emotion, one that the blond was unsure of. Maybe he was imagining the whole thing?

The truth was that Jiraiya was trying to hide how he was truly feeling. In actuality, he was jealous of his young ward. The realization that he was jealous of his own student was making him feel a tad guilty. These negative feelings stemmed from the blond's novel. Initially, Jiraiya did not have high expectations regarding the boy's writing capabilities. However, that completely changed when he got past the first chapter. The book was excellent, not that Jiraiya would ever admit that to anyone.

He was incredibly proud of his student for discovering his talents for literature, that was not why he felt jealous. It was the book itself, or, more importantly, what it was about. The only action-adventure book featuring a heroic main character that the Sannin ever wrote was, to put it nicely, not commercially successful. It was a failure. A failure that led him to abandon that genre of writing altogether and, instead, write his 'romance' novels. While his Icha-Icha series was a success that made him rather wealthy, 'Tale of a Gutsy Ninja' was something he poured his soul into like no other. He was bitter that people did not receive it as positively as he envisioned.

He shook his head in an attempt to relieve his brain of the negative thoughts he was feeling. Looking back down at his protégé's transcript, he allowed himself a small smile. From the very beginning of the story, he had immediately noticed the similarities between its main character and his favorite little blond. 'Knowing you, Naruto, I feel that this story may have a similar message to the one I tried to write all of those years ago. Instead of being envious like a bratty child, I'm going to hope that this story makes a difference in the world that I wish mine could have.'

Naruto, noticing his mentor's sudden change in expression, frowned in confusion. "What is it now?" He was starting to think that his sensei was bi-polar. The man switched from upset to happy faster than Naruto could eat a bowl of miso ramen with extra pork.

"'The Weight of the World', why did you pick that for the title?" Jiraiya, who was now looking at this disciple, asked with an even tone.

Naruto was taken aback by the sudden question. "Well, uh…" He took a moment to respond while he gathered his thoughts. "The hero has to overcome so much, and so many people are relying on him. That's a lot of pressure to put on one person, ya know?" He finally answered.

"Do you ever feel like that?"

The genin's eyes widened slightly, then he rebounded quickly. "What? Of course not!" He puffed out his chest for effect. "Nothing can ever get me down! I'm amazing, believe it!" Proud smile ever present on his face.

Jiraiya's gaze remained fixed on his student. It was obvious that while Naruto wished that was the truth, it wasn't the case. With the Akatsuki after him, Sasuke going rogue to join Orochimaru, and Naruto's vow to protect everyone precious to him, there was no genin alive who had more pressure on them than him. "Just know that you can talk to me whenever you need it, okay?"

"Uh, sure." Voiced with a twinge of awkwardness. He wasn't used to Jiraiya acting like this. Although he wouldn't admit it to the perv, it felt rather comforting to hear him say that.

"I'm sorry for tossing all of your stuff on the ground, Naruto." The blond blinked. "Would it be okay if I could borrow this, so I can finish it?" The sage said, gesturing to his student's novel.

"Why?" The younger leaf ninja asked. He hadn't expected that question.

"You're my student, so I can't in good conscience let you write a second book without giving you critiques on the first!" The older author had a toothy grin as he gave the younger novelist a big thumbs up.

Naruto huffed. "Whatever, if you can find any critiques, that is." He shot back.

Jiraiya let out a bellowing laugh and placed the transcript beside him. "That's the spirit, gaki!" He stood up and inspected his student closely. "So, how are the weights feeling today? Are you getting adjusted to them?"

"I'm pretty sure that my body is adjusting to the weight pretty well." Raising his arms above his head for emphasis. "It's still hard as hell, but I can manage. I was even able to jog the entire five laps."

The sage raised an eyebrow in response. He expected the boy's progress to be fast, however, he hadn't foreseen such rapid development. Instructing the blond to complete five laps as quickly as possible, he had expected the child to be completely gassed by the end of it. 'He's not even breathing hard.' An amazing feat for sure.

"Good. Maybe next month I can increase the amount of weight a little."

"A little? I thought you said you were going to double the weight every time I adjusted to it?" There was confusion and relief evident in his voice. Mostly relief.

Jiraiya waved dismissively in response. "What, are you crazy? Who do I look like? Gai?"

"The-Then what was that whole inspirational speech last week for?!"

"Oh, that?" He said with a mischievous grin. "I just enjoy scaring the crap out of you, gaki."

There was a slight pause.

"You know, every time I gain a little bit of respect for you, you find some dumb way to make me think less of you." He shook his head in slight disbelief. "You're just an idiot, aren't you, Ero-Sennin?"

Jiraiya hung his head in disappointment. Sometimes, he wished his student would start treating him with the respect a ninja as cool as him deserved. Strength feared by practically every ninja in every village across the entire world… And yet, the respect of his 13-year-old pupil constantly eluded his grasp.

"You may be a kid, but that doesn't mean your words don't sting." Feign tears were streaming down the older writer's face.

With his long, spiky hair he kind of looked like a depressed porcupine. So instead of trying to console his master he, being the nice guy that he is, started laughing at him.

"Okay, Gaki," Jiraiya spoke as if nothing happened. Maybe he was bi-polar? "Are you ready to start the next part of your training today?

"That's what I was just about to ask you about." The sage nodded for him to continue. "How come you only had me do 5 laps today? Normally I do at least 50 laps and then we jump right into those weird drills you have me do."

"I'll tell you why." He began. "You see, I wanted this first week to be about increasing your body's strength and speed. These two aspects are some of the most fundamental abilities a shinobi should have." The blond nodded in understanding. "However, I don't want to be doing the same thing every day. It is also important that we mix in other aspects of training as well. The body needs time to rest and can't do it if you carry around all that extra weight every day."

The blond was getting excited. Could this mean he was going to learn some super epic jutsu today? "Okay, so what are we gonna do today?" Voice not betraying his overflowing cheerfulness.

"You and I are going to spar!"

The boy's face fell immediately. Spar with Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin? Suddenly wishing he hadn't been so mean to his sensei, the blond audibly gulped. "How exactly is sparring with you going to make me better? You're so much stronger than me!"

The older man waved off his student's apprehensions. "I'm not going to kill you, gaki. The reason we're going to spar is, so I can evaluate your taijutsu."

Naruto's eyes lit up in realization. "So, the weights were for…"

"Exactly." His master confirmed. "We're going to build up your strength and speed for while also improving your taijutsu at the same time." He made a quick hand sign. "Ha!"

The genin felt the difference immediately. Since the weights had been activated for seven consecutive days, he had almost forgotten what his normal weight felt like. Being 300 pounds lighter, he didn't feel heavy anymore. In fact, it was almost as if he was floating. "Woah!" He exclaimed. "This feels so much better!" Bouncing around and throwing a few mock punches and kicks for display.

Jiraiya took a piece of paper out of his pocket and began reading off of it. "Three days out of the week you will be working on your strength and speed using the weights. Those days will consist of things similar to what I've had you do for the past week. However, there will also be another three days where we will be working on your taijutsu."

"What about the seventh day?" Asked the boy.

"That," Jiraiya said, turning the paper around to show his ward. "Will be a hybrid training session."

Naruto squinted as he read his sensei's odd handwriting. The paper had all seven days of the week written on it. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were circled, while Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday were enclosed by a square. Lastly, Sunday was enclosed by both a square and a circle. Today was Tuesday, so based on that information he concluded that squares meant taijutsu and circles meant weighted training. "What exactly do you mean by a hybrid session?" He asked, slightly confused. "A little bit of both in one day?"

"Not quite." Responded the older man. "During hybrid sessions, you'll be practicing your taijutsu while wearing your chakra weights." The blond's eyes widened slightly. "Because of the fluid and explosive movements executed during combat, wearing weights at the same time will help strengthen muscles that you aren't even aware that you have! "

"If hybrid training is so effective, how come we don't do it every day?" While it certainly didn't sound fun, if it got him the results he wanted, then so be it.

"Ah, good question." The sage acknowledged. "It's because of how physically exhausting it'll be on your body. If your body can handle it in the future, we may increase the number of days to 2 or 3, but for now, we'll start with one."

The blond nodded in understanding.

"Are you ready?" Jiraiya asked as he lowered into a defensive stance.

Naruto's face paled slightly. "Why do I need to fight you? Why can't I just spar with my clones?" If there was an alternative to fighting a Sannin, the boy would most assuredly take it.

Jiraiya chuckled, much to the annoyance of the blond. He wasn't going to get out of this that easily. "I need to see your taijutsu first-hand. That way it will be much easier for me to be able to correct your form." 'Or change it entirely.' He mentally added.

The young author's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He knew that that wasn't the main reason. The sage could easily watch he and his clones fight and correct his form that way. 'Sounds like he just wants to mess with me a little.'

"…Fine." The student said after a short pause. In reality, he knew that he needed to fix his taijutsu. It was sub-par at best. Okay, maybe he was giving himself a little too much credit. He sucked at taijutsu.

Jiraiya nodded and lowered back into his stance. While he was certainly going to have his fun, evaluating the boy's hand to hand combat abilities were the most important thing at the moment.

"Oh, and by the way. You can't use shadow clones."

"WHATTT?" He shouted incredulously. "Why not?!" His clones were incorporated heavily into his own unique style of taijutsu. Being unable to use his best weapon puts him at an even bigger disadvantage than he was already at.

Jiraiya sighed. "Listen, kid. You can't always be constantly relying on your clones to do all the work." Voice stern and unbending. "Shadow clones are a great tool in your arsenal, but you are using them the wrong way."

Naruto was confused. "What do you mean the wrong way?"

"They're a crutch. You've been using your clones to hide your deficiencies. Your taijutsu isn't that good, so you use clones to try and overwhelm your opponent. You can't make a Rasengan by yourself, so you use a clone to rotate the chakra for you." He continued. "What I want us to do is to strengthen those deficiencies, so you don't have to spend exorbitant amounts of chakra to even out the playing field with your opponent by using clones. Imagine what you could do with all of that extra chakra that wouldn't be wasted on unnecessary clones!"

While Naruto was slightly hurt by the words, he understood what his master was saying. And he even agreed with him. In reality, when something took too much effort for the boy to completely master, he used clones to patch up the holes in his skillset. It was a habit that he wasn't even aware he had.

Jiraiya suddenly disappeared, snapping him back to reality. He appeared in front of the blond, aiming a kick at his chest.

Acting solely on his reflexes, he crossed his arms in front of himself as a guard. The force of the kick, which was much stronger than the blond had anticipated, sent him tumbling through the air.

The ground did little to soften the boys landing as he skidded to a painful stop. 'I didn't even see him move!' He thought to himself frantically as he began to pick himself up.

"Don't expect your opponent to just wait for you!" The sage was forced to yell due to the now great distance that was between the two of them. "You must be prepared at all times!"

Naruto sighed. His master could be a real slave driver when he wanted to be. 'This is what I asked for, though. I know I'll get a lot stronger if all of the training is like this.'

His eyes widened as a shadow appeared at his feet. And it was quickly getting bigger. He contorted his body just enough so that he barely managed to dodge the foot that landed where his body had just been. The sheer force cracked the ground beneath them and sent a small vibration throughout his body.

He rolled away and scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could. Without even thinking about it, his hand flew into his signature seal. Realizing that he was about to use his clones, he forced himself to stop, and instead, summoned forth a string of curses.

'Dammit.' He thought angrily while looking at his hands. 'I really do rely on my clones too much!'

"Is there a problem Naruto?" He heard Jiraiya call out to him. Without even looking up at the sage, he could already see that smug 'I told you so' smirk that he would occasionally wear.

Naruto clenched his hands so hard that they nearly shook. He always thought that he was a pretty well-rounded ninja… except for his genjutsu.

But it turns out that he wasn't. While everyone one around him was getting stronger and learning new things, he was stuck relying on the same two techniques to win all of his battles. The Rasengan and shadow clones. And he couldn't even make a decent Rasengan, or passable taijutsu, without the use of his clones!

He was one-dimensional, and he knew it. It wasn't hopeless, though. That's what he was training with one of the Sannin for. A Sannin that already identified something he himself hadn't even thought about. A smirk appeared across his face. 'I'm finally learning some useful stuff.'

"No, sensei. There's no problem." He knew he needed to get stronger as fast as possible. That meant dwelling on the negative, when it would do him no good, would be useless.

Jiraiya's eyebrow rose, but he didn't say anything. Well, more accurately, he couldn't say anything. His student had actually called him sensei for what might have been the first time! He couldn't believe it! He did his best to not mention or make a big deal about it, hoping that saying nothing would finally mean the end of 'Ero-Sennin'.

Naruto threw himself at the sage with everything that he had. If he wanted to get even one hit on his master in, he would have to go all out. With his noticeably increased speed, he aimed a punch at the Sannin's gut.

Jiraiya blocked it with an open palm and was almost surprised by how much power was behind it. "Not bad." He appraised. "But you'll need more than just a little power to beat me."

Naruto growled in response to the taunt. Dropping to the ground, he kicked his foot out for a leg sweep. Jiraiya was two steps ahead of him and easily jumped over it. Naruto smirked.

The blond twisted his body and planted his arms on the ground. He threw a powerful kick upwards, aimed at his teacher's sternum. It was met by Jiraiya's patiently awaiting guard, but with nothing to resist the force of the kick except for gravity, he was launched into the air.

Naruto quickly followed him into the air, trying to capitalize on his slight advantage. Just as he got in reach, the sage recovered and brought his fists down on the stunned genin's head.

Spiraling to the ground with no hopes of stopping, he was barely able to shift his body enough so as not to land on his head. His back slammed into the unforgiving ground, causing a grunt of pain to escape his lips.

Picking himself up, he watched his sensei land lightly a few yards away from him. The blond appeared to be favoring his right shoulder but was otherwise in good shape. Reaching for his kunai pouch, he hesitated. 'I don't know if I can use kunai or shuriken.' Instead, he discreetly took out two smoke bombs from his pouch and quickly tried to formulate a plan.

Before he could even use them, his opponent appeared in front of him. "As I said, don't expect your opponent to wait for you." Startled, the boy accidentally dropped both of the bombs.

They went off, forming a rather large cloud of black smoke. Jiraiya, surprised, coughed as he unexpectedly inhaled some of the smoke. Naruto, now aware of where his sensei was, threw several punches and kicks in his direction.

Despite not being able to see, Jiraiya parried every single one. The blond's strikes weren't fast enough and he was able to tell by the shifting of the smoke where they were coming from.

Naruto grunted in frustration and leaped out of the smoke, Jiraiya followed in pursuit. He was putting constant pressure on his student.

Naruto stopped and feinted with his right hand and threw a straight left at his opponent's chest. The punch was far too telegraphed, and the sage sidestepped it. He retaliated with a knee aimed for his student's gut. With Naruto's increased strength, he slammed his palms down on the rising knee, forcing a surprised Jiraiya to stumble forward. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the blond launched forward and slammed the top of his head into Jiraiya's chin.

'Bong!'

The strike found its mark and Naruto almost began to celebrate… only for 'Jiraiya' to disappear in a cloud of smoke, replaced by a wooden log.

"Hey!" He pointed a finger accusingly at the offending piece of wood. "What the hell! No ninjutsu during taijutsu-only sparring!"

Jiraiya, who was walking out from behind a tree, could only grin sheepishly. "I don't know what you're talking about, gaki!"

The blond huffed in annoyance at his teacher's dirty trick. He lowered back into his stance but was waved off by his senior.

"That's enough for now, Naruto."

Upon hearing those words, the blonds apparent fatigue began to catch up with him. He sat down to rest a little. "How did I do?" There was genuine curiosity in his voice. Considering he was a second away from breaking his teacher's jaw, his performance was better than even his wildest expectations.

"You did a lot better than I expected, gaki." His mentor said with a big grin. "Even though it has only been a week, I can already see and feel the difference that those weights have had on your speed and strength. I underestimated you towards the end, there."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "I definitely noticed a difference too." He looked at the deactivated weights on his limbs with a newfound appreciation. "No wonder bushy brow was able to get so fast." He said aloud, more to himself than to Jiraiya.

"However." The sage continued. "That doesn't mean that there is no room for improvement.

Naruto frowned. "What do ya mean? I thought I did pretty good!"

Jiraiya smirked at his protégé's defensiveness. "You're too wild when you fight. You have to work on being more patient and controlled." Jiraiya rubbed his chin, thankful he avoided losing some teeth from his dense-headed godson's headbutt. "You're very unorthodox, so I think in the future we are going to work on your counter striking. That, mixed with your unorthodox attacks, will give your opponents fits!"

"I think it's fine the way it is." He grumbled to himself. "It's always worked for me before."

"That was before, this is now!" Naruto was startled by the sudden increase in volume. " You have S-Ranked ninja looking for you, ninja as strong, if not stronger than me! Lashing out and hoping to hit something is only going to get you killed!"

Naruto, who was about to retort, closed his mouth. The sage was right, and he knew it. With everyone in the Akatsuki potentially being on the same level as people like Orochimaru, he would have to improve drastically in every facet of his abilities.

The student sent back a weak nod of confirmation. He was both nervous and excited about the prospect of facing off against the Akatsuki. Remembering his first encounter with Itachi and the man who looked like a shark sent shivers down his spine.

"Good." The older man responded simply.

Naruto shifted, unsure of what was coming next. "So, what are we going to do ne-"

"Ha!"

"Wha-, Ah!" With the weights now activated again, the surprised blond crumpled to the ground.

"What the hell, you bastard! I thought you said no weights today!" Naruto struggled to move, quickly finding out he was unable to. "And this is way more than the usual weight!" He noticed his master's big smile. "How can you go from super serious, to a big idiot in just a few seconds!? Let me up!"

Jiraiya let out a bark of laughter and wiped a single tear from the corner of his eye, all while ignoring the vulgar language of his student. "Man, that never gets old." He said with a wide grin.

"I said let me up!" The angry child repeated.

"Once you get up, I'll deactivate them. Hurry up, I have a few taijutsu scrolls I want to show you!"

After nearly a minute of watching his ward struggle to get to his feet, he was getting a little impatient. "Hey! Get up lazy, we don't have all day!"

His godson just grumbled in response, still valiantly attempted to stand up.

"If you don't soon, I'm going to increase the weight."

"How the hell is that going to help anything!?"

-3 Months Later-

'Poof'

"Heh, there's only 5 left." A very beat up Naruto said proudly after dispelling another copy of himself.

"You shouldn't be acting so smug!" Jiraiya shouted, sitting atop a high tree branch, resting his back against its trunk. "You look like total crap!"

Naruto ignored his sensei and shifted his attention to the 5 remaining clones. He knew his teacher was just messing with him, he was just too exhausted to care.

The reason he was so worn out from just battling his clones was that it was Sunday. For the past 3 months, every Sunday consisted of his hybrid sessions, where he would usually fight his clones while weighed down by hundreds of pounds of gravitationally augmented training weights. As he found out before, clones of seals did not abide by the same restrictions of the original, making his shadow clones very difficult sparing partners perfect for his hybrid training.

"Yeah." One of the Naruto's snickered. "You do look like crap!"

The original didn't appreciate that tone in the slightest. He decided the obnoxious one would be his next victim. Lunging, his muscles burned from carrying all of the extra weight for so long, but he ignored it.

The punch he threw was rather sluggish and the much faster clone dodged it easily. With all the weight the original was swinging around blocking proved completely ineffective, something a few poor clones had found out in the beginning. Because of this, they were forced to evade their summoners strikes.

The doppelganger countered with a barrage of fast punches, putting the real blond on defense. With great difficulty, he was able to block and parry most of the punches. What few blows found their mark were merely light grazes the slower blond couldn't completely evade.

A second clone leaped behind him, hoping to take him out and end the battle right there. The much heavier genin smirked.

Just as the clone was about to land on him and declare victory, his target sidestepped and grabbed the surprised clone's arm as he sailed past him. With all of his strength, he swung the clone around and hit the copy of himself he had just been trading blows with.

This exchange resulted in 2 very satisfying 'poofs.'

'3 left.' He thought to himself.

50 clones were whittled down to 3 in just under 2 hours and the ones remaining did not want to join the other 47.

They jumped at him from different directions as a last-ditch attempt to win.

Naruto's eyes were wide with fear and the clones were sure that he would not be able to evade all 3 of them. He wasn't fast enough.

Instead of panicking, the blond simply reacted. Pumping his legs full of his remaining chakra, he leaped high into the air.

The clone's eyes widened simultaneously in shock. Unable to alter their trajectory, they crashed head first into one another.

'Poof'

Naruto landed on his back with a resounding 'thud' several feet away from where he had been. He was so heavy that the ground cracked beneath him upon impact. Having finally won, the genin would have let out a cheer if a groan hadn't escaped his lips first.

Jiraiya dropped down next to him. "I think that's the first time you've beaten all of them." His master said proudly. "It's especially impressive considering we only bumped up the weight a week or 2 ago."

"Dammit, sensei." His pupil said through grit teeth. "Just how much did you increase the weight by, anyway?"

"I think you're at about 14 times gravity, now. Meaning that the weights are totaling around 420 pounds." The sage said after some thought.

Naruto, despite the pain he was feeling, smiled in response. "I finally beat all 50 of them. I told you I'd do it today!"

His teacher rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You've been saying the same thing for almost 2 weeks now, of course, it was eventually going to come true."

The collapsed blond chuckled. "Doesn't matter. I still did it."

"That you did." He confirmed. "And I have to say, using your clones like this was a really good idea."

"Yeah, I know." The young author said as he got up to his feet. "Not only are they worthy sparring partners when I'm weighed down, but I think the experience I get from them is helping me improve my taijutsu that much faster!"

So far, in the three months, since he had started his training, Naruto has noticed massive changes in his physique. Once a scrawny, malnourished-looking squirt, he was packing on muscle at an alarming rate. Jiraiya told him that it wasn't only because he was training heavy, but because he was eating more than just ramen. Lean meats and nutrient dense vegetables were some of the foods the sage insisted his student eat after every training session. However, the genin thought he was just saying that to trick the blond into eating foods that were 'better' for him.

Strength and speed were also something that increased exponentially. When his weights were deactivated on his taijutsu days, he felt light as a feather. Despite that, his punches generated a lot of force. Enough to the point that Jiraiya couldn't lazily block his punches anymore without hurting the palms of his hands. Lastly, his taijutsu was much more polished than it had been before. While it was a far cry from being complete in the Sannin's eyes, he was working on becoming a more patient, counter-striking type fighter, and it was showing.

If he kept getting stronger at this pace, he couldn't even imagine what he would be like by the time he returned to the village.

Currently, they were using a clearing on the South-Eastern edge of the land of fire, about 20 or so miles from the open waters that would take a person straight to the Land of Water. The sage and student had been there for about 3 weeks, so it was once again almost time to begin to pack up their things and continue on their adventure.

"Kid." Naruto looked up at his teacher, who was sporting a proud smile. "You're coming along great!"

Naruto put his hands behind his head and returned the smile.

"So good, in fact, I think you've deserved the rest of the day off." The Sannin made a hand sign, and the blond sighed in relief as he became several hundreds of pounds lighter.

This caused Naruto's eyes to sparkle in gratitude, but his sensei didn't want him to get too comfortable. "Don't get too cocky, though. We start right back up in the morning with weighted training."

Naruto swiftly nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna celebrate with some instant ramen!" Now that Jiraiya complained whenever he ate ramen too much, the blond usually saved it for times he felt were special occasions.

"That's all you ate for the first month, how do you still have more of that stuff packed with you?" His master asked incredulously.

"I bought a ton of it before we left Tanzaku town." His ward answered simply. "Since you haven't been letting me eat it as much, I still have some left in my bag." The blond realized something. Something of the utmost importance. "Speaking of which, when are we going to be camped near a town? I'll need to buy more soon!"

"Funny you mention that." The older man acknowledged. "I was thinking that we should head of North in the next week."

"What's North?"

"The Land of Hot Water. More specifically, The Village Hidden in Hot Water."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. That village was known more as a tourist spot than a Hidden Village. A tourist spot with a lot of hot springs and pretty women.

"Hey!" He pointed an accusing finger at his sensei. "You better not be thinking of perving around when you said you were gonna put all of your attention into training me!"

The white-haired man began to sob. "I wish!" His continued weeping was similar to a dog being told he couldn't go for a walk outside. "The progress of my next Icha-Icha book is coming along rather slowly, buy my word is my word, and I intend to keep it."

"So, that's not what this is for?" He asked, still suspicious of his sensei's intentions.

"It will be perfect for someone who's training as hard as you." Naruto's ear perked up in sudden interest. "The hot springs will relax and soothe your body's muscles, allowing you to recover faster. Have you been feeling extra sore, as of late?"

The blond rotated his shoulder and grimaced. Now that Jiraiya mentioned it, everything ached. When they had first begun their training a few months ago, he was sore, but not to this extent. Feeling crappy was just something he had grown accustomed to feeling when he woke up in the morning.

"Actually, yeah."

"With all the work you've been doing these past months, it's put some wear and tear on your body. However, I don't want us to lower the intensity of your training, because I believe the progress you're making is too good to stop." He explained. "A month of using the hot springs after long days of difficult training will give your body some much needed TLC, while we train at the same time!"

"Sounds good to me! It'd be great if we could stop by the Land of Waves, too! It's on the way and I have some friends there that I haven't seen in a while!"

Jiraiya was about to reply, but something made him stop. He felt uneasy. Everything in his body was screaming at him that something was wrong. The rate of his heartbeat quickened slightly. 'What is that?' He thought, remaining outwardly calm as not to worry his student. His eyes scanned their training ground, but he could not detect anything. Slowly, the feeling began to go away.

He glanced over at his ward, who was already starting a fire to heat the water for his instant ramen. The look of excitement and innocence on his godson's face only further allowed him to calm down. 'Am I going crazy?'

"We found you!" A voice said from the trees surrounding them.

Jiraiya, and now even Naruto, were on full alert as several figures busted through the dense forest.

"What are you doing here? How did you find this place?"

There were 8 men, each wearing identical black cloaks and different masks that appeared to represent animals. A man with a bear mask stepped forward with a scroll in hand. "Lady Hokage recently received an update from one of your contacts. She has requested your assistance on an S-Rank mission." The man said with an even tone.

Having been recently tasked giving Naruto his full attention while they were away, he relinquished most of his duties regarding his spy network to the village. While he had sent his messenger toads out once or twice in the past few months, he mostly stayed uninvolved and allowed the ANBU assigned directly to the Hokage to meet with his contacts. Couldn't let that rat Danzo get his hands on his network of informants.

The Sannin took the scroll and began to open it. "I'll ask again, how were you able to find us here?" He began to scan the scrolls while waiting for an answer to his question.

The ANBU member shifted uncomfortably. It's not every day you have to deal with a displeased Sannin. The Hokage was bad enough. "Lady Hokage was very determined in finding you. So determined, in fact, that she asked the toads where you were currently located. We came right away."

"Pa ratted me out." He grumbled to himself more than to anyone who happened to be listening.

Coming back to reality, he continued reading the scroll from Tsunade. His eyes widened.

'According to one of your informants, there has been some unusual movement by the Akatsuki around the location of The Village Hidden Hot Water. I know that you have your hands full with Naruto, but because the Hot Water village has demilitarized itself as of late, they do not have the manpower to appropriately react to an Akatsuki attack. Also, they know of your reputation and will only settle for you to undertake this mission, I wouldn't have contacted you otherwise. Tell Naruto that I'm sorry, but they are our ally's and if the Akatsuki are involved we must act.'

Jiraiya sighed in annoyance. 'Guess I wasn't going crazy, after all.' He mused to himself.

…

Several meters away, this time unnoticed by Jiraiya, something rose up from the trees in the dense forest outside of the training grounds. When the Sannin stopped moving and began to scan the area he thought he had been found out. Thankfully, the ANBU swooped in like the idiots they are and stopped a near disaster. The strange being eyed the group, eyes eventually falling on a blond clad in an orange jumpsuit. Face twisted in a cruel smile, his lowered himself back down, disappearing back into the tree. No trace of him left.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Foggy Memories

Location: ?

A man was sitting at a desk drumming his fingers along the table. The man was bald and had black eyes, a black beard, and black eyebrows. Above his right eyebrow and on his right cheek, he has 2 big scars. His attire consisted of a light grey cloak with black buttons. He was staring at a page in a book which had the picture of a much older man with grey hair and glasses. Being there for what seemed like too long, he let out a yawn. He closed the book. Waiting around for something to happen usually made up most of his day.

There was a soft 'click' that caught the man's attention. He glanced over at the wall and on queue, a section of the wall fell over. Through it walked a rather tall man, half of his face covered by a grey mask. He had what appeared to be blood staining the left sleeve of his cloak.

"Hm." The bald man's lips curved upward into what appeared to be a small smirk. He recognized this man. "You are one of the last people I expected to see. What are you doing here?" He had a deep, almost friendly voice.

"You know, just in the area." The taller man's voice was deep and gruff, differing drastically to the man who remained seated. He wasn't looking at the man who asked him the question, his cautious eyes were too busy scanning the room for potential threats. It was a habit that someone who lived his kind of lifestyle needed to adopt to stay alive. Not out of fear, but necessity.

"It's just me."

"I know."

"Last time you were here, you said it would be a long time before I saw you again." Despite being before an intimidating presence, the scarred man seemed relaxed.

"That was supposed to be the plan, but… some things have changed." Gruff voice betraying no emotion.

"Changed how?" The bald man pressed. Being holed up in this room for most of the day, every day, any kind of conversation or stimulation he could get was much appreciated.

"I'm on my way to meet someone." The visitor's responses remained vague. It was not because he was trying to hide something, he just was a man of few words. "Because I'll be in that area, I was wondering if you had any 'work' for me, Zangei?"

"Is that what you're calling it, now?" The man now referred to as Zangei allowed himself a small chuckle. "Where is it that you're heading?"

"South-East." The masked-man replied.

Zangei was used to this. The man had never been much of a talker. "South-East, huh? I may have one." He re-opened the book and began flipping through its pages. 'Land of Lightning, no. Land of Water, no. Hidden Stone Village, no.' He said aloud as he looked for the appropriate page.

He flipped to the page that he had happened to be staring at earlier. "Ah. Here it is." He turned the book around so the mysterious visitor could see. "It isn't anything too special, but it's something at the very least."

The mysterious visitor eyed the page, memorizing it instantly. He never forgot a face. Doing this for so long, forgetting things was something that you just couldn't do. "Only 250,000." Had it been any other man, you would have been able to hear the displeasure in their voice, but his tone almost always remained the same.

"As I said, nothing too special." The bald man repeated. "This is all I have in that area."

"This seems like an easy quarter million. Why hasn't this been taken by someone already?" He wasn't wary, just mildly interested.

"A rather large group of bandits had apparently tried a few months back. A lot of them didn't survive. No one else wants to take it. They think it isn't worth the money." He explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if it never got taken."

"Normally, I wouldn't take something that had such a small reward, but I guess the circumstances are not exactly normal."

Zangei chose to remain silent, allowing the much larger man to continue.

"Tell whoever put it up that I'm doing it, but for half a million." Zangei could tell just from the man's voice that he was not asking. "He should consider himself lucky, if not for me this 'work' would go undone, even for 500,000. He is lucky I don't charge him more."

A drop of sweat rolled down the man's forehead, catching itself in his scarred brow. "I will make sure he gets your message." Zangei, despite having a rather friendly business relationship with his current guest, was smart enough to choose his words carefully when around him. He valued his life.

"Good." Was his simple reply as he walked towards the opening in the wall. He stopped walking and turned around. "Make it fast, this won't take long. If he has an issue with my terms, well, he and I will have a conversation about it when I'm done."

Zangei swiftly nodded as he watched the man walk out and the wall lift back up to close behind him. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Such intensity…"

Location: South-Eastern Land of Fire

The blond Genin, who was currently slurping down the last of his instant noodles and salty broth, was watching Jiraiya and the ANBU talk from a decent distance away. He couldn't hear what any of them were saying, but based on his master's expression, it was pretty serious. The sage's expression suddenly changed after reading through a scroll that one of the ANBU had handed to him.

'I wonder what's going on?' Curiosity now piqued, he put down the now finished cup of instant ramen and made his way over to the adults. "What's going on?" He asked innocently, mild amounts of concern present in his voice.

Jiraiya, still processing everything that he was being told, barely heard his protégé's question. He turned to him, absentmindedly tucking the scroll he had been reading into one of his pockets. "Hm?" He asked before his brain was able to process what was said. "Oh, it appears I'm being assigned to an emergency mission from Tsunade." He explained vaguely.

Naruto's brow furled in confusion. "A mission? But Granny Tsunade knows that you're supposed to be training me! Why would she assign you to a mission?" Something seemed a little off to the Uzumaki, but he wasn't sure what.

"It appears I was specifically requested to handle this mission. It's an important S-Rank mission, and since I've completed over 130 S-Rank missions, I guess my reputation proceeds me." He puffed out his chest, completing his boast. Technically it wasn't a lie, just an omission of the entire truth. Jiraiya is the most prolific and active ninja currently alive in the Hidden Leaf Village. With over 1,000 completed missions under his belt, his abilities are recognized by many across the shinobi world.

While upset for their training being cut short, Naruto had the sudden realization that he might be able to tag along with Jiraiya on this super-important, high-profile mission. The thought of being able to test out some of the new strength he gained excited him.

Jiraiya saw his student's reaction and was quick to shut down that type of thinking. "Not a chance, kid." The blond blinked, his lips curving slightly to form a small frown. "This is going to be a dangerous mission. You're only a genin, there's no way you can come with me."

The stern look the Sannin gave him quickly crushed his hopes. "But, why?" He asked in an attempt to persuade his teacher. "I've been on dangerous missions before! Why is this one any different?"

"Because I said so." To which the blond rolled his eyes in annoyance.

In actuality, Jiraiya could not let Naruto go on this mission with the possibility that the Akatsuki could show up. Sure, the toad sage was confident in his abilities to take on one, maybe two members at the same time, but the risk that more of them could be in the area surrounding the Land of Hot Water made it too risky to bring his godson with him. Besides, even if he could take on Akatsuki members, doing that while also watching out for Naruto's well-being would be a tall task even for him.

Also, the Akatsuki being spotted in an area not only too close for comfort to their current location but also where he and the blond were about to go, made him uneasy. In this instance, caution was necessary to ensure the safety of his ward.

Naruto just grumbled something about 'unfair-adults'.

"It shouldn't take long, Naruto." He attempted to reassure his student. Jiraiya was hopeful that all he would have to do is meet with his contact and clarify a few things. This was clearly either a misunderstanding or incorrect information. According to some very reliable intel he received a while back, the Akatsuki wasn't supposed to make much noise for another couple of years. Why would they suddenly move now, of all times? It didn't make sense, especially around the Land of Hot Water.

"Then, if you're going to go on this mission, what about me?" He asked the white-haired sage. "You're supposed to be my protection, too!"

"That is why we are here." The ANBU member with a bear mask spoke with a monotonous tone. He seemed to be the leader of the small team of elite ninja. "We are the ANBU assigned directly to the Hokage herself, our mission is to ensure your safety."

They had been standing there so silently that the blond had forgotten they even existed. Naruto looked at the 8 intimidating figures that joined him and his master in the clearing. One, in particular, caught his attention above all of the others. The ANBU member was wearing a mask that resembled that of a cat with green and red markings. The blond wasn't sure why, but there was something different about him, he could feel it. Similar to the other cloaked figures, however, the cat ANBU exuded a quiet intensity. Even though their seriousness and intensity made him uncomfortable, they looked pretty strong. Strong enough to protect him in case anything goes wrong.

The blond nodded, seemingly content with their answer to his question. "So, are you guys taking me to that place?" His eyes squinted in thought as he tried to remember where Jiraiya said they were going. "The Village Hidden in Hot Water?"

It was Jiraiya's turn to chime in. "No, Naruto. When I'm done with this mission maybe we'll be able to go there, but not right now."

"Why not?" The genin asked, slightly disappointed at not being able to relax in the hot spring.

"Because, we can only stay in one place for so long, remember? If you're there but we aren't doing any meaningful training, then it's just a waste of a great training location." Again, partially truthful, partially deceitful. While that explanation made perfect sense, it was obvious that ANBU bodyguards or not, it was too dangerous for him to be there right now.

"Well, then where am I supposed to go? We've already been here for quite a bit, isn't it time to move?"

The blond made a good point. That was something that hadn't even crossed the sage's mind. He was too busy focusing on the mission just assigned to him. Jiraiya suddenly remembered something his protégé had said earlier.

"You said you had some friends you wanted to visit in the Land of Waves?" To which the blond swiftly nodded in agreeance. "You can stay there. It's on the way to where I'm going so I can travel with you until we reach it. Think of it as a small vacation from all of the hard work you've put in over the past few months."

The 13-year-old's eyes lit up. The thought of being able to see Inari, old-man Tazuna, and Tsunami almost made him completely forget about the Hot Water Village and Jiraiya's secret mission. Not only that, but taking a break from training for a couple of days was music to the blond's ears.

Jiraiya smiled. Either he knew exactly what to say to his student, or the boy was just really easy to distract sometimes. "Let's pack up our stuff, gaki. Your friends are waiting for you."

…

Shortly after, Naruto and Jiraiya had packed up all of their belongings and set off for the Land of Waves with an ANBU escort. At first, they moved swiftly in hopes of getting to their destination before nightfall. Now that they were close and making good time, they slowed down their pace to a hurried walk.

Student and teacher were walking side by side with the ANBU team split up into two groups of four. Four were positioned behind the genin and sage, and 4 were in front of them.

Naruto glanced behind him. His gaze was returned by the ANBU member who adorned the cat mask with the green and red markings. This alone shouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary. After all, the ANBU unit was tasked with ensuring the safety of the young blond. What made it strange was that out of all of the eight members, the cat was the only one that was staring at him.

"Is something wrong, Uzumaki-san?" The masked man said after Naruto had been staring back at him for some time.

The way the man spoke caused Naruto to shudder, though he didn't know why. Something about this ANBU member gave him the creeps! "N-No." He sputtered out. "Everything is fine, uh, cat guy." He finished lamely after being unsure of what to call him.

"Call me… Uddo." The man said after a short pause in the same creepy tone.

That was odd. To the genin, it almost seemed like the man was unsure of what to call himself.

Naruto just nodded weakly as his head snapped back in the direction he was walking. He leaned to his right where his mentor was standing and began to whisper. "Do I really have to stay with these guys? Some of them are pretty creepy!" He pleaded.

The Sannin sighed. "Yes, you do." To which Naruto frowned. "They aren't that bad, they just take their work more seriously than you or I. Didn't you know that Kakashi used to be an ANBU captain?"

"Really?" The blond asked, completely surprised.

"Yes, really. There's nothing to be worried about. Kakashi isn't that weird, right?" He rested his hand on top of his godsons spiky-haired head. "We're coming up on your destination now, so it's time I go meet with my contact."

Naruto sighed but nodded reluctantly. "Make sure you come back fast so we can start training again." The sage's student mentally berated himself. He wanted to say a lot more than that. What Naruto really wanted to tell his sensei was that he wished him good luck on his mission and that he hoped he came back safe. For some reason, however, his brain couldn't find the right words.

Jiraiya chuckled, unaware of the blonds inward conflict. "I will, gaki. But don't think that just because I'm away you won't be training at all!" The sage flashed a toothy grin. "Can't have you slacking and getting rusty while I'm away."

Naruto huffed. "I know, I know. You told me already, perv!" He retorted while crossing his arms across his chest.

"And remember." Jiraiya's voice grew more serious. "Remember what I said. No more than 5 clones for at most 3 hours at a time."

Naruto, also growing more serious, nodded in understanding.

"Good." His master flashed a confident thumbs-up. "See ya!" As he disappeared in a plume of smoke.

…

It would soon be dark out; the sky was a beautiful orange hue as the sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon. If the blond had to guess, it was about 7 P.M. Due to it being later in the day, the bridge did not have anyone walking on it. Unbeknownst to the Uzumaki, the daytime traffic the bridge saw was filled with those importing and exporting goods out of the village. The money this brought in was substantial. In short, it was a huge success for Tazuna and the Land of Waves as a whole.

"The Great… Naruto Bridge?" The Uzumaki rubbed his eyes, assuming that doing so would cause the words he was reading to change into what they were supposed to be. He opened his eyes back up. They were still the same. He felt something well up in his chest, unsure of what to think or how to feel in this moment.

On one hand, he felt honored that the people of the Land of Waves would name the most important thing their village ever produced after his namesake. On the other hand, he felt guilty about it. In his opinion, he was not the most important factor in the struggle against Gato. 'If anything, they should have named it after Kakashi-Sensei.' He thought to himself, unaware of how his passion and determination inspired Inari and the rest of the citizens of the land to finally stand up to their oppressor.

"Are you alright, Uzumaki-san?" One of his personal bodyguards, who wore a mask that depicted a fierce lion, asked.

"Y-Yeah." He sputtered out in response. "Just a little shocked is all. I didn't know that they named this bridge after me."

The man named Uddo decided to chime in this time. "Ah, yes. The Black Ops are very aware of the mission you had in this land under the guidance of Kakashi-Senpai." The respect he had for the former special forces captain was clear in the way he spoke about him.

'I guess Ero-Sennin wasn't lying about Kakashi-Sensei being an ANBU captain.' The genin thought to himself, slightly shocked that his master was telling him the truth for once.

He was about to respond, but something made him stop. A dense fog was beginning to roll in off the ocean. That coupled with the orange glow from the sunset triggered brief flashes of events he did not remember to appear before his eyes. So brief that he didn't really understand what was happening. The blond attempted to reach for those memories again, but they were gone as swiftly as they had arrived. He shut his eyelids, the sudden imagery giving him the beginning of a pounding headache.

'That's strange. What was that?' He felt uneasy, but he was unsure why.

"…Naruto?"

A surprised voice broke him from his trance. He began to take in his surroundings. He was staring at a rather large house with a small boy sitting on the steps that led up to the front door. The entire time he had been deep in thought, his feet were subconsciously taking him back to the first place he stayed that was outside the protective walls of the Leaf Village.

"Inari." A big smile appeared on the genin's face. "How's it going, kid!"

"Naruto!" The black-haired boy, still wearing his white and blue hat, rushed over to his friend and gave him a hug. "What are you doing here?!" He asked excitedly.

Naruto patted Inari on the head and chuckled slightly at his enthusiasm. It reminded him of Kohohamaru. "It's a long story, but I should introduce these guys first. You're probably wondering who they are." He turned around to introduce his team of bodyguards. "Eh?" Only no one was to be seen.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" He asked with a confused expression on his face. "There's no one there."

The Leaf Village's number one hyperactive knucklehead clenched his fists in annoyance. 'Stupid ANBU. They could have told me they were gonna do that. Now I look stupid!' He was slightly bitter, but he wasn't gonna let that ruin this great day.

Naruto simply reached back and scratched his head, letting out an embarrassed laugh. "Never mind, don't mind me."

"Are you gonna be here long?! Do you need a place to stay?" Naruto didn't know it, but Inari idolized him. After all, after the passing of his adoptive father Kaiza, he was the one who got him to believe in the existence of heroes again.

"That would be great! Are you sure it's okay?"

"Are you kidding? Mom and Grandpa always say you're welcome here whenever you want!" He was beaming. "Let's go inside, it's getting late and I'm sure they want to see you, too!"

Before he even knew it, Naruto was being dragged inside.

Just atop the house, 8 figures landed silently. The ANBU team was under the strict orders of the Hokage herself to not be seen by anyone. They couldn't risk their presence raising any questions or causing any sort of panic. After exchanging glances, they nodded to one another in understanding. They all dispersed in different directions. They would guard the boy by setting up a perimeter until the Sannin returned.

…

After being invited into the house by Inari, he was met with the surprised, but pleased, reactions of Tazuna and Tsunami. Almost instantly, as if a member of the family himself, Naruto was invited to take a seat at the table. Dinner was almost ready and Tazuna was sure there would be much to talk about today.

Now Tazuna, Inari, and Naruto were sitting around the dinner table, while Tsunami was finishing preparing the food. All four of them were smiling happily

"You know, kid." The old man began, sipping on what appeared to be a glass of some sort of alcohol the genin couldn't identify. "We were all just thinking about when you were gonna pay us that visit that you promised. Although, I was kind of expecting the other members of your team to be here as well. How are Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke doing? Good, I hope." He finished, bringing the glass to his lips, the ice clinking against the sides of the cup.

Sasuke was still a sore spot that he didn't really want to talk about. Though, that wasn't Tazuna's fault. How could he possibly know that?

Naruto's face darkened a bit, but no one noticed. Inari was too young to understand, Tsunami had been facing away from them while preparing the food, though she was intently listening, and Tazuna was already getting a bit tipsy. His cheeks were a tad flush.

This gave the Uzumaki enough time to recover so he could put on his brave face. "They're all doing great!" He gave his best attempt to be enthusiastic. "I'm sure they would have all loved to come with me, but I'm actually away from the village right now training with my…"He trailed off, unsure of what title to give to Jiraiya. "Mentor." He finished lamely.

"Where is this man right now?" Tsunami asked, motherly instinct kicking in. "If he's supposed to be your guardian while you're out of the village, shouldn't he be with you?"

"That's where it gets a little complicated." Naruto began to explain. "See, he got assigned a super important mission that he said was too dangerous for me to go on. And since we weren't too far away from the Land of Waves I asked if it would be okay if I stayed with you guys until he got back!"

"He just dropped you off without saying a word?" Tsunami's voice betrayed a touch of sadness. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but when he comes to get you, I'm gonna have to teach this man some manners." While she was saying that she was smacking a rolling pin against the palm of her hand.

Naruto laughed awkwardly. "It's not like that!" He reassured. "He left before we even got here. I got escorted by members of the Leaf's ANBU. They aren't very good with conversation so they're probably watching the house from a distance to make sure I'm safe."

"ANBU, huh?" Tazuna grumbled.

"You know about them?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Funny enough, when requesting my mission from the Leaf Village I wanted to be escorted by ANBU. I heard they were strong, but I was told I didn't have enough, money. So I got stuck with you!" He let out a bellowing laugh, nearly spilling his freshly refilled glass of alcohol.

Naruto sweat dropped at the old man's actions.

"Those guys are high-profile, how did a squirt like you manage to get watched by a whole team of them?" There was a touch of concern in his voice. He cared for the boy, so if he was in trouble, he would help to make sure he was okay.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Oh, well, you know, it's just precaution. I'm a genin outside of my ninja village." He leaned in and flashed a confident smile. "Besides, the Hokage loves me." He didn't want to make them worry and telling them that an extremely dangerous criminal organization was after him would do just that.

Tazuna returned the smile. "Oh, didn't know our dinner guest had all of these connections." He teased lightly.

"Wow." Inari exclaimed. "So cool! I bet you're really important in your village!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Well, when you put it like that… I'm pretty great, aren't I!" He boasted shamelessly.

"Alright, everyone." Tsunami caught everyone's attention as she began placing food on the table. "While I'm sure we all want to hear about all of the stories Naruto has, he's probably very hungry. You guys remember how much he ate last time he was here." She finished with a small chuckle.

Naruto's eyes practically bulged out of his head. Last time he ate Tsunami's cooking, though it was delicious, it mainly consisted of rice and a few pieces of meat and vegetables. This time around, she prepared lobster, salmon, and some delicious looking meat that looked to be pork. While there was still rice, Naruto was looking at a small feast. A far cry from what felt like a few short months ago.

"Woah." Was the only verbal reaction he could muster.

"This stuff looks expensive, is it really okay if I eat some of this?" Slightly worried that he was being a burden.

Tazuna patted the boy on the shoulder and gave him a genuine smile. "Kid, without you, we would have never been able to eat like this! Of course, you can have all you want."

Naruto blinked. He looked over at Tsunami, who was now sitting down with the rest of them, and Inari. They both were also smiling genuinely at him. "What do you mean?" He asked dumbly. "What do I have to do with anything?"

"Because of that bridge, things have changed a lot in this land. Now that people can easily come and go, trading has been prosperous. We have more money than ever before, and because of that my services are highly requested. People can afford to remodel their homes; new tenants want houses built from the ground up. The land has life once again, and it's all thanks to you."

The blond scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Thanks, but I didn't really do all that much. Honest!"

"You did a lot." Inari said seriously. The glint in his eyes struck a cord in the genin. They meant every word they were saying to him.

Naruto felt similar emotions to when he left the Land of Waves the first time welling up inside him. Like he almost wanted to cry. Though he hadn't spent a lot of time in Wave, he truly felt like a welcomed part of the family when he was there. Not growing up with that, it was really nice to have. Even only if it was for a little.

"Eat." Tsunami gently urged.

Naruto nodded, a smile plastered across his face. "Thanks for the food!" He yelled appreciatively as he began to dig in. After the first bite, his eyes lit up.

"This is delicious!"

...

Jiraiya was pacing back and forth for what had felt like hours. That was probably because he has actually been pacing for hours. He stopped and looked up into the sky. It was the following morning from when he had said goodbye to Naruto and the sun had just risen about an hour ago. The air was fresh and crisp, cool dew covered the grass at his feet. If he was not currently in a state of mild panic, he might actually be able to enjoy his surroundings.

He was currently standing outside the gates to the Hot Water Village. After separating from the blond and pack of ANBU, he set off for the Land of Hot Water at a fairly modest pace. It took him about 12 hours to arrive at the rendezvous point. Not too shabby in his opinion.

The part that concerned the white-haired sage was that his contact was nowhere to be found. Naki is a man that the Sannin has known for a number of years. As his source of intel for the Land of Hot Water, they had previously met many times and the man has never been late once. If anything, he usually arrived early even before the man he reported to.

Jiraiya saw him as dependable and professional. Not exactly the kind of person he'd want to hang out with or buy drinks at the bar with, but the perfect kind of person to have a professional relationship with. In short, Naki was someone who wouldn't be late without an important reason.

A pit was beginning to form at the bottom of the Sannin's stomach. He had a bad feeling that something was going to happen, he just had no idea what.

...

Though unaware of his fate, Jiraiya had good reason to worry about his contact. It was a gruesome scene to behold. The front door had been viciously broken down. He lay collapsed on the floor in the living area of his own home. He had several cuts and bruises adorning his face. The room was trashed, obvious signs of a struggle. Blood was splattered all along the walls. His body was cold, lifeless. And worst of all…

It appears his heart had been ripped straight out of his chest…

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Cruel Reality

Tsunami, Tazuna, and Inari watched with mild amusement as their favorite rambunctious blond scarfed down the breakfast that was placed down in front of him. None of it was a match for an intensely hungry, growing boy.

Tsunami let out a small giggle at her guest's actions. "You know the food isn't going anywhere, Naruto. You don't have to eat so quickly." Her motherly instincts were beginning to kick in once again. After all, the last time she saw Naruto eat that intensely he threw up.

Now finished, Naruto put down his chopsticks and put his hands behind his head with his trademark sheepish smile plastered across his face. "Sorry, it's just that the food was so good I couldn't help myself."

Tsunami smiled brightly from the compliment about her cooking. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much." She replied sweetly.

"Naruto!" Inari chimed in energetically. "What are you going to do today? Are you planning on doing some super awesome training?"

"I'm sure he is!" Tazuna added in. "Someone who's dream is to be Hokage is probably always training, right kid?" The tone of his voice was genuine. He sounded like he supported the boy in his grandiose goal of being the Fire Shadow.

"You bet." The genin confirmed as he adjusted his headband. "I'll probably look around town to see how much it's changed first, then go train. While I love hanging out with you guys, I promised my mentor that I would continue to train while he was gone." To which Tsunami and Tazuna nodded in understanding. "I can't start slacking now, can I?"

"Of course not." Tazuna said while slapping the boy on the back affectionately. "We can't have the hero of the waves getting rusty."

Naruto laughed nervously. "Thanks, but I'm no hero, old man Tazuna." Having people refer to him in such high regard made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't know why.

In reality, his childhood was the source of why he did not take well to high praise. Years of being told he was a monster and that he wasn't worth anything really damaged his self-worth and confidence. After all the berating and insults, he had begun to subconsciously accept all of that verbal abuse as fact. Deep down he really believed those awful things and someone telling him otherwise conflicted with the perception of himself that he has had for all of these years. The outward persona of strength and confidence he exudes is sometimes nothing more than an elaborate front that he puts on for the people around him. A Hokage needs those qualities, so he needs to show everyone that he has them.

Tazuna just smiled. "Walk around town. You'll see what I mean."

Naruto just nodded dumbly; not really fully understanding but also not sure of what else he could say. While the praise made him uncomfortable, it also felt good to know that he was liked and appreciated, even if he felt he didn't truly deserve it.

"Can I come train with you, Naruto?!" Inari piped in enthusiastically. "That would be so cool!" He wanted to train with his hero, it was as simple as that.

Naruto was about to respond but he was cut off.

"Inari." His mother began. "I know that you want to, but that stuff is too dangerous for you. You could get hurt." Her tone was firm, but not harsh. "Naruto is a strong ninja, regular people like us shouldn't get involved in stuff like that."

The child groaned in response. "But mom!" He complained. "If Naruto is there I won't get hurt. Please! Just this once?"

His pleading fell on deaf ears. "I'm sorry, but no." His mother shot down the last of his hopes.

Inari turned his puppy dog gaze to his grandfather, but after the harsh look Tazuna received from his daughter he averted the boy's gaze and awkwardly sipped his morning tea. He wasn't about to stick his neck out and get involved in this mother-son dispute. He had his good health to think about.

Before the young boy could have a chance to be angry or sad, Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Inari. I'm sure one day we can train together. Besides, if you were gone who would be here to protect your mom?" He said with a smile.

Inari's face lit back up and he nodded in understanding. "You're right!" He said with a toothy grin.

"Hey, it's my day off I'll be here too. What am I, chopped liver?" The older man said with his arms crossed at his chest.

The other three laughed at the expense of the old bridge builder and he just huffed in feigned annoyance.

After the laughter died down Tsunami walked over to Naruto and handed him a bento box. This caused the leaf shinobi to blink in confusion.

"I packed you lunch for when you get hungry, just make sure you're back for dinner, mister." She said affectionately.

Naruto, touched by her kindness, nodded profusely in agreement as he headed for the door. "I'll be back later guys!" He said with a big smile as he closed the front door behind him.

The first thing he noticed about the town was the stark difference in foot traffic to the last time he was here. Before it had almost felt akin to a ghost town. Now, dozens upon dozens of people were walking around swiftly. Having come later in the evening the previous day he hadn't been aware of just how much the bridge had changed the quality of life for the people of the small nation. He noticed new houses where there used to be run-down shacks, new businesses where there used to be vacant, unused space. He smiled brightly, happy of what he and his team were able to do.

One business, in particular, caught his eye, a small bookstore. More importantly, an advertisement sign located next to the entrance of the bookstore and the large line that appeared to be going out the door.

"Get a copy of the hero of the waves new novel 'The Weight of the World' out now!"

He read it Once. Twice. Even a third time. The surreal feeling that washed over him was something he could not explain. In all the excitement about being around old friends, he had forgotten that his book was supposed to be released to the public soon. And the people from this small nation appeared to be anxiously waiting to get a copy of his work.

He felt tears forming at his eyes, but he refused to cry. This is what Tazuna must have been talking about. A happy looking customer walked out of the store with his book in hand. The cover of the book was bright orange and the spiral he wore on the back of his jumpsuit adorned the cover.

'Yep.' He thought to himself. 'I knew that that would look awesome.'

The smile he had on his face was comically big as he gave the bookstore one last look and then continued down the street.

…

He finally made it to the spot. He decided to train in a location in the forest that was very familiar to him. He placed his hands on the trunk of the tree, fingers running over the deep cuts that peppered the side of the tree. Possibly one of his most cherished memories of his Team 7 days were him and Sasuke competing to see who could get to the top of the tree first. It was one of the first times where they really connected and, quite possibly, the first time the blond thought that they could become friends.

"A lot has changed." He whispered to himself. "I wonder if you still think of me as your friend, Sasuke."

He shook his head to clear his mind. Getting sentimental would do him no good when it was training time. That would only slow him down, all of his focus needed to be on improving."

No longer filled with nostalgia, determination and intensity now in its place. "All right! Let's go!"

"We've been walking for too long. You know? Can we stop for a couple minutes? I need to take a piss!"

Two figures had been walking down a path in the forest in silence for a long time until one of them finally spoke up.

The other simply grunted in annoyance. He had finally gotten his partner to shut up a little while ago, but that, unfortunately, didn't seem to last long. How he hated being around other people. Their presence always interrupting what he enjoyed doing most; being able to be alone with his thoughts. Actually, after thinking about it, there was something he enjoyed doing even more than that.

Making money.

"Didn't I say if you opened your mouth again that I would kill you, Hidan?" His gruff voice combined with his harsh and violent words made him come off as a very aggressive and intimidating man.

The one named Hidan didn't even flinch. "C' mon, Kakuzu." He said with lazy, half-closed eyes. "I know we haven't been partners for very long, but you know as well as I do that you can't do that. So, stop with the empty threats!"

Kakuzu decided not to further engage in banter with his partner. It would only annoy him further. "If you have business to take care of then get it over with. But I'm not stopping so you'll have to catch up."

That response elicited a sneer from his partner. He ran a hand through his slicked-back grayish-white hair and let out a deep breath. "Fine." He responded with annoyance in his voice. "Just know this, Kakuzu. I'll get you to like me one of these days." He finished as he walked off the path in the direction of a tall tree so he could relieve himself.

Despite what he had said, the taller man stopped just ahead and waited for his partner to finish before they continued to their destination.

Hidan smirked slightly as he zipped his pants back up. "I thought you were gonna leave me behind. You're not such a bad guy, after all, Kakuzu."

"Shut up, or I'll kill you."

"Okay, okay. No need to get embarrassed." He teased further.

"Focus on the task at hand. If you don't take this seriously, we won't succeed." The clear-cut more serious of the two warned. "This is important. Don't screw it up."

"You're not talking about that bounty, are you." The shorter man said with a bit of irritation in his voice. "If there's one thing I don't like about you, it's your obsession with money. Money is one of the roots of all evil in this world."

"Hmph. Says the one who's virtues include slaughtering as many people as you can get your hands on." Not that Kakuzu had a problem with killing. He just didn't want to hear preaching's about what he should do from a mass murderer.

"Tch. Heathen." There was no point in arguing with someone who doesn't understand the way of Jashin.

"You should know that this isn't just about some bounty. We have more than one target, or were you not listening when I told you?"

"No, I was listening. I just don't see why we have to dirty our hands for something as superficial as money."

"We need money." Was his partner's simple reply.

"Words of the greedy." The usually aloof partner shot back with a bit of venom.

"Then greed runs the world." He replied with finality. Hidan crossed his arms around his chest, signaling he too was done talking to his partner.

The two of them were now sick of one another's presence and the silence Kakuzu craved returned. They continued along the path that led to their destination.

…

The quietness and solidarity that the forest provided were soon replaced by the loud voices of people. The two cloaked figures walked through the crowds of people as if they weren't even there. Their eyes transfixed straight ahead of them. While they got some odd looks for their strange clothes they were wearing, they went mostly ignored by the busy people who were either working or purchasing things in the marketplace.

After what seemed like forever, they suddenly stopped in front of a house. Hidan blinked, but he didn't say anything. He lazily glanced over at his partner.

"Seems like this is the place." Was all his partner said, which made Hidan squint in confusion.

"What makes you say that?" He asked dumbly. "Was there an address or something?"

"No." Was all he got in response.

As quick as it would take to blink, Hidan felt the air around him shift. There was something cold and sharp pressed against his neck almost hard enough to draw blood. He allowed himself a small smirk.

Behind them were two masked figures, each holding a kunai to the necks of the red and black-cloaked duo. However, despite being in an advantageous position, the trained eye could discern the slight quiver in the hands of the aggressors.

"They told me." Kakuzu finished, seemingly aware of their presence long before they arrived behind him.

"You know, Uddo." The blond genin began slowly. "You don't have to stand down here with me. You can go hide in the trees with the other ANBU." Naruto was just saying that because the ANBU member adorning the cat mask was making him uncomfortable.

"I am simply following the orders of the Hokage, Uzumaki-san." Was his response.

Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 'Why did Granny tell this guy to watch over me like this?' He thought to himself. It seemed strange. What made it stranger was that this ANBU's chakra felt much different from the other Konoha elite. Normally the blond can't feel chakra radiating off of someone unless they are battling, but he can sense Uddo's. 'He's not normal.'

"You can just call me Naruto." He decided to keep all of his questions to himself. Not like he would get an actual answer from an ANBU member, anyway.

Uddo simply nodded his understanding.

The blond turned back to his training. He put his hand out and began to violently rotate the chakra in his palm. Jiraiya had made him question whether or not he was a true shinobi when he told him that he relied on shadow clones too much. Because of this, the boy has made it his goal to try and turn his shadow clones into a powerful weapon instead of just a crutch he has to use in battle. Improvements in his taijutsu have gone well so far, now he needs to start working on something else.

Making a Rasengan with just one hand and no assistance from clones.

'Focus.' He thought to himself calmly. He pushed everything out of his mind and placed all of his attention onto his palm. The ball of spinning chakra began condensing down, rotating even more swiftly. The strain on his face was apparent. 'I can do it!'

'Boom!'

Unable to fully contain all of dense, spinning chakra his Rasengan suddenly exploded. The blast launched him into a nearby tree. He slid down to the ground and let out a groan of pain.

Before he could even blink, 6 ANBU landed right in front of him.

"I'm fine, guys." He grunted out as he picked himself up. He blinked, realizing something. "Hey, I thought there were 8 of you." He began counting all of the ANBU he could see on his fingers. "6. Where are the other 2?" He questioned.

"They are currently stationed at the residence you are staying at." The Lion themed ANBU answered.

"Why?" The blond asked dumbly.

"If we were all to follow you everywhere you went, if an enemy knew where you were staying, he could simply sneak onto the premises without our knowledge and launch a surprise attack when we returned."

"Ohhhh." Naruto nodded his understanding. "That makes sense. You guys sure are smart."

To which all 6 masked ninjas simply nodded.

"I just don't see why you need to be so cautious. I doubt anything is going to happ-"

'BOOM!'

The genin swung his head in the direction of the blast. His face paled at what he saw. In the distance, a large, black cloud of smoke hung over in the direction that the village was located. He didn't think, his legs just began to carry him in the direction. Taking off full speed towards the village before the ANBU could hold him back.

"Naruto-san!" Uddo yelled urgently as all 6 ANBU members dashed off in pursuit of the Leaf Village's greatest asset. "You can't go over there! The Hokage said-"

"I don't what Granny Tsunade said!" He screamed behind him as he kept running. "My friends are over there!"

Despite his vast increase in speed, the ANBU that were chasing him were still probably faster than him. That he knew. He had to be able to slow them down somehow, so they didn't stop him from going.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He summoned 30 clones, each of which immediately turned back to engage the pursuers. The Black Ops team, shocked that their assignment would resort to such a thing, had no choice but to engage the horde of clones.

Hearing a couple clones being dispelled Naruto gritted his teeth and increased his speed further. 'That should hold them off long enough for me to get there. They won't be far behind, so they should be able to join me for a fight too.'

'If there is a fight, at all?'

His mind was racing. What could have happened? 'Maybe just a gas leak.' He tried to reassure himself.

No.

Whatever this was, it gave the blond a pit in his stomach. Something very bad had just happened, he knew it. Going there was going to be incredibly dangerous. Everything was screaming at him to tell him to stop, but he couldn't. He wouldn't.

He was getting closer. His heart rate increasing with every passing second. After the initial explosion, he hadn't heard anything afterward. However, as he grew closer, he began to hear something else. Initially, it was too faint to completely make out what the sound was, but now it was unmistakable.

It was screaming.

Having finally reached the town he swiftly scaled the rooftops and leaped from building to building. Now that he was in the town he could tell more accurately where the cloud of black smoke had come from. His heart sank.

'No…'

He saw it. Tazuna's house, the one he stayed at during his first real mission outside of the village, the house who belonged to some of the first people who treated him like a member of the family, had the front side of it blown off. Pieces of debris littered the area and several of the houses around it had been set on fire.

He landed, having been so focused on the house he hadn't notice the two figures standing outside of it. His eyes narrowed and a wave of anger he hadn't felt in a very long time welled up inside him. He immediately recognized those cloaks.

Akatsuki.

The Akatsuki duo turned around, eyeing the new arrival with curiosity.

"Like a moth to a flame." The masked one said with a voice that gave the blond chills up and down his spine.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror. The one who spoke was cradling something in his arms. He stumbled back a few steps and fell down. This couldn't be happening. He had to be imagining this. This was a horrible, unspeakable dream, right? It had to be.

Kakuzu was holding Tazuna's severed head.

The bounty hunter glanced down at his prize and smirked beneath his mask. "Did you know him?" He asked already knowing the answer. "When we came down here to get you, I wasn't expecting my two prizes to be in the same place. A bounty and a Jinchuriki."

"That Zetsu has his eyes everywhere, doesn't he?" Hidan said with a little annoyance in his voice. "What if he saw me peeing?!"

Naruto didn't hear anything that either of them said. It felt as though the air was forcibly pushed out of his lungs. He was suffocating, yet he couldn't draw in any air. He tried with all of his might to refocus his gaze. The other two. Where were the other two? Could he still save them? Were they still alive? Please let them be still alive!

The shorter of the S-Ranked duo seemed to pick up on the blonds thoughts.

"Did you know the other two as well?" His voice. He sounded like he was enjoying all of this.

Naruto heard him, but his mouth wasn't responding to what his brain was telling him. Not out of fear, but despair. He didn't want to hear what the man was going to say next.

"We were going to leave them alone; they weren't our targets." Hidan began with a shrug. "But that kid. He charged at us spewing some nonsense about being a hero and trying to protect his family!" He chuckled, but then his eyes hardened. "If the brat hadn't stabbed me, he and his mother would still be alive."

Inside the Jinchuriki, the Nine-Tailed Fox was lying down in his cage. With one eye open, he was watching everything that was transpiring outside. He had been mildly interested in what was happening, even contemplating giving the runt a piece of his chakra. However, after hearing the man with grey hair talk, he shut his eye closed; now seemingly uninterested in the whole situation.

Naruto just sat there. He expected a boiling rage to overtake him, but nothing had come. The tears that were once streaming down his face had stopped. The searing hot pain in his chest had disappeared. His body was numb. He didn't feel anything. All of his will had been stripped away from him. He just sat on the ground, seemingly resigning himself to his hunters.

'If I were to die, would this feeling go away?' He thought to himself.

After having to already overcome so much pain, sadness and terror in his life the boy may have finally had enough. He was tired.

The two Akatsuki, initially expecting a fight, seemed to have understood and began making their way to their target. Just when they were a few feet away several figures dropped in and surrounded them.

They each quickly went through a series of hand seals.

"Earth Style: Mobile Core!"

The earth around the two Akatsuki members rumbled and then dropped them deep down underground. They looked up towards the surface, seemingly uninterested in whatever even happens. They didn't even try to evade.

"Water Style: Water Bullet!"

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

"Lightning Style: Shock Wave!"

An explosion rocked the once peaceful town as the Jutsu made contact with their target. Using that as his signal, one of the remaining two ANBU that didn't engage the criminals swiftly leaped into action. Uddo picked up Naruto and took off in the direction of the bridge, followed closely behind by his remaining comrade.

Ignoring the sounds of battle, their only mission was to ensure the safety of the Jinchuriki. Even with 6 members of the Leaf's most elite force of ninja, it was very probable that they didn't stand a chance against this foe. The most tactical option would be to retreat and get to safety.

"How long do you think they can hold them off?" Lion asked Uddo.

"If they are just as strong as someone like Itachi, I would say not long. Hopefully, I'm wrong." He answered, glancing at the lifeless boy in his arms. His eyes were open, but they were dead and glazed over as if they weren't focused on anything.

After crossing the bridge that carried the namesake of the boy they were protecting, they immediately began to head North.

"This all seems too much of a coincidence." Lion said as he looked behind them to ensure they were still not being followed.

"I agree. I believe their distraction in the Land of Hot Water was just a ruse to get the boy separated from Master Jiraiya." He concluded. "Once they knew they wouldn't have to battle a Sannin, they jumped at the chance to take him."

"How could they know where we were going to be?" Lion asked in exasperation, emotion normally unbecoming of ANBU.

"Let's just say a little birdy told us."

Their eyes widened behind their mask as a voice came from above them. They darted in opposite directions as the Akatsuki that held the long red scythe on his back slashed down at them with it.

"Don't be a fool, Hidan." Kakuzu berated his partner while still holding his bounty trophy. "They're holding the boy. We need him alive."

"Oh, c' mon, Kakuzu." Hidan retorted with a sadistic smile. "If they couldn't dodge that then they deserved to die."

"It doesn't appear that we're going to be able to get away," Cat said as he placed the boy on the ground and got into a defensive stance.

"It appears that way." Lion added.

"Give us the kid and we'll make sure your deaths are quick and painless." Hidan threatened. "We don't want this to get messy. I've gotten enough of other peoples blood on my clothes as it is."

Cat ran through a series of hand signs.

"Wood Style: Domed Wall Jutsu!"

A dome of wood shot out of the ground and covered the unmoving blond. 'Hopefully, that protects him from any attacks.' The wood-style user thought to himself.

"Hm?" Kakuzu wondered aloud. "From what I've heard Wood Style has been extinct since the death of the First Hokage. Who are you?"

Cat said nothing as his right arm slowly formed into what appeared to be a wooden mallet. He launched himself at the two Akatsuki.

"Guess time for talking is over, then?" Kakuzu said humorlessly.

"He's mine, Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled as he swung his long scythe at the attacker. The attack hit its mark…

'Poof' Only for him to turn into a log.

"Fire Style: Dancing Flames Jutsu!"

Both partners looked up only to see a wide stream of fire coming down on their heads. Lion had used the distraction to launch a Jutsu from above.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" The water rose up and met the fire, creating a large amount of steam that hampered everyone's visibility. Kakuzu leaped up onto a tree branch while his partner just stood there. Waiting.

As if on cue Lion busted through the fog with a kunai in hand.

"Wood Style: Bind!"

Before Hidan could even react to the oncoming assault, Uddo bound up his torso and legs with branch-like strands that shot out of his arms. "You're mine!" Lion yelled as he plunged the sharp blade into the chest of the shorter Akatsuki.

Despite blood running down the grey-haired man's face, his facial expression didn't change. Except for when it twisted into a cruel smirk. He grabbed both of the hands of his assailant and pulled him close to him. "I hope you're ready for this because I know I am." Twisted smirk adorning his face.

"Fire Style: Searing Migraine," Kakuzu said calmly after running through a series of hand seals. He pulled his mask down below his lips and an enormous stream of fire spewed out of his mouth.

Aimed right at his partner.

"Oh no!" Uddo yelled as he ran through seals of his own.

"Wood Style: Domed Wall!"

He covered himself in his own protective dome of wood. The blast touched down and singed the outside of the wood wall, but did not break through. Unfortunately for his comrade, he was not so lucky. His horrible screams made the wood-style user grimace darkly. He had to pull himself together. He was the only one left.

'He aimed an attack right at his partner, why?' He didn't understand. 'Was it because he was going to die anyway from the wound in his chest?'

The dome receded and he readied the Tanto that had previously been strapped to his back. The red scythe slashed its way through the smoke that the fire had left. Behind it was the crazed face of the man he was sure had been killed. Uddo was just able to parry the strike as he retreated desperately.

'What the hell is going on here?' He thought in shock. 'How is he still alive?!'

Hidan pressed forward while slashing causing the ANBU to continue backing up. Desperately forming his hand into a mallet, he wildly swatted the scythe out of the madman's hands.

Hidan, mildly surprised, stumbled forward walking right into the Tanto which pierced through his chest. Uddo twisted the blade in his chest in an attempt to ensure the kill.

"Don't resist." The ANBU warned. "Tell your friend to back off, or I'll finish you." Instead of looking fearful, the mortally wounded man began to laugh. Cackle, even. Uddo was at a loss. Even though the man had a blade through his chest, he could still laugh? "What's so funny?" He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answer. His eyes were crazed. Uddo felt as though he could see the devil himself inside of them.

Hidan, just like before, grabbed both of his assailant's arms and pulled him close. "You're supposed to be an elite ninja from the Hidden Leaf? Pathetic! You fell for the same trick again!"

Eyes wide, the ANBU looked up into the trees. The man that completed the Akatsuki duo was already running through hand seals.

Mind racing, the leaf shinobi tried to think of something to get him out of this predicament. His situation was grim, there was little he could do with his arms tied up. As a last resort he reared back and used that momentum to throw a devastating headbutt at his opponent... only for him to meet it with equal force.

"It's over."

His ANBU mask shattered from the impact revealing his terrified face. There was nothing else he could do now. He resigned himself, closing his eyes and bracing for impact.

...

Only it never came. He opened his eyes and noticed that Hidan had a similar face of confusion.

"So you guys thought you could steal my student right from under my nose, did you?" A different voice came from above.

Both men on the forest floor looked up at the sound of the voice and their reactions were vastly different.

"Master Jiraiya!"

The Sannin was gripping Kakuzu's hand to keep him from executing the jutsu. Although the enemy's faced was covered by a mask, you could tell that he wasn't expecting the Toad Sage to show up.

"You guys made a big mistake." The Sage's eyes were hard and unforgiving. The normally laid-back ninja was boiling over with rage. "You made me angry."

Chapter Text

Omake 1: Life in the Leaf

The memorial stone looked nearly the same every time he saw it. His one visible eye glossed over most of the names on it, usually only really focusing on three names in particular. The names of his two teammates from his Genin squad, Obito and Rin, and his sensei Minato. His eye shut and curved upward, signaling that he was smiling beneath his mask. Remembering the good times he had with his team helped him numb the pain he felt from losing them. Some days were harder than others, but he managed as best as he could.

He opened his eye back up and continued skimming through the names. Considering he was there practically every day he was in the village; he knew most of the names on the stone even if he didn't know all of the ninjas personally. 'There's a new name on here.' He thought to himself somberly. He recognized the name, too. A young Chunin no older than 17 had recently died on a low-tier B-Rank mission. Apparently, some bandits who had access to jutsu got the jump on him and the convoy he was escorting. There were reportedly no survivors and the culprits were still at large.

He closed his eye and stood still, giving the fallen soldier his due respect in a moment of silence. While it was sad that someone so young had lost their life, he had done it while representing his village. There was honor in that.

'When do they have the time to carve the names into this. I'm here all the time and I never see anyone else ever around.' He wondered, trying to take his mind off of the sad thoughts that come along with visiting the memorial.

He looked up at the sky. It was early afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. Hardly a day to stand gloomily at a stone all day, but he had to come and pay his respects to his friends. What kind of person would he be if he didn't? It was his day off, so he was able to come early and had stayed there for several hours. Normally, he would stay even longer, but something was telling him to walk around the village a little bit today. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. A nice change of scenery would bring his spirits up a little.

With one final look at the tribute to the fallen, he turned around and pulled a book out of his hip pouch. The book seemed to be quite worn down. Nothing like reading Icha-Icha Innocence for what had to be the 50th time. The pure love depicted in it captures his attention every time he reads it. However, as much as he loved the first three books, he was anxiously awaiting the fourth installment in Jiraiya's masterpiece of a series. He hoped that it would be out in stores before his student and the author returned from their training expedition. Periodically, he would stop by the local bookstore and ask if they had heard anything about a new Icha-Icha novel. Each time he was met with disappointment. As improbable as a nearby release was, he had to cover all of his bases.

'I haven't been there in a while, couldn't hurt to pop in and ask.' He thought to himself, giddy about the potential good news.

As he was making his way through town his mind drifted to his blond student. Naruto crossed Kakashi's mind every day. While he was supremely confident in the abilities of Jiraiya to protect the boy from any danger, he still sometimes worried that something bad might happen. Every time he got called into an audience with the Hokage he tensed up, hoping that he wasn't going to hear some bad news. It never was, but that didn't keep him from worrying the next time.

'I wonder what you have been up to, Naruto.' He mused as he rounded the last street corner. He glanced up from his book and had to do a double-take. There was a line going out of the store. The only time he had ever seen that was when a new Icha-Icha book came out. How the Leaf Village adults loved the Sannin's work. His pace quickened, excitement visible in his exposed eye. Would today of all days be the one where he gets his hands on it? That feeling was soon dashed and replaced with confusion. He had been expecting the line to be filled with men his age and older. People who could… appreciate the contents of one of Jiraiya's books. But this line had children in it. More importantly, children that he knew.

"Sakura." He began as he walked up halfway up the side of the line. The aforementioned pink-hair kunoichi turned around upon hearing her name, along with Hinata, Neji, and Rock Lee. "What are you guys doing here?" The Copy Ninja asked as he leaned in close to them. "This book isn't something you should be reading." His voice now a whisper.

Kakashi's student cocked her head to the side in apparent confusion. "What are you talking about, Sensei?" The other Genin shared a similar look. Except for Neji. Neji looked the same as he always did, uninterested in everything going on around him. "Why shouldn't I be allowed to read Naruto's book?"

"Huh?" Was the only response the usually cool and collected Jonin could muster. Upon hearing his perplexed response, Sakura pointed to a sign placed next to the door of the bookstore that Kakashi had missed. Sure enough, it was an advertisement for his knucklehead of student's new novel 'The Weight of the World.'

"Naruto, our Naruto… wrote… a book?" The Sharingan user sputtered out, still in a state of disbelief.

"That's what I said!" Sakura agreed. "But Hinata told me that he had a book coming out! Don't you have to get something like that published? How do you think he managed something like that?" The kunoichi was going a mile a minute. She had thought she calmed down about the situation after Hinata told her, but seeing Kakashi caused her to start back up again. The Naruto she knew could barely write a coherent sentence, yet now he was coming out with a professionally published work? It didn't make any sense, but nonetheless, she had to read it. Not only to support her good friend but also because she was overwhelmingly curious about the contents of the book. Is it good? Bad? What is it about? She had to get the answers to all of these important questions.

"I have no earthly idea." The masked Jonin said while he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. He turned to the quiet Hyuga. "How did you hear about this?" He asked with genuine curiosity. Any information he can glean about the situation would help him process what was going on.

The shy girl, seemingly unprepared for any questions to be directed at her, blushed and began to twiddle her fingers uncomfortably.

"I-I overheard some people mention s-something about it." She said slowly. The chat had been between a man who worked at the bookstore and a friend of his. In passing, he mentioned the author's name being Uzumaki. The second anything Naruto related is said aloud, the little Hyuga's sense goes into overdrive. She then rushed to confirm the validity of what her ears had picked up. After seeing that it was actually true, she was filled with many indescribable emotions and there was only one thing on her mind at that point.

She had to get her hands on a copy of that book.

"Yeah." Sakura jumped in, saving her friend from any further embarrassment. "Hinata told as many people as she could. Team 10 is out on a mission, so they'll find out when they get back. Shino and Kiba had some sort of clan thing that they had to attend. And Tenten is working in her family's weapons shop, so-."

"SO I WILL BRING HER A COPY, AS REQUESTED!" The green-clad genin who had surprisingly remained silent this entire time boomed. "Tenten couldn't miss the chance to revel in Naruto's youthful story-telling!" His eyes were set ablaze with a passion that Kakashi only saw elsewhere when he was hanging around Might Gai.

He sweat dropped but acknowledged the Taijutsu specialists 'youth' with a swift nod. If he was anything like Gai if he enabled Lee with anything more than that he would just keep talking about the 'prime of people's youth.'

"And you, Neji?" Kakashi turned to the only one of the four teenagers who remained silent. "This doesn't seem like anything you'd be interested in." The Hyuga prodigy had an interesting relationship with the person that defeated him in the Chunin exams. That's why the Copy Ninja was curious about Neji's reasoning for being there.

The pale-eyed Hyuga grimaced slightly. He had hoped he could get away from this conversation without saying anything. "If you must know, I am interested in what Naruto has to say."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi continued to prod.

"The name of the book. It piqued my interest." He said simply with a hint of finality. That was all he was going to say about the situation.

Kakashi smiled with his eye. "I agree." He concluded as he snapped his still open book closed with a soft 'thwack.' "I think I'll wait in line with you guys and get a copy for myself."

Before any of the Genin could say anything, someone began yelling.

"Hey, jerk!" A man towards the back of the line said. "If you plan on waiting in line, you better get to the back!" He warned. "No cutting!"

Kakashi, somewhat surprised at the outburst, smiled weakly and waved a hand out in front of himself in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Sorry about that." He used his other hand to sheepishly scratch the back of his neck. He turned back to the students. "Guess I'll be right behind you guys. See ya." He concluded as he began to walk towards the back of the line. He sighed. The line was now quite a bit longer than when he had initially arrived.

'Since I'll be here a while…' He mused as he once again took out his precious Icha-Icha Innocence.

Having already read the book so many times, sometimes, although he would appear to be reading it, he was actually instead acutely aware of everything going on around. Sometimes he just liked to use the book as a tool to make himself unassuming, which gave him free rein to survey his surroundings. He was surprised by how many people were at this book release. While, yes, the Leaf Village did not have an as negative perception of the young author as they used to, there were still many within it that still viewed him as an unstable and dangerous monster. And by many, he meant most.

It has been the blond's actions that have been very slowly gaining the attention of some of the townspeople. From his mission in the Land of Waves to his heroic efforts during the Chunin exams, and lastly his role in bringing the Fifth Hokage to the village in its time of need; all of these things seemed to have convinced a couple of people of just who Naruto is. While he still has an arduous journey for the acceptance of the entire village, he is making small and important strides in that direction. And they, just like all of the boy's friends and loved ones, are curious to see what his novel is all about.

'If only you could see this for yourself, Naruto. I guess I should be more surprised than I am that you actually wrote a book. But I stopped counting you out a long time ago.'

"That'll be 215 Ryo." The polite shopkeeper said.

Kakashi reached into his wallet and handed the man the necessary money.

Accepting the money, he handed the Jonin a bag with the book his student authored. "Enjoy. Have a nice day."

Kakashi nodded and walked outside. 'Not exactly the book I was hoping to buy today, but this is definitely a pleasantly interesting surprise.' He thought to himself as he reached into the bag. Upon seeing the book he sweat dropped.

"Really, Naruto? Bright Orange?" He said aloud humorlessly. "At least it'll be an attention grabber."

"About time, Sensei."

The Copy Ninja looked up from his musing. The little Genin had been waiting for him. Except… "Where did Hinata go?"

"Hinata-sama seemed to be in a hurry after buying the book. As if she had to go somewhere important." Neji answered, slightly confused himself as to where the Heiress rushed off to with such urgency."

"She's probably dying to read Naruto's book." Sakura said knowingly. It was beyond obvious that Hinata had feelings for the hyperactive blond. Well, to everyone except the boy himself.

"But it is not going anywhere, right Sakura-chan?" Lee asked with similar confusion to that of his teammate.

Tsunade's disciple let out a big sigh.

Well, to everyone except Naruto, Lee, and Neji.'

"Today Lord Hiashi has instructed me to watch over Hinata." He began, he too, was about to leave. "I must go find her." With a swift bow, he left in the direction of the Hyuga compound.

Sakura chuckled. "He might be dying to read the book too." She shrugged. "I don't know, it's hard to read him sometimes."

"You are not dying to read it, Sakura-chan?" Lee questioned.

"No, it's not that." Sakura waved off. "I am, it's just they seem extra interested."

"Well, I for one am not going to take this sitting down!" The busy browed Genin exclaimed.

"Huh?" Both Kakashi and his student blurted out dumbly. What was he talking about?

"This challenge that Naruto-kun has issued!" His eyes were once again lit up fiercely with a blazing fire. "While I cannot write a book myself, I will still accept the challenge! For every sentence that is in this book, I will do one pushup! And if I cannot do that, I will do one squat for every sentence, and if I cannot do that, I'll-"

I think we get the point, Lee." Kakashi said with a chuckle. "I'm sure Naruto accepts your challenge."

Upon hearing that response, the green-clad boy gave the two a passionate thumbs up with his trademark blindingly bright smile before running off towards the training grounds. Sakura and Kakashi had to shield their eyes so the boy's teeth didn't stun them.

It took them a moment to recover, but once they did teacher and student began walking down the busy streets of the Leaf Village.

"So." Sakura began. "What do you think his book is about?" She asked, waving around the bag containing the novel for added effect.

Kakashi thought for a moment. "If I know Naruto as well as I think I do, my first guess would be that it's about ramen." Most people would assume that he was joking, but he actually wasn't. Naruto really was THAT obsessed with noodles and broth.

The pink-haired kunoichi giggled fondly. "I could definitely see Naruto dedicating an entire book to ramen." She looked at the title of here close friends work. "But not in this case." Her tone a little more even, one could even detect a trace of sadness in it.

"Yeah." Kakashi agreed, thinking the same thing as her. That title alone told them that this wasn't going to be a funny story about food. It was going to have more substance.

"To be honest, I think I'm more interested in how he was able to even write a book," Sakura said, apparently still not over how this was even possible. "When he comes back, I'm gonna ask him how he did it."

"I'd be interested to hear that answer, too."

Sakura smiled brightly. "I'll see you later, Kakashi-sensei." She looked down at the book she was now clutching to her chest. "I guess I'm going to go… read a book by Naruto?" She shuddered. Just saying the words alone felt so surreal she got a slight chill. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just so very strange.

Kakashi nodded and watched his little student scamper off. Now he was all alone. 'I can't be the only one who's not reading it.' He thought to himself as he opened the book to the first page.

'This book is dedicated to Team 7. My first family.'

His teacher's visible eye widened slightly. He focused in on those words for what felt like 10 minutes. He was fully aware that Naruto grew up with practically nothing. No family, no friends, no one besides the Third Hokage he could actually spend any quality time with; and the Third was always so busy that he didn't even get much of that. However, despite that, Naruto never complained about any of it to him or the other members of Team 7. The boy always wore the brave face, acting as if nothing ever bothered him. So he was surprised to see such introspective and emotional words.

'He probably didn't expect us to ever see this.'

He turned to the next page.

'Chapter 1: Isolation.'

Kakashi was stunned.

Every word, every page, it felt as though what he was reading was coming to life right before his eyes. Well, now that he thought about it, it was coming to life in front of him. The main character, Menma, held very similar beliefs to his blond student's. They both were caring, optimistic, and confident. Along with their comparable backstories of being shunned and ostracized, it was clear where the author got his inspiration from.

There is a key difference, though. Naruto, despite all of his hardships, puts on that impenetrable brave face all of the time. He never wants people to see how he is truly feeling. But in the story, we see all of Menma's struggles. The pressures that are continuously stacking on his shoulders, the sadness his past has left him with, and the loneliness he feels all of the time. All of these factors, plus the antagonists who are trying to steal the very power that has caused him to be isolated, affect his mind.

Simply put, an imperfect hero.

'It's as if this novel is giving us an all-access pass into Naruto's psyche.' The Copy Ninja thought to himself with a touch of sadness. 'I always knew he had to be dealing with a lot, but I never knew it was to this extent. I wonder if he was even consciously aware that he made a hero so much like himself.'

Kakashi blinked, then took in his surroundings. It was… dark? So dark, in fact, that the streetlights were on, illuminating the dim streets of the village. 'How long have I been walking around?' The usually hyperaware Jonin thought to himself, slightly shocked at how enthralled he had been in his reading. If he was being completely honest, the masked ninja didn't have high expectations for the book's quality of writing. After all, his student had, by far, the lowest academic tests results in the academy, sans Shikamaru; and that was only because the spiky-haired youth fell asleep during half of his tests.

In short, Naruto should have no business writing as well as he does. So that begs the question…

'What kind of training is Master Jiraiya putting him through?'

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Family

-Early This Morning-

Jiraiya kneeled next to the body and grimaced. While he had expected the worst when Naki hadn't shown up for their meeting, the scene before him left him slightly baffled. The Sage was no detective, but there was obviously a break-in and a subsequent struggle. The door had been busted down. He looked around the room, noting the deep slashes on the walls and floors. Then at the deceased man's arms and face. 'Wounds he got probably from struggling when being held down.' All of that was pretty normal for this kind of crime scene. There was only one thing that sent chills up his spine.

Naki's heart was gone. That could be chalked up as animals coming in through the broken-down door to eat the corpse, but they wouldn't take just the heart.

'This doesn't make any sense. Why would someone take his heart?'

Another thing that concerned the Sannin was the fact that someone had managed to kill Naki. The man was a strong Jonin who specialized in water jutsu, infiltration, and stealth. To be able to just charge through the door and defeat him in his environment was a very tall task. Whoever this was, they were very skilled. At least High-A, possibly S-Rank level.

He noticed some trace amounts of water droplets on the floor and the walls of the room. 'Naki probably tried to fend them off with his Jutsu.' Glancing over at the bookcase in the corner of the room, he took note that the books did not appear to be wet or damp. 'Looks like they didn't give him much opportunity to go on the defensive.'

Based on the state of the body, Jiraiya concluded that all of this had to have happened a couple days ago. 'With the door destroyed, no one came to check to see if everything was okay? They had to have heard the struggle!' Looks like he had some neighbors to question.

While stepping outside, in the corner of his eye something moved. He looked in that direction and saw that someone had shut their blinds swiftly. 'Oh, so I'm being watched? You have to do a better job than that. Don't make it so obvious.' Thinking to himself. 'I guess I have my first volunteer.' The sage mused as he walked over to the house that held the person who was trying to hide from him.

He knocked on the door.

…

Sighing, he knocked once more.

…

"I know you're in there. I saw you watching me through the window." He said just loud enough that whoever was in the house would hear him clearly.

…

"If you don't answer, I'm just going to take this door down.' He stated as he began knocking on the door for what he deemed was the last time.

…

Jiraiya didn't have time for this. He began gathering chakra into his palm to form the Rasengan. Just as he was about to blow the door down, the lock clicked. Dissipating his attack, he waited patiently as the door slowly opened, revealing a bald middle-aged man with a thick beard. He looked scared.

"Please don't hurt me." The man blurted out before the Sannin could say anything. His body was trembling, and it almost seemed as if the door he was holding onto was the only thing that was keeping him from collapsing to the ground. Whatever this stranger had seen, it had clearly rattled him.

"I'm not here to hurt you." Jiraiya said, trying his best to sound as reassuring as he possibly could. "I just need to know if you saw anything." He continued, gesturing towards the house of the deceased informant.

The bearded man stayed quiet, seemingly trying to determine whether or not he trusted the stranger who came knocking on his door.

"Please." The Sage continued. "The man who lived there, he was a friend of mine. We were supposed to meet earlier this morning, but when he never showed up, I figured something bad must have happened to him. Did you see anything that could help me find out who did this?" He asked genuinely.

The bald man suddenly collapsed against the door, unable to withstand the strain it took to stand. As the Leaf Jonin did his best to help him get to his feet, he noticed something.

This poor man's right leg, from the knee down, was gone. Cut clean from his body. What was worse was that this relatively fresh wound didn't appear to have been tended to by a medical professional. It was taped and wrapped sloppily, clearly by someone with no medical experience. He had probably tried to dress it himself.

Jiraiya, now unofficially invited into this victim's house, helped him sit down in a nearby chair. "They'll kill me if I do." He finally said after a long stretch of petrified silence.

Whoever had dismembered this person was also the one who had killed Naki. This Jiraiya knew. 'Seems like they didn't want any witnesses. And if there was only one person that saw them kill Naki, scaring him into not talking was a better option than killing him outright. That could've attracted even more attention. That's why they cut off his leg.'

Something felt off to Naruto's Master. This all seemed like too much of a coincidence. The Akatsuki being spotted relatively close to where he and his ward were. Not only that but in a place where they were planning on going to soon. 'We're separated right now. And Naki, what if his death was used as a distraction to keep me here...?' Something in his brain suddenly clicked.

"Naruto!" He yelled aloud, startling the fragile man.

He looked back at the wounded man, his eyes were now desperate. "Please, you have to tell me who these people were! My Godson might be in danger!" He was frantic. This guy needed to cooperate with him.

However, before answering, he just stared at his leg. The two monsters who came promised to do much worse if they had to come back. He couldn't bring himself to open his mouth, too petrified by the fear of death.

Jiraiya tried his best to calm down. As desperate as he was, he couldn't bring himself to harm an innocent person who had already been made into a victim. "Please, just tell me this." He began, hopeful that he would be able to get just enough information to confirm or deny his fears. "Does the person who did this to you wear a black cloak with blood-red clouds?"

The bearded stranger recoiled at the description as if he didn't want to remember that terrible cloak himself. He stared Jiraiya in the eyes, lip quivering, and gave him a weak nod. That was all he could muster.

The Sage's eyes widened, his worst fear coming to life right before his eyes. He whipped a scroll and pen out of his pocket and began to furiously scribble. 'I have to tell Tsunade what's going on. They might be able to send backup if I need it.' He glanced down at the scared man who was still able to help him even if it meant signing his own death sentence. 'And I can ask her if we can grant him asylum in the Leaf.'

Now finished writing his message to the Hokage, he wrapped the scroll up and bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

'Poof.'

A tiny red and blue toad with goggles around his neck appeared. "What is it Jiraiya?" He asked, prepared to speed off at a moment's notice.

"Kosuke, I need you to take this to Tsunade as fast as you can. My student is probably in danger."

No time for talking, the toad named Kosuke grabbed the letter and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'Good, he'll go back to Mt. Myoboku and then use the well that will take him right outside the village.' He turned to the man that helped him. "Thank you so much." He thanked with a bow. "I asked the Hokage if she could give you asylum in the Leaf Village. Just keep the door locked and don't let anyone else in until Leaf ninja arrives to get you."

Before the man could get out any words of gratitude to thank the odd stranger, 'Jiraiya' disappeared in a plume of smoke.

He blinked in confusion.

…

A wave of memories flooded back to the real Jiraiya, who had already been speeding through the forest towards the Land of Waves. He gritted his teeth in anger at what his clone had learned and immediately sped up to his maximum.

He had a bad feeling about the entire situation, so when Naki didn't meet up with him he decided going back to regroup with his student would be the best choice. Naki was so reliable that him not showing up most likely meant he was already dead, meaning that leaving a clone behind to collect evidence was more efficient than going himself. Having just learned what his copy had uncovered, he was beyond grateful that he made the correct choice.

"Akatsuki." He growled in a low, threatening voice. "You had better not lay a hand on Minato's son, or you'll regret it."

All three set of eyes were now completely transfixed on the new arrival. The tension could be sliced by a butter knife. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Jiraiya, however, had no interest in any of that at the moment. His eyes were too busy scanning the area for his ward.

"Where is he?" The Sage broke the silence that had fallen over the battling Shinobi.

With the one named Hidan distracted by the arrival of the Leaf's most powerful ninja, Uddo suddenly ripped himself from his grasp. As he was leaping away, he undid the Jutsu that was concealing the young blond.

He was still lifeless.

Hidan sneered, ripping out the Tanto that was still buried in his chest.

Jiraiya was so overcome with worry that he didn't even register that Tsunade had assigned the Leaf's only Wood Style user to protect Naruto. Noticing this, the mystery Shinobi was quick to calm him down. "He's not hurt." He tried to reassure. "He's just been through a lot." Uddo finished as he picked the boy up and slung him over his shoulder.

Kakuzu, using this conversation as a way to get the jump on his opponent, used his free hand to aim a punch at his opponent face.

Jiraiya, still looking away, simply leaned to the side, allowing the punch to fly harmlessly past him. Anger flaring up once more, he wrenched Kakuzu's wrist back, hell-bent on snapping it in two.

The deep-voiced Akatsuki member remained silent but grimaced behind his mask. He went for a leg sweep but was taken off-guard when Jiraiya threw a swift knee to his gut, forcing him down to one knee. The Sannin didn't notice his opponent's free hand turning a darker, almost black, color.

Just as Jiraiya was aiming an elbow to the back of his head, Kakuzu swiped down, severing the part of the tree branch that Jiraiya had been standing on. Slightly surprised, Naruto's mentor was forced to let go of the masked man's hand as he began freefalling.

He landed lightly on the ground, a scowl adorning his lips.

Hidan, seeing his opportunity, rushed him from behind. He pulled out a small black rod that extended into a spear-like weapon. He slashed at his target.

'Poof.'

He stumbled forward. "Another substitution?!" Hidan yelled angrily. "Where did he go?!"

"Rasengan!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he slammed his blue, spherical Jutsu into the unsuspecting criminal's back.

Hidan let out a startled yelp and was sent spiraling away from the force of the Jutsu.

Kakuzu dropped down from the trees, landing next to his partner; once again holding the dismembered head of the bridgebuilder.

"Get up, Hidan."

"Shut the Hell up, Kakuzu! That really hurt, you know?"

"Master Jiraiya." The Wood Style user began. "The one you just hit with your Jutsu, I don't know if it's some cheap trick or not, but I think he might be immortal." He sounded like he didn't even believe it himself. "He was stabbed twice in the chest, and not only does he seem fine, but those wounds are healed!"

Jiraiya nodded, noticing the necklace the strange man wore. "I've heard of something like this. A cult, calling themselves the Way of Jashin. They claim that through their adherence to their insane religion, by way of rituals including human sacrifice and mass murder, the followers can gain access to an ability similar to immortality." He remained quiet for a minute, seemingly trying to remember more details. "From what I recall, there were rumors that they had one successful case. Although, again, that was just a rumor I heard from one of my informants in the Hot Water Village."

'Naki…'

Uddo shuddered but nodded. "I see…"

"500 million."

Jiraiya's eyes shifted back to the shorter one.

"That's how much the bounty on your head is, did you know that?"

The Sage didn't answer.

"Now I can see in person why it's so high." His eyes drifted back to the ninja he was fighting before the Sannin's arrival. "And an incredibly rare Wood Style user, too." His eyes narrowed menacingly. "It enrages me that I won't be able to collect your bounties today. Together, you two would net me north of 800 million. I'll have to settle for this." Gesturing to the head he was holding. "A pity, really."

Jiraiya scoffed. "And who said I was just going to let you walk away? If I killed you two right now, that's two less Akatsuki trash to worry about."

Hidan, scythe once again in hand, brandished it menacingly. However, he was quickly cut off by his more calculating partner.

"You wouldn't want to endanger the boy there." He pointed to Naruto with his free hand. "Sure, you could let the Wood user scurry off to safety, but then you run the risk of their being more of us close by."

"If there were more of you, they'd be here by now." Jiraiya countered.

"Perhaps." Kakuzu's poker face was perfect, he was unreadable. "Then again, even if it was just only us and he gets away, are you that confident that you could defeat both of us at the same time?" It was a verbal and mental chess match, and both were experts in it. "With very limited knowledge of what our abilities are, is that the best move?"

"Sounds to me like you're bluffing." The Sage challenged back. "I'm right here if you want to fight."

In actuality, both were bluffing. Neither wanted to fight the other, except for maybe Hidan. Jiraiya, being outnumbered and unaware of the fighting abilities of his opponents, knew that it would be unwise to engage in combat. While there was a good possibility he would win, did he want to run that risk when Naruto needed him more than ever right now? No, he couldn't.

As for Kakuzu, he was warned by his leader to retreat if the Sannin somehow managed to show his face. That, coupled with the reputation of the man he was staring down with, made him reluctant to make an aggressive move. Even if there were two of them to his one.

Meanwhile, Hidan was doing his best to keep quiet. Even he knew when it wasn't his time to butt in.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to capture the Nine-Tails." Kakuzu warned, his free hand coming up to form the ram seal. "There's no reason for us to fight today, Jiraiya of the Sannin."

The two partners disappeared in a plume of smoke, leaving the three leaf ninja by themselves.

The tension in the air receded, and Uddo found himself taking in a large gulp of air. He hadn't even realized he had forgotten to breathe. Even a powerful ninja like him felt useless when compared to three S-Level powerhouses.

Now that the threat was gone, the teacher could turn his attention back to his student. "He's catatonic." He said to himself aloud. "What happened to him?" He was confident he wouldn't like the answer.

"The head that that Akatsuki was holding, he was a dear friend of Naruto-san. He had been staying with a family of three that he had met when they liberated this land from Gato, I believe that the other two may very well be dead, as well."

Jiraiya's shoulders slumped at the news. His pupil had been so excited to see these friends of his, and then this happens. With everything that has been swirling in the life and mind of the hunted Jinchuriki, this was another thing that a 12-year-old shouldn't have to deal with.

'I don't know how much more of this he can take, Minato.' His thoughts were somber.

"I'll carry him." Jiraiya said. Uddo obliged and handed over the blond, who was then placed on his mentor's back; piggyback style. "Tsunade was smart to send you of all people to watch over Naruto."

The mystery Shinobi nodded. "Indeed, although I didn't have to use it, my abilities can be used to suppress the Nine-Tails chakra." Although his face didn't show it, he was a little surprised at the Sannin's reaction. "You seem to know of me, even though my existence is a well-guarded secret within the village. How?"

"Well, I am close to Tsunade." The lecherous man began. "Though, it was actually Kakashi that told me about you. If I'm not mistaken, you're Tenzo, correct?"

Tenzo let out an embarrassed chuckle. His name was a complicated subject, but Kakashi always referred to him as Tenzo. So much so, that it kind of stuck. "Yes. Call me Tenzo." Was the ANBU Elite's response.

"Would you mind accompanying us back to the Land of Waves?"

"Why? We should be heading back to the Leaf Vil-"

"It's for Naruto. If those other two are still somehow alive, he would want me to make sure that they were okay."

Tenzo paused, unsure of what to do. The Hokage had instructed him to return Naruto to the village immediately if something bad had happened. But, did that give him the authority to disagree with another Sannin? Even if it did, he couldn't do it. If Jiraiya wanted to do something, there was nothing he would be able to do to stop him anyway.

Tenzo simply nodded his agreeance.

"Okay." Jiraiya began. "Let's go."

They were approaching the Great Naruto Bridge. The entire trip up until this point had been silent between the two Shinobi. Jiraiya was too busy worrying about the child on his back to make small-talk conversation, and Tenzo wasn't much of a talker anyway.

"No…"

Jiraiya stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Naru-"

"No!" Naruto was beginning to become restless, despite his eyes remaining shut. "Please don't hurt them." His voice was pleading.

"Naruto." He placed his student down on the bridge, lightly shaking him. "It's okay. Everything is okay." He didn't know what to do. How could he make his student feel better? After tragically losing three important people, what could someone say that would make it hurt less?

"Not it's not…" He was sobbing lightly now, eyes still closed. "T-They're dead. They're all dead."

The Sage was silent, wracking his brain to try and find a way to calm his pupil down.

"I-It's my fault." Sobbing and sniffling of the child was growing even louder. "If it wasn't for m-me being here, t-they would still be alive."

"It isn't your fault, Naruto." His voice was genuine. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should've realized that this was an Akatsuki trap. I failed you…" The emotions he was seeing the young blond struggle with were breaking his heart.

"No, it's my fault. I can't protect anyone precious to me." He lamented through his choked speech. "O-Old Man Third, S-Sasuke, Inari, Tsunami, T-Tazuna…" He clutched his chest tightly where his heart was, a searing hot pain washing over him. "I don't deserve to have this bridge named after me. I'm pathetic."

"Naruto…" Jiraiya was at a loss for words. He desperately wished for Minato and Kushina's wisdom as parents.

"I have no real f-family, and I b-barely have any of my precious p-people left." It was true. All he had left was Kakashi, Sakura, and Jiraiya.

"That's not true… I'm your family." This wasn't something he ever thought he was going to say. Should he say it? The Sannin still wasn't sure if it was a smart thing to do. But Naruto needed to hear it, it could be the only thing that could stop this downward spiral that he was going on. The blond needed to know why he cared for him as much as he did.

Naruto's eyes opened, filled with tears he looked up at his teacher. "What do you mean?"

"I was very close to your father." He scratched the back of his head, still unsure if he should utter these next words. "And he made me your Godfather." He did his best to smile brightly to show Naruto that he wasn't alone like he thought he was.

The boy's eye's widened. He was speechless, barely able to process what the older man had just said. Was it true? "Wha-"

"Why do you think I took so much of an interest in you? Or why I'm trying my best to make sure you become as strong as possible? For the Leaf's militaristic interests? No, it's because you're my family and I care about you deeply." The man's words were completely genuine. He had thought of The Fourth Hokage as the son he had always wanted. The instant he had learned he would be the godfather to Naruto, those feelings carried over to him, as well.

"Family…" He repeated that one word in a low whisper. While the deaths of his friends still had unforeseen effects on the Genin, he was no longer shedding tears.

Noticing this, Jiraiya put his hand out for Naruto to grab. "Now get up. We have to check on your friends and the village."

The vessel of the Nine-Tails stared at the hand for a moment, but then grabbed it and pulled himself to his feet. Not saying anything, he just began to walk towards the house of the now-deceased bridgebuilder.

'I have to watch him carefully. He's showing signs of psychological trauma.' The white-haired ninja thought to himself worriedly. 'Who knows what kind of lasting effects this could have on his mind.'

They continued on in silence to where the tragedy had taken place.

…

Bodies everywhere. The smell of smoke filled the air. The explosion, probably instigated by one of the Akatsuki member's attacks, appeared to have instantly killed everyone that had been in close proximity; including the two ANBU that had initially confronted them.

"The rest of the town seems to have evacuated." Jiraiya said aloud, hoping any amount of minuscule good news could cheer his godson up. 'Still, this looks like it was a high traffic area. We're looking at about 50 civilian casualties.' He kept that last bit of information to himself. Only monsters could inflict this kind of damage without a second thought. A perfect example of why the Akatsuki needed to be taken down.

Naruto, face expressionless, walked past all of the charred corpses that littered the street, not even glancing in their general direction. Getting closer to the house, eyes fell on the body of Tazuna. His vacant stare was the polar opposite of what he had been like earlier. After a long pause, he walked past the decapitated bridgebuilder, into the house that he had once felt at home in.

The two Jonin followed behind him but didn't say anything. The boy didn't need any distractions right now. The three ninjas thoroughly checked every room in the damaged house.

The bodies of the other two were nowhere to be found. Yet, the kitchen floors were painted with blood.

"This blood is still somewhat wet, but there's no trail." The Sage was stumped. "It's as if they disappeared."

The blond stared blankly at the bloodstains; his face unreadable. Jiraiya, unsure of what his student was thinking, remained quiet for the time being.

"I can't even give them a proper burial." Naruto finally stated; his voice bone-chillingly monotonous. "Why do people do things like this?" The broken boy asked.

Jiraiya, unsure if the question was rhetorical or not, decided to answer it anyway. "This world we live in has way too much hate in it."

"Too much hate?" Naruto asked, but didn't take his eyes off the blood coating the floor.

Jiraiya walked to his godson's side, nodding somberly. "People are driven by hatred, so much so that they will do unspeakable things to their fellow people. I've always wanted to do something about all of this hate."

"What could you do?"

Jiraiya sighed lightly. "This is something that I've been thinking about for a long time. I don't have the answer right now, but I truly believe that there will come a day where all human beings will understand one another and live in harmony."

Naruto remained silent.

"Maybe if I can't figure out what to do, I'll entrust you to find that answer for me, Naruto."

"I… don't think that's possible."

All he thought of were the sadistic Akatsuki duo. From what he had gathered, they only had two targets. Himself and Tazuna. Yet, they killed dozens of innocent people. Not only that, but they appeared to have enjoyed causing all of this death and chaos. If there were people like that in this world cursed by hatred, would there come a day where everyone would live in harmony? The blond couldn't see how that was feasible. Not after what he just saw.

"Well, what do you think we should do?"

There was a brief moment of silence, as Naruto seemed to mull over his Mentor's words. Finally, he decided.

"If we just snuff out all of that hatred, no more innocent people would have to die like this. Wouldn't that solve all of our problems?"

They traded a glance that told the Sage more than words could ever.

Naruto was finally beginning to understand the horrors of the world. The only problem was, having seen those horrors firsthand at such a young age, how would that change his future?

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Onward

Naruto knelt in front of the graves, reciting a prayer that wishes good fortune to his friends now in the afterlife. Though there was only one body, he thought of all three of them. Opening his eyes, looking next to the freshly dug up dirt, there were two others he knew all too well.

He had buried Tazuna next to Zabuza and Haku.

'How ironic.' He thought to himself humorlessly. 'How the contracted killer and the man he was hired to kill would share the same eternal resting place.' Despite that thought, the blond knew that in the end, Zabuza was a good person. That's why he felt that it was appropriate that all three of them should be next to one another.

They were all good people who died because they got caught up in a bad situation.

'Rest peacefully. I'm sorry for my weakness…'

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" The sage asked him from behind.

Naruto stood up slowly, lightly dusting the dirt off of the front of his pants. "I think I feel a little better." He answered with an even tone. "They deserved better, though."

"I know." Jiraiya agreed somberly.

Silence reigned over them for a few moments. The blond had been wanting to ask his Godfather a question since he had found out about it, but he never figured out a good way to bring it up. Finally, he decided he would just go ahead and ask.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were my Godfather when we first met? Or, even, before that?" His tone wasn't accusing, he was just curious about the whole situation. Never once did he stop and think why an insanely powerful ninja like Jiraiya was interested in being around him as much as he was. The boy was just happy there was someone strong around that was willing to teach him cool Jutsu. Looking back on it, the only reason that it would make sense is if the Sage and he had some sort of bond he wasn't aware of.

Jiraiya let out a long sign, signaling his discomfort with the topic. "It's complicated." He began with an unusually serious tone. "I never had what it takes to be a father. If you had someone like me as a father figure, who knows how you would've turned out." The Sannin was being uncharacteristically hard on himself. "If you had turned out a failure like me, because of me, I would never be able to face your father."

Naruto frowned at his Mentor's self-deprecating words. "Well, I don't care what you think, you're not a failure and I wouldn't trade you for anyone."

Jiraiya smiled, touched by his student's unexpectedly kind words. "You aren't mad at me?"

"I... don't think so." The boy said slowly as he tried to sort through the things he was feeling. "I may not have known you for very long, but I know that you usually have a good reason for the things that you do."

"I do feel guilty about not being there for you. If you want to hate me, I wouldn't blame you." There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

"It was tough. Living in a village by myself where everyone hated me and wanted me gone."

"I know, Naruto. I'm sorry. I've made a lot of mistakes, and those mistakes have made things much more difficult on you." Speaking from the heart wasn't something the Toad Sage did often. "From now on, I'll be better. I promise."

Instead of anger or sadness, the boy smiled slightly. "I forgive you. I'm just happy that I actually have a real family!" He thought for a moment. "Well, kind of. It's just you and me, but still!"

"Thanks, kid..."

"No problem, ya big perv!"

Jiraiya sweatdropped. 'Guess that'll never change.' He thought to himself with a laugh.

There was something else Naruto desperately wanted to know. Since Jiraiya was his Godfather, that meant that he knew his parents. But, while he wanted to hear every little detail about his parents, he was hesitant to ask about them. They had had a close relationship, meaning there was a good chance that asking about them would reopen a wound that his teacher wasn't ready for. So, out of respect, he would wait for Jiraiya to bring it up. When he was ready to do so.

Naruto looked at the two Jonin that were accompanying him. "What do we do now?" He asked.

As if by fate, a team of Leaf ANBU converged on the scene.

"Master Jiraiya." Boar began in a deep voice. "We need to debrief all three of you on what transpired."

Jiraiya waved him off. "Sorry, but we can't. You can debrief Tenzo, but Naruto and I aren't staying long." He countered casually.

The ANBU team, Tenzo included, seemed slightly taken aback by his response. "Sir, we're under strict orders to not only debrief you three but to ensure Naruto returns safely to the village immediately."

Jiraiya's and Naruto's ears perked at that last part. "Are those Tsunade's orders?" He asked, despite having a hunch he already knew the answer.

The masked ninja shifted uncomfortably. "No, not exactly, sir." The reluctant answer caught both of their attention.

Though he didn't seem like it, Naruto was listening intently to this conversation. 'If she didn't give that order, then who did?'

'Danzo.' Jiraiya inwardly sneered. He was hoping that rat wouldn't have gotten word of what happened. Danzo was one of the people who opposed him taking his Godson out of the village for an extended period. He had even gone so far as to convince the other higher-ups that their precious military weapon was safer inside the village, where they could watch him vigilantly. They would have to kill the Sannin if they planned on keeping his student locked up like one of Orochimaru's test subjects.

Luckily for him, Tsunade had his back throughout the whole ordeal. Though, her power only extends so far. Once the Elders had found out that Naruto was almost stolen away by the Akatsuki a second time, she probably lost all of her authority on the matter.

"I'll send a report to Tsunade, don't worry." He stated calmly. "However, Naruto and I won't be returning to the village yet."

Boar cleared his throat. "With all due respect, due to what happened the boy can no longer be allowed to freely walk outside the walls of the village."

Naruto's eyes narrowed menacingly. "So I'm just a weapon to all of you?" He nearly spat at the Black Ops. "They don't care about my life at all, they just don't want to lose the Nine-Tails." He was boiling over in rage. Now that he experienced it firsthand, he could see more and more clearly what human nature was truly like.

Jiraiya, too, was beginning to lose his temper. "You can tell the Elder's that he's not some dog that needs to be locked in a cage. The kid is safe with me, I'm not going to leave his side again." The Sage stated with finality. He was fully aware that they weren't going to try and take his student by force. They hadn't brought nearly enough ANBU for that.

"…I'll let them know, sir." Reluctance evidence in his tone. Despite their disagreement, the ANBU bowed professionally, and with the company of Tenzo, turned around to go back to the village.

"Thank you." Naruto said with some of the first emotion his mentor had heard from him all day.

"I already told you, we're family. As long as I'm alive they aren't going to treat you like some weapon." He gave his pupil a reassuring thumbs-up.

Naruto gave him a weak smile in return. At least somehow treated him like he was a human being.

"Where are we headed too now?" The Genin asked, trying his best to move past what had just happened.

"Funny you should ask that." The older man responded while biting his thumb. "I think instead of just telling you, I'll show you."

Naruto's eyebrow rose in intrigue, but he said nothing.

"Summoning Jutsu!" The Toad Master exclaimed, after running through a series of hand signs.

'Poof.'

"Yo, what's up." The tiny red toad Gamakichi greeted with a half-lazy wave as the smoke began to clear.

"Hey, can you let them know that Naruto and I are coming in for a visit?" Jiraiya asked the Toad Chief's son.

Gamakichi's eyes lit up at the thought of his blond friend coming to visit his home. "Really?! Sure thing!" He looked over at Naruto. "I'll see you soon, Naruto!" That was followed by a soft 'poof!'

The blond boy just looked confused. "What was that all about?" He wasn't sure what was going on. "He said he'd see me soon, even though he was already here?"

"Just wait, you'll see."

There a brief bit of silence, which annoyed Naruto. He disliked being out of the loop.

"What are we waiting f-"

'Poof!'

The two leaf ninja disappeared in a plume of smoke.

'Poof!'

"Woah." The blond groaned, bringing a hand up to clutch his now pounding head. "What just happened?" He asked, doing his best to regain his bearings.

"What just happened was a reverse summon." Came an old-sounding voice.

Naruto blinked. Wherever he was, it was not the land of waves. This new place had beautiful, colorful, and lush plant-life, enormous mushrooms as tall as trees, large stone frogs with water spewing from their agape mouths. It was awe-inspiring. "Where am I?"

"This is Mount Myoboku, Naruto-boy." The polite voiced chimed in again.

There was that voice again. He swirled around in the direction it had come from. Only no one was there?

"Down here!"

Looking down, the Genin saw a tiny, green toad, no taller than a couple of feet high. The toad had a tuft of white hair styled in what appeared to be a mohawk, very thick eyebrows, and a small goatee of the same color.

"Uhhhh…" The boy was at a loss.

"Naruto." Jiraiya began, gesturing to the tiny animal who had just been talking. "This is Lord Fukasaku. He's one of my masters."

"Uhhhh…"

Jiraiya leaned down to whisper in the green toad's ear. "Give him a minute, he's a bit slow."

Fukasaku chuckled warmly at his young guest. "It's true. I taught Jiraiya-boy almost everything he knows." The aforementioned student coughed loudly in protest, but it was ignored. "And we did a lot of that teaching here." Gesturing to their current surroundings. "This is my home, the home of all summoning toads. Mount Myoboku." The old toad explained slowly.

As Naruto was trying to process all of this brand new information, he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Naruto!" Gamakichi yelled as he hopped over. "I told you I would see you again! So what do you think of my home? Pretty great, right?"

"Yeah." The blond nodded his agreement. "This place is beautiful."

"Kichi-boy, why don't you show Naruto-boy around. I have some catching up to do with my old student."

The young toad nodded in understanding. "You heard em'. Lemme show you around, Naruto."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Jiraiya added in. "We'll be right here waiting for you, kid."

Naruto nodded and followed Gamakichi. Lord Fukasaku's eyes were trained on the Sannin's student.

"So…" The old toad began. "Is that the one? The child of prophecy?"

Jiraiya leaned up against a tall tree-like mushroom and let out a loud, tired-sounding sigh.

"I think it's very possible, but every time I thought that, well, you know what's happened." His voice was laced with a touch of sadness. The powerful Leaf ninja had trained many impressive ninjas.

All of which are now dead.

Fukasaku nodded knowingly. "There is more than just that, isn't there? You wouldn't bring him here just for a visit. Did something happen recently?"

"There were some… things that happened." He said vaguely. "The kid has a lot on his plate right now. I just want to make sure that, if he is the child of prophecy, when the time comes to make the 'critical selection', I make the right choice."

"Ah, so you're here to see him for guidance?" To which his pupil nodded. "But why bring Naruto-boy here?"

"With the Akatsuki out there, I can't leave his side." He grimaced, thinking of back in the village. "And I don't trust the village Elders if I were to leave him back in the Leaf."

"I see."

"We'll probably be here for a while, Boss. If that's okay?"

That question elicited a smile from his Master. "Of course, you're always welcome. I'm sure Ma will love to see ya again. And meet Naruto-boy, as well."

A wave of relief washed over the Leaf's Toad Sage. While he knew he was always welcome with open arms in Mount Myoboku, being there and away from everything else that was happening was going to be good for both Naruto, and him.

"Thanks, Boss."

"Eat up, Pa, Jiraiya-boy, Naruto-boy!"

Naruto gulped audibly; his face practically blue with discomfort. A loud, but very nice toad that Jiraiya called 'Ma'am' just placed several plates of bugs down on the dinner table that they were all sitting around. Fukasaku immediately began to dig in, making sounds of enjoyment with every bite. The blond almost threw up when the green toad swallowed a beetle whole that was the size of Gamakichi's head.

The Genin's eyes began to comically bulge out of his head when even Jiraiya began to start eating.

"Thanks for the food!" He thanked as he sunk his teeth into a dish of colorful looking bugs.

Upon seeing the shocked look of his student, Jiraiya leaned closer to him to whisper. "You'll get a bit used to it eventually, trust me." He began. "Besides, if you don't eat it, Ma will get mad." The warning fell partially on deaf ears

"You want me to eat bugs?!" The student whispered back harshly. "What happened to you wanting me to eat healthily?! I'm a boy, not a frog!"

"Is everything okay, dearies?" Ma asked affectionately.

"Uh, y-yeah." Fukasaku's student replied. "Naruto has just never had any of this food before."

"Oh, you'll love it." Pa chimed in. "Ma here is an amazing cook." His wife blushed at the compliment.

Naruto's stomach rumbled. He let out a deep sigh.

'I'm so hungry…'

He looked at the 'food', then at Jiraiya. A look the Sage immediately understood.

'I never want to hear you complain when I eat ramen ever again.'

When he was sure neither of the toads was looking, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb and began scarfing down everything on his plate.

'Crunch!'

He almost gagged. Not because of the taste, no. Even though the hold on his nose had dulled the senses of taste, some of the flavors still made their way through. The flavor was surprisingly not terrible; it was the texture of the food that made him want to vomit. It was crunchy on the outside and mushy in the middle, almost like he was eating, well, bugs. That's because he was eating bugs!

The boy didn't know how yet, but his Godfather was going to suffer for this. Someone had to.

After shoving all of the bugs into his mouth at once, he slammed down a glass of water to wash them, and the taste, down his throat.

The plate of 'frog food' was now finished.

"Oh, he loved it!" Fukasaku's wife said, admiring the swiftness in which the boy ate her cooking.

"I told you." Pa added.

"Yeah." Naruto lied, sweating from the strain the colorful insects had just put himself through. "Great."

"So, Naruto-boy." Pa began. "How do you like our home?"

Naruto didn't answer for a few seconds, still coming to grips that he had just eaten frog food. "It's… really a beautiful place." His face scrunched up in deep thought. "Though, it feels different somehow."

Jiraiya's ears perked up. "Different? How so?" Voice attentive.

"I don't really know how to explain it." The confusion was evident in his tone of voice. "It's just, the air feels different. If that makes any sense?"

Eyebrow now raised, The Sannin glanced over at the old toads at the other side of the table. Both looked mildly surprised that the kid appeared to already be sensing some levels of natural energy.

"It's a special place." Was the simple explanation the blond was given by his teacher.

Naruto nodded. "I can see that." Not picking up the non-verbal communication that was happening between the other three.

"Kid." Jiraiya broke the boy away from his musing. "A lot has happened, and for the time being we're gonna be staying here."

The Genin lowered his gaze. Understanding why Jiraiya was bringing it up was easy, but he was doing his best to try and forget what had happened in Wave. Thinking about it wouldn't do anyone any good.

"If you want, we can take a break from train-"

"No." Naruto raised his gaze, locking eyes with his teacher. "I'm ready." Words strong as steel.

Jiraiya looked at him for what seemed like a long time. Was it a good idea to jump back into training so quickly? Jiraiya didn't know. He couldn't know. Everyone deals with hardship differently. Maybe the best thing would be to jump straight back into training. Besides, the Akatsuki weren't going to give them extra time. The boy needed to get stronger, as soon as possible.

That was it. The decision was made.

"Okay. It's late, so we'll start back up first thing in the morning." Words eliciting a nod from the young student.

Conversation between Ma and Pa resuming, the Sage tried to tune it out and focus on the serenity of Mount Myoboku. The soft chirping of the toad inhabitants could be heard from outside the kitchen window, sounding similar to the noises of the forests they had spent so much time in these past few months. Yet, it was calmer; more peaceful. Suddenly, a chill washed over his body. Eyes snapping open, focusing on the retreating form of his student who was headed off to bed.

Hoping he had made the right choice, not just for his student's sake, but for the world.

…

"You're too weak."

Naruto opened his eyes and sat up. No longer laying on the floor in the room the small toads, Jiraiya, and he was sharing. Strangely enough, the boy was sitting in his bed.

'What the hell is going on.' Whatever it was, it felt off.

Standing up, the blond walked over to his window. Just as he was about to push it open, the floor beneath him began to rumble. "Woah! What the-" Stumbling about, just managing to open them up. His eyes widened in horror.

This really was the Leaf Village. And... the entire village was on fire.

"No, not again…" The sharp, burning pain that had been in his chest earlier was creeping its way back.

Instincts taking over, he leaped out of the window onto the ground outside of his apartment.

Terrible screams could be heard in the distance. Screams that sounded familiar.

Taking off in that direction, hopes growing dim about what he was about to see, the boy had only one thing running through his mind.

'Nothing like that can ever happen again. I won't let it!'

The horrible cries for help were getting closer. Leaping over a wooden fence, he arrived at the scene.

"Naruto, wait! You have to get out of here, now!" It was Jiraiya, but, standing behind him were the two Akatsuki members that had crushed the Land of Waves. They had a kunai to his throat.

Littered around them were bodies. More specifically, the bodies of his friends. Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Lee, Neji, Tenten. They were all dead, throats slashed.

Naruto remained still; heart caught in his throat. Not again… This couldn't be happening again! It didn't make any sense; he shouldn't be here right now. The Akatsuki, they shouldn't be here either!

Tears began to freely run down the now alone boy's cheek, but a sound did not escape his lips. That was it. Despite not having much left to begin with, they had taken everything he had remaining from him.

"Why, why is there happening to me."

Kakuzu smiled sinisterly behind his dark-colored mask. "Because, you're too weak!" The sharp kunai was dragged harshly across the throat of his mentor.

"No!"

Naruto awoke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down his cheeks. Heart beating furiously in his chest. Looking to the left, Jiraiya was there sleeping peacefully on his side. To the right, Lord Fukasaku and the female toad he later learned was named Lady Shima were still passed out, as well.

Realizing, he was no longer in the Leaf, but back in Mount Myoboku, his lips let out a shaky sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness." Tone down to a whisper.

Unlike the last nightmare that occurred, Naruto could remember every detail upon waking up. Though, he desperately wished he couldn't. It was too painful. And those words, they rang painfully in his ears over and over.

'You're too weak.'

Gripping his chest tightly, he couldn't help but agree with those words. They were right after all; many precious people have died because he had been too weak to protect them.

That was why training had to resume as soon as possible. Maybe with that training, no one close to him would have to die? No one at all would have to die. The strength to protect innocent people from harm. That was the goal.

The only current issue? There was no way he would be getting any more sleep tonight.

Naruto let out a long, obnoxious yawn that made his Sensei twitch in annoyance.

They had just made it to where they would be training in what Naruto would affectionately describe as 'Toad Land.' It was an open area away from where the toads lived, though you wouldn't be able to tell by just glancing at it. They were still surrounded by tall mushrooms, and colorful foliage as far as the eye could see. It was nice and spacious, perfect for training.

"Tired, kid?" He asked, confused. "You went to bed even earlier than I did. How are you tired?

"Oh, uh." The blond scratched the back of his head nervously. If Jiraiya knew about what had happened last night, then there was a good chance their training would be postponed. After all, a big emphasis was put on whether or not he could handle intense training after the Land if Waves incident. "Ya see, I woke up super early in the morning to pee, but then I couldn't get myself to go back to sleep. Don't ya hate when that happens?" He lied.

Jiraiya nodded knowingly, accepting the lie. Now that the blond had mentioned it, Naruto had already been awake by the time he had gotten up.

"Just, try not to fall asleep on me. Today is really important for your training." This elicited a swift nod from his pupil. "Good." Jiraiya reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "You probably remember me showing you something like this." He said, flipping the page around so his student could look.

It was similar to what he had shown him a few months ago when they were in the early stages of training. Again, each of the seven days of the week was written out on the paper, Monday through Sunday. Each of those days when then enclosed by a shape, that shape indicated what type of training they would be doing on that specific day of the week. A way to simplify the layout of the training regimen enough where even Naruto could understand it.

This time around, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday were enclosed by a triangle, Wednesday and Sunday were contained by a square, and Monday and Friday were circled.

Already knowing that squares meant Taijutsu and circles were for weighted training, the blond only had one question on his mind. "So, what do the triangles stand for?" Today was Thursday, so whatever the triangle meant is what they were going to do.

"Simple. Ninjutsu." The Sage explained; toothy grin ever-present.

Naruto sat quietly, urging his instructor to continue with a knowing look.

Jiraiya frowned. "Huh, I thought you would be more excited than this, Naruto?"

The boy's face was nearly stoic. "I am, it's just a little difficult for me to show it right now." He forced himself to smile, though to Jiraiya it just looked like he was in pain.

The Sage winced at his words. 'I'm so stupid!' Mentally berating himself. Being more careful with words was a key point Fukasaku and Shima had mentioned to him last night after Naruto had gone off to bed.

"What Ninjutsu are we going to be working on?" The boy asked, trying to change the subject for his, and his Master's, sake.

"Well, if you remember, I had asked you to work on your Rasengan a while back. Being able to perform a Rasengan with just a single hand will make it a much more useful attack when in battle."

The boy nodded his agreeance, there was just one problem. "I have been trying for a while, but it's just too hard. At this rate, I'm going to spend all of the time we have for Ninjutsu just to learn how to do a proper Rasengan!"

Jiraiya smiled. When talking about Jutsu and getting stronger, a tiny bit of that sparkle returned to his pupil's eyes. It wasn't ideal, but it was an improvement, nonetheless.

Jiraiya held up a finger knowingly. "Funny you should mention that." Smirk fit perfectly to his face. "I had a hunch that this could be a problem, and I had been thinking about a way around it."

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Sensei?" The Genin retorted; eyes squinted in confusion.

"You know how you used your clones to read all of those books so quickly?" This registered a nod from his Godson. "Well, do you know how you were able to do that?"

"Well, yeah. You said that the clone's memories and experiences transferred themselves to me after they are dispelled." This was confusing. What did that have to do with anything?

"Well, if you can take the knowledge and memories of your clones, then there's a chance we could use that to help you learn Jutsu faster."

Naruto's eyes widened at this revelation, but before he could say anything Jiraiya continued to explain.

"If a group of you and 4 clones practice a Jutsu with you, there's a chance that their experience could transfer to you and you'll be able to learn that technique 5 times faster than you normally would be able to. In theory, at least. It most likely won't exactly be 5 times faster, but it would be faster than just you alone."

"That's amazing!" The blond exclaimed, reclaiming a bit of his trademark enthusiasm. "If this is possible, why don't I just make 100 clones?! That way I'll learn Jutsu super-fast!" This was it! He was going to be strong in no time!

The white-haired Sage held up a hand in protest. "Not so fast, kid." Tone firm, but not harsh. "Don't you remember what happened when you used only a handful of clones?"

Naruto winced, remembering the aftermath of an extra-long reading session with only 11 clones. He had passed out, and lying wasn't an option because his mentor had been there to wake him up.

"Your mind isn't developed enough to safely handle that amount of stress." He informed. 'Especially after everything that has happened, I can't risk straining him any more than he already has been.' The Jonin added mentally. "We're going to take this slow." Finishing aloud.

The Jinchuriki huffed but did not resist his Godfather's instructions. "I guess…" Knowing full well his guardian was right.

"Besides, you're not going to be only doing Ninjutsu on Ninjutsu days." He vaguely informed.

"Huh?" Head cocked comically to the side in confusion. "What do you mean? What else am I gonna be doing?"

Jiraiya smirked and grabbed a book from one of his bags. "Everyday, one of your clones is going to be taken aside to read things like this." Jiraiya tossed a book at the blond.

The blond caught it easily, reading the title with a curious look. "Fuinjutsu: The Sealing Arts for Beginners." Eyebrow fully raised. "Fuinjutsu. This sounds familiar." Where had he heard that?

"Your weights." He began, pointing to the weights strapped to the young boy's limbs. "I make them heavier by pumping chakra into the seals that I drew on them. When activated with my chakra, those written seals alter the intensity of the downward force of whatever is written on them."

"I was always meaning to ask you, why doesn't everyone use seals like these to get stronger?"

Jiraiya grinned proudly. "Well, it just so happens that you're looking at one of the few great seal masters left in the world."

The narcissism Naruto saw radiating off of his Godfather was practically palpable. "At least you're good at something besides perving!" Had to knock him back down a peg.

The self-proclaimed Super Pervert shook his head, unfazed by his pupil's words; they were getting off-topic.

"The seal on your stomach, as well." Jiraiya continued, pointing at the boy's midsection. "The Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed away inside you with an advanced form of Fuinjutsu." He watched as the boy gripped his stomach tightly on instinct. "Fuinjutsu has more uses than just sealing things away or into other things. It can be used to create barriers, contract seals, block the flow of chakra, restrict people's movements, and many other thngs. The potential of this art is only limited by the knowledge, creativity, and skill of the user."

"Seems like something that can be very useful." The blond mused as he flipped through the book he was given.

Had this been a few months ago, Naruto wouldn't even attempt to read a book like this. Now, though, he was more open to reading. Reading was something he enjoyed doing, as unbelievable as it sounded.

"Exactly. If you can learn how to utilize it, it will be a valuable tool in your arsenal." Jiraiya concluded. 'After all, with his natural creativity, his parents affinities for sealing, and my guidance... this kid has the potential to become one of the greatest seal Master's we've ever seen.' That would definitely be something that Naruto would not be hearing. The Genin was known for letting praise go to his head sometimes.

"That's another reason I can't have too many clones, right?" Naruto questioned. "If it was just the Ninjutsu, I might be able to get away with using more clones. But because my focus will be divided between Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu, it could potentially put even more strain on my mind."

"That's… right." Surprised that the blond was able to extrapolate that key fact from their conversation.

"So, how many clones do you want me to make?"

The Sannin thought for a moment, bringing a hand to his chin. After a moment of contemplation, he decided. "I would say, for now, 1 clone for reading and 4 for Ninjutsu. 5 in all.

A sharp nod was followed by hands swinging up to form the unique seal for shadow clones. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Was followed by 5 plumes of smoke.

…

Several hours had passed. The Genin was panting heavily as he brought his hand up to slightly below shoulder level once again, palm facing upwards. The ridges of the palm were scuffed up from chakra burns. The day had consisted of the clones and him forming their respective Rasengan's, doing their best to tighten the rotation of the Jutsu, and the original having his Jutsu blow up in his face. Jiraiya had made it clear that the clones shouldn't be condensing their Rasengan's too much. That way they didn't get constantly dispelled from explosions all day, thus saving precious chakra while also still getting valuable experience.

Though, it was beginning to get a little frustrating. No progress was being made. Running a hand through singed hair once again, he sighed and began to form chakra in his palm once more.

"Wait, Naruto."

"What?" The boy responded grumpily. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now, not after getting blown up the entire day. It wasn't fun!

"Dispel your clones."

Naruto gave a confused look but obliged anyway. There was usually a method to the pervs madness.

'Poof!'

The Sannin watched his student carefully.

After dispelling the technique, the world began to spin a little. Stumbling a little, the original orange-clad ninja did his best to maintain balance. After a few moments, the sensation went away, and he was able to take in the experiences that all of the clones had gathered. Though, they had left the clone that was reading. Jiraiya had said that it probably wasn't a good idea to simultaneously dispel clones that were doing two different things for a long period of time. Taking in all of that differing information might be too much for him as of right now. Maybe after getting used to the sensation it wouldn't matter as much, but right now it was better to be safe than sorry.

Slowly, the pieces of the training were falling into the appropriate places.

"How do you feel?" Jiraiya asked cautiously. It didn't appear the effects of the training were harmful, but being completely sure was something that had to be done.

"I feel good." Naruto replied honestly. It pained him to admit it, but his Mentor had been right. Though it wasn't severe by any means, 4 clones had more of an effect that he had anticipated. If they had done it the way the blond wanted, let's just say passing out again was extremely likely.

"Good. Now try the Rasengan again."

"Okay…" The boy responded closely, not expecting this result to be any different. Getting into a balanced stance, he brought his palm up and began to gather chakra. Taking it slowly, the chakra began to spin faster and faster. Once it reached a speed that was deemed acceptable, the focus shifted to increasing power by condensing the chakra down into a super-tight ball. Little by little, the ball got smaller, while still maintaining the rotational speed. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

"Woah, this is the farthest I've ever gotten."

'Boom!'

Being surprised by the rapid improvement, the trainee lost focus and the result was a destabilized Rasengan explosion.

"Oof!" Naruto yelped as he was thrown to the ground by the force.

Jiraiya let out a bark of laughter but was nonetheless very pleased with the fruits of his student's labor. It appeared to have positive effects after all. "How did that feel, Gaki? Do you think training with the clones helped you at all?"

"Definitely." Was the joyful response as the pupil picked himself off of the ground. "It still needs a ton more practice, but that is honestly the only progress I've made on the Rasengan in a long time!"

"That's great!" Jiraiya explained. "You know, now that we're done with training today, we should celebrate a little!"

Naruto was interested. "Really? How?"

Jiraiya just smirked and pulled out a scroll from his sleeve that had a symbol on it that the blond now recognized.

"Hey, I know what that is! That's a storage seal, right?" The boy stopped for a moment. "Wait, how do I know that?" Glancing over at where the scholarly clone had been sitting, they noticed that it was no longer there. During the explosion it must have either gotten caught up in the blast or accidentally dispelled by a distracted Naruto.

After realizing what had happened, the both quickly recovered. "That's right. Good job, kid." His Sensei responded proudly. "Looks like you're retaining what you're reading pretty well, huh?"

"Hehehe." Naruto laughed as he put his arms behind his head in his trademark pose. It made Jiraiya so happy to see him like that again, even just for a split second.

"But what's more important is what's sealed inside."

Naruto watched curiously as his mentor undid the seal to release…

"Instant ramen?!" Tears began to form at the corner of his eyes. This truly was a beautiful moment. After all of the bugs, he had been eating the past two days he needed some ramen in his life. "You're the best…"

"Don't expect this every time, Gaki. You deserve a treat, but it won't be very often."

"Yes, Sir!"

The ANBU, after a long bit of traveling North, finally arrived in the Village Hidden in Hot Water. After being shut down by Jiraiya of the Sannin, they had decided to split into two groups. One group would go back to the village and inform the Hokage and the Elders of Jiraiya's defiance, and the others would retrieve the man who was granted asylum to protect him from the Akatsuki after he assisted Jiraiya.

The group of eight was now four, not including Yamato as he also had returned to the Leaf. This group was now split into two groups of two. While the others were busy retrieving the newest member of the village, the second group were to examine the house of the now-dead informant neighbor, Naki. If Jiraiya wasn't going to relay any information to the Elders, only Tsunade, then it was their job to do that. That is if they could even find anything noteworthy.

'Knock Knock.'

"Please open the door. We are here to take you to the Hidden Leaf Village by way of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sama." They waited for a response, but after a couple of moments, there still hadn't been a response.

The attending ANBU sighed but maintained his professional demeanor. "Sir, I know that you are probably scared, but we are allies of the man who had been here a few days ago. The one you helped; we would like to return that kindness."

This time, the ninja could discern some soft sounds coming from behind the door that sounded like walking. Sure enough, a few seconds later the door made a soft 'click' and it opened up to reveal the same man that Jiraiya had met. Bald, middle-aged, and with a thick beard. Though he was hiding partially behind the door so not all of his body could be seen.

"Finally, you came!" He sounded overjoyed by the arrival of the nice shinobi. "I was scared they were going to come back for me!"

"Don't worry." The ANBU reassured. "You'll be safe behind the walls of the Leaf."

The old gentleman nodded vigorously in agreeance. "Thank you very much."

The two that had been searching through Naki's house, now done with their task, regrouped with the others. "There wasn't any information in there that Danzo would find useful." Tone even, but with a hint of disappointment.

The others nodded, looking back to their escort. "We should be leaving now. Are you ready? Do you have everything that you need?"

"Sure do!" Gesturing to the bag that had a strap hanging over his shoulder. "I don't need to bring much, just the necessities. The name is Sozoku, by the way."

"We must inspect your personal items. It is protocol." To which Sozoku agreed willingly and handed over his belongings. One of the ANBU searched it thoroughly. He found it a bit odd that there appeared to be no sentimental items such as pictures or letters, but as long as there was nothing to harm Leaf Villagers it wasn't important. All that was in there was food, water, and a bedroll for sleeping during the long trip. The Jonin nodded and handed back the bag. The four Leaf Elite nodded, happy that they would finally be able to return home after this ordeal. "Then let us go."

The man nodded, and walked out of his house on his crutches to follow them.

The ANBU, with their backs now turned to the man, were unable to see his face contort into a smug smirk...

Chapter Text

Omake: Life in the Leaf 2

Sakura

Sakura closed the book that was now resting on her lap as a long sigh escaped her lips. Many thoughts were running through her mind, and she didn't know how to process all of them. After about three days of reading the newly purchased book, it was finally finished. If she was being honest, the expectations for her teammate's book were low. I mean, how could they not be? The Naruto that she knew barely passed the academic portions of the academy. Or, at least, that was what she the pink-haired girl had assumed?

Because wow, this book was good. In fact, good may have been an understatement. It was great. Not only was it well written, which was the biggest surprise of all, but it also made her feel some emotions that she hadn't been prepared to feel.

Sakura was aware that Naruto had grown up all by himself, but not until now did she truly know what the boy had been going through all of these years. All of that was conveyed through the main character, Menma, which was a result of Naruto projecting himself into his work.

'I always saw him with that annoying large smile on his face…' The kunoichi thought with a twinge of sadness. 'I always just assumed he was happy, but he was just sad and lonely.' She did her best to try and shake those sympathetic thoughts from her head. Naruto wouldn't want her to feel that way about him.

After all, this wasn't a sad book about a despairing main character, it was a story of a man who gets all of the adversity in the world thrown at him, only for him to try his damnedest to overcome it and grow as a human. If anything, Sakura should be proud of Naruto; not sad for him. Never once had she heard the boy complain about anything in his life. Sure, he would sometimes get frustrated or upset when things didn't go his way, but that's natural for everyone.

The truth was, her blond teammate was one of the strongest people she had ever met. And Sakura wasn't talking about battle strength, though Naruto was very strong in that regard, too. No, character was the greatest strength he possessed. No matter what happened, who was in his way, or how hopeless the situation was, Naruto was going to give it everything he had. That was who Naruto Uzumaki was!

She clenched her fist tightly a new fire burning brightly behind those green eyes. "I'm not going to let you get that far ahead of me, Naruto! I'm going to train my butt off today, and every day, with Tsunade-sama until you get back! Just you wait!"

Hinata

When the Hyuga Heiress had learned that the boy she had always admired had come out with a book that she would be able to read, words could not describe how happy she was. She felt this way for many reasons.

Not only did she want to support her fellow leaf ninja as much as she could, but reading something that was written by him also helped dull pain in her chest that had been intermittently present ever since the boy had left with Jiraiya of the Sannin. Hinata didn't know why the pain was there, but it would flare up whenever her mind drifted to thinking about Naruto.

Most importantly, though, the novel allowed her to peer into the mind of its author. Not being much of a writer herself, it was still common knowledge that an author tends to show some of their thoughts and feelings through the work they create. In short, maybe reading this book would be able to help her be in tune with whatever her crush was feeling.

Well, she read the whole thing. Quite quickly, in fact. After purchasing the novel, she rushed home back to the Hyuga compound and began reading immediately. Reading the entire day, then that entire night, she finished around lunchtime the following morning.

Letting out a tired yawn, pale eyes were fixated on the cover of the book. It was just like him, very orange. Normally Hinata would've smiled, but conflicting feelings were getting in the way of it. The contents of the book were something she had not expected. From what she knew about Naruto, he was someone very strong and determined. Someone who, no matter what was in his way, he was going to fight tooth and nail to succeed.

Hinata had seen him do it after all, at the first stage of the Chunin Exams. Naruto did what he did best and didn't give up, and even though he didn't appear to notice, he inspired a lot of Chunin hopefuls to do the same thing that day. One of them was her.

That is what had her so conflicted. Menma, the protagonist, was nothing like the Naruto she knew. At least, not at first. The main character was lonely, self-conscious, and emotionally wounded. Three things that she would never associate with Naruto. Only later, after much struggling and self-reflection did Menma begin to resemble the blond boy Hinata had learned to admire so deeply.

That's when the realization hit her. Having been so enthralled by the pristine perception of Naruto that she had, it never crossed her mind that this was what he was like before; and maybe still like, to some degree.

Tears began forming in the corner of her lavender eyes as he began to think back to that cold day in the woods when those bullies were trying to pick on her. Naruto had saved her and had gotten beaten up badly in the process. Then, she had been dragged away unable to even so much as thank her savior. At that time, was he feeling the way Menma felt? Alone? Worthless? The possibility of that being true was tearing her up inside.

If she had known back then, maybe she would've acted differently? Hinata hoped that that was the case, but she wasn't sure. Growing up shy and scared, the desire to get closer to Naruto was there, the girl could just never bring herself to do it no matter how hard she tried.

It broke the Heiresses heart that the boy she wanted nothing more than to stand at his side had been going through so much while she was too scared to even say 'hi.'

'I'm so pathetic…' Harsh words echoed in the ears of the shy member of team 8.

'I don't quit, and I don't run!'

Since the Chunin exams, every time Hinata was scared to do something those words came back to her memory. Naruto's words.

Shaking her head free of all of those negative thoughts, Hinata steeled herself. Naruto was due to come back in two years…

That gave her two years to become better. And when it was time for the blond to come back, she would be ready to be there for him if he needed it, and he would take notice of her!

Neji

The cousin to the main branches heiress, a slave to the household, Neji's interest in Naruto and his novel was quite different from that of Hinata and Sakura. Neji was one of the few geniuses of his generation. A prodigy in the way of the Gentle Fist art that would be considered very rare even among the elite of the Main Branch of the clan.

Yet, he was bested in combat by someone who he had deemed as inferior to him. So sure of his victory, the blond's devastating uppercut did more than discombobulate Neji's senses, it turned his entire world upside down.

There were many things that the caged Hyuga wanted to ask his former opponent, though he never got the chance to do so before he had left the village with the indecent Sannin. Well, more accurately, Neji had no idea how to bring them up in conversation. They had interacted verbally a bit during their mission to retrieve Sasuke, but nothing far beyond simple conversation and things about the mission.

If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't a very sociable person. Nor did he like to show emotion, which would make talking to Naruto very difficult given the things he wants to discuss.

So, what better way than to try and communicate with him through the words that he writes? Perhaps it would answer those burning questions.

No matter how many days had past since the final round of the Chunin Exams, there was one line that constantly resonated with the talented shinobi.

"You don't know what it's like to be branded with a mark that sets you apart! A mark that can never be wiped away!"

"Oh yeah, I know what that's like… Well, big deal. Who cares?"

Initially, those words had infuriated Neji. It seemed as though Naruto was trying to minimize what he had gone through with the death of his father and the unfair state of his clan. Yet, after looking back on it, that didn't seem to be the case.

What had he meant by that? And then, what was that chakra the blond was able to bring forth despite having his chakra points blocked? Neji hypothesized that Naruto's 'mark' that he said he also possessed and that swirling red chakra were somehow connected.

After completing the novel, the Hyuga prodigy was even more sure of his theory than he had been before. The main character of the story was someone who was ostracized due to a power that he could not fully control. Having heard around the village, Naruto was not well received by many of the villagers, yet Neji hadn't heard why this was. Coupling this with the fact that this Menma grew and matured into someone who resembles Naruto in many ways, this could only make it even more likely that Naruto and the Hyuga are very alike.

Both were branded with hideous marks that not only defined them but limited their possibilities.

Or so, that was what he thought before clashing with the blond. While Neji had been born with unmistakable talent, Naruto was not; and he still won. Immediately after the heated battle, the result dumbfounded Neji. How could he, the pride of the Leaf's most powerful clan, lose to someone with less talent and skill? Over time, after thinking about life and the words that were spoken to him on that day, he concluded.

It was because Naruto refused to be bound by what was supposed to be his fate. By not accepting it, and choosing to fight past it, the boy had exceeded his limits and potential. It almost didn't seem real and went against the Hyuga boy's deeply entrenched beliefs about life and reality. Yet, it still made him believe that it was possible.

Naruto inspired him to continue moving forward no matter what, and this book was just a projection of all the things that the blond had unintentionally taught him.

Neji unceremoniously cracked a smile.

One day, the Hyuga branches would join together to form one clan. Then, and only then, will the curse mark of the branch families disappear for good and fade into history. Using Naruto's teachings, Neji would ensure that this happens.

Tsunade

Tsunade grunted in a mix of annoyance and anger as she eyed the old badger sitting on the other side of the large Hokage desk.

The last few days had been an absolute mess. After receiving the message from her childhood friend and teammate about the recent events in both Wave and the Land of Hot Water, she had been worried sick about the little Genin. The only silver lining to the whole situation was that Naruto was safe and sound. Well, from what Jiraiya had said, physically safe. Mentally, that was a matter that had still yet to be determined, but she was praying that Naruto would come out of all of this no worse for wear.

Now, while that whole situation was bad enough, there was also the matter of dealing with the person who was currently invading her personal space.

"For the last time." Tsunade's voice was it's usual strict and firm tone. "Even if I ordered Jiraiya to come back, he wouldn't. His job is to train the boy, and he can't do that when they are both in the village. We rely on Jiraiya too much when he's here, they wouldn't be able to accomplish anything." How many times did she have to say it before he would understand?

"This is ridiculous, Princess Tsunade. You are the Hokage. Act like it for once and order your subordinate to return to the village at once!" Danzo demanded, despite not having the actual power to do so.

"From what Jiraiya told me, he and Naruto are safe in Mt. Myoboku and are planning on staying there for a majority of the time they have left before they are due back in the village." The Slug Princesses tone was getting harsher and harsher as this conversation continued. "That should be acceptable, even for you."

"No, that is not good enough. The boy must be here in the village where we can watch him and make sure he does not get into trouble. Jiraiya has shown that he is incapable of ensuring the Jinchuriki's safety. I would do a much better job if I was just given the opportunity." This would not do. Not at all. If he had the seat of Hokage, the state of the village would be far better than it currently was. The other nations were beginning to view the Leaf as a weaker version of its former self. These perceptions invite conflict as the other countries vie to be at the top of the world. If only Tsunade realized that and gave up the seat to him willingly. Then, the village's most valuable asset would be safe and locked in a cage-like it should be, thus helping them maintain their spot as the supreme ninja village.

"Jiraiya is one of the Sannin, and currently the strongest ninja we have. If anyone could keep Naruto safe, it is him."

"That remains to be seen…"

"Jiraiya is the reason Naruto isn't in the hands of the Akatsuki, and it is not from a lack of trying."

Danzo would be hard-pressed to argue with that. There were now two times when an Akatsuki duo tried to take the Nine-Tailed fox, and both were foiled by the presence of The Toad Sage. Though, one of those instances involved Itachi…

The Old Badger sneered. He couldn't tell Tsunade about why the encounter with Itachi had less merit. Only three people know about that, and there was no way he was going to let more people in on that dark little secret. He had no choice but to relent for now.

"And, Danzo. This information, it is classified, it will not leave this room." The beautiful Senju's voice promised punishment if her words were ignored.

"Fine." The annoyance in his voice was palpable. "Just know this, Princess Tsunade, if that boy falls into the hands of the Akatsuki, the world as we know it is doomed. So, you had better hope that fool Jiraiya knows what he's doing." Before the Fifth Hokage could even respond, Danzo lifted himself off of the chair with his trusty cane and made his way for the door.

Yet, suddenly, he stopped and turned around. From this position, he could see the entire office that the always belonged to the incumbent Hokage. Even though Tsunade currently resided in that seat, he could see himself in her place. A faint smile adorning his wrinkled lips, the bandaged man closed the door behind him as he left.

The Female Sannin let out a deep, frustrated sigh. First, there had been stacks of paperwork that had to be dealt with, they the annoying badger had to come in with his monthly power struggle that was beginning to grow tiresome. Though, this was one of the few times were Danzo had made some good points. If she didn't have the utmost respect and love for both Jiraiya and Naruto, perhaps Shimura's request would've been considered.

"I need a drink…" Muttering absentmindedly to herself, she glanced at the orange book that was laying on the far right corner of her desk. Tsunade had been excited to read the book by her adoptive grandson, but there just wasn't enough time. Especially considering everything that had just happened, there wasn't enough time in the day to get everything done.

What was it about? That was what made her so curious. The similarities the blond had to Nawaki and Dan were probably what made her the most interested. Maybe she would see a little bit of them in it? Who knew?

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said loudly as she walked through the door with a large stack of paper in her hands. "All of these need to be completed by the end of the day." Her smile was a mask to hide her nervousness because she that the Hokage was already in a bad mood after meeting with the Leaf Village's leader of ROOT. More paperwork was just adding fuel to the fire.

Tsunade's eyes drifted slowly from the book to her student, ushering her forward. She watched as Shizune plopped the papers down in front of her. Another sigh escaping the lips of the Sannin.

'Hopefully, I'll have time to start reading it tomorrow….' She mused, though with little confidence that it was possible.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Great Lord Elder

-24 months before returning to the village-

Naruto gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain the violent spinning orb in his hand. The energy it gave off made his wild hair swirl in several directions in a similar fashion a large gust of wind would do. Sweat beads pooled at the temple until they were too large, gravity taking care of the rest as they rolled down the sides of his face.

Weeks of practice were beginning to pay off, every day it was getting easier to use the Rasengan with one hand. Just a few moments ago, the blond had dispelled all of the clones who had been training hard the entire day. After taking in their experience, it was time to see what progress had been made.

Jiraiya smirked, happy with the boy's continuous advancement. "That's it, Naruto. Maintain that power without losing control."

Naruto heard him, but couldn't even nod his head in response. Doing so would cause him to lose focus and, well… he had made that mistake sometime last week and the result was painful. The goal of this training was to hold the completed jutsu for at least 20 seconds, and if he could do that, then they would see what kind of damage it would inflict on the surrounding landscape.

20 seconds had just been reached. "Now, kid."

Once he was given the signal, the Jinchuriki slammed the Rasengan into one of the taller nearby mushroom trees. There was a loud screeching sound, as the violent chakra began to shred through the flesh of the mushroom as if it were warm butter. Naruto grimaced, beads of sweat were how dripping freely off his chin. When a clone was used to help make the Rasengan, it took a lot of stress off of the boy. Coupled with the fact that he never used to hold the chakra in his hand for an extended period of time even in combat, meant that every step of this training was harder than when he first learned the technique.

After moments of carnage, the mushroom tree had had enough. Naruto had ripped through a lot of its trunk. Without a stable base to keep itself upright, the tree began to creak and groan, the force of the jutsu pushing it backward. It slowly fell, finally collapsing with a loud 'crash!'

Jiraiya clapped loudly in celebration. "Great job! That was the real deal."

Naruto looked at his burned hand, not entirely satisfied with his performance. "I guess. It's just that, I'm still not even close to being able to use it in battle like that. If I lose my concentration for even a second, it will blow up in my face."

Jiraiya put his hand on top of Naruto's head and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Yeah, but you can't deny the progress that you've made already. I told you before, this is not an easy jutsu to master. It takes time, but at the rate you're going, you'll be the quickest person to have ever mastered it."

The Genin's face scrunched up in annoyance at the man's words. "Yeah, but that isn't saying much. I'm only the third person to learn it!"

Jiraiya shook his head, surprising the blond. Instead of using words, he just held up 4 fingers.

"What do you mean? Who's the fourth?" The Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya, himself, and...

"Kakashi." Was the Sannin's one-word response.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Even Kakashi-sensei knows it? Why did he never tell me that?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "You shouldn't be surprised. Not only is Kakashi called the Copy Ninja who has copied over one-thousand techniques, but he was also a student of the Fourth Hokage." Even with that explanation, Kakashi knowing, and being able to do the Rasengan even better than him, didn't sit right with the blond. Even though he was called the Copy Ninja, the Sharingan didn't help him learn a jutsu that didn't use hand signs.

Noticing this, Jiraiya interceded. "Don't worry about that, Naruto. As I said, you might be able to master this technique faster than myself, Kakashi, and the Fourth Hokage. That is some pretty good company to be in if I do say so myself."

That made Naruto smile slightly. That was fantastic company to be in. They were three of the strongest ninja the village had ever produced, and he was on par with them when learning a technique. "I guess you're right. Thanks, sensei." There was just one small thing that didn't make sense. "If he knows such a powerful jutsu, how come I've never seen him use it in a fight?" It was a very strong technique, after all. Why not use it?

"Well, that's a matter of preference." Jiraiya explained he said with a wave of the hand. The Sannin always did like to convey dialogue with unnecessary hand gestures. "Kakashi saw the Fourth's Rasengan and modeled his Lightning Blade after it. It is very similar to the Rasengan, though it lacks the severe level of rotation our jutsu requires. Then, Kakashi combined this result with his lightning nature manipulation, creating a deadly jutsu that is perfect for assassinations."

Naruto's face scrunched up. "Well, why didn't he just add his lightning to the Rasengan, to begin with? Why go through all of the trouble of creating an entirely different technique?"

"Ah." Jiraiya nodded knowingly, a smirk appearing on his face. "That answer is simple… he couldn't."

A look of surprise appeared on the blond's face. "This is Kakashi-sensei we're talking about here. What do you mean he couldn't?"

Jiraiya's face lifted up into a bittersweet smile in remembrance of his late, great student. Instead of answering the traditional way, he held up his palm and created a Rasengan of his own. Though, now it was the Sannin's turn to have a look of strain overcome his features. His hand began to shake violently from the effort, and Naruto could notice that the attack was beginning to change slightly in a way he had never seen before. The usually blue jutsu began to change to a slightly more reddish-orange color, and sparks of fire began to appear around the orb. Though, the orb began to vibrate at a dangerously high frequency, as if it was about to explode. Alas, the effort was too much for Jiraiya, and he had to dissipate the technique before it detonated.

Despite the failure, Naruto's eyes were sparkling in awe. "Wow, what was that?!"

Jiraiya, now breathing a little heavy, wiped the sweat that was now dripping down the side of his face. "That... was my best attempt to incorporate my fire release into the Rasengan. As you can see, even for me, it's unbelievably difficult. I've tried to do it for over a decade, but with no luck. I almost think that it's impossible."

The Genin nodded slowly, doing his best to take in all of this new information. "But why is it so difficult to add your fire to the Rasengan, but easier for Sensei to create the Lightning Blade?" What was the difference, he wondered?

"Rotation." Jiraiya began simply. "The Rasengan is the highest attainable level of change in chakra form possible in the current known world of ninjutsu."

"Change in chakra form?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Change in form is essentially molding your chakra into whatever shape you want it to be. The form of chakra determines a technique's size, range, and purpose. And the Rasengan is the most extreme version of this, meaning that, by itself, it is already an incredibly difficult jutsu to master. A-Rank, in fact. To then have to add nature manipulation into the mix, that would make the resulting technique S-Rank, no, probably even higher than that."

Naruto's eyes widened at a sudden realization. "That means…" He began, looking down at his right hand. "That the Fourth's Rasengan is an incomplete technique?"

The Toad Sage nodded. "That's right. Not even the Fourth Hokage, the genius of the last several generations, could add his elemental chakra to the Rasengan."

The boy couldn't believe it. From what he learned in the academy, The Fourth Hokage was perhaps the greatest genius the village ever produced. He practically ended the Third Great Ninja War by himself. Yet, even he couldn't finish his technique?

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

Jiraiya smiled widely. "Because, kid, if there is anyone who can complete this jutsu, I think it's you."

"What?! No way! I can't even master the base technique. There's no way I can do that. I mean, if someone like the Fourth couldn't do it, what are the chances that a loser like me could do it?"

"You are far from a loser, kid. You're learning the jutsu much faster than I ever did, and I'm one of the Sannin! I'm not sure that it's possible to 'complete' it, but we're going to cross that bridge when we get to it. Once you have the Rasengan fully mastered, we'll move on to even bigger fish."

The praise the blond received from his Master always made him feel a lot better. Not getting much of it growing up, he didn't realize how much he had longed for it until he finally received it. Though, he wasn't going to let it go to his head. His mentor believed in him, and there was no way he would let him down.

The two began to walk back into the residential area of the Mountain. They passed a bushel of bright purple and green flowers, something the Genin never thought would've existed naturally. This place continued to surprise him with how it differed from the Land of Fire. The array of bright colors had initially been giving him headaches. The different scenery and plant-life in Mount Myoboku were taking a little getting used to, but Naruto felt he was adapting to it. His thoughts drifted back to what his Godfather had said. He didn't like to let people down, and if Jiraiya truly had that much faith in him, the boy was going to try his damnedest to realize it.

Naruto's eyes began to sparkle, and to Jiraiya, it looked just like when he first showed his Godson what the Rasengan was. A sense of relief washed over him that he could barely fathom. Maybe jumping back into training so quickly after the Wave tragedy was the best choice to make? While it was clear the kid was still in great pain, training was always something that lifted his spirits. The Sage was tired of making constant mistakes regarding the blond. Now, Jiraiya hoped, he was finally on the right track being the positive role model the Fourth's son truly needed.

A noise broke him from his thoughts. Glancing back down, he saw that his student was walking alongside him, blue chakra swirling in hand. "What're you doing, kid?" His voice laced with uncertainty.

Naruto's face broke out into a wide smile. "Well, if my Master believes in me, I can't just let him down. As you said, it's going to take a lot of practice. That means I'm going to practice whenever I can!"

"Oh? And what benefit does this kind of training have?" The Toad Sage asked with a hint of humor.

"If I can maintain this while I walk home, it splits up my concentration. In a fight, I can't take my eyes off of my opponent to focus completely on my attack. It'll help me get used to dividing up my attention."

Jiraiya smirked. The kid's methods weren't perfect, but that wasn't a bad thought. That gave him an idea. "Not bad, kid. From now on, every day on our walks home from training, I want you to conjure up a couple clones and you can all practice the Rasengan while walking. That way you'll get even more practice in."

Naruto jaw dropped. How had he not thought of something so simple? "That's a great idea, Sensei!" There he went, losing focus again.

'Boom!'

Jiraiya coughed, accidentally inhaling some of the dust that got kicked up from his Godson's antics. Normally, he would be annoyed by this, but the kid comically spread out on the ground from the force of the explosion kept him in good spirit.

"Get the hell up, gaki…"

...

While the Toad Sage was doing his best to make sure Naruto knew that he believed in him, that was still lofty praise the boy now had to live up to. A 13-year-old child, whom was referred to as a loser and failure his entire life, was now told that he had the ability to go beyond something that the Fourth Hokage could not. Though neither of them realized it at the time due to their good spirits, it was just another weight that was piled on the Jinchuriki's back.

Jiraiya sighed softly as he leaned in against the side of Ma and Pa's house. The four of them had just finished eating about an hour ago, and Naruto had headed off to bed saying something along the lines of 'getting up really early to get some extra training in.'

Jiraiya had been monitoring the boy and his seal closely recently, and to his surprise, there appeared to be no residue of the Fox's chakra around it. Meaning that, even though Naruto had seen his friends dead, the fox did not try and take advantage of this and push some of his chakra between the cracks of the cell doors. He could be overthinking it, but it was something to keep an eye on, nonetheless.

The sound of hopping broke the Sage from his thoughts. It was Lord Fukasaku.

"Boss?" His student began with a questioning gaze, curious as to what the small frog wanted.

"That boy." Talking of Naruto. "He seems to be progressing very quickly."

Jiraiya allowed himself a smile at the indirect compliment. After all, he was the teacher and if his student was making rapid improvements that means the job was being done right. "Yeah, that kid never ceases to amaze me. Despite everything that has happened recently, he is as determined as he always is."

Fukasaku nodded knowingly. Jiraiya had filled in the details of what it was that happened a few days after they arrived in Mount Myoboku. Ma and Pa had been mortified that these 'Akatsuki' would do something so horrible to so many innocent people. Not only that, but their hearts went out to the young blond. Even if he was a ninja, someone his age should never have to go through the things he has experienced. The Sannin hadn't been lying when he said there was a lot on the boy's plate.

"Well, that was kind of what I wanted to talk to you about."

Jiraiya's brow furrowed as he used his back to push himself off of the side of the house. "Oh? And what did you want to talk about, exactly?"

"These Akatsuki. They seem like an incredibly dangerous group of people. Strong, too." The green toad's eyes were fierce, his white mohawk waving around in the Mount Myoboku winds. "Being the Jinchuriki for the Nine-Tailed Fox, Naruto-boy is going to have to get very powerful very quickly if he hopes to stand a chance against this threat."

Crossing his arms around his chest in a subconscious decision to go on the defensive, Jiraiya eyed his master, wearing a confused look on his face. He didn't know what his Master was trying to get at. "Well, yeah. That's why we're here, and that's why I'm pushing Naruto so hard. The kid is making fantastic progress."

"But will it be enough?"

"What are you trying to say, Boss?"

Fukasaku smirked. "I can sense Naruto-boy's chakra, his reserves are enormous for a child his age. No doubt in my mind it's because of that Uzumaki blood, along with being a Jinchuriki."

Jiraiya's eyes widened, tightening the grip of his arms even further. "You're not implying that we should…"

"Teach the boy Sage mode." Fukasaku finished, balling his fist up tightly in excitement.

As much as Jiraiya wanted to say yes to that idea, he couldn't. "I can't. He's not ready." Tone even, but firm.

The Toad Sage's Master recoiled a bit, surprised by his protégé's words. He knew his student well, and that response was very unlike him. "But, Jiraiya-boy, those monsters aren't going to go easy on him. If he isn't strong enough, he'll die."

The Sannin shook his head reluctantly. "I know they won't, but before I teach him something like Sage Mode, I have to be sure that he is a real ninja first. Sage Mode augments ones genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu to even higher levels. If his skills are lacking in those areas, then Sage Mode won't be used to its fullest capacity. I love Naruto, but he is impatient and lacks discipline, which is to be expected of someone his age. As he is right now, a 13-year-old boy, he might be incapable of learning the intricacies of natural energy."

Fukasaku attempted to speak, but Jiraiya wasn't done yet.

"And if he is incompatible right now, all of that precious time and effort of Senjutsu training would bear no fruit. I've only got 2 years left; they have to count. For once, I am going to go the safe route and continue to do what we've been doing. His improvements are obvious, after all."

The Great Sage of Mount Myoboku wanted to argue, but his student made a lot of good points. It was quick, but Pa had already begun to care for the young Genin. It was clear that he looked almost exactly like Minato, but he also acted quite a bit like Jiraiya when he was younger. Perhaps those feeling were clouding his judgment.

"I see…"

"And besides." Jiraiya breathed in deep, then exhaled loudly. "He has been, and is still going to, work extremely hard, but I don't want to run him into the ground. I read the book he wrote, and well, Naruto may not show it but the amount of stress he is feeling is something that a kid shouldn't be able to handle. I worry that if work him too hard, especially after what happened in Wave, it'll cause irreparable damage. Sage training is grueling." Though Naruto seemed to be doing better, the Sage wasn't totally convinced. If he accidentally reopened wounds, there was a chance that they would never truly heal.

Fukasaku let out a deep breath, as well. He hadn't realized how delicate a situation this was. In the end, he would defer to the judgment of his Sannin student. "Okay, Jiraiya-boy. I think you're right."

Jiraiya grimaced. "I hope so, Boss…"

"Jiraiya!" Both Sages turned their heads in the direction of the noise, a young little toad whose name escaped the Sannin was hopping over towards them. 'It really has been a long time since I've visited…'

"What is it?" He asked.

"The Great Lord Elder… he wishes to see you."

Master and student shared a surprised glance. Though Jiraiya had been hoping to gain an audience with the Elder eventually, he didn't expect to be called for by the Old Toad himself. Whatever it was, it must be important.

Jiraiya nodded and followed the toad with Fukasaku hopping quickly behind them.

…

The Toad Sage of the Leaf walked into a very large, but familiar room. The back wall was lined with an abundance of enormous scrolls. In the center of the room, sat the Great Lord Elder, in what almost looked like a massive throne that had the symbol for 'Sage' on it. In reality, it was just a spot where he could rest in a puddle of water large enough to keep him cool and hydrated.

As for the Old Toad himself, he had to have been as large as Gamabunta, possibly even bigger than that. Wrinkly skin was mostly brown, aside from his white belly. The wise Sage wore a square-shaped professors hat with tassels on each corner and an orb similar to the one the Third Hokage had used on top of it. A necklace was hanging from his neck, the kanji for 'oil' written on it.

Though those large eyes were nearly squinted shut, he could still see because the moment Jiraiya walked in his faced lifted up into a small smile.

Finally, before the most respected toad of Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya got down on one knee. "Great Lord Elder." The Sannin began respectfully. "You called for me?"

The toad cocked his head to the side, seemingly studying the middle-aged man in front of him. After a few moments of this, the oldest Sage finally spoke. "Who are you?"

Jiraiya and Fukasaku sweatdropped at the doddering toad but recovered quickly. "It is me, Jiraiya. I was told that you had something to tell me."

Though appearing to think this statement over, Gamamaru was really internally laughing. The Great Sage wasn't some senile old frog, he was just so bored sitting around all day and loved messing with people more than anything. It truly was the best way to pass the time. Plus, seeing the look on the faces of those who revered him always kept his spirits up.

Having enough fun, he feigned a thoughtful look on his face and spoke. "Ah yes, I remember you now. You, who are singularly pervy, I have called for you because I have had an important vision that I wish to impart on you."

"What?!" Jiraiya completely ignored the shot at his depraved behaviors. A new vision was not what he had been expecting. "What did you see?!"

Once again, the giant toad thought for a moment. This time, actually trying to recall what he saw to the best of his ability. These visions, they come and go so fast, similar to a dream the second they happen most of it is forgotten.

"There will come a time, where someone you know is going to go through great emotional turmoil." The toad croaked out slowly. "You will be presented with a choice which will determine how they cope. Choose wisely."

Naruto immediately flashed through his mind. When the toad mentioned emotional turmoil, there was no one else who he knew that it could possibly be. Jiraiya was trying to think of scenarios in which this vision made sense. Yet, Naruto seemed to be getting better, right? Why was the Great Elder mentioning this now if it was already in the past? The timing seemed a bit off.

'Unless Naruto isn't really getting better at all…' Now that he thought about it, every once in awhile, he would see the kid frown for a split second, as if he was trying to hide his actual emotions. This was something that definitely needed to get looked into.

Jiraiya, done with the inward thought, looked back up at the honorable toad. "Is that… the crucial selection that you told me about all those years ago?" He asked, referencing the prophecy the Elder gave him before the Third Great Ninja War.

Gamamaru opened his always half-shut eyes, seemingly staring into the soul of the Toad Sage. The average person would be overwhelmed by this gaze, but the Sannin stood firm.

"That, I do not know." Was all he said in response.

It would be too easy to have all the answers. "Okay. Thank you." Jiraiya stood up and bowed deeply. There were a lot of things he needed to think about. For the longest time, the 'crucial selection' had loomed over his head. Every time something bad happened to one of his students, that prophecy came to the forefront of his mind. Was that it? Had he made the wrong choice?

When news broke that Minato died in the Nine-Tails attack, all Jiraiya could think about was his choice of leaving the village. Would his student have lived if he stayed in the Leaf? Did he fail the entire world? These thoughts have cursed the Sannin for decades.

Now, he had what you could call a potential second crucial selection. On the bright side, there is more that is known about this choice that he will have to make. Yet, that doesn't make the situation any less stressful.

…

Naruto was sitting up in his bedroll, his normally vibrant blue eyes were dead, empty, and heavy. For the past few weeks, the prospect of going to bed early was a wise one. More sleep equals higher brain and body function, which leads to better performance and quicker results. Though, that only helped if one can fall asleep. Naruto may occasionally pass out from complete exhaustion, but he hasn't gotten more than a couple hours of sleep at night since… well… you know…

Every time the boy closes his eyes, all that appears is Tazuna's severed head, or Inari's screams, or Tsunami's blood running down the normally clean kitchen tiles of their house.

During the day it could be manageable. Jiraiya was always having him do something that was mentally or physically engaging, so distractions were easy to come by. Sure, sometimes he would remember things and get sad, but that was to be expected. Still, the blond did his best to hide it from everyone.

It was at night when the Jinchuriki was alone with just his thoughts, that was when it was truly unbearable. It is hard to escape your demons when there is nothing to distract you. The thought of being responsible for their deaths resurfaced. If he never went to Wave, then the Akatsuki likely wouldn't have gone there either. Logic dictates they would still be alive, right?

There were even times where Naruto questioned whether or not he wanted to be alive. He would gladly exchange his life for theirs back, in a heartbeat, but it was deeper than that. All of this pressure and pain, sometimes it just seemed like too much to bear. These feelings weren't going to go away, either. So, maybe it would just be easier to die? No pain, no weight to bear, no getting other people caught in the crossfire. All of that and the Akatsuki's plan would be ruined or at least set back several years before the Nine-Tails reappears. It was a good thought, but if that happened, he wouldn't be around to protect those remaining precious people. If it was the last thing he did, it would be to ensure their safety.

These were all the things the author was struggling with. No one could know. If they found out, maybe they would halt the training. The training that he needed to…

He clutched his head, a headache causing him to get confused.

What did he need all of that strength for again?

Drip… Drip… Drip

Inside the cave, there were nine ghastly figures standing in a large circle. Though they were just projections, the malice radiating from them would weigh down even a seasoned Jonin.

Akatsuki…

These nine shinobi don't meet very often, so when they did it was usually to discuss something of importance. Though, something about this instance felt odd. From what Itachi had understood, all of them weren't supposed to be together again for another two years. If one of the pairs was to be given a mission, it was through the isolated contact of their leader, or Zetsu. Something must have happened.

"I don't see why we always have to meet in caves." Hidan huffed. "I'm not saying we should all go to a hot spring, but something less depressing would be great."

"Shut up, Hidan." Kakuzu growled. "We're here to discuss important business, so stop wasting time."

Before the silver-haired psychopath could respond, another voice cut in.

"Look at those two, my man. They sound like an old married couple, hm." The man's voice was relatively deep, and his tone was mocking. Not much of his appearance could be determined through the astral projection, but the mystery Akatsuki member seemed to have long sweeping bangs that covered most of his face.

His partner appeared to be much shorter and hunched over to such a degree that it looked uncomfortable. "Hm." Based on the gruff grunt, seems like the one referred to as 'my man' was not much of a talker.

"As much as I love to watch these two zombies squabble, I hope that's not why we were all called here like this." The familiar voice of Kisame, Itachi's partner, chimed in humorlessly. The scaly shinobi turned his attention to their leader, Pain. "What is there to discuss? I thought we wouldn't meet like this again for a couple more years."

Now everyone's attention, even the two that always seemed to be arguing, were trained on the projection of their leader. What could be so important that an emergency meeting would be called?

"We are all a part of this organization, so I thought I would inform all of those who didn't know about what was going on."

Itachi's eyes narrowed so slightly that it was imperceptible to all those around him. Whatever this new information was, he was not aware of it. For once, the raven-haired Uchiha was in the dark.

"Hidan and Kakuzu attempted to carry out a mission to capture the Nine-Tails." Pain continued, what he said caught the attention of most of the Akatsuki members.

"What of the Sannin, Jiraiya?" Itachi was the first to speak. The monotonous tone in his voice made his motives unreadable. "From what I understood; he was keeping watch over the Nine-Tails."

"There was a plan in place to separate the Jinchuriki from him." Kakuzu began, the growl in his voice made it clear that the bounty hunter was still mad that his prizes had gotten away.

"And it almost worked, too!" Hidan interceded. "But that guy whose leg I cut off ratted us out." He turned to Kakuzu, anger evident in his eyes. "I told you that I should have killed him! We would have that damn Jinchuriki if it weren't for you!"

His partner grunted but said nothing in response. As much as he hated to admit it, that idiot partner of his was right for once. At the time, Kakuzu just didn't want to attract more attention. The longer they were there, and the more noise they made, the chances that others would have seen them increased dramatically. If new witnesses saw them, there was a chance they'd have to slaughter that entire village. That would have almost assuredly alerted the Sannin of the Leaf.

"While it was a failure, that does not mean we haven't gained anything." Their ripple-eyed leader continued. "We have acquired some very important information regarding one of the inhabitants of the Leaf Village."

"Oh?" The one with the gruff voice questioned with something that appeared to be a tail swinging menacingly behind his hunched over form. "What might that be?"

"The Leaf appears to have someone who can use the Wood Release."

The tail that was once lashing about angrily stopped in its tracks. As did everyone else who had not previously been privy to that information. After all, only one man in the known ninja world had ever been in possession of the Wood Release. That man was perhaps the strongest shinobi in recorded history, The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Interestingly enough, Itachi's face had no visible reaction. His eyes were closed, indicating his indifference to the information.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Hidan's rude voice cut through the tension that had seeped its way into the cold, dark cave. "He was a weakling. If that spiky-haired old man hadn't shown up, the wood guy would have been toast. Literally."

"That's not the point, you idiot." The masked Akatsuki member berated his partner. "Wood Style has the ability to control tailed beasts. I have seen The First Hokage do it with my own eyes." Indicating that Kakuzu was old enough to see The First Hokage in action.

Pain nodded in agreeance. "No matter the strength level of this shinobi, those abilities are no laughing matter. That individual is someone we must be wary of. And, if the opportunity arises, capture him alive for our own uses."

"At least you two simpletons gained something from your botched capture, hm. If it were us, the Nine-Tails would be tied up at our feet already."

"That wasn't the only thing that we gained." Black Zetsu, who was not currently being accompanied by his white-half, had been silently observing the entire time, made his presence known.

Pain gave Black Zetsu a look the others couldn't decipher.

"What do you mean? Hm."

"That will be discussed at a later date." Their ominous leader said vaguely. "As it stands right now, we must be more cautious than usual. After our failed attempt in the Land of Waves, the villages, mainly the Leaf, may decide to take more interest in our activities."

"Are you saying we should go dark?" One of the Seven Ninja Swordsman asked. Doing that would set their schedule back considerably.

"I'm not saying that. Be more cautious, don't do things that have the chance to attract attention. We can't have the nations breathing down our necks before our operations even begin."

"It might be hard to get money." Kakuzu grunted his objection to this plan.

Pain glanced in the bounty hunters direction, but the words he spoke were aimed at all 8 remaining members of the Akatsuki. "If our operations are pushed back a little bit, then that is a small consequence that we were willing to take to get the Nine-Tails early. Though, if done right, it shouldn't affect us all that much."

The cave was now silent, the other members mulling over the words of their leader. The usually stoic Uchiha seemed to have a very slight pained expression on his face. As if he wanted to say something, but resigned to holding his tongue.

"Are we clear?" There were no objections. "Good. Dismissed."

As the projections began to disappear, the Leader seemed to remember something. "Sasori." Eyes trained on the one with the hunched back. "Stay a moment, we have something to discuss."

The now named Sasori grunted, but obliged and stayed behind.

Itachi, though he didn't appear to be paying attention, was interested in this. Waiting as long as he could before leaving, when the projection of one of the last Uchiha finally faded, there were only three remaining.

Pain, Sasori, and Black Zetsu.

-18 Months Before Returning to the Village-

'Is this the choice the Great Lord Elder was talking about?' Jiraiya asked himself as he looked down at an opened scroll that Kosuke had just delivered to him. Through the use of the expansive spy network, they had been able to learn a bit about the Wave incident. Not about the Akatsuki, no, this was a bit more of a personal matter. There was only one thing to decide.

What to do with this information?

"Dammit!"

The Sage looked up; eyes trained on the focus of his decision.

"Why? Why?! Why can't I do it?!" Naruto yelled out in a frustrated spell of emotions that were becoming more common with the young boy. He had been making such good progress since Jiraiya promised him intense training after winning their bet. At that time, every day felt like an improvement. A little bit faster, a little bit stronger. Yet, now, almost nothing.

It had been a little over six months and barely any progress was being made.

In his Taijutsu training, Naruto was having difficulty focusing, leading to sloppy form and poor reaction time. The clone opponents had little difficulty winning the sessions most days.

As for weighted training, his body wasn't responding to increases in weight like it used to. It took much longer to get used to increases, much to the frustration of the Genin. Before, it seemed like they were increasing the weights every other week. Now, he doesn't even remember the last time Jiraiya increased it in any significant way.

Most frustrating of all, it was the ninjutsu that was really bothering the Sannin's student. Despite all of the praise Jiraiya had given the boy about his progress 6 months ago, his Rasengan was still incomplete. The prospect of letting down his Godfather when so much was expected, was infuriating.

At first, Jiraiya tried to reassure the blond that they had simply hit a plateau in the training. Everyone hits these, he said. Nothing to worry about. Though, Naruto knew better than this. Something was wrong.

Naruto also knew it wasn't the training. After all, this training proved to be effective by the results they were initially getting. It was something else.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, Jiraiya too began to suspect that it was more than just a simple plateau. Ramping up the intensity didn't break through the stagnation, it only served to injure the blond's back. Though, with his recuperative powers, Naruto was only sidelined for two days. One day would've probably been sufficient, but the Sage just wanted to be sure.

Nothing they had tried seemed to be working. Switching up the routine with different exercises and drills made no discernable difference. Taking a week off to rest only led to the blond being a tad rusty when he started up again. It was to the point both of them were beginning to grow irritable about this new development. Jiraiya had trained many ninjas, all of which had hit plateaus at some point.

However, none of those seemed to be like this.

Then the words of the Great Lord Elder came back.

"There will come a time, where someone you know is going to go through great emotional turmoil. You will be presented with a choice which will determine how they cope. Choose wisely."

'I think I know what you meant, Great Lord Elder.'

Naruto, completely unaware of his master's thoughts, was too busy staring at shaky hands to notice. These past few months had been absolute hell. Not only has he been unable to sleep soundly at night for over half a year, but there was also dealing with his inability to advance in training.

Could those two things somehow be related? Naruto shook his head, dispelling the absurdity that something like that could be true. Sure, sleeping was important, and he might not be getting as much as a young boy should, but that shouldn't be affecting their training in any significant way. It had to be something else.

'Being a failure who can't even save his close people, it's no wonder I'm failing at this too.' His thoughts lately had become very self-deprecating and pessimistic. The more Naruto struggled in getting stronger, the angrier he became. It was to the point where angry outbursts were becoming an everyday occurrence.

"Naruto."

Said boy took in a deep breath, composed himself, and turned towards the Sage. "Yes, Sensei?" Voice betraying no negative emotions. Almost, at least.

Jiraiya eyed his student. At first, this kind of odd behavior had been getting past him, but it was becoming more and more obvious that Naruto was holding in a lot of repressed emotions that were now spilling out. You can only hold back overflowing water so long until the dam eventually bursts.

"How are you feeling?" Eyes scanning the boy, not for a response, but for any discernable change in body language. Lies were easy, but the body and eyes often betrayed those words.

The blond internally cringed. Should he finally tell him? Would their training stop? That couldn't happen, they would find a way to get past this stagnation eventually. That wouldn't happen at all if Jiraiya made him stop altogether.

"No, I'm fine. Why?"

That was the same response his Godson gave every time that question was presented. No matter how hard the Sannin pressed the child about his feelings, it never changed.

He was lying through his teeth, and Jiraiya knew it. But calling the boy out on would do little good in this situation. Besides, he had an idea that might help the child get passed this. At least, to some extent. A way to cope.

"My spies have uncovered a piece of very important information." Jiraiya vaguely started.

This caught his student's attention ever so slightly. "What kind of information?" This was odd, the Toad Sage never disclosed information from his spy network to Naruto. What could this be about?

"It's about what happened in the Land of Waves."

Before the Sannin's very eyes, the boy's demeanor completely changed. The facade of being a seemingly normal, sometimes emotional teenager was replaced by hardened and angry eyes. Though Jiraiya wasn't aware of it, this happened every night when the Genin was left alone with only his thoughts. Memories he wished he could forget flashed through his eyes, the very things that kept him up at night. The simple mention of the place where it happened was enough to do that.

Jiraiya decided to continue, sparing the Genin any more suspense. That look on the kid's face was unsettling, but this might be the only way to make things better. At least, that was what he hoped. He hated seeing the kid like this, it ate away at him. This was not about saving a prophecy to the Toad Sage, this was about helping his only family get past tragedy.

"Tazuna's bounty, we now know who placed it, and where he is."

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: My Way of the Ninja

Kakashi, once again, was out spending the majority of his day in front of the memorial stone. Besides going on dangerous missions, this took up the bulk of his life the past year. How the Copy Ninja missed the days when he was directing his cute little Genin squad around. Watching them pull weeds, catch the mischievous cat Tora, painting fences. Oh, how those were the good old days. Now, with all of his down time, the Copy Ninja was alone with his thoughts for most of the day. Somewhere he really did not want to be. From his own Genin team, to the Genin team he mentored... his life was really nothing but miserable failures, wasn't it?

Arriving late at the Valley of the End and not seeing Sasuke anywhere, praying that they had knocked each other out, and he was laying somewhere nearby. Yet, that wasn't to be true. The reality of it ate away at the Jonin every day. Maybe if he had gone a little bit faster, Team 7 would still be together. Though, even then that was probably a pipe dream. Had Sasuke been forced to return to the Leaf against his will, it wouldn't have been pretty for anyone involved. The kid wouldn't just be okay with being permanently confined to the village. The mouth on that boy, Kakashi could imagine him shouting every obscenity in the world, threatening the lives of his fellow ninja. That was how much killing Itachi meant to the raven-haired youth. Ah well, that isn't really something to dwell on.

He's gone.

So is the little blond squirt that always talked about being Hokage. Though, he was gone for many different reasons. Naruto's goal was to get strong enough to bring back his friend from the clutches of Orochimaru. Powerful enough to stand on equal terms with the rogue Uchiha to help him see reason. Still, Kakashi wished the hyperactive knucklehead was currently running through the streets of the Village. As much as his teacher hated to admit it, it made the day more enjoyable.

As for his third student…

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Said man turned his head, to see the little pink-haired girl running in his direction. "Sakura?" Slightly confused that the girl was here. "Don't you have training with Tsunade this day of the week?"

Sakura, whose breath was a tad labored from running across most of the village to find the Copy Ninja, nodded her head swiftly. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I switched my schedule around with Lady Tsunade. Today is your day off, right?"

The Jonin was now giving Sakura his full attention, something that had been reserved for the stone memorial. "Yes. Why, do you need something?" Always ready to help out his students.

"I want you to train me."

There was a sparkle in the young girl's eyes. A sparkle that resembled a certain blond-haired boy that they both knew very well.

"Oh?" This was a surprising development, a faint smile began to tug at the masked Jonin's lips. "Where is this coming from?"

Sakura smiled and reached into her kunai pouch to pull out a familiar orange book. Despite being released earlier that year, it appeared to be weathered, signaling frequent use. "Naruto isn't the only one who is going to get stronger. When he comes back, I'll make sure he knows that! He isn't in this alone!"

Kakashi smiled fully beneath his mask. He instinctively felt his own kunai pouch, a copy of Naruto's book was tucked away with him for similar reasons to Sakura. Normally a laid-back guy, reading that novel inspired him at times where he lacked motivation. Or even, when he lacked the will to continue moving forward. Though, there was only one question he had. "Isn't that why you're training with Lady Tsunade?"

Sakura frowned. "If you don't want to train me, you can just say so…" Her voice was full of dejection. She shouldn't be surprised, when they were Team 7, Naruto, but mostly Sasuke, got most of Kakashi's attention. Sakura always seemed to be the odd girl out.

However, Kakashi was quick to clarify. "No, no. That isn't what I was trying to get at. It's just, with one of the Sannin training you, I didn't think you would want to train with me." It was hard to tell, but there was actually a bit of sadness in the masked shinobi's voice.

Sakura, no longer seeming sad, gave the man a confused look. "Of course I would! I know you can teach me things that even Lady Tsunade can't!"

"Then why did you wait so long to ask me?" If he was being honest, he had been waiting for the kunoichi to ask him to train. Though, with one of the Sannin training her, he felt a little inferior in comparison.

"Well, at first, I asked Lady Tsunade to ramp up our training. Pretty much any time she was free from her Hokage duties, it was to instruct me. It helped a lot. Now that I've gotten it down, I wanted your help with something."

"It? What are you talking about?"

Sakura smirked, and in response, she began to gather chakra into her fist. Then, suddenly, she slammed her fist into the ground.

'CRACK."

The ground cracked and splintered from the overwhelming force, then exploded in a display of rock shards, dust, and dirt.

Kakashi's visible eye went wide, as he watched a tiny, little girl punch a crater into the ground. All the masked Jonin could think of was one person. 'L-Lady Tsunade, what have you done?!'

"So, what do you think?" She asked smugly. The look on the silver-haired Jonin's face was worth it.

"I think I'm going to have to tell the Hokage so she can get this fixed." Kakashi, doing his best to reign in his composure, replied as casually as he could muster. "After all, people are going to be upset that the area around the memorial is… well, you know."

Suddenly realizing where they had been, Sakura's face turned a bright shade of pink. "Oh no! I'm really sorry, Kakashi-sensei! I wasn't thinking!"

The masked teacher just waved it off. "It isn't a big deal. Any half-decent Earth user can have this fixed in no time."

Sakura calmed down, realizing that her sensei was right. She thought for a moment. "Wait, Sensei. You're an Earth Style user, can't you just fix it right now?"

Kakashi clapped his hands together, visible eye curved up which signaled the Jonin smiling beneath his mask. "I don't have time for that, we're going to go start our training right now!" For the first time in a long while, he was in good spirits.

"I think you're just lazy." Despite Sakura's words, she was grinning widely at the prospect of getting one on one training with her mentor.

Kakashi, ignoring those very true words, simply began walking towards one of the other training grounds. They'd caused enough damage here after all. Though, from that display of incredible strength, Sharingan Kakashi had a good idea on what to first teach Tsunade's apprentice.

"So, tell me, Sakura." He began, Sakura following at his side. "Do you know what your elemental affinity is?"

Ino Yamanaka was twirling her hair mindlessly while waiting for another customer to walk through the door. Team 10 had no missions scheduled for that day, so that meant the afternoon consisted of working at the Yamanaka flower shop while her parents were busy doing other things.

It was a slow day, to the point Ino wished more people would start to come in. Being busy was better than being bored from having nothing to do, at least, to her it was.

'Ding!'

Finally.

She looked over at the entrance, assuming that it was some desperate guy getting a last-minute anniversary gift for his girlfriend. But, instead, it was one of her former classmates, and current friends.

"Hinata?" As far as the blonde knew, Hinata didn't come into the shop very often, even when Naruto was still in the village. One could only wonder what the Hyuga heiress wanted.

"H-Hi, Ino." The shy girl greeted, stuttering slightly from embarrassment.

From Ino's perspective, there was nothing to be shy about. She had just walked in the door for crying out loud. What was embarrassing about that?

"What can I do for you, Hinata?" Usually her brash and outspoken self around friends, her parents had conditioned her to always be polite as possible when behind the register. Politeness keeps the customers coming back. Though, when she a little younger that rule was usually broken whenever Sakura came through the door. Forehead girl was the exception.

"Well… I was t-thinking that you could h-help me."

"Sure!" Ino confirmed, mistaking Hinata as a customer. "Who are you buying the flowers for? Naruto isn't here, so it can't be him." Ino was a gossiper first, and an employee second. If something juicy was going on, it was a top priority that she was the first to know about it.

"H-huh?" Hinata questioned.

"Does that mean you're finally over Naruto?!" Ino couldn't believe it, she was sure she'd never see the day that happened. "Is it Kiba?!" That was only one other person that made any sense. Shino was too creepy with all of his bugs for Hinata to be interested in him.

Hinata was starting to get dizzy. Her cheeks turned a flush shade of pink. The heiress has done her best to try and rehearse what she was going to say to the future clan head, but it still came out wrong.

"N-No! You have it all wrong!" She exclaimed. "I'm not here to buy flowers for anyone."

"Oh." Ino frowned slightly. She had been in the need for some good gossip to make the day more exciting. "Well, what did you want?"

Hinata began to twiddle her fingers together. "Well… I was wondering… if you could…" The words were right there at the tip of her tongue, it was saying them that was the problem.

"Spit it out, Hinata." Ino said in her straightforward, but not rude, way. "It's just us here, no need to be shy."

"T-That's what I want you to help me with."

Ino blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I w-want you to help me be more like you." Ino's lack of tact was actually helping the lavender-haired girl get more comfortable with the conversation.

"More like me?" She asked. "You're fine the way you are, Hinata. You don't need to be like me."

Hinata shook her head. "T-That's not what I meant." How could she explain it to her? "I j-just want to… be able to…"

"Talk?" Ino attempted to finish the sentence. Watching the timid Hyuga girl struggle to get out her words helped Ino realize what was being asked of her. "Did you want me to help you with your confidence?"

Hinata's eyes lit up and she began to vigorously nod her head. This was exactly why she needed Ino. The Yamanaka girl was her only friend who could possibly help her with this problem. If Hinata had even half of the blonde's confidence, Naruto wouldn't have been so alone growing up.

Ino smiled. "Well, why didn't you just say so?" She thought about what she said for a moment. "Oh, right. I know why." Chuckling at her realization.

"Can you please help?" Hinata was desperate. Every day, Naruto's return grew closer. Sure, there was still a year and a half left, but in the six months it's been since Hinata had decided to change, not much progress had been made. She tried asking Kurenai, reading books, and even meditating to ease her nerves. Nothing really helped. Ino was her only remaining chance.

"Sure!" Ino exclaimed happily. Not only will she be the center of attention, but she can also help out a friend at the same time. It was perfect.

"R-Really?" While Hinata hadn't expected her blonde friend to say no, hearing the confirmation still made her feel overjoyed.

"Yeah." Ino answered with a nod. The Yamanaka quickly looked over at the clock. It was 3 in the afternoon. "We can start today after I close the shop. Can you meet me back here at say, 5? I don't think my parents will mind if I close up a little early today."

Hinata nodded meekly, not expecting their sessions to start so soon. She hadn't mentally prepared herself for that!

"Great! I'll see you then!"

"Thank you so much." Hinata politely bowed and left, Ino waving happily as her friend left the store.

Ino smirked. The day might have been boring so far, but things were about to get very interesting…

Sage and student stepped off the boat, and onto a hard, wooden dock. Neither ninja wearing their headbands to help avoid being recognized. They took in deep breaths, the air was thick and dense with mist.

The mist was so heavy, that it was very difficult to see past a few dozen feet, the light from the sun hanging overhead did little to penetrate through. It reminded the blond of his team's battles with Zabuza and Haku. A soft smile appeared on his face. They were missed, even though they started out as enemies.

Interestingly enough, the normally vibrantly dressed Genin was wearing something a little different. Very similar to Kakashi, he was clad in standard Leaf Village infantry attire of dark blue pants and a dark blue long sleeve shirt, minus the green flak jacket. There was even a mask that could be pulled up to cover his face at a moment's notice to hide his trademark whiskers. Jiraiya had emphasized, that if they were operating stealthily, bright orange would get them both caught.

"Thank you so much for your help." Jiraiya said as he tossed a bag of coins at the commercial fisherman.

The man caught the bag and gave a swift nod. "No one can know I was here, got it?"

"Of course." The Sage said as he watched their driver get back into his vessel.

"Let's go." Naruto implored. As far as he was concerned, they were here to do one thing, nothing else mattered.

The boat ride had been torturous for the young Genin. After being told that one of the culprits behind what happened to his friends was identified, he didn't know what to truly think. Was anger the correct emotion to feel? He was angry, but was it at the Akatsuki, or this man? After thinking it over during the trip, it was clear that they were both worthy of his rage. Though, he did not currently possess enough power to exact revenge on the S-Class criminal organization. That would have to wait.

Then, there came another dilemma swirling in the boy's mind. Was revenge truly the right answer? His best friend, Sasuke, had lost himself to that overwhelming feeling of anger and hatred. How could he, the person that was trying to save the Uchiha from the desire for revenge, follow the same path? Wouldn't that be the definition of hypocrisy? Yet, it was more complicated than that. The blond just had no idea what he would do with all of this rage and despair he was feeling. It was eating away at him a little more every day.

'I think I finally understand you a little, Sasuke." Thoughts bitter from the realization that at their destructive battle at the Final Valley, he truly did not understand what the lone Uchiha was going through. Maybe if he had, the result would have been different. There was no way to tell. 'When I see this guy, I'll decide what I'm going to do.'

Jiraiya glanced over at his student. "I was thinking we should gather a little information before we do anything rash." The infiltration expert tried to reason with the young boy.

"What is there that we need to know? Besides, the things I want to know… I'm going to have him tell me himself."

"I get that you're angry, Naruto, but we have to think this through." The Sannin wasn't used to seeing his Godson like this. Whether or not it was warranted was irrelevant, it just wasn't like him.

Their eyes clashed, and Jiraiya was surprised by the fierceness of those blue orbs. "I've been thinking this through for months. Since that day… though, when I pictured it in my head, it was with those Akatsuki bastards."

The Sage felt uneasy, like a pit was forming in the bottom of his stomach. "Can we just go over everything we know so far?"

Naruto didn't reply, signaling he obliged with his master's request.

"After searching for months, my informant was able to locate the collection office that the one named Kakuzu went to. After interrogating the man who operated it, we were able to find the guy who placed the bounty on your friend Tazuna." Jiraiya paused, recalling what he had read on the scroll the messenger toad delivered. "Though, the man who actually put the hit out was a proxy. It looks like the real guy went to great lengths to hide his identity."

"He must be important." Naruto spat. Of course, people with power always want to keep those without it from prospering. He had seen enough of that in Wave.

"You're exactly right. My spy 'politely' convinced this proxy to tell us about his boss." Loyalty and a big paycheck go out the window when a person's life is on the line.

"And?"

"The guy's name appears to be Jaaku Monsuta, a high ranking government official here in the Land of Water."

"I don't get it." Naruto said. "Why would someone like that care about Tazuna and the Land of Waves?"

"I don't know if it's relevant, but from what I remember, Gato Company operated out of the Land of Water." Jiraiya stated.

"What? I thought it was out of the Land of Waves?" Naruto questioned.

His teacher shook his head in disagreement, long white hair flowing wildly behind him. "Waves was one of Gato's many… ventures. The actual company did most of its business out of the Land of Water. Gato Company did a lot of illegal drugs and weapons smuggling mostly, by sea. It would make sense to do business in the nation that holds the world's largest port system." The Land of Water, being an island, relies heavily on importation and exportation, making expansive ports and docks a necessity.

Naruto nodded, understanding the logic behind the man's words. "I don't know if it is relevant, but I'll make sure he tells me everything we need to know."

The Toad Sage eyed his Godson cautiously. The way the boy was talking, Jiraiya wondered if this was a good idea. Sure, the kid needs help moving past this, but was this the way to do it? Jiraiya saw what revenge did to the blond's former teammate, maybe exposing him to this was a bad idea?

"Kid, I was thinking that I should be the one to go in and do the talking. You can come along with me, but this is my specialty, after all."

No, this would not do. It had to be him; he was the one that lost everything. "Sensei, please. Let me go in alone. I can do this." His voice wasn't angry like the middle-age man was expecting. It was sad, pleading.

This decision was agonizing! What was the right choice? Looking into the boy's eyes, he no longer saw anger and hatred. Had he imagined that? All Jiraiya saw was a lost child who wanted answers. Maybe, then, letting the boy go in alone was the correct choice?

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this?" The Sannin asked slowly. "You don't have to do this alone, you know?"

They locked eyes and the Genin made it clear that he wanted this more than anything. In his mind, this was all his fault. The raid on Wave, the deaths of his friends, none of it would have happened if he hadn't to visit them. If anyone was going to make this right, it was going to be him.

Jiraiya let out a sigh. 'Great Lord Elder, I hope this is the right way.'

"Okay… I'll let you go in." As the words came out, he almost wished he could take them back.

Naruto let out a deep breath he didn't even realize was being held in. Thank goodness.

"Just know this, kid. I'll have clones right outside the windows, and on top of the building itself. And I won't be far behind, either. If things go sour, we leave immediately. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically.

Now it was Jiraiya's turn to exhale, again. Had he made the right choice?

…

The spacious room appeared to be some kind of library. They were countless hardcover books being held up by expensive-looking mahogany shelves built into the walls. There were no windows, which was the perfect excuse he could give the guards so they wouldn't interrupt his personal time.

Jaaku Monsuta smiled as he sat in a very luxurious chair with a book in hand. This was a rare occurrence; he was a very busy man. After all, someone with the power he had usually had a full schedule. Sure, he wasn't a Feudal Lord or the Mizukage, but that wasn't the end all be all in this world. Monsuta governed the Land of Water's richest and most influential port town. Located on the western side of the nation, most of the goods that came from the Land of Fire and Land of Wind ended up there.

And just recently, things have been starting to get even better. The bounty he thought was never going to get cashed in was a smashing success. Though, having to deal with that scary man in the black and red robes was not something he would want to do again. Yet, sometimes you have to do undesirable things when working with the criminal underworld.

After Gato and dozens of hired thugs were driven back by the villagers, and by an alleged team of strong ninja, it seemed no one had been willing to take the bounty. Jaaku had thought about raising the price, but it would have had to come out of his own pocket. The Land of Water higher ups kept a tight watch over the town's budget, and if a large sum of money suddenly went missing, they would have been all over him.

Now that the pesky bridgebuilder was taken care of, hiring mercenaries to blow up that bridge would be no problem. Due to the wealth the small nation had gained in such a short amount of time, blowing up the bridge would yield little result as long as the master bridgebuilder was alive. They had the money to simply build a new one, along with the expertise of the master contractor. Though, the cost of that demolition job would have to come out of his own pocket, which would likely come at a much higher price than a bounty for an old man. Through taking bribes, and other illegal activities for these 6 long months, he almost had enough.

Then, things could go back to the way they were…

'Creak.'

That was odd. That sounded like it was coming from above his head?

Looking up, and before Jaaku knew what was happening, he was violently thrown to the ground.

"Oof!" He grunted out as his head forcibly bounced off of the spotless hardwood flooring.

Before the Government leader could fully recover, a knee was shoved into his gut with so much force he almost passed out from the shock. He sucked in air at a furious pace, face going red from the strain.

"Don't make too much noise." The person now leaning over him warned in a low whisper. "If any of your guards come in here, all they are going to find is a body."

The politician's blood ran cold at the chilling declaration. Regaining his breath, and sight now fully returning to the downed man, Jaaku laid eyes on the mysterious assailant.

Striking blue eyes, unusual blond spiky hair, and… a body the size of a child?

"Shh." The intruder held a finger up to his masked lips.

All Monsuta could do was nod his head in understanding. Quiet, he would be. This person was a child, but that knee strike told him a very important fact that appearances never could. This child was a shinobi.

"Y-you can take anything you want." The man whispered shaky words. "P-Please don't hurt me."

The masked shinobi didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into his leg pouch and swiftly pulled out a sharp kunai, swirling in his hand for good measure. Before speaking, the blond brought the blade to his hostage's neck.

"Why did you do it?" Naruto asked.

Jaaku looked at his attacker, confused by the vagueness of the question. Though with a sharp blade pressed firmly against his neck, he was terrified of saying the incorrect thing. The man had done a lot of… questionable things in his career, there was no telling what this assassin was talking about. "D-Do what?" He asked for clarification.

"Tazuna! You had him killed!" He spat as the kunai was pressed even harder against the skin, drawing a slight amount of blood. Though the volume of his words wasn't loud, the Leaf shinobi said it with deathly venom.

The downed man's eyes widened. How did this child know about that? He was very careful to make sure it never got back to him. The official's mind was racing at the possibilities.

"Tell me why you did it. And a little bit of advice before you speak, don't lie." Those words, they promised pain if they were ignored.

Jaaku took in a deep breath to slow down his heart rate. Maybe if he told this boy everything, he would be allowed to live? That was the only way he saw himself getting out of this situation alive.

"The bridgebuilder?" The which the blond nodded stiffly. "It was to correct Gato's mistake."

"What do you mean? What does Gato have to do with any of this? He's dead."

"Gato and I, we had an agreement. I allowed him to operate through my ports, but at a cost. A little kickback my way, if you will." That's when the desperate politician got an idea. "H-Hey! I-I'm extremely wealthy! If you let me go, I'll give you so much money you can retire from being a ninja today! I promise!" The money that was supposed to be for the bridge demolition, he would gladly give it up in exchange for his life being spared.

Naruto was disgusted by this rat that was trying to scurry its way out of trouble. Taking a deep breath, the youth calmed himself. There was more information they needed. Right now, he was more valuable alive than dead.

"If you and Gato were so rich working together, why did you target the Land of Waves? It was a poor nation, I'm sure you didn't make much money off of exploiting its people." The Genin could easily just end this man's life. But something was eating away at him. Why? Why were people like this? What kind of twisted justification could a person have that would make them commit such horrible atrocities? Naruto had to know.

Seeing that the bribe had no effect, the greedy politician kept answering the questions. "T'That bridge. I feared that once that bridge was built, it would affect my trading ports. The Land of Waves was poor, yes, but once that bridge was constructed, trade began to prosper there. Merchants that would normally trade directly with us at the ports in the Land of Fire, traded with Wave first, instead. Wave would purchase all of their goods, and then sell them to us at our ports for a marked up price."

It was true, due to the geographical position of the Land of Waves, it being directly between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, it was in the perfect position to be the middle-man for the two countries. However, due to the Leaf Village's heroics in Wave, the two nations became allies, along with the Land of Wind by way of their allegiance with the Land of Fire. This offer did not extend to the Land of Water, meaning that this new way of trading benefited everyone except them. Jaaku saw this as a form of illegal collusion between sovereign nations, and decided to use force to break it up.

Naruto was seething with anger. He did his best to give this monster the benefit of the doubt, hoping that it was just some giant misunderstanding somehow. But no, it was what he thought. This was over something as superficial as money.

The politician saw the look in the assassin's eyes, and quickly tried to defend himself. "Y-You have to understand! I was thinking about the people of my Land! These people love and depend on the goods that come from the Land of Fire and Wind! Our nation, it's bound by water! Our resources are finite, we rely on trade with the other nations! What Wave was doing was unethical, and it raised the prices of imported goods for my nation's people."

This weasel was pushing the blond boy to his limit. "You're… going to play the victim card? You bled that poor nation dry, and then killed innocent people because it was hurting your bottom line! You act like it was for your nation, but that isn't the whole truth. You're a greedy little rat. You teamed up with Gato to line your own pockets, and once the Land of Waves starting growing, you felt threatened."

"Yes, t-that is true, but it helped out me and my nation's people!" "P-Please, I beg you! Let me live! I only wanted to serve my country!" The politician was now sobbing hysterically. Usually, he could talk his way out of any situation with his charm and charisma. But this situation was different, he could really die here! "I don't want to die!"

Naruto was surprised how genuine he sounded. Where his people so important that he would so easily damn the lives of others? "Your people wouldn't have starved. Instead of sharing the wealth so everyone can live happily, you tried to hog it all for yourselves." The boy spat.

Initially, he had come here to exact sweet revenge for Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami, and everyone in Wave. They deserved it. However, Sasuke and his yearning for revenge crossed his mind once again. Witnessing Sasuke abandon the village for a wanted criminal to gain enough power to exact revenge on his brother, it put this whole situation in a different perspective. Could he corrupt himself in the name of anger? Should he give into the rage and bloodlust he was feeling? Would that truly solve his problems? No. After meeting Monsuta, the boy had made up his mind. Naruto refused to kill this man out of anger and revenge.

Yet, watching this sniveling little weasel cry over his own pathetic life and his nation's people made something in Naruto snap. It was nearly impossible to explain, but it was almost as if another Naruto took control of his body and he was watching himself from inside his own mind. Then, all of a sudden, he was back in control. Despite that, something felt off; different. Strange. Everything was clear. His mind no longer had a thick fog hanging over it; something that he had been feeling for quite a long time now. It was like he could finally see.

Talking to this corrupt monster led the Genin down a different path than he was expecting. Jaaku talked about the national interests of his country and citizens. Yet, those interest caused innocent people to die. Why? Why must a nation only act in the best interests of its people, and forsake those who aren't? Every person should matter the same, regardless of national ties. And those who would willingly corrupt the entire world and kill innocents for the sake of themselves and their own nation must…

"Die."

Before Jaaku Monsuta was ever aware of what was going on, his throat was viciously slashed by the sharp blade of Naruto's kunai. Thick, red blood began spewing in every direction. Instinctively, he brought his hands up to attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was futile. The wound was far too severe, red liquid was flowly freely between the gaps of his fingers.

The politician attempted to let out a horrendous scream to alert his guards, or anyone to save him from this fate, but before he could the blond placed one of his hands tightly over the mouth of the victim.

"Shh." Holding a now bloody finger to his masked lips.

Eyes widened in utter horror, body erratically kicking in very direction, terrified that his death was drawing near, yet the only sound he could muster was a gargling, muffled cry for help. It was torturous to be completely at the mercy of another human being. There was nothing he could do.

Yet, the irony was that was how Jaaku and Gato made the Land of Waves feel everyday for years.

Naruto smiled eerily behind his dark-blue mask. "Your death will help purge the world, at least a little."

A moment after the slash was made, Jaaku Monsuta stopped moving. Eyes now rolled back into his head; body completely limp. It was clear, he was dead.

Naruto stared down at his first kill as a ninja with dead, emotionless eyes. There were stories that a shinobi's first kill was the most difficult. That when someone so young takes another's life, they can suffer from terrible nightmares for weeks, or months. Ninja may try their best to lose their humanity, but as Zabuza said it best, they always fail.

Yet, Naruto felt nothing staring at the man he deemed a parasite to the world. He searched his heart and came up empty handed. Did that make him a bad person? He didn't know. That determination doesn't really mean anything. It was what was best for the world, and that was all that mattered.

Standing up, the boy dropped the kunai with a loud 'clang'! Sure enough, seconds later there was a set of footsteps running in the direction of the library. Swiftly, he got behind where the door would be opening.

Just a moment later, the large oak door busted open to reveal one of the guards that were stationed down the hall. Naruto had passed him on the way in, he recognized the man. The sentinel gasped audibly as he laid eyes on the lifeless body of the Governor.

"H-how did this happen?!" The guard shouted as he dropped down to one knee in the middle of the room to check his boss' pulse.

From the look of it, this guy wasn't a ninja. 'Perfect.' Naruto thought to himself as he silently moved out from behind the door and, unbeknownst to the guard, slipped into the hallway that he came in through.

Just as he turned a corner at the end of the hall, the sentry burst from the room. "We have a security breach! Lord Monsuta has been murdered! Lockdown, no one leaves!"

Naruto shook his head. Coming this far, there was no way they were going catch him. With one leap, he crashed through a nearby third story window leading outside. Landing on a tall tree, he jumped onto a nearby roof and sped away.

Gone before any guards had any clue what had happened.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Change

After getting what he deemed a sufficient distance between himself and the crime scene, Naruto landed on the rooftop of houses that resided close to the western coast of the Land of Water. Jaaku's mansion had been deeper into the rather large town that he had been ruling over.

Pulling down the mask around his mouth to breathe more freely, the whiskered boy tried to reflect on everything that had just transpired. That was IF he had time to do so.

"Naruto!" Said boy turned towards the voice, watching as Jiraiya landed on the same rooftop. The Sage did not look happy. A vein was bulging out the side of his forehead. "Are you going to tell me what the hell that was? We had agreed that you were supposed to interrogate the suspect, and then if he had incriminated himself, we would then take him into custody. Does any of that ring a bell?!"

Naruto frowned, not understanding why the Sannin was upset. "He was guilty, why was there any need to take him in?"

Jiraiya looked as if he had been struck. "That man could have had valuable intelligence relating to the Akatuski for all we know. Yet, now we will have no idea because you killed him!" The decision to let the Genin who held a grudge go in by himself continued the string of what Jiraiya concluded were terrible judgments on his part. The boy had just murdered a government official in cold blood for heaven's sake! The Sage didn't even think he could tell Tsunade about any of this. If anyone found out, the political ramifications would be massive. Hell, they already were.

Naruto, unperturbed by his mentor's anger, simply shook his head. "I don't think that guy had any ties to the Akatsuki. As you said, he used a proxy to put out a bounty, which only happened to be taken up by one of the group's members. He worked with Gato and resented the Land of Waves because their newfound success was hurting the economy of this town." Interestingly enough, the venom that had been present in his voice earlier was gone. The boy's tone was monotonous.

Jiraiya rubbed his temples in frustration. He wanted to reprimand and punish the Jinchuriki for his actions, but that would be pointless. If anything, this was his fault, not the boys. 'Not like there's anything new there.' The Toad Sage thought to himself sadly.

Though, there was one thing he wanted to make sure the boy understood.

"Even if that is the case, Naruto, we can't just kill people like that."

"Why?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Ninja kill people for much less on missions every day. What makes this any different?"

"We weren't here on an official mission. Crimes like that, people should be tried by the law and then punished. If we had taken him back to the Leaf, his crimes would have been acknowledged and his assets would have been seized and used to help give the Land of Waves some form of restitution to help with the damage they have received. Now that he's dead, that can't happen."

Naruto loved his Godfather more than almost anything, but he just couldn't agree with his stance on this. "A high ranking official from the Land of Water being tried in a different nation? Do you think that they would just be okay with that? The second word got out that he was in our custody, they would have requested him back so he could be 'tried' by them. Jaaku would have gotten off free and Wave would have still gotten nothing. At least this way, the world is better off for everyone with him gone." Naruto was thinking about what Neji had said to him during their fight. How the Land of Lightning had sent an important ninja into the Leaf to steal Hinata. Yet, when killed for his illegal actions that went against the newly formed peace agreements, The Raikage still demanded that Hinata's father be killed in retribution. As far as the blond was concerned, something very similar would have been likely to happen to keep war from breaking out. If no one knew who killed him, then there was nothing to worry about, right?

"That isn't your decision to make." Jiraiya contested, hoping his Godson would see it from his side. "If everyone just went around deciding who should live and die, and then acting on it, there would be no order to the world. It would be complete chaos."

Naruto's head was beginning to hurt. "The world already feels that way! Terrible people get away with things every day. It just isn't fair!"

"I know." Jiraiya agreed knowingly. "But, when you're Hokage these are the kinds of situations you'll be forced to deal with regularly. You can't let your emotions guide you."

"No." Naruto said, slightly surprising his teacher. "I didn't do this for revenge, I did it because it was the right thing to do."

They stared at one another for what seemed like a long time. Two individuals, seemingly with two clashing mindsets of how the world should work.

On one hand, the experienced, yet optimistic, man who believes in the goodness of people. Jiraiya believes that order, understanding, and compassion are the ways that human beings can avoid unnecessary conflict and live in harmony.

On the other, the much less experienced boy who has seen far too many horrors in his short life is beginning to believe that there will always terrible people no matter what you do and that the only way to deal with them is to get rid of them yourself.

"A Hokage doesn't always do what they think is right. They sometimes must do what they have to."

"I'm starting to wonder about that, Sensei." Naruto said vaguely, his dull gaze was far-off into the misty horizon.

"What do you mean?"

"The Hokage." When talking about the Fire Shadow, the Genin always had a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face. Not this time. The tone Naruto used was one that had a touch of disdain. "Does a Kage get things done? I know you were offered Hokage, why did you turn it down?" The boy asked with genuine interest.

Jiraiya, surprised by the question, answered honestly. "I turned it down because I don't think I deserve to be the Hokage. I have made far too many mistakes, and continue to make more every day. The village needed someone better than me. Someone who could lead it like Sarutobi-sensei did."

"But, your spy network. All the S-Rank missions that you've carried out for the village." Naruto remembered how many missions the Sage had said he completed in passing conversation. "You've been able to do a lot more for the village's wellbeing than someone who sits behind a desk all day and fills out paperwork." It was a very simplistic way of describing the Hokage's duties, but it wasn't entirely inaccurate.

"What are you trying to say?" The Sannin was watching the boy change before his very eyes, and he wasn't sure if it was for the better, or not.

"I'm saying, I would rather be like you than the Hokage. I can't make an active difference in the world if I was forced to be at a desk all day." In Naruto's eyes, if it were up to the Hokage and the political landscape of the world, Jaaku would still be alive, and most likely never see the inside of a jail cell.

"But you've wanted to be Hokage since before I met you. Why give it up?"

Naruto looked at him sincerely. "I don't think I realized what the world was truly like, I guess. Even after all this, for the first time, I feel like I'm not lost anymore. Actions are what matters, not titles, and I don't think I could truly 'act' as the Hokage." Not only that, but a Hokage is supposed to ALWAYS act in the best interest of its people. Could he do that? Would that not be similar to how Jaaku operated in the Land of Water? What about innocent people around the world that die everyday? Surely, that kind of allegiance would hinder the blond from helping those outside his own village. He'd keep these thoughts to himself, for now, though. He had much more thinking to do.

"You're still a Genin, kid." Jiraiya chided. "What you did here today, Genin don't get to make choices like that. And if they did without consulting with their captain, there is a good chance they would be decommissioned from the ninja ranks."

Naruto thought that statement over with a hand loosely on his hip, and the other resting underneath his chin. The Sage finally had made his first good point in this conversation. The Genin had heard something similar when told he wouldn't be granted the rank of the Chunin after the Chunin Exams, despite his valiant efforts during the assault on the Leaf Village. Despite going toe-to-toe with a Tailed Beast, he couldn't be trusted to lead a squad due to lacking leadership qualities and critical judgment.

"Okay." Naruto acknowledged. "If that's what it takes, I'll move up the ranks and become someone the village can depend on to make the tough decisions out in the field. I'll do it without being the Hokage."

"Oh? How are you going to do that?" Jiraiya asked with his hands now on his hips. "Plan on going back to take part in the Chunin Exams in a few months?"

"No." Naruto said simply with a swift shake of the head. "That's a waste of the time we have. When we get back to the Leaf, I'll let my work on missions speak for itself. They'll have to promote me."

"Hmph, that's what I thought you'd say." Jiraiya nodded his head at the boy.

Now that their intense conversation was over, it was high time the Sage addressed the elephant in the room. Even if the kid had just done something awful, that doesn't mean he didn't care for the boy. Of course, he did. Still, Jiraiya sighed, he wasn't very good at this part.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you feeling after all of this? Are you okay?" There was no better way to phrase the question in the guardian's eyes. If he had been too vague, then Naruto may have just tiptoed around the inquiry if he didn't want to answer it. No, it had to be direct, even if the blond wanted to ignore it.

Naruto blinked, almost forgetting why they were even on a random roof in the Land of Water, to begin with. Almost as if Jaaku's death had such little importance to him now. In the Genin's mind he was able to rationalize the politicians death in such a way that he didn't even feel like he killed anyone. Sure, he took a life, but it was the life of one of the most vile humans he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. That justified his actions, in his opinion.

He stood there for a minute, taking in his surroundings and looking deep within himself for an answer to the question the Sage posed. It was an answer he had been looking for when he had still been alone on that rooftop prior to Jiraiya's arrival. While he would always be sad about the untimely deaths of his good friends, the inward struggle that was tearing the boy apart was gone, for the most part. It felt like he was truly seeing for the first time in his life.

"I feel good, really." The blond finally answered with sincerity. "I think I'll be okay now."

"Are you sure?"

Instead of answering with words, Naruto held out his open palm. In it, swirled the powerful Rasengan. Not just any Rasengan, Jiraiya noted, but a perfect one-handed one. Looking up at Naruto's face, he didn't appear to be strained in any way. A far cry from how he looked a couple days ago when performing the technique.

In actuality, the boy had probably had the skill to use the complete Rasengan for months now. Only, because of his state of mind post-Wave, his focus, lack of sleep, and brewing emotions throwing off his equilibrium, making it impossible to perform a jutsu that took such diligent focus.

Jiraiya was still upset about what the kid did, but it appeared to have a positive effect on the boy, nonetheless. That was the goal, after all, right? "Don't think for one second that you're out of trouble, kid."

Naruto, dispelling the technique, bowed respectfully, signaling he'll take any punishment that is placed upon him. Though, that doesn't mean the boy believes what he did was wrong. No, it was the right thing to do. Naruto was sure of it.

"Yes, Sensei…"

'No training today, only cleaning!' The Sage had instructed.

Naruto laid down in his bedroll, his exhausted muscles thanking him profusely for the kind gesture. After the boy's actions in the Land of Water yesterday, when they had returned to Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya had demanded that he clean the entire house as part of his punishment. Having only a small apartment to clean back in the Leaf, and not even doing a good job at maintaining that living space, cleaning an entire house to the high standards of the toads and his teacher was a tall task. Though, considering how mad the Sage was, it could have been a lot worse.

The Sannin made it clear that everything that happened was to stay between them, and his true punishment was to be determined at a later date. This was acceptable to the blond, even if Naruto truly believed he had done nothing wrong. The Genin had the utmost respect for his teacher and would welcome any discipline that came his way.

Though, at least now it was time to get some rest. From all the commotion in the Land of Water to getting settled back in Toadland, both he and his teacher hadn't slept at all the previous night.

Surprisingly, Jiraiya was not in bed yet even though he had to be just as tired as the blond. Though, it seemed Ma and Pa were not having the same issue, as they were loudly snoring away. Chuckling, Naruto, too closed his eyes, hoping today would finally be the day that sleep would welcome him back with soft, open arms.

…

'Drip...'

Naruto's eyes snapped open the moment something didn't feel right. No longer in the room he and Jiraiya shared with the toads, the boy was laying down in a pool of lukewarm water. At first, the Jinchuriki was confused, though that quickly dissipated when he saw the familiar metal piping that aligned the ceiling.

'What am I doing here?' He wondered to himself with a throaty groan of annoyance. 'I just wanted to go to sleep.'

It looked the same, like a depressing sewer that had long since been forgotten. Standing up, the jailor walked down the dark corridor into a large, but familiar, room, water splashing lightly at his feet with each step he took. Looking up, the warden saw the giant cage that held his lifelong 'friend'.

The Nine-Tailed Fox. The enormous beast towered over its small host. The malice was so intense that a normal human wouldn't be able to be in the same room as these two. Yet, Naruto was no normal human.

"You know, I wanted to talk to you for a while, I just didn't think you'd call me in here yourself." Naruto began, wary, but interested, in the Fox's intentions.

The Fox just growled as it's several tails lashed behind it threateningly; breath so hot that steam leaked out of the sides of his mouth. "Naruto…" He snarled with venom.

"What?" The blond's eyes were firm, stance wider than normal to signify he wouldn't be backing down. The Fox would not intimidate him today.

The beast paused briefly, seemingly thinking something over in its mind. "Where did the real you go?" It finally said.

It's facial features conveyed something, though the blond was not astute with picking up on body language, which went double when the body language was coming off a massive fox demon instead of a person. There was a hint of confusion mixed in with the regular anger that the Fox normally had. Surprisingly, it seemed like a genuine question, further confusing the boy.

"What do you mean 'the real me'? I'm right here, Fox." The jinchuriki answered to the best of his ability, not really understanding the question.

Unbeknownst to the blond child, he had two 'halves' that made him up. One half, the outward half as the beast liked to call it, was the half that Naruto showed everyone. Happy, confident, strong, caring, optimistic, and trusting. Growing up, these were the traits that Naruto thought a Hokage needed to possess. So, through the intense desire of wanting to become the shadow of the Land of Fire, he adopted them unto himself. That isn't to say these personality traits are a façade the boy puts on to trick those around him, outward Naruto truly believes that he is like that. Someone who can be Hokage.

Then, there was inward Naruto, the half that the Fox preferred. Inward Naruto, or the part of himself he liked to hide from others, was scared, pessimistic, paranoid, weak, self-conscious, angry, bitter, and best of all, vengeful. This Naruto was created by the people of the Leaf Village. They broke him down mentally and emotionally by hating him, or even ignoring his existence, making him a shell of a child. All of the hatred they threw his way materialized into something that hated them back just as much. That was the half that the fox would give his chakra to.

The Nine-Tails stared at his host for what seemed like minutes, examining the child from head to toe with a critical eye. Though they hadn't met many times prior, the Fox had a good idea about what his host's 'outward' persona was like. The child standing before him was not the same one he had first met. There was something different. Yet, his 'better' half was gone, too. What was going on?

Suddenly, it clicked. 'Interesting.' The chakra beast thought to itself. 'Did the two halves merge?' Yes, that was the only explanation. Two halves, once isolated from each other, now whole.

Seemingly done with this short interaction the beast laid back down, eyes now closed, head resting on its paw. The demon almost looked like a regular fox. After several moments of trying to sleep, the Fox felt something was off. Opening its eyes back up, the Nine-Tails was slightly surprised to see the boy still standing in the very same spot he had left him, eyeing its prisoner intensely.

"We're done here. Get out..." The monster warned.

"I said that I wanted to talk to you, so let's talk." Naruto picked back up the conversation the large creature had tried to end. "You seem to have gotten what you called me in here for, now it's my turn." Naruto still didn't know what the Fox meant by its question, but he doubted he would be able to extract that information from his tenant today.

The Nine-Tails chuckled at the small child, though that was quickly replaced with a terrifying grin that showed off the demon's massive fangs. "You little worm… you think you can give me orders?! I should kill you for that..."

As terrifying as that threat would normally be, Naruto didn't even flinch inresponse.

"I've been reading a lot about seals these past few months. Did you know that?" Naruto continued, ignoring the threat. "One of the seals that I learned about were the ones people use to seal Tailed Beasts inside human hosts." Naruto grabbed his stomach instinctively at the mention of this.

"Get to the point, boy." The angry fox demanded.

"When I receive chakra from you, it's a two-way street." The host of the strongest Tailed Beast began. "If I want chakra from you, I can only get it if you willingly give it to me. I can't just rip it from you whenever I please." The boy thought of his battle with Neji, or when he first summoned Gamabunta. Both instances Naruto requested the necessary chakra which the Fox handed over by its own admission.

"On the flip side, you can't force chakra down my throat. If you want to give it to me, I have to accept it from you."

The Fox, though appearing very angry that his peace and quiet was being interrupted for an extended time, was listening intently.

"Except… when I get emotional." The blond acknowledged. "Like in my battle with Sasuke, it took a long time to remember, but I never asked for your chakra during that fight, nor did I willingly accept it. You were able to force it on me."

The Fox didn't like where this conversation was going. "What are you trying to say, boy?"

"Perhaps the most important thing I learned, was that when a Tailed Beast continually pushes chakra through the cracks of the seal, over time, the seal will weaken. If you could force all of that chakra onto me, you would be doing it all the time, but you can't." Naruto smirked as he watched the Fox's eyes widen slightly.

Springing to its feet, the Fox slammed his head against the cage violently. The shockwave rippled the water at their feet, making waves that flowed to every corner of the room. The Nine-Tails was livid. Nearly 14 years he had been trapped inside this pathetic human, and the plan he had been executing almost from the start had been found out? This was unacceptable! How would he be able to free himself and kill all of those evil humans now?

"You little worm. Do you think that you can keep me locked in here forever?! I'll get out eventually, don't you forget that…" Slamming his head against the cage door once more in a futile attempt to rip the boy apart. The powerful embodiment of chakra was seething, so angry it was almost breathing fire.

"That isn't what I'm trying to say." The boy was doing his best to calm his prisoner down.

There was no negative emotions radiating off of the jailor, surprising the chakra beast. The Fox said nothing, though the visible fangs meant that talking wasn't really on the demon's mind, which urged the Genin to continue. "When I saw old man Tazuna dead, I was so angry. I wanted to get your power so badly so I could kill those Akatsuki bastards. Yet, despite my willingness, you never gave it to me that day. Why?"

"Hmph." The Fox chuckled deeply. "You think I pay attention to what happens in your worthless life? I couldn't care less about that."

Naruto shook his head with a laugh, angering the beast. "You can't lie, we have a connection. I don't know how, but I could feel you watching that day. And yet, even though you could have weakened the seal a little more by giving me chakra in my moment of weakness, you didn't. I just want to know why."

This child was starting to irritate the Tailed Beast. "I just told you, now leave." The Fox hissed, not used to having a human stand up to him like this since... well, the one with those horrible eyes.

"I'm not done." Naruto continuing to defy the chakra monster. "Well, even if you won't tell me why, I want you to know that I'm going to need your help."

The beast scoffed. "Me, help you? Ha, that's a good one, brat."

"Hey, it's in your best interest to help me. Those Akatsuki, they're more so after you than me. If anything, I'm keeping you safe. I just ask that you help me when I come to you."

The Nine-Tails scoffed in disgust. "I know humans. Humans only care about themselves. You're fighting to keep yourself alive, you don't care about me!"

Naruto stared down the Fox with great intensity, vibrant blue orbs clashing with blood-red daggers. "I want to keep everyone safe. Myself, you, my friends, innocent people. Everyone, and I need your help to do that."

The massive creature eyed the warden suspiciously. "You know what my plan has been, yet you still want my chakra? Why?"

"I don't know what happened to you, why you're like this, or why you're locked inside me, but you at least seem better than the Akatsuki."

They sat in silence for what seemed like a long time.

"Recently." Naruto finally breaking the silence. "I learned that humans can be extremely cruel. Well, I already knew that, but this made me realize what that truly meant. They take innocent lives without a care in the world, as long as they get what they want for themselves and those important to them. Then, I look at you, a powerful creature that my nation uses as a military asset, all locked up in a cage unable to even stretch your legs and walk around." The boy demonstrated the freedom that he had, pacing back and forth on the other side of the locked door. "I wouldn't be surprised if we are stuck together because of humanity's cruelty against you."

That last sentence caused the Fox's open eye to widen considerably.

The Nine-Tails had apparently had enough. Suddenly, Naruto was forced out of his own mindscape and back in the bedroll he had been laying in. The feeling was jarring, almost like vertigo. 'Good thing I'm already laying down.' The Genin thought to himself wryly.

Now that Naruto had regained his senses, his prisoner was back on his mind. It was hard to get a read on what the beast was thinking. It certainly wasn't much of a talker, unless the words were threats of violence and murder. Though, even those words seemed to be a bit forced. Compared to the Akatsuki's psychotic Hidan, the Nine-Tails anger seemed different. While Hidan's eyes betrayed a monster who killed because he could and it was fun, the eyes of the Fox were angry daggers aimed at the world. Aimed at a world that must have caused him a lot of pain, which is something Naruto understands.

The blond let out a tired yawn. 'Oh well…' It was too late to be thinking about these things. They would assuredly keep him up the entire night. Closing his eyes, he prayed that unconsciousness would greet him with a warm, comforting embrace. One that has been foreign to him for a long time, now.

…

Within five minutes, for the first time in over six months, Naruto Uzumaki fell asleep peacefully. And tonight, no horrible nightmares would disrupt his slumber.

Again, and again, and again, and again…

This time, it was Jiraiya who couldn't sleep, despite being completely exhausted; both physically and emotionally. If he was being honest with himself, this last year has been a disaster, and it all rests upon his shoulders. Sure, Naruto had gained a considerable amount of strength since they had left the village… though, pretty much all of the progress came in about four of those twelve months.

It was like every decision the man made ended up blowing up in his face.

First, there was the bet he made with his student. At the time, the Sage thought his reasoning was good. Writing would help teach the boy a bit of discipline, if the kid failed it would be an excuse to keep him from going after Sasuke as per their agreement, and it gave the author a little bit of time to complete the book that was going to help fund his spy network. Sounds reasonable, right?

Wrong.

Now, looking back on it, he just sees himself neglecting his Godson like he always has. Coldheartedly giving the boy busywork so he can indulge himself in the three shinobi prohibitions. Yes, the ones Jiraiya himself told Naruto to avoid completely. I mean, for the first 12 years of the kid's life he was completely absent. Yet, Naruto never was as angry as Jiraiya thinks he should have been.

'The kid was probably just so starved for attention that in his eyes I could do no wrong… And the only reason he was starved for all that attention in the first place was because I left him in a village that resented him.' He had always known that what he did was wrong, and the prospect of trying to explain himself to Kushina and Minato in the afterlife was terrifying. That was because he had no defense, he failed them. Sure, he had reached an all-time low at that point in his life. Orochimaru, his best friend, had defected from the village. Minato, his adopted son, had died during the Nine-Tails attack. However, a ninjas job is to endure, and the Toad Sage couldn't endure it so he could be in his Godson's life at an early age. It ate away at him every day.

Then, there was his brilliant idea of dropping his wanted student off at some town the Sannin had never been to while he went and investigated supposed Akatsuki activity nearby. Sure, it was Tsunade's orders, but that doesn't mean he should've said yes. His most important mission was ensuring Naruto's safety, and he failed that miserably when the Akatsuki nearly kidnapped his student. Yet, his good nature and loyalty to Tsunade, the Village, and its allies made him put Minato's son's, his Godchild's, life in grave danger.

'Falling right into a trap by the enemy, that isn't like me…'

Lastly, and probably most foolishly, was the incident in the Land of Water. Jiraiya's never had children of his own, so when the blond was going through pain, he didn't know what to do to help him. The Shinobi code tells us that we have to kill our emotions, only then will we be the perfect tool to use. Though, the Sage never believed in that crap. Humans, shinobi or not, were meant to feel emotions, especially pain. Shutting the door on our emotions is bad for the psyche and the heart. Instead, it is important to be aware of yourself and what you are feeling, only then can you become better. That's why Jiraiya wanted Naruto to face these feelings head-on, so he could get past them and grow as a person. That reasoning led him to make the huge mistake of letting his pupil meet the object of his rage face-to-face alone. At least, that was the excuse he told himself.

And look how that turned out.

Sure, he raised those kids from the Hidden Rain Village, but by the time they had met, those kids had weathered the storms of war all on their own. They just wanted to survive, and that was something he could actually help them with.

If they had been in emotional turmoil like Naruto, he probably would have messed that up, too.

Though, now that he thought about it, he messed that up too, didn't he? After all, last time he heard, those three were dead.

Jiraiya had said in a fit of anger that Naruto would get a more severe punishment for what he had done. Though, that anger was misplaced. After reflecting about everything that has transpired, the Sage wasn't angry at his student. He was angry at himself, and he wouldn't punish the kid for something that wasn't his fault. Because everything that has happened has been his own fault, there was no debating that. So, how could he be mad at the boy for something like that?

Now, because of his mistakes, Naruto was adopting ideologies that were concerning, to say the least. Sure, in theory, everything the boy said on that rooftop had some truth to it. Had the Land of Fire attempted to try Jaaku as a criminal, he would have most likely been extradited back to the Hidden Mist Village where he would have been given a proverbial slap on the wrist. So, yes, Naruto's actions made the world a better place, so to speak. But it was a decision made by a rash, young Genin who has almost no knowledge of the geopolitical landscape of the Five Great Nations. It is great that the boy wants what is best for the world, but if left unchecked bad consequences could follow in the far future.

Had the Sannin actually done his job as the boy's Godfather, none of this would have happened. Though it was thirteen years late, it was time for some changes. Even if it was someone as hopeless as Jiraiya, Naruto needed a positive figure in his life.

'I need to make this right… if that's even possible.'

Staring up at the starry night sky with a weary look overcoming his features. A look fitting that of a grizzled, middle-aged, two-war veteran that now had his most difficult task by far staring him in the face.

Jiraiya needed to figure out how to be a dad...

'Naruto... I'm truly sorry. I haven't been there nearly enough for you…' If anything was going to change, it would be him.

Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

…

"W-What did you say, Sensei?" The blond sputtered. Were his ears clogged? He couldn't have heard that right, there was no way…

"I said, I quit." The Sage said matter-of-factly.

"Quit what?! What are you talking about?!" What the hell happened last night?

Jiraiya chuckled. "I just told you. I'm done writing those books. Forever."

For a moment, it felt as though the Genin's brain stopped functioning. This made absolutely no sense. His Godfather, the biggest perv alive, had to have been joking. Yeah, this was just some bad joke.

"I know that you're mad at me, but you aren't funny, you know that?" Naruto didn't believe his own words. Jiraiya didn't look like he was lying.

"But I'm not joking, kid. I swear."

Looking into his eyes, the blond knew it to be true. "Are you okay, Sensei?" He asked slowly. "Did you hit your head on something?"

The Sannin chuckled, but shook his head, further confounding the boy. "No, kid. I feel fine." Continuing to reassure that he was in his right mind.

Despite that, Naruto still looked at him like he had three heads. "Even so, as much as I hate when you peep and write, the sales of your books bring in a lot of money that you use for the good of the village. Without it, how are you going to fund your spy network?"

Jiraiya waved that question off as if he didn't really care about it. "The village has plenty of money to handle my network. I chose to fund it myself so I could have a bit more sovereignty in what my spies look into. When I turn it over to the leaf, while I may lose a lot of autonomy it's a small price to pay." The Sage smiled, seemingly content with this decision.

Naruto squinted in confusion. "In exchange for what?" He asked.

Jiraiya flashed a toothy smile. "Why, being your full-time guardian, of course!"

Silence…

"H-Huh?" Naruto sputtered out. What the hell was this old man talking about?

"If you've taught me anything, brat, it's that I have to be better. Much better." Jiraiya thought about all the mistakes he has been making and the fact that despite all that, Naruto doesn't hate him for it.

'If he had good people caring for him from the beginning, he would realize just how much I failed him.'

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked with genuine bewilderment. "You haven't done anything wrong." In the blond's eyes, he was the best. Jiraiya was, by far, the closest thing to a father the Genin would ever know. Sure, he had his flaws, but who didn't?

"Naruto." Jiraiya placed both hands on the boy's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "I've done everything wrong." His words didn't sound dejected or bitter, Jiraiya was simply just openly acknowledging the truth. "It may be small, but this is only going to be the start. My resear…" He caught himself, turning his head to the side in embarrassment. No excuses!

Locking eyes with the boy once more, he continued. "My perving, writing those books… because of my selfishness, I ignored you and you suffered from it. I failed you."

Naruto didn't want to think about it, but when his teacher stared at women all day instead of focusing on him and his training, it hurt. Looking back, it stung even more now that he knew Jiraiya was his Godfather. The only family he had left. Though, it didn't cross the boy's mind much because of where they currently were. Away from human society, in Mount Myoboku, it almost forced Jiraiya to focus on him. There were no pretty girls here unless the pervert had a thing for frogs. Yet, in the back of his mind, he feared that when they went back it would revert to normal.

He would be ignored again.

It was something he refused to think about. When he did, all of these negative thoughts about his Godfather, that the blond didn't even know he had, began to flood his mind. It made him feel terrible.

But this news took a weight off of the boy he hadn't even known was there.

Naruto smiled sincerely, which made the Sage smile back just as brightly in return.

"Who needs those books?" Jiraiya said with a hint of humor. "After all, you're the successful author now! Maybe, if you prove yourself, I'll let you inherit the network, brat!" The Toad Sage ruffled his Godson's spiky blond hair.

"Well, with you as my master, I bet I'll be ready to handle it, hee-hee-hee." The Genin chuckled, his arms now placed casually behind his head.

Jiraiya smirked. 'Not because of me, kid.' He thought to himself with a hint of admiration for the boy. 'You'll be able to earn it all on your own. I know it.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Author's Remorse

"You know, I don't see why you guys don't eat more of this stuff." Jiraiya said with a wave of a spatula after he flipped an egg in the pan in front of him. "You can get to the Leaf Village in no time. I mean, I know it isn't exactly your typical diet, but it's delicious. I promise." After eating bugs for months, the smell of bacon and the sizzling of the fried eggs were so satisfying. Naruto was going to be ecstatic when he woke up. Over the past year, with the Sage's best attempts to ween the kid off of a diet entirely made up of ramen, they found out he loved Eastern food, as it was very popular in the Land of Earth.

"I don't know, Jiraiya-boy." Fukasaku said slowly, apparent hesitation in his eyes, from the kitchen table. "I was really looking forward to eating Ma's famous beetle soup this morning. Why are you making… this again?" A little unsure of what to call the 'food' that Jiraiya was making.

"Yeah." Ma chimed in, in a similar unsure tone. Though, hers was probably more from their student overtaking her kitchen. "When you said you wrote Gamaden a shopping list, I didn't realize it was going to be stuff like this." She was standing on the counter next to the oven Jiraiya was cooking at, observing with a spoon in hand that rested against her hip.

The Sage would glance in her direction every so often with a wary gaze, afraid that he'd get whacked in the head by the disapproving toad.

Jiraiya chuckled lightly, turning his attention to another pan. He carefully rolled the breakfast sausages to their other side. Gotta make sure they cook evenly. "Well, I wanted to give Naruto a special treat. He trains hard, that deserves a reward once in a while, no?" That was a nice way of putting it. What the Sage didn't say was that it was to the point that the blond wasn't eating enough to maintain his caloric needs. Sure, a fix to that would be to just eat more. Yet, that was hard, especially when Naruto didn't want to eat any more frog food than he absolutely had to. What made it worse was the only available food consisted of bugs, vegetables, and rice. Sure, these foods provided plenty of nutrients that a growing boy needs, but the only one of the three that could be considered calorically dense was rice. His solution? High fat, high-calorie delicious food that the blond would scarf down with absolutely zero hesitation.

'If they like this, then maybe I can convince them to try other foods. After all, can't have Naruto eating this every day.' Jiraiya thought to himself, sure that this Eastern breakfast would open the two old sage's eyes beyond bugs and rice.

Fukasaku gave the spiky-haired man an inquisitive look, though it was directed at his back so he couldn't see it. "Ma's beetle soup is a reward…" The green toad grumbled to himself indignantly, upset that one of his favorite dishes was being taken away from him, even if only for a day.

"FOOD?!" The three people in the kitchen heard from a different room in the house. Seconds later, a blond boy still clad in his pajamas came sliding into the kitchen. What he saw almost brought him to tears? "REAL FOOD!?" Naruto began to hover over the Sannin's shoulder with drool dripping from the corners of his mouth, eliciting a small chuckle from his Godfather.

"What do ya mean 'real food', Naruto-boy?" Pa asked with genuine confusion. They ate real food every day, didn't they?

"Oh, uhh…" The Genin inwardly cursed to himself, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Jiraiya had told him to not make a big deal out of the food the toads served him. It was nice of them to feed him, so he didn't want to be rude by insulting it. Besides, what they ate at Mount Myoboku wasn't the worst thing the boy had ever eaten. If he was being honest with himself, once you got past the texture of the bugs the taste wasn't too bad. Though, the texture was pretty awful if you asked him. "What I mean is, this is one of my favorites!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to change the subject slightly. "I make it for myself all the time! You'll love it, trust me!"

Fukasaku nodded, seemingly accepting this answer. "Well, I'm sure it will be good, then." He smiled, slightly reassured of the merits of the food, based off of the boy's excited reaction. "Sit down with us, Naruto-boy. Let's talk while we wait for him to finish cooking."

Naruto gave the toad an odd look, but obliged and took a seat across from Fukasaku, and the newly sat Shima. "What did you have in mind, Boss?" That was what his Godfather called the old toad, so, unsure of what to call him himself, the blond figured that was his safest bet.

Jiraiya, still cooking, glanced back at them, but didn't say anything.

Pa smiled. From what he had observed so far in their time together, the supposed Child of Prophecy was an interesting young man. Outspoken, yet reserved; brash, yet respectful; goofy, yet occasionally serious. Sometimes, he almost seemed like two different people in one body, each one coming out at the time that best suited them. The toad just chalked that up as him still getting used to being around new people after spending his entire life with other humans in the Leaf Village. He would get settled, then act more natural over time.

"I just wanted to ask you a couple questions to get to know you better."

Having lived there for six months already, the blond felt they knew each other relatively well. Likes, dislikes, his life in the Leaf Village, missions he had undertaken so far, they had already talked about these things over the course of their stay. The request seemed odd considering that they were far from strangers. Still, Naruto would play this game willingly.

"Sure, what did you want to know?" He asked.

"You're still a Genin." The male toad began with a statement, which elicited a stiff nod from the young boy. "For someone as strong as you, that's surprising, Naruto-boy."

Naruto inwardly winced at being reminded of his insignificant ranking, so much so that he didn't catch the compliment that had followed. At home, his graduating classmates, and Team Gai were probably busy getting their ranks up. 'I wouldn't be surprised if guys like Neji, Shino, and Shikamaru were all jonin by the time I got back.' Thoughts mixed with a swirl of both envy and happiness for his friends. He had been offered the prospect of going back home to represent his village in the Chunin Exams, but ultimately turned it down to continue his training in Mount Myoboku. While it certainly wasn't an easy choice, Naruto believed it was the correct one.

"Do you want to be more?" Surely, a ninja as strong as he could be at least a Chunin by now. For all Fukasaku knew, rank might not even matter to the blond.

"When I get back to the Leaf, I'll work hard until I'm a high-ranking representative of my village." The Genin answered with conviction.

"Oh? So, do you have a goal?" Was the old Sage's next question. Someone who aspired to be of a high rank surely wanted to accomplish something worthy of that lofty title.

Naruto blinked, running a hand through his moderate length spiky blond hair, a pensive look spread across his features. "Goal? A goal for what?" Sure, the boy had many goals. Ranging from wanting to break his current record of bowls of ramen eaten in one sitting, to his desire to keep innocent people out of harm's way; and everything in between. Which goal was the green toad asking about?

Fukasaku chuckled at the vagueness of his own question. "What I mean is, what do you want to accomplish as a ninja?"

Naruto mentally sighed. No one cared about how many bowls of ramen he could eat. Though, getting back on the subject matter, that was a heavy question that was difficult to answer for the Genin right now. The boy's head began to ache as he placed his hand on his temple. His thoughts drifted to Wave… his mind always seemed to be going back to that terrible day. Having to live knowing that dozens of innocent people died because of him had been wearing down the blond for months. So much so, that sleep had been a luxury. Only after his… encounter with that little weasel of a politician did the blond finally understand why the Land of Waves was targeted. Yes, his presence there played a big factor in the Akatsuki setting its sights on the town, but they only did it as an extension of the Land of Water. The reality of the situation was, that egocentrism and radical nationalism caused innocent people to die. Jaaku and the Land of Water only cared about their own interests and would kill innocent people to further them. He would never let something like that happen again.

If he had to put his answer into words…

"I want to keep innocent people safe… no matter the cost."

Fukasaku eyed the boy carefully. That was an honorable goal that was to be respected, for sure. However, the intensity in which he uttered that sentence was not something Pa had expected. It was uncommon for a thirteen-year-old boy to speak as if he was a seasoned shinobi. Though, considering what the boy had been through, the answer wasn't all too surprising. Despite that, the last part of that answer was a little concerning.

"No matter the cost?" The toad repeated to ensure he got the full effect.

Naruto nodded stiffly, his intensity never waning.

Before Fukasaku or Shima could say anything, Jiraiya hastily began dropping plates full of food in front of them; this was not a conversation the Sage wanted to be had now. Not even the great sages know about what happened in the Land of Water. Naruto is far from an idiot, but the Sannin still couldn't risk that information slipping out somehow.

"Now, now." The Sage warned teasingly. "We have the rest of the day to talk, it's time to eat."

Before them was a massive amount of food. Bacon, eggs, and breakfast sausage. Considering the voracious appetite his student possessed, he made sure that there was enough to feed twelve people.

Just as Jiraiya predicted, without hesitation or restraint, the hungry Genin began to rapidly stack copious amounts of food onto his plate. Once it was piled high with everything, he began to viciously stuff the food into his mouth.

While Jiraiya had expected this result, the horror in the small toad's eyes meant that they did not. In all their years, they had never seen such a small, cute boy eat in such a ferocious manner. When the kid ate Shima's food, he ate fast, sure. Yet, not with that much enthusiasm.

"Wow." Shima breathed out in wonderment. "You really do like that food, huh, Naruto-boy?" Fukasaku could only nod in agreement with Ma's assessment.

"Oh… yeah." Naruto got out in between bites. Stopping for a breather, he continued the conversation. "You have to try this food. It's great!"

Before they could say anything in response, their student placed a plate of food in front of each of them. He was grinning ear-to-ear. There was a cocky twinkle in the middle-aged man's eyes that made the two old amphibians uncomfortable.

…

"So...?" The lingering question was accompanied by an obnoxiously sly smile. In truth, Jiraiya already knew the answer.

Fukasaku and Shima's faces turned a light pink from embarrassment as they finished the last of the food on their respective plates. Judging by the speed they had eaten everything; they had enjoyed it thoroughly. Something neither had expected in their wildest dreams.

"It was good." Fukasaku said as he avoided further eye contact with his student. It was more than just good, it was great. Naruto hadn't been downplaying the food, at all. The toads just didn't want to give the Sage the satisfaction.

A good meal sometimes made all of a person's trouble go away. Naruto, who was blissfully unaware of what was going on, let out a content sigh as he patted his now full stomach. The Genin couldn't remember the last time he had eaten like that.

"How about you, Naruto?" Jiraiya turned his attention to his young student, deciding that if he kept pushing Shima was probably going to eventually smack him with that spoon. "Did you like the food?"

"Huh?" Naruto's head snapped in the direction of his sensei. Suddenly, as if his brain to a second to process the question, the Genin realized what was asked of him. "Oh, it was awesome! I haven't eaten that much in a long time."

"Neither have they." Jiraiya gestured with a chuckle to the full toads who were both nursing their small bellies.

Shima huffed. "Don't go getting all cocky now, Jiraiya-boy!"

"Yeah, what she said." Fukasaku chimed in. Though, he wouldn't mind having that food again sometime soon.

"Okay, okay." Jiraiya held up his hands in mock defeat. "I'm sorry, guys." He glanced over at Naruto. "This seems like a good time to start today's training, huh kid?"

"Hehehe." Naruto put his hands behind his head and watched them in mild amusement. He was glad they liked the food. Maybe this would mean that they could start eating things that weren't bugs more often. Training sounded great right now.

"Sure!"

"It's Sunday, so you know what that means."

Naruto nodded. Today was taijutsu.

In the past, taijutsu training was done with his weights activated. However, that had only been because Jiraiya was essentially forcing the blond's body to get stronger and faster as fast as possible. He did this by having the kid carry around that weight around whenever he could. Now that he was sufficiently strong and fast since all of his combat in the field would be done without the use of the weights, it was smart to train with them deactivated. Train as you would fight, as Jiraiya-sensei liked to say.

Jiraiya brought his hands together, forming his student's favorite hand sign.

'Poof.'

Five copies of Jiraiya appeared, each settling into an offensive stance.

"Based on that Rasengan you made the other day; I think it's safe to say you retained some of the stuff we've been going over these last few months." Doing his best not to bring up WHY the plateau had occurred, only that it happened. "So, I want you to show me how much your taijutsu has improved. Sound good?"

Naruto smirked and obliged, shifting into a sideways stance with his lead leg far out in front of him. This orthodox karate stance was something that he and the Sage had both come up with and tweaked to make it perfectly aligned with the boy's strengths in hand-to-hand combat.

"Are you ready, Sensei?"

Instead of giving an answer, one of the copies rushed forward. The white-haired clone threw a swift left hook.

Naruto, who had been bouncing back and forth on his back and lead legs, anticipated this. Gathering chakra into his front leg, he kicked off it, exploding backward and avoiding the strike entirely. The clone stumbled forward, giving the blond all the opening he needed to take advantage. Still moving backward in the air, he now pushed chakra into his back leg. Landing, he kicked off his back foot and was sent flying forward.

'Poof.'

The clone ate a vicious right-straight to the side of the head, dispelling it instantly.

The second and third clones were on him immediately, on both sides of him. The Genin, sensing the clone behind him immediately, swiveled his hips and launched a spinning wheel kick aimed at his six o'clock.

Another satisfying 'poof'.

The Sannin doppelganger that had been in front of him gave him no time to recover, throwing a potent combination. Jab, right-straight, push-kick to the body. Having no time to react, Naruto had no choice but to put up his guard and eat the punches. The jab got through, snapping his head back a little.

"Oof." He winced slightly and stumbled backward as the clone's heel dug into his sternum. Resetting his stance, it was just in time as the clone was already in front of him. Molding chakra into the necessary body part, Naruto blasted a right-leg high kick.

The poor clone put up a sidearm guard at shoulder height to defend, but it did little to stop the impact of a chakra reinforced strike.

'Poof.'

'Last two!' Naruto thought to himself. He stayed calm, not moving from his spot beside the bouncing back and forth he did in his karate stance. It was a good way for him to remain lose and reactive.

This time, the two remaining clones came at him from the same direction; one trailing slightly behind the other. Suddenly, the rear clone leaped into the air while the grounded clone used that as a distraction to try and land strikes. Left jab, right hook, followed up with a left uppercut.

Displaying beautiful head movement, Naruto ducked and weaved out of the way of the punches and inside the pocket of the fake Jiraiya. He opened up with a short right elbow strike to the chest and, while grabbing ahold of his bright red robes tightly, a devastating left knee to the liver.

'Poof.'

As if it just came naturally to him, he kicked off of his chakra infused plant leg just as the last clone landed where he had been standing.

They locked eyes, each breaking out in a wide, but intense, smile. Both master and student were greatly enjoying this.

'Jiraiya' quickly followed, hellbent on not allowing his student anytime to recover from his back step. However, he was playing right into the blond's game.

Just as his enemy was getting within range, the Genin, still leaping backward at high speed, flipped his hips to the left. Using that momentum, he swung his right leg out and connected with the back of the clone's head. Right behind the ear.

'Poof.'

Naruto could just make out the sound that ensured his victory as he tumbled to the ground. Throwing that kick meant that he wasn't going to land on his feet, a risky proposition had he missed. But this was his specialty, he was accurate.

"Beautiful!" Boomed his incredibly proud teacher. "That was absolutely beautiful, kid!"

Naruto, who was picking himself up off the ground, smiled brightly. He loved being complimented by his teacher. It wasn't an ego thing; it was just someone finally acknowledging his strength made him feel really proud of himself. It was nice. "You think so?" Still beaming.

"Definitely." The Sage ruffled his Godson's spiky-blond hair affectionately. "You made quick work of my clones." Sure, the clones weren't trying as hard as they could have been, but they both already knew that. Saying it aloud would just ruin the moment. Still, it wasn't as if the copies hadn't tried at all. What the boy did was by no means a small feat.

"Honestly, Sensei." The boy began, hair falling into his eyes because of Jiraiya patting his head. "I just remembered a lot of the stuff that we went over. Before at first, none of it made sense and I was getting confused and angry that I couldn't understand. I couldn't focus on what we were doing." He threw his hands up in the air in triumph. "But now? It all makes sense."

Early on, Jiraiya had determined that Naruto had two valuable skills when it came to taijutsu; counterstriking, and creativity. He has lightning-fast reflexes, and the innate ability to come up with creative forms of attack on the fly. A perfect example being that falling away head kick that he landed on the fifth clone. Most people wouldn't even attempt, or expect, that. But that was Naruto, he kept you guessing.

"Now, remember." Jiraiya drilled. "Being the aggressor is sometimes necessary for a fight, but with your strengths, you should let your opponent come to you. Just like how you did with my clones. You let them be the aggressor, and it opened up your ability to counter them with your chakra enhanced strikes." That was another idea they came up with. Due to the immense ocean's worth of chakra that Naruto possessed, he had plenty to spare to use to increase his power.

"But what if they don't give me any openings to exploit?" In theory, counterstriking was the best form of hand-to-hand combat. Capitalize on your opponent's missteps and deliver devastating damage in return. Though, the blond raised an important question. What if he fights someone that doesn't make mistakes?

"Remember, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes." Jiraiya instructed. "Though, if there is a time where you can't find any openings you change it up. You can either push the pace and apply pressure with your striking, or you can implement your ninjutsu to add another element to the battle."

Looking at the boy's slightly unsure face, Jiraiya continued. "Don't worry, kid. We still have plenty of time to get you ready for everything the world has to offer. Just remember your strengths."

Naruto nodded in agreement. Everything the Sage had said was completely right. Naruto felt completely in his element by allowing his opponent to lead the fight. Though, there was still something on his mind. "Sensei?"

"Hm? What is it, kid?"

"On Wednesday, can I practice my style with clones." Naruto began hopefully, with his hands balled up in front of his face in an attempt to plead. "I know you haven't wanted to me to use my clones much, but with this style, I feel like coordinating with my clones during a fight could be a good idea."

Before Jiraiya could answer him, he continued. "I-I just think that if I have clones, we can set up attacks that open up the opponent to be countered. I'll be able to make openings that otherwise wouldn't be there. D-Does that make sense?" He finished weakly, scratching the back of his head.

Jiraiya chuckled lightly. "Kid, when I said I didn't want you relying on your clones all the time, that didn't mean that I never wanted you to use them again. Of course, we can start working on coordinating your clones better!"

Naruto blinked. "But I thought-"

He was cut off.

"I didn't want you to use your clones, because when you used them in the past you were unrefined and wild. And if I allowed you to rely on that, you would have never gotten as good and technical as you are now!" Jiraiya was so proud of Minato's son. "Now that you're more refined and polished, I think you and your clones would benefit greatly from getting some practice in."

Naruto smirked triumphantly, joyfully thinking about all the damage he could inflict on the Akatsuki using his shadow clones.

"Also, before we continue with today, I wanted to touch base with how your fuinjutsu reading is coming along." Usually done in the blond's spare time, or a clone studying adjacent to their training, Naruto has been reading up on basic theory and application for some time now. Jiraiya kept his distance with this aspect of the kid's training, allowing his student to try and grasp the concept himself.

Fuinjutsu is tricky, not everyone gets it and you can't teach someone to be a master. Sure, most people can create basic storage seals and what have you, but to be a master you must have an affinity for it. If Naruto showed that level of proficiency, then the Sage would double down on the fuinjutsu lessons.

Naruto's eyes lit up at the mention of the sealing technique. "That reminds me, Sensei. I wanted to ask you something." Naruto flipped open his kunai pouch and took out a scroll. Unfurling it, Jiraiya noticed that it was a storage seal. Eyebrow raised; he watched the boy inject some of his chakra into the seal.

'Poof.'

It was a book on sealing.

"You're already reading the intermediate level stuff?" Jiraiya questioned, surprised by this development.

Naruto, completely unaware that his master had said anything, was flipping through the pages of the large book. "Here." He said, pointing to the page in question.

"That's the fire seal. What about it?"

"I remember you using this to seal the black flames that Itachi left behind. It's a seal that can contain chakra techniques. Though, in this case, it is limited to fire." He said that last part more for himself than Jiraiya. Suddenly, he began flipping through the pages once more. "And here. This is a modified storage seal that is mainly used to store, and launch out, shuriken, kunai, and other projectiles at a target. I've seen Tenten use this one before." The gears were turning in the blond's head, but not in any way the Sannin could understand.

"What are you getting at, Naruto?"

Naruto took out and unfurled another scroll from his pouch. Though, this one had an intricate seal that the Sage did not recognize. "While I was reading this book, I came up with an idea for this." Gesturing to his seal. "Though, I'm not sure if it'll work."

Jiraiya blinked. 'He's already been trying to develop his own sealing matrices? How could I have not noticed?' Yet, on second thought, the Sage shouldn't be too surprised about the blond's natural aptitude for fuinjutsu. Given who Naruto's parents are… Jiraiya shook his head from his thoughts and back to the problem at hand. "Well, what is it supposed to do?" He finally responded.

"I took those two seals from the book, modified them a little to synergize with one another, and combined them into one." Now that he mentioned it, Jiraiya saw the similarities this seal had with the other two. "I wanted a seal that contained properties of both, a seal that could absorb a jutsu like, say, the Fireball Jutsu, and then redirect it back at the caster. By using the chakra absorption capabilities of the fire seal, and the projection attribute of the modified storage seal, I think it might work."

Jiraiya was in awe at the design. The boy didn't just try to mash two different seals together in a half-baked attempt to create something new. No, he designed it so, the two different components he wanted to extract from each seal flowed into each other. This was an entirely new seal with characteristics of both. "How did you come up with this?"

Naruto blinked. "Well… I don't know, it just, sort of, made sense?" He responded, slightly unsure of it himself. "Almost like two puzzle pieces that you have to pick out from a big pile. They just... fit together? Do you think it can work?"

The Sannin looked at the design up and down. The lines were neat and straight, the matrix flowed beautifully into itself. Everything appeared to be in order. "I think so…" Unsure of it himself.

"Good. I want you to shoot some fire at me." The teenager asked if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Normally, Jiraiya would object to this rather vehemently. He would go on and on about how it was a bad idea and that they should be more responsible. However, Jiraiya loved fuinjutsu, he found it fascinating. So, it only made sense that he, too, was insanely interested in what Naruto's seal could do. He made up his mind.

"I like the way you think, kid."

Walking a decent distance away from his student, he began to gather chakra in the pit of his stomach. "Are you ready?" To which the blond nodded stiffly.

"Fire Style: Fire Bullet." Running through a quick series of hand signs, Jiraiya spat out a medium-sized ball of fire at the boy.

Naruto smirked, excited about the prospect of trying out his invention. "Here goes nothing!" Naruto yelled as he pumped chakra into the scroll, he was holding out in front of him. The matrix glowed a bright blue, humming softly with energy as the fire approached rapidly. Once the technique got within ten feet of the seal, something amazing happened. Blue light poured out of the scroll and raced to meet the orange flames. Stopping all of the momenta from the attack, the bright energy wrapped itself around the fire, as if it were taming the inferno itself. Slowly, it drew the flames into the seal, the light fading quickly after.

"Woah…" Naruto breathed out in awe of what he saw. Shaking his head back to reality, he dropped the scroll on the ground and began to go through the same hand seals that his mentor had done.

"Fire Style: Fire Bullet!" He yelled as he stomped down on the seal, sending a pulse of his chakra into the paper.

The matrix lit up once again, though this time it glowed a hot orange. Without warning, the same jutsu, albeit noticeably smaller, that Jiraiya had used was now coming right back at him with righteous fury.

'Boom!'

Naruto's eyebrow rose at the display as he plopped down in front of his creation, cross-legged. Examining the seal, he adopted a pensive look. Instead of being happy at the success of his seal, he was left feeling conflicted and confused.

"Did you see that?" The blond called out into the dissipating smoke, not looking away from the scroll.

Jiraiya stepped out of the smoke, his hair still wrapped around him from his defensive jutsu. Slowly, his white locks began to revert back to their normal length, flowing gracefully behind him. "Yeah." The Sage nodded in agreement, though Naruto wasn't looking to notice. "It was significantly smaller coming back at me." Taking the space next to the boy, he, too, looked at the seal for any answers that it could provide.

"I expected some energy transfer loss, but that was much more than I thought." Looking over the matrix, the blond couldn't find the reason behind why this happened.

"Well." Jiraiya brought his hand to his chin, deep in thought. "What if there isn't a problem with your seal, at all?"

"What do you mean, Sensei? You saw it! It didn't work!"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean it's your fault." To make his point, the Sannin picked up the book the Genin had been studying and pointed to the cover. "Those two seals you used to create this one are barely intermediate level. One is used to seal away stationary fire, and the other is used to store projectile weapons. They probably aren't advanced enough to fully contain strong jutsu."

"I see…" Naruto contemplated these words. What his Godfather had said made sense. From what he was understanding, he was trying to force a seal to be more powerful than it actually was. Almost like the clone jutsu. If in the proper hands, the regular clone technique could be useful, but an E-Rank technique can only go so far. It pales in comparison to the much more advanced shadow clone variation. "Maybe I'll be able to figure it out once I start learning the more advanced stuff. I still have a lot to learn, huh?" The aspiring seal master grinned weakly.

"Don't be sad about this, your design is nothing short of genius." His mentor praised highly. "The fact that you thought of this all by yourself; you have real talent, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

Before the Sage could respond, their attention was directed at the sound of nearby hopping.

"Kosuke?" The Sage questioned. "Do you have something for me?"

"For the both of you." The small toad answered, staring at both of them.

"Me?" The confused blond asked, pointing a thumb into his chest.

"That is what I said." Kosuke answered dryly, handing each of them a scroll.

Jiraiya immediately recognized where the message had come from. He sucked in air, releasing a deep, tired breath. "Oh boy." Sarcasm was woven heavily into his word. "I was dreading when this was finally going to arrive."

Naruto blinked, confused by his teacher's sudden change in attitude. Now interested, he opened his own message, unsure of who it was from. "Land of Fire Publishing Company?" Naruto said out loud, hoping it would help him understand what he was reading. Suddenly, it hit him. He published a book, didn't he? That's right! Naruto Uzumaki was a published author!

'How did I forget that?' He thought to himself, as he began to read the letter addressed to him.

"What does yours say, kid?" The older man asked, slightly afraid to open his own.

"My book, it became a best-seller." The blond's voice was surprisingly low as he read off his accomplishment, despite the great news. "And to celebrate, they're making a limited edition hardcover copy. They sent me a copy, too."

'Poof.'

Naruto undid the seal that was attached to the letter, releasing the copy in question. The binding was jet black, the rest of the book was a burnt orange, save for the red and black Uzumaki symbol that adorned the cover. In Jiraiya's opinion, it looked far better than the original neon orange softcover book the boy had designed.

"You got a check, too. " Jiraiya noticed a piece of paper fluttering to the ground when the seal was undone. Picking it up, he whistled at the amount that he saw written. "Well, well." His smile was a mile wide. "My boy is rich! What are you going to do with the money?"

The blond was too busy staring at the book that was now in his hands. Despite writing it less than a year ago, it felt like nearly a lifetime ago since he had come up with the idea. His face contorted into a grimace. Flipping through the pages, the scowl on his face only deepened.

"Naruto?"

"Huh?" The blond's head snapped in the direction of the sound, effectively getting him out of his own thoughts.

"I said, what are you going to do with all of this money?" Jiraiya repeated, waving the check in front of the boy's face for good measure.

Taking the check-in question, the author looked it over. It was a sizable amount. More than a kid like him ever needed. "I had been thinking about what I would do with this money when I finally got it for a while now." Though, none of that thought revolved around him using it for himself. Sure, he'd keep some for any expenses he would incur; like food, ink for writing, scrolls, ninja tools, and whatever else a ninja needed. However, he would not waste this money on frivolous things. No, this money could do some real good in the world. There was one place, in particular, he had in mind…

"I think I'm going to send most of this to Wave." He said after a long pause, face falling into a slight frown. "They need it after all of the trouble we caused them. Hopefully, it can help people who lost a lot get back on their feet, at least a little."

Jiraiya's eyes softened. "You know, that's not a bad idea." His mentor joined in. "I think I'll write them a check, too. After all, it's the least that I can do for them."

Naruto smiled lightly at the kind gesture from his Sensei. "Thanks, Master." Getting off the depressing topic, the blond addressed the new elephant in the room. "So, what does your letter say?" His student had noticed the sullen reaction the Sannin had when he found out it was from their publishing company.

Jiraiya huffed in annoyance, clenching the note tightly in his hand, arms crossed firmly at his chest. "Well, let's just say that they are not happy with the news that I'm retiring from writing the Icha-Icha series."

"Oh?" Naruto commented, a slight amount of amusement intertwined into his voice.

"Yeah!" The Sage threw his hands up in the air in annoyance. "They're even threatening to sue me for breach of contract! Talking about how we have a written agreement together for at least two more books! Those bastards, I made them plenty of money as it is." He wasn't worried about the lawsuit that much, Jiraiya was angry that they had the audacity to try and reel him back in after all he had done for them over the years.

"What are you going to do about that? Sounds kind of serious."

Jiraiya waved off any concern that the boy had for him. "Don't worry, I'll be able to figure something out." Looking up at the position of the sun, the Sage realized how much time they had wasted not doing taijutsu. "We'll worry about that stuff later; we have to finish our training for today."

Naruto hastily agreed. Anything to distract his mind from where it was trying to go.

Naruto let out a heavy breath, leaning up against the table he was sitting at. It was now dusk; training had concluded some hours ago. It was a good session, Naruto had thought. They worked on head movement, agility and evasive drills, and even a spar against a horde of his clones. This time, unlike the last few months, the real blond had come out victorious.

Shortly after their session was over, the boy claimed that he was going to come here, to the Mount Myoboku archives, to study. During his free time, this was where a lot of his fuinjutsu reading took place outside of training. It was very quiet, and it contained a decent amount of literature revolving around fuinjutsu. That was what he had told his teacher he was going to be working on, his work-in-progress sealing matrix; but that wasn't true. What he was really occupying his time with was currently staring him right in the face.

'The Weight of the World: by Naruto Uzumaki.'

Its presence alone was angering the young author.

At the time, when he had found out that this book had gotten published, it was one of the most satisfying moments of his life. Not only had he found something that he truly enjoyed doing, but he was able to chalk it down as one more obstacle in his life that he was able to overcome.

That's why the news that his precious creation had become a best-seller should have caused him to be overcome with joy. When he had seen the long line at the bookstore in Wave, and people itching to get a copy of his work, it filled him with a sense of pride and happiness. Proud that people were accepting his writing as good enough, and happy that he would be able to share the story with the world. HIS story.

Then, why? Why wasn't he happy? This was what he wanted, after all, right?

Looking at the cover, he didn't feel any of the emotions that he thought he would. This moment was supposed to be filled with joy, pride, and a sense of accomplishment. Yet, all he felt was disappointment, contempt, and anger. Earlier, he had skimmed through the book to see its contents. Though, that wasn't really necessary considering he write the book himself. He just wanted to confirm why he was feeling what he was feeling.

'This book… it's so childish.' He thought to himself bitterly. 'So naïve.' The reason why he was so upset was simple once he thought about it.

Despite the novel being under a year old, the Naruto who wrote this, and the Naruto that exists today, are two very different people. The story paints a picture of an idealistic, picturesque world. A hopeful place, with good people. Sure, the main character goes through rough beginnings, but he is able to overcome that. The people that once shunned and isolated him, are now his allies and help him defeat the dangerous people who are trying to control the world. He's able to get humanity to trust one another to the point where they can live alongside each other. He had projected his hopes for the future into his writing.

However, he now knows that something like that is nothing more than foolish fantasy. When locking eyes with Jaaku, Naruto finally understood just what humans were capable of. They were filled with nothing but selfishness and greed. Those eyes haunted him more than he'd like to admit. There weren't words to describe what he was feeling, it was so many emotions at once. In essence, Jaaku's greed represented a microcosm of the entire world. Greed was the root of most evil in the world, and everyone was capable of it. If put in the right position, humans would show that they are inherently bad. That is what Naruto believed.

Naruto scoffed at the book in front of him. As far as he was concerned, the only good this book had was that it was raising him money to give back to Wave… Still.

"I can't let this book define who I am as a writer. I won't let that happen." He breathed out. Glancing over at the corner of the table, there was a notepad and pen. His frown evened out, a neutral and indifferent expression now adorning his features.

It was time to write a sequel…

Chapter Text

Omake 3: Head in the Clouds

Peace and tranquility.

Those were the words that came to Shikamaru's mind when engaging in his favorite activity. Well, engaging wasn't really the best word to describe it. In fact, he enjoyed it so much because there was no need to engage in anything. Watching the clouds was calming, yet it also required practically zero physical effort. Sure, sometimes his eyes would get heavy from sleepiness, but then that meant he could fall seamlessly into a nap. Another plus in his book.

Watching the clouds was also the perfect time he could think about things that were on his mind. No distractions; no worries clouding his judgment and rational thought. And as of recently, there were quite a bit of things he needed to sift through.

'Crunch.'

The Nara's ear twitched slightly at the familiar sound. He had a good idea about who was behind it. While he enjoyed his free time almost as much as anything, the company of his best friend was always welcome. Slowly, expending the least amount of energy possible, he turned his head towards the stairs that led to the rooftop he was currently occupying.

Seconds later, a plump face with red swirls on his cheeks poked his head out. The head's eyes roamed the rooftop, and once they fell on Shikaku's son he broke out into a huge smile.

"Yo." Shikamaru said coolly.

"There you are, Shikamaru! I've been looking all over for you." The friendly Akimichi exclaimed, making his way over to his best friend's side. Forgoing the option to lay down on his back and watch the clouds, Choji opted to sit cross-legged next to his friend. It was easier to eat chips this way. Less messy, too.

The shadow user's eyebrow raised. "You were looking everywhere? Shouldn't this be, like, the first place you look?" If he wasn't at home or on a mission, and it was a nice day out, there was a good chance you'd find the genius on that very rooftop watching the clouds in peace.

"Well, your mom said you went to go play shogi with Asuma, but that was a while ago. Then, I got suspicious and thought you guys might be eating at Yakiniku Q without me, so I went there next." Choji explained shamelessly with a shrug.

The Nara chuckled lightly, turning his eyes back to the sky. " You know we only go to that place because you like it so much. I don't think I have ever actually gone there without you."

"Let's keep it that way." Choji said jokingly, though, Shika wasn't totally sure his friend was kidding.

They sat in silence after that for several minutes, simply enjoying one another's company. This was a common occurrence. Shikamaru would lazily watch the clouds above, while Choji would snack on his favorite chips and occasionally glance up at the sky himself. He didn't enjoy it as much as his spiky-haired friend, but just like Shika's admission with going to eat Korean Barbeque, Choji did it because Shikamaru liked to.

"Hey, Choji?" The Nara began, breaking the calm silence between the two.

"What's… up?" Choji said in between chews of his snacks.

"Did you ever get a chance to read Naruto's book?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah! I read it a little after it came out, remember?" The Akimichi answered, recalling when the surprise book was released a few months ago. "Why?"

"Well… I finally got around to reading it." Shikamaru was going to continue but was cut off by the chubby food enthusiast.

"Wait… you actually… read a book?" Choji interrupted, an incredulous look on his face. He couldn't recall any time in which the Nara boy had read anything without being forced to do so.

"Yeah, I did." The genius confirmed, slightly surprising himself with his own actions. "I had been curious about it or a while, I just kept pushing it off." Shikamaru said, acknowledging his own lazy tendencies. He wanted to support Naruto's book; it was just hard for him to find the motivation to do things. "Anyway, you're getting me off-topic. I wanted to know, what did you think about it?"

Choji, about to open another bag of chips, stopped and thought about the question. "I'm not much of a reader, but I thought it was good. Honestly, I had no idea Naruto could even write like that. When we were in the academy, his grades were even worse than ours."

"I know for a fact that Naruto couldn't write like that when we were in the academy." The shadow user added, fully aware of how inept the blond was in an academic setting. Sure, his own grades were pretty bad too, but that was due to him lacking the motivation to apply himself. "Though, his writing ability isn't really what I'm talking about. What did you think about what he wrote? Like, the story?"

"Oh, it was pretty interesting. I really liked the main character. Even though he wasn't treated right by the people around him, he never let it get to him. The character felt less like a hero, and more like an actual person. It was different. Naruto has always been a pretty creative guy, so I'm not surprised he was able to come up with it."

Shikamaru frowned, gaze drifting back to the beautiful sight above his head. Though, in the corner of his eye, he saw something moving in view. Though they were a considerable distance away, dark rain clouds were starting to approach the clear skies above the Leaf Village. A storm might soon be upon them.

"Yeah…" the spiky-haired youth said with even less emotion than he usually exuded. "Creative…"

Yoshino Nara, the wife to the clan head Shikaku, was cheerfully humming to herself as she was in the process of preparing dinner for her family. Though one of her geniuses was still not home yet, and she didn't have to look outside to know how hard it was raining. She could hear the small water droplets pummeling against the sides of the house.

'I hope Shikamaru isn't caught up in this rain. He gets a little moody when he comes home soaked.' Just as the thought came to her, she heard the door open in the other room. "Shikamaru is that you?!" She yelled, raising her voice more than necessary due to the rain bouncing loudly off of the window over the sink next to her.

Instead of answering right away, the young Nara walked into the kitchen with a grimace on his face. His hair was so saturated with water that his spiky ponytail being weighed down. He has taken off of his now wet jacket, revealing his mesh undershirt.

"You know, Shikamaru, you should be more aware of the weather." His mother began, eliciting a sigh from the boy. "I bet you were falling asleep staring at the clouds again, weren't you? All that time you waste when you could be out doing more important things."

Man, he hated when his mother got so naggy. Sure, he understood why she did it but that didn't make it easier to listen to. It really was bothersome sometimes. "I know, mom." He conceded, hoping to end the woman's mini-rant. Normally he wouldn't be this dismissive of his mom, but there was something on his mind that he needed to take care of. "Is dad home? I need to talk to him."

"Hm?" Yoshino responded, seemingly already forgetting about what she was complaining about. "Oh, your father is home. He's in the study." Shikamaru was already walking past her to the study, much to her annoyance. "Dinner will be ready soon! When you two are done talking come and eat!" She called after him.

Shikamaru threw a half-hearted hand above his hand in acknowledgment. He wasn't listening to what his mother had said, though if he had to guess it was a bit of nagging mixed in with when dinner was going to be ready. He wasn't being intentionally rude; the aloofness was only because the young Nara was focused on something else. And there was really only one person he could go to get the answers that he wanted.

"Dad." Shikamaru said as he walked into the study of one of the most intelligent ninjas in the Land of Fire, maybe even the entire elemental nations.

Shikaku looked up from something he was reading and waved his son into the room. "What is it, Shikamaru?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

Shikaku's brow furrowed in intrigue. Usually, when his son wanted to talk about something, the young Nara would propose they play a game of shogi. Shogi loosened them both up, making it easier to have these types of conversations together. Though, this time, Shikamaru didn't open up with a round of their favorite game. What was bringing about this change in routine? 'How interesting…'

"What is it?"

His son, instead of responding with words, simply took something out of his pouch and tossed it in his father's direction. The clan head knew what it was before reaching out and grabbing it in mid-air. It was a bright orange book.

His son was still standing in the doorway, arms crossed, and a frown stretched across his face.

Shikaku couldn't keep a weary sigh from escaping his lips. He was fully aware of the contents his son's former classmate had authored; the Hokage had made most of the ninja aware of it in case the younger generation began asking questions. This was a conversation he hadn't exactly been looking forward to.

"Your friend is apparently quite the author, I hear." Shikaku began in a measured tone. "That is if it has the ability to get someone as lazy as you to sit down and read."

"We both know what this is about, so why don't you just tell me what is going on." Shikamaru said with a modicum of annoyance. He could tell when his father didn't want to talk about something.

"I would if you told me what exactly you wanted to talk about." His son returned his serve in their verbal game of shogi, and he delivered a strike right back. "I'm all ears."

The young Nara sighed as he leaned up against the door frame. "The things Naruto talks about in this book, it isn't as simple as an author telling a story for the enjoyment of the readers. No, it has to be much more than that."

"Are you saying you didn't like the book? I heard it was actually quite the enjoyable read."

Shikamaru's eye twitched at his dad's obvious attempts to avoid this entire conversation. "No. What I'm saying is the things in this book seem a little too real to be just a story. Though, if it is more than just a story, I don't understand why these things happened."

"Oh?" The clan head said with feign surprise, rubbing his chin in apparent deep thought. "Which parts are you talking about?"

"Everyday, I wake up to the hateful stares of people who don't understand me." Shika began, seemingly reciting a passage from the book solely from memory. "They whisper how much they despise my existence, even though I have caused them no harm. This is the world that I was born into. A world that rejects me." He had read that part so many times, that he didn't think he would ever forget it.

Shikaku remained silent.

"Those words are in that book. I've known Naruto for a little while, and while I'm not sure how he suddenly gained the ability to write coherent sentences, I know that he didn't come up with that on a creative whim." It wasn't a surprise to him that Choji hadn't picked up on the book's meaning. The young Akimichi was usually someone who took things at face value and rolled with it without much thought. If only Shikamaru had that luxury. He picked up on thing and had to know the meaning behind it. Especially if it involved a friend of his.

"What are you trying to say, Shikamaru?"

"You know exactly what I'm trying to say."

Shikaku tossed the book back to his son and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. It looks like he doesn't have a choice except to have this conversation.

"Then say it. Tell me what it is that you're thinking." A touch of annoyance was in the clan head's voice.

"When we were in the academy together, I didn't think much of it, but I would sometimes see him out in public after school hours. Or, even, when we would skip class together with Choji and Kiba. He would get these looks directed at him. At the time, I thought it was because he pranked everyone in the village, though, something about those stares didn't look like prank victims." Shikamaru winced slightly as a rush of guilt washed over him. "We weren't particularly close, so I guess I just didn't care enough to give it any significant thought. I took the simplest answer available because I didn't want to put any additional effort into it."

Shikaku's eyes softened as he watched his son struggle with guilt. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You were, and still, are, just a child. How could you know anything unless we told you?" Though, his gruff and unsympathetic tone didn't come off as very reassuring.

"I should have noticed regardless, but it doesn't really matter right now." The boy said, locking eyes with his aloof father. "My question to you is, why? Why did he get those glares from people in the village?" There was a touch of anger in the usually reserved Nara's voice, something that didn't go unnoticed by the scarred man.

There was a long pause as the clan head turned his answer over in his head. He had no choice in his response, really. "That… is something only Naruto can tell you, I'm afraid."

Shikamaru recoiled a bit, shocked that he was being denied. "What? Why?!"

"Well, there are a couple reasons." Shikaku answered, rubbing his chin in actual thought this time. "Most importantly, though, is that whatever happened, happened to Naruto. So, it isn't my place to tell you about his business."

Shikamaru wanted to say something in retaliation, but there was nothing that was coming to mind. As much as he didn't like to admit it, his dad was right. Would it be right of him to snoop around in Naruto's business? Especially if it was potentially something that the blond wanted to keep under wraps? No, as a friend he would respect his space.

The spiky-haired man stood up from his chair, intent on leaving the room. "Now, if I had to guess, I would say that dinner is about to be ready." He said as he slipped by his son who still remained in the doorway. Though, shortly after passing the boy, he stopped; back still turned away from his successor.

"I may not be able to give you the answer that you want, but I will tell you this." He continued. "You're right, that quote you read isn't simply an author crafting a story. Though, it could mean many things for many different reasons. If you want to know, I would suggest asking Naruto when he returns to the village. Only he can give you the answer you want."

"And, if he doesn't want to tell me?" There was no anger or frustration in the young Nara's voice, only conflicting emotions of confusion and sadness. Sadness that he was right, and someone he now considered a friend had gone through being neglected by everyone while he just turned a blind eye. "I just want to make up for being a bad friend. Naruto deserved better than what he got from all of us."

"Then, respect his decision." He turned his head back, locking eyes with the younger Nara. "And, be there for him. As his friend. It would mean more to him than you know. If anything, being sad and sorry for him may make him feel worse. I get that you may feel some sort of guilt, but don't show him that. No one wants to be pitied."

As he watched his dad's retreating form, his mind began to race with the new information he was given. If anything, their conversation had just raised more questions that begged to be answered. And since he respected the blond's privacy, they would have to wait, at least, until he returned to the village. Though, there was one thing the talk with his father had clarified.

Naruto was his friend, and he would be there for him whenever he was needed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Elemental Forces

-14 Months Before Returning to the Leaf Village-

Naruto was standing out in the open. Vulnerable, visibly on edge. The thought that they could strike at any moment caused him to hold his breath in his gut. He's been in this situation many times before, they just enjoyed making him wait. Yes, that was it. Then, when he would finally drop his guard, they would strike.

Not this time. He was ready for it.

There was slight movement in his peripheral, almost indiscernible. Yet, to him, it was as clear as day. Reality around him, ever so slightly, began to shift into something new. It felt like Naruto was in an alternate dimension, one that was nearly identical to his own, but uniquely different at the same time. Everything looked the same through his eyes, but his remaining senses were screaming at him that something wasn't right. That was the only way he could describe it. This sensation was so bizarre; the blond didn't think he would ever get used to it.

How he despised being caught in a genjutsu.

"I saw it that time!" He shouted out, letting his adversaries know that he would not be caught in these illusions again. There was no answer to his statement, all that could be heard was the whistling of the moderately gusting breeze that had rolled through the mountains.

He blinked, and in an instant, his surroundings changed. Now, how he wished he was still holding in that breath. Gone, where the beautiful forests of Mount Myoboku, present was what appeared to be dark, suffocating waters of the great ocean. Even though this was an illusion, he knew it was impossible to breathe in the air that his body craved, or his brain would likely be tricked into thinking he was drowning. Annoyingly, his lungs already began to burn for necessary oxygen.

Trying to swim to the surface would be futile, he already knew that very well. No matter how far up one swam, there was never a surface to reach. That was the purpose of this Genjutsu. If anything, it would burn through his remaining stores of energy, furthering him into a state of oxygen deprivation. Instead, the blond did the exact opposite of what one would do in a real situation like this. The Genin's body went completely still. Not a muscle was to be moved.

This not only calmed him and made him tune out what his senses swore were real threats to his life, but it also allowed him to begin gathering the chakra he needed. In his core, he swirled a maelstrom of raw, powerful energy. Unguided, and unfocused, it was useless. However, if taught how to direct its flow appropriately, there was almost nothing he couldn't do.

Suddenly, and with a force that exuded determination, Naruto clapped his hands together. With a mighty, yet gurgled, roar he unleashed the massive amount of chakra that he had been preparing. The effects were instantaneous. As if he had punched a mirror, the artificial world that had formed around him was slowly breaking apart; shattering into tiny, unsalvageable pieces. The deep underwaters of the ocean were gone, back was the much more accessible terrain of Mount Myoboku.

"Heh…" Naruto panted from the exertion. "Is that all you got Boss, Ma'am?" A cocky smile adorned his lips as he watched his three teachers phase into view. They, too, were smiling similarly.

"You hear that, Ma? Naruto-boy finally wins a round and he's already bragging! And after all of those times we took pity on him and broke the genjutsu ourselves." The old frog joked.

"Sound to me like we shouldn't go so easy on him next time." Ma added with her own mischievous smile. "What do you think, Jiraiya-boy?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to the smiling Sage. Though, his smile was slightly different than the two toads. While they were having fun joking around with the blond, the Sannin's eyes betrayed a hint of admiration for his student.

From the Sannin's perspective, these last four months had flown by. A majority of their time was spent strengthening and perfecting the skills the boy had already been working on, along with throwing in a few new skills and techniques that could be learned supplementary.

Naruto's taijutsu training has been mostly focused on clone coordination and evasive maneuvering. He had been learning how to use his clones to create openings in his enemy's defenses and exploit them to use his chakra-enhanced strikes to deal devastating damage. Jiraiya also made it a point of emphasis to teach the boy how to more efficiently use his shadow clones. Before, he had a penchant for creating massive hordes of clones and throwing them at his target with no form of structure, strategy, or purpose; hoping to just overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Not only were the results mixed-to-poor, but the amount of chakra he would expend would kill the average jonin two times over; at least. A bad habit like that could be fatal when faced with those in the Akatsuki, where every ounce of chakra should be carefully and tactically allocated to ensure the highest probability of victory.

As for the Genin's strength and speed, the Sage decided that it was best to limit the amount of time his student used the chakra weights. Progress in that department has been fantastic, but at the boy's age, continued use could begin to garner negative results if used recklessly. The last thing Jiraiya wanted to do was harm the musculoskeletal system of a growing boy. Naruto would kill him if he stayed short for the rest of his life. They would use the weights to help maintain his current levels of speed and strength, but prolonged use was over for now.

That took them to where they were currently. Genjutsu. More specifically, how to break yourself out of the hold of Genjutsu. Now, if there was one field of ninja techniques where Jiraiya was lacking, it was the illusionary arts; and he knew that. Moreover, that was an area where he knew his student was naturally inept in, as well. The Sage could go on and on about explaining the theory behind how to break out of the illusion arts, but that alone would do little to help the boy. So, because he couldn't do it himself, he thought it best to hand the reins over to two of the best genjutsu practitioners he knew.

Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima.

Using their amazing talents, not only could the Genin understand the theory behind breaking out of genjutsu, he could apply that new knowledge, learn the signs of when he is caught in it, and gain experience dispelling high-level illusions, all at the same time. This was just something that Jiraiya couldn't emulate without their help.

And, boy, was Jiraiya glad that they spent so much time on this part of the blond's training. Because when he said the kid had been inept when they first started, that was an understatement. Sure, the toads definitely were not taking it easy on him, but neither would someone like Itachi. They needed to push him as hard as they could because they didn't have the allotted time necessary to take things slow. That is, not with everything the Sage still wanted to teach him.

"Don't worry, the brat has a habit of doing that." Jiraiya waved off. "Doesn't utter a word when he fails fifty times in a row, but the second he does something right he's going to let you know about it."

Fukasaku let out a small chuckle at the small boy's antics. "Reminds me of another cocky troublemaker that used to train here." He said in a playful voice, glancing over in Jiraiya's direction. "Anyhow." Turning his attention back to his current student. "You've been making good progress. That genjutsu that Ma and I put on you was no walk in the park. If I'm being honest, I didn't expect you to get it down so fast, Naruto-boy."

Naruto nodded, seemingly understanding why his teacher thought that. "I know what you mean. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to perform any Genjutsu. It just doesn't make any sense to me. However, breaking it is a lot more straightforward. Though I think the most difficult part is figuring out when I'm trapped in one. I think I'm starting to get that down, too."

"You are." Shima confirmed in her loud, but not rude, tone. "Not everyone has an affinity for genjutsu; like Jiraiya-boy, here! He's awful at it!" That slight dig elicited a sneer from the Toad Sage, but that did little to deter the old toad. "Yet, you seem to be very good at dispelling them because of how much chakra you're able to release. That outward surge of energy is key to disrupting the flow. Remember that."

"I will." Naruto smiled, bowing out of respect to his teachers. "Thank you, Masters."

Fukasaku shrugged off the formalities. "C'mon, Naruto-boy, you've known us long enough. You can drop the formalities! We're happy to help. Whenever you need it, we will be there." The two sages of Mount Myoboku, training session now over, we're about to head back home. Ma needed to get started on dinner, and Pa's back was beginning to hurt a little from all the moving around they had done. That was when Fukasaku remembered something.

"Oh, and Naruto-boy?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't forget about tomorrow evening." The green toad said vaguely, now following his wife who had already started walking back.

"Oh… Yes, sir!" The blond shouted in response as the two small figures disappeared into the dense forest.

Now the Sannin was interested. "You're training during your downtime, too?" He asked curiously. As far as he knew, outside of their genjutsu training, the toads had very little involvement in the Genin's development.

"Nah, not training." Naruto elaborated, lifting his arms up behind his head. "Boss and I have been meditating these past few weeks. Says that it's good for helping me control my emotions when in a fight."

"Oh, is that right?" The Sage said, a trace of edge to his voice. 'That sneaky old frog.' He thought to himself

Jiraiya wasn't mad at Pa, because his intentions were good and understandable. And honestly, the Toad Sage had expected this from his old master. While he had said no to any senjutsu training while Naruto continues to develop, meditation, and the art of staying still, weren't exactly things exclusive to sage training. It had many other uses, just as Fukasaku had told Naruto. It would help slow things down for the boy, make it easier to keep his emotions in check and give him a head start for when he trains to be a sage later down the line. His Godfather was fearful that the intensity of sage training would harm the child's mental health, but just meditation alone could only have a positive one.

The more he thought about it, the more he was okay with it.

"Yeah. Actually, I kind of like it." Naruto said, throwing his arms out in front of him. "It helps me tune things out and clear my mind to the point where I'm not thinking about anything." Anything, and he meant anything, that could get himself out of his own head for a while was a blessing. He wouldn't tell Jiraiya this, but he dreaded any part of the day where he wasn't training or reading fuinjutsu. Because, if he wasn't doing something distracting or engaging, his thoughts drifted to places they shouldn't go. It wasn't good for him, and he knew it.

Yet, with meditation, he could actually find time to relax outside of training or studying. It was liberating! Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would enjoy sitting completely still for an extended period, but he also never thought he would enjoy writing, and look how that turned out. While Fukasaku walked him through the steps of how to meditate properly, he still did it during his free time. It even helped him sleep when he was having trouble.

Jiraiya smiled, happy that Pa's idea seemed to be helping his Godson out in more ways than one. But now, it was time to get back to business. "Well, I'm going to need all of your attention right now, because today we are going to start something new."

Naruto rose an eyebrow but otherwise didn't react much. They hadn't started something new in a while. These last few months, the word that Jiraiya kept drilling out was 'perfection'. Perfect form, perfect concentration, perfect timing, perfect teamwork; no wasted movements. The number of repetitions he had endured, even though it was invaluable to him, was wearing him out. Now, he felt a new excitement brimming up within him. The prospect of learning something foreign, absorbing even more knowledge that he could use to grow stronger; it was an indescribable feeling that would never get old.

"So, what is it?" The blond said after a brief silence, his tone not betraying how excited he was actually feeling.

"Here." The Sage said simply, holding something in his hand for his student to take.

Naruto took it, examined it, and frowned slightly. "A piece of paper?" He deadpanned. Was he getting messed with?

Jiraiya smirked devilishly at his boy's incredulous look. "Not just any paper." Pulling out another piece of the normal-looking paper for himself. "This is litmus paper."

"Litmus paper?" The Genin turned the sheet over in his hand, examining every inch of it hoping to uncover the secrets about what made it so special. Still, it looked like normal paper. "Well, what's so special about it?"

"Well, how about a demonstration?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically, pumping a bit of his chakra into the special paper.

To Naruto's confusion, the paper suddenly, and rapidly, ignited; burning the paper up in a matter of seconds. Staring down at his own paper, he asked the only question on his mind. "Is it… highly flammable?"

"No." Jiraiya answered humorlessly, resisting the urge to smack his forehead with the palm of his hand. "That paper in your hands is made from a special tree that grows by being fed chakra. Because of this, it reacts to chakra in a special way and can tell a person what their elemental affinity is."

Now, the boy was looking at the plain-looking paper in amazement. "Wow, really?! This paper can tell me what affinity I have?" He repeated dumbly.

Jiraiya nodded. "As you know, my main element is fire; which is why the paper ignited. Similarly, if your nature is water, the paper becomes saturated with water; if earth, the paper crumbles into dust; if lightning, it crinkles up; and if wind, it is sliced in half." He gestured to the paper in the Genin's hand. "Give it a go. All you have to do is push some chakra into it."

"Okay…" For some reason, the boy was feeling a little hesitant to see what his element was. What if he got a crappy one? Was there even an element that was considered bad? He sucked in a breath, resigning himself to his fate. 'Oh, well. What will be, will be.'

'Rip'

That sound fluttered delicately in the wind as the boy looked down at the answer to his eagerly sought question.

"Wind." Naruto said in response to the paper in his hand being sliced in two. After thinking it over, he looked up at his mentor for his opinion. "Is wind good?"

"Hmm." Jiraiya grunted, bringing his hand to his chin. "This is interesting, wind is not very common in the Land of Fire."

"Okay, but is it good?" Naruto asked again, slightly annoyed that his question was being ignored. It was an important question! He didn't care whether or not it was rare, that didn't really tell him anything.

"There is no bad affinity to have, each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. It also heavily depends on the opponent you're facing, and what type of fighter you are. For instance, Wind is strong against lightning, but also weak to fire. Each element has another element it is strong against, and one that it is weak to. Though, in your particular case…" He took his hand off his chin, arms now hanging loosely around his hips, and smiled. "Wind is actually an extremely versatile element. It's well-suited for battle, but it can also be used effectively at nearly all ranges for both attack and defense. With your ingenuity, I think it's the perfect element for you, Naruto."

"Okay." Naruto began in a measured tone, still looking at the split piece of paper in his hand. Sure, that was good news, but he was doing his best to manage his expectations. "I'm guessing It would be way too easy to have me learning cool jutsu on day one, huh?"

Jiraiya almost couldn't hold in a laugh at the look the kid was giving him. They had been training together for a while now, which meant that Naruto was familiar with the Sage's processes. They never jumped straight into the 'cool' parts of training, as the blond liked to call it. If there was anything that he could pick from that the Sannin has been drilling into his head from the beginning, it is that you cannot ignore the fundamentals. It is the basis of all of our knowledge, and without it, like a house with no foundation, it will fall and crumble sooner rather than later. It was difficult for the hyperactive, low-attention span having blond to get used to, but in his heart, he knew it was the correct approach. Not only that, but he was finding it easier to do than it had been in the past.

The Sage just shook his head. "Do you remember what I told you about the Rasengan?"

The blond, surprised by the question, adopted a pensive look as he reflected back on their past conversations. He remembered; how could he forget? The question elicited the exact reaction Jiraiya was hoping it would. The unsure, disengaged look the boy had was now replaced by a look of fiery determination; a look extraordinarily similar to his father's, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

Speaking of…

"Yeah, I remember." Unconsciously, he balled his hands up into fists, squeezing them together tightly. "The goal is to combine my wind with the Rasengan to create a completely new technique, something not even the Fourth could do."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

"That means no shortcuts, I have to start at the very beginning and give it my absolute all."

Jiraiya smirked. "Good. Now, how about we get started?"

Naruto wobbled backward, exhaustion taking over as his body begged him to sit down and rest. He refused, dead set on continuing until he couldn't any longer. Sweat was pouring down his face after hours of giving it nearly everything that he had. He and his five clones were running on fumes; the blond couldn't even remember the last time he had used this much chakra during a training session.

What had depleted the Uzumaki this much, you ask?

"This damn leaf." The Genin grumbled, staring daggers at the nearly unmarked piece of greenery delicately resting in his palm. Maybe if he looked at it fiercely enough, that would be enough to cut it.

For his training, Jiraiya had instructed that he 'use his chakra to cut the leaf.' While the blond didn't really understand what that meant at first, his mentor explained it as best as he could.

'The goal is to take your chakra and, almost as if you were sharpening a knife, mold it inside of your body until it is razor-sharp. Then, when you feel like you have it, release it forcefully, but in a controlled way.'

The Uzumaki was realizing the hard way, that while it sounded easy the way his sensei explained it, actually doing what he said was completely different. After hours of attempting to cut his leaf, it was showing almost no signs that anything had been done to it. There was a small nick in the top left corner, but the Genin wasn't even sure if that was from him or not.

'One more time.' He thought to himself, regaining his focus. Sucking in a deep breath, he began to gather that swirling energy within him again. With the leaf clasped tightly between his two hands, he began to pull at the chakra. The goal was to use his wind affinity to alter the state of his chakra. Technically, change in chakra form could be used to sharpen his chakra, but this process was very different. His chakra needed to be more than sharp, it needed to be altered to the point that it became wind itself. To help with the process, he imagined a strong, cutting gust of wind that would sting one's face as it went by. Well, that, but one-thousand times stronger.

As he visualized this, he began to feel something forming that was slightly different than anything he had molded all day. However, he didn't want to rush it. Naruto continued to imagine a sharp wind cutting through, the sharpening of a kunai against a grindstone, and anything else with a razor-like edge that could come to his mind.

Slowly… slowly, it was all coming together. "Hah!" Suddenly, and with all of the force he could muster, Naruto and his clones let their sharpened chakra explode out of their body, through their hands, and into the target; the annoying leaf that wouldn't leave him alone.

"Hah…hah…hah. That had to have been it." Breathing heavy from the effort, the blond shakily separated his hands to see his handiwork. His face fell, then rose, then twisted in an unsure grimace.

While the leaf almost seemed exactly the same as it was before, now there was a very tiny cut in the top RIGHT corner, as well. That means that he did it! Well, kind of, right? It was better than everything else before it, that was for sure!

Jiraiya glanced over his shoulder, noting the look on his student's face. "Now, kid. I know that doesn't seem like much, but nature manipulation is one of the hardest things you can do. This is going to take a long time, so try not to get discouraged."

Naruto, eyes closed, took in a deep breath, dispelling his clones in the process with five soft 'poofs'. Quietly, he allowed their knowledge to mix with his own, analyzing and storing away everything he thought was relevant to his training. Using just five clones to train for so long, sorting and organizing the information they transferred back to him became almost second nature to him. Once he felt satisfied that he had retained everything that he needed to, his eyes opened back up.

"I know." Naruto said clenching, then unclenching, his hands. "I can tell that this isn't going to be easy, but that's what I signed up for, Sensei."

Jiraiya smirked, proud of his protégé's attitude and understanding. "Good, now why don't you try one more time using all of the experience you gained from your clones?"

"Right!"

Duck, weave, block, sidestep. The Sage was doing everything he could to dodge the onslaught his student was throwing at him.

Normally, the Genin's fighting style consisted of being a defensive counterpuncher. This meant that pushing the pace was something he only did when he had to. However, his training with his clones changed that slightly. Now, the boy could be BOTH passive and aggressive at the same time. Without risking injury, he could send his clones in to put overwhelming pressure on his opponent. This pressure would cause them to make a mistake, then the real boy would swoop in and deal damage.

Bringing his armguard up at the perfect time, Jiraiya deflected a right hook harmlessly off to the side. Grabbing the sleeve of the doppelganger, he planted his foot in the ground and twisted his body. Using that momentum, Jiraiya threw the fake at another clone. To his dismay, and slight surprise, the recipient caught his 'brother', soft-touch keeping either of them from dispelling.

The Sage didn't have time to be impressed, ducking a high kick from another clone, Jiraiya went to sweep his opponent's legs out from under him. Before he could, a fourth Naruto came barreling in, intending to baseball slide into the Sannin's knee. Jiraiya, still crouched, had no choice but to jump straight up.

This was different than before. With his clones being more coordinated with one another, a small team, instead of a massive horde, was capable of disrupting the flow of his adversary.

'He got me…' Without looking up, Jiraiya already knew what was coming.

Another blond, presumably the real one, was already sky-high above his mentor's head, using his fifth and final clone as a platform to get higher in the air than his opponent. And he was falling. Fast. Loading up a chakra enhanced ax kick, he zeroed in on his target. The top of his Godfather's head.

"Ha!" With a vicious swing, the heel of his foot smashed into the futile block of his opponent.

'Poof!'

Flipping in the air, the real Naruto landed flawlessly on the ground, a smug smile adorning his lips. Sure, it wasn't perfect; the initial plan didn't work out, but the on-the-fly adjustments the clones were able to make worked even better. The most important thing, Naruto's had the chemistry to change their plans non-verbally. The intended product of the training his Godfather was putting him through.

However, he had no time to celebrate the victory.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"

Naruto's eyes widened, not even having to look to know what was coming. "Crap, scatter!"

The six Naruto's shot off in different directions, using their surroundings as cover against the horde of flying, white spikes.

The real Naruto and one of his clones were crouched down behind a boulder, trying to listen for any activity going on around them. He winced as the memories of two clones who weren't lucky enough to escape came back to him. That probably would've hurt... "Do you hear anything?" The shadow clone asked his summoner in a low whisper.

The real blond shook his head tightly. "No, not right now, I don't." Responding back just as quietly. "I'm not even entirely sure where that attack came from. His jutsu covers such a wide berth it's almost impossible to pinpoint where the castor is at a distance like that." He was about to say something else, but something stopped him; the twitching of his ears. "Hey, do you hear that?"

'Hssssss.'

Simultaneously, both blond's gaze shot down to their feet, eyes lighting up in horror at what they saw.

The sound was the hissing of a paper bomb.

"Shi-"

The real Genin was interrupted as his copy, acting completely on instinct, grabbed his summoner by the collar and with all of his strength, threw him to the side. An instant later, and just as Naruto got out of range of the blast radius, the area lit up in a brilliant ball of fire and light. The explosion shook the ground violently, the reverberation running its way up the trunk of the surrounding trees and causing the thick, leaf-covered branches to bounce as if a strong wind was passing through them.

Jiraiya's student smoothly popped out of his roll and onto his feet, facing the direction in which his clone had been engulfed by the blast. The ground where they stood and the rock they had used as cover were both scorched with black ash. A slight shiver went up his spine as his savior's last moments and experiences were transferred to him.

"Don't you think that was a little extreme?" The blond asked aloud with a touch of exasperation, despite being seemingly alone. "That actually could have killed me."

There was a slight rumbling beneath his feet, seconds later the head of his Master poked out of the ground right in front of them; courtesy of the Head Hunter Jutsu. They stared at one another, his Godson not even flinching, except for the slightest of eye twitches, at the Sannin's over-the-top antics.

"I considered it." Was the deadpan response of the Toad Sage.

"And what conclusion did you come to?" The Genin questioned, deciding to humor the older man a bit.

"No."

Slowly, almost comically so, he rose from the ground, never breaking eye contact with his subordinate. Once they were about eye level with one another, the Sage continued. "When faced with a split-second decision, you have to be able to turn off your brain and just react. If you have to stop and think about something before you do it in the heat of battle, you will die. So, if we're going to practice evasive maneuvering, I want you to feel like your life is on the line. In fact, I'm willing to put it on the line for you!"

"How noble of you." The sarcasm rolling off the young boy's tongue, despite wholeheartedly agreeing with his teacher's words. "That is quite the sacrifice you're willing to make for my sake."

"What can I say? I make the choices no one else wants to make."

Jiraiya smirked goofily, which made his Godson's lip quiver slightly. Naruto was no longer able to hold it in; he started laughing. It appeared as though the blond's laugh was contagious because his mentor followed suit with a bark of laughter.

After their brief fit of laughter, the Genin wiped a stray tear off of his cheek with the back of his hand. "C-Can you not look at me with that stupid face?" He stuttered, choking back a giggle.

Crossing his arms across his chest and looking off to the side, Jiraiya feigned annoyance. "I have no idea what you're talking about." To which the blond responded by huffing in an overexaggerated manner.

Now that the mood was shifting from serious training to lighthearted banter, Naruto's shoulders relaxed. Moments like these made the boy realize how important Jiraiya was to him. There wasn't really anyone in his life who he could spend time with like this. Sure, there was Iruka, but that was different. How, he really did not know. Naruto didn't have family members in his life to compare his relationships with others to. If he had to guess, Iruka was like an older brother to him. Looking out for him, having a laugh with one another. But, what was Jiraiya to him? Sure, the guy was a goofy idiot sometimes, but that was one of Naruto's favorite things about him. Ever since Jiraiya had told him that he was done ignoring him to write his book, their relationship had only gotten better. Naruto felt safe, important, and even loved. 'I wonder if this is what it's like to have a father...'

And yet, despite their close relationship, the blond didn't really know much about his mentor/guardian. There were somethings that he had been meaning to ask his Godfather for a while now, but he just didn't know when or how to bring it up.

"Hey, Sensei?" The blond began slowly, turning the questions he had over in his head to ensure they came out how he intended. "Can I ask you something?"

Jiraiya uncrossed his arms and gave his student an inquisitive look. He had, like, three to four more witty things he wanted to say, but he could save those for an appropriate time down the road. "You know you can ask me anything, kid. What's up?"

"You… and Orochimaru… were friends, right?" The Genin asked unsurely, afraid that bringing up the Sannin's rogue teammate might damper the mood they had created.

The curious look the Toad Sage had grown even more so. "Why are you asking all of a sudden?" His tone wasn't negative or accusatory, just curious.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I don't really know much about you other than what everyone else in the world knows." Naruto explained, absentmindedly straightening his headband. "And… in the hospital before we left the village, you told me to give up on Sasuke, looking back on it, it sounded like you were speaking from experience."

Jiraiya sighed deeply, deciding to forgo standing, and sat down on the ground cross-legged. He needed to sit for this heavy topic. "Well, as you know, Orochimaru was on my Genin squad under the Third Hokage. We grew up together, and ultimately became known as the Legendary Sannin alongside Tsunade. Very similarly to you and Sasuke, we didn't get along very well at first." The Sage chuckled, remembering the frequent arguments he got in with his team members. "Yet, I guess you can say we grew on each other over time. Going on missions, fighting alongside each other in the Great War… He really did become my best friend." There was a bittersweet smile on his face. Remembering his friendship with the Snake was tough sometimes, but he was glad that he could still look back on those memories.

Naruto winced, realizing the now somber mood was his doing. Yet, he decided to press forward. "And… when he left the village?"

"A part of me felt it coming, and another part of me denied it." Jiraiya acknowledged. "When Sarutobi-Sensei told me what he found in that lab, and his encounter with Orochimaru, I didn't believe it. I ignored my master's advice and went after him by myself. I tried to force him back to the village that we both had called our home for so many years. And, well, you know how that turned out."

Despite the mood shift, Naruto managed a smile. Jiraiya eyed him curiously. "What are you smiling about?"

"You know, sensei, you and I are a lot alike." Naruto laughed weakly, scratching the back of his head. Sure, maybe not for best of reasons, but alike, nonetheless.

Jiraiya chuckled. 'You have no idea, Naruto.' He thought to himself. "I guess so."

"I'm sorry."

The Sannin blinked, caught off guard by the sudden apology. "Sorry for what?"

"When you were telling me to not go after Sasuke, it got me angry. I didn't stop to think about what you were saying or why you were saying it. All I heard was that you wanted me to give up on bringing Sasuke back to the village."

"You've been thinking about that conversation recently? Why?"

"Sometimes, I think about what I could have done differently."

"And?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to sigh. "I tried to drag him back to the Leaf Village without taking a minute to think about why he left in the first place. And even if I did think about why he was doing it, I don't think I could have understood him." He was now sitting on a flat-surfaced rock alongside Jiraiya, staring up at the clear blue skies above Mount Myoboku. The calming wind brushed gently through his hair. "With everything that's happened in the past year, while I may still not fully understand him, I do understand why he left."

Jiraiya shared a look with his student, surprised by how much introspection the child had done. When he was that age, while he was a ninja participating in a Shinobi War, he didn't think he would be capable of that. War is an easy concept to grasp, understanding one's self is truly difficult. If anything, war causes a person to repress themselves instead of accept themselves.

"Well, that's where Orochimaru and Sasuke are different." The older man began. "Orochimaru left the village to pursue his own ambitions, sacrificing lives carelessly to reach his goals. Sasuke, on the other hand, while he certainly has ambitions and goals, they stem from the desire to avenge his clan and take out his brother. I believe there is nothing I, or anyone, could have done to get Orochimaru back. I don't think the same is true for Sasuke." Normally, the Sage wouldn't openly share his honest thoughts about Sasuke, afraid that it may further motivate the young blond to go after him. Though, seeing how his disciple is maturing, he is beginning to realize that hiding his true thoughts won't help anyone. Naruto deserved to hear the truth.

"Maybe…" Was all the blond had to say in response.

"Being able to understand him, how does that change things for you?" His Godfather asked, genuinely interested in the blond's answer.

There was a long pause, the silence was so present you could hear a pin drop. This was a question Naruto had been pondering for several months. Thinking about it so frequently, he already knew what his answer was going to be.

"I'm not going to try and force Sasuke to come back to the Leaf."

Jiraiya had nearly had a heart attack after the declaration he made. Though, no one could really blame him. After all, the blond had been deadest on the mission to bring Sasuke back to the Leaf ever since he found out from Shikamaru that he left. Hell, he had promised on his life to Sakura that he would bring the Uchiha back. By abandoning that promise, the Genin was also turning his back on his Ninja Way. No, the blond just finally understands just how complex the situation is. He was a foolish kid making a foolish promise in which he was unable to fully grasp the ramifications of his actions. If Sasuke truly has no desire to return to the village, then forcing him to do so would just make the situation worse. He would resent Naruto, and the Leaf, even more than he already does. It would only work if he can be convinced to come back under his own volition. If he could find a way to do that he would try, but as of this day forward the threat of the Akatsuki takes precedence over all else.

Oh well, no need to continue worrying about that right now. He had other, more immediate, things on his mind.

'Well, isn't this a bit of déjà vu…' Naruto thought to himself with a touch of annoyance as he stared at the blank page on the desk. Training recently had been taking up a bulk of his days, so finding the time where he could sit down and write was a little difficult. So it was late. Very late. But, after receiving that copy of his book from his publisher, he had been committed to finding the time.

He needed to tell the people what he thought about the world around them, whether they liked it or not. Though he was having trouble crafting this anticipated sequel and he didn't know why. When the boy had been struggling to write part one, many different factors played into it. Back then, he needed to learn how to write coherent sentences first. Then, he needed to figure out the premise, plot, and world he would be writing about. Though, once all of those details were ironed out, the writing process with his clones went rather smoothly.

What about now? He already had all of those things laid out for him, he just needed to extend the storyline and take it in the new direction he wanted. So why? Why was he struggling? He knew exactly what he wanted to write about… right?

"What are ya writing about?" Came a friendly and chirpy voice.

The blond teen, who had been spacing out, shot to his feet in surprise. Naruto wasn't in the Mount Myoboku archives anymore. Everything around him was white. Eye-straining-ly bright, white floors, white walls that seem to stretch out to eternity, and a white sky that appeared to extend to the heavens. It was pure nothingness. Turning his head to the sound that shook him from his daze, he locked eyes with another set of bright blue orbs. It was him, but not him at the same time.

Standing in front of the teen was a much shorter, and younger, version of himself. If he had to guess, it was him when he was about 5. Dressed in a blank white t-shirt, and a pair of white cargo shorts, the little Naruto turned his head slightly to the side in confusion at his older self's reaction.

"What's the matter? Did I scare ya?"

The teen's eyes remained squinted. 'What the hell is going on?' He thought to himself.

Branching out his senses, he tried to feel the chakra of his unidentified guest to see if it was someone in Mount Myoboku messing with him using a transformation. Expecting it to be Jiraiya playing a prank on him, he was even more confounded when he couldn't sense anything. Checking his own chakra for a disturbance, he also determined that he wasn't currently under a Genjutsu. So…

Seriously, what was going on?

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: Heart to Heart

Naruto's face betrayed a look of utter confoundment. Here he was, staring at a younger version of himself. And no, it wasn't a clone, and it wasn't someone using the transformation technique either. Jiraiya's training had prepared him for many things he was going to see in the ninja world; this was not one of them.

"Uh… sorry, but, where are we?" The shinobi asked, voice betraying his uncertainty as he took in the endlessly expansive sea of white that filled his vision. There were many questions on his mind that he wanted to ask, but the most pressing was why he was no longer in the toad mountains.

"You mean this place?" The little blond said, gesturing to the white emptiness around him with a large smile on his face. "This is my home. Welcome!"

"Your home?" The 'real' Naruto asked incredulously. "There isn't really anything here, how is it a home?"

At the mention of that, the older blond noticed a hint of sadness appear behind his counterparts bright blue eyes. It reminded him of when he would catch a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror all of those years ago. Those same, sad eyes. "I never really had a true home growing up, so please don't make fun of it." The little Uzumaki huffed in annoyance.

"Uh… sorry?" It was going to be difficult to get past the absurdity of what was happening. Still, the little Naruto was the only thing here that could give him any answers to what was happening. He didn't know how he got there and had no idea how to get back to the real world. "I guess... that it's just different from my house. Yeah, I'm just not used to it, is all. On second thought, you have a very nice place here."

The annoyed look on the boy's face was immediately replaced with one of pure joy. "Really?! Thanks!" The blond beamed. "I'm glad that you like it! You're only the second visitor that I've ever had, so I would have been sad if you hated it."

"The second? Who's the first?"

"You know him."

Naruto blinked at that response. "I do?" To which the little one nodded. "Well, where is he? I would like to meet him."

There was a slight pause, then a look of confusion appeared across the child's face. He scratched his scalp through their spiky hair, seemingly thinking something over in his mind. "Now that you mention it, he was just here a second ago. I'm not sure where he went, but he'll probably be back soon."

"Right…" The teenager said slowly, checking his surroundings for any sign of something beyond the expansive nothingness. "How do I get out of here? I'm not trying to be rude, but I should be getting home soon." It was odd trying to reassure himself so as not to make the little Uzumaki sad again.

"Hm? Didn't you want to talk about something?"

"What do you mean? Why would you think I would want to talk about something? I don't even know how I got here."

"Well, when the other us came, he needed to talk about something. We were both confused because I have been alone here for as long as I can remember. And now, even though he isn't here right now, we're pretty much always together. It's been great!"

"I… don't think there's anything I really want to talk about." There was a bit of hesitation in his speech, something that wasn't lost on his smaller self.

"Well, what were you doing before you came here? Did something bad happen to you, too?" There was a glint of something Naruto assumed was worry in the little blond's eyes, now. Everything his younger self said seemed to confuse him even more than before.

"…Did something bad happen to the other person?"

The child nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, when he got here, he was crying. I think some people close to him died. It took a while, but he seems better now! He's still a little grumpy and angry sometimes, but I don't mind!"

The Genin gulped. His head was spinning in many directions, each outcome and implication making him more nervous. He needed to ask this next question to confirm his thoughts. "The other 'us' you mentioned.". He began, deducing that the other guest his younger self was talking about was another Naruto. "When did he show up here?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe… a few months ago? I'm not really that good with time." The youngster said after a brief period of thought. "Why?"

"N-no reason. I was just curious." The real Naruto's head was beginning to pound from all of the confusion and thoughts he was having.

"Okay!" Mini-Naruto's hands were now clasped behind his head as he smiled from ear-to-ear. That quickly folded into a slight frown. "Hey… I answered a bunch of your questions, but you still didn't answer mine!" Following the inquisitive look he received, the little blond continued. "I asked you what you were doing before you got here, and what you were writing about, remember?"

"Oh… right." He trailed off, glancing down at the blank sheet of paper he had been mindlessly staring at. "I was trying to write a sequel to my book. Well, our book." The Genin corrected, realizing he was having a conversation with himself.

"A sequel? To the book I wrote?" He questioned.

The choice of words caught the older boy's attention. "The one you wrote? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I'm you." The boy said simply. "Actually, you're me. I may be small, but I've been around longer than you have. I'm the one who wrote our book. Why do you want to make a new one?"

"Wait, wait, wait." The teenage Uzumaki said frantically, waving his hands out in front of his body. "What are you talking about? You wrote the book? You've been around longer than me? I'm sorry, but you lost me, kid." As far as he was concerned, he was himself, and he has always been himself.

Right? Yes, of course… right?

So, what was this brat talking about?

"All I know is that I don't remember you being around before. You look like me, but you feel different. I don't really know how to explain it." The child-like version of himself seemed to be struggling to find the words to explain what he was feeling and thinking.

"You seem… very happy." The current Naruto commented.

"I am!" The boy beamed enthusiastically. "Aren't you?!"

Okay, now some things were starting to make a little sense. Perhaps, just perhaps, this little squirt was telling a bit of truth. "Heh, maybe you did write that book after all." The current Naruto said a bit cynically.

"Hm? Why are ya sayin' it like that?" The mini-blond said, a touch of that young naivety showing through.

"I want to write a sequel to your book that is a lot more realistic. It's okay to be happy and optimistic, but some of the things in our first book can never really happen in the real world. So, I want to tell my own story." Those blue eyes were shining fiercely. In the expansive nothingness of the realm, he found himself in, those striking orbs could be seen from hundreds of feet away. Intense, unshakable.

"What's wrong with being happy?" The optimistic boy questioned with a light tone. "It's a great feeling!"

"It's not about whether or not you're happy, it's when you let the emotions you feel distort your sense of reality is when it becomes an issue." Even though he was talking to a child version of himself, if this Naruto truly wrote the book as he said, then he should be smart enough to understand what was being said. There was no need to explain things in layman's terms. "The world is a cruel, unforgiving place. People need to understand that, even if they don't want to."

There was a long moment of silence between the two. After the older blond's intense rebuttal, there seemed to be a bit of tension between the two. Since they are the same person, they can understand one another's thoughts and feelings. However, understanding does not equate to acceptance. Despite being two parts of the same whole, they have vastly different experiences and opinions about the world, life, and even themselves.

"I don't think you're going to be able to write the book that you want." The young one finally said.

Naruto frowned. "What makes you say that?" Though, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer. After all, he had been struggling greatly for an unknown reason to put pen to paper.

"You seem… very bitter, and angry; a lot like the other us." He began, his words causing his older self to flinch. "But, at the same time, you're different than him. He always seems to be angry and bitter about something. Not you, though. I think you want to be happy and hopeful deep down." This time, the little one chuckled. "Honestly, you seem like a mix of him and me! Can you write what you want to write with all of these conflicting emotions you have?"

Glancing down at the blank paper he had been staring at for what felt like hours before, frustration began to build up inside the older blond. These conflicting feelings the little one was talking about was something he was very aware of. Well, to be more accurate, it was something he was trying to ignore. After his experience in the Land of Water, Naruto had come to the conclusion that there would always be terrible people in the world, and that he, if no one else, would have to do something about it. If that meant using lethal force… well, his rationalization was that it was for the betterment of the world.

Though, when being honest with himself, there was still a part of him that wanted to believe in what Jiraiya had said to him when they had been searching for Inari and Tsunami after the tragedy. Despite supposedly steeling himself to doing what must be done for the good of the ninja world, he desperately wanted to cling to the idealistic beliefs of his Master. Those ideals spoke of a picturesque world where human beings would eventually come together and understand one another. It was so naïve, and yet so alluring and beautiful at the same time.

So, the question remains; what path to take?

"Is that what you're here for?" The blond questioned after a moment of introspection. "Are you the angel resting on my shoulder trying to convince me to be happy and live in harmony with everyone?"

This actually made the whiskered child chuckle innocently. "No, silly. I'm a part of you. That piece of you that you're feeling right now; the one that wants to hope, that's me!" With a smile on his face, he put a fist out in front of him. "So, what do you say?" He asked, waiting for a reciprocal fist bump. "Do you want to hope?"

Instead of returning the bump, the current Naruto just stared blankly at the gesture. The Genin wanted to reciprocate, he really did. The reality of an existence filled with understanding, peace, and harmony was so captivating, and he wanted to welcome it with open, soothing arms. Yet, something within him wouldn't let him take that leap of faith. A cynicism that had been built up over time courtesy of his fellow villagers, Jaaku, and the Akatsuki. They reminded him that people would be hard-pressed to not only accept things they cannot understand but also act against their own self-interest for another person's sake. He was too jaded to hope for anything like what the Sannin wished for.

Taking a step back, he sadly shook his head. "Sorry… I can't."

Instead of being sad like he had expected, his Jiraiya-minded side nodded while still maintaining his smile. "I understand. You can get rid of me permanently if you want."

"Get rid of you?" Naruto blinked, shaking his head rapidly. "Why would I do that? You're a part of me."

"If you don't accept me there isn't really any purpose for me to exist." He received a look of confusion, urging him to continue. "Even if you don't accept me, as long as I exist within you, you won't be able to write the book that you want. You won't be able to be the person you want to be. I'll always be in the back of your mind, urging you into a direction you don't want to go in."

"You are a part of me." He reiterated. "If I erase you, I won't be the same person anymore." Naruto said, sticking a thumb sharply into his chest. "There may be one day when I'm forced to change into someone different, but this is not one of those days."

"So, what will you do?" His light-hearted side asked.

"I'm going to face the world for all that it is. And then, after seeing it with my eyes wide open, I'll make my decision." Right before his eyes, a large, brown oak door appeared. Tilting his head to the side in curiosity, he traded a glance with his host. "The exit?" He asked.

"I guess you talked about what you needed to get off of your chest." The little one said with a small shrug.

"I see." He commented in a monotonous tone. "…If I ever wanted to come back here to talk, how would I go about that?" He asked, eyes never leaving the exit back to reality.

"When you need to, you'll be able to come back."

Though it was vague, Naruto nodded, accepting that answer as the conclusion to their conversation. Walking up to the door, he tentatively grabbed ahold of the metal knob. Glancing back at his past self, he gave a sad, half-smile. Grip tightening around the knob, he began pulling it open slowly…

"Hah!" The Genin exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. His eyes darted around the room, and he slowly calmed down when he realized the proper setting was back around him. Books and scrolls covered the walls of the expansive archives. The table he had been working at still had the stack of empty white paper that had been mocking him earlier.

He smiled, immediately heading for the exit.

The whole experience he had just gone through had been incredibly surreal. So unfathomable, in fact, that he needed to think deeply about his experiences. What does it mean? What can he do going forward? How can he become the person that he wants to be without killing a part of himself?

Most people didn't think about deep questions like this at Naruto's age. Though he isn't exactly your typical teenager, now is he?

Maybe the world wasn't as black and white as he thought it was? Maybe, just maybe, there was more to life than two extreme ways of living. To believe in the ways of his master did not necessarily mean he had to fully accept the thought of peace and harmony as a feasible reality. And to so callously look at human nature as a disease, going so far as to keep people from acting for only themselves; perhaps that was wrong, too. 'There has to be a middle ground to it all... But what?'

Stepping outside, he made note that there was no sound; not even the croaking of frogs that usually rang through the night. He hadn't realized how late it was...

'I really shouldn't be staying up this late. I start talking to myself… literally…'

Off to bed, the Jinchuriki went.

Jiraiya had been watching his pupil for several minutes, though the blond was none the wiser that he was being watched. Something was off, but the Sage couldn't determine if it was anything serious. There were a couple things out of the ordinary that caught his attention.

First, his Godson wasn't being his usual attentive self. He wasn't masking his presence, so it wouldn't be difficult for even an untrained civilian to notice he was there. Second, despite it seeming like the boy was diligently reading what appeared to be one of his books on sealing techniques, Naruto actually had not turned the page once the whole time the Sannin had been watching. His eyes were glassy and didn't appear to be focused on anything in particular.

Yet, the expression on the Genin's face did not give any leanings to what was going on in his mind. It was blank. Unsure of what to make of all of these variables, Jiraiya walked over to break the boy from his daze. That was probably the only way to get a proper answer.

"Is something on your mind, kid? You've seemed a little out of it today."

"Hm?" Naruto blurted out, looking up the book he had been blankly staring at while resting up against a shady tree. "Oh…" There was a slow drawl to his voice, closing the book with a soft 'thwack', he attempted to gather his thoughts. "I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm a bit tired, is all."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "I did notice that you weren't in bed when I went to sleep." He thought aloud. "Based on what you're doing right now, you were probably in the archives late studying seals, I bet." Before Naruto could say anything in response, the Sage continued. "Everyone, even you, deserves a break every now and again. You don't have to run yourself into the ground. Sleep is just as important as training."

"Sensei, I-"

"You are making unbelievable progress! We have a lot of time left and you are already way ahead of where I thought you would be at this point. Hell, at this rate, maybe when you're my age you'll finally be stronger than me!" He said jokingly with his trademark toothy grin.

"Maybe you're right." The Sage's student said with an affirmative nod, surprising his mentor.

"You know I was joking about that last part, right?"

"What last part? I stopped listening after you commented on my awesome progress." He said with a sly smile. "Did you say anything else?"

"Heh, guess I walked right into that one." Despite their back and forth chiding, Jiraiya was more interested in what his student had just said. "What do you think I'm right about?" Though he had an idea, he wanted to hear it from Naruto's mouth to ensure they were on the same page.

"I've been so worried about the Akatsuki, and I've been trying to compensate for that by pushing myself harder and harder. Though, while I may have gotten the results I've wanted, I'm also always either tense, anxious, or exhausted; or better yet, a combination of all three! Maybe, I've been too hard on myself? I don't really know."

Jiraiya's eyes softened at his godson's words of self-awareness. Despite the measures they have to take to avoid overloading the blond, the Sannin couldn't help but be proud. Not many people can look inwardly and acknowledge something they are doing subconsciously. Not only that, but take that unconscious flaw and actively try to eliminate it. Just that alone takes a lot of maturity to do, something that his student did not have a year ago. "How about we take the next couple of days off so we can rest, reset, and reload? How does that sound?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open wide. "But what about-" The Genin, catching himself, took in a sharp breath, which was followed up with a rather forceful exhale. "I was about to do it again wasn't I, Sensei?" The annoyance in his voice was not lost on his guardian.

Ironically, the humorless tone from the blond was rather humorous to the Toad Sage. Though, making fun of his godson for these predispositions would do little to remedy the situation. Jiraiya was truly putting a lot of effort into being the best guardian he could possibly be. Sure, there was no way to be perfect and he knew that already. All he wanted to do was improve from where he was for the sake of his student.

"I'm glad that you caught that, but do you see what I mean? No one is blaming you for being on edge, or your intense desire to be as strong as you can. I won't sugarcoat it, because it would do both of us a great disservice going forward. You have some of the most dangerous people on the planet after you, and it won't be long until they start to move. You already know that, but you can't let that rule you." His tone was soft but firm. Naruto hung on to every word and his shoulders were beginning to relax at the same time. "You will be prepared, you will be strong enough, and we will beat them. But to be prepared and ready, you have to be calm and focused. That's why I think taking a break to relax and rest your mind can be the greatest training of all."

"Yeah." Naruto agreed, unclenching the hands he didn't even know were balled up. "I think you're right, Sensei. Some time off would be good for me."

"I have an idea for how we can take our minds off of all of the stuff that's going on."

"Are you sure it's okay to be here?" Naruto asked with a bit of hesitancy, glancing in the direction of his master who was sitting a good distance away from him.

"I'm with you, so of course it's okay." Jiraiya said, trying to wave off the apprehension his student was exuding.

Still, the blond seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I know, it's just, well, the last time I was out like this…" He trailed off, unable, or maybe unwilling, to finish the thought.

"We won't be long, no one even knows that we're here. I know you liked spending time here when you were younger, so I thought it would be a good place to come clear our minds. I used to spend quite a bit of time up here when I was younger, too." Jiraiya's smile and confidence were beginning to put the Uzumaki at ease. What he had said was true, he loved spending time here.

Master and student were both sitting atop the stone heads of the Village Hidden in the Leaves former leaders. Naruto chose to rest on the head of his hero, the Fourth Hokage, and Jiraiya his late, beloved mentor, the Third Hokage. Jiraiya, though it had initially not crossed his mind, was beginning to feel that spending all of their time cooped up in Mount Myoboku could hinder Naruto's ability to relax. So far, the blond's only association with the toad mountains is intense training and studying. How can he take it easy, when all he has ever done in that space was the exact opposite? So, while it was not exactly ideal to have his precious student outside the safety of the sagely grounds before he was ready, it was necessary in his opinion.

'Besides, nothing on this Earth will get me to leave his side this time.' He thought to himself, still disappointed that Minato's son was almost taken while under his guidance… for a second time, no less! Never again.

From their great view, the pairs eye's rested on their beautiful home. A home neither of them has seen for over a year. A home that, in all honesty, they were ready to come back to.

Soon.

"You liked being up here, too?" The boy asked, taking his eyes off of the home that he missed dearly to look at his master.

Jiraiya returned the gaze, patting the stone version of his teacher lightly on the scalp. "Just like you, I had a hero growing up. Though, I was lucky enough to get the chance to learn under my hero. Despite being my Sensei, he was also the Hokage at the same time. That made my respect for him grow even more. I came up here to think about how I could be like him someday."

Naruto nodded, fully understanding what his teacher was talking about. There were days he would sit atop the Fourth's head and play over scenarios in his mind in which he was a strong Hokage just like his idol was. Those were simpler days, for sure. Now, many of his aspirations for the future didn't involve him being the village leader. "How did you know I liked to spend time up here?" Naruto shot a questioning glance over to his Godfather.

"Before he died, I would talk to Sarutobi-Sensei about you. Anything he knew; what you were like, what you liked to do, I wanted to know all of that." There was a sad smile on his face as he thought about the conversations he had with his late teacher. Growing up an orphan himself, the Third Hokage was like a father to him. Whenever he thought about the good times, or even the bad, the pain of his loss still stung deep.

"Why didn't you ask me?" His tone wasn't accusatory, just one of interest.

"I felt guilty… I still feel guilty." The Sannin said with a shake of the head, eyes drifting back over his home. "Yet, instead of owning up to it from the beginning and apologizing to you, I tried to sweep it under the rug and forget about it. But that wasn't something I could do, and it ate away at me every day that I did it."

"Instead of looking back on my past and being angry about all of it, I think I decided to just be happy that I know you now. Like I told you before, I think that you usually have a good reason for the things that you do. You had your spy network and all of the important missions you did for the village. I was just some kid."

"You aren't just some kid, you're Mina-" Jiraiya's breath got stuck in his throat after realizing his almost grave mistake. That could have been bad. Very bad. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to correct himself. "You aren't some random kid, you're my Godson. Someone very important to me. I should have been there, but instead, I ran away from my pain."

The slipup was not lost on the blond boy, but he was hesitant to press his Sensei for details. Since shortly after finding out his relation to the Toad Sage, while extremely grateful for the learning of that, there had been something associated with that information that had been on his mind since. The identity of his deceased parents. Though, realizing that they were also close to the Sannin, he chose to let it be for that time and wait for Jiraiya to bring it back up.

It was tough to do that. Being an orphan, even knowing that his parents weren't alive, the knowledge of who they were was very important to him. If anything, it would allow him to feel close to the people he was supposed to be raised by. It would turn his mother and father from complete strangers to actual members of his family; like they were meant to be.

"Can you tell me what they were like; my parents, I mean?" The question that was at the tip of his tongue slipped out before he could reel it back in. It was out now, there wasn't much that could be done to take those words back. "If you aren't comfortable with it, you don't have to answer. I understand."

"No, it's okay." Jiraiya took in a deep breath, turning his body away from the village to fully face his protégé. This was a question the Sage had been expecting for a long time now. Honestly, it surprised him that it took up until now for the boy to ask. It had given him a lot of time to prepare mentally, and think about what his answer would be, how much information to reveal, and how to explain it. He rubbed his chin in thought. "Where to begin? Is there anything in particular that you want to know?"

"W-What were they like as people?" His nerves were going crazy. This had been something he had been waiting a very long time for, and yet he still didn't feel ready for it.

"Ah, that is a good place to begin." The Sannin said with a sad smile. "Your mother, well, she was a character. If I had to describe her with one word, it would be unyielding. She knew what she was about, and she stuck to her convictions and her values. There was almost nothing she wouldn't do for her precious people." Despite the somber tone in his voice, he let out a happy laugh. "And if you messed with her, or insulted anyone close to her, forget it. She could be as ferocious as Tsunade."

"She sounds like a great person." There were tears welling up in the corner of his eyes, but he wasn't about to let them fall. He was going to be strong like his mother was.

"You and she are very alike, Naruto." Naruto reacted just as he expected; with a look of shock. "While you may not have many of Kushina's physical features, you have her strong will and good heart." The Toad Sage put his hand over his own chest. "Those are the things that made her a special human being."

Naruto, absentmindedly gripping his own chest, was barely holding his emotions together. This woman, no, his mother, sounded like an amazing woman. Someone, he would give anything to spend a few minutes with just to talk about who she was.

"W-What did she look like?" What Jiraiya had said was not lost on him. If they didn't look that much alike, then what did she actually look like? Sure, he had seen many families walking around the Leaf Village, and was able to understand that a child didn't have to look much like either parent. Still, whenever he pictured himself with both of his parents, they always resembled him in some manner.

"She was incredibly unique. Her eyes were a deep violet, and she had long beautiful red hair. Though, while I heard she used to get bullied for her hair color when she was little, it was one of your father's favorite things about her."

"Woah, red hair?!" The more they talked, the less emotional he was getting. If anything, Naruto just was eager to know as much as possible about the two of them. "I've never seen someone who has red hair! I bet it looked great!"

As far as Jiraiya was concerned, they were talking about his parents today and nothing else. Their conversation about the Uzumaki Clan, and their red hair, would happen eventually, but not anytime soon. "She would be happy to hear you say that." That sad smile was starting to form back on the Sage's face. "They were so excited when they found out you were going to be born. Imagine, loving someone so much and they aren't even born yet. They would have been great parents, I know it."

Instead of being welcomed back into the sadness, Naruto felt a wave of some other emotions he couldn't explain. All of these years, he had been afraid that his parents were secretly alive, and just left him alone because they didn't love him. Or worse, that they were looking down on him from the heavens in disappointment at what he has grown into. Yet, hearing Jiraiya speak about how much they loved him, it made him feel so happy. Maybe, just maybe, they were watching over him with love and with a sense of pride and love.

"And, my father?" Jiraiya flinched slightly, and he noticed it. That was odd, there was no reaction when discussing his mom; so what was different? His mentor sat in silence, seemingly mulling something over in his own head. Not wanting to press him, he waited for the Jonin to collect his thoughts and continue.

Though, he was still insanely curious. What was he thinking about that was making him so hesitant to speak?

"Your father was one of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not only did he make the people of the Leaf Village better; he made the entire village, and even the whole ninja world, a better place while he was alive."

That took the blond off guard. When thinking about his potential parents, he never really thought about who his father was outside of the family aspects. He would be content with the fact that his father was a hardworking, kindhearted civilian who supported and loved his family. Never did he expect his dad to receive such high praise from one of the Legendary Sannin. "W-Was he really that amazing, Sensei?" The blond asked, unsure of what emotions to be presently feelings.

They locked eyes in an intense exchange, and for Naruto, the world around them seemed to slow down one-hundred fold. The silence, which felt like an eternity, was deafening. The wind that had been gusting through the trees had fallen still. Nothing around them was making a sound that he could hear. The look in his godfather's eyes was one of apprehension but at the same time determination. He watched the man's lips move, and he was reading them before the sound registered in his ears. His eyes widened, and the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.

"Your father was the Fourth Hokage."

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: I am the Way and the Truth and the Life

Their stay atop the Hokage monument overlooking the Village Hidden in the Leaves was supposed to be some simple relaxation. Naruto had undergone intense, physically and mentally taxing training for a prolonged period of time. If their break had gone perfectly, they would have fun conversations together, sit atop the Hokage heads for a bit, and maybe even sneak into the village hot springs for a nice soak under the guise of the transformation jutsu. Now, all of that might've just been put in jeopardy.

Jiraiya wasn't exactly sure what had just happened, or what had come over him. Did he really just say that? He told himself that he was going to give Naruto enough details about his parents to sate his growing curiosity, but that their identities would remain a mystery. Under absolutely no circumstances was the blond going to find out about who his father was. So then, why?

Why did he go an open his big mouth like that?

There were multiple reasons why the identity of the Genin's parents was to be kept top secret. While some of those reasons may not be applicable anymore at Naruto's age, others still definitely were. Jiraiya felt Naruto was certainly capable of keeping the information to himself were he to find out. His maturity had increased dramatically since they had left the village. That meant that any enemies the Fourth, or the Uzumaki Clan, still had out there were unlikely to find out about Naruto's existence and lineage. However, the reason he didn't want to tell him was that he didn't know how the boy was going to react in the first place. Could an information bomb like that potentially throw him over the edge? Would he harbor resentment towards the village and his father? It was possible, and the unpredictability made it so that the Sage was unwilling to run that risk.

Well, now he didn't exactly have much of a choice in the matter.

"What did you just say, Sensei?" Those words came out slow and measured as if he wanted to ensure he heard correctly before taking his next action.

As much as he wanted to, the Toad Sage knew that there was no turning back. His student would never let him get away with that; in all honesty, something about this felt right. Maybe, just maybe, Naruto was ready to hear the truth. "Your father was the Fourth Hokage, the Hero of the Leaf Village." Jiraiya reiterated.

Naruto's face was unreadable, and there was no visible reaction that could help Jiraiya determine what the blond was thinking. The silence between the two was tense, as a cool gust of wind cut through the air. Naruto's facial expression grew dark. In the blink of an eye, the Sannin joined the boy on the Fourth's head.

"Are you telling me that the person who sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox away inside me was my own father?" There was a slight quiver to the orphan's voice, and his Godfather could see his body was beginning to tremble.

This was to be expected. Before, Naruto could rationalize that it was a simple coincidence that he was born on the same day as the Fox attack. He surmised that his parents were killed, and the Fourth had no other option but to use a random newborn to seal the Fox away. If anything, it could be seen as a great honor. Despite the way the villagers treated him, he was a major factor in the defeat of the Nine-Tailed Fox. A small victory for himself, but a victory, nonetheless. However, to find out that your own father could do that to you, necessary or not, had to hurt the blond a great deal. 'In his mind, parents are supposed to love and protect their children.' The Sage thought somewhat somberly. 'Due to that preconception, I'm sure Naruto can't understand why Minato would do that to his own son.'

"He did." He said simply. He wasn't going to lie. Sure, there were other circumstances at work, but Naruto didn't need to hear that right now. It was better to let him get a bit of that anger out first. The boy has a right to feel the way he does.

Naruto's body was shaking so violently that Jiraiya could feel the stone vibrating up through the soles of his feet. "…How could he do that to me…" The Genin said slowly through gritted teeth. Tears were brimming at the corner of his eyes; his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

Without even thinking, his Godfather wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him to his side. He remained quiet for now, not wanting to rob his protégé of his moment to express his feelings.

"Why couldn't it have been s-someone else? I-I went through s-so much because of what he did to m-me." He put his forearm in front of his face to shield the world from his freely flowing tears. "The v-village hated me. Th-They would have all been so happy if I just disappeared one day a-and never came back. I had no one for so l-long." Suddenly, his eyes went wide as a realization came to him. Removing the forearm from in front of his face, he looked up at the man who was attempting to comfort him.

"You knew." Without warning the blond threw the arm of his sensei off from around his shoulder and backed away. "All this time, you knew." Continuing to back away, the Jinchuriki pointed a shaky finger at his mentor. "Did you let him do this to me?" The Sage flinched slightly. His tone was harsh, harsher than anything he had ever heard come from the boy's mouth. It hurt the Sannin to hear how betrayed Naruto sounded.

"Sadly, I wasn't in the village during the attack." Jiraiya let out a sad sigh, his mouth curving downward into a rare frown. "If I had been, maybe things could have been different." From the sound of it, this was already something that weighed down heavily on the Sannin's soul. "No one told you because this information is supposed to be top secret, even to you. I shouldn't even be telling you now, but I think it's something that you have to know. Though, I didn't want to tell you until I thought you were ready. I'm sorry, Naruto."

"Dammit!" Naruto let out a yell of frustration. He wasn't just angry about the information that just got dumped on his head, but also infuriated about not knowing what to do with what he was feeling. All this anger and frustration, he wanted nothing more than to just let it all out. Slowing down his breathing, he was trying to think this through as rationally as he could, given the circumstances. The Genin wanted to yell at Jiraiya; to tell him that he was angry and hurt that the Sage withheld such important information from him. Though, as the man said, it was most likely an S-Class secret that only a handful of people even knew. He was under orders to keep quiet, and still chose to tell him anyway. Was that not something the Genin should be thankful for? For someone to finally remove the wool covering his eyes?Yes, it wasn't his Godfather's fault this time.

However, that doesn't mean it wasn't someone else's. "Why, Sensei?" He asked hopelessly. "What kind of person would seal the Nine-Tails inside of their own son?" There was genuine disdain in his voice. "Parents are supposed to protect their kids, not make their life a living hell! You say he's one of the greatest people you have ever met, but how can you think that after what he did?!" Those blue, tear-filled eyes were looking straight through the toad summoner. Those eyes that just wanted answers.

"I understand why you're upset, Naruto, but you have to know something about your father before you start hating him for what he did."

Wiping the tears from his eyes once again, Naruto gave his master a look of what could only be described as a mix of confusion and annoyance. "What the hell are you talking about?" He had every reason to hate the man, didn't he?

"Well, just like you think of me, Minato never did anything without having a good reason for it." Despite the tense situation, the former teacher of the Fourth allowed himself a faint smile. "He was a genius the likes of which the village had never seen before, or after."

"What are you trying to say? What reason could he possibly have?" There was still a touch of venom coming through the boy's words, but not as much as before.

"There are some more details about that night that practically everyone in the village is unaware of." The Sage's tone was turning a bit ominous as if what he was about to say was something awful. "I want to be clear that what I'm about to tell you stays between the two of us."

"W-What kind of details?" Naruto couldn't help but gulp as he looked into his mentor's eyes.

Jiraiya turned over some thoughts in his head. The question was, how much to reveal? There was A LOT the boy did not know about that fateful day. Hell, there was a good amount he, himself, didn't know from not being there when it happened. A lot of what the Sage was about to say was speculative, but it was all there really was. Everyone heavily involved in the situation was no longer alive.

"Well, to start off, you aren't the first person in the Leaf Village to hold the Nine-Tails within you." That revelation caused the blond's eyes to widen in shock, yet the Sannin continued. "The Fox attack, despite what you were taught in the Academy, was not a natural disaster. Somehow, the beast escaped from the seal of its former holder on that night."

Naruto's thoughts were running wild, wincing slightly as a dull headache began to throb just behind his temples. "I don't understand." Where to begin with all of this? "Why would the village lie about what really happened!? We were never told there were hosts of the Fox! And how did the Nine-Tailed Fox escape from the seal?!" This was all too much to process at one time.

Jiraiya let out a loud, disheartened sigh. "Honestly, the answer to those questions is the same. We don't really know what happened. Everyone who has the answers to this mystery is dead." Jiraiya pointed to the village down below them. "As awful as it sounds, something as unsure as this has to be kept secret from the village. It would send the citizens into a panic, and with no definitive answer to what truly happened, there's nothing we could really do to calm them. Ignorance is bliss, as they say." He finished dryly.

"No one has any idea what happened?! And what does this have to do with the Fourth Hokage and me? Argh!" He grunted out in frustration, angrily running his hands through his blond locks. "I don't understand any of this!"

Jiraiya paused and took a seat, gesturing for his Godson to join him. Begrudgingly, the boy obliged. "What I'm about to say are my own thoughts, as I don't know what the Fourth's intentions were. Though, I knew him about as well as anyone. He was my student, after all."

Though it was difficult for him in his agitated state, Naruto settled into his seated position and waited to listen to what his guardian had to say. Depending on what came out of his mouth was going to heavily influence what he thought about his father. This was something the boy had to hear.

"I know that Minato was with the former host of the Fox when it broke free from the seal. That is a fact I heard straight from the Third Hokage himself." He grimaced slightly as the thought once again crossed his mind. "Not only that, but the Fourth Hokage was widely regarded as an incredibly talented seal practitioner; courtesy of yours truly."

Naruto felt a chill run up his spine to the base of his neck. From his studying of Fuinjutsu of that level, the Genin was beginning to understand what Jiraiya was trying to imply. "That can't be true. A seal as sound as the one used to lock away a tailed beast wouldn't just break like that. And even if it did loosen to a dangerous point, a skilled seal user would easily be able to tighten it back up before it could get to that stage."

'What he doesn't know is that Kushina's seal was weakened by him being born.' That would open up a whole different can of worms than the one they were currently dealing with. That information, Jiraiya decided, would be told another day. 'But still, with Minato there, I never understood how the seal could just break. It doesn't seem possible, unless…'

"I think you understand what I'm trying to say, Naruto." The Sage gave his apprentice a grim, knowing look.

"You think that someone interfered and caused the Nine-Tails to be released?" Just saying that sentence caused all of the hair on the boy's arms to stand on end. The mere thought of something so horrifying made him sick to his stomach. "Who could even be capable of that?! The Fourth Hokage was one of the strongest ninja to ever live, if he was there, he should have stopped this person easily!"

Jiraiya let out a humorless chuckle. "That's what I would've thought, too. Yet, every time I think about it, it just doesn't add up." Pointing at Naruto's stomach, or where the child's sealing matrix resides, he continued. "What I think, is that someone extremely dangerous showed up and Minato made a choice in his final moments. And this choice would affect the future of the Ninja World. He trusted you with that future by giving you the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Naruto."

Eyes wide, Naruto gripped his stomach tightly through his clothes. "He trusted me?" Could that really be true? His father, the Fourth Hokage, bestowed this cursed power unto him for the sake of the entire world? "Do you really believe that, Sensei? I was just a baby, why would he do that?"

"Your father was unlike anyone I have ever met. There were things he could do that just felt impossible for humans to achieve. I think that in the end, the love and faith he placed in you as his son made him confident that you could do it."

New tears, fueled by completely different emotions, were trying to poke their way through the corner of the boy's eyelids. This overwhelming feeling that was coming over him was indescribable. Just moments ago, the Genin had thought that he hated his father. When the Fourth was just the Hokage, he admired his decision and sacrifice for the village. Going so far as to feel honored to be the host of the Fox demon. Yet, upon learning that the Fourth was his father, he initially resented the man for causing all of the pain he had gone through during his childhood; as it is a parent's job to shield their children from dangers and loneliness.

Now, Naruto basked peacefully in the gentle breeze from atop the stone head of the Fourth Hokage… no, his father.

"Do you think my dad is proud of me?"

Jiraiya smiled brightly at the question and ruffled his Godson's hair. "Kid, I know for a fact that your dad is looking down from the heavens with the biggest smile on his face from seeing the kind of person you've become. He would be so proud of you."

That did it. Tears of blissful happiness, not anger and frustration, were freely flowing. This time, he didn't try and hide them. They were prideful tears, not shameful ones. "I'm not done getting better. I need to make him even more proud by getting stronger and keeping the world safe from the Akatsuki, and whoever tried to destroy the village. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens."

"Hm, sounds to me like our break just started and you're already itching to get back to the grindstone."

Naruto's determined; fiery gaze returned to him as he overlooked his home. "I still know that rest is important, but when we get back to it, I want to train even harder than before. That's the only way I'll be able to live up to my dad's expectations."

Jiraiya joined his protégé at his side overlooking the Leaf Village. He, to, felt an unusual amount of excitement building up within him. Sure, the prospect of there being someone with evil intentions out there who could match the Fourth Hokage was terrifying, but that didn't mean they were going to give up. For Naruto's, the village's, and the world's sake they had to keep going.

When he had first met the blond at the Leaf hot springs, if someone had told him that that little idiot was the Child of Prophecy, he would've laughed in their face. At that point in time, the Sage was still convinced that the prophecy was meant for Minato or Nagato and that he failed as a master when both of them had died. Now, after being around him for so long and seeing his near unbendable will and determination; it was almost certain.

This little knucklehead had to be the Child of Prophecy. That was why Minato entrusted him with the future. There was no other explanation.

"I have a couple ideas for that, kid. Don't you worry." After a couple days off, they were going to ramp up the boy's training into overdrive. That meant that Naruto was going to learn a few more tricks, too.

"Hey." Naruto began, tears now dry, throwing an affectionate elbow into his master's side to get his attention. "It isn't too late yet, do you wanna go hit the hot spring?"

"Haha! I was hoping you would say that! My shoulder is killing me!"

"Ugh, you know I don't need you to use shapes to let me know which days we're doing what in our training. What do you think I am, an idiot?" The exasperated tone came out as the blond saw his teacher pull out a piece of paper from his sleeve.

"Hey, would you just shut up and let me have my fun?" He asked back. "A couple days of relaxation and you still act like you have a stick up your ass! You can really be a buzzkill sometimes, you know that?"

The Genin let out an annoyed sigh but resigned. "Fine, just hurry up. I said I wanted to start training even harder, and you're making that difficult." Both master and student were staring at each other, eyes narrowed.

"Look at the paper, brat."

Finally putting his annoyance with Jiraiya aside, Naruto noticed something. "Woah, this is a lot different than it was before."

Sure enough, the Sage had made some drastic changes to the boy's training regimen. Monday was enclosed by both a square and a circle, indicating that that day was designated for weighted training and Taijutsu. Similarly, Friday was just a Taijutsu day, as the Sage drew a square around it. Though, those were the only 2 days designated to those activities.

"How come we're cutting back on taijutsu so much, Sensei?" He asked with a touch of confusion. Before, they would practice hand-to-hand combat at least 3 days a week. Why such a big change?

"Well, to put it simply, your taijutsu is to a point that dedicating so much time each week to it wouldn't yield worthwhile results. So, I want to allocate that time to areas that you need more work on." His explanation seemed to be adequate, as it elicited a swift nod from the boy.

"Ah, so is that why you want three days to be for Ninjutsu now?" The blond questioned further, noting that Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday had a triangle around them.

"That's right. You've been making solid progress on your wind manipulation, but for what I have in store we're going to need more than one day each week to spend on it."

The vagueness of the Sage's words were not lost on his pupil. "What kind of stuff are you talking about?" Stuff beyond his wind training? What could that possibly be?

Jiraiya shook his head. "We'll get to that in a bit, you didn't even ask about the new things I added." In all honesty, the Sannin wasn't surprised. 'The kid and his love to learn jutsu. I wonder if this is what Orochimaru would've been like if he didn't go crazy?' He mused humorously to himself.

Glancing back at the paper, Naruto realized what his teacher was talking about. Wednesday had a star around it, and Sunday a rhombus. "Uhhh, what the hell are these for?"

Jiraiya could only chuckle. "Well, Wednesday we'll be working on your Fuinjutsu. I thi-"

"Wait, really?! That's awesome!" He had been waiting for Jiraiya to start assisting him on his seals. Sure, the Genin had a lot of fun reading through the scrolls and books they had by himself, but there were some things he was getting stuck on.

"You clearly have an affinity for it, kid. And just as I said, if you proved you could handle, I would help guide you." The Toad Sage elaborated. 'Besides, after seeing you make your own seal from scratch, I bet I could learn a thing or two from you, as well.' He'd save that thought for himself; no reason to make the brat's ego bigger than it already was.

Before letting his excitement get ahead of him, the Fourth's son had one more question. "Okay, but what is Sunday for?" Off of the top of his head Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Fuinjutsu were pretty much all of the skills he needed. What else could he learn?

"That day you'll actually be learning under Ma and Pa." He said with a shrug. "They asked me if I could give them some time with you. And honestly, I think it's a pretty good idea. They'll be able to teach you some things that I can't; like Genjutsu."

"I see." His student responded slowly. Just looking at all the different things Jiraiya wrote down was beginning to make Naruto realize just how much he has already learned in their time away from the village. 'And there is still so much more to come…'

"Anyway." Jiraiya began, snapping the boy away from his own thoughts. "Since today is Ninjutsu, I guess I can answer the question you had before." That caught the blond's attention, as he looked up to meet the eyes of his mentor. "Even after learning nature manipulation and then some wind jutsu, you still won't have a very extensive repertoire. Wind techniques, shadow clones, and the Rasengan isn't exactly something to write home about."

For once, Naruto fully agreed with his Godfather. When looking at someone like Kakashi, who can use jutsu from several elements and is also well-rounded in every facet of Shinobi techniques, his own skillset seems insignificant in comparison. What if he were to go against someone who specializes in Fire? That would render all of his wind abilities useless and he would be back to just clones and the Rasengan.

"Does that mean that I'll be learning jutsu besides wind? Can I even do that? Wouldn't I have to learn manipulation for those, too?"

"Not necessarily." The Sage began. "Mastery of change in chakra nature comes with some incredibly useful perks. First, it will allow you to use high-level techniques from that specific element; which is why you must complete it before attempting to add wind to the Rasengan. It will also make you more efficient with that element, using less chakra than you would otherwise. Lastly, the user who masters an element can increase those Jutsu's power to new heights; making even a C-Rank a deadly and destructive weapon. Take the Uchiha's Fireball Jutsu, for instance... However, all of that doesn't mean you can't use other elements that you haven't mastered. You'll still be able to eventually use B-Level jutsu, and with your amount of chakra you won't even notice your inefficiencies with them."

"Hm, I guess that makes sense, and I'm assuming that mastering the other elements that I don't have an affinity for will take a lot of time."

"Now you're getting it, kid. It can take several years to master them, so for right now we're just gonna get you good enough to use versatile, and useful techniques for both attack and defense."

"Okay, so which ones did you have in mind?" The blond asked, arms lazily clasped behind his head.

"Ah." Jiraiya said, as a scroll magically appeared from his sleeve. "I think this element is a necessity for you, kid." He stated, tossing the scroll in the direction of the blond.

Catching it easily, the blond swiftly opened the scroll to read its contents. His brow furrowed at what he saw, then a 'lightbulb' went off in his head. "A water style technique, huh? That makes a lot of sense considering the weakness of my wind is fire." Looking up at his master, he couldn't help but crack a smile. "You aren't as dumb as you look, Sensei."

Jiraiya's eye twitched. "Hey, kid… no fair, that's supposed to be my line."

The blond Genin couldn't help but chuckle at the sagely man's reaction. "Okay, let's get started!" He exclaimed, putting his hands together to form a cross. "Shadow Clone Jut-"

"Not so fast." His teacher interrupted. Naruto, with an annoyed look on his face, glanced over in the older man's direction. "I want you to make 20 clones this time."

"Huh?" The Genin said with squinted, confused eyes. "But I thought my limit was 5 clones at a time? You said so yourself."

"Well, if you were listening, I also said that if you proved you could handle 5, I would eventually let you use more than that." The Sage shot back with a teasing, childish tone. "You said you wanted to train harder, and we still have a lot of work to do. Or, were you just all talk?"

That jab caused the blond to crack a smirk. "Heh, as if! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Just like that, 20 more copies of the boy accompanied the two ninjas. "Alright boys, we'll have this jutsu down flat by the end of the day! Isn't that right?!"

A scream of 20 confirmations nearly gave Jiraiya a headache. He sighed at their antics.

'I wouldn't be surprised if he was able to learn this one in a day. I mean, it's only a C-Rank, and I'm letting him use 4 times as many clones as he's used to.' Still, the Sage was going to keep a watchful eye on his student. 'I want him to grow accustomed to the mental strain of using this many clones. In a couple hours, I'll have him dispel them, absorb the experience, and reset. Let's see how he handles that.'

"Take a deep breath, go through the hand signs listed in the scroll, all while gathering the necessary chakra in your chest. Imagine a raging wave of water and, when you have it, exhale forcefully!"

"Right!"

All 21 Naruto's settled into a low, controlled stance. They began to run through the necessary hand signs, all while gathering a large amount of chakra in their midsections. Dragon, Tiger, Hare.

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

The blond's spit out varyingly sized streams of water, but each was relatively small. They all simultaneously sweatdropped at their failure.

"Hey, mine would've been a lot better if this guy next to me didn't shout so loud! He broke my concentration!" One said indignantly.

"Speak for yourself!" The accused one shot back. "How about you brush your teeth! Your breath smelled so bad that I couldn't focus on my jutsu!"

"We have the same breath, moron! What we both don't have is a voice as loud and annoying as yours!"

"What? Are you an idiot? We're the same person, of course, we have the same voice!"

The Sannin watched their back and forth exchange with mild amusement. They may have been disappointed with their performance, but their tutor wasn't at all surprised. "Don't go yelling at… yourself like that." Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face. The 21 blond heads swung in unison to face him. "You have to remember; this is your first ever elemental jutsu. It's a new feeling that you just have to get used to. Remember, imagine a powerful wave crashing against a beach shore."

The bickering clones seemed to calm down after the Sage's clarification. They settled back into their concentrative stances.

"Also, spread out so you stop annoying each other. There's plenty of room." The group obliged, as they spread out considerably to give them each more space to operate. "Now… Again!"

Going through a similar process as before, the group did their best to more vividly imagine what their Sensei had instructed.

Deep breath, powerful oceanic waves, hand signs, necessary chakra. Exhale!

"Water Style: Raging Waves!

This time, there was a noticeable difference in the size of the stream each doppelganger made. It wasn't anything to brag about, but it was a C-Rank jutsu on just their second attempt. They all allowed themselves a prideful smirk, even if it was a small victory. Though, the Toad Sannin wouldn't allow them much time to revel in it.

"Again! Your hand signs need to be cleaner and faster!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Good… again!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"That's it! Keep it up! Don't forget, deep breaths!

"Right!"

"Again!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Exhale as hard as you can! I want powerful waves, not a hose to water my garden!

"Yes, Sir!"

"Again!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Chakra Control is key! You're wasting too much! Mold it, control it, maintain it, then release!"

They all nodded promptly, already running through hand seals.

"Again!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

…

"Hah… hah… hah." Each Naruto was huffing in exhaustion, having used a considerable amount of chakra in the couple of hours they had been practicing the jutsu Jiraiya gave them. "I think I only have a couple more shots in me…" The real one breathed out.

In just one training session, the group's Raging Waves technique had gone from a little waterspout to a sizeable, and forceful, stream of water. The more they performed it, the easier it was to imagine what they had to mold their chakra into. It felt more natural, and less chakra taxing, each and every time. Even for a C-Rank, not too bad.

Jiraiya had seen all he needed. "Naruto dispel the clones and take in their experience. But be careful" He warned, pointing to a nearby tree. "Brace yourself against that tree in case all of the information is too much to handle at once."

"Okay." He said, walking over to the tall, life-giving structure. With just a single thought, all 20 of his clones dispelled with a satisfying 'poof'.

Just as anticipated, all of the information from the clones stormed his brain at once; cramming their way into his thought processes and memory banks. It was jarring, much more so than the 5 separate experiences he was used to sorting at once. Though, in all fairness, while his legs began to wobble a bit from the unexpected flooding, he regained his composure quickly and began to process the data into its necessary compartments. After a few moments, with a pleased look on his face, he removed himself from against the tree.

"How was that?" His Godfather asked, a little uncertainty making its way through his tone.

"It was a little much at first, but once I got used to it, it wasn't that hard." The child answered honestly.

Jiraiya almost breathed an audible sigh of relief, glad that his risk to up the number of clones seemed to be working out smoothly. "That's great." He said, smiling. "Now, using everything you just learned from the shadow clones, I want you to do the technique one more time."

"Got it." The real blond said as he prepared himself the same exact way as before.

"Also." The Sage cut in one last time, once again gaining the attention of his student. "Pump a little more chakra into it this time."

Naruto responded with a nod. 'One last time.'

Deep breath, strong waves of water, hand signs, a touch more chakra than before… Exhale!

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

The large, crushing wave collided forcefully with the tree the Genin had just been using to help stabilize himself. It creaked and groaned in protest; the massive root system that kept it connected to the ground fighting with everything it had to keep it upright. In the end, it stood little chance against the tidal wave it was pitted up against. Slowly, but surely, the tree toppled over, landing with a jarring 'CRASH'.

"Wow…" Was all the blond could muster. His waves up until that point had been pretty sizable, but nothing quite like that. Was it from the experience he received from the clones or the extra chakra he pumped into the technique?

It was both! The knowledge he gained from those hours of practicing raised his levels of comfort and familiarity with the technique, allowing him to use more chakra at the same level of efficiency he was accustomed to.

"Wow is right." The Sannin said, getting up from his seated position beneath one of the shady trees that his student hasn't knocked down, or mangled, yet. "You kept your word, you learned it in one day. Not surprising, you're being taught by yours truly, after all." The satisfied Sannin said with a smug smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." His protégé said, wiping away the sweat and water that was dripping down his face. "What's next, old man?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Hey just because I said you've learned it, doesn't mean that you mastered it. You're still a long way from that. You have to keep practicing your hand signs, chakra control, and efficiency, and depending on your situation, controlling the size of the technique." Naruto bristled but didn't deny anything his mentor said.

"We're going to take a bit of a break, Naruto. You've used up a lot of your chakra. An impressive feat, considering how much you have."

His student was still panting heavily. He sighed stubbornly, fully knowing that Jiraiya was right. "Fine, I get it." He resigned. "But the least you can do is tell me what we're going to do next."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll tell you." The master said to his excitable disciple. "I'm going to give you a few more water jutsu… then we're going to move onto a different element." That glint in the older man's eyes, now match by his ecstatic student, was eye-blindingly bright.

"A third element?" The boy nearly squealed. "What is it? Something awesome? Like lightning, or fire?" Even though he had matured significantly, the prospect of shooting out fire, and or, lightning bolts from your body would always be cool; mature, or not.

"Better…" To which the blond gave him a confused look, only furthering Jiraiya's joy. "The other element you're going to learn is… Earth."

His confused look was further confounded. "Huh? Earth?"

-A Couple Months Later-

"Look, you bastard, I've had just about enough of you. You hear me?"

"Talking to the leaf, despite what you may or may not believe, will actually not make it tear easier. I hope you know that." There was a touch of humor in the older man's tone, as he managed to hold in a chuckle.

"Sensei shut up, I got it right where I want it. He'll crack soon, I know he will."

"Yeah… he's shaking like a leaf." The Sage managed with a snort, before breaking out into a full-on cackle. After taking a moment to regain himself, he allowed himself an approving nod. 'Oh yeah, I gotta write that one down. It was comedy gold!"

Sweat dripped down the side of his face, eye twitching unnaturally fast; Naruto let out a sign. "You just love to ruin everything don't you? Why don't you take your old man jokes and go somewhere else! I'm trying to get in the zone over here!"

"You have no appreciation for my genius!" The loud Sage shot back. "I'll have you know that your father thought I was hilarious! He loved my jokes and laughed nearly every time I told him one!" With that last statement, Jiraiya childishly stuck his tongue out at his blond protégé.

"Yeah, probably because that was the only way he could get you to actually pay attention to his training instead of spying on pretty girls!"

"HAHAHAHAHA." The former self-proclaimed 'Super Pervert' let out a long, overexaggerated laugh that bellowed throughout the mountains. "You know me so well, kid! If there's anything I love as much as the ladies, it's people letting me know how great I am!"

"…" The Genin stared at his mentor for a moment, before wordlessly putting his attention back on the task at hand. "I think I'm going to tear this leaf now." Completely ignoring his Sensei's boisterous statement.

"Well, I would hope so." Jiraiya added, seamlessly switching from childish 5-year-old to mature 53-year-old. "That is why I had you dispel all of your shadow clones, after all. Put the experience you just got to good use."

Naruto wasn't listening, having already tuned him out to give the leaf his full concentration. Thanks to the clones, Naruto had been able to make quite the progress this past couple of months; despite only working on wind manipulation three times every two weeks. It was a grind, but the relentless training was paying dividends.

'I have to imagine the wind, but as if it was something razor-sharp; like a sword or kunai.' He thought to himself, reflecting on what the Toad Sage had said. 'Though, that hasn't been working all that well. My cut is only going half-way through the leaf. It needs to better than that.' There had to be something he was doing wrong; maybe he wasn't imagining the right thing? Unclasping his hands, he looked at the leaf resting in his palm.

'Huh…' It kind of reminded him of…

The blond's eyes widened as a realization struck him upside the head like a brick. 'Yes! That's it! I can do it!' Re-clasping his hands, the boy closed his eyes and began to conjure up every bit of focus he had in his body. This time, instead of envisioning one sharp object slicing in a single direction, he pictured one-thousand sharp objects being sucked up by a tornado, flying dangerously in every conceivable direction. A true symphony of destruction. The now swirling maelstrom of chakra inside him mirrored those intense winds; just was begging to be released…

'Now!'

"HAA!"

An unexpected gust forcefully shot out the sides of his palms, fluttering his clothing about and sweeping through his spiky blond hair. This caused Jiraiya to actually stand up from where he was comfortably sitting. 'Interesting… what do we have here?'

After the initial shock was over, the Genin winced as a dull pain pulsed from his hands. Confused, he separated his palms to get a better understanding of what happened. Just as he did, his Godfather peeked over his shoulder to survey the potential damage his blond protégé had inflicted on that leaf. Both of their eyes widened in complete shock.

The leaf was cut, all right; and no, it wasn't as simple as a straight cut through the middle. The leaf was absolutely ripped to shreds in what looked like a hundred different ways. From a distance, it could be confused for green confetti. The force of the wind chakra appeared to be so strong that it had even managed to give the boy's palms a couple of shallow cuts.

"Kid…" The Sannin breathed out. "What the hell did you do?" Was all he could manage to say, as he looked to the boy for answers.

Naruto, he was still just getting over what had just occurred himself, shook his head to bring him back to reality. Despite his achievement, the only thing that gave his feelings away was a knowing smile. Holding out his palm, he glanced over at his Godfather. "Do you have a pen?" He asked. Jiraiya, who was even more confused, handed over a pen from his pocket when he was given an impatient look.

"What do you need the pen for?" He asked, not enjoying being out of the loop.

Instead of responding verbally, Naruto simply took the cap off with his teeth and began to draw on his left palm. What he drew, Jiraiya recognized right away. It was the modified mark that Naruto used during the second stage of the Rasengan training; Jiraiya's swirl altered to look like the Leaf Village symbol.

Naruto, now done, capped the pen and was smiling ear-to-ear. "Staring at that leaf in my hand reminded me of something."

"And what was that?"

"The Rasengan does its damage by spinning chakra in thousands of different directions, right?" To which his Sensei nodded. "I was having trouble because when I pictured my wind chakra, it was just going in one direction. I'm sure that works for some people, but I'm so used to sending my chakra in a bunch of different directions that I just wasn't getting it. And besides, I think that it's safe to say that my way is just as effective."

'This kid…' He thought to himself in disbelief, noting the cuts that peppered the boy's hands. 'In all my years, I don't think I've ever seen someone with an affinity as powerful as that. Hell, Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, and yet even he didn't…' Trailing off, the Sannin couldn't help but let the pride he felt show through on his face. 'And such an ingenious way of using it, too.'

"So, what did you think?"

Jiraiya was pulled from his own thoughts. It took a moment to register what his pupil had said, but when it did, he looked at him and smiled. "I'd say that was pretty amazing, kid." The compliment eliciting a happy smile from the blond. "I think we'll be moving onto the next stage pretty soon."

Naruto nodded, a serious expression on his face. He brought both of his hands out in front of him. In his left, he effortlessly formed the Rasengan. A beautifully bright blue orb of spinning destruction. In his right hand, though this time with a more labored expression on his face, the Genin created a small swirling gust of wind chakra. It was taking nearly all the boy had, but as he brought the two hands right next to one another there was only one thing on his mind.

"Dad…"

The Sage looked on with a feeling of both intense pride, and nostalgia. 'It won't be long, Minato… he's going to complete the Jutsu. I know it.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: The Path of the Worthy

-8 Months Before Returning to the Leaf Village-

Peace, tranquility, stillness, patience; these were things that Naruto was beginning to comprehend. In the academy, Iruka would always stress that keeping a calm, relaxed mind was the key to upholding an advantage during battle. If you could throw your opponent off-kilter by making them wild and emotional, while you stayed calm and collected, your probabilities of victory grew dramatically. Emotions like those caused people to lose focus, make mistakes, or act irrationally. These careless actions could easily lead to death. That was all good and well, young Naruto had thought back then; seemed pretty commonsensical at the time for a green-behind-the-ears wannabe ninja. How foolish he had been.

The blond had already been in quite a few intense, some to the death, fights. And in every single one, at some point, he would let his emotions get the better of him, and it would affect his performance. It was much more complicated than he had anticipated when the stakes were high, and the lives of the people he cared about were on the line. Next time was going to be different, that he was certain. Basking in the fresh, calming air of Mount Myoboku, the Genin truly felt at peace. There was something different about this mystical place. They were high up in altitude, yes, but the air still felt dense. Like it was packed full of something he could not see but only feel. It helped relax him; put him at ease while heightening his awareness of the surrounding area.

"Do you feel that, Naruto-boy?" The old green frog, who was alongside him in meditation, said after what seemed like an eternity of blissful silence. "These mountains carry special energy that is unlike anywhere in the world."

"I do." Naruto breathed out, trying to decipher the code that was these sagely grounds. What made this space feel so different, he wondered? "I can see why you and Ma'am are so wise. You can just sit and think with a completely clear head. I've never felt anything quite like it."

Fukasaku chuckled, cracking a single eye open as he glanced in his disciple's direction. "I could be saying the same thing about you sometime in the future. You have a gift for this, Naruto-boy. It takes a great deal of time, patience, and understanding to sit still in complete tranquility. Yet, you've had almost no trouble with it at all up to this point."

"I just think it's something that I… needed." Naruto winced slightly, his facial twitching the first bodily movement he had exhibited in hours. His mind couldn't help, once again, wander back to that fateful day. The day that he was almost consumed by the cruel reality that surrounded him. There were a few things that pulled him out of that deep, dark abyss.

Jiraiya…

The muscles in the boy's face relaxed, going back to the serene expression he had before. He let out a deep, calming breath. Another one of his saving graces was the toads introducing him to the art of meditation. At the time, it had seemed impossible to just sit still and think about nothing. After years of speaking loudly and trying to get people to notice him, quiet stillness seemed counterintuitive to what he desired. Recently, it seemed like there was never a passing moment in which some kind of depressing or morbid thought was snaking its way through his consciousness. And soon, when one got in, the floodgates opened, and all those dreadful thoughts tried to bury him in a sea of misery and despair.

Then, almost as if God himself was watching him mentally flop around like a fish out of water, he was presented with a way to… turn those horrid thoughts off? Even if for a moment, a single second of respite, the heavens took pity on him. Yet, over time, these moments became more than just a way to get out his own head. What was once just an outlet for the boy to shut off his thoughts, meditation became a way for him to control all of the anger and rage that began to boil beneath the surface of his being. Once believing himself to be relatively well-adjusted, considering what he had been through, Naruto found that he had been repressing deep-seated hatred that had been stewing for many years; of the villagers, the village itself, and even… himself.

His thoughts drifted back to the words Iruka said to him in the academy about keeping emotions in check. He was doubtful that these emotions would go away that easily, but by merely being aware of their existence would make them much easier to manage out on the battlefield. And perhaps, one day, they would be gone for good.

Something entered the peripheral of his senses, and he allowed himself a smirk. His eyes snapped open, he leaned forward, putting his hands on his ankles. "It's a beautiful day, I was wondering when he was going to wake up."

Fukasaku gave the boy a knowing smile as Jiraiya walked out of the Elder Toad's house. Giving them a squinty-eyed look of annoyance, the Toad Sage walked over to accompany his Master and student. Interestingly enough, the Jonin was carrying what appeared to be a package.

"You know." Jiraiya began, a touch of annoyance showing through his words. Naruto had to restrain the desire to roll his eyes. The old man appeared to have just woken up, and he was already in a bad mood. "Why is it that when you order something, I still get woken up when it's delivered?" He was gesturing to the package in his hand, a clear sign as to why he levied the narrow-eyed gaze on his young ward.

"Hey, don't look at me." The blond said, putting his hands up in a mock defensive position. "I'm pretty sure the messenger toads just like to mess with you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The Toad Sage huffed as he tossed the package lightly to its rightful owner. "I'm just glad your clothes finally got here. You're starting to look dopey with how small your current ones are getting on you." Pausing, Jiraiya inwardly laughed. "Well, dopier."

Catching it, the blond shot the old man a glare before he turned his attention back onto his mail. "I've been waiting for this. I would've loved to go in person, but I guess it can't be helped. Training comes first, after all."

"Go inside and try them on, Naruto. Boss and I will wait for you out here. We need to start today's training in a bit, anyway."

Naruto nodded and said a quick word of agreement, making his way inside, leaving Master and student alone to discuss a few things.

"He seems to be better at it than I ever was." Jiraiya began, watching his Godson's retreating form.

Despite there being no context for his student's words, Fukasaku picked up on his train of thought immediately. "Ah, yes. Did you happen to be watching us, Jiraiya-boy." The wise Toad shot the Leaf Jonin a knowing smile.

"A little." He answered back with a light shrug. "I just never expected him to be able to become one with nature so easily, considering how hyperactive he can be. The kid hasn't mastered it, as there is still much training that needs to be done, but he seems to be picking it up seamlessly."

The toad Jiraiya respectfully refer to as 'Boss' allowed himself a nostalgic laugh. "I had my doubts when you first introduced us to the child, but I am beginning to see it more and more each day." That elicited a curious gaze from his former student. "Naruto-boy is a lot like his father, a talented shinobi; never thought I would see the day when someone reminded me so much of young Minato. Perhaps, next time, you would like to join us in our meditation? Maybe you could learn from him, and finally, become a perfect sage." The old toad croaked out a laugh at the Sannin's expense.

Though, something else was on the aforementioned man's mind to even register the jab at his sage-hood. His face betrayed a mix of several emotions. And what the wise amphibian could tell, anger lay beyond those eyes. "That's the thing. When I first met him, he wasn't like this."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"My honest first impressions of him were when I was teaching him the Toad Summoning. The kid could barely summon a tadpole, it was pathetic. He was hopeless, a ninja with absolutely zero talent." Those words may seem harsh, yes, but that was not a negative in Jiraiya's eyes. 'I thought he was just like me.'

"You could have fooled me." Fukasaku said with a touch of humor. "That boy is far from talentless."

"That's my point!" Jiraiya emphasized, a bit of emotion coming through his voice. "There's no denying it; with the way he's been quickly adapting to training, learning in inventive and creative ways. Surpassing all expectations and supposed limitations people have levied on him... that kid is truly a genius." He had his crossed at his chest, each hand gripping tightly at the sleeves of the opposing arm. "All he needed was someone, anyone, to pay him a little attention in his training…"

"You are giving him your undivided attention now. Why dwell on the past when you are doing your best to atone by helping his future?"

"What if it isn't good enough? Sometimes you can't make up for the lost time."

"Jiraiya-boy…" The toad said sympathetically, jumping onto the man's shoulder. "I know that you feel guilty about not being there for the boy and are also upset at the way the village treated him, but that will do you no good now." The Sage gave his Master a weak look. "As the only family that he has left, or has ever known, I think that being there for him now and in the future is the best thing that you can do for him. Guilt will only bring you both down."

The grip around his sleeves loosened, and his broad, rigid shoulders relaxed. The war-torn, weary look on his face went away, replaced by his regular, lackadaisical expression. The moment that happened, Naruto came into view sporting his brand new look. "I suppose you're right, Boss."

"Naruto, looking good!" Flipping a switch, Jiraiya, toothy grin and all, was giving his student a double thumbs up for his new attire.

The boy smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You think so? I decided to go for a bit of a different look from the jacket, and I think I liked how it turned out."

No longer opting for a bright-orange jacket, the youth was now sporting a burnt orange vest with the red and black whirlpool on the back, very similar to the village's standard Chunin garb. Underneath that, he wore a long-sleeve jet black shirt, with long burnt orange pants to match the vest.

'Heh, not nearly as bright as I was expecting it to be, but still orange.' Though, that color scheme did look a little familiar…

"Did you, uh, steal the colors from your limited edition book?"

"Huh?" The blond question, a slightly confused look on his face. Now that the Sage mentioned it, he did indeed; black and burnt orange. "Well, I did think that orange looked pretty cool, I guess." He said with a light, dismissive shrug. At least one good thing came out of that.

"I do agree, though, Naruto-boy." The green amphibian added as he jumped off his student's shoulder to the ground. "It looks perfect on you."

Jiraiya cracked a smile. "I say we break in those new clothes of yours with some training. What do you say, Naruto?"

Fukasaku managed a smile of his own at the relationship between his two students. "Well, I'll leave you two to it, then." He turned towards the younger of his two disciples. "You did very well today, son. We'll pick up from here later in the week during our actual training. Sound good?"

The boy, noticing the Sage was leaving, bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master. And yes, that sounds great."

The Toad shook his head at the formalities, but he had grown used to it. Minato's son respected both he and his wife a great deal and was extremely grateful for treating him like family so soon into his stay there. Due to that, despite them telling him it was okay numerous times, Naruto continued to be overly courteous.

The three exchanged a nod of acknowledgment before the old toad was on his way.

Jiraiya took a notebook out from his pocket, swiftly flipping to the page that he desired. "Let's see…" He began pensively, reading his notes from their last training session. "Right, right." Satisfied, he closed the book, placing it back into his pocket.

Naruto's brow furrowed in a bit of confusion and interest but said nothing.

"We've been working on change in chakra nature for so long, I think it's finally time you learn your first wind Jutsu." Before his ward could interrupt, the Sage but a silencing hand up. "But first, show me what we've been working on."

"Alright, Sensei." Naruto put his hands together, forming the Ram seal. Slowly and carefully, the blond began to mold and gather up the necessary chakra. Then started the complicated process of altering the state of said chakra into what he desired. Thanks to his breakthrough about wind chakra those months ago. 'A tornado of knives and kunai…'

"Hm!" He grunted out. As he did, the air around him began to shift; moving rapidly in several directions all around him. It was obvious to see to, say, someone as close as Jiraiya was, but in either poor lighting or at a distance, the difference was nearly indiscernible. Though, whatever it was, it appeared to take a lot of concentration and control for Naruto to maintain it, clear from the discomfort on his face.

Wordlessly, Jiraiya threw a kunai that had been up his sleeve, aiming straight for the boy's head. It sliced dangerously threw the air, yet Minato's son did not budge. Just when it seemed it would strike true…

'Clang!'

The projectile was suddenly thrown off its trajectory, flipping harmlessly through the air, burying itself in the dirt several yards away.

Taking a deep breath, and releasing the seal, the air around the young boy calmed.

"It seems that you still have a lot of work to do before your wind wall is a viable technique for battle. It seems to take a lot of effort for you to hold it. Though you are getting a lot better at it."

"Yeah, I know." The Genin sighed, acknowledging his deficiencies with the technique. "That's why I thought we were going to continue to work on it before I learn any Jutsu." Naruto continued. "So, why are we changing up the plan?"

"Well, you've come a very long way in wind manipulation, and remember, you don't need to master an element to use its Jutsu. In fact, in some cases, learning these abilities can make it easier to master the element."

"How's that?"

"The succession of hand signs assists you in molding the elemental chakra, whereas, in your change in nature training, you have to mold it by yourself with no assistance. You can think about it as training wheels. It gives you the chance to get a feel for the sensation of that element."

"Well, if that is the case, how come you didn't have me do it sooner?"

"That's a good question, but you have to remember what kind of Jutsu we're going to be dealing with. The Jutsu we're aiming for is beyond S-Rank. If you're going to create something that may not even be possible, I had to throw you into the fire. You had to know what struggle was. Because that's all you're going to know once we start to dive deep into it."

The weight of the Sage's words were evident to the blond. All of the work he had done up to this point was some of the most challenging training he had ever done. And yet, it was nothing to what was about to come.

"Now that we're closing in on combining the Rasengan and your wind, a couple lower level moves will help us ease into the training. Still, prepare for it to be the hardest thing you've ever done in your entire life."

"That's what I've been hoping for." The blond said. Eyes lit ablaze with a white-hot passion to get stronger. "If I didn't think this training was going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, I would have never left the village with you." The boy continued teasingly. "So, what is the technique you had in mind for today?"

"Wind Clones."

"Huh? Wind Clone?"

"Yeah, Wind Clones!" The Sage repeated. "It's essentially a Shadow Clone, but loaded with wind chakra. You know, similar to the Water Clone technique that Kakashi uses."

"Okay, but what would the benefit of making a wind clone be? Or any elemental clone for that matter? The regular Shadow Clone does the job just fine."

"Normally, I'd say yes and that the clone variants have minimal, almost negligible, differences. But…" The Sage paused, holding up a single finger. "You have a very unique ability with your wind chakra."

"What do you mean? What about my wind chakra?"

"Thanks to your Rasengan training, you have a knack for creating just what you need for an effective Wind Clone; sharp, extremely high rotating wind chakra. If I'm right, when your opponent dispels your elemental clone, it will burst into a sharp gust of wind, surprising, and maybe even slicing your opponent up."

Naruto rose an eyebrow. He hadn't thought about that. "I suppose that could be a useful move to surprise someone. And if I were to mix in wind clones with a horde of normal ones…" An evil smile appeared on his face as that mischievous side the Genin has started bubbling to the surface. "It would cause complete chaos for my enemy."

"I like the enthusiasm, but that look is creeping me out a little." With that prankster background, it isn't a shock Naruto would revel in the idea to cause confusion and hysteria on the battlefield. Not to mention, such things can be so effective they can sway the outcome of a battle. "The technique is simple in theory. Use the same wind chakra we've been using in the training sessions and apply it when performing the shadow clone technique."

"Let me guess; simply in theory, but in practice, it'll be much more difficult?"

Jiraiya slapped his near-adopted son on the back, letting out an annoying laugh. "Ah, kid. You're starting to get the hang of this, aren't you? Theory is the easy stuff; application is where things get all muddy."

"Right…" The blond said slowly, annoyed at the universe for its inconsistencies. 'You would think if something is simple and easy to explain, then it'd be easy to do, too!' But still, how hard could it really be?

Taking the tornado-like chakra, the Genin had begun growing accustomed to, along with easily his favorite hand seal, he was going to give it his best shot. 'Wind Style: Shadow Clone Jutsu!'

'Poof!'

Eyes snapping open at the familiar sound, he was face to face with himself. It was time to not only admire how cool he looked in his new outfit, but also for celebration… right? The Uzumaki's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Something wasn't right. Could it really be that simple? It could be that he rushed it and didn't mold and incorporate the chakra long enough in the new technique, but whatever it was, it didn't feel right. Not one bit.

The clone, seemingly acting fine, smacked his chest a couple times, confirming that he was a solid clone as intended. "Well, that was easy!" He said boisterously.

'Hm, did he do it already?' Glancing between both versions of the blond, and noticing the look the real one had adopted, Jiraiya decided it was best for his health to leap backward onto a nearby tree branch. 'No… I don't think so.'

Naruto, skeptical himself, took a few steps away from his copy as he withdrew a shuriken from his pouch. 'Better safe than sorry.' He thought with a simple flick of the wrist. The star struck true.

What happened next, neither of them had expected.

'BOOM!"

Having been far too close to the blast radius, and not even considering there to be a need to brace himself, the shockwave lifted the boy clean off his feet. Next thing he knew, his body was colliding violently with, funny enough, the base of the tree his mentor was standing on.

"Woah!" The massive explosion, combined with the impact of his student's spine reverberating up the trunk, nearly caused the Sannin to lose his balance. Pushing chakra through his feet, he corrected his balance. "Naruto! You okay!?

Before the boy could even answer him, the Toad Sage made his way down to the forest floor. "Naruto." He said at a much lower volume, lightly tapping the boy's face.

Instead of the coherent response, he was hoping for, the blond let loose a string of unintelligible babble.

'He seems like he'll be alright.' His Godfather thought after a brief examination of any potential injuries he could've suffered. 'If I had to guess, he wasn't careful enough when infusing his wind chakra into the clone. That would've caused it to become unstable." Glancing back at the origin of the blast, he could only marvel at the sheer amount of firepower that had been behind the clone-bomb. It left a shallow crater at least fifteen feet in diameter, singed earth and grass extended beyond even that. If Naruto had been any closer…

'This brat needs to be more careful.'

"But still…" He breathed out. "Even if in the rare instance unstable chakra could result in an explosion, to have a blast as powerful as that one…" Looking back at the little squirt who managed such a feat, he could only shake his head. "Kid… even when you do something wrong, you do something right."

-4 Months Before the Return to the Leaf Village-

"Masters." The 15-year-old began with a bow. "You two took me in without hesitation and treated me like a member of your family. I will be forever grateful for your hospitality. If you ever need anything, please let me know."

Ma could only blush in embarrassment, while Pa waved merely waved it off with a bright smile. "Nonsense, my boy. Any family of Jiraiya is family of ours; you know that! You are welcome any time, truly!"

Naruto returned the smile wholeheartedly, and Ma nodded swiftly in agreement with her husband. "Please, Naruto-boy, Jiraiya-boy, come back and visit soon! It will feel strange not having you two around with us." The toad couldn't hide the sad smile she had been attempting to restrain.

"I wish we could stay longer, and don't worry, we will be back soon, but we have some business to attend to." Jiraiya cut in, wearing a bittersweet smile of his own. "I have to go around to our allies and start informing them about the Akatsuki. The time is soon approaching that they are going to be making their move, and we need to be prepared."

The two Great Sages, along with the boy with the target on his back, adopted more serious expressions at the mention of the criminal organization. "No, we understand." Fukasaku said with no hesitation. "Tell me, has there been any new developments regarding those monsters?"

Jiraiya grimaced, his reaction confirming the toad's fears. "Honestly, no. And that is what worries me the most. Ever since their attempted capture of Naruto in the Land of Waves, they have essentially gone dark. Before, when they moved, they made considerable noise. Now? My agents can't discern their activity from regular groups of mercenaries."

Naruto stiffened a little at the mention of Wave, but it was minimal, and he hoped no one noticed. However, considering he was in the company of three sages, he had much doubt that it would go unseen.

"I see… What do you make of this drastic change in operations?" Pa said, a tinge of concern entering his wise eyes. Naruto saw it, but he wasn't worried.

It was the Akatsuki that should be worried.

"My guess? They think they had made a little too much noise, and word would get around that they were hunting for Jinchuriki. Perhaps they feared that the Five Great Nations would look their way. After all, they killed ANBU, civilians, and used shrewd tactics to separate Naruto from me." The Third's student unconsciously clenched his fist, but swiftly realized and relaxed it. "A big risk, one they were worried would put too many eyes on them too early."

"Expect them to be more cautious and calculating, even when they finally do act." Ma chimed in. "They have had even more time to think about their movements while hiding more deeply in the shadows."

Naruto smirked. "Those shadows won't be dark enough to hide them from us, right, Sensei?" The Genin said in his much deeper voice.

"Heh." That got Jiraiya, even with all of his apprehension, to crack a smile. "That's right, kid! They aren't even going to know what hit them!" He turned back to his former teachers. "Well, we should be heading out now. If anything changes, you two will be some of the first to know."

"Of course, and good luck."

With an exchange of friendly waves and sorrowful goodbyes, the Sannin and student were off, making their way in the direction of the mountain's long trail to ground level.

After several moments of walking, there had been something that was bothering the blond. "Sensei, why are we walking down the mountain instead of using the well that puts us right outside the Leaf? Doesn't the trip through the mountain's labyrinth trails take a month?"

"Yeah, it does, but as a welcomed member of Mount Myoboku, I think it's only fair that I show you the secret path. Think of it as a rite of passage."

"I guess…" Naruto gave the Sage an odd look, but obliged, nonetheless. If we could get there via reverse summoning and the secret well, what was the purpose of knowing the trails?

"Don't worry too much, I made sure we left a little early to accommodate out little hike." A glint in his eyes caught the Genin's attention; it was one of apprehension. "Besides, it gives us this month to train in peace without risk of being watched. You're really making great progress, and I wouldn't want to be wary of our surroundings when I'm supposed to be focusing on you."

"Being watched? By who?" Though he was confused, the way his mentor worded that sent shivers rattling up his spine.

"The Akatsuki." The mention of the syndicate's name caused the boy's eyes to widen considerably. "Ever since the Land of Waves, I've been running over multiple different possibilities in my head." The more he spoke, the grimmer his expressions became. "For them to be aware of where we were, where we were headed, and where I was going to drop you off to go investigate the Village Hidden in Hot Water, it shouldn't have been possible."

"Wait a minute…" A bit of realization washing over him. "You don't think that-"

"Each of these Akatsuki members are incredibly powerful, with unique and dangerous abilities. For them to be seemingly aware of where we were at all times, they must have someone with special tracking abilities. It is the only thing I can think of that makes sense, given all of the facts that we have."

Naruto nodded, agreeing with his Godfather's assessment. If the Akatsuki indeed had someone at their disposal that was a sensor of that level... along with being a master in tracking, that could spell danger for them. "Seems to me that that should be one of the first members we get rid of."

"Yeah… if we can find them. A tracker isn't exactly someone they're going to be putting on the front lines."

They continued to walk in silence for several more minutes. As they came around a bend that marked the beginning of the trail off the mountain, Naruto spoke up once more.

"Are these paths really so secluded that the noise from my training will be unnoticed? I mean, if they're so good at finding us, wouldn't that be a dead giveaway as to where we are?"

Instead of answering, Jiraiya just pointed ahead of them as they rounded the last corner. Naruto blinked. They were at the entrance to what appeared to be a system of caves and tunnels.

"How do you think the hidden paths have remained secret for so long? A maze-like route that went up the side of the mountain? If it were the case, anyone with a summoning contract with flying animals would've simply flown right over them." He chuckled. "No… the location of Mount Myoboku itself is a mystery because the secret path is located underground."

"So, the path doesn't lead to the base of the mountain?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No, the entrance to the underground passage is nowhere near the mountain, which is why it takes so long to reach the summit. It is also incredibly difficult to find."

"I see… seems like the toads have gone through a great deal to close themselves off from the outside world." The Genin commented as they began their way into the tunnel.

"Not because they dislike humans or anything." The Sage countered, realizing that his pupil may misconstrue the reasons the Toad Sanctuary exists.

"No, I understand. The toads want to keep the people away who could potentially use their knowledge and powers for evil." That was something the boy had no difficulties understanding. Not all humans were bad, even if they had the inherent ability to be, it was just the few that acted on them that were dangerous.

'You have no idea how right you are.' Jiraiya nodded, happy that his student caught on to what he was trying to say. "And do you want to know why people like that still haven't reached the summit?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Actually, now that you mention it, I was wondering that. You would think that someone in search of power would stop at nothing to attain it. Eventually, they would find the entrance; after that, it would only be a matter of time before they navigated that path." Or so, he thought.

Though, as he looked around, he was beginning to understand why it was nearly impossible. It was so dark; visibility was almost zero! They had been walking for only a couple of minutes and hadn't reached any forks in the road, but when they did…

'There's no way Jiraiya could remember the way through the labyrinth… we're totally about to get lost, aren't we?'

"Again, you would think that, wouldn't you?" The Sannin gave the boy a knowing smile, a smile that just further confused him.

"Would you stop being all mysterious and tell me just what the hell you wanna tell me?" Minato's son huffed in annoyance. His Godfather always did this! He either enjoyed leaving him in suspense or just enjoyed hearing his own voice!

Jiraiya grumbled but decided he would spare the boy and continue his tale. "The entrance to the path HAS been found before, and by… undesirable people, as well." Just as Jiraiya paused, they arrived at the part Naruto had been dreading.

"A fork in the road." The child breathed out, looking over to his guide for, well, guidance.

There were three different paths they could choose from, each opening surrounding by beautiful, large crystals. Though he could barely see, the gems seemed to continue down each tunnel. He rose an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. As far as he could tell from first glance, no helpful indicators were instructing the pair on the way to go. This didn't make sense; how did anyone ever find this place? It seemed impossible!

"Just because you can find the path's entrance, does not mean you can make it through to the other side. An evil person can spend 10 lifetimes in these caves, and they will still never reach the summit."

"Why is that?"

"These caves are… special. They have had a Jutsu cast on them for many, many years. A Jutsu created by Gamamaru, the Great Lord Elder Toad of Mount Myoboku, and one of the oldest beings alive today." Based on the look, his young ward was giving him, it appeared his tale was beginning to catch the boy's attention. "I don't know many details, but, from what Pa told me, many years ago there was a tremendous evil that was cast over the world. And, to keep his home safe and Mount Myoboku's knowledge out of the clutches the terror, the Elder cast a 'curse' on this labyrinth."

Usually, he'd be freaking out. But, considering how calm his Sensei was, that worry never manifested. Instead, he was enthralled by the tale his Master was telling. An ancient evil? A curse on the underground caves? 'I gotta ask Boss more about this next time I see him.' Was all he could think to himself.

"What kind of curse, Sensei?" He had to know.

"Those that are worthy will see the light; those who are not will only see night." The Leaf's Sage recited the old riddle, looking over at his student. "Naruto, you see those crystals on the wall there?" To which the boy nodded. "Go put your hand on one of them."

The Genin gave the man an odd look but did as he was instructed. There was a cluster of crystals to their left, right before entering either of the three separate cave systems. Putting his hands on the one closest, he noticed something strange immediately. The large stone began to shimmer, humming at a rather high frequency. Naruto, surprised, wanted to reflexively back away from the gem, but something kept his feet planted where he was standing. It was as if the stone was calling him, searching the deepest confines of his being.

After what felt like several minutes, the humming stopped. The shimmering stone began to glow a light green. Brighter and brighter, until just that single gem illuminated the dark tunnel a great deal. "Those that are worthy will see the light…" The first part of the riddle breathlessly escaped his lips. He looked back over to his now-smiling guardian.

"Push some of your chakra into it." The man instructed bright, smiling, not dimming in the slightest.

Doing as he was asked, the boy sent some of his energy through the crystal. The effect was nearly instantaneous. The gems surrounding and inside, the middle path were illuminated in the same light green hue, clearing the way for the two travelers.

"Wow…" The awe in the child's voice was clearly evident. "It's beautiful…"

"This." The Sage began, gesturing to the middle tunnel, lit up in a sagely green. "Is the Path of the Worthy."

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: One Step Forward: Naruto Uzumaki Returns!

"You know, I really am glad I opted for the vest instead of the jacket." Naruto said after he slurped down some more instant ramen from his cup. "These pockets are so convenient to store my scrolls. And for over a month's worth of food, I definitely needed a couple for that."

Jiraiya's eye twitched as he looked at the pile of cups at his Godson's feet. "Yeah, well, I don't care if we packed 3 months' worth of supplies if you keep eating like that we're going to die in here!" He watched the boy give him a confused look, glance down at the mess he made, and then shrug nonchalantly, further drawing the ire of his mentor. "I get that you haven't eaten ramen, or any real food, for a long time, but that doesn't mean you can act like you're from the Akimichi clan! We still have at least 15 days left in here, and we're starting to run low on supplies."

"Don't worry." The blond said calmly, tapping the rightmost pocket on his vest. "I still have my 50-cup emergency ramen scroll tucked safely away. I haven't even touched it yet."

…

"What?"

"I'm not heating you up another one."

"Why not?!"

They couldn't make a campfire in the caves, Jiraiya had said. It would fill the enclosed space off with smoke and likely cause them both to die from smoke inhalation. So, if they wanted to eat, they had to rely on rapid heating via Jiraiya's fire element.

"Why the hell do you need 50 cups of ramen for an emergency?" He continued, completely ignoring the boy's irate questioning about his eating habits. "When will that ever be necessary?"

"How should I know, Sensei? That's why they're called emergencies. You never know what could happen."

"You know what? If you weren't worthy of navigating this path by yourself, I would definitely consider leaving you here."

"Yeah, and when you joined us in the afterlife, I could watch my parents beat you up for all eternity!"

That elicited a shiver out of Jiraiya. The thought of Kushina's legendary wrath made him glad he hadn't seen Tsunade in over 2 years. Those women were cut from the same cloth.

Naruto laughed lightly to himself at the Sage's expense. Ever since finding out about his parents, the topic had been growing easier to talk about with each passing day. Before, it was challenging to get Jiraiya to open up about things he hadn't already told his protégé. Now? It was a regular thing the two ninjas were able to share and bond over. Naruto would say or do something that reminded the Sannin of an old story that involved Minato or Kushina, and the blond would listen intently, eager to find out more about his parents.

One of his favorites was the time his father saved his mother from capture by foreign shinobi, following a trail of her red hair to find the people who had taken her. As a child, the future Fourth Hokage was able to defeat a team of highly skilled Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

"Hey, Sensei; did you ever travel through the Path of the Worthy with my father?"

"Hm?" The Sage said blankly, mind still racing about how bad Kushina would beat his ass. After a couple seconds, his brain registered the question. "Oh… unfortunately, no, we never did." He said with a tinge of regret. "Times were different back then. With the Third Ninja War heating up and eventually happening, shinobi of the warring nations didn't have much time to themselves. Though, I did tell him the story of it."

"Well, I'm glad that you got to bring me along." The boy managed a smile despite the mood that had just been cast over them. "I had my doubts, but the change of scenery has been refreshing… even if it's just a cave that goes on forever." He finished weakly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly at his weak attempt to lift their spirits.

"Yeah." The Hermit choked back a laugh. "All this dirt is pretty fascinating. Oh, and look! There's some more dirt over there that's a slightly different shade of brown! HAHAHA!"

He was met by the no-nonsense look from his young ward.

"Ya see, Sensei, this is why you have no friends. You're honestly kind of an ass."

"And this is why you don't have a girlfriend! You're no fun at all!" Said with humor in his voice.

"Hmph, says the 53-year-old single man." The kid shot back teasingly. "Oh, by the way, I know your birthday is coming up soon, and I decided to give you your present early." While never breaking eye contact, the Uzumaki pushed some wind chakra from his fingertips and dug his hand into the hard ground, coming back up and lazily presenting his haul to his master. "Only the finest of dirt, your majesty." He said in a mocking, overly dramatic tone.

…

…

"You win this round, kid."

The boy wore a triumphant, happy smile as he swiftly devoured the rest of his last ramen cup. Patting his stomach intently, the blond deemed that he was finally full. Reflecting on the trip so far, the 30-day trek, there was very little for them to do besides walk, eat, train, and sleep. Sleeping on the hard ground was uncomfortable even though they had sleeping bags packed away in scrolls. Naruto even found himself missing natural lighting; the guiding crystals only illuminated the path so much. He was starting to miss the sun. Oh, and don't even get him started on the bathroom situation! It was awful, to say the least!

Yet, despite all of those negatives, the Genin still found himself enjoying their times in the tunnel. Why? Listing off all of the things, one would think that it would be torturous to be underground like that for so long. Then… why wasn't it?

'What if I was all by myself?' Just thinking about it briefly, a shiver rippled up his spine. A sudden feeling of loneliness and misery began to engulf him, pulling him deeper into the dark abyss, as if they had gone down one of the false paths. All of those awful things suddenly sounded even more terrible; as if something else was masking them from his sight.

"So, are you ready for what's on today's agenda?"

Suddenly, almost jarringly, Jiraiya's voice came crashing through his thought process, shattering all of those feelings he had to pieces. Bringing his gaze up from the cave floor, Naruto did his best to locate this new sound. Their eyes met, and Naruto shook his head to fully clear his mind. "I'm sorry… what did you say?"

"I said, are you ready for what is on today's agenda?" The Sage repeated. "We're almost there, after all."

The words, once again, took a moment to process, but once they did, Naruto's face erupted into a bright, genuine smile. An expression that told the full story of why their trek wasn't nearly as bad as it should've been, and also, one that was hellbent on keeping the darkness in the past where it rightfully belonged.

"Of course, I am."

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!"

Just like that time, Naruto was nearly captured by Itachi and 'Shark Guy,' the floor, walls, and ceiling of the cavern were covered in the sticky, pliable pinkish flesh from the stomach of the mountain toad. While it wasn't exactly the ideal footing for the boy to practice Jutsu, it was a necessary one. An explosion, no matter the severity, could cause the ancient cave system to collapse in on itself. This would help reduce some of that shock, and hopefully, contain potential blasts. Though it is also possible that the Great Lord Elder's 'curse' could protect the path from damage, he wasn't entirely sure. There was never a reason to ask about the details like that. He had never trained himself, or anyone, in the caves before.

'Still… One couldn't be too careful; not when dealing with Jutsu like this.'

An incredibly loud, high-pitched, whirring noise brought him out of his thoughts. His long, white hair was being thrown about as powerful gusts of winds were ripping past him. What would make such mighty wind underground, you ask? His protégé couldn't wait and jumped right into training.

"I guess I couldn't ask him to be patient, considering how close we've gotten." He said aloud, as he placed his forearm across his brow to help protect his eyes from the splitting winds.

After many, many months and countless explosions, the two shinobi's quest was finally nearing its end. Naruto had worked himself to the bone every day, bled, and even broken his arm and hand a couple times. It all started with the leaf, a simple training exercise to get the boy accustomed to molding the sharpness that wind requires. The blond took this even further and was able to develop his power to a high degree, recalling aspects from his Rasengan training. Second, was honing that power through numerous repetitions. This was done at the expense of multiple trees in the forests of the mountains. Clones, alongside the original, used their wind chakra to carve the trees up. If anything, the toads got plenty of firewood from his hard work.

Lastly, the Genin tested his limits of change in chakra form, creating a technique that was aptly named the wind wall. Molding the shape of the chakra, Naruto would then project it in front of himself, blocking oncoming attacks. His control over the form became so great an entire dome of wind chakra could be created and maintained. The boy got the idea from his battles with Neji Hyuga and, to a lesser extent, Gaara. Though, unlike Hyuga rotation, this technique did not require the user to spin or block his vision with a wall of sand, allowing him to get his eyes on his target. Though, while it lacked the defensive capabilities of its predecessors, it made up by having the added benefit of being able to rip his enemies to shreds.

That was possible when completing the last step of stage three, combining the mastery of chakra form and control with maximum power. Once that was complete, Naruto was ready to integrate wind chakra into the Fourth's Jutsu.

"Incredible…" The Sage breathed out, the roaring winds completely drowning out any trace of sound coming from the man's lips.

In his student's hand was no ordinary Rasengan; it was surrounded in all directions by wildly spinning, white blades of potent wind chakra. The sharp protrusions were spinning at such speeds that they produced such an incredibly loud, almost grinding, sound that Jiraiya feared would make the caves tremble if they were not protected by the belly of the toad.

'This isn't like the other times…' All the other instances, just when the technique began to make that high-frequency noise, it would subsequently blow up in the Genin's face. It was incredibly frustrating for both of them, considering they were incredibly eager to see to its completion. But now, Naruto was holding it, maintaining it, in his hands. 'I think it's finally time.' Removing his arm from across his face, the Sannin made a quick hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Immediately, Sage's single clone was already forming his own spiraling ball of energy, though it lacked any form of nature manipulation. "Naruto!" The original, who was backing up away from the potential epicenter, screamed over the tornado-like gusts.

Naruto, while doing his best to keep control of the Jutsu, looked up slowly. His eyes caught the glow of Jiraiya's base Rasengan, and he knew what had to be done. Taking a deep breath, the student gave his master a swift nod.

They took off at one another, bringing their arms up to collide the two variations. It was finally time. The clash they had been waiting for.

On impact, the sound the two spheres produced was like a band saw trying to rip its way through sheet metal. It was an awful, grinding sound that nearly drew blood from both the participant's ears. And yet, as long as the clash seemed to take, it was over just as fast. The wind enhanced ball canceled out the original, ripping through it, and the clone, like warm butter, all while it still continued to spin wildly.

The 'poof' could not be heard over the humming of the Fourth's… no, Naruto Uzumaki's Rasengan. Though, seeing the clone burst into smoke was still just as satisfying.

Shortly after, the Legacy of the Fourth Hokage allowed it to dissipate, staring at his own quivering hand with an unreadable expression.

"I did it…" Voice barely above a whisper. His master, Lord Fukasaku, had been trying to drill into him the art of shinobi. While the teachings of both Jiraiya and Mount Myoboku did not agree on the shinobi principles of destroying one's emotions, containing them was something they still believed in. Containing feelings can be the difference between acting rationally, or irrationally, on the battlefield, which also can be directly linked to survival or death. What better way to make a habit of it than practicing during everyday life? Well, he was pretty confident that the Boss would let it slide this time, considering the circumstances.

"I DID IT!" He screamed, leaping into the air, limbs haphazardly flailing all about in celebration.

"NARUTO!" The fleshy Jutsu that had been protecting the cave began to recede, and the caster sprinted towards his young disciple. "I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!" The man said, voice booming in a combination of awe and happiness. His student actually did it; he completed a Jutsu that the Fourth Hokage couldn't even manage to figure out.

"YES!" The boy, still bursting with pure adrenaline, continued to yell in victory. "Did you see that, Sensei?! That was amazing!"

"I sure did!" The boy's Godfather acknowledged. "That Jutsu wiped out my Rasengan like it was a C-Rank attack!" He patted the kid on the back affectionately. 'When we get out of this cave, we have to celebrate somehow.' He thought to himself. With roughly 15 days left on the path, that was something he had time to figure out.

"I can't believe it…" The creator of a new S-Rank move said, voice now returning to a little over normal volume. He was back to staring endearingly at his hand, the one that created the technique. It was a little singed and bruised, from constant practice that didn't give it any time to heal, but other than that, he was fine. In fact, being so overjoyed at finally succeeding, the endorphins coursing this his body numbed any aches and pains his body had accrued for the day. "After all of that hard work, I finally did it…"

"What did it feel like? The Jutsu, I mean?" There were not many times in the Sannin's life that he couldn't fully fathom what his eyes had witnessed; yet, this was one of those times. Trying for years to create a similar technique, but ultimately failing, made him unsure if something beyond the Rasengan even existed. After all, his variation had never even come close. But now it was proven to be possible, making him overwhelmingly curious. What was he missing, and could learning from his own student unlock his ability to do it, too?

Naruto thought for a moment, calming himself down to the best of his ability to give the most accurate description of the sensation. "Well, since it was the only time I had ever actually done it, it's kind of hard to say. It felt like I was holding a tornado in the palm of my hand. I've never felt anything like it, really."

"Is there a trick that you picked up on?" The teacher asked, hopefully. "Maybe something that suddenly clicked to make it all make sense?"

"No." The blond said simply, crushing any hopes his Godfather had of a fire element Rasengan. "While the process of doing it is incredibly hard, the theory behind it is straightforward. I would say that once both the Rasengan itself and the elemental manipulation individually become second nature, then you have to practice until doing them simultaneously becomes just as easy. And I still have a ways to go before it's perfect."

"Heh." The Sage began humorlessly. "I kind of figured that this wouldn't have any shortcuts."

"Though." Naruto cut in, holding up a finger. "What I think helped me the most was taking my wind to the absolute maximum shape transformation as possible." The blond continued, referring to the Wind Wall that the two ninjas developed. "Also, this."

The boy held out both hands. In one hand formed the Rasengan; in the other, swirling wind chakra. "Doing both of these at the same exact time in each hand really helps me get a feel for what it was going to be like combining them together. The latter is definitely much more difficult, but I noticed once I started this exercise, my progress improved a lot faster."

Jiraiya nodded intently, though, once he realized what he did, he laughed to himself. "Man, when did a brat like you end up being MY teacher? How the tables have turned."

"Hehehe." His student snickered. "Well, with all of the stuff you've taught me, I owe you a couple lessons in return!"

"Hahaha! Good point, kid! Now I don't have to charge you for my services."

"Not like I'm saving much!" The boy shot back teasingly. "A lesson from you would set me back the pay from a D-Rank!"

…

"C'mon kid… that was a little uncalled for." The Sannin whimpered in feign sadness. "I would think I'm at least worth a C-Rank…"

With that, the two ninjas had themselves a good laugh; at Jiraiya's expense, of course.

Now that their priority now almost taken care of, the most pressing matter at the moment was getting out of the cave and making contact with the Leaf's allies. The Akatsuki were bound to make a move in the not-so-distant future, and everyone had to be prepared for it. The only problem is there's not much new intel that can be linked to the S-Class organization. There has been sound in nearly every nation, yes, but it would only be speculative to say if they had any hand in it.

They have been cautious about disguising their movements and intentions.

"Have I mentioned how nice it is to finally be on the open road again?" The thankful Genin asked, side-by-side with his master. "I mean, how long were we even underground? It was so long that I lost track of the days and nights."

"It was about a month, but we won't know for sure until we get the first town." The Sage said after a moment of thought. "Now, all we have to do is meet with a few of my informants. Then, after that, we go back to the village."

"Yeah… the village." Naruto said slowly, staring up at the sky. It was bright out, but off in the distance, clouds were beginning to roll in, threatening to cover up such a beautiful day. "It's been so long since I've seen my friends. So much has happened…" Looking over at his mentor, he gave the man a questioning look. "What exactly do you have to meet with informants for? Can't you just send out your messenger toad?"

"Well, since we're getting so close to that time, I would rather meet with my men personally. Can't risk any of our messages being intercepted by the very people we're discussing."

"I guess that makes sense…" The Genin trailed off, something up ahead on the dirt road catching his attention. "Hm?"

It was a group, 6 men from what the blond could tell from that distance. They were speeding in his and Jiraiya's direction on the back of a wooden, horse-drawn wagon. As they got closer, their appearance became more apparent. They were dressed in tattered, dirty, and heavily worn armor. The one in the front of the wagon directing the horse had short brown hair and a scar running from just above his left ear all the way down to his chin. The leader, no doubt. The other 5 men, more towards the back of the buggy, were facing away from the blond, heads deep in brown sacks and chests.

There was a sudden shift in the air, signaling that Jiraiya had just disappeared from beside him. Tracking him rather easily, the Sage hid in the dense trees above. 'Now, why would he do that?' The boy thought to himself, curiosity now piqued. 'Let's see how this plays out.'

Seeing that there was someone in the road ahead of them, the leader brought his arms back, pulling firmly against the reigns of the horse. They slowed their pace, which got the attention of the buggy's rear passengers. They all appeared to be in their early-to-mid thirties. Getting a good look at the reasoning for the change in speed, they simultaneously stiffened at what they saw. The Leaf Shinobi couldn't hear much of the murmuring between the group, but there was one word he did catch.

Ninja.

Watching the whole scene unfold, Naruto was now standing still in the middle of the dirt road. Whether intending to or not, he was blocking the men from continuing on down the path.

"Hey, kid." The scarred one said with his deep, harsh voice. Naruto thought he heard a slight quiver to it, but he wasn't positive. "Would you mind getting out of the middle of the road so me and my guys can get through?" It was a question, but his tone made it sound like a demand.

The secret path entrance to Mount Myoboku had dropped the pair off near the Leaf village. They were currently a reasonable distance south from the Leaf. 'These guys are coming from the West, the direction of the Land of Rivers that me and Sensei are headed towards. And in between that is a small village we were supposed to stay at.' The longer he stayed silent, the more on edge the travelers seem to get, one even going so far as to put himself between Naruto and the cargo they had on the back of the vehicle. Though, Jiraiya's pupil couldn't tell if they were worried he was a bandit… or something else entirely.

"Say, guys, why are you in such a rush?" Trying his best to be as unassuming as possible. "I'm sure that you can take it easy and still be on time for whatever it is you have to do. Wouldn't want to flip your cart, right?"

There was a twinkle in the eye of the one who appeared to be doing all the talking. "Yeah, you're right. We can take it a little slower." The scarred man began. "Though, we are in a bit of a rush. So, if you don't mind, could you move off to the side so we can be on our way?" The tone, the man, used was much friendlier than before, an interesting change in demeanor and tone.

His partners, however, were still on edge, sweat pouring down a couple of the men's faces. None of them would so much look the child in the eyes. 'Guess I should just be blunt.'

"No offense, but I have to make sure." He took a step forward, lifting up a hand to point at the loot the group was keeping a watchful eye on. "There's a little village in that direction, you guys sure are carrying a lot of stuff, much more than any of the stores there would have to offer."

Half of the men flinched from the insinuation, but their leader seemed calm and collected. "Oh, we didn't get any of this stuff from there. We were just passing through. See, we're merchants on our way East to the Land of Waves. It's one of the best places to trade, after all." The man finished with a cunning smile.

What seemed like a decent lie at face value just ended up making Naruto believe their story even less. "Merchants? Traveling as recklessly as that? What kind of merchant would willingly damage their own product? The Land of Waves isn't going anywhere. Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Looks to me like you were trying to get out of here as fast as you can. You stole all of that stuff, didn't you?"

The reaction was instantaneous; the bandits each drew rusty swords from their worn, leather sheaths. "Look, kid. We don't want any trouble." The leader said as his lackeys yelled, 'Yeah!' angrily in agreement.

The blond eyed the bandits carefully, completely calm. "Did you guys say that to the innocent people you stole from?" There was a touch of edge to his voice, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did you hurt anyone?"

Naruto saw the last thing he expected flash in the eyes of the supposed bandits; guilt.

"No, we didn't hurt anyone!" The one standing directly behind his leader said with a twinge of sorrow. It was almost like he was offended the blond would even say such a thing. He had long, dark grey hair up in a ponytail. There was a scar over his right eye, similar to Kakashi, though his eye seemed unharmed. All of the bandits wore the same rusty, black battle armor.

'I could easily kill these guys and take this stuff back to the people they stole it from.' He thought to himself darkly. Suddenly, his mind drifted back to the strange conversation he had with that hopeful side of himself, and he realized the gravity of the decision he was about to make. 'Wait, what the hell am I thinking?' To be hopeful, understanding, and happy; those were the things he would try to be again. Or, at least, always have a piece of that mindset with him. Yet, his first thought was to murder these men ruthlessly…

Perhaps there was a better way to go about it? "I think you guys should bring all of that stuff back to where you got it from." His tone was firm, but not angry like the bandits had expected. Unsure of if he just saw what his good-natured side wanted to see, or if it was actually there, but these men didn't seem like typical bandits. All of their faces were grim, filled with sorrow like they were disgusted with themselves. "They probably worked hard for what they have, and you took it from them. What if you were in their position, and someone took everything you had?"

"That already happened to us!" Another of the men who hadn't spoken yet yelled out, lowering his sword slightly. His hair was a messy dark blue, bangs hanging halfway over his forehead, sweeping to the right.

That declaration, plus a couple more murmurs from within the group, made Naruto adopt a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

The leader, eyes now aimed towards the group in shame, shakily dropped his rusty sword to his side. With labored breath, he raised it back up to look at his accuser. Naruto blinked. The stranger was nearly in tears.

"We… used to be humble farmers. The work wasn't the greatest, but it put food on the table." The man with the long scar began somberly. "Three months ago, we lost everything that we had. We never wanted to steal from anyone, we've just been trying to survive!"

"What happened?" He asked, trying to decide if the story was believable or not.

"What didn't happen?" The man said with a humorless chuckle. "First, there was a terrible drought that passed through that we barely survived. Then when we thought that was over, we got struck with a giant weed infestation… killed all of our crops for growing season." His men were all sadly nodding along to the story as he told it, each one staring intently into the dirt. "We had no money and no product to speak of. When rent on our land was due, we couldn't pay it, so we got evicted."

There was no tell in the man's voice or body language that indicated he was lying. As far as the young shinobi could tell, these men were telling the truth. "How long ago did all of this happen?"

They looked surprised that a random little boy was even interested in their story. "A-About three months ago. Why do you care?" Anyone they had ever tried to tell the story to had no interest in their struggles. People were way too preoccupied with themselves to take a minute out of their to care about strangers.

"So, that's why you resorted to stealing? No other choice?" There was no hope or optimism in his voice, just one of understanding. 'They also said they didn't hurt anyone, but I won't know for sure until I get into the village.'

"We've always been hard workers." The one with the ponytail said. "We know how hard it is to make something of yourself in this world. Our intentions were never to steal these things. We just needed money and food to survive, get back on our feet, and once we did back, those people would be repaid in full! Honest!" He put his hand to his heart, a sad but genuine smile spreading across his face.

The blond took a deep, labored breath. He understood where these guys were coming from; really, he did. However, just because that was the case didn't mean that he agreed with their choices. 'Sensei, why did you leave me to handle this on my own?!' It was a difficult situation, for sure.

"You guys seem like good people who were dealt a poor hand in life." Naruto spoke with honesty. "When I say that you are good people, that also means that you know what has to be done." He put his hand up expectantly. "I need to take that stuff back to its rightful owners."

Some of the men seemed like they were about to protest, but their leader lifted up a hand to suppress any of that. He, too, was wearing a sad smile. One that was incredibly guilty for the things it had done in its moment of weakness. "You're right." He agreed, gesturing for his men to get off of the cart; they quickly did. The scarred man grabbed the reigns, lead the horse forward, and placed them in the boy's waiting grasp. "Tell those people that we're truly sorry. We'll never do something like that again." He finished with a bow.

"I will." The blond nodded. "And thank you for doing the right thing." Something lifted within the boy's heart, something he couldn't quite describe. Whatever sensation it was, though, it felt good. "Don't worry. You guys will be able to make it through this. I know it."

"I hope so. We're just… not sure what's next for us." With that, the leader of the would-be bandits gestured for his men to follow him, continuing down the path toward the Land of Waves; their heads held a bit higher than before. "Say." Head-turning back to face the shinobi. "What's your name, kid?"

With a smirk, the boy in question reached deep into his pocket. Withdrawing a pouch, flashing a smile, he tossed it in the farmer's direction. "The name's Naruto."

Turning quickly, the older man caught the pouch gently. He gave the blond an odd look, then loosened the string on the small bag to reveal it's contents. It was money, enough for food for easily a few weeks.

Eyes wide, the scarred man looked back up at the generous stranger. "What… why?"

"Just something for you to survive on while you get back on your feet." Jiraiya's student shrugged dismissively. "And as for not knowing what you want to do, I have an idea."

"Wha-"

"I want you to keep heading East to the Land of Waves." Naruto had no patience for questioning as he cut the stranger off. "When you get there, tell them that Naruto Uzumaki sent you."

The six men nodded dumbly, not sure what else to say after this boy's unbelievable show of kindness. That name was not lost on them, either. Everyone in the area was aware of the Great Naruto Bridge. It was beginning to become famous in the surrounding lands. "But, what will we be doing in the Land of Waves?"

"They'll be expecting you and will have a house ready for you to stay at." As he spoke, he turned around, facing the direction of the Land of Rivers. Fixing his headband nonchalantly with his free hand, he continued. "The Land of Waves doesn't have much in the form of security, but they are starting to get very wealthy from trading. You guys seem tough. Even if you're just farmers, I'm sure you would get paid good money to escort traders to and from the trading posts. And it'll be even easier with a good word from me."

They were speechless. Well, almost. "H-How could we ever repay you, Naruto Uzumaki?" Their leader said, still in awe of everything that had just happened in a mere matter of minutes.

Now walking away with the horse and cart in tow, the boy threw up a dismissive wave. "Don't steal… be the kind of people you can look in the mirror every day without regret." Naruto stopped, looking back over her shoulder one last time at the good-hearted man. "What's your name?"

The scarred stranger smiled happily for what must've been the first time in over three months. "It's Nōka."

"Good luck, Nōka." Voiced genuinely. "To you and all of your friends. I wish you the best." With a final wave, the blond was on his way to deliver the stolen goods back to their real owners. He smiled to himself as the 6 former bandits were shouting well wishes and thankful words in his direction. He, too, hadn't felt anything like this in a long time.

Once a reasonable distance down the road, there was a second rush of air, and his master was back by his side. The Sannin was not even trying to mask the broad smile on his face.

"Ah, so you weren't just a figment of my imagination, after all." His Godson gave the Sage a dry, unamused look. "So good of you to join me again."

"Hehe." The laugh was weak, followed by the sheepish scratching of the back of his head. "What can I say? I had to take a leak."

"No, seriously, what was that all about?" Both his facial expression and tone told the Jonin that he was serious.

"I honestly thought they were regular bandits." The Sage began, taking the reigns from his pupil. "After the past couple of years of training, I wanted to see how you handled what was bound to be a difficult decision." The older man let out an impressed whistle. "And what can I say? You far exceeded my expectations!" Patting the Genin on the back with his free hand. "You handled that as good as you possibly could have."

"I handled it like a shinobi." The boy responded simply.

Jiraiya could only shake his head in complete disagreement. "No, a shinobi wouldn't have asked questions or tried to understand those people. If it were practically any other ninja, those men would either be dead or off to prison. And yet, you saw the good in them and even helped them get their lives back on track."

"Saw the good in them…" His student breathed out, allowing the meaning of those heavy words to soak in. Is that what had happened? Wasn't the true nature of humans evil and selfishness? If that was the case… why did he trust the story of 6 random thieves he found shooting up the road? 'For all I know, they could be on their way to rob and steal from the people of the Land of Waves!' Just as he was about to turn around and run after Nōka and his men, something stopped him.

Those eyes. Those sad, guilty eyes that everyone in Nōka's squad had. Using every ounce of skills he had from the whole 'ninja must see through deception,' he could detect no deceit or ill-will coming from them. As confused as he was about the world and the people in it, he trusted those men. Whether he should have or not, well, that was something he would find out eventually.

Shoulder now relaxed, they continued in the direction of the Land of Rivers. "Yeah… I guess I did see that in them." Naruto blinked. "That reminds me. I need to send a messenger toad to Wave to let them know about Nōka."

"You can do that on the way, we should really be getting these things back to the village." Jiraiya urged, climbing in the front of the cart right behind the horse. "C'mon. I'll drive, and you can sit in the back and right your message."

Naruto smiled brightly, happy with the plan the Toad Sage came up with. "Okay, Sensei."

Izumo glanced around, trying to find anything to help cure the intense boredom he was currently experiencing. He sighed loudly when nothing caught his attention.

'I hate guarding the gat. Nothing ever happens, anyway.' He thought, slightly irritated by the fact that he always got stuck with such a menial task. Glancing over at his longtime friend, a smirk appeared on his face. 'Maybe he has an idea.'

"Hey, Kotetsu?" Izumo said in an obnoxiously bored tone.

"Yeah, Izumo?"

"I'm bored."

Kotetsu sighed for what seemed like the one-hundredth time today. How the Chunin wished something exciting would happen, only if Izumo would shut up for a couple of minutes. "We're supposed to be guarding the gate. Stay vigilant, Izumo."

There was a peaceful silence between the two of them.

"Hey, Kotetsu…" Voice slightly more animated than before, but his best friend failed to notice.

"Would you shut up? I get it, you're bored." Again, another sigh left his lips. If he heard those two words one more time, he was going to kill someone. Preferably, Izumo.

"No, not that." He corrected, pointing down the road that leads out of the village. "Look."

The man with the bandage across his face squinted his eyes to see what his friend was talking about. Sure enough, two figures were sauntering towards the village gates, perking him up slightly.

"Is that… orange?" The two Chunin shared a glance. That could only be…

"Hey, Izumo, Kotetsu. What's up?" Came a voice that sounded like…

"Well, well. Look who's back. Naruto Uzumaki." Kotetsu said, slightly amazed.

Izumo's one eye visibly widened at that name. Looking the teen up and down, he smiled. "Naruto, I like the new look. Looks like you took some inspiration from the Chunin uniform."

"Oh, yeah. I thought it looked good, so I decided to put my own spin on it." He said, patting his burnt orange flak jacket proudly. "I see why you guys wear these; I love these pockets."

"Your look isn't the only thing that has changed." Kotetsu commented. "You've gotten a lot taller, haven't you?"

"Well, I would hope so." Naruto said, measuring himself against the Chunin duo with his hand. "After all, it's been over 2 years. That's a long time, you know?"

"Oh!" The man with the long bangs said, looking over at the Sannin. "That reminds me, Master Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade has been… patiently awaiting the return of you both."

Jiraiya paled slightly, not liking the word choice or tone of the Hokage's errand boy. "Oh, no… Did she say anything? What do I have to be prepared for?" Not many things could scare the Legendary Sage of Mount Myoboku, but there was genuine worry in his eyes.

Both men rubbed the backs of their heads sheepishly, unwilling to look their superior in the eye.

"Well!"

"She, uh…" Kotetsu was stumbling over his words. "Well, there are a few things. Lady Tsunade wasn't very pleased that you haven't been responding to her messages as swiftly as she would've liked, and that you abruptly dropped your duties meeting with your intelligence contacts."

"Kakashi wasn't pleased with that one either." Izumo cut in, chuckling to himself. "He actually had to be on time for things!"

Kotetsu allowed himself a smirk as he continued to prepare the Sage for the inevitable. "And lastly, that you made he have to deal with Lord Danzo more often than she would've liked."

Naruto whistled ominously as his Godfather was practically shaking. "Damn, Master… You're going to get your ass kicked."

Jiraiya let out a long sigh. "And the worst is, she doesn't even know half of the stuff that happened while we were away." The Toad Sage slumped, suddenly wishing the two of them could head back out on the road. "C'mon kid, let's get this over with…"

Naruto nodded at his mentor's words. Turning back towards the two Chunin guards, he smiled. "It was nice seeing you two again." He said with a quick bow. "I'll see you guys around. Later!"

The two friends blinked at the display and watched the sad Sannin and the eager Genin walk down the road that leads to the heart of the village and the Hokage tower.

Izumo was the first to break the silence between them. "Naruto is a bit… different, isn't he?"

"That's for sure… If he's changed that much, can we still call him the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja?"

"What? Why do you care about that?"

"I liked that nickname…"

"Izumo."

"Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up."

…

…

…

"Hey, Kotetsu?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored…"

The bandaged Chunin let out a weary sigh. "Say it one more time and I'll hit you."

Master and Student continue to make their way through the village, soaking in everything around them.

"It's so nice to be back." Naruto echoed Jiraiya's own thoughts, proven when the man answered with a nod of agreement. "The village honestly hasn't changed at all. What do you think, Sensei?" Naruto noticed a pretty woman walk by them and smirked at what was about to happen. Though, when looking over at his teacher, he was shocked to see that the lady went unnoticed by the super pervert. Instead, he was looking at something off in the distance.

"They put up Tsunade's face on the mountain." Gesturing over to the monument of the Leaf's past leaders.

"Yeah… they did." Wait a second… "Now that you mention it, they did that really fast! Weren't we here not too long ago? They hadn't even started construction yet!" The likeness of the granddaughter of the First Hokage was very accurate. Though, it would be more accurate if they included the wrinkles she has when her Jutsu isn't active.

"Also, Naruto." The man's voice turned completely serious, surprising the Genin.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"…Did you see the total babe that just walked by?" The lecherous man flashed a dangerous grin over at his apprentice. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

To his surprise, the teenager chuckled. "What's so funny, kid?"

He held up two fingers, a smile gracing his lips. "I'm gonna let you have this one for two reasons. One, you've been restraining yourself for over two years, and I'm proud of you." The chuckle was once again rising up the back of his throat. "And two, based on what we heard, if Tsunade has her way, that'll be the last thing you ever do. And I want you to die happy."

"…Aww, why did you have to remind me? I was just starting to get my good mood back." The revered Sannin whined.

"Sensei, I was only joking. I'm sure she'll understand." That was a lie, and they both knew it.

"Don't give me hope, I've already accepted my fate." His Godfather said, as he gloomily walked alongside his protégé.

Naruto wanted to say something to get his teacher out of his mini-depression but opted to stay silent. They walked a few more minutes, and to his surprise, they didn't cross paths with anyone he knew. Though, the pair did seem to get a few looks from the villagers. Some of them were the typical glares and nasty looks he would receive on a daily basis, but that all. Others were staring intently at him with what appeared to be faint smiles. They had also walked by a group that, upon seeing the blond, began fervently talking amongst themselves; no malice detected among them. He gave the group a strange look but opted to continue to the tower.

Several more minutes of modestly-paced walking, and they arrived at their destination. Getting into the building easily enough, the two toad summoners were nervously waiting outside the door of the Hokage's office.

…

Tsunade wasn't in the best mood right now. She thought she had found the perfect person to organize the Chunin Exams, only for them to outright refuse the role. Sure, it had been easy to find a replacement; they just were not doing the job up to the standard that she wanted. This made her subordinates denial even more frustrating. Whether or not the reasoning is just was irrelevant, the exams needed to run smoothly, and that took the talents of the ninja standing before her. Well, one of the two who currently had an audience with her.

"So, you're sure about not being a last-minute addition to setting up the Chunin Exam?" She asked firmly, but hopefully.

"I truly am sorry, Lady Tsunade, but you already know why I had to turn it down." The young man said in a lazy voice. "I know you understand why I said no."

The Fifth Hokage sighed, fully expecting that answer. Turning to the second person, a young girl, she gave the pair an odd look. "Okay, if that's not what this is about, what did the both of you need?"

Just as the other person was about to answer, a sound came at the door, quickly followed by a scared, stumbling Jiraiya.

'The brat pushed me!' He thought, part terrified, part disbelief.

Before he could even correct his balance or say a word in defense, Tsunade had already streaked across the room. Grabbing him roughly by his collar, she started shaking him violently back and forth. "Jiraiya, you idiot!" She did not sound happy, like in his dreams. "Do you have any idea what some of the stuff you did put me through?! Of course not! You only think of yourself, don't you?! And on top of that, you haven't been responding quickly to the intelligence reports! Just because Kakashi has been taking over your responsibilities doesn't mean you can act like him!" She was steaming, more so than in a long time. "You're lucky I haven't punched you back over the village walls yet! What do you have to say for yourself!?"

The Sannin in question began to babble like an idiot, brain probably reduced to mush after getting shaken like a ragdoll by the Hokage's insane strength.

Stepping through the door himself, the blond couldn't help but feel a little guilty for what he did. Sure, it was funny as all hell to watch, but the guy didn't deserve what he just got. "Don't be too hard on him. He's been working nonstop with me these past couple of years." Naruto defended his Godfather. "If it wasn't for him… well, I would still be hopeless.

Ripping her eyes away from the Sage in the confused stupor, Tsunade's eyes widened significantly. Dropping her teammate in shock, she stood up straight. "Naruto… you've grown up."

"I finally hit puberty." He responded with a playful shrug.

"Naruto!" The two other ninjas in the room exclaimed.

Looking past the Hokage he saw two of his good friends, which brought a smile to his face. "Shikamaru! Sakura!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: The Akatsuki Moves! Eyes That Reflect the Heart!

"Looks like I finally found some things around here that have changed since I've been gone! What's up, guys?" The blond asked, flashing a toothy grin.

Sakura was wearing a red top, along with black gloves, low-heel knee-high boots, black shorts underneath a grey skirt, and grey elbow protectors. Her shoulder-length pink hair was kept in place by her red-clothed Leaf headband that sat atop her head.

Shikamaru was clad in the Leaf's standard Chunin attire. Though, it could be seen from his wrists that the Nara was still wearing his mesh undershirt underneath. While his headband used to be tied firmly around his left arm, it was now sewn into his left sleeve.

"You know, same old, same old. It's a drag." Shikamaru said with a lazy shrug, though his eyes betrayed how he was really feeling, happy to see an old friend back safely in the village. "What about you? How was traveling the world?"

"Well, we didn't travel as much as I thought we would…" The boy trailed off, not wanting to go into the reason as to why that was. "But it gave me more time to focus on my training, so I don't mind."

"You look like you've gotten a lot stronger, Naruto." Sakura cut in. "What about me? Do I look like I've gotten stronger?" She asked innocently, a faint smile present across her lips.

Looking over at his old teammate, something about her did appear to have changed. Sure, it was clear her appearance had changed, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. Sakura had always been in the shadow of him and Sasuke, he was aware of that; not aware of the full extent, but aware, nonetheless. The pink-haired girl appeared to be holding her head up a bit higher, a touch more confidently. That was an easy sign to tell the Genin all he needed to know.

"I can tell you've changed a lot, Sakura." His answer was not trying to lift her spirits, but genuinely honest. "You've probably gotten a lot stronger, haven't you?"

Before Sakura could say anything, a fourth voice cut in.

"Ahem." The three members of the former 9 rookies turned towards the source of the sound, Tsunade. "Funny you should mention that because the three of us were discussing something that has a lot to do with how strong you've gotten."

"Huh?" He blurted out, slightly confused. "And what is that?"

"An Akatsuki extermination squad." Shikamaru answered. "I asked Lady Hokage if we could form a team that's sole mission is to hunt down members of the Akatsuki." His face was dead serious, out of the ordinary for a Nara.

Naruto's eyes widened. "You know about the Akatsuki?"

The Chunin nodded along with Sakura. "Word started to get around that Itachi infiltrated the village before you left to train with Master Jiraiya." Sakura added eyes hardened. "If they're after you, then they have to go down!"

The truth was after reading Naruto's book, his two friends started digging around for information as to what Naruto meant in his writing. Shortly after, and even an audience with the Hokage, they were shocked at what they each found. All of the snooping and information gatherings eventually caused their paths to cross. Realizing they were looking for the same thing, Sakura and Shika worked together on an idea to keep Naruto out of the clutches of the S-Class criminal organization. Nearly all the questions Shikamaru wanted to ask Naruto about, Sakura, being so close to the Hokage, had the answers to.

Naruto grimaced slightly. The thought was very nice, but… "They do need to go down, but are you sure that you guys want to put yourself in harm's way like that? The Akatsuki are monsters, and I'm going to need ninja that understand what they are capable of."

"And who said you were going to be on this team?" Tsunade asked arms crossed at her chest, a questioning look on her face. "You're just a Genin. Shouldn't I form a team solely of exceptional Chunin and Jonin?" She chided, her tone teasing.

"I may be just a Genin, but I'll prove my worth. Don't you worry about me! I haven't been slacking off this past couple of years."

Tsunade could only smirk at his brashness. "I'm sure you haven't, brat."

"We know what they're capable of, Naruto." Sakura said confidently. "We've been preparing for you to come back to the village for a long time. We want to be there for you to help you."

The unease could still be easily seen on the blond's face. It wasn't that he doubted the ability of his friends, he was just naturally worried for their safety. This wasn't some walk in the park C-Rank mission or even their assignment in the Land of Waves, any mission concerning the Akatsuki would be immediately given the rank of S.

And there was one question still on his mind. 'Do they truly know what these guys are capable of?'

The Leaf's young genius could understand where his friend was coming from. They were talking about dealing with S-Class threats; worry for those close to you was expected. "Before you say no, let's just go over some of the details about what we have planned." Shikamaru began as there was a knock at the door. The genius smirked. "Speaking of… we told him to be here earlier, but the guy is late as usual."

"Enter!"

The door opened slowly to reveal none other than the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. Walking in with his typical eye smile, favorite orange book in hand. That quickly turned into a look of confusion as the first thing he saw was a near-unconscious Jiraiya sprawled out on the office floor.

"Erm… are you all right, Master Jiraiya?" He blinked. "Wait… Master Jiraiya…?" Looking up, the Jonin saw something that made his signature grin return. "If it isn't my cute little student. You've gone and gotten all grown up Naruto." He said affectionately, completely forgetting about the unconscious Toad Sannin.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" His former student exclaimed. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Kakashi." Tsunade said a bit sternly, arms still crossed. "You were supposed to be on time, so the four of us could discuss the Akatsuki."

"Hehe." The one-eyed ninja scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, you see, I knew Naruto was coming back today and figured if I was late, he would get the chance to join in…" Not the worst lie, but also not one the Hokage was going to believe.

That was confirmed by the annoyed grumble from the Fire Shadow. 'At least he's pretty much always on time with the spy network's intelligence reports.' She thought to herself to quell her frustrations.

'I just got here, and he's already entangling me in his lies… it's good to be back.' The Uzumaki mused, equally as annoyed as Tsunade.

The conscious Sannin sighed irritably. "Well, since we're all here now, I guess it worked out for the best." Still, she shot a glare over at her silver-haired subordinate. "Jiraiya! Get up! We have important things to discuss."

The Sage in question let out a tired groan of protest, but obliged and began to slowly pick himself up off the ground. Shaking his head to clear himself, a hand pressed against his temple, Tsunade's teammate was finally able to get a word in. "What a warm welcome…" Was his dry response.

"I have to ask." She continued. "Is Naruto ready to face them?" It was the question on everyone's mind. How strong has their resident Jinchuriki gotten?

For what was a rare occurrence, Jiraiya adopted a rather serious expression. Had things gone differently, he may have pitted the boy up against another shinobi to prove his worth, someone like Kakashi. Not in this life, Naruto was beyond such spectacles. The Sage was so confident in the boy's abilities, all that was needed were a few words. "Yes, he is."

Tsunade, somewhat surprised by that short, yet firm, declaration, nodded. "If that's the case, I would like to approve the 5-man Akatsuki Assault Squad to be under the command of Jonin, Kakashi Hatake." Looking over to her old teammate, she continued. "This newly formed team will collaborate with Jiraiya, as he will be taking back responsibility of the Leaf's spy network."

"Why can't Sensei be on the team?" The only Genin in the room asked. "And if not him, who is our fifth member?" He only counted 4; himself, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Kakashi.

"Uh… i-it's…" It was difficult to form sentences after what she had just heard. "You called him Sensei." She looked over at the man the boy was referring to. "He called you Sensei." Was her confused statement.

Jiraiya nodded, a satisfied smirk gracing his lips. As foolish as it may sound, getting rid of the 'Pervy Sage' nickname was perhaps one of his greatest achievements! Naruto was so stubborn he thought he would never get the kid to stop calling him by that ridiculous title.

"Did ya hear me, Granny?" Naruto asked rather annoyedly.

Everyone in the room, save for Tsunade, winced at her slightly… unflattering title. Though, to their surprise, she didn't seem to mind. As informal and disrespectful as it was, the female Sannin found it rather endearing. The two were close, and him casually referring to her in such a way when no one else would ever dare do the same was refreshing.

"Jiraiya's role is to gather intelligence about the Akatsuki. He's the most capable infiltration and intelligence gatherer we have in the entire village. Kakashi has assumed that role since he gave it up, but now that you two are back, the village needs him."

Naruto, although slightly dejected, nodded his understanding. Whether he like it or not, that was Jiraiya's specialty. The Akatsuki Assault Squad needed information to act, or they would be blindly scouring the elemental nations for a lead on the organization. With the best at the helm, they'll have the most complete and accurate information possible.

Glancing over at his Sensei, however, he spoke his mind honestly. "Just… don't do anything stupid, like taking on the Akatsuki by yourself. That's what our squad is going to be doing." There was a conflicted glint in his eye as he spoke. "Got it, old man?"

Jiraiya smirked, letting out an exaggerated huff of annoyance. "Why can't I ever have any fun?"

"Yeah…" Naruto breathed out, barely a whisper. "Fun…"

"I've had your fellow squad mates off of missions as we waited for you two to come back." She continued, gesturing to the three other ninjas in the room. "Jiraiya will be leaving the village to gather intel, effective immediately." If Jiraiya had any feelings about this, he didn't show it.

"What will we do in the meantime?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade smirked. "I'm hoping to give your team a mission, not only for you to shake the rust off, but to make sure your squad has good chemistry. Though, I think I'll give you a couple days to relax and settle back into the village. How does that sound, brat?"

The boy in question felt a twinge of sadness at the news that his Godfather was already going to be leaving the village. 'I had been hoping we would be able to go on a couple of missions together… but I guess I'm being selfish. The village needs him more than I do right now.' He'd keep that to himself.

"Some time to relax… sounds nice."

Tsunade nodded. "Good." Though, she quickly let out a tired sigh. "As much as I'd like to spend some time catching up, I have a couple teams that I need to go deploy, as well as a few that are coming back that need to be debriefed." She waved, gesturing the group out of her office. Managing a smile, she looked at her favorite blond. "If you have time tomorrow, I'd like it if you stopped by for a little."

"Heh, sure thing Granny!"

She smiled softly as she watched the newly formed team leave her office. Memories of her first time meeting the little Genin flashed in her mind. 'That brat… sure has changed a lot. I hope that idiot Jiraiya didn't rub off on him too much.'

"He's changed a lot, hasn't he?" A voice echoed her thoughts.

A voice came, breaking her out of the trance she was in. Looking up, as if her mind could be read, Jiraiya was looking at her intently.

"Didn't you hear that I had some things I needed to take care of?" Was her slightly annoyed response.

Though her old teammate could see her eyes soften considerably. That confused him slightly, but he didn't say anything; his desire to not wanting to be punched again outweighing any curiosity he had. "I heard you." Jiraiya said with a simple shrug. "I just think there are some things we need to talk about."

"Whatever it is, you have to say, I think it can wait." The Hokage huffed as she grabbed a couple files off of her desk. Getting up, she tried to walk past the Toad Sage to the door, but he blocked her path.

After receiving a hard stare that promised pain, Jiraiya gave the woman an odd look. "Are you mad at me, Tsunade?" Was his question, feeling even more confused than before.

The Senju took in a deep breath. "Did you think me shaking you like a ragdoll was my way of saying I missed you?"

"That's what I'd like to think. Makes it hurt less when I think it's out of love." He childishly quipped.

"You're an idiot." She shot back a bit more harshly than she intended. "You put me in a terrible spot with all of the stuff that you pulled; you know that? I'll admit that I shouldn't have asked you to go on that mission to the Land of Hot Water. But to not come back with the ANBU Black Ops after Naruto was nearly captured by the Akatsuki? Danzo and the Elders were not happy, and I didn't have you here to back me up."

Jiraiya tried to interject, but he was quickly cut off.

"Then, you hid in Mount Myoboku and gave us little warning when you dropped your duties with the network. To top it all off, you barely sent reports after that. I was in the dark about what was happening… So yes, I'm a bit mad." She gave the Sage a stern look, silently telling him to get out of the way so she can go do her job.

Yet, to her surprise, Jiraiya stood firm, arms crossed loosely at his chest. "I'm sorry truly." His voice seemed genuine. "But I couldn't risk any important information being intercepted by the Akatsuki or Root. That… and I was busy making sure Naruto was okay. You know, with everything that happened."

Ever so slightly, her shoulder relaxed. "Still, anything would have been better than what I got. I had to defend you when I had no idea what was happening. Hell, Danzo wanted you under Root custody when you returned." Though, Tsunade didn't take those threats seriously. It was Danzo just trying to stir her up and make life difficult. Trying to capture a Sannin was a suicide mission, and the old badger knew that.

"I'll keep my eyes open for Root operatives." The Fourth's Sensei said dryly. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. There are… some things that happened during our time away, and I wanted to make sure that no one else besides you heard about it." The man's demeanor shifted immediately. Whatever he was about to say, it was serious.

"What are these things you're referring to?" Her features adopting a similar expression.

'I'm probably going to get punched for this one.' Rubbing his chin absentmindedly. "It's about Naruto, and what happened after the events in Wave… Let's just say, I may have made a couple mistakes when trying to help him cope and move on…"

'I wonder what they're talking about…'

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, trying to get his attention.

"Hm?" The blond said blankly. After leaving the Hokage Tower and noticing Jiraiya didn't follow them, he had been staring at the windows on the top floor.

"I was thinking that the 5 of us could go get some lunch at Ichiraku and discuss things about the team. Does that sound good?"

"Sakura." Kakashi interjected. "Naruto just got back to the village. He probably wants to go settle back home for a little before talking about the mission." He smiled behind his mask. "Isn't that right, Naruto?"

"Yeah… right." Naruto shook his head, trying to get his thoughts off of everything that was going on in his mind. "It's been a while since I've been in my apartment. It probably needs a good cleaning." His weak smile went unnoticed by the two younger shinobi, but Kakashi rose an eyebrow.

"Heh, I bet." Shikamaru said. "The walk back to the village was probably a total drag. I know I would be exhausted. I'll come get you later when we're ready to meet."

"That sounds good." Naruto said, a bit brighter of a smile this time. "I'll see you guys soon!" The Genin gave them a quick wave, then darted off in the direction of his apartment.

"Did Naruto seem a little… different to you two?" Kakashi asked once the blond was no longer in view.

"Yeah, he seems a lot more mature than he used to be." Sakura commented. "Though, he still seems like Naruto. I'm honestly glad he hasn't changed too much."

'Not exactly what I meant.' The Copy Ninja thought to himself. There was something off about Naruto. He seemed distracted, on edge, and far too reserved for himself. That could all be from the changes he had undergone during his time away, but the silver-haired Jonin had his doubts. 'Maybe I'm overthinking this, but he may have changed more than you thought, Sakura.'

He'd keep that to himself for now, though.

…

He maintained the pace he had when he left his friends, no particular destination in mind. Just moving quickly for the sake of it. Naruto had told his new, mostly old team that he was going back to his apartment, but that wasn't the truth. There was a lot on his mind, and cleaning up his apartment would do little to help him with that.

'What's this feeling?' There was a pit deep in his stomach, leaving him in a state of unease. Wasn't coming back to the village something he was excited for? Didn't he want to see all his friends show them how much he's changed; to see how much they have changed? Then why? What was this feeling of dread looming over him? 'It's just like that day…'

At the speed he was going, coupled with the lack of attention that he was paying to his surroundings, was a recipe for disaster. Rounding a corner, the blond proved this to be true by slamming right into someone.

Naruto skidded to a stop and cringed as he watched the blurry figure of the unsuspecting person get forcibly thrown to the ground. From their grasp, a bright orange book flew and landed unceremoniously in the dirt road.

'This is…' Thought trailing off as he bent down to pick up the familiar novel.

It was a copy of his book, worn out from several read-throughs by the look of it. Despite his best attempt to quell it, a frown forced its way through. His feelings toward the book were complicated. There was a time where his thoughts and beliefs aligned with the novel. A world in which hope wasn't just some naïve way of interpreting reality, and that the good always outweighs the bad. Now? He wasn't sure. These same thoughts crossed his mind when encountering those bandits; on a whim, he tested that ideology by taking them at their word and even assisting them. It would be a while before he found out if that was a smart or foolish decision, but he would put his ear to the ground and wait for the rumblings.

Though, as his demons were staring him in the face, that wouldn't help him right now. A nearby groan shook him from his thoughts, reminding him that he had just run over the owner of this book. It was a woman, long dark-blue hair masking her features. Naruto rushed to her side, instantly recognizing who it was. Grimacing slightly at the thought of harming one of his friends, the boy leaned the girl up against the wooden fencing. He couldn't believe it; she had changed so much.

She was wearing a large, loose-fitting lavender and cream hooded jacket, along with navy blue pants and black, low-heeled sandals.

"H-Hinata, are you okay?"

The Hyuga Heiress grabbed her head in an attempt to dispel the dizziness. The last thing she remembered was turning a corner while reading her favorite book. With her mind off in a faraway land, and her feet carrying her as if she were on auto-pilot, she hadn't been paying attention to where she was going.

'What happened?' She thought to herself, her eyes still closed.

"Oh, thank goodness." Naruto said after watching her begin to move around. "I didn't hurt you, did I, Hinata?"

Hinata's body tensed, heartbeat immediately began to quicken at the sound of that voice. Though the voice was quite a bit deeper than she remembered, it was unmistakable. Finally, able to open her eyes, they remained fixed on the floor. She didn't want to look up, fearing it would all be her imagination, and he wasn't actually there.

'It couldn't be…'

"Hinata." The blond said once more, resting a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, it's me. Naruto."

The girl in question slowly looked up, excitement building at once again seeing the Uzumaki again. Her pale, lavender eyes met his striking blue eyes, and she had to resist the urge to look away. It really was him, after all.

"Naruto…" She whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

Naruto's relieved, yet happy, smile made her smile back without even being conscious of it. That was just what you did when Naruto Uzumaki smiled; you felt the urge to reciprocate. It was contagious. The boy put his hand out to help her up, which she gladly accepted.

Now that the whole ordeal was behind them, Naruto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly at his clumsy mistake. "Sorry about that, Hinata. I wasn't looking where I was going. I hope I didn't hurt you." Looking her over quickly, it didn't appear that she was injured.

Hinata had expected that she would be freaking out when she finally saw Naruto again after such a long time. She feared that all of that work Ino, and she put in to make her more confident during his time away would disappear, and she would revert back to her shy, stuttering self. That smile, those eyes; they turned her into a babbling idiot, and that had to change. Yet, despite her pulse beating a bit faster than usual, she felt good.

"I'm o-okay." The Heiress answered after staring at the Genin for a moment. She winced, annoyed at herself for letting a stutter sneak its way through. "I wasn't paying attention either. It's not your fault, Naruto." She smiled reassuringly, hoping her friend wouldn't put all of the blame on himself for what happened.

"Still, I'm sorry." The Genin said genuinely. "Oh, I almost forgot." He continued, presenting the orange object to the Heiress. "You dropped your book."

Hinata tilted her head to the side in confusion. Though once it dawned on her what the boy had in his hand, she suddenly wished to be unconscious once more. The lavender-eyed Hyuga resisted showing the horror she felt on her face. Just her luck that the boy she admired would catch her at such an embarrassing time, reading his own book!

Yet, little did she know that they were both equally uncomfortable with this situation.

Hinata mumbled out a weak 'thank you,' grabbing the book from his grasp.

They sat in silence for a moment, neither sure of what to say after what happened. Do they address the elephant in the room, or bypass it to avoid any further discomfort? Neither knew what the correct move was.

'Maybe I should go.' Naruto thought to himself, not sure of what to make of his friend's demeanor. 'Is she mad that I knocked her over? I mean, I wouldn't blame her. Or maybe, she's embarrassed about the whole book thing?' He always had trouble guessing what other people were thinking, especially women.

"Did you just come back to the village?"

Naruto blinked, not expecting the girl to say anything. Looking at her, while the air still felt a bit tense, she was intently waiting for an answer, a smile on her face.

"Yeah… I just came back today, actually."

"Do you want to go eat something?"

Well, this was unexpected. "Uh…" He wasn't really in the mood to go anywhere, but could he really say no after trampling her? "Sure, I could eat, I guess. Did you have any place in mind?"

"Well, since you've been gone for so long, I was thinking ramen? It's your favorite, right?"

'She seems… a lot different." Sakura and Shikamaru had changed appearance-wise but, from what he could tell from their quick conversation, they didn't change much from a personality perspective. And yet, the formerly shy and timid Hinata… this might be the most he's ever heard the girl talk at once.

And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, Hinata was his friend. A friend that he hasn't really spent a lot of time around.

"You know what? That actually sounds like fun. Let's go." The Genin responded somewhat eagerly, surprising himself.

Naruto didn't realize it at the moment, but that overwhelming feeling of dread that was looming over his shoulder was retracting itself back into the depths of his mind, barely a whisper. Perhaps, it was better that way.

Or… perhaps not…

The wind was gusting, picking up copious amounts of grainy sand as it swept across the ground. Two darkened figures with the wind at their backs, as if it was a sign of the chaos that follows them, were purposefully walking through the dry, hot desert, a singular goal in mind. The one on the right appeared to be much shorter, with what appeared to be a very severe and painful, hunch in his back. A cloth-covered just above his nose to down past his chin. A straw hat and a black cloak with blood-red clouds masked the rest of his appearance.

The remaining shadow was much taller, but wore his collar very high with his head down; the straw hat was covering up the entirety of his face.

They had been walking for what seemed like hours, and there was no time to slow down or take a rest. The two of them had a deadline to meet.

"You know." The one with the hunchback began, his voice was gruff and unpleasant. "While I am very… pleased about my new assignment, I can't say I agree with these new arrangements." The man shot his partner a glare filled with contempt.

"You act like this was my idea." The taller man countered evenly, not bothering to even look at his accomplice. "My assignment was changed, as well. Or did you forget that?" The subtlest of edge to his voice.

While they were partners in this operation, that did not mean they had to like each other. There was uncertainty and mistrust in the air, but at the same time, respect. Both were powerful S-Class shinobi, and they respected the other's abilities. Neither was what one would consider friendly or sociable, either.

"That leader of ours." The angry one seethed in his gravelly voice. "Why would he have us work in specific pairs up until now, just to change them when we hunt for Jinchuriki? This kind of mismanagement is completely unacceptable!"

Unsure if it was a genuine question or a way to vent, his new partner answered anyway. "Whether or not we agree with it, we were given our orders, and that's the end of it." Despite seemingly coming to terms with the changes, there was a slight quiver in the man's voice as he spoke about it. A tell that he, himself, had issues with the sudden alteration to the plans. "We were placed together because my talents are best suited to capturing the beast, and your talents are to get us to him."

What appeared to be a large tail came from under the rear-side of his cloak, slashing about wildly behind him. "Deidara's talents would have been plenty enough to capture the One-Tails!" There was disgust in his tone. Not from their disagreement, but from the fact he was actually defending that wannabe clay artist.

"Deidara's moves tend to stand out quite a bit." The cloaked criminal responded matter-of-factly. "Our leader stressed that we must attract the least amount of attention possible. The Jinchuriki is the Kazekage, located in the heart of the village, and his explosives would have the entire Land of Wind on high alert, the exact opposite of what we want. I am much more… efficient than Deidara. Wouldn't you agree, Sasori?"

Sasori grumbled angrily, unwilling to agree or deny the claims against his preferred partner. Though, that grumbling quickly turned into a wicked chuckle. A laugh that would have sent a shiver down the spine of even the most seasoned shinobi. Yet, his partner just stared at him with cold, uninterested eyes.

"You may have a point about that. And you're right, I don't have to like being paired with you. I'll just have to console myself in the fact that you'll have to watch me capture your old target… Itachi…" He finished in a cruel, mocking tone.

The Uchiha Clan's prodigy stiffened slightly at those words, Sharingan spinning dangerously, directed right at his Akatsuki accomplice. "Not if he kills you first…" The Uchiha shot back ominously, in a rare display of anything resembling emotion.

The thought of that elicited a humorless laugh from the hunchback as if such a thing were impossible. They decided to continue on in silence, disliking the presence of one another so much that words would make it even more insufferable. They wouldn't admit it out loud, or even to themselves, but they were both missing their regular partners.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Crimson-Eyed Resolve

Hinata wasn't exactly sure of what had come over her. In her wildest dreams, never did she think she would be so bold. Yet, here they were.

With Ino's help over these past two years, she slowly began to see herself transform into the person she always wanted to be. The mindset of having confidence in herself and her abilities opened up doors Hinata didn't think were possible. It wasn't only her demeanor that saw improvement with this newfound outlook, but her strength as well.

The name of Gentle Fist gives one false pretenses of what the technique truly is. It is far from gentle. The outward appearance of the style may give one the impression of gentleness, grace, and fluidity, but what it does to the body is the exact opposite of what its name implies. Gentle Fist requires the user to have the confidence, and even boldness, to use it to its full extent and inflict massive external damage with a single strike. Hinata's timid nature held her back, keeping her from progressing at the pace expected of The Heiress of the clan. Any ninja, but especially a Hyuga, cannot have doubt in their heart. She did not trust herself, so the Hyuga's famous style did not reward her with strength.

In just two short years, the lavender-eyed Hyuga had gone from someone who was on the cusp of being denied her birthright as clan head in favor of her more talented younger sister, to once again being the future Heiress of the clan. And despite this change, Hinata still kept the pieces of herself that she liked. Combining her present qualities of being loving, kind, thoughtful, and understanding with strength, determination, and confidence. Well, perhaps it will allow her to become the most unique and effective leader the Hyuga clan had ever seen. Only time would tell on that front.

All of this was possible thanks to two people. Ino, and, most importantly, Naruto. Naruto gave her the desire and will to want to change. Always inspiring her with his words and actions, believing in her when no one else would. It made the Heiress believe it was actually possible to change into the ideal version of herself she dreamt of. Then, Ino was the best instructor Hinata could have asked for. Without the sassy blond's help, she would have never come this far in such a short amount of time. Together they worked hard to not make the blue-haired kunoichi a different person, but turn her into a better version of who she already was.

"How has life been treating you, Hinata?" Naruto, who was the first of the pair to break the silence, asked.

Hinata blinked, the sudden noise bringing her back to reality. "Oh, well, it has actually been going really good." Her answer was honest, smile sincere.

"Yeah? That's great."

The Hyuga nodded. "Yes, just recently, father has even changed his mind about my place within the clan. I have restored my honor and will take the position of head of the clan when his time is done."

Naruto's feet stopped moving, but he never stopped looking at his friend. Hinata, who was now a few paces ahead, realized that there was no longer anyone at her side. Looking back over her shoulder, she gave the boy an odd look. Before she could speak, Naruto voiced his thoughts.

"I don't think you needed to restore anything." His voice was firm, but the expression on the boy's face was unreadable.

The Heiress gave the boy a small smile, memories returning to her of the time she faced Neji in the Chunin Exams. The boy in front of her feverously cheering her on. It was one of the most cherished memories Hinata had. "I've always known that you have felt that way. Unfortunately, my place in the clan is determined by what the Elders of the Main Branch think of me. They viewed my shy and meek demeanor as a weakness a leader cannot have, lowering my status as a result of that opinion."

"You… don't seem very upset about it. Most people wouldn't say something like that so casually."

"I used to get very upset when I thought about it. Having my family view me in such a way used to make me feel worthless. But something happened that made me realize it was time to start believing in myself. Once that happened, my life got better in every way!" There was genuine joy in her voice, and her smile was bright and cheerful.

"You remind me a lot of that day." He said a bit cryptically.

Giving the blond a questioning look, she responded. "What do you mean? What day?" Was he being overly vague on purpose?

"When you fought Neji in the Chunin Exam prelims." The blond answered with a smile, to which the girl's eyes widened. "I always knew that you had the ability to believe in yourself. Everyone in that room saw those flashes that you had. I'm glad that you were able to find yourself."

"I-I.." There it was again. That damn stutter. Only he could have that effect on her, and no matter how much she worked on it, there was a chance that would never change. "I have you to thank for that, Naruto!" The girl finally blurted out, surprising herself with the volume her voice carried.

"Huh?" The Uzumaki said with a look of confusion. "What did I do?"

Hinata winced, realizing she may have just incriminated herself. Though, it appeared fate would spare her this fine day with an interruption.

"Well, what a coincidence." Came a lazy voice. "We were actually just about to go and find you guys. I guess that saves me and Sakura the trouble."

Standing between the two conversing and the ramen stand were Sakura, Kakashi, and the usually unmotivated genius.

'You guys?' Glancing to his side, then back to Shikamaru, a look of confusion crossed over his features. Suddenly, a look of realization replaced it. "You said our team had five members. I'm guessing I unknowingly brought along the fifth?"

"Your guess would be right," Shikamaru answered, waving them forward as he turned towards the eatery. "We can talk more after we order. I bet you guys are pretty hungry."

…

Teuchi was whistling cheerfully as he began seasoning one of the next batches of broth he was preparing in anticipation of the daily dinner rush. The time between lunch and dinner was probably his favorite time of the day. It's almost like the eye of the storm. A time to breathe in between the most chaotic hours of a workday. Customers during busy periods aren't interested in talking, they just want quick and delicious food and then are on their way. In between, the rush is usually when his regulars come in. The customers who want to sit down and enjoy the meal slowly and peacefully, maybe even talk about a few things. It was simple moments like this that made Teuchi's job feel less like actual work. It was enjoyable. 'Haven't seen Iruka in a couple days. Maybe he'll stop by today…' The man mused to himself as the ringing of a bell filled the air.

Ayame, who had been silently kneading the dough used for the noodles, turned her head towards the entrance.

Putting on his customer service face, the old man spun on his heels to greet his guests with a broad smile. "Welcome to Ichiraku! Take a seat and get comfortable!" Immediately, the man recognized most of the faces. One, in particular, caught the attention of the father-daughter duo. Their faces simultaneously adopted a look of shock.

"It's been a while; old man, Ayame." Naruto said, giving his best attempt as a heartfelt smile as he pushed the overhanging cloth out of his way. Close behind him was his team, and it wasn't long before all five members of the Akatsuki Assault Squad were seated in front of the chef and his daughter.

"Naruto!" Teuchi yelled, a wide smile appearing on his face. "You're finally back! How have you been?"

"I would have been a lot better if I was able to have some of your ramen while I was away." The blond joked, avoiding the root of the question entirely.

"Hah! That's what I like to hear!" Teuchi said enthusiastically, spinning around to prepare some ramen for his guests. "Tell you what, I'm going to give you and your friends all a bowl of ramen on the house. In exchange, you can tell me about the time you spent out of the village with Master Jiraiya. Do we have a deal?"

"I've never been one to turn down free ramen, old man."

Father and daughter shared a smile. "That's just what I thought you'd say…"

…

…

…

"So then what happened?" Ayame asked in between giggles.

"After that?" Naruto said with a wide grin. "Nothing much… I just popped out from where I was hiding and hit him in the back of the head with a frying pan!" He exclaimed dramatically.

This got a hearty laugh from the cook and put his daughter into another fit of giggles. Even Sakura, as serious as she was, had to mask her laugh behind a cough. The mental image of someone as revered as one of the Legendary Sannin in such an unsightly and undignified manner was nearly too much for her to handle.

"This is the most excitement that's happened around here in a while." Ayame said, dropping another serving of noodles into Naruto's bowl. "It's not every day we get to serve someone famous."

Looking up from the delicious food he had just received, the blond looked confused. "Famous? Who's famous." It was only the five of them here.

"There's no need to act so humbly, Naruto. After all, you're a best-selling author now!" The young woman exclaimed, waving around the spoon she was holding for effect. "That book you wrote sold out at all the bookstores in the village within the first day of its release."

Breaking eye contact, Naruto looked down at his food, absentmindedly swirling the remaining noodles around with his chopsticks. "Oh, that." His voice was low. "It isn't that big of a deal. I only wrote that book because my Master said that I couldn't. I just wanted to prove him wrong."

"Even so." Shikamaru began, cutting into the conversation. "It's pretty impressive that you were able to do that. I never thought of you as much of a writer."

"Seriously, Naruto." The pink-haired kunoichi started. "The book is really good. It was the only thing people were talking about around here when it came out. You shocked a lot of people with your writing."

Everyone at the ramen stand was aware of what the book really meant, it was just no one wanted to bring it up. They weren't sure how Naruto would take it. Would it make him uncomfortable, or even angry, that his friends were digging up his personal life and feelings right in front of him?

Kakashi had told them that if the Genin was comfortable talking about his feelings and past, then he wouldn't have needed a book to express them out loud. It would've just been something he opened up and talked to them about it. No one knew it, but Kakashi could understand that perfectly fine.

Still, the tension was becoming a bit thick.

"Well, as I said, it isn't really that big of a deal." Placing the chopsticks down next to his food, he picked up the bowl and brought it to his lips, slurping up a couple noodles and some of that delicious, salty broth. Placing the bowl gently back on the table, he continued. "Besides, if someone like me could do it, then anyone can. As Shikamaru said, I'm not really much of a writer. I just got lucky."

Again, Kakashi was eyeing his young student closely. No one could see it, but behind that mask, he was wearing a complicated expression. 'I'm not exactly sure what happened, but it seems he's not comfortable talking about himself and his book.'

"I think it's time we started talking about the reason we're all here in the first place." Kakashi stated, catching the attention of the other shinobi. It wasn't exactly a light subject, but it would take the focus off of what Naruto was trying to avoid.

The only Genin on the team glanced towards his Sensei, giving him a subtle nod of acknowledgment. Or was it gratitude? The Jonin could not tell.

"Shikamaru and Lady Hokage were able to construct, in my opinion, a very diverse and skilled team that should be well-equipped against any opponents we come across." He started by looking at Hinata. "Hinata, as a Hyuga, your visual prowess and taijutsu be will be invaluable in both close-ranged engagements and also scouting the perimeter for possible threats." Continuing down the line, his eye fell on one of his long-time students. "Sakura, as a combat medic, your skills in both attack and healing make you perhaps our most important member. With a team of five people, even if one of us gets injured, you can heal while the other three protect." Next, not one of his students but someone he respected, nonetheless. "Shikamaru, your intelligence will ensure we always have a viable strategy when engaging members of the Akatsuki. You can process information so fast that we'll never be a step behind." And lastly… "Naruto, your shadow clones gives us the advantage of strength in numbers. That, and I'm sure Master Jiraiya has taught you much more while you've been away."

At the mention of Naruto's skills, Shikamaru thought it would be necessary to mention something. "Speaking of that, I think that's why it's so important we get a few B, and even maybe an A-rank mission in before we are tasked with hunting the Akatsuki." He was staring at Naruto intently now. "Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi, and I all knew this was going to be happening for a while now. We've been on missions with one another and are pretty familiar with each other's abilities. But since you've been gone for so long, we aren't up to date with your new abilities. Besides, you're also probably unfamiliar with ours. To give ourselves the greatest chance at success, we need to operate like a well-oiled machine. That means being fully aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"Does that mean we're going to be assigned a mission soon?" Hinata asked, looking at their one-eyed team captain.

"The Hokage wanted to give Naruto a couple days to get settled back into the village. I expect that by the end of the week, we'll be given our first mission as an official team."

"Are you guys sure about this?" Naruto asked, breaking his brief silence. They all turned to him, confused by the question. The looks that the boy received urged him to continue. "Besides Kakashi-sensei, none of you have had to deal with these people before." Naruto fought against the shiver that was threatening to run up his spine. "They're complete monsters…"

"Naruto." Sakura began with a wave. "You haven't been the only one who's been training this past couple of years. We can handle ourselves."

"Sakura is right, Naruto." Hinata chimed in, leaning forward, so the pink-haired kunoichi was no longer unintentionally blocking her from view. "We know that they are strong, but we also know that they are trying to take you away from us. We can't let them do that."

"I appreciate the thought, but that isn't really what I meant."

"Do you know something that we don't, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. "You've been acting strange about the Akatsuki ever since you came back. I half-expected you to yell enthusiastically about how we were going to 'mop the floor with those bastards.' They locked eyes. "What happened while you were away with Master Jiraiya?"

The boy let out a long sigh. "I guess I'm not surprised Grandma Tsunade didn't tell any of you guys. If word got around, it would have probably only caused some unnecessary panic."

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, visible eye showing just a touch of worry.

"I think it was just a few months after we left the village… actually, maybe it was a bit later than that. I honestly don't even remember anymore." The pain he worked so hard to repress was beginning to bubble up to the surface once more.

While there wasn't as much as there was before, it felt as though it was replaced by something else… what was it? Apprehension? Anxiety?

…

Fear?

"Jiraiya-sensei had been given an important mission in the Hot Water Village that had to do with the Akatsuki. So, instead of taking me with him and risking running into them, I was kept under the watch of a team of ANBU Black Ops while staying with Tazuna's family in the Land of Waves."

"You stayed with them?" Sakura asked with a touch of cheer, seemingly forgetting the gloomy undertone that Naruto's words had brought forth. "How are they? I hope they're doing well."

"They're dead."

You could see the looks of shock overcome the other members of Team 7. It looked like they had been struck. They obviously had not heard the terrible news based on their reactions.

"Wh-what do you mean they're d-dead?" Sakura sputtered out, unsure if she could believe those words.

"How could this have happened?!" The usually reserved and aloof Copy Ninja blurted out. The other two who had never met the family from Wave could only watch on in semi-stunned silence as observers.

"Heh." Such an empty laugh. "Well, it turned out that they planned on separating the two of us from the very beginning. It was all a part of their plot to capture me. And if Sensei hadn't gotten back when he did, they would have. A lot of people got caught in the crossfire when they attacked my ANBU escort. My handpicked bodyguards got slaughtered like they were academy students, and the collateral damage included… Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari."

Sakura tried to say something, but Naruto wasn't done with what he had to say. "This isn't some game. They kill without so much as batting an eye. Innocent people, women, even children. They don't care; some of them even enjoy it. Actually, most of them probably do." He looked at each of his teammates one by one. "I couldn't sleep through the night for nearly a year. Even now, I still have nightmares about what happened that day. The Akatsuki are not human… or maybe, they are the epitome of what human beings are capable of." Pushing the half-eaten bowl of ramen away from himself, the blond stood up from his stool. "I'm not only asking if you're sure because of how powerful they are. That's only part of it. You're also going to have to look the devil straight in the eyes, and if you hesitate for even a moment… that's the last thing you're ever going to remember. The only reason I'm still alive is because I am of no use to them dead."

The ringing of the bell let them all know that the blond had left. Save for Kakashi, each word Naruto spoke caused them all to lower their gaze a little further. The air was heavy with dread; no one really sure of what to say after what just happened. From the news of the Wave massacre to a little insight into Naruto's mind and thought process, one thought crossed the minds of the three Chunin.

Were they really ready for this?

The direction of the wind, once at their backs, was now pushing against them. Itachi grimaced, bringing his straw hat down to shield his Uchiha eyes. How he hated the desert. It was dry, hot, and, worst of all, barren. How anyone managed to live in a place like this, even with all of his wisdom, confounded him greatly. Even the Land of Snow would be preferable to this awful place.

"We're here." Came the rough voice of his less-than-ideal partner.

Tilting the hat back up to correct his vision, he was greeted with a rather unpleasant sight.

"Good work, Yūra."

His tone seemed forced as if it strained him greatly to give out that compliment. Itachi's eyebrow rose ever so slightly, but he chose to not say anything. Something he seemed to do a lot of during his life.

The person the prodigy assumed was named Yūra was a short man with dark hair that hung in front of his right eye. He also sported a goatee and dark, soulless eyes. He was wearing standard shinobi attire from the Sand Village, along with a faceguard that covered both of his cheeks. Behind him were several deceased Sand shinobi. Considering the blood that was lightly splattered on his face, Itachi surmised that the corpses were his handiwork.

"This is your agent, I take it." It sounded like a question, but it was actually a statement. Itachi was not an idiot, he could put two and two together.

Sasori glanced over at his partner but didn't say anything. "I take it that this means that you still remember who I am. Am I correct to assume that?"

The one called Yūra got down on one knee, moving his gaze to the ground in front of him as a show of respect. "Of course I do, Lord Sasori. How could I ever forget you?"

"Did anyone see you? This operation will only work if we have no witnesses. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Master." The puppet answered obediently. "And I assure you, everyone who could have possibly been a witness to what happened here is no longer alive."

"That's what I like to hear." Finally, Sasori seemed to acknowledge the presence of his partner for the first time since their last conversation went sour. "I've done my part, Itachi. It's time for you to do yours. I'll be waiting right here… just make sure you don't keep me waiting."

Instead of uttering a retort, Itachi merely began walking ahead of the two traitorous sand shinobi. Though, he seemed to be moving at a noticeably slower pace than he usually would. This elected a growl from the hunchback, annoyed that someone was taking him so lightly. However, that slowly turned into a chuckle as the retreating form of the prodigious missing-nin faded behind the stormy sands of the desert.

To say their relationship was rocky was an understatement. While there was usually honor among criminals, the two S-Class threats did not care for each other in the slightest. At least, that was what Sasori thought at first. The Uchiha wasn't very talkative, which was something he preferred in a partner. The Sharingan user was also someone who he couldn't intimidate, and he respected the young man for that. In a strange way, Itachi was beginning to grow on him. Though, that was no something he would ever utter out loud to anyone. Not even to one of his brainwashed puppets.

From atop his perch, the recently crowned Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand silently watched over his people. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon, meaning that darkness would soon follow. A smile formed at his lips as he watched the villagers below scurry home after the long day. The nights in the desert got very cold, and most people, even those from the Sand, would much rather be tucked away in their warm homes than be out and about past dusk.

Gaara didn't mind, though. The brisk desert air helped him stay awake when he felt himself drifting off into slumber. If he got too comfortable and fell sound asleep, then his entire nation would be in danger from the rampage of the one-tails. The lack of a long, peaceful night's rest meant that he had to resort to several short naps scattered about throughout the day, usually no longer than one hour at a time. To ensure he didn't go beyond this mark, his naps were typically scheduled in such a way that either Baki, Temari, or Kankuro would stand watch over him. Their job was to monitor his status and wake him when his time was up.

The nights were the most difficult. Most of the village was asleep, meaning that the Kazekage's only stimulus was whatever he provided himself with. It was so dull and tiresome. Every night his body begged him to lay down and shut his tired, baggy eyes. How he wished the night was a bit more exciting.

"You'd be wise to turn around and go back to where you came from." Gaara said aloud with his arms crossed at his chest, gaze still facing out toward the horizon.

A dark figure stood several paces behind him, appearance masked by a cloak and large hat. Despite being found out, the intruder did not budge or make a sound. They just continued to stand in the same spot, as if standing still would make them blend into the background once again.

Looking over his shoulder, Gaara resisted the urge to grimace. "Based on that pattern you wear on your cloak, I'd say that your target is me." His intelligence staff, by way of councilman Yūra, had thoroughly briefed him on the information given to them by the Leaf's Sannin regarding the criminal organization known as the Akatsuki. Sand was beginning to leak out of the uncorked gourd that the red-head wore on his back. "I warn you; this won't go the way you want it to. It would be easier for both of us if you left now." Turning fully around, while he eyed his assailant cautiously, his outward appearance was calm and confident.

The hooded figure placed a hand at the front of his dipped down straw hat, revealing black painted nails and a mysterious red ring that had the kanji for vermillion etched in its center. "Gaara of the Desert." Came the cold, unfamiliar voice of the Akatsuki criminal. "I'm afraid that you have to come with me now."

Before Gaara could get a word in edge-wise, the S-rated criminal swiftly took off his headpiece, revealing an unfamiliar version of the Sharingan, which took on the appearance of what looked to be a fuma shuriken.

A shiver went up and down Gaara's spine at the sight of those eyes, realizing the grave error he had already made. Futilely, the Wind Shadow tried to will himself to break the gaze. Yet, it was too late.

Time seemed to slow down, the world around him began to twist and warp. Gaara watched as his surroundings turned a dark black, save for the now blood-red sky. Rapidly, almost instinctually, he began to violently pulse out his chakra in hopes of disrupting the homeostasis chakra network and shattering the illusion before in fully formed. To his dismay, nothing changed. It was completely ineffective.

"It's no use." The Uchiha's booming voice sounded as if it was coming from every direction. "You're already caught in my genjutsu… welcome to the Tsukuyomi. Only those from the Uchiha Clan who have achieved the next state have any hopes of breaking free from this technique. For the next seventy-two hours, you and I will go on a journey, reliving the most painful experiences in your life over and over again."

There was a glint in the usually reserved and uninterested eyes of the Kazekage. It was fear.

"Shall we begin?"

…

Within the realm of the Tsukuyomi, Gaara's suffering seemed nearly endless. Seventy-two hours, where each minute that passed in that space felt like three days' worth of misery. All of those memories he had been trying to push down had just been dug of from their fresh graves and dumped on his head.

In the real world, only a moment had passed before Gaara crumpled to the ground from the reality-warping technique. A pained whimper escaped the throat of the Wind Shadow, and he battled relentlessly to remain conscious even though his body and mind begged him to stop.

It was time to rest, they told him.

As doubt, resignation, and dread began to flood his thought process, a beacon of light began to show its way through the darkness. Someone that he looked up to, the person he admired most in this world, would they just roll over and give up when faced with a bit of adversity? No! Having clashed with Naruto Uzumaki himself and even trying to break that unbendable will of steel, Gaara knew that the blond would never just give up when his precious people's lives were threatened. He had his people, no, and an entire nation that relied on him. He could not die now!

Itachi watched, somewhat stunned, through rapidly twitching eyes as the One-Tails host placed a forceful hand into the roof's surface. With what appeared to be all his might, the Jinchuriki began to push himself up off of the ground. He brought his left leg out from behind him and planted his foot onto the floor. While using his free hand to brace himself against his knee, the boy rose up slowly on shaky legs.

"You're almost out on your feet, and you want to fight me?" The Uchiha asked as he watched his opponent stumble forward slightly from the weight of that bulky gourd on his back. "You have no hope of winning. Just give up and come with me."

'The Tsukuyomi was my best option for capturing him quickly and without alerting anyone within the village. But It takes too much out of me. I need to finish this fast.'

"I… am the Kage of this village and its people." His usually strong voice had grown considerably weaker. "I will… not allow you to-" Gaara's tense posture suddenly relaxed, as if some sort of burden had been lifted off his shoulders. His eyes appeared to be looking right through the Akatsuki threat. The Kage stumbled forward once again, but this time did not even attempt to catch himself. Only one thing clued Itachi into what had just happened. A single word had escaped the lips of his target.

"Kankuro."

Itachi narrowly sidestepped as a barrage of poison-dipped needles dug into the spot on the roof where he had just been.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing in our village." Came the slightly raspy voice of, who Itachi assumed, was the One-Tails brother, Kankuro. "You think you can just walk into our village and steal our leader out from under us?"

They had a bit of information on him and other powerful shinobi that reside in the Sand Village. Kankuro, a talented Jonin puppeteer who specializes in mid-to-long range combat with poison weapons. Weaknesses mainly include mobility and close combat.

'I cannot make light of this opponent. And if others hear us, it will only lead to more trouble. That would ruin everything… I'm sorry, but I must do this.' Wordlessly, Itachi spun around and drew a kunai from his cloak. Leaping to his right to avoid another volley of poison projectiles, the Uchiha darted at his enemy. Despite the state he was in, Itachi was still swift.

Fast enough that Kankuro appeared a bit startled. They both knew that a quick, direct attack was something he had trouble defending. Rapidly, he flicked his fingers back and forth, commanding his puppet to do his bidding. Crow dropped right in front of the two ninja to protect his Master from a fatal attack.

The S-Class criminal forged ahead, readying the sharpened hunk of black metal that he was gripping tightly in his hand. Neither yielded to the threat of the other. They had different convictions from one another, but both were unbendable.

Itachi slashed outward…

There was a cold flash of steel that illuminated in the orange hue of the setting sun. Then…

Silence.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: Formation: Akatsuki Assault Squad!

A shadowy figure appeared on the other side of the rocky divide that led into the heart of the Sand Village. Sasori watched with mild interest through the grainy winds of the desert as the bulky silhouette trudged along, slowly becoming more discernible. Walking casually out of the village was none other than Itachi Uchiha, carrying an unconscious Gaara over his shoulder. From the looks of it, even though he did his best to hide it, the raven-haired missing-nin was struggling with the extra weight.

"That was… rather fast." The puppeteer said slowly as the younger man came within earshot. Looking past his partner, and based on the lack of urgency in his movements, it was likely that no one was coming after them. The Land of Wind's ninja village had been infiltrated, their leader pilfered in the waning hours of the day, right under their noses. The first part of their mission appeared to have been a resounding success. "Seems you weren't lauded as a prodigy of the Uchiha for nothing."

Was that a compliment, or a snide remark? Itachi could not tell, though he was too exhausted to care. That justu took far more out of him than he'd like to admit. "You told me that you don't like to be kept waiting." Was his simple reply. "Even so, I ran into a little trouble along the way."

Based on his counterpart rapidly twitching eyes, and the touch of blood that was splattered across his headband, Sasori could have guessed that that was the case. "Oh? And what kind of trouble was that?" The leader of his former village didn't have any visible cuts or punctures anywhere on his body that could explain the source of his partner's bloody headpiece. "Yura should have made sure that your only obstacle would be the Kazekage himself. All of the guards should have been incapacitated before your arrival."

The taller man said nothing and began walking ahead, gaze transfixed on the starry sky. The sun had set during his confrontation in the village, and now he basked in the beauty of the heavens. Its wonder helped him take his mind off of this cruel world. Along with the troubling things, he had to do for the sake of his goals. It was a subtle reminder that there was more to life than darkness. After a moment, he finally decided to speak. "You don't have to worry about that. I took care of it, just a minor inconvenience. We need to go. Everyone is awaiting our arrival so we can commence in the sealing of the One-Tails."

Itachi heard his counterpart grunt gruffly from behind him. Shortly after, the hunchback's metal tail slowly crept alongside Itachi. Both he and the tail stopped. Taking the message, Sasuke's brother took the unconscious Jinchuriki from atop his shoulder and placed it into the awaiting artificial appendage. The tail wrapped itself snuggly around the unconscious boy and returned to its position behind Sasori.

"Thank you." One of the last Uchiha says with an appreciative nod of the head, not expecting his usually angry and unaccommodating partner to do something… nice?

"Hmph." The shorter of the two growled harshly. "I just don't want you do slow us down. You weren't gone for very long, and yet you still look half-dead." He said, commenting on the former leaf shinobi's baggy and bloodshot eyes. "And if there's one more thing I hate more than being kept waiting, it's making other people wait."

"Of course." Itachi said coolly, knowing that calling the puppeteer out on his lie would only cause more tense sparks to fly between them. "Let us make our way to the meeting place."

Though Sasori didn't say answer verbally, he received his indication of acknowledgment by way of a stiff nod. "Now that your target has been captured, we can work on acquiring mine… Itachi, tell me, what is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki like?"

He paused slightly before speaking as if to moderate his words before he spoke them. "Naruto Uzumaki… is a hotheaded and emotional child who acts rashly with little regard for his own safety." He said with an even tone. "To put it simply, he is a fool."

Sasori could smile if he could do so. "Hmph, seems to me like he will be an easy one to capture. Good."

"Even so, I think it would be unwise to underestimate him."

"And why is that?" The puppet master asked with a touch of edge to his voice. "You said it yourself, he's a foolish and immature brat."

"The last time I encountered Naruto was nearly three years ago. From the intel that we have gathered, he has spent that time alongside the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Not only that, but the boy was also showing signs of being able to all upon the Fox's chakra at will. It would be not only foolish but dangerous to underestimate the child after being under the tutelage of such a shinobi for that long of a time."

"Hmph." Another grunt dipped in disdain.

"I suggest that we wait on going after the Nine-Tails for the time being. It is as our leader said, it needs to be the last of the beasts to be sealed away."

"Yes, but if you are so worried about the boy becoming stronger under the watchful eye of the Hermit, then it would be in our best interest to capture him now! The longer we wait, the harder it will be to capture him. Isn't that what you were implying, Itachi?" He shot a glance over at his partner, observing his expression.

Itachi resisted the intense desire to purse his lips together. What could he say on the matter that would make the situation any better? By his own admission, that was perhaps the most logical choice to make. 'I usually don't make mistakes like that. What's wrong with me?' He suppressed the urge to sigh in resignation.

"Perhaps… you're right."

"I'm glad we're in agreement." He did not sound glad. "Then, after the sealing of the One-Tails we… make out way to the Hidden Leaf Village."

Naruto was staring blankly at the ceiling of his apartment as he laid in his bed. Sleep had been hard to come by last night. Something that, while he wasn't a stranger to, he thought was long in the past. 'Heh, having a bed again after so long of sleeping on the floor or the cold ground. Another thing that should make me happy about being back. And yet, I can't sleep at all…'

Something about it was different this time. Usually, it was the nightmares that caused his earlier case of insomnia. Every time he shut his eyes, his mind would replay that fateful day in the Land of Waves. How many times did he have to see Tazuna's severed head? That look of absolute terror on the old man's face? Blood dripping from the fresh and gruesome wound? Oh, how those memories had plagued him. 'Had' being the keyword. The blond hadn't had a dream like that in a long time. Sometimes, his old friend would cross his mind, and he would feel a momentary bout of sadness, having lost his friends. But a nightmare? No, not in a long time.

It was his unease. A heavy feeling in his gut, as if his stomach was made of lead. Naruto had tried to convince himself that the uneasiness he felt was from returning to the village after a long time. Perhaps being among the villagers that despised him for his entire existence was the source of the discomfort? No… he wasn't buying it. Never once, not even as a child, had being in the village made him feel like this. The people of the village made him feel unwanted, unloved, unnecessary, and even invisible, but never did he have this sense of dread. Something was wrong, he just didn't know what.

The bright light of the morning sun began to pierce its way through the blinds on his window, briefly blinding him. 'It's morning already?' He thought to himself, trying to focus on something else. 'Great…'

It was actually getting closer to noon, he just didn't know it yet.

Just then, a knock came out his door. He glanced over in that direction, before rolling off his bed. Slipping on his shoes as he walked over to the door, he tried to guess who it was. Maybe Jiraiya hadn't left the village yet and came to say goodbye? He grimaced as he wrapped his hand loosely around the cold metal knob. With a twist and a pull, the door swung open…

Revealing one of the members of the now-defunct Team 7.

"Morning, Kakashi-Sensei. What's up?" Naruto asked in a nonchalant, friendly tone.

"Naruto." The one-eyed Jonin acknowledged with a nod. "Do you mind if I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something."

Naruto shook his head, stepping aside and gesturing one of his mentors into his apartment. "I'd offer you a seat at the table, but you'd probably want to stand, leaning up against my wall with your arms crossed, looking all cool. Isn't that right, Sensei?" He teased lightly.

Kakashi didn't show it, but he was now resisting the intense urge to do exactly what his student had just described. 'Am I really that predictable?' He thought to himself.

No, now wasn't the time. The two had something serious to discuss. "Actually, I think I will take that seat. Thank you."

The blond gave the older shinobi an odd look but obliged as they both sat down across from each other at Naruto's kitchen table. "What did you want to talk about, exactly?" He had an idea, and while he didn't really want to have this conversation, Kakashi wasn't exactly giving him much of a choice.

"I talked to the Hokage, and you were right. She was afraid that if word got around about the Akatsuki killing innocent people in Wave while trying to get to you, it would have just caused more harm than good." There was a sad look in his eye. "Still, I would've liked to know. They were my friends, as well… I'm sorry that you had to go through that." He said with sincerity.

Naruto gazed into that lone eye. It spoke volumes. It was filled with compassion, empathy, and sadness. But beyond that, something else. Understanding? Recalling on a memory from long ago, the bell test, Kakashi had told the fledgling Genins about the memorial stone in the training grounds; and how most of the people he cared about had their names etched into its surface.

"The pain gets easier to deal with, as hard as that is to believe." Kakashi was doing his best to be reassuring, but his awkward demeanor told Naruto that his teacher was not very good at being comforting and reassuring. Expected of a hardened shinobi with no children of his own. It wasn't exactly something that he had much practice in.

"I know it does." Naruto confirmed, opting to stare down at the table as he absentmindedly ran his finger along its wooden surface. "At first, it was really tough to deal with. I know they weren't my real family, but I never really had any family to begin with." He grimaced, pressing his finger into the table with more force than he probably meant to. "Besides you, Sakura, Sasuke, and Iruka, they were some of the first people to actually accept me for who I am. To treat me like someone who mattered. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but it felt like I lost a part of my family."

"Is that why you said what you did at Ichiraku yesterday?"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, finally looking up and making eye contact with his teacher. What did that have to do with anything?

"I lost some people that I was extremely close to when I was younger… some really good friends."

That caught the blond's attention, as he was now staring intently at the Jonin. Kakashi took this hint and continued speaking.

"Do you know what I did when that happened?" The question was partially rhetorical, but he gave the Genin a second to think about it anyway. Again, he took the uncertain look his student gave him as a sign that he should just continue on with his story. "I joined the ANBU Black Ops. I was even a captain at one point."

A memory flashed in Naruto's mind. "You know, someone in the ANBU actually mentioned that. They seemed pretty fond of you. Say, do you know of anyone named Uddo?"

Kakashi blinked. "No, why do you ask?"

"No reason…" He shook his head. "Why did you suddenly join the ANBU after you lost people close to you?"

The Copy Ninja let out a deep sigh, signifying that even he was uncomfortable digging up old memories. "I think for similar reasons that you're trying to get Sakura, Shikamaru, and Hinata to back out of our little squad."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything,

Kakashi gave his pupil a knowing look before continuing. "In the ANBU, I took the most dangerous and exhausting missions that I possibly could. It was one after the other. That way, none of my friends or comrades would have to take those missions. I didn't want to lose anyone else, so I risked my life to ensure that they stayed as safe as possible. I even insisted on taking a lot of solo missions. Anything That I could do to potentially make life safer for my comrades, I did."

"And that worked, right? You were able to keep them safe?"

Kakashi gave his trademarked eye-smile, which reassured the blond of his decision. Though, that feeling was quickly stomped into the ground as his question was answered.

"Nope. They still continued to die. I nearly ran myself into the ground with missions, and my actions were inconsequential and completely meaningless. I made no difference at all."

"Is… there a reason you're smiling about that?"

"I just don't want you to make the same mistake that I did, Naruto." There was a touch of longing in his voice like he wished that he could go back and change how he did things. "You're trying to save your friends by not letting them go on any dangerous missions. I know you don't want to lose any more of your loved ones, but it won't work doing it that way. They'll just be assigned to some other dangerous missions. We are a ninja village, high-rank missions come in every single day. Your friends are strong, but in this world, there is never a guarantee that nothing bad will happen."

"T-Then what should I do?" There was a sense of hopelessness in his voice. He had been sure that if he kept his friends away from missions related to the Akatsuki, that they would be safe. But Kakashi was right. There are other A, and even S, Rank missions out there that have nothing to do with the criminal organization. His friends were strong and capable shinobi. Maybe not now, but one day they would be assigned to missions with similar degrees of danger. He was only one man; he couldn't possibly take every risky mission the village had to offer.

"You trust them." The smile that showed through the scarecrow's lone visible eye was genuine now. "By letting them go on missions alongside you, you can have each other's backs. They're going to get assigned to difficult missions regardless, wouldn't it make you feel better if you were there with them? That's how you ensure that they stay alive. Allow them to go on this journey with you. Believe it or not, they want to protect you just as much as you want to protect them."

"I… guess I never really thought about it like that." The Genin said as he lightly scratched his cheek.

"Neither did I. I had to learn the hard way; through trial and error."

"You know, Sensei, I think you're right." With a jolt of energy, the blond sprang to his feet, the sudden movement nearly startling Kakashi. "I gotta go find the rest of our team and apologize for the things that I said."

The Jonin put up a hand in protest, afraid his energetic student was going to sprint out of the apartment. "Actually, while I think you should definitely trust them as members of the team, what you said wasn't exactly wrong." His pupil gave him a perplexed look. "Those three are certainly strong, but what you said to them was necessary. They didn't seem to be taking the threat of the Akatsuki as seriously as one should. I think it will be a good wake up call."

"You don't think any of them would consider dropping out of the squad."

Kakashi shook his head. "Not a chance. As long as you're one of the Akatsuki's targets, I don't think a single one of them would reconsider being a part of a team that's main goal is to keep you safe. Don't underestimate how much your friends care about you."

The boy smiled cheerfully at that comment. "Well, still… I could have been a little nicer about it. I think the five of us should go out to lunch today. My treat, and I won't ruin it this time around. What do you say, Sensei?"

"Your treat, huh?" Kakashi asked in a mocking tone, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. "When did you become such a show-off?"

"Heh, well, if there's one thing my book is good for it's the money."

That reminded him. "Actually, there was something else I needed to talk to you about, Naruto."

"Huh?" The blond blurted out through squinted eyes. "What is it?" He was clearly already thinking about all of the food that he was going to eat.

The look on the blond's face made Kakashi rethink what he was going to say next. 'I wanted to ask him why he seemed to be upset whenever his book gets brought up, but that would probably just ruin the good mood he's in.' Subconsciously, the Jonin patted the pouch that had the novel safely tucked away, opting to save the conversation for another time. "Actually, it can wait. If we leave now by the time we get everyone rounded up, it'll be time to eat."

"Now you're talking, Kakashi-Sensei. I'm starving!" He exclaimed, opening the door to leave his apartment.

To their collective surprise, the remaining member of Team 7 was waiting on the other side of the door. From what Naruto could guess from her outstretched hand, she had just been about to knock. Even in his newfound excitement, it was near impossible to miss the grave expression she was wearing.

Something had happened. Something bad.

"Sakura…" The boy said slowly, Kakashi looking on just behind him. "Is everything okay?"

She broke eye contact for a split second, then brought her gaze back up. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on… but whatever it is, it's not good." She had just been at the Hokage tower when many of the workers began to scramble around frantically. She couldn't make out any details, but from their facial expressions and rigid postures, she knew it wasn't going to be good news. "Lady Tsunade has asked for our immediate summons to the tower."

"That can only mean one thing…" Kakashi trailed off, finding no need to finish the sentence. His students knew exactly what he was talking about.

Naruto ground his teeth together with enough force that the sounds of scraping rattled his ear. He had known that this day would come soon. Though he hadn't expected it to come so suddenly.

"Akatsuki…"

"The Kazekage was abducted from the village without anyone even realizing it? How is that even possible?" Kakashi, the usually laidback shinobi, blurted out.

"That's hard to say." Tsunade answered unsurely, gauging the groups varying reactions to the news. "The Sand Village has no leads, only several corpses at the village entrance proving that someone had infiltrated the village from the outside. Though, how they were able to bring down one of the 5 Kage without alerting anyone I have no idea."

Not one, but two bombshells had just been dropped on Naruto's head. First, he had heard the news that Gaara had been named the Kazekage. That wasn't exactly something he had expected. Sure, Gaara was immensely powerful, but so soon? Didn't the village still hate him? These were questions he barely had time to ponder since the second piece of information was that he had been captured.

"There's only one group that's capable of something like this." The eerily calm Genin said, causing the two higher-ranked shinobi to look his way. "Is that why you called on us?"

Tsunade nodded gravely. "Yes, we have reason to believe that this was the doing of the Akatsuki and that they are after the monster that is sealed inside Gaara."

'So this is the power of the Akatsuki, huh?' Shikamaru thought to himself, wide-eyed and in stunned silence. 'It almost seems unreal that anyone could do something like that.'

From the looks on their faces, the 2 kunoichi who rounded out the squad has similar feelings to that of the Nara. Terrified awe.

"If I'm not mistaken, isn't this very similar to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage?" Kakashi asked. "How do we know that this isn't somehow related to that?"

Tsunade nodded, acknowledging Hatake's logical approach. "The Sand has expressed similar worries, but there is no way to be certain. Even so, whoever is responsible would be immediately classified as an S-Rank threat. You five have been assembled to do just that, combat S-Ranked threats to the village and our allies. The Fifth Hokage looked at each of the ninja before her. "You will officially be dubbed The Akatsuki Assault Squad. Your mission is to find and rescue the Kazekage and return him to the Sand Village alive." Her words seemed to snap the three Chunin from their thoughts. "You are to meet with the leaders of the Sand and swap any relevant information on the situation." Turning to the squad leader, she continued. "Kakashi, there may still be a scent that you can track at the crime scene that can put you on the abductor's trail."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "That was exactly what I was thinking.'

"And if we can't track them? What happens then?" Naruto asked, addressing the elephant in the room. "These aren't exactly favorable circumstances. This plan is just a big shot in the dark."

Tsunade let out a deep breath. "Based on the information that we have, this is our best course of action."

The blond let out a huff of frustration but otherwise didn't say anything. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the Sannin was right. The Akatsuki were careful not to leave behind anything that could be used to find them. And if by some stroke of luck trackers were able to piece together enough evidence to find them… it would be too late.

"Though it isn't hopeless." The Hokage, upon seeing the grim expression Naruto was wearing, managed a hopeful smile. "Jiraiya is already out looking for any information that could be helpful to you. If he finds anything, he will be in contact via messenger toad."

That seemed to raise everyone's spirits, at least a little.

"Now, I want your team to leave the village by the end of the hour. Gather all of the materials that you need quickly. And remember, this is an S-Rank mission that will take several days to complete. Keep that in mind as you gather supplies. Is that understood?"

A resounding 'Yes!' flooded the Hokage's office, followed by the departure of the newly formed Akatsuki Assault Squad.

Shizune, who had remained quiet the entire time beside the Hokage, finally decided to say what she had been holding in. "He definitely has changed, but do you really think he's ready to take the Akatsuki on so soon? He just got back to the village."

Tsunade sat forward, resting her chin atop her interlocked hands. "You know, I wasn't sure at first. I was afraid he was going to be the same reckless kid that he's always been, and that would cause him to put himself in dangerous situations. But, did you see him just now? He was calm, composed, and thinking rationally. A little frustrated, but considering the circumstances, who in his position wouldn't be? A far cry from what he was like the last time I saw him." Despite the circumstances, a grin formed across her features. "No… I think he's ready."

"I supposed you're right…" Shizune agreed though he tone suggested she was still not convinced.

"The team we assembled is one of the best groups the Leaf has to offer." The Sannin cut in, trying to quell her assistant's rising doubts. "Though, my only worry is… will they even encounter the Akatsuki? Was it even them to begin with? There's a good chance that even Kakashi won't be able to find any leads to their whereabouts."

"A suggestion, M'Lady."

"Yes?"

"I believe that team Kurenai is set to return soon. They're the most capable team we have at tracking, should I arrange to have them sent as back upon their immediate return?"

Tsunade turned the idea over in her head. It still wasn't the most ideal situation, but… "It may very well be too late, but that's still our best bet. Make it happen, Shizune!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

"Also, send word to Jiraiya." She called after her apprentice. "I want frequent and detailed updates about his efforts to learn more about the Akatsuki!" The odds were stacked against them. If they were going to have any hopes of recovering the Wind Shadow, it had to be a collaborative effort.

'So… the time has finally come.' The host of the Nine-Tails thought to himself on his way to the village gates. 'So much has happened since I left the village with Sensei. And it all has led up to this, the reason why I worked myself into the ground for the past two years.' He unconsciously clenched his fists.

"Tense about something?" Jiraiya asked, landing beside him from out of nowhere.

Naruto, who didn't even flinch at the man's arrival, gave him a look of annoyance. "Yeah, you should know why I'm tense. You heard what happened." Looking at the Sage a bit closer, something seemed off about him. "Granny said you had already left to collect information. Are you a Shadow Clone?"

"Hey, you aren't the only one that could use them. They aren't called the Uzumaki Shadow Clones. They're pretty handy, you know?"

The blond grinned, shaking his head slightly. Even during moments like this, his teacher still had the gall to act like an idiot. "Don't ever change, Sensei." Naruto whispered.

"Huh?!" The Sannin practically shouted, cupping his hand around his ear. "Speak up, kid. I'm not as young as you; hearing gets worse as you age. You should be more considerate of your elders."

Naruto's eye twitched. "Ah, shut up!" He yelled back, pointing the finger at his Godfather. "What do you even want, huh? I have a really important mission that is about to start, and you're distracting me! How am I supposed to get in the zone now?!"

Just like that, the goofy expression disappeared from Jiraiya's face. It was like a switch he flipped on and off and completely random times. What a weird guy. "We've put a lot of work into preparing you for this." Jiraiya stated the obvious. "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, I know. It almost doesn't feel real." His student acknowledged. "And I never thought it would come so soon."

"You're ready for this." The Sannin's wide smile shined through the serious and dark atmosphere that surrounded their current circumstances. "You've exceeded my expectations. I just want you to be careful. Don't do anything reckless."

"I know. I'll remember what Boss said. I can't let my emotions guide me. If I do, I'll already be one step removed from what I'm trying to accomplish. That can't happen, I won't let it."

"Good. This is your power, not the Fox's. You don't have to rely on that other power to fight your battles for you. You're plenty strong on your own." High praise coming from the Toad Sage. "I'll let you know if I find anything, or if things have changed."

"You be safe, too!" Naruto blurted out, assuming that his teacher was going to leave at any moment. "Don't do anything too dumb. If you plan on engaging the Akatsuki, or even Orochimaru in the future, I want to come with you! We'll do it together, okay?" Such sincere eyes. Naruto wasn't good at telling people how much he cared for them, but his actions spoke more than words ever could.

"Of course." Jiraiya was the same way. Words were hard to come by. But, in this moment, for his adoptive son, he would give it a try. "Your father would be so proud." Naruto's eyes widened. Jiraiya made a hand sign. "I love you, kid. Good luck, I'll keep in touch."

The clone dispelled, leaving a cloud of smoke and a stunned teenager in its wake. Naruto's eyes were hazily focused on the remnants of his cloned mentor. There was a feeling welling up inside him, his hand absentmindedly gripped at his chest. It felt utterly alien to him. What was it? It was indescribable.

"I… love you, too." He finally managed, but no one was going to hear him.

"Naruto! Over here!" A voice called out.

Looking up, it appeared he wasn't the first one to arrive at the village entrance. "Sakura." He acknowledged, making his way over to his partner while they waited for the others to arrive.

She was sitting, back pressed against a tree, her travel bag resting at her side.

"You got here pretty fast." He acknowledged. "I thought I would definitely be the first person here since all of my things are still packed up."

She shrugged. "I knew we were going to get a mission like this sooner or later. I had already had a special bag packed up with a mission like this in mind."

"Prepared as always." The blond noted, leaning up against the same tree Sakura was at.

The pair succumbed to a period of moderately tense silence as they watched the leaves on the trees rustle from the wind. The beauty and calmness of the afternoon were almost eerie. It was starkly contrasted against what they and the Sand Village were going through. Mother Nature apparently did not care about what happened with its people. She would do what she pleased always.

"How are you holding up?" Sakura asked, deciding to break the silence.

"You mean about Gaara?" To which the kunoichi nodded. "I'm… worried, and angry that Gaara has to keep going through terrible things like this. He and his siblings were a massive help to us when we tried to bring Sasuke back. Without it, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, and even I could have died." Despite his words, he didn't let his feelings show on his face. "But If I let all of what I'm feeling guide me, then I'll only hurt our chances to save him."

Sakura managed a smile. "Wow, you really have changed, Naruto." She stood up, resting her hand reassuringly on the blond's shoulder. "I think Gaara is in great hands, and I know you'll do everything in your power to save him."

"Thanks, Sakura. We're going to be there for him this time. I know it."

"You bet!" There was a determined look in her eye. "And, after this, we can work on getting Sasuke back!"

Naruto immediately lowered his gaze. Biting his lip, he was mentally battling with the idea of telling Sakura his new views on the matter. Would it upset her? Make her hate him? Still, didn't she have the right to know that some things have changed. Yes, she definitely did.

"Actually, about that… Sakura?"

"Yeah?" She asked, a newfound smile present on her face.

Just as he was about to say something, his ears perked up from the sounds of incoming footsteps. Turning his head towards the road going into the Leaf, he spotted the remaining three members of the Akatsuki Assault Squad. Their presence reminded him of why they were there in the first place.

'If I tell her and she gets upset by the news, that would be bad for the mission.' He rationalized to himself. 'That would be bad for Gaara, and his tailed beast.'

"Actually, never mind. It's not important right now. We have a Kazekage to save."

"You two ready?" Kakashi asked.

"You're joking, right?" Naruto asked with feigned annoyance. "We were waiting for you guys. I'm always ready!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at his student's antics.

"If we're all ready to go, I think it would be a good idea to leave now." Shikamaru cut in. "If I'm not mistaken, Temari left the village a few hours ago. She was a liaison between our two villages for the upcoming Chunin Exams. If we leave now, we can probably catch up to her relatively soon. She will be a great help navigating the desert if there are any sandstorms."

"Sounds like a plan." Kakashi agreed. Looking at his subordinates, he asked the all-important question. "Is everyone ready to go?" The response he received was four swift nods. "Alright, let's make our way to the Sand Village."

The group traveled in relative silence for what seemed like a long time. Each of them still processing what was going on. To say you're going to do something is one thing when that moment finally does arrive it hits a bit different. They were going after an organization that had the power to snatch one of the five Kage out of their respective village, the only witnesses being corpses.

"I feel like we're making a mistake." Naruto said what had probably been on everyone's minds. They all looked at him, prodding him to continue his thought. "There's no guarantee we're going to find anything in the Sand Village that will be able to lead us to Gaara. What if this is all just a big waste of time."

"We know that it could be a long shot." Sakura acknowledged. She didn't look nearly as confident as she did before. "But it's as Lady Tsunade said, it's our only course of action. We have nothing else to go on."

"Yeah, but…"

"Look on the bright side." The genius of the group cut in. "With Kakashi-Sensei's nose and Hinata's eyes, we're bound to find something that can help us find them. As good as they are, they're still capable of making some sort of mistake."

"Shikamaru's right." The lone Jonin reassured. "It's not hopeless. I'm sure we'll find something."

"I hope so…" The blond trailed off, not willing to think about what would happen if they were wrong.

"Hinata?" Shikamaru's voice rang through the forest. It had been a while since they left. According to his calculations, they should just be caught up.

"She's just up ahead." Hinata announced to the group, her Byakugan actively scanning for any signs of life ahead of them. "We'll be there in about 2 minutes."

A few moments later, the team dropped from the heights of the tree branches down onto the forest floor. The sudden rustling caught Temari's attention, who had just appeared to be casually strolling along a narrow dirt path in the direction of the Land of Wind. Upon seeing the arrival of her allies, her neutral expression deepened into a noticeable frown. It was as if to say: "Oh God, what the hell happened?"

Upon seeing the downcast face of her brother's former savior, one Naruto Uzumaki, her heart sank even further. And if it could get any worse than that, the single word out of the Genin's mouth put the final nail in the coffin that represented her hope.

"Gaara…"

With haste, Naruto's team relayed the bad news to the sister of the Kazekage. They ensured that Temari knew what was happening and promised to reveal the rest of the information along the way. They didn't have time to stop and have a conversation. Every second wasted further diminished the chances they could complete their mission.

"I had a bad feeling that something like this was going to happen!" The Kazekage's sister exclaimed, joining the Leaf shinobi as they jumped through the trees. "Who could've done this?!"

The news had hit her hard, but Gaara was her brother. No one was going to fault her for that. Even so, Temari was an exceptionally strong-willed kunoichi. Having the ability to keep a level head in the direst of circumstance was one of her best traits.

"We're not entirely sure, but we have reason to believe that it was the Akatsuki." Shikamaru answered, his tone softening as he addressed the grieving Sand Sibling. "They could be after the demon sealed inside Gaara."

She gulped. "Was anyone in the village hurt? Are they safe?"

The Nara grimaced. "From the report, there were several casualties at the village entrance. The guards who were stationed there were completely wiped out. There were also a handful of casualties inside the village walls. Someone had apparently tried to stop whoever captured Gaara from leaving the village. Though, the report didn't list the names of anyone. I'm sorry, Temari."

Temari pursed her lips, unwilling to even think about the possibility that she could've lost more than Gaara. "H-He-"

"Don't you worry one bit, Temari." Naruto landed right beside her. "Gaara is going to be just fine. We're going to get him back for you, and we'll make those guys pay for hurting the innocent people of your village."

Her eyes widened slightly at his declaration. "Naruto… Uzumaki." She would never forget what the boy before her had done for her family. Because of him, Kankuro and her were able to have a real relationship with their younger brother. The constant fear of being around the redhead was replaced with laughter, love, and joy. Before the Uzumaki entered their lives, the things they now call reality were nothing more than mere fantasy. If anyone could save her little brother… it was him. She smiled for the first time since hearing the news. "Thank you."

"We'll keep this pace for a few more hours, then we'll take a break to rest." Kakashi commanded. "We have to get there as quickly as possible, but we'll be useless if we exhaust ourselves in the process. Is that understood?"

"Yes!"

"If anyone needs rest, you should get it now." The silver-haired shinobi advised. After traveling at high speeds for several hours, everyone agreed it was time to find a spot to rest their weary muscles. The team, and Temari, found a decent sized clearing to set up their camp. "We'll pack up in a couple of hours and then keep moving. It takes three days total to make it to the Sand from the Leaf. We still have a long way to go and not a lot of time to waste."

Everyone appeared to be taking that wise advice, unpacking the necessary belonging, rehydrating, and even pulling out a few snacks for a quick meal. He counted 1, 2, 3, 4… only 4. Where had he gone already?

"Uh, did anyone see where Naruto has gone off too?"

"He's up in the tree." Hinata said immediately, Byakugan not even activated.

He looked up and, sure enough, she was right. The Uzumaki was sitting on a high branch, cross-legged and unmoving. 'Was she watching him?' Kakashi thought to himself, slightly off-put. He'd do his best to ignore that. 'I'm sure he's got a lot on his mind. And with his stamina, I doubt he needs the rest. He might even think that we're slowing him down.'

It couldn't be further from the truth. Well, not entirely. Naruto was not in the least bit tired. Compared to the training Jiraiya had put him through, this was nothing. The equivalence of a light training session. Still, that didn't mean there was no reason for him to stop. This gave him some time to get in a little bit of meditation. He needed to relax, take some deep breaths, and think about their next course of action.

'I'm no Shikamaru, but there has to be something else we can do. I know it.' Only calm, rational thoughts. The second he lets his mind start racing is when he fails Gaara, the One-Tails, and the entire world. 'To go all the way to the Sand Village just to maybe find where to go after that, it would take way too much time. Who knows what they're even planning or how long we even have until the worst happens!' Nothing was coming to him. No 'eureka' moment where everything aligns perfectly, and the answer just appears before him. 'There's nothing… It's impossible.' The moment the depressing thought crossed his mind, he hated himself for it.

Could he really be so useless? So pathetic? It was just like that day.

'No… this is going to be different than Wave. I'll do everything I possibly can to make sure that happens.' Suddenly, an idea came to him. 'I'm sitting here by myself when the smartest person I know is right below me. If Shikamaru and I talk it out, maybe he'll think of something!'

Naruto went to stand up as he opened his eyes… then rose an eyebrow. 'Oh?' He thought to himself. Of all of the times for it to happen, he hadn't expected this right now. Interesting.

"You'll do everything you possibly can? Are you sure about that? Naruto…"

"Long time no see, Nine-Tails… What do you want?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: The One Who Knows All

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I kind of have somewhere to be." Naruto said with a dismissive tone, all the while he tried to read the Fox's features. "I got lives to save. I don't have time to sit around, having a staring match with you. You could at least say something. You know, break up the tension that you're kind of creating."

It was true, the fox spirit had called him into his mindscape just to stare at him. Just like the last time.

"As if a worm like you has the power to save anyone." The Nine-Tails nearly spat, ignoring most of the boy's ramblings. "We both know that without me, you wouldn't be able to do anything at all. Without my help, you would have died several times over by now."

"I don't want your power." That statement narrowed the eyes of the Demon. "It's true, I relied on your chakra to bail me out in nearly every fight I got in. Without you, I probably would have lost every single one of those battles. I want to be able to rely on my own strength without having to force you to give me any."

"Watch how you speak to me, boy… No one can force me to do anything! I am power!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know that isn't what I meant. If I die, you die. Which means if I get into trouble, you are forced to help me. Otherwise, it's game over for both of us." The blond managed a smile. "Besides…"

"Speak." The Fox demanded, somewhat interested in what the boy had to say.

"How am I ever going to prove myself to you if I come running whenever I get into trouble?"

"Prove yourself to me?" The Fox spoke those words as if they were foreign to him, of another language, even.

"Yeah." The blond said simply. "Do you remember what we talked about last time?" Naruto waited for the Nine-Tails to nod in agreement. Annoyingly, all he received is that hostile glare all but demanding him to continue speaking. He sighed. "I wondered if the reason the two of us are stuck together was because of humanity's cruelty against you." Naruto was now staring directly into the Fox's eyes, awaiting a reaction. After all, the last time they spoke, he was pushed out of his own mind. "Then, I come to find that I'm not the first human host you've been sealed inside." He continued, recalling his conversation with Jiraiya atop the Hokage heads.

"What of it, boy?" The beast's tempers began to flare again. It sounded like he didn't like to be reminded that he had been forcibly bound to humans. "Enough of you prattling. Get to the point or leave my presence!"

'…But, wasn't he the one that called me in here?' Oh well, now wasn't the time to argue about how ridiculous he was being.

"I want to prove to you that it will be different this time. I won't treat you like a weapon that I can use as I please. Or as a monster that needs to be locked away and ignored." Again, the Fox's eyes widened. Though, this time he appeared to let the blond continue talking instead of prematurely ending the conversation. "I'll take it one step further. I'll protect you from the Akatsuki with my own power." Thrusting a thumb into his chest, he flashed a confident grin.

"You aren't the first human to try to deceive me with kind words." The chakra monster snarled nastily. "The only thing you care about is yourself. By saving me, you save your own pitiful life. You can't fool me."

Instead of erupting in fury like Naruto had expected, the Fox looked… resigned? How strange.

"Then, don't listen to my words. I'll show you with my actions." Naruto shot back confidently.

Standing up for the first time, the Tailed Beast got closer to the cage that locked him within the blond. Once again, he eyed the child carefully. "Your actions, huh?" He replied with a sarcasm-tipped tongue.

"That's right."

"Then rip this accursed seal off of my cage and let me free. Show me that you truly care for me." The Nine-Tail's tone was bone-chillingly calm. "If you do, I will grant you any wish that you desire."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, hoping that his prisoner would've been taking this a little more seriously. "Sorry, but you know that I can' do that. Nice try, though."

"Naruto…"

'Oh boy, here comes the yelling and demanding…' Naruto thought to himself with a touch of annoyance. "What is it, Nine-Tails?"

"If you truly mean what you say, then prove it to me."

"How?" Was it going to be a serious request this time around?

"Save the One-Tails."

"The One-Tails?"

"Shukaku. The one sealed within the human you call Gaara."

Naruto blinked at his prisoner's quick response. "What do you mean by that? Save him? From what?" Were the Akatsuki going to kill him?

The Fox growled in annoyance at the barrage of questions. "Silence and listen." He hissed. "There is much that I need to tell you."

Naruto nodded.

"In this world, there are eight other beings like me. From one to nine. Each of us has a different number of tails, me being the most powerful." The Fox watched the boy's eyes light up at that information.

"There are more of you? Are they all sealed inside humans?"

Nine-Tail's face soured at that question. "That is correct, save for the Three-Tails. You humans have used us to maintain the balance of powers in your pathetic political games for ages. In their eyes, we're nothing more than concentrations of power that you can bend to your will and use against one another in an endless bid for further conquest."

'The anger is beginning to return to his eyes. This must be what has made him so full of hate.' Another thought hit Naruto. "So, these Akatsuki are going after all nine of you? That's why they are after Gaara?"

"They have already captured two of us. The Five and Seven Tails have been sealed away."

"Sealed away?"

Surprisingly, the Fox didn't appear too angry that his host was continuously interrupting him. Well, if he was, he didn't show it. "Tailed-Beast extraction. These Akatsuki are ripping the Tailed-Beasts from their hosts and sealing them away."

"For what purpose, though?" What was their plan?

"For power, of course. That is all you humans have ever cared about. We are the most powerful beings in the world. If all nine of our chakra were combined together, it would spell the end of all life on this planet." Though, there was something else on the Fox's mind that he just couldn't shake. A thoughy creeping its way into his head. 'Could they be trying to resurrect the Ten-Tails? No, impossible… there are no humans alive old enough to know of that.'

"That means Gaara and The Shukaku…" The blond gulped. "What happens to the host when the beast is extracted?"

"They die." The Nine-Tails said dismissively. He didn't care about the humans, after all. Hell, he barely cared about the fate of the other eight other chakra monsters. As far as he was concerned, the more that were captured, the more dangerous the Akatsuki would become. Which would increase the likelihood that he, himself, would be taken and forcibly sealed away. That was something he wished to avoid.

"A-And, how long does this extraction take?" He knew he wasn't going to like that answer to his own question, but he had to know.

"It varies based on the strength of those performing the extraction." The giant responded, mulling over the possibilities in his head. "It would be no longer than a few days."

"Then we really don't have any time to waste!" Naruto exclaimed, clutching at the side of your head. "My team has no clue where these Akatsuki went to perform the sealing! Damnit, I knew we were making a mistake! If we go all the way to the Sand Village first, Gaara and Shukaku are as good as dead! What am I supposed t-"

"Silence, you insufferable child!" His prisoner roared in disdain.

That seemed to stop the boy's ramblings, as he looked up at the Fox.

"That is why I called you in here, fool. Now quiet!"

"What are you talking about? The reason you called me in here?"

"I am going to lead you to the One-Tail's host."

"What? Really? How?"

This boy was getting far too comfortable, interrupting one of the most powerful beings to ever exist. The Nine-Tails let out a growl that conveyed his frustrations with his idiotic host child. "We nine are connected to each other through our chakra. Normally, I have the link severed because I can't stand those weaklings." He huffed in an almost child-like way. "However, considering the circumstances, I can reconnect the link to track him. Then, you and the other filthy humans can retrieve him before he is fully sealed away."

"Wow, that would be amazing, Nine-Tails!" Naruto was getting so excited that he had begun pacing back and forth. "Gaara wasn't taken too long ago, which means they couldn't have taken him too far. And, if it takes a few days to fully extract Shukaku from Gaara, we should be able to make it in time!"

The Fox's eyes narrowed. "You're trying my patience, you pathetic weakling." The beast seethed, angry at his host's annoying antics. "I will need time to reconnect the link to the One-Tails. Leave my presence if you know what is good for you, child."

Naruto gave his prisoner a knowing look. "You know, you can be a pretty nice guy when you want something." His tone was almost teasing. "You're not as mean and nasty as you want people to believe. You care about the One-Tails, don't you?"

'Are they like brothers?' The Jinchuriki wondered to himself.

The Fox snorted derisively. "I do not care for anyone, boy. If those humans continue to capture more of us, their power will grow. I could easily protect myself, but not while I'm forced to be bound to you." He explained rudely, shooting the blond a harsh glare. "That means I must rely on your pathetic strength to keep me safe." He spoke as if the words coming out of his mouth were going to make him sick. "You stand no chance if they continue. I do not care for the others in the slightest, I only care for myself."

"Okay, okay." Naruto put his hands up as a mock defense against the hostility of his new 'partner' in their mission. For someone who claimed not to care about anything, his choice of words did not agree with that mentality.

'Save the One-Tails.' That was what he had said. 'Arguing him will just piss him off even more.'

"I'll leave you alone so you can focus." Though, as he began walking away, something else crossed his mind. Something vital that he had meant to ask the Fox for a very long time. "Say, Nine-Tails?"

"What did I say about trying my patience, child…"

Once again, the Genin's mind went back to his conversation with Jiraiya. The one where he finds out about who his parents were… and many other things, as well.

"Well, to start off, you aren't the first person in the Leaf Village to hold the Nine-Tails within you." That revelation caused the blond's eyes to widen in shock, yet the Sannin continued. "The Fox attack, despite what you were taught in the Academy, was not a natural disaster. Somehow, the beast escaped from the seal of its former holder on that night."

Naruto's thoughts were running wild, wincing slightly as a dull headache began to throb just behind his temples. "I don't understand." Where to start with all of this? "Why would the village lie about what really happened!? We were never told there were hosts of the Fox! And how did the Nine-Tailed Fox escape from the seal?!" This was all too much to process at one time.

Jiraiya let out a loud, disheartened sigh. "Honestly, the answer to those questions is the same. We don't really know what happened. Everyone who has the answers to this mystery is dead."

This wasn't something he was going to push aside until later. Not when he had an audience with the one who knows all. The only one he knows that was there that fateful day. "Fifteen years ago, you attacked the village. How did it happen? Was there someone else working behind the scenes? If so, who was really behind it?"

The being he was speaking to recoiled a bit as if he was not expecting the barrage of questions. Or maybe it was due to something else? The blond could not really tell, not being versed in reading the body language of Tailed-Beasts. Not a skill many people would have.

"The Hermit that has accompanied you is far smarter than his idiotic demeanor would lead people to believe." His back-handed compliment was clearly being directed at Jiraiya. "As much as I would have loved to smash the Leaf Village into dust, I was manipulated into doing it by someone else. I was extracted from my former host and used as a pawn to destroy your pathetic village." He almost seemed sad about it. "I wasn't even able to enjoy killing all of those people…"

'Yeah, I'm just gonna ignore that last part.' Naruto mentally commented. "Who manipulated you, and how? An enemy from one of the other Great Nations? " Whoever they were, they had to be dangerous.

The Fox was visibly beginning to bubble over in anger. Just remembering that day brought him great rage. "No, it was that repugnant Sharingan eye of his." He spat. "That damned Uchiha ghost. His existence continues to haunt me to this day!"

Naruto stopped, blinked, then shook his head in disbelief. "It was… an Uchiha? How is that even possible? It couldn't have been Itachi. He was far too young to accomplish something like that."

"No. Someone far more dangerous than the child who massacred his cursed clan. An ancient relic of the past who refuses to lie down and let death take hold of him." The Fox chuckled ominously. "It was…Madara… Uchiha."

That name... it sounded so...

"Naruto!"

The blond in question eyes snapped open as he heard his name being called. Shaking his head, he looked below to see what all of the commotion was about. It was Sakura who was waving up at him.

"Naruto! Come on down and get something to eat! I know that you're hungry."

"R-Right." He stuttered out, still caught up in his own head. "I'll be down in a sec."

'Who is Madara Uchiha? And why does that name sound so familiar?' He wondered to himself, slightly off-put by the Demon's reaction to the aforementioned man. 'If he's scared of this Uchiha, then he has to be trouble. Could he have been one of the people killed in the clan massacre? I'm sure Jiraiya-sensei will know. I'll have to ask him about all of this the next time I see him.'

The blond would have to file these thoughts and questions away for later. During a time where unrelated lives didn't hang in the balance. With a leap off of the branch, he landed lightly in the center of the camp. Slightly off to the side, his team and Temari were all sitting around a moderately sized flame. It was beginning to get dark, and the heat from the fire would do well to keep them all warm.

"So glad of you to join us." The Nara said teasingly. "After being gone for so long, I would have thought you'd want to spend more time talking to your friends."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he took a seat next to Kakashi. "Sorry, I've been a little distant. I just have a lot on my mind, is all." More than anyone could possibly fathom…

"I was only kidding. I understand what you mean." Shikamaru sympathized. "A lot is happening right now, and you're all caught up in it. It's a normal reaction."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys…"

"So, what were you doing up there anyway?" Sakura asked with a hint of curiosity laced into her tone.

"Oh, I was just meditating." He replied with a shrug.

"You… meditate?" She responded back in bewilderment. "Are you sure you're the same Naruto I grew up with? You wouldn't have been able to sit still for five seconds a few years ago."

Naruto chuckled, fondly recalling the memories of his days as a green Genin, and even further back to the Academy. "I never really thought about it. It just sort of happened, ya know?"

"Do you remember the bell test?" The kunoichi giggled.

"Of course, I do!"

"You rushed straight at Kakashi-sensei and tried to flatten him with one punch." She continued to tell the story while everyone who hadn't been there listened in eagerly. "Then, when you got him to retreat with your clones, he tricked you into thinking he dropped one of the bells."

"And I ended up hanging from a tree by my ankles… how could I forget?" He looked over at the man responsible, you could tell by the Jonin's visible eye that he was grinning from ear to ear. "You were a real ass that day. Did ya know that, Kakashi-sensei?"

Temari and Hinata couldn't conceal their laughter any longer, and even Shikamaru was shaking his head with a broad smile on his face. If anything, making fun of the Genin was certainly a morale booster to the team. Given the circumstances, a little fun couldn't hurt.

Kakashi, with all his modesty, hit him back with a light shrug.

"And don't even get me started on the one-thousand years of-"

"Alright, alright, Sakura… I think we get the point. I-I don't think we need to be reminded about that." Naruto nearly blushed in embarrassment. If there were two things from those days he wanted to forget, it was him and Sasuke accidentally kissing and Kakashi-sensei putting his fingers up his ass. Was that so much to ask? He didn't think so. He could feel the phantom soreness just from thinking about it.

Sakura's fits of giggling erupted into flow blown laughter. Even Kakashi was having trouble holding it in. One the pink-haired kunoichi settled down, she continued with her previous train of thought. "It's just hard to believe that you're that same guy. You could never sit still for anything, and now you meditate? What did you and Master Jiraiya do while you were away?"

"Well… my need for meditation was born not out of a willingness to do so, but a necessity." Sakura's gaze turned curious at that choice of words, but she didn't say anything to interrupt him. "As for how? Sensei took me to a place called Mount Myoboku. It's a place where-"

"You trained at Mount Myoboku?" Kakashi asked, visible eye wide with surprise.

"Yeah, you've heard of it?"

"What is Mount Myoboku?" Hinata asked what everyone else was thinking? They had never heard of such a place before.

"It's the home of the summoning toads that Master Jiraiya uses." Kakashi explained to those, not in the know. "It's a special and ancient place that is hidden from the outside world. Only a select few in shinobi history have ever made it and been accepted by the toads. As far as I'm aware, Jiraiya is the only person currently alive that has been there." He nodded to the blond. "Well, I guess that makes two people now."

"I trained with two of the Great Sages in the art of stillness and meditation, among other things. Being there… was quite the experience." Naruto explained.

"I can't wait to see just how much you learned, Naruto." His Sensei said with pride. 'Who knows, maybe he has already surpassed me…'

"That reminds me. You may be able to see sooner than we all thought." The blond acknowledged. "I need to tell you guys something that I found out. It's about Gaara."

Temari's ears perked up at the mention of her little brother. "What about Gaara? What did you find out?"

"We should be able to track and find Gaara. Not only that, but I know exactly what the Akatsuki are going to attempt to do with him."

"Track him?" Shikamaru questioned. "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

"What do they have planned? Is he going to be alright?" The Sand Sibling blurted out, clearly more interested in the information related to the Kazekage's wellbeing.

"If we can get there in time, he'll be fine." The Uzumaki attempted to reassure for Temari's sake. "The Akatsuki are going to try and extract the Tailed Beast within him. But it takes a while for the process to be complete. Our goal is to get there before that happens."

"W-What happens if we get there too late." She dreaded the answer to the question as soon as it left her lips.

"Don't worry about that. We'll get there in time. I promise."

"Naruto." Her voice was sterner this time. "Please… what will happen?" It sounded more like a demand than a question

"…He'll die if it's fully extracted."

Temari's lip quivered ever so slightly, and Sakura reached over to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I see…" Voice shaky with worry.

"I don't think it's a surprise to anyone here, but just in case it is… I have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within me." He said those powerful words with such nonchalance. "I assume that, at the very least, you all suspected something along those lines. Am I right?"

The only person who appeared the least bit surprised was Temari. She had an inkling that Naruto and Gaara were similar somehow, but did she expect that? He wasn't sure. She didn't seem to hate him upon hearing the news, so that was a plus in his book.

"We found out while you were away, Naruto." Sakura said with a sad smile, further accentuated by the news of Tailed-Beast extraction. "I just want you to know that Hinata, Shikamaru, and I don't care one bit about that. We know who you are. You're our friend, and we care about you.

The other two mentioned nodded swiftly in agreement.

"Sakura is right." The Hyuga confirmed. "You are Naruto Uzumaki. A shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, not some monster. And we're here because we want to help keep you safe from those Akatsuki."

"It'll be a drag, but we can't just leave our teammate hanging. That isn't who we are."

"Thanks, guys. That really means a lot." He said sincerely. How was he so lucky to have such good friends? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't trade them for anything. "And there are more people like Gaara and me out there. Nine in total that carry Tailed-Beasts in them. Each one with a different number of tails from one to nine. I think the Akatsuki are trying to capture all of us for some evil purpose. They already have possession of the five and seven tails."

"Hold on a second, Naruto." Shikamaru sounded a bit skeptical. "Before, you mentioned something about being able to track Gaara. How is that possible? And all of this other information, how do you know it? If you knew all of this, why didn't you mention it before?" Something wasn't adding up here.

"I spoke with the Nine-Tails. He's the one that will be able to track Gaara, and he's the one that told me all of this." Naruto had been trying to avoid sharing that information, afraid of how well it would be received. However, Shikamaru was too smart and analytical for his own good. If something didn't make sense, he would poke and prod until he had the necessary information to make it make sense. There was no point in hiding anything from him. He'll eventually figure it out, anyway.

"Naruto..." Kakashi trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Shikamaru, who was now unusually animated, took over. "How could you even think about trusting anything that comes out of its mouth? That's the monster that flattened the village and killed hundreds of people! You can't listen to what it says!"

'I can't bring up what the Fox told me about Madara Uchiha, and how he's the reason the village was destroyed. I have no proof to back it up.' He thought to himself. 'He's right. Even though I believe him, there's no guarantee the Fox is telling me the truth.'

"You… talk to it?" Temari asked hesitantly. It reminded her too much of the old Gaara. The one who wanted to give his 'mother' blood. A chill went up her spine.

"Rarely. He's still behind his cage. He has no influence over me." Looking over at Hinata and Sakura, he noted their conflicted expressions. They weren't sure what to think and were probably waiting for more to be said before they sided with anyone. "But, if what he says is true and we go to the Sand Village first, Gaara will definitely die. If he's right and we listen, we can save him before it's too late. Even if it is a lie, this is our best shot."

"The probability that it is a lie is much higher than it is the truth. The Demon is evil and can't be trusted. He's probably trying to screw with you." The Nara said, trying to reason with the young blond.

The squad's genius seemed pretty adamant about the situation, much to the annoyance of the Genin.

"I don't think that's an accurate assessment, Shikamaru." Naruto challenged. "You have to remember that if I die, I take him with me. When speaking on the Akatsuki, I think it would be in his best interest to tell me the truth. His fate hangs in the balance, as well."

While it may have been a good argument, the Nara did not appear entirely convinced. Though, it seemed to have an effect on the other members of the team.

"I think it may be something we should consider as a team." Kakashi couldn't believe what he was saying, but Naruto made some excellent points. It may very well be their best course if they want to retrieve the Kazekage alive.

"This is ridiculous…" Shikamaru whispered to himself. "I think this is a mistake."

Temari, who was still looking warily at Naruto, nodded her agreement at Shikamaru's words. "I don't really think it's a good idea to listen to what those things say. Gaara's monster was a bloodthirsty psychopath that convinced him to kill as many people as possible. Do you really think that that is something you should be trusting?"

Naruto shot her a hard look. "I thought you wanted to save your brother?" His tone was harsher than anyone expected.

"Of course, I do! Why would you even say-"

"Because if we go to the Sand Village first, he definitely dies. If we try this, then we have a chance! It's that simple!"

The oldest Sand Sibling recoiled, then looked away.

"This is our best shot, whether you like it or not. We have to go."

"I-I can't." Temari mustered out. "Those things can't be trusted."

"Finally, someone with some sense." Shikamaru cut in. "Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi, what do you three think? Can you guys talk some sense into him? This is crazy."

"I trust Naruto's judgment." Hinata said almost immediately, deciding to side with the blond.

"I… think I do, as well." Sakura couldn't believe what she was saying. Usually, she would have agreed with the Nara over the absurdity of the situation. But… this Naruto is someone she trusts completely.

The lazy one of the group let out a heavy sigh of disbelief. He had one last hope. "Kakashi?"

With his chin resting in his hand, their Jonin commander seemed to be very deep in thought. He had stayed quiet while the others conversed, weighing the pros and cons of each option. While taking all the discussed points into consideration, he also added a few of his own that he thought of. Finally, after a moment of final deliberation, he made his choice.

"I think we're looking at all of this the wrong way." Kakashi finally said.

"What does that mean?" Everyone thought, but Shikamaru was the one who said it.

"Either one could be the correct choice, we don't really know for certain." The Scarecrow began. "However, we are in a unique position of having six people at our disposal on this mission. Far more than the average squad. So, I believe the most logical choice is to split up into two groups of three and do both of them! That way, we're right, no matter what."

'Heh, leave it to Kakashi-sensei to come up with the perfect solution.' Naruto thought, admiration for his teacher clearly evident. 'Even if it's a simple combination of both plans, Shikamaru is so blinded by his distrust of the Nine-Tails that he can't think straight.'

"That… actually isn't a bad idea. If we cover all of our bases, we'll ultimately have the highest probability for success." The Nara said with a bit of reluctance. "I supposed that could work."

"How are we going to split up the teams into three? Who will go where?" Sakura asked, already on board with the plan.

"Well, that part is pretty simple." Shikamaru began accepting the fact that he was outvoted. "Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura would be the best combination to go straight after Gaara, while myself, Temari and Hinata are best equipped to go to the Sand." He continued. "Naruto is the only one who can 'track' their whereabouts. Kakashi is our strongest member, so if they make contact with the Akatsuki, he is a necessity. Similarly, if they make contact, they will need a medic, so Sakura should go, as well. As for our team, Temari is by far the most knowledgeable when it comes to navigating the desert. Hinata will be able to find any evidence they left behind in the village with her Byakugan. As for myself, I can formulate our next moves with all of the newly acquired data when we reach the Sand."

"And if we paths with them? How will we get in contact with Shikamaru's team to let them know?" Sakura asked aloud to the entire group.

"I'll send one of my ninja hounds along with them. That way, they'll be able to track someone's scent and pinpoint out location." Kakashi answered.

"I have something to help with that." Naruto added, reaching into one of his vest pockets. Seconds later, he withdrew a scroll with an intricate-looking seal on it. Handing it to Shikamaru, he continued speaking. "Use this when you have any information you need to relay to us. Similarly, if the seal on it begins to glow, release it. That means we'll have something for you. It should also have my scent on it so you can find us."

The Nara nodded, and quickly took the scroll and dropped it into his hip pouch. "Sounds good. My team will be leaving soon. If we rush, we should get to the Sand in just under two days. Thirty-six hours if we really push it."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Same with us." Looking over at the one that will lead the pack. "That is, if… he's ready to do so." The Jonin finished meekly. These indeed were unprecedented circumstances that they were all dealing with. Never thought he'd be working in conjunction with the Nine-Tailed Fox, of all things. Hopefully, everything works out in the end.

"We'll be ready to go soon, too." Naruto gave his signature thumbs up.

Kakashi stood up. "Okay, everyone, get your last few bits of rest and nourishment out of the way. We'll be splitting up and moving out within the hour."

"Right!"

Nine figures were ominously standing atop the fingers of what appeared to be a giant demonic statue. Right below them on the cave floor, Gaara was being assaulted and consumed by a bright light that the castor had called 'Nine Phantom Dragons.' It was clear… the sealing had already begun.

Standing atop the right thumb, which was labeled "zero" was the one known as Pain. Despite the astral projection making it difficult to discern his features, his rippled eyes shined brilliantly in the darkness. "We must all focus. There is still much time left until the sealing will be complete. Is that understood?" His deep, commanding voice echoed off of the rocky walls.

"My shoulders are getting stiff. If only Orochimaru hadn't defected. This would be going by much quicker." The man with long bangs covering one of his eyes said with a bit of hostility in his voice. "If I ever see that bastard, he's dead. Hm."

"I agree…" One of the only two solid figures said slowly. "That traitorous snake will get what's coming to him." Sasori's tail lashed about behind him aggressively.

"It cannot be helped." Pain said. "We must make do with what we have now. Orochimaru will be handled at a later date. Our only concern right now is the sealing of the One-Tails. Once it is completed, we will have one-third of the Tailed-Beasts in our possession."

"We may have a problem with that." Zetsu's black half interrupted. "It appears we may have been discovered. There's a team of shinobi on their way here right now."

"Impossible." Sasori grunted out. "Our mission went flawlessly. No one from the Sand could have possibly followed us."

Even Itachi seemed a bit surprised at this development. He was confident that he had not been seen by anyone except for the Kazekage and his brother. 'I checked his pulse. The puppet user was definitely dead.'

Zetsu shook his head. "These shinobi are not from the Sand Village. It appears to be a group from the Leaf Village. And they're closing in on us quickly."

"Who are these pests?" Their Leader commanded. "Are they traveling in this general direction, or does it appear that they know our precise location?"

"The group is composed of only three ninja. "The Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. The student of the Fifth Hokage, Sakura Haruno. And the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."

Itachi and Sasori had similar reactions to hearing that last name but for vastly different reasons.

The hunchback let out a deep, ominous chuckle. "It seems that the fly is flying right into my web… I couldn't ask for anything better."

"That is all?" The ripple-eyed man questioned.

Zetsu nodded. "There were three others with them, but they splintered off in the direction of the Sand Village. I will track their whereabouts further to confirm, but I do not believe they will be a factor."

"The only threat among them will be Hatake. Itachi and Sasori should be more than enough to handle them." Pain thought for a moment. "However, in the instance that more follow behind them, or that they prove to be a bigger challenge than anticipated, we must delay their arrival and weaken their battle strength. We cannot risk them interrupting our sealing of the beast."

"Sounds to me like you're going to be using that Jutsu." Kisame smiled, his razor-sharp teeth bared dangerously. "I think we both know that I would be the perfect one to take part in the fun. I'd love to rip them to shreds."

"That is correct. I will use my Impersonation Jutsu to stall them." He looked over at the shark. "Kisame, since you have the most chakra out of all of the members of the Akatsuki, I think it would be wise if you-"

"No." One of the shadows interrupted. Pain glanced his way, and a flash of realization crossed his eyes. "I believe that we would be the best choice, considering who is involved."

"Ah, yes. Of course." The Leader agreed. "Then, it is decided. I will send the two of you to delay the enemy. Is that understood?"

"Of course… we won't fail. We won't just delay them… we'll slaughter everyone except the Jinchuriki."

"How much longer, Naruto?" The Leader of Squad 1, Kakashi Hatake, asked.

"I'm… not really sure, honestly." It was a weird feeling he was currently experiencing.

"What do you mean?" Sakura voiced her thoughts. "I thought you were able to track Gaara through his Tailed-Beast.

"I am. It's strange, I can't really explain it." He thought for a moment. "I imagine this is what a compass feels like."

"A compass?"

"The Fox is actually the one who can track Gaara." The blond clarified. "He's just passing the feeling onto me. I know what direction to go, but I have no bearing on how far away we are or anything else like that."

"I see." Strangely, that made sense to Kakashi. 'By the looks of it, our destination will be somewhere deep within the Land of Rivers.'

"Why don't you, you know, ask him how close we are?" Sakura asked, unsure of what the process of speaking to a chakra monster locked away within you would even be like.

"He's being an ass." The vessel scoffed. "He only talks to me when he feels like it. If he doesn't start the conversation, he just ignores me."

"If that's the case, do you think it's possible that Shikamaru and Temari were right? Maybe he is just messing with us. We've been traveling for hours."

"He's not, Sakura. I know it."

She pursed her lips together tightly but didn't say anything further.

"The only thing that I'm worried about is splitting up our battle strength." The blond said, glancing over at his teammates. "I'm positive that we're the strongest of our group, but is it wise to only have three people to face the Akatsuki? We'd stand a much better chance if all six of us were here."

Kakashi gave him a knowing look. "I know what you mean. But think about it like this, the Akatsuki operate in pairs. It isn't like we're going to fight all of them today. Besides, our job is not to kill them or engage, just rescue the Kazekage. We can minimize our engagement if we flee after getting Gaara. Your clones would make for a perfect getaway distraction."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Still, deep in his heart, he knew that was not how it was going to play out. 'If I have the choice to save Gaara and flee or try and kill the members who took him, what will I do? I honestly don't even know myself.' Could he really just let people like that walk away unharmed? If he did, they would just kill other people. How could he live with himself if he allowed that to happen?

"Drop down! We have company!" Kakashi's sudden and urgent voice alerted them, and they swiftly dropped down into the upcoming clearing. As they descended, what their Sensei saw became clearer.

Sakura took in a long, shaky breath.

A pair of red and black cloaks.

'So, we're already making contact? This early? We must be on the right path, then.' Kakashi thought, swiftly analyzing the situation. 'The Fox was right, after all.'

"So, you're Akatsuki?" Kakashi challenged the two men standing before the Leaf Shinobi. "I'm assuming you infiltrated the Sand and took the Kazekage, as well?"

They didn't answer him. In fact, they weren't even acknowledging his existence. They both had their eyes locked on Naruto. Looking to his side, his eye widened in shock.

The bloodlust radiating off of his student was unbelievable for someone so young. It was weighing the air down heavy. His body twitched erratically, conveying the barely controlled rage swirling dangerously within his body. His usually bright blue eyes; narrowed and cold. This was not the boy he mentored as a fledgling Genin. Whoever was standing next to him was someone he did not recognize.

The one on the right smiled wickedly at the daggers the Jinchuriki was shooting at him and his partner. "Look at that, Kakuzu." He ran a hand through his slicked-back silvery-grey locks. "I think the Nine-Tails remembers us."

The taller one, who Kakashi now knew as Kakuzu, chuckled. "It would appear to be the case, Hidan." His voice was deep and empty. The sign of a cold-blooded killer. "That was exactly what we were hoping for…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: Contact: A Blast from the Past

No one had moved from their spot, each awaited the other side to make the first move. A gust of wind broke through the dense forest, sweeping lightly through the soft grass resting at their feet. A calmness that contrasted poetically with the chaos that was destined to follow.

"You know, Kakuzu, I don't really like the way the Jinchuriki is looking at me." The shorter Akatsuki sneered. "It's making me kind of angry. So angry, in fact, that I might just forget about the mission and go on a rampage of destruction."

"Hidan." Kakuzu warned. "I don't care what you do, just make sure you don't kill the Jinchuriki. We need him alive."

"Yeah, whatever." He said dismissively, turning his eyes to the other two nuisances. "I guess I'll just have to settle with slaughtering these fools."

Sakura's knees began to wobble from the crazed look the silver-haired Akatsuki gave her. It terrified her. At that moment, she realized that she had never faced anyone remotely like these people. They had not even started the fight yet, and the terror already began to consume her. 'It's just like that day.' She thought back to Team 7's confrontation with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. It made sense; he was cut from the same cloth as the two standing before her today.

"Sakura." Kakashi's voice sliced through her worry and doubt. She looked over at him. "Remember Naruto's words at Ichiraku about these people. What he said wasn't meant to scare you. It was to prepare you for what was to come. You can do this, just work together with Naruto and me."

Speaking of the blond, his face was still full of hate and rage. "Naruto, is this not the first time you've encountered these two?"

Upon being called, Naruto took a deep, shaky breath. 'I have to remember Boss's teachings. I can't let my anger affect how I fight. If I do, my friends are going to die.' Once he got his breathing somewhat under control, he spoke. "These two are the ones that attacked Wave and killed Tazuna and his family. They would have captured me if it weren't for Jiraiya-Sensei."

Kakashi's eye narrowed, and Sakura's widened.

"I see." Was all the Scarecrow said. That perfectly explained the boy's initial reaction.

"That old guy isn't around this time to save you, kid." Hidan threatened. "I'm going to capture you and kill even more of your friends. Are you going to try and stop me this time? Or are you curl up in a ball like a coward and await your fate like before?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out?" The Jinchuriki challenged. "If you think it's going to go the same as last time, you're in for a surprise."

"Oh?" Hidan said with a bit of surprise. "The little kid has grown up some, I see. Doesn't change the fact that you let me slaughter that little boy and his mother. The child said that his hero was going to come to save them, was that supposed to be you? The terror in his eyes when he realized you weren't coming… it was near-ecstasy!"

Naruto twitched again, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

"Don't get so cocky, Hidan." Kakuzu scolded. "It would be pretty pathetic if you went and died after talking like that."

"Shut up. I'm working here. Don't ruin it." Hidan whispered to his partner. He turned back to his target, his wicked smile broadened. He had expected some verbal retaliation, but no matter. He would continue to try and infuriate the boy. "Do you want me to tell you the story of how they died? It was pretty pathetic if you ask me."

'They're trying to goad him into attacking recklessly.' Kakashi realized. 'If they succeed, it will put us in a terrible situation.' Kakashi withdrew a kunai and raised it up in front of himself threateningly. He got in position to attack, but his actions were halted as Naruto put his hand out in front of him. "Naruto, I-"

"No, Sensei. It's okay." The blond was doing his best to keep his composure, but you could tell it was taking a lot for him to do so. "I want to hear what he has to say."

The cultist took that as his opportunity to continue his tale.

"After Kakuzu took the old drunk's head clean off of his body, the boy put himself between his mother and us." The sadistic smile told the Leaf Ninja that he fondly recalled the events. He truly enjoyed the deaths and pain that he had caused. "I was going to kill them, but my buddy over here told me to back off. Said we had already gotten what we came for. You know, at first, I was actually going to. I had done a lot of killing that day. I was satisfied." There was a bit of anger that poked its way through his creepy smile. "That was before the kid stabbed me in the back as we went to leave, babbling on about being a hero and 'protecting those he cared about.'" He put a hand to his forehead, shaking his head lightly in disbelief. "I mean, what idiot would tell someone who isn't even a shinobi something as foolish as that?! Making him march off to his death. People these days are so cruel, wouldn't you agree?"

Sakura, herself, was seething. Her already balled-up fists tightened even further. Fear was quickly being overwhelmed by the immense rage that was beginning to overtake her. She wasn't going to let these guys talk about her friends in such a way. "How dare you! How can you talk about something like that so easily!? What kind of person are you?!"

"Sakura." Surprisingly, Naruto put his other hand forth to block his former classmate from making a move. They traded a glance, and the girl was surprised at what she saw. Those eyes were supposed to be filled with was she was feeling, anger, and hate. But they were focused and resolute, those negative emotions only flickered lightly in the back. "You need to calm down. If you rush them, you'll be playing right into their little game. The best thing we can do right now is keep a level head."

"We can't just sit here and let them talk about Tazuna and his family like that!"

"I know, and we won't." The blond assured. "But allowing ourselves to get all worked up will only hurt us in the end. Stay focused. We're dealing with dangerous people here."

He was right. Even though Sakura saw red, she could see the effort the blond was putting forth to restrain himself. Naruto wanted to do nothing more than give in to that hatred and destroy them, but he held steadfastly. 'For Naruto, I have to do the same.' Sakura shakily nodded her head. Similarly to Naruto, she took in a deep breath to clear her head of everything she was feeling. To the best of her ability, at least.

"Are you okay." The blond asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"They still haven't made a move at us yet." Kakashi noted, trying to focus his team on the matter at hand. "I would've thought they'd just attack after that little speech.

"It's three against two." Naruto added. "Especially since you're here, Sensei. Your name carries a lot of weight. They aren't dumb, they want us to attack recklessly. Not the other way around."

"They could also be trying to stall for time." What the Jonin said caught the blond's attention, "Like you said, it takes a good amount of time to extract the beast. They could have been sent to delay us while the others seal Gaara. Or even, take Sakura and me out and then capture you."

"That's a good point. I didn't think about that." Naruto said.

"Can you tell me about these guys?" Naruto's Sensei asked.

The boy being questioned nodded. "I don't know much since Master Jiraiya didn't fight them for very long. What I do know is that the one on the right may possibly be immortal."

"What did you say!?" Sakura cut in, shocked. "Is that even possible?!"

The blond could only nod gravely. "According to the report that Sensei wrote up in conjunction with ANBU Black Ops, he was stabbed in vital points twice and even took a Rasengan full force to the back. Neither seemed to have any effect, and no medical aid was administered to him. I don't really know anything about the one on the left except that he, at the very least, has a fire and water element."

"Immortality for one, and unknown abilities for the other." Sakura said, still in shock over the power of the silver-haired psychopath. "This is not good. Should we retreat and recall Team Shikamaru?"

"These guys aren't going to let us do that." The Genin answered. "They'll hunt us down if we turn our backs to them. We have to stand and fight."

"What's our plan, then?" The kunoichi asked openly.

Naruto smirked. "Just wait on my signal. They may not know it, but I've already made the first move."

The foliage behind the two Akatsuki began to rustle. Just as they turned their heads in response to the threat, a second Naruto burst through.

"A trap Shadow Clone!" Kakuzu warned as he and his partner leaped in opposite directions to avoid any attacks.

The clone didn't go after either one. Instead, he made his way into the space between the pair. The doppelganger uttered but a single word.

"Boom."

On command, the clone erupted in a brilliant ball of white-hot light. Naruto watched, facial expression unchanged, as his assailants were consumed by the suicide clones attack. The shock wave was intense; trees shook, the ground rumbled, and the sound was near-deafening. "That wasn't enough to take them out, but I did want to split them up so we can tackle them separately. ANBU Black Ops also wrote in their report that they were using tandem attacks to overwhelm them."

"When did you make the clone?" Kakashi asked. "I didn't even see you weave a hand sign."

"It was when we dropped down. I knew we might have made contact. I learned how to create seal-less clones that I can choose where they pop-up. Well, as long as it's still close to me. The range isn't that far."

"Impressive. Seal-less Jutsu are a rare skill." His teacher acknowledged.

"Not really. I can only make one at a time. And it's especially difficult when I use one of my exploding clones. I still need more practice. That explosion could have been bigger had I actually focused my chakra with a hand seal. Anyway, that doesn't really matter right now." Looking over at his longtime teammate, he nodded over in the direction of Hidan. "Sakura, you're with me. We're going to kill 'Mr. Immortal.' Kakashi-Sensei can take the one with the mask."

His teacher nodded, having come up with a similar plan of attack following his student's clone bombardment. 'He's thinking clearly. I shouldn't have worried about him being reckless. He's got this.'

"R-right." Sakura stuttered. What had just happened?

"Follow me."

Kakashi watched his two students run off. From the smoke in front of him, the masked man emerged. His skin tone had changed, it was now a dark, almost blackish color. Team 7's Leader pulled his headband up, revealing his famous eye. 'Not even a scratch from that huge blast. Is that one of his Jutsu?' Was his only thought.

"The Copy Ninja. Otherwise known as Sharingan Kakashi." As he spoke, his skin returned to its normal color. "The man who had copied over one-thousand Jutsu." Kakuzu said, acknowledging the shinobi before him. "Your escapades during the Third Great War got you quite the report in the Bingo Book of opposing nations. That, along with your Sharingan eye, has left you with a sizable bounty on your head."

Kakashi, once again, raised his kunai in front of him. "Yeah, and I'll show you why no one has been able to collect on that bounty yet."

"There's a first time for everything. You'd do well to remember that."

"The same thing could be said about your death." The Sharingan user warned.

"Heh, I suppose it could."

Without another word, they rushed at one another with the intent to kill.

Hidan swung his scythe, hitting nothing but air as Naruto flipped backward. 'I was hoping to get the drop on him after that explosion, but I guess that was me being too hopeful.'

"Seems like that weapon of his is an important tool in his arsenal." Sakura noted. He didn't seem to be trying any other form of attack. "A blade like that could do heavy damage with a clean hit, potentially damaging multiple vital spots at once."

"Agreed." Naruto said. "I think getting inside its useable range and using dirty boxing would be the smartest move. It will make it much more difficult for him to use his scythe in extremely close ranges. Will you back me up?"

The kunoichi nodded, already running through signs. "Earth Style: Rock Armor!" From beneath her feet, hunks of rock and earth exploded from the ground. They latched onto and covered her body from head to toe. The front of her face was left uncovered, along with ear holes to ensure her sense remained uncompromised. Lowering into her stance, she gave Naruto the nod that she was ready for him to take the lead.

"Nice, Sakura." He noted. "That scythe will have a hard time getting through your earth defenses."

"You aren't the only one who's been training. I've been splitting time with Lady Fifth and Kakashi-Sensei to round out my skills. Let's go, I'm ready."

Using his increased speed, Naruto closed the distance between himself and Hidan. The Akatsuki grimaced, attempting to slash downward at the boy. Naruto smiled. In a quick motion, he threw a palm strike upward at the wrist that had the weapon in it, disarming Hidan in the blink of an eye. The scythe went flying in the air.

"Now, I'm too close for you to use that strange weapon effectively." He said confidently, throwing a short elbow overtop of his first attack.

"You think it'll be that easy, boy!?" Hidan screamed, allowing the metal cable attached to the blade to slip seamlessly into his hand. With a powerful flick of the wrist, the triple-bladed scythe whipped around behind the blond. It was on a collision course with the Jinchuriki's spine.

'Might have enough time!' He began channeling his wind chakra at his back in hopes to deflect or divert what would otherwise be a crippling blow. Just as he thought he was running out of time, Sakura came out of nowhere and slammed her rock-enhanced fist into the weapon.

The thankful blond followed through with his strike, delivering a powerful elbow to the side of the immortal man's head. The members of Team 7 leaped away.

"Thanks for the save, Sakura. Can't believe I didn't see that cable attached to it. I almost made a big mistake."

"Knowing you have a team member that is backing you up allows you to fight aggressively like that. It was a smart move." Sakura said, dismissing her friend's concerns. "Though, we have to be a bit more careful now that we know he can use that thing at all ranges."

"Not to mention his control over it is near perfect." The blond added. "Though, besides that, I'm not too sure what else he's capable of. Be on your toes."

Hidan maneuvered the triple-blade back into his hand. Smiling devilishly, he swung it right at the rock covered kunoichi. Sakura braced herself, confident in her chakra-infused earth defenses to be more than enough to handle the impact. At the last moment, the Akatsuki wrenched his arm back and forth. This changed the course of his attack entirely.

Naruto allowed himself a small smile as his opponent's new target was his legs. Though it never came. The scythes momentum was halted entirely, and it fell to the ground with a rattling 'twang.' 'He's trying to avoid my vital areas.' He thought

Hidan pulled back on his cable, returning his weapon back to his side. Admittedly, he was not among the most intelligent within the Akatsuki, but even he could see that something was wrong there. 'There's no way I missed, but it just stopped.' He thought to himself. 'He must have some sort of Jutsu that is invisible to the eye that can stop attacks. How annoying.'

"Non-believers like you are always so overconfident in your abilities." The cult member spat. "Just wait until I show you heathens the might of the Way of Jashin! In his name, I'll paint the Earth with your entrails and bathe in your blood!"

"The Way of Jashin?" Sakura asked aloud, off-put by the crazed look in the cultist's eyes. "What is this lunatic talking about?"

"I know a little." Naruto began. "The Way of Jashin is a religious cult that claims through adherence to their rituals; those being destruction and mass slaughter, one could achieve immortality. Though, many just viewed them as crazed psychopaths looking for any reason to kill."

"But, isn't he…"

Naruto nodded. "Jiraiya-Sensei told me that he heard rumors that there was actually a successful case among the cult. But, it seemed too unbelievable to be true."

"Why don't you come over and find out." The zealot challenged. "Heretics like you couldn't possibly understand what it means to be devout and unwavering in your faith. You doubt my savior? I'll make him happy by spilling your blood!"

"You know, I actually like that plan." The Jinchuriki shot back. He reached into his pouch and withdrew a single kunai. He poured his wind chakra into his blades, creating wispy, white edges that protruded far past the metal tip. "Let's put that immortality of yours to the test. I wonder how much damage your body can really take before it gives out on you?"

Naruto dashed forward and threw out a wide hook aimed at Hidan's jaw. The zealot hopped back and threw a sidekick to Naruto's body. It worked like a push kick and gave him some distance as the blond skidded back from the force. As he slid back, Naruto threw his kunai at the Akatsuki's head.

Before he could react, Sakura had already circled behind him. Hidan leaned back and allowed the dangerous projectile to just barely fly past over his head. He wasn't allowed to fully recover as Sakura began to pressure him. She threw a flurry of punches, and he could feel the force of each one as her rock-covered fists flew by him. Even though he was still a little off-balance, he managed to dodge them all.

'Even I'd get hurt if one of those connected.' He thought in annoyance. 'The rock seems to be slowing her down, though.'

He slashed at her with his scythe, but this proved to be ineffective. Every time he managed to get a hit in, it was absorbed by the rock armor. Even the little scratches and cuts he made in the earth were healed by her chakra over time.

He got some distance and attempted to launch a counterattack. Sakura smirked and threw a quick jab, followed by a straight over the top. To Hidan's surprise, the rock that covered her fists detached from the armor and raced towards him. With great dexterity, he managed to dodge and weave in-between the pair of projectiles.

'All I need is a scratch!' He thought. The girl would be easy enough to take out, but he also had to keep tabs on the Jinchuriki. Naruto circled them in preparation for any weaknesses to exploit. 'The, there's this bastard to watch out for.'

He extended his scythe at the kunoichi. She was ready, it clipped her side and scrapped against the outer layers of her suit. She brought one her arms down and used it to pin the blade to her body. Hidan wrenched his cable back and growled when he realized he was unable to free it.

Sakura ran through a quick series of hand seals as she kept a grip on the weapon.

"Earth Style: Bird Shot!"

With her free hand, she swiped out in the Jashinist's direction. The armor that went from her forearm to her elbow shattered into hundreds of small pieces, the momentum launched them forward.

Hidan gritted his teeth. The Jutsu was fast, and the attack range was wide. There was no way to dodge it, and he didn't have his weapon to help defend himself. 'Well, guess I won't run.' Instead of trying to evade, he ran towards the attack. The criminal used his arms to cover his face, but the rest of his body was exposed.

'He didn't try to dodge?!' Sakura's eyes widened as the little pieces of earth bore into the man's body like it was made out of tissue paper. Despite the torture that he endured, Hidan pushed forward. The Chunin was so shocked by the man's heedless action, that she was thrown off balance when he tugged on the cable to his scythe.

'Oh no!'

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

Hidan turned his head and scowled. The Jinchuriki had spat out a tsunami-like wall of water at them. He did his best to escape, but Sakura refused to release his blade.

The wave came and consumed them both.

Kakashi put his arms up in the form of a crossguard to absorb Kakuzu's sidekick. Using the force of the strike, Sharingan Kakashi flipped backward to create some distance between him and his mysterious opponent.

The masked Akatsuki started going through seals. "Fire Style: Fire Bullet Barrage!"

Kakashi's eye deciphered Kakuzu's Jutsu and had already been going through his own set of hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Not just one, but several concentrated balls of fire blasted away at his wall. Kakashi frowned, but an idea sprouted when he saw the tall trails of smoke the blasts were making above the wall.

He made his student's favorite hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A few copies of himself appeared around him.

One of his doppelgangers darted out from the left side of the wall. Kakuzu saw him immediately and blasted him with a medium-sized fireball. The Jonin could hear him growl in annoyance when it was revealed that he hit a clone.

Then, as his second clone ran out of the other side of the wall, another Kakashi jumped high into the cover of the smoke that his enemy had created for him. Though he couldn't see what had happened, the experience he gained from his dispelled second clone told him all he needed.

His arm began to crackle with electricity, a Lightning Blade formed just as he cleared the thick smoke. "Lightning Blade!" He yelled as he rammed his fist into the chest of the masked man.

To his dismay, 'Kakuzu' was reduced to a puddle of water.

'What?! No!'

The real Kakuzu exploded from the Earth at his feet and grabbed the Copy Ninja by the neck. Kakashi panicked and clawed desperately at the hand tightly wrapped around his throat.

"Come now, Kakashi." Taunted the criminal. "Do you really think I would fall for a silly diversion such as that? I think you're taking me too lightly." He squeezed tighter. "I would have thought someone like you wouldn't underestimate an opponent."

Just as he was about to say something else, 'Kakashi' dissipated into a strong bolt of electricity.

"Agh!"

Kakuzu's eyes widened, and his body shook violently as he was shocked to his core by the Lightning Style Clone. He staggered back as the real Copy Ninja casually walked out from behind the Mud Wall.

"You know, you really shouldn't underestimate your opponent." He quipped.

The Bounty Hunter growled and lowered into his stance, Kakashi followed suit.

'This guy's strong.' The Leaf Jonin thought. 'So far, the only intel I have on him is Water, Fire, and possibly Earth, styles, incredible physical strength, and perhaps even a Jutsu that can negate bodily damage. That isn't much to go on, and I doubt I've seen even half of what he can do.

"Do you think it was wise to allow those children to fight Hidan all by themselves?" The masked villain asked. "You appear to be able to handle yourself, but what about those weaklings? As their squad leader, shouldn't you be more reluctant to let them walk off to their deaths?"

"Didn't we just have a similar discussion? Don't underestimate them just because they're kids. If you do that, you'll die."

"If my partner could die, I would have already killed him by now. Hidan is far more dangerous than his intelligence would lead you to believe. Those brats have no idea what they've got themselves into. In fact, neither do you." Kakazu went through a string of seals, while he simultaneously pulled down the mask that covered his face. "Now, you all die. Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"

"Damnit, he's aiming for all three of us." Kakashi began to retreat towards his students as Kakuzu shot out a massive stream of red-hot fire. "Naruto, Sakura, look out!"

Both of the teens looked his way. While Sakura looked shocked at the sheer magnitude of the wide-spanning firestorm, Naruto was quick to act. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Seamlessly, he created 3 shadow clones. One to his side, and one behind each of them. The two in front went through their own set of signs, while the rearmost clones placed a hand on the backs of the offensive clones.

"Water Style: Raging Waves!"

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The water style attack was infused with, and enhanced by, wind chakra. The result was ferocious, high-speed streams of water colliding with the rampaging fire that was consuming all in its path.

The opposing forces immediately produced white-hot steam that covered the entire battleground. Visibility was near-zero. They had canceled each other out.

Naruto's shadow clones dispelled with 3 loud pops as he got into a defensive stance. 'That was close.' He thought. 'Clone coordination training is turning out to be a big success.'

Using the sound of the clones as his guide, Hidan came flying through the clouds of water vapor, scythe in hand for a massive swing. "You should be more aware of the sounds you make on the battlefield, brat!"

Just as he got within range, Kakashi erupted from the ground and grabbed the madman's wrists to prevent his strike. "You should take your own advice! Now, Sakura!"

"Right!" Leaping over Naruto, clad in her fully-restored rock armor, the kunoichi threw a monstrous, chakra-infused, punch right through her Sensei to get at the Akatsuki. "Hyah!" 'Kakashi' dispelled harmlessly in a cloud of smoke, cutting through the clone like butter and connecting with her target.

Hidan's head snapped to the side from the blow, and his body was sent flying back into the steam. The power behind the punch was so intense that the Earth surrounding Sakura's fist exploded off into little fragments. There was a satisfied smirk on her face. "He should be down for the count. There's no way that didn't take him out."

"Yeah, that was one hell of a punch." Naruto said with a nod. "Nice job, using the cover of the steam to hide a clone in the ground, Kakashi-Sensei. That's so like you."

"I wouldn't have had the opportunity to if you hadn't been so quick on your feet." Kakashi complimented in return.

From the depth of the foggy clouds, a voice called out to them. "Yeah, yeah." It was none other than the voice of Hidan. Though, he sounded more nasally than he had just moments before. "Don't you think you guys are kissing each other's asses a little early? I mean, one little punch and you think I'm finished? That's moronic!" He did not sound pleased. Not one bit.

"Look at the state you're in, Hidan." The other man's voice came from the same direction. The fog was beginning to clear, and it appeared the Akatsuki duo had converged once more. "I wouldn't exactly call that 'little.'

"Hey, Kakuzu! Who's side are you on?! I thought you were warming up to me? Don't be such a dick!"

"Shut the hell up and get serious. We're supposed to be hunting the Nine-Tails, not having fun."

With the battlefield now clearing up, the remnants of Team 7 had their enemies in sight. What they saw… they almost couldn't believe it.

Hidan's neck was twisted entirely around. In order to see the group from the Leaf, he had to turn his back to them. Not only that, but his nose was gruesomely crushed and pushed off to the right side of his face. Blood was pouring from his nostrils and mouth. Yet, despite all of that supposedly fatal damage, the Jashinist just seemed pissed off.

"Look at what you bastards did!" Hidan yelled. "My nose, my perfect face! You'll pay for this, I tell you."

He was… concerned about his nose? There were much more concerning matters than that.

"H-How, the hell is he still moving?" Sakura managed to get out. Fatal wounds not affecting him were insane enough. But this; a broken neck? "His heart and lungs should have lost all function by now."

"T-Think about it." Naruto shook his head slightly, trying to convince himself of some way it was possible. "If he can survive fatal blows to vital organs, are they even vital to him, at all? I don't think medicinal logic applies to this guy. I guess it's true; he really is immortal, after all."

Hidan grabbed each side of his head with his hands. In one swift motion, he twisted his head back to its proper direction. The sickening series of crunches and cracks made even Kakashi's skin crawl a little bit. The immortal man did something similar to his nose, wrenching it back into place with no regard for pain or patience.

Once please with his crude handiwork, he placed the palm in the crook of his neck. Hidan moved his head around in circles. He winced, then grimaced. "Tch, that'll be stiff for a while, I bet." His eyes fell on Sakura. "You're going to pay for that, Pinky." He threatened, eyes bloodshot with steadily increasing rage.

Sakura unconsciously took a step back. After seeing what her opponent just did, she wasn't entirely convinced she could do anything to stop him from making good on his threats.

"We're running out of time. Especially with all of the damage you're taking. These bodies are flimsy." The taller of the duo grunted out, barely loud enough for Naruto's group to hear. "Let's finish this now, Hidan."

Without uttering a single word, Hidan took off alone to combat Team 7. Swinging his unconventional blade in a wide arc, getting the Leaf ninja to retreat in opposite directions. Hidan chose to follow Kakashi, attacking with such tenacity that the only thing the Copy Ninja could do was deflect and dodge.

The sounds of metal that clashed were the only thing anyone could hear. Until…

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

The attack spanned a wide berth and easily consumed Team 7, and even Hidan, in its hurricane-strength winds. Trees were uprooted, inches of grass and dirt were shaved off the Earth's surface, and Naruto was picked cleanly off of the ground.

The blond grit his teeth. He had just enough time to erect a Wind Wall in between himself and the masked man's attack. However, that didn't nullify the technique. The forces didn't cancel each other out, causing him to careen in the air; momentum only stopped by the thick trunk of a tree.

"Damn." Naruto said with a pained grunt as he picked himself off of the ground. The damage in front of him was severe, but he was confident his friends made it out okay. "They use Hidan's immortality to draw in our attention, and then the big guy uses his powerful techniques to clean up. No wonder those ANBU got wiped out. They're a dangerous pair." Still, something didn't feel right.

Now that the area was completely cleared of obstruction, Naruto was quick to locate one of his teammates. "You okay, Sakura?" He asked after quickly reconvening with the kunoichi.

"Yeah, I'm fine." And it was true. Sure, she was a little dusted up. But if they considered the magnitude of the attack they were just hit by, it was minor. "Though, it managed to strip off all of my armor. That masked guy has mastery over Wind, as well? Isn't that three chakra natures?"

"No, I think it's four." Kakashi said as he dropped in. He looked a little worse for wear. His flak jacket and pants we partially tattered, and his forearms were peppered in shallow cuts. "I only saw it briefly, but your clone explosion from earlier didn't leave a mark on him. Not only that, but his skin changed colors. I believe he has some sort of flesh hardening ability. The only affinity that could do something like that would be Earth."

"Mastery of four changes in chakra nature? Is that even possible." Sakura countered.

Before they could say anymore, a voice interrupted them.

"Good eye, Kakashi Hatake." Kakuzu complimented, as he and his partner casually walked out from the cover of the smoke kicked up by the wind. "Perhaps I was too quick to judge. Your brats are quite skilled. I didn't expect all of you to survive that relatively unscathed."

"As much as I hate to admit it, killing them in the state we're currently in may not be possible." The zealot seemed angry with himself for having come to that conclusion.

'State?' Kakashi thought to himself. 'What does that mean?'

Kakuzu growled at his big-mouthed partner. "Shut up, Hidan!"

Hidan rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Kakuzu! It's not a big deal. These morons have no idea what we're even talking about."

"Oh well, perhaps you're right." Kakuzu's gruff voice didn't portray his dismissive words very well. "Let's see how they handle this." Once again, he went through multiple hand signs.

Kakashi's Sharingan picked up every single detail. It widened in shock. "Wha-"

"Lightning Style: False Darkness."

Five. This man had mastery over all of the five elements.

Thin bolts of electricity began building up around Kakuzu, then an outward explosion of voltage occurred. Team 7 had little time to get out of the way as the tendrils of supercharged chakra ripped apart the ground on its way to them.

Kakashi's initial reaction was to get in front of his team and use his compatible lightning nature to absorb and nullify the technique. However, Naruto seemed to have something already planned.

The blond already had a scroll he had withdrawn from his vest pocket unfurled in front of him. With a simple hand seal, a matrix written on the parchment began to glow a bright white. "Ninja Art: Lightning Trap!"

True to the technique's name, the light erupted from the scroll, tangling itself around all of the tendrils of voltage. They appeared to be battling in a beautiful display of twisted energy. Slowly, but surely, the light tamed the lightning, reducing it into a ball and pulling it into the scroll. Naruto smirked, rolled his scroll back up, tied it snugly with a knot, and placed it safely back into his vest.

"You made it a little too obvious. If you can already use four natures, it wasn't that surprising to find out you can use all five" Was all he said.

'Still, mastery over all of the elements. Not only is Kakuzu definitely stronger than his partner, but his combination attacks also make Hidan's already ridiculous abilities even deadlier. They work together seamlessly.'

Hidan growled in annoyance and rushed at the object of his anger, scythe ripping dangerously threw the ground behind him. "I've had it with this kid's cocky attitude, Kakuzu. He dies right now!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kakashi leaped in front of his student, kunai drew in preparation.

From the side where his ordinary eye is regularly closed, Kakuzu intercepted him. A swift kick to the ribs sent tumbling through the air, the elemental master followed his bounty.

Hidan smiled deviously now that he knew his fun wouldn't be ruined. "Now it's just me and you, kid!" He screamed, slashing diagonally. Much to his adding frustration, Naruto quickly ducked under the sharp blades. "Tell me; do you enjoy the pleasure of pain! Because you and I will know that feeling very soon!"

The blond didn't respond with words. Instead, after ducking under the wild swing, Naruto stepped up into the pocket of his adversary. Pouring chakra into his right fist, Naruto threw a body hook to the ribs. It struck true, identified by the crackling sound of the immortal man's ribcage. 'He can still feel pain.' The blond was reassured at the reaction he received; Hidan winced and leaned into the shot. Planting his left foot forward and digging it into the ground, Naruto followed up with a left uppercut to the chin.

Hidan staggered back, which opened up him up even further. Using his plant foot to pivot, Naruto spun clockwise and blasted a spinning back kick to man's sternum. The blow sent him skidding back, silvery locks falling over his forehead from the sudden force. "Why you little!

'What is going on?' Jiraiya's student thought to himself. 'This shouldn't be-"

Using a burst of speed, Naruto threw a left stiff jab. It connected easily and snapped the zealot's head back. Hidan was slow and sluggish, he couldn't evade. The blond followed upright cross over the top.

'So easy!'

The immortal man growled. From his cloak, he pulled out what appeared to be a metal baton. Swiping outward at nothing but air, it elongated to form a sharp spear. In a thrusting motion, he sought to stab the Jinchuriki straight through the gut. The blond sidestepped it, kicking the silver-haired zealot away from him.

"Sakura, stand by with medical ninjutsu for Kakashi and me. I don't need your help right now."

"Alright." The pinkette in questioned acknowledged. From what her eyes were telling her, Naruto had this handled. 'Incredible. He's gotten so much stronger. That guy doesn't even have a chance to counter.'

"You take me that lightly?!" A vein was beginning to form near the Jashinist's temple. "You little brat!"

"What's going on?" The blond asked, completely disregarding his opponent's rage. "You're getting slower and sloppier. We haven't been fighting for that long."

He received no answer, only a glare of contempt.

Naruto remembered what he had said earlier.

"As much as I hate to admit it, killing them in the state we're currently in may not be possible."

'That state.' He repeated in his mind. 'What does that mean?' And another thing. 'These two took on an entire team of ANBU Black Ops with next to no difficulty. Sensei was even reluctant to fight the two of them back then. I don't care how much stronger I've gotten; it shouldn't be this easy.'

He had a similar feeling when fighting them earlier. 'Something about this is definitely off. I just have no idea what it is…'

"Lightning Blade!"

The bounty hunter barely managed to evade Kakashi's strike. His movements were noticeably sluggish, and there was even a trickle of sweat dripping down the side of his partially visible face. He even tried to mask the slightly labored breathing.

"What's wrong?" The Copy Ninja asked mockingly, all while trying to tag him with his most lethal attack. "Use too many big moves?" Fainting with the kunai in his free hand, Kakashi hid his lightning jab behind it. He hit his mark. Just a glancing blow was all he needed. It ripped through the right side of the masked man's midsection, easily rupturing a kidney.

Kakuzu's hand immediately flew to that spot, pressing down hard as blood gushed from the open wound. He hissed as pain flooded his body. "Don't get so confident, Kakashi Hatake." His breathing became even more intense. "We'll meet again. And next time, it won't go so well for you."

"Heh." Team 7's squad leader reenergized his hand with lightning style chakra. "How foolish… assuming that there will be a next time." He lunged, aiming for his opponent's heart. "It's over!"

Kakashi's ultimate weapon sliced through skin, tissue, ligaments, cartilage, and bone like a red-hot knife through butter. The squelched sounds would make the average person sick, but that just told the Leaf Jonin that he had struck his mark. "You die today. There won't be a next time."

The pierced Akatsuki had one arm on Kakashi's wrist, not that it did much to impede the attack. The mask he wore around his face was coated in the thick blood that was now freely spewing from his mouth. "N-Not quite." He managed to say through gasping for life-sustaining air. "Though it is too bad. I was three inches away from taking you with me."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, though a sudden pain in his chest alerted him to what he had been talking about. His chest had been pierced by the Akatsuki member's free hand. The skin on his arm was the same sickly blackish color from when he had survived Naruto's suicide clone attack. 'Dammit!' He had been careless. 'Guess I've used a little too much chakra...'

"Seems… I wasn't the o-only one who had used too many big moves." Kakuzu wheezed out. "M-My parting gift to you, Copy Ninja." Despite being near death, you could tell he was smiling behind that blood-stained mask.

Without a retort to give back, the Copy Ninja aggressively ripped his lightning-charged fist out of his opponent's chest cavity. The Akatsuki threat collapsed in the pools of blood that had been forming at his feet. Stumbling backward, Kakashi placed his still active hand over the wound. "Have to cauterize it to stop some of the bleeding." He told himself, preparing for the terrible pain. He winced, as the searing heat for the blade melted and fused his open wound together. Now, leaning against a nearby tree that somehow hadn't fallen during the fight, the next step was to regulate his breathing. The higher my heart rate, the more blood I'm going to lose. What I really need is-'

"Sensei!"

"Sakura, thank goodness." He sighed in relief. Everything was going to be okay. "It's a chest wound five inches wide, and three inches below the heart. On the inside of the bottom ribs. I already closed it on the surface, but I'm sure there's internal bleeding underneath."

The medical kunoichi nodded, and gently placed her hands over the area in question. They began to hum, glowing emerald green. "I see." Was her initial comment as she continued to take in the information from her diagnostics technique. It helped paint an accurate picture of the damage beneath the skin even though she couldn't see it with her eyes.

Kakashi never understood how something like that worked. Even when Rin performed it on him and Obito.

"The wound is deep, as well." It was an autopiloted comment; she was far too focused to engage in actual conversation. "Though, with some treatment and rest, you should be fine."

"How is Naruto doing?" Kakashi finally asked. Immediately after finding out, he was in no danger; his thoughts quickly went to his other student. "I closed the wound myself because I thought the two of you would be busy handling the other guy."

Sakura gave her Sensei a confident look. "Naruto is amazing. That immortal guy wasn't standing a chance. He told me it would be better if I were on standby if either of you needed medical attention." She smiled cheekily. "He was right. Who would've thought the famed Copy Ninja would be the one that needed help?"

He gave his student an exasperated look. "You know, I miss when you two were cute and little and thought I was unbeatable. I got a lot more respect back then."

"Don't be so dramatic. I'm only joking, Kakashi-Sensei. You won, didn't you?"

They both looked over at the unmoving Kakuzu. After seeing Hidan twist his neck entirely around, was anything going to surprise them at this point? "God, I hope so…" The other guy was immortal, after all. There was nothing that was going to surprise them after that.

Suddenly, the calm winds began to hum at a high frequency. The ground they rested on and the tree Kakashi had his back up against were rattling.

"What is that sound?" Sakura asked, as they both simultaneously looked up at the sky. It was still bright as day, barely a single cloud blocking the beautiful blue sky. It almost sounded like two hunks of steel grinding together.

Team 7's leader brought his gaze down and past Sakura. The source of the noise became far more apparent. No way… that was impossible.

"Naruto… that Jutsu is-"

As if on cue, they both heard Naruto announce to the world his most powerful technique.

"Wind Style: Rasengan!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: A Delicate Thread

Strands of Hidan's silvery-grey hair hung loosely over his face. With a growl of pain, he haphazardly ripped out the wind chakra-infused kunai that had been embedded in his side. Thick blood spurted from the wound as he tossed the blade aside, burying it in a nearby boulder. His bloodshot, rage-filled eyes fell on the culprit behind his injuries.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He was far stronger than anyone in the Akatsuki had anticipated. Their initial plan was to use the Zombie Combo as a way to charge their target emotionally. With him effectively removed from the battle, the Akatsuki's victory was all but assured.

Unfortunately, the plan did not go as calculated. Still…

Even at a measly forty-percent of their power, Hidan and Kakuzu had expected to be able to capture him with relative ease. White Zetsu had well documented Kakashi's and also the pink-haired girl's strength. The only unknown variable had been the Uzumaki. His projected battle strength was to be mid-to-high Chunin level; at the most, a low Jonin level threat.

An evident miscalculation was made on their part.

'I'm slower in this worthless body, and with only forty-percent of my chakra.' He thought to himself, as he rationalized his likely defeat at the hands of the Fox child. 'And this Jutsu doesn't use our own durability. Whoever they used as a sacrifice must have been a weakling; it's causing me to slow down.' The neck injury, in particular, came to mind. That was when he noticed a drop in the sacrificial body's responsiveness.

"You can think up all of the possibilities you want." Naruto said, pointing the finger at his would-be assailant who appeared to be in deep thought. "We both know that this is over. Just give up; make this easier for both of us."

Hidan could only smirk, ill-intent barely hidden behind his murderous eyes. "If only it were that easy, brat. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Just remember, I never forget a face! I'll kill you one day. You can count on it."

Naruto smiled sadly. Even the prospect of killing someone who had caused him so much pain didn't appeal to him. If there were another way, he'd love to know. Yet, he knew what had to be done. "Sorry, but I can't let you continue to live. People like you only spread pain, destruction, and death to those who have done nothing to deserve it. If I don't kill you here and now, I'll be indirectly killing all of your future victims." He began to gather up a significant amount of chakra. "I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen!"

"All of you non-believers say the same thing." The zealot tightened his grip around his retractable spear. "You're ignorant to everything, and then attempt to force that ignorance on the rest of us! Who are you to say my actions are unjust when you cause just as much of the pain you condemn me for?!" He pointed to the scratched headband that hung loosely around his neck. "You justify your violence under the banner of the village you pledge your allegiance to. Where is the virtue in that? You're just a pawn in political games fueled by greed and the obsession of power. I act in the name of my Lord and Savior. A higher power fools like you couldn't even begin to comprehend!"

There was vast truth to what the Jashinist was saying. At the surface, he made strong points that were hard to dispute. The shinobi system and the ninja themselves were severely flawed. From Naruto's perspective, Humans acted in their self-interests. The shinobi system was just a method, or tool, those in power used to exercise their will on those around them. To further their own ambitions. In that sense, even Naruto was a tool in a much larger game. A game created by individuals who represent the epitome of human nature. However…

"And what about the Akatsuki? Are they not driven by the same desires that you despise?" Naruto retorted, trying to keep his emotions in check. Unlike the one called Hidan. "Don't attempt to take the moral high ground when you act on behalf of that organization's will. You don't really care about your 'virtues' at all, am I right? The Akatsuki gave you the perfect opportunity to cause as much destruction as possible and jumped at the chance. The only problem is you have to break the rules of your God to do it. Do you know what that tells me? You don't do it to adhere to some sacred creed; you're just a lunatic that enjoys mayhem and slaughter!"

Hidan's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'This kid has got me figured out…'

The chakra that the blond had been gathering began materializing in his right hand. "People like you are what is wrong with the world. All you care about are your own twisted desires. And you'll harm innocent people on your way to get it." In seconds, the Rasengan was spinning dangerously in his palm. Slowly, he began to funnel in his wind chakra. Wispy-white blades of wind chakra began to form around the perimeter of the spiraling ball, followed by a high-frequency shriek. It was so intense that it rattled the Jinchuriki's bones and caused the dirt at their feet to vibrate. "I can't let it continue!"

That technique looked familiar. 'Is that the attack the Sannin used against me? No… this is different.' Sweat dripped down the side of Hidan's face. It didn't take a genius to deduce that he probably shouldn't allow that technique to make contact with him. Though in his condition, there may not be much he could do to prevent it. The murderer smirked devilishly. "Fine, let's have it your way, boy!" The man dropped into a readied stance with his spear in hand. "Let's share in this ultimate pain together!"

They sprinted at one another at high speeds, each hellbent on delivering the decisive blow. In an instant, Hidan's spear was on a collision course with the blond's heart. Naruto's eyes widened.

'A kill shot? And he's still this fast?' Acting purely on instinct, he shot a stream of air out of his mouth, aimed at the crazed killer's attacking hand. Naruto grimaced and growled as the sharp steel punctured his skin, ripping its way through his body and out the other side. His last-second attempt appeared to be just enough to change the trajectory of the attack. The searing hot pain in his gut did not deter him. He would follow through on his declaration!

"Just die…" He whispered as he slammed his most potent technique into the abdomen of his enemy. It was immediate. The razor-sharp blades of wind dug into the zealot's skin, carving through his flesh like a red-hot knife through butter. With a final push, Naruto sent his foe, Jutsu, and all, off to his fate. "And if you can't die, just stay down!"

Hidan hissed in agony, the Jinchuriki's momentum sent him sparling through the air. In an attempt to free himself, he scratched and clawed as the technique burrowed further into his sternum. His nostrils quickly filled with the stench of scorched flesh and bone. His hands were gone, eviscerated by the serrated blades of wind that surrounded the chakra ball.

Pain was only enjoyable when he was able to share it with his victims. He bathed in the pleasure of his opponent's torture, watching the life leave their eyes while they bonded in their suffering. It was euphoric! However, what he experienced at this moment was pure anguish! Distress flashed across his face, something that Naruto picked up on. Their eyes met, and it was clear.

Though, despite that, the blond maintained a frown. "Please… just disappear."

On cue, the sphere of chakra detonated inside the immortal man's body. In a flash of blindingly beautiful blue light, he was consumed in the massive explosion. Naruto put his arm above his brow to shield some of it, but he refused to look away. His sullen expression worsened as his secret move continued to rip apart the body of his enemy.

It was a display of visceral carnage the likes of which he hadn't seen in a long time. He clenched his hand into a fist and then released it, looking down at the hand that had just held the technique. 'Did I really create something that causes this much pain?' That's right; this was the first time he used it on an actual person. Foe or not, Naruto didn't know what to feel at that moment.

Sakura and Kakashi, who had already completed their battle, came up behind him. They each placed a hand on his shoulders. He turned to them and was greeted with cheerful looks; though, his Sensei's looked a bit labored.

"What a magnificent Jutsu." The Copy Ninja was the first to speak once the commotion finally died down. "I never imagined I would see the day that the Fourth Hokage's Jutsu would finally be completed. I thought it was impossible."

"Did you take care of the other guy?" The Genin asked, sidestepping the praise his teacher had levied on him.

Kakashi blinked but nodded. "Yeah, it's over. Though, I didn't come out of it unscathed." He continued, gesturing down to his bandaged midsection. He didn't go down easily."

"Heh, I guess the same could be said for me." Naruto countered, referencing the wound he had received in their final clash. It was spurting blood from the exit wound despite his best attempts to clamp it down with pressure from his palms.

"Naruto!" Sakura had been so caught up in her teammate's display of raw power; she hadn't even noticed he was nursing a significant wound. "Let me take a look; I'll start applying aid, immediately!"

"Thanks, Sakura."

The pink-haired kunoichi was already applying her Medical Ninjutsu, evident from the emerald green light that emanated from her hands. There was no need to perform diagnostics, as the wound severity and its location were visible. Sakura didn't appear to be worried, which allowed Naruto to relax and bask in the pain-numbing effects of being healed.

The blond's eyes never left the spot where Hidan had been. The blast had formed a crater, which restricted the team's view of the immortal man.

"Kakashi-Sensei, if what he said is true, that blast wouldn't have ended him. Could you… you know?" Not sure of the correct words to say.

His teacher quickly picked up on what he meant.

"Can you go cut his head off and end this?"

The leader of Team 7 nodded as he covered his fabled eye back up with his headband. Even in his state, he would be more than enough to handle the Jashinist. 'There's no way he would still be able to move after an attack like that.'

His students watch him slowly limp his way over to the newly formed crater. "That really was amazing, Naruto." His longtime teammate echoed the sentiment of their teacher. "You nailed that guy!"

He gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Sakura."

"Though, there is just one thing that I don't get." He looked over at her. "The way you were tossing that guy around, I'm surprised he managed to get this hit on you."

"I was planning on taking his hit. I wanted to ensure that my Rasengan would land." The dull pain in the back of his head returned. "I just didn't expect him to try to hit one of my vital spots, and was able to stop it at the last minute. "His bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood. His weary gaze lowered to the ground beneath his feet.

Was that really all there was to it?

"I see." Sakura smiled. "Well, I bet you're glad that we were able to avenge Inari and his family."

The blond unconsciously clenched his right hand again. "I just hope that it's over. I really just want all of this to end."

'I thought he'd be happy after beating the guys that killed our friends.' Sakura smiled sadly. She was beginning to realize it was more complicated that she thought it was. "I hope so, too. But first, we have to save Gaara!"

The last sentence seemed to snap the blond out of his haze. As if it was the gentle push, he needed to stick to his convictions. "R-right." He'd have to thank Sakura for that later. "That reminds me, we have to recall Team Shikamaru. We're clearly on the right path, and we'll need them if there are going to be more Akatsuki."

"I agree." Sakura said with a nod, as her magic hands continued to stitch her friend's flesh back together. "Though we will have to take some time for you and Kakashi-Sensei to recover. You may be ready to go soon, but he'll need a couple more rounds of treatment and some rest before he's fit to continue." She had been watching with barely contained awe as Naruto's body repaired itself. It was like he didn't even need her help, and she just poured gas on the fire that was his incredible recuperative powers.

'So this is the power of being the Nine-Tail's Jinchuriki. Unreal.' It explained so much. Despite some debilitating injuries he's sustained, Naruto never had to stay in the hospital for that long. Hell, he rarely got tired. His stamina has always been off of the charts.

"That's fine by me." Naruto said, taking out a scroll similar to the one he gave Shikamaru. Sakura looked on with mild curiosity as he unfurled the scroll. The blond performed his favorite hand sign, shut his eyes, and then placed his hand on a sealing matrix placed at the center of the parchment. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The Fuinjutsu scribble glowed brightly, then dimmed back to its normal color.

Sakura looked even more unsure, glancing between the scroll and Naruto. Seeing this, he smiled. "Let's go meet up with Sensei. I'll explain it then, so I won't have to twice."

Sakura nodded. "Need a hand?" She leaned towards him slightly, a sweet smile on her face. "I can help support you if walking is still difficult."

"No, I'm feeling a lot better." He patted his stomach for effect, but his slight wince ruined the image he was trying to create of himself. "Oops." He smiled sheepishly. "Well, it isn't as healed as I thought it would be, but I can still walk fine."

The kunoichi crossed her arms out in front of her and shook her head. "Well, I guess you aren't completely different. That idiot I knew from a few years ago is still in there, isn't he?"

They continued to chat as they walked over to where they Sensei had gone.

The blond chuckled. "I don't think I changed all that much, Sakura. Honest." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm still Naruto Uzumaki, ya know?"

"You're definitely still Naruto Uzumaki, but I don't think we can call you the Number Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja anymore. Hyperactive people don't meditate."

"Aww, but I kinda liked that nickname." He said in feigned sadness.

Sakura shook her head.

They finally reached the crater their opponent was lying at the bottom of. The Rasengan variant had launched the Akatsuki member a significant distance. At the very bottom, Kakashi was standing in front of the remains of a corpse.

The Copy Ninja was as still as a statue, as he looked down at the remains.

"What's wrong, Sensei?" Naruto called down to him, and he and Sakura slide down the slope. "Everything okay?"

Their teacher was blocking their view of Hidan. He turned to look at them, a grave expression reflected through his eye. Without a word, the Jonin moved out of the way.

Several emotions flashed through the eyes of the teens. Confusion and shock were among them. Though, Naruto had one unique to him.

"W-What the h-hell is this?" He stuttered out.

Disgust.

The corpse, or what was left of it, was a frightening sight. From the upper chest, all the way down to just above the knees was nearly gone. The wind-infused Rasengan had annihilated over half of the body. Blood was everywhere. That wasn't even the worst part, and the carnage had little to do with the ill-feeling it left in the boy's stomach.

This man was not Hidan.

And from the headband, the man he had killed hailed from the Village Hidden in the Sand.

Naruto stumbled backward, only for Sakura to catch him. He couldn't look away from his handiwork. Sweat began to accumulate just above his brow until it slowly dripped down his face. The speed of his breath quickened. His heart clenched.

"Naruto, it's okay!" Sakura's words were falling on deaf ears. The Genin's hyperventilation worsened. Instinctively, the pinkette pulled his head to her chest. She didn't know what else to do; she hoped that her embrace would help calm him down. She gave their teacher a look that said, 'What are we supposed to do?! I'm a medic; this isn't a physical problem.'

Kakashi looked like he was about to do something, but it was clear from his eye. He had no idea what caused the boy's reaction and had no clue how to help.

While his two teammates scrambled to snap him out of his episode, there was only one thing on his mind.

'Did I just kill an innocent person?'

Itachi looked on with his best attempt at indifference as the Sealing Jutsu continued to eat away at Gaara's defenses. Every so often, the former Kazekage would let out a whimper or groan, probably from the pain he was enduring from the Tailed Beast extraction. It was difficult to watch, but it had to be done. That was what he tried to convince himself, at least.

Some movement in his peripheral alerted him to the return of the pair. Kisame not so affectionately referred to them as the Zombie Combo. Even though they were astral projections, the two shadows did not look very pleased. The Uchiha had to resist the urge to grin.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, what is your report? Did you capture the Nine-Tails?" Pain asked with an air of authority.

Based on their leader's rigid posture, Itachi could already guess he knew the answer to his question. The truth was evident on the duo's respective faces. They had failed. Discussing any further was merely a formality at this point.

"Well, you see…" Hidan rubbed the back of his head and avoided making any eye contact. "We ran into trouble along the way."

"So, you failed." That didn't sound like a question, but a statement. Pain did not have time for roundabout excuses.

"Our plan to enrage the Nine-Tails to weaken the enemy's battle strength failed." Kakuzu took over, hoping the reasoning behind the debacle would be in their favor. "They were much more powerful than we anticipated. Especially the Jinchuriki."

"I see." He did not sound pleased with the news. He looked over to the Akatuski's designated scout. "Zetsu, what is their position? Will we have enough time to extract the One-Tails?"

The plant-like creature squirmed under the gaze of the organization's leader but answered, nonetheless. "They appear to have stopped to rest and heal. Though, given the amount of time we still have to complete the extraction, they are likely to arrive before we finish."

"Hm." Pain turned to another of his subordinates. "Sasori, do you have any other bodies that you could lend to my Impersonation Jutsu?" The answer was swift and silent. Sasori shook his head.

"You know what this means, don't you?" He did not wait for anyone to respond. "Itachi, Sasori, you two will most likely have to fight off these bothersome pests while the rest of us finish our business here. Is that understood?"

Of course." The hunchback said maliciously. "And while I'm at it, I'll capture my Jinchuriki."

"Just ensure they don't interfere with our plans. The One-Tails must be completely sealed."

"Hidan, Kakuzu." Sasori growled. "The Jinchuriki, how strong is he?"

The cultist sneered at the mere mention of the vessel of the Nine-Tails. Though, since he was the one who mainly fought the brat, it was only fitting that he answered the hunchback. "He can make shadow clones and have them blow up. And it looked like he could use two changes in chakra nature. Wind and Water."

"Is that it?" A relatively impressive skillset for a child, but nothing to be worried about. "Sounds like you lost to a weakling."

"Tch, whatever." The immortal man scoffed. "Oh, and just so you know, he has a Wind Ball Jutsu that…" He paused, unsure if he should even be telling the cocky bastard about it. It would be much more enjoyable to leave him in the dark and then hear from Zetsu later that he had died. "Don't let it hit you, or you'll be in for a ride."

Sasori rose an eyebrow at that last bit of information but said nothing.

The Akatsuki leader shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. At times it felt like he was a babysitter, not the organizer of the world's most powerful criminal syndicate. "If that is all, let us now focus on continuing the sealing of the Beast. That way, we can finish this up while Itachi and Sasori… greet our guests."

"Why do they get to have all of the fun? Hm." Deidara scoffed. "Kisame, after this is over, let's take a more… hands-on assignment."

"Hehe, sounds good to me. I haven't rampaged in a while." He responded as he unconsciously grabbed the hilt of his massive sword. "Samehada and I are itching for a decent chakra meal."

'They seem to be getting along much better than Sasori and I.' The Uchiha criminal thought with a hint of annoyance. His partnership with Kisame was rather enjoyable. They had mutual respect for their abilities. They didn't talk too much to the point where it was annoying and didn't talk too little to where it was boring. He knew Deidara didn't like him, but the puppeteer didn't like anyone. If someone held a kunai to his throat and told him to choose, he'd pick Deidara over Sasori every time.

Oh well, not like he could change his position. It would just be something he'd have to endure for the time being.

It'd been hours, but Shikamaru was still analyzing the predicament they were in. Had he made the right choice? The more he thought about it, the more unsure he became. On the one hand, listening to anything a Demon Fox said probably wasn't the best idea. Yet, that doesn't mean it is impossible. Had that reality clouded his judgment? After all, we're talking about the same monster that demolished the Hidden Leaf Village fifteen years ago. He couldn't have possibly been telling the truth.

Right?

What had been bothering the most was what Naruto had said. He made several good points. Even if the Nine-Tails wanted to jerk them around, it was in its best interest to help the Leaf team rescue Gaara. The weaker the Akatsuki, the less likely they'll be able to capture Naruto. It was logical, rational. That was what was frustrating him the most. If Shikamaru held himself in high regard in any area, it would be his critical thinking and logical mind. If that were indeed the case, why would he allow emotions to disrupt his thought process and decision making?

'Hinata, Sakura, and even Kakashi-sensei trusted Naruto immediately. He was the only one who had any contact with the Nine-Tails, so I should have taken what he had to say more seriously.' A frown penetrated his lackadaisical demeanor. 'That's so unlike me. This is turning into a real drag.'

"Shikamaru."

He turned to his side. Temari was already looking his way.

"Yeah?"

"Something on your mind?" She asked. "You're making that same face from when we fought in the Chunin Exams."

Shikamaru blinked but nodded. "Yeah, I'm just wondering if we made the right choice. I'm not sure why, but I have the feeling that we should have followed Naruto and the others."

The Sand Jonin sighed as she turned to face ahead. "Yeah… I kind of figured that was what you were thinking. I was wondering the same thing, myself."

"What? I thought you wouldn't be able to trust what the Demon said?"

"At first, that was really what I thought." The Kakzekage's sister frowned. "But after thinking it over, I just think I jumped to that conclusion because I was scared. All I could remember was how Gaara used to be before."

"What made you change your mind?"

"…It's Naruto. He's the one who changed my little brother in the first place. I should trust him, shouldn't I? I know someone like Naruto wouldn't allow a demon to change who he is."

"What is your decision, captain? Should we continue our trek to the Sand Village, or regroup with Team Kakashi? The deeper into the desert we get, the harder it will be to turn around." Pakkun, who had been listening to the entire conversation, decided to ask.

"Especially if there is a sandstorm." The only shinobi present from the Land of Wind added.

Shikamaru let out a sigh. He'd have to get the opinion of the last member of their little squad. Though, the Nara already knew what that answer was going to be. "Hinata, what do you think?"

Before the Hyuga could say anything on the matter, she noticed something with her active Byakugan. "Shikamaru, I think we should stop. The scroll Naruto gave you is glowing and leaking chakra."

He flipped open his pouch, and sure enough, it was true. Just as the Uzumaki described it when he handed over the scroll, the symbol on the outside was glowing brightly. "I've been curious about this since he gave it to us. Naruto said it would glow if he had any new information that needed to be shared."

The group immediately stopped and kneeled in the hot sand. Everyone waited with bated breath for the contents of the seal to be revealed.

The man with pineapple hair unfurled the parchment and injected a bit of his chakra into its center. The chain reaction was immediate; a 'poof,' followed by a cloud of smoke that enveloped the team.

"Ah, that's much better. It was really cramped in there, ya know?" A very familiar voice rang out.

They knew that voice… but how?

"Is that…" Shikamaru began, unsure of himself. As the fumes dissipated, the answer was staring him right in the face. "Naruto, it is you! How are you here?"

"Oh, I'm just a clone." He patted himself down for effect. "The boss hasn't figured out a way to send actual people in between seals, just clones."

"You were just created?" Hinata asked, clearly confused by the presence of the clone. "How was he able to do that?"

The doppelganger grinned. "It's pretty simple once you understand the mechanics behind sealing matrixes. You can think of the scroll that the real Naruto has as point A, and the one he gave you guys as point B. They are linked by an identical chakra transportation seal. Through this, chakra is transmitted between them." He thought for a moment. "Though there is still quite a bit of energy loss during transmission, so my shadow clones are the only things that can really go through it. Still working the kinks out on that one." He finished with a half-hearted shrug.

The Hyuga heiress could only nod dumbly. Fuinjutsu was something she did not know much about.

"As much as I'm sure we'd all love to talk about Fuinjutsu, there was a reason you came to us. Am I right?" The Nara asked. He wasn't trying to be rude. They were on a time crunch, after all.

"Did something happen?" Temari piped up. Maybe there was good news to be had about her brother? Even though he was a clone, the Genin seemed far too upbeat for there to be any bad news.

"Oh, right." The clone rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Talking about seals just made him excited. "They sent me over to you guys to let you know that they made contact with the Akatsuki."

"They what?!" The genius of the group said with a shocked tone. "Is everyone okay? We need to get over there as soon as possible!"

"No, no. It's alright." The duplicate assured. "They're fine. Kakashi and the real me sustained some injuries so they will have to rest, but they're not in any danger."

"So, you… they won?" Temari asked carefully. "Does that mean Gaara's safe."

"No, we still don't have Gaara." He said quickly, as not to be cut off by the worried Sand Sibling. "We made contact before reaching where they have Gaara kept. It was probably to either delay us or to capture me. We don't really know for sure as of right now."

"I would say a combination of both." The Nara concluded. "Their primary goal was probably to capture the real Naruto. In the case, they failed, they also had the added benefit of delaying your arrival by either exhausting or injuring you."

"Yeah, that makes sense." The Leaf Genin agreed. "The three of them are going to rest up and heal before heading back out. We want you to meet us there. We may very well have another fight on our hands. There is no way to really tell."

"Can you lead us there, Naruto?" Temari asked. "You know… with help from the Fox?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm just a clone; I don't have the same connection right now. Based on where they were going, I have a general idea, but nothing that's going to be accurate."

"Pakkun?" Shikamaru asked as he leaned down to have the ninja hound sniff the scroll.

The Pug obliged, walking over to the kneeled over Nara. After sniffing for Naruto's scent for a few moments, he looked Northeast. "I think I got it." He finally said.

"They probably have a hideout in the heart of the Land of Rivers. We were heading Southwest." The clone added, hoping Pakkun would take that into account when tracking Team Kakashi's location.

"You guys are pretty close, then." The dog stated.

"Yeah." The clone confirmed with a nod. He looked around at the surroundings. "Based on where you guys are, even though they have to rest and heal, they'll probably get there first. After all, I'm sure you have been rushing to try and get to the Sand Village. You'll have to take a break soon so you can be in fighting shape."

"Yeah, that's probably smart." Shika agreed.

"I'll stay with you guys for now." The clone continued. "If anything comes up, everything I experience will be sent back to the original."

The Nara nodded. He appreciated the foresight the blond doppelganger displayed. "Good plan. And, while you're at it, you can clue us in on all of the original's abilities. If we're going to be meeting up for group combat, we must know each other's move sets."

The Genin grinned. "Sounds good to me."

"I see, so that's how you're able to communicate with Shikamaru's team." Kakashi said. "Then, it's safe to say that they'll be pretty close behind us. He held up a note they had just recently received. "Not only that, according to the update from Lady Tsunade Team Kurenai should be dispatched from the Leaf by now."

"We're going to be coming at them from all sides. There's no way they'll be able to escape." Sakura commented on the news. "Naruto, isn't that great?"

Everything was moving so slow. As if time itself was grinding to a halt. His eyes darted down and off to the side. They had discussed the outlook of the mission right next to the corpse of Kakuzu. Well, it was supposed to be the masked Akatsuki member.

Yet, just like the incident with Hidan, it was not the case.

Once they helped Naruto recover from his panic, they had concluded it must be the work of an Akatsuki Jutsu. No one from Team 7 had seen a technique like this before; initial estimates put it as a near S-Rank technique.

When they focused on the mission, that seemed to help take the Genin's mind off of what had just happened. The blond had briefly explained to them how he was able to alert and update Team Nara on the status of the mission. And yet, they knew it wasn't that simple. He had been shaken to his core and would need some time to come to terms with it all.

Though, they had no idea how deep the pain ran. No one did.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called out to him, which seemed to snap him out of his daze. "Are you still with us?"

The boy in question blinked. That was a loaded question, but he still had a simple answer.

"Yeah, I'm alright." He managed to say. Though, how true that statement was, was a mystery. "I wonder if they're aware that three teams will be closing in on them." He commented on what Sakura had said just moments before.

"What difference would knowing make?" Sakura asked. "Even if they were aware, what could they really do?"

"Is something on your mind, Naruto?" Kakashi followed up.

He nodded. "Ever since we left the village, Master Jiraiya had been keeping tabs on Akatsuki movement. After their failed attempt to capture me in Wave, they tried their best to mask themselves. They essentially went dark, making it difficult to tell what they were doing."

"What does that have to do with this?" Sakura was still confused.

"The Akatsuki had three years to prepare for this moment. If they weren't making noise in typical fashion, that means they had plenty of time and thought to put into other things."

"Like planning their first moves…" Kakashi finished with a nod of agreement. It seemed the team had just made a grave realization. As good as it appeared, there was a high chance things were about to get worse.

"What could they have in store for us?"

If Naruto was honest with himself, he wasn't that smart. Far from it. The only reason he had made it this far in his thought process was that this was something that had been on his mind for the better part of a year. Because beyond that…

"…I don't know…" Was all he could say on the matter

"Are you two ready?" A feminine voice said. "As you know, we've been called on to be backup to Kakashi's new squad."

The group was standing just outside the enormous gates of the Leaf Village. Four figures.

"I think it would be wise if we departed immediately, Sensei. Hinata and the other's may need our assistance." Came a deep, monotonous voice commented. "Wouldn't you agree, Kiba?"

"Yeah, that's right, Shino." Kiba said with a feral grin. "Even though Hinata has gone off to be apart of a cool new squad, we'll always be there to have her back!" He stood beside a massive dog; one could only assume was Akamaru.

He barked in approval of his master's words. They all cared deeply for the Hyuga Heiress.

Kurenai nodded. She couldn't help but smile at her team. They weren't whole, but that didn't stop them from being an effective and dangerous team. They missed Hinata's eyes, sure, but with two other elite trackers, who could minimize the loss as best as possible.

"Have you located her scent, Kiba?" The Genjutsu specialist asked.

"Yeah, we got it." He answered. "Just follow Akamaru and me, and we'll be there in no time. To which the fluffy, white dog barked in agreement.

With that, Team 8 look off into the trees in the direction of their precious teammate.

Though, while Hinata's safety was certainly on their minds, so was the thought of someone else. A person that none of them had seen in quite a while.

"Naruto is back in the village, too, huh?" The Ninja Hound user asked cockily. "Man, that kid just gets back and immediately is handed an S-Rank mission. Lady Tsunade really has a soft spot for that guy. Wish I was that lucky!"

The sun reflected off of the Aburame's black-tinted glasses. He pushed them further up the bridge of his nose. "Naruto has been away training with Master Jiraiya for over two years." His measured, logical approach contrasted drastically with the wild Inuzuka. "One would assume that he has become quite the shinobi."

"As if, I'm probably way stronger than that worthless Genin!" Despite that comment, Kiba couldn't hide the smile on his face. "I'll have to upstage him this time. To repay him for our match in the Chunin Exams!"

"You mean when he overwhelmed your sense of smell and kicked your face into the ground?" Shino challenged without a touch of humor in his voice.

"It was a lucky fart, and you know it!" That wound still appeared to be very sore. He didn't like to be reminded of the loss that caused him the most embarrassment in his entire life.

Kurenai chuckled to herself as she watched her two students squabble. Well, Kiba's squabble and whatever word you would use to describe what Shino was doing.

No one can ever read that boy.

"I am interested to see how much Naruto has changed, as well." Shino admitted. "Not only that, but I am appreciative that I am not being left out of an important mission." Even though a hood and glasses covered ninety-percent of his face, you could tell he was upset. "Unlike last time..."

Kiba scowled. "Are you sulking again?" He asked, exasperated by his teammate's moodiness. "You were away with your dad when Sasuke left the village. What did you want us to do, wait for you to get back?"

"Let Shino grieve, Kiba." She said, clearly amused by their back and forth.

"Ah, c'mon! Don't enable him, Sensei!" He pointed the finger at the leader of Team 8. "He's just gonna keep doing it if you're like that!"

Kurenai giggled. "Speaking of Naruto, did either of you get a chance to read his book? Hinata seemed quite enthralled with it when it came out."

The Inuzuka gave her an odd look as if to signify he was still focused on Shino's silent tantrum. Though, once the question registered in his brain, he grimaced.

"You should know as well as anyone, Sensei." Shino cut in. "Kiba does not read."

The Ninja Hound user was going to fire back a retort, but, as the words sunk in, he found himself agreeing with the Insect User. He couldn't remember the last time he had read a book.

The best he could manage was a grumble of half-hearted disagreement with his friend's assessment of his literary interests.

"Well, I thought that since it was a friend's book, you may be more inclined to read it." Kurenai said. "After this mission is over, I recommend giving it a chance. I'll lend you my copy if you'd like?" She smiled sweetly. "It's… quite the interesting read."

"I would have to concur with Kurenai-Sensei." The Aburame added. "The amount you can learn about someone through their writing is quite staggering." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps you could even learn something about Naruto that could help you 'one-up' him, as you would say."

Kiba rolled his eyes and let out a weak groan. Whenever he thought about that book, all he saw was Hinata fawning all over it. At first, he was curious. What could be so compelling that it would occupy most of the Hyuga's free time? Then, he began seeing that orange book all over the village. Everyone was reading it. That had made him even more curious. Only then did he find out.

Naruto had written it.

The Inuzuka didn't know how to feel about it. In the Academy, Naruto had been inferior to him in every way. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Academics. Though, Kiba would be the first to admit that schoolwork wasn't one of his strong points.

But Naruto was supposed to be worse!

Then, in what seemed like a flash, he had to watch the blond surpass him in strength. Even when Team 8 had plenty of rest after the Forest of Death, a fatigued and beaten Naruto humiliated him in front of everyone. If that weren't bad enough, the Rookie-Nine came to find that Naruto would be getting specialized training under the tutelage of one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. He already had to watch his rival soar past him; there was no way the Dog User would catch him now.

And now, he was a best-selling author? Was there nothing the kid couldn't do? It was infuriating to watch someone that was supposed to have no talent suddenly have all the ability in the world. Kiba wanted to be happy for his friend, he really did. But…

His ego was making it difficult to accept it. He felt utterly inferior to someone that, not too long ago, had been beneath him.

To some, his reaction and attitude would seem contentious and stubborn. Kiba knew that, but that didn't make it easier.

'We're supposed to be rivals.' He thought to himself. His hands balled tightly into fists. 'How can I call him my rival when he's gotten so much better than me. Embarrassing me in the Chunin Exams, S-Rank missions, training under a legend, a famous author…' He frowned. 'That kid is so lucky; everything comes easy to him. He's had it so easy…' He wasn't proud of these thoughts. Naruto was still very much his friend.

"Yeah." The Inuzuka finally said. "Maybe I will have to check it out once we get back." His words sounded forced. In reality, he had no intention to read Naruto's book. His pride wouldn't allow it.

Maybe if he did, he'd realize how wrong his thoughts about Naruto were.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26: Three Fronts

Team 7 had decided it be best to move a significant distance from the battlefield. Not only for Naruto's sake but in case of potential enemy reinforcements, they didn't want to be caught off guard while resting their wounds.

A good night of respite and they were just about ready to continue their journey.

The blond scratched his head as he thought back to all of the training he did with Jiraiya. "Well, I guess I should start off by saying I know three elements. You saw Water and Wind, but I also know Earth. I'm still a beginner when it comes to Water and Earth, though." He continued to scratch. "I can make explosive clones and seal-less clones, but you already saw those… Oh! I can also make Wind Clones."

"Why do you have to think so hard?" Sakura asked with a teasing smile. "Shouldn't you know pretty well what your own abilities are?"

His pensive expression grew even more so. For effect, he crossed his arms at his chest. "It's been a long time, ya know?" He countered. "I don't even remember what I had for dinner last night."

"It was ramen." Kakashi chimed in.

"Oh, yeah. You're right."

"Focus, Naruto." The pinkette said sternly. 'I swear, one minute he's serious, and then the next he's the idiot I went to the Academy with.'

"Hmmm." It was his thinking sound. "Wind is my affinity, I can use wind manipulation, and even created a Jutsu called the Wind Wall. I got the idea from Neji's rotation, but I don't spin around. It makes me dizzy."

Sakura buried her face in her palm. 'At least he seems in a better mood than he did before.' She thought. "Anything else?"

"I'm also pretty decent at Fuinjutsu. I think that's about it." He finished with a nod.

Kakashi, who was leaning up against a tree, returned the gesture. "We told you what our skills are, and now we know yours. I think I should be able to make some solid strategies with that information."

"I'm sure my clone is also exchanging info with Team Shikamaru. So when they join us at the Akatsuki's location, we can work like a well-oiled machine."

"That's good, we're going to need Shikamaru's brain for what's about to come." The Copy Ninja acknowledged. "From here on out, we need to be on our toes. Those two from earlier were just a warmup. I have a feeling that whatever Jutsu the Akatsuki used, it doesn't allow them to be at their strongest. We have to assume that the next opponents will be much tougher."

"And whatever else they have in store for us." The kunoichi of the group added. "You guys ready to go?"

Naruto, who was crouched, put his hands on his knees and sprang up to his feet. "I'm always ready." He stretched out his midsection to support his bold claim. "You know me, give me a little time to rest, and I'll be one-hundred percent in no time!" He leaned closer to Sakura, his voice barely a whisper. "If anyone here needs to be looked after, it's Old Man Kakashi over there."

"I'm fine… thanks for caring." The Jonin countered weakly. "I may not be able to heal like you, Naruto, but with Sakura's help, I feel good. I'm ready to go." His students nodded, which urged him to continue. "We'll go with a simple V-formation. Naruto, acting as our compass, will lead in the front. I'll be located on his weak side to the left, and Sakura, you'll be behind him on his strong side. Is that okay?"

It would only make sense for the medic, combat or not, to be located on the front man's strong side.

"Yes." Sakura said with a nod.

"Alright, we have to make up for lost time." Kakashi asserted. "Let's head out."

"Things are getting ugly outside." Black Zetsu broke the silence that had been built up since the group's last exchange. "Yeah." His White half added. "We've got some bad news!"

"What is it, Zetsu?" Pain asked, unperturbed by their negative words. "Is it an update on those from the Leaf?"

"Yeah." The gruff, raspy voice of Black Zetsu distinguished him from his lighter, more easygoing, half. "The three-man squad that Hidan and Kakuzu fought is on the move again. They'll be here shortly."

"We already knew that." Sasori angrily cut in. "We'll be fine. I'll capture the Jinchuriki, and then add the other two to my collection."

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The main reason he preferred Deidara over Sasori was the Puppeteer's obsession with Human Puppets. Itachi, having slaughtered his entire clan, rarely took the moral high ground. However, the joy the former Sand Shinobi got out of turning cultivated corpses into puppets disturbed even him.

"It isn't just them." The plant-like creature shot back. "There are three separate teams closing in on this location."

"Three?" Pain asked, his normal mask of confidence cracked slightly. Was he actually concerned? "Explain. Who are these other two teams composed of?"

Zetsu shifted under the gaze but answered. "The three that splintered off before have turned around from their journey to the Hidden Sand. They have what appears to be a clone of the Jinchuriki with them, which is probably what made them change course so suddenly."

"And the third?" The Leader followed up.

"According to our source, the last group appears to be a skilled tracking unit from the Leaf Village, composed of two Chunin and a single Jonin. Kurenai Yuhi, a talented Genjutsu specialist. This means that you're going to be surrounded on all sides by the enemy." He looked over to Itachi and Sasori, neither of which looked particularly worried.

"Hmph, all they are more potential specimens to add to my collection." The Puppeteer's eyes were bloodshot and filled with malice. He clearly did not see the retrieval squads as any type of threat.

"Say what you will, but nine high-level shinobi would be a challenge for anyone. Even you." Pain acknowledged. "That is particularly the case after we've been extracting the One-Tails for an extended period. You are not at optimal strength."

"Sounds like you two are in a pretty bad spot, hm." Deidara said with a hint of amusement. "If only I was there to help out my man, Sasori. I'd love to make those Leaf weaklings feel my art!"

Okay, maybe Sasori was a better partner to have over Deidara. The Puppeteer was obsessed with his own 'art,' but at least he kept it to himself. All Itachi ever heard come out of Deidara's mouth were proclamations that his artistic ability was superior to all things in the universe.

'No… they're both fools…' The Uchiha finally concluded.

Sasori growled but otherwise didn't acknowledge his former partner's comment.

"What will we do, Pain?" Black Zetsu asked. They had to move fast, or the sealing of the One-Tails would be in jeopardy.

"Not to worry." Their Leader proclaimed. "We have emergency countermeasures in place in case something like this were to happen." Turning back to the plant-like creature, they exchanged knowing looks. "You know what to do." Was his vague answer to the question.

Itachi watched as both halves of Zetsu's face twisted together to form a cruel smile. Though he didn't show it, even he began to feel uneasy about the new implications. 'What emergency countermeasures are they talking about?' He thought to himself. 'Why were we not informed about it? Are they keeping things from us? Why would that be?' They've become far more cautious ever the failure to capture Naruto in the Land of Waves, even showing reluctance to keep all of the Akatsuki members informed. Could that have something to do with it?

Who knew?

"Of course…" The two-faced creature said slowly. His voice was ominous, malicious, even. "Leave it to me. I'll get him."

As if it had never been there in the first place, the sensation he had grown accustomed to stopped. The blond dug his heels into the ground and skidded to a stop. A look of great concentration overcame him as if he tried to grasp onto any remnants he could.

From behind him, Kakashi and Sakura could only stare on in confusion. If you were to ask them, it appeared their blond teammate needed to use the bathroom. Like, really bad.

"Uhh.." The Copy Ninja said slowly, followed by the raise of an eyebrow. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"I lost it." Was all he said, a frown tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Lost it?" Sakura appeared to pick up on what he implied. "What do you mean you lost it?!"

"Exactly what I said!" He shot back, not really sure of what had just happened. "I can't feel it anymore. I don't know where to go."

"Well, maybe that means we're close?" Sakura hoped, an unsure look plastered on her face. After coming all this way, there was no way they would allow that to happen. They needed to find Gaara.

"Maybe? I'm not sure." The confusion was evident in the boy's voice. "Hey!" He smacked his stomach with a bit of force. "What the hell's going on in there, Fox?! Are ya falling asleep on the job?! We gotta know if we need to keep in this direction! Are we close, at all?!"

…

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

"Naruto, I-" Kakashi could barely get two words in edgewise before he was cut off.

"I'm talking to you in there! I know you can hear me, you furry bastard!" The blond continued to rant aloud, the solid thud from his palm meeting his abdomen continued. "What kind of alliance is this, huh?!"

As he went for another smack, his teacher caught his hand. He looked up, only to see Kakashi with a slightly amused, slightly annoyed expression communicated through his visible eye.

"What are ya doing, Kakashi-Sensei? We can't stop now, I have him right where I want him."

Minato's student resisted the urge to smack his Sensei's son upside the head. "We don't need to do that anymore."

"Huh? What do ya mean?"

He pointed to his nose. "We're close enough. I just picked up their scent." Though, as he mentioned that, the Jonin frowned.

Naruto's eyes washed over with what appeared to be a wave of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Good thing we have you." However, he quickly noticed the expression on his Sensei's face. "Who… do you smell?"

The blond already had a good idea of who it could be based on the older man's reaction. Still, one had to be sure.

"It's Itachi Uchiha."

Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of that name. "Itachi Uchiha." She echoed. It almost made her sick to her stomach. The kunoichi knew very well who that person was. "That's Sasuke's brother, right? The man that was the reason Sasuke felt he need to leave the village… the one who killed everyone in his clan."

"I had a feeling he was involved in this." Naruto commented. "I don't know anyone else who could abduct the Kazekage without alerting the Village. It was similar to what he did to his clan. No one knew until it was over."

"Is he really that strong?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded. "Jiraiya-Sensei told me to do my best to avoid him. He's extremely dangerous… and those eyes." He looked over at Kakashi, who grabbed at the headband, concealing his fabled eye.

They continued moving, led by the nose of their teacher. That didn't hinder their conversation in the slightest. "One look from that guy and I was in the hospital for weeks. If you and Master Jiraiya hadn't brought back Lady Tsunade, who knows where I would be right now." The Jonin acknowledged.

Sakura frowned as she remembered what Itachi had done to both her teacher and Sasuke. How could she forget? When Lady Fifth used her medical prowess to get Sasuke out of his coma, he had changed.

And then he left.

"We're here, you two."

The team broke through the trees, the feeling of water splashing at their feet was mildly refreshing. Despite that, something else had caught their attention.

Further along, the shallow pools of water stood a tall, red, wooden arch. The arch marked the entrance to what appeared to be an aboveground cave, which was blocked off by a massive boulder. Placed in the center of the rock was a paper tag with the kanji 'forbidden' written on it. A thick red border surrounded the edges of the tag completed the seal.

"Are they behind there?" The blond asked.

"Yeah, this is definitely where they are." Kakashi's nose confirmed their suspicions.

"How many?" Sakura tentatively asked.

"It's faint, but there are three different scents coming from inside. One of them is definitely Itachi, and I'm fairly certain another one of them is the Kazekage." He thought for a moment, as he analyzed the scent of an elusive third person. "I don't recognize who the last one is." He finally said. "I assumed it would be Kisame Hoshigaki, the man who infiltrated the Leaf alongside Itachi a few years back. But I don't think he's in there."

Naruto walked up to the boulder and placed his hand along its rough surface. "I guess we're just going to have to get in there and find out."

Kakashi, too, got up close to the rock. Though, his attention was turned towards the paper in its center. "It looks like they have some sort of barrier designed to keep us out. Naruto, you said you were decent at Fuinjustu. Mind taking a look at this with me?"

Sakura had to take a step back and let her two teammates tackle this problem. She wasn't adept in the Sealing Arts. Not in the least bit.

"Yeah, I've had my eye on it since we got here. I think it's some kind of Point Seal barrier. This must have been why the Nine-Tails connection cutoff." The Uzumaki answered almost immediately. "Could be a Five Seal? Or maybe, something a little more complex?"

The Jonin nodded. "I was thinking that it was a Five Seal Barrier, as well."

"What's a Five Seal Barrier?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder to face the confused kunoichi. "In simple terms, there are four more identical tags placed around a perimeter that form the barrier space. The only way to break it is to find and remove all of the tags simultaneously."

"I wouldn't think that the Akatsuki would use a simple C-Rank barrier to guard against intruders." The blond thought aloud. He had made his way up onto the boulder and had examined it more closely. "But this definitely looks like a standard Five Seal. Still, something about this just doesn't feel right, ya know?"

"What do you think that means?" Kakashi asked, not on the same wavelength as his student.

"Well, from what I read, a common tactic in the Second Great War was to combine some sort of Trap Ninjutsu with a low-level seal like this. It lulls your enemy into a false sense of security, thinking they have you figured out."

"Then, they get caught. And that would be almost impossible to detect until the trap is triggered." The Jonin finished. He gave the matrix one last look over and frowned. He, admittedly, wasn't very knowledgeable with Seals. Intermediately knowledgeable, at most.

Naruto nodded, walked over to dry land, and sat down. "This was back when Fuinjutsu was a more widely used and known discipline. A strong enough trap could cripple enemy forces. The Akatsuki is comprised of solely S-Rank criminals, I don't think they'd used a C-Rank barrier to keep threats out." He said. From one of his vest pockets, he withdrew a small paper tag, similar to the one the enemy used. He placed it at his feet, an ink brush already in hand.

Sakura, who watched over the blond's shoulder, noted that the parchment was blank. "Do you have an idea for what we should do?" She asked.

"Well, I'd rather not set off the trap if there is one." Naruto commented. He had already started drawing, but to Sakura, it just looked like squiggles. "I'll have to go based off of the assumption that it is a Five Seal Matrix."

"Does it matter?" The pinkette clearly wasn't in her element.

"Yeah, quite a bit, actually." Kakashi joined in. He looked at what his student had created and couldn't help but be impressed. "Is that a Six-Sided Seal? Looks like Master Jiraiya has taught you well."

"An Inverted Six Side Seal." Naruto corrected. "A regular Six Side would just disrupt and destabilize, the flow of the enemy's seal. The Jutsu still might be active in that case. We don't want that. The inverted formula will completely cut the flow and deactivate it." The blond looked over and saw that Sakura was lost. That made him realize that he hadn't explained his process that well. "Since it's an odd-numbered formula, an even-numbered one is what we would use to cut the flow. Similarly, an even-numbered matrix would be weak if an odd one is put over it. Make sense?" He finished with a smile.

"Yeah." She nodded slowly. "I think so…"

"There… we go." The aspiring Seal Master said with a final stroke of his ink-dipped brush. "This should do the trick." He picked up the tag with his index finger and thumb and infused some of his chakra into the matrix. It glowed a dim hue of blue, then faded away just as quick. "The chakra within it should immediately react when it makes contact with the other tag. Sakura, when that happens, you can destroy the boulder, so we can get in."

Sakura nodded and got into position a decent ways away from the enormous rock. "I'm ready when you guys are." She couldn't help with Fuinjutsu, but this was definitely in her wheelhouse.

Naruto nodded back. "Since we don't know what to expect on the other side, I want to run through a quick plan that I thought up. You know, just in case things get dangerous right from the beginning."

"Itachi, have I ever told you that I despise being kept waiting?" The hunchback said gruffly.

"No, I don't believe that it's ever come up." The Uchiha shot back dryly.

They had been instructed to stand by and rest for their guests while the non-present Akatsuki members continued to seal away the Beast. It appears that even Sasori of the Red Sand could develop a sense of humor to fight off the boredom.

"You two, stay on your guard." Their ripple-eyed Leader commanded, his hands fixed into the Ram seal. "No need to get restless, it appears that your long-awaited visitors have finally arrived."

"Which team is it?" Itachi asked.

"The Jinchuriki's team of three is the first to arrive." Zetsu answered.

"Yeah, but how do we even know if they can get in here?" The projection of Kisame posed. "They need five people minimum just to remove the barrier. And that doesn't even include the little surprise that was left for them, Hehehe."

What a cruel laugh.

"Don't underestimate them." Pain challenged as his senses were suddenly overrun with new information. He adopted a pensive expression. "It appears they are tampering with my barrier."

There was an eerie silence amongst the group.

"What do you m-"

Without warning, the obstacle that hid them from the outside world exploded into chunks of rubble. The shockwave shook the cave aggressively. Everyone, even the astral projections, turned their attention to the entrance. As debris slowly continued to fall and splash into the water, three figures darted into their hideout.

Two, Kakashi and Sakura, charged straight at their opponents. Naruto's target was obvious. He headed for Gaara, who was still suspended in the air.

Sasori's tail flew out from behind him and lashed out at the pair, which freed up his partner to act independently.

Itachi moved without warning to intercept the blond.

'Clang!'

They clashed, kunai to kunai. Their eyes met.

'Naruto' smiled, Itachi did not.

He recognized his error immediately. "I see…" Said the Uchiha criminal.

The three clones simultaneously erupted in balls of flame.

'Three exploding clones, coupled with the Transformation Technique.' Itachi analyzed as he leaped back to not take the brunt of the explosion. The smoke kicked up by the suicide clones impeded his vision to the point where he was not sure where anything was. His robe had also been singed quite a bit by the heat.

More sounds of metal against metal rang out in the dusty cave. Probably Sasori engaging the actual enemy.

However, there were three individuals. Itachi would be hard-pressed to believe all of them would go after the Puppeteer.

'If I had to guess…' He went through a string of seals. 'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!' He finished and aimed in the direction of the Kazekage and the Gedo Statue.

"I got it, Sakura! Get him!" A voice on the other side of the dust cloud yelled out. That sounded like a more mature Naruto. "Water Style: Water Bullet!"

Itachi's eyes widened. Not willing to wait for the two Jutsu to clash, he followed the sound of the blond's voice.

It was immediate. Water and fire met, which resulted in the whistle of hot steam that rushed out from the collision epicenter. Itachi busted through the fiery cloud of vapor, and his senses screamed at him to raise his guard. He did just that, and not a moment later, an orange-clad leg cut through the white plums. He blocked with one arm and used his other to grab hold of the ankle. With a sharp midair pivot, the prodigy used his momentum to slam the now-identified Naruto into the ground.

The boy let out a grunt of pain as his back smashed against the rocky cave floor.

Itachi followed relentlessly and aimed a downward stomp at his opponent.

Naruto quickly regained the wind that had been knocked out from his lungs. He rolled to the side as Itachi landed right where he had just been. He winced as he watched the ground crack beneath the missing-nin.

Naruto was given no time to breathe. Itachi, kunai in hand, aimed a strike to the side of his head. The blond brought up and slammed his forearm into the Uchiha's wrist. The raven-haired criminal didn't stop there. In one quick motion, he dropped the kunai and swiped it out of the air with his free hand. With the blade now held reverse grip, Itachi struck at the Genin's sternum.

Naruto raised his leg and kicked out at Itachi's attacking forearm. He used that as a stable base, pushed off of it, and flipped away.

The Uchiha criminal couldn't help but grin. With the Uzumaki still faced away from him while upside down in midair, he withdrew five more kunai from his robe. He gripped all six in between his fingers and launched them at the Jinchuriki.

Though, to even his surprise, they bounced off what appeared to be an invisible wall. Before it could go away, he activated his Sharingan. Their high-speed fight dissipated most of the smoke and vapor, which allowed him to see what had blocked his last attack.

'A thin forcefield of sharply spinning chakra that blocks incoming attacks.' He noted. 'It's too thin to see with the naked eye, but that means it can't be that sturdy of a wall. The stronger he makes it, the more visible it would become.'

Naruto stuck the landing and shot the Akatsuki a satisfied smirk. Interestingly enough, the blond refused to meet the gaze of the raven-haired criminal. He opted to instead focus his attention lower and was staring at his opponent's feet.

'He even knows how to fight more effectively against me. The boy has truly grown a great deal.' Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi watched as Sakura, Kakashi, and what appeared to be another clone of Naruto run out of the cave. He frowned.

They had the Kazekage.

On top of that, Sasori had allowed them to leave. The Puppeteer's gaze was entirely focused on Naruto.

"Don't worry." The blond before them said. "I'm the real one. I couldn't miss out on thinning out the Akatsuki's ranks."

"Why did you allow them to leave, Sasori?" Itachi, who ignored the blond's statement, asked his partner.

Naruto frowned but decided to stay quiet.

The Puppeteer scoffed. "I didn't let them go. Last time I checked, the One-Tails was your target, not mine." He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You go on ahead. The Nine-Tails capture belongs to me."

Itachi felt as if his feet were glued in place. He tried to move, wanted to go after the Kazekage, but he couldn't. If he left, Naruto would almost surely be captured. Could he allow that to happen? What was more important, keeping the Nine-Tails out of the Akatsuki's clutches, or maintaining his façade as an agent within the organization?

Sweat began to accumulate in his brow. This was not good.

"Itachi."

A deep, authoritative voice snapped him back into the real world. It was Pain, who's projection was still standing on top of the statue. He was the only one remaining, the other's had left.

"As much as we need the Nine-Tails to complete our goals, the One-Tails has only been partially sealed. You must complete your mission and retrieve it before they get to safety. Sasori will be more than enough to handle the boy." There was a thin layer of anger kept behind those calm and authoritative words. Their Leader was clearly not amused that they had been fooled so easily, and with very little resistance.

Naruto frowned. 'That must be the leader.' He noted. 'What the hell is up with those eyes?' It was hard to make out their exact description, but they certainly weren't something he had seen before. 'And that freaky statue… that must be what they were sealing Shukaku into. At least we made it in time.'

After another moment of contemplation, the Uchiha finally relented. He had made his decision.

"Yes, of course…" Taking one last look at the only friend his younger brother had, he left the cave in search of his target.

"Sasori, I expect results." Pain commanded, as his shadowy figure faded away. "Failure is not an option…" Right behind him, the Gedo Statue disappeared in a massive plume of smoke.

Naruto smiled at the strange-looking man. They were finally alone. "Well, when you fail, I'll personally deliver the message to the boss. You don't have to worry about that."

"Heh, I guess we'll see about that." The hunchback's voice was deep and grating. His tail lashed around behind him.

The blond withdrew a kunai and began to circle his opponent. 'Can't allow myself to get too confident.' He reminded himself. 'Whoever he is, he's most likely an S-Class criminal. I have to look for an opening.'

"You do seem to be the real one." The Akatsuki criminal stated. He didn't even bother to turn his head as his opponent circled him. "I would have thought that if you retrieved the Jinchuriki, you would have run with your nine tail between your legs. Can't say I would have blamed you, but this? I would have never thought you'd be in such a hurry to die."

As he circled, Naruto silently flicked a kunai at where he assumed Sasori's blind spot was. He adopted a pensive expression as the metal tail effortlessly batted the projectile away.

"I'm sure that was what you would have wanted us to do." They continued to speak as if nothing had happened. "Both of your prizes would be in the same place. Why would I make your job easier for you? This way, we can split the two of you up and eliminate you separately."

He tossed a handful of shuriken from a different angle. Those, too, were swatted out of the sky with little difficulty. 'His battle sense is impressive. He doesn't even have to see me to be able to counter my attacks.' Though, simple things like that didn't tell the blond that much about his opponent.

The hunchback growled. "If you really think that separating Itachi and I will save your life, you're a fool. Your worst mistake was coming here in the first place, Jinchuriki." He laughed. "Though I do appreciate it. You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down myself."

'This time… some Wind Chakra.' The Uzumaki thought to himself. He channeled some of his elemental chakra into a kunai as he took it out from his pouch; it glowed a wispy white. 'Block this!' He internally yelled as he threw the chakra-enhanced blade.

Just as before, the projectile struck against the strange tail. They ground against one another, the sharp Wind pushing back with all of its might. There was an audible 'snap' as the augmented kunai pierced through the metallic appendage. The collision altered the blade's trajectory, and it embedded itself into the cave wall off to the side.

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you." The boy challenged as he continued to circle the man. "You'll end up making this too easy for me."

Sasori snarled.

'This child managed to cut through Hiruko's tail, eh?' The top part of his tail has been sliced off. 'I should have dipped the whole thing in poison… oh well, no matter.'

'How does he move that tail around?' The Genin thought to himself. 'There has to be some kind of trick to it. But what?'

Sasori, as if he could read the kid's mind, answered that question. He turned around swiftly and removed the mask that covered his face. "Now die!"

It appeared to be wooden and opened unevenly and unnaturally.

'A puppet?!' Was the only thought running through his mind.

Hundreds of needles rushed from Sasori's mouth. The widely spanned technique would be challenging to avoid.

Naruto smirked. 'Good thing, I don't have to move from this spot.' He took in a deep breath, and forced the Wind chakra he had built within him outside and around him. 'Wind Style: Wind Wall.'

The razor-sharp needles bounced harmlessly off of the nearly invisible barrier. Some sunk into the floor in front of him, others found themselves stuck in the ceiling above them.

Once the barrage of senbon stopped, the Genin deactivate his technique. He took a couple steps forward and carefully pulled one of the needles from the ground. It was covered in a thick, dark purple substance that reminded him a little of Kankuro's move set.

"Poison, huh?" He said aloud. "I'm guessing it'll be bad if I let one of those hit me."

His opponent didn't say a word. He just continued to stare at the scene in front of him. To take in the information that had been put forth.

"That body appears to be a puppet… are you inside that, or a puppet yourself?" He shook his head at his own question. The latter sounded ridiculous. It was clear that, whoever Sasori was, he was controlling his puppet from the inside.

Once again, the man did not answer.

Naruto's attention was still on the poisoned needle, he appeared to study it with mild curiosity. "You must be from the Hidden Sand, then." The blond stated. "That would explain why the two of you were able to get in the village so easily."

Sasori cocked his head to the side, his eyes filled with what could only be described as bloodlust. "You're pretty smart for a brat." He patronized. "Yes, I was once a Shinobi from the Sand. Do you want to know why I left that wretched village?" His voice was cold and, despite talking about his home, devoid of any and all emotion.

The Genin didn't say anything.

"They were fools who… disapproved of my art."

'His art?' The blond questioned to himself. "Why would they care about that? What kind of art are you talking about?"

The hunchback laughed cruelly. "You're looking at it, boy. You were correct in your assessment, what you see before you is a puppet. One that I crafted."

"So, you made puppets. Big deal."

The Puppeteer shook his head slowly. "Not just any kind of puppet, you can call this creation of mine, Hiruko. He… was a shinobi from a neighboring village. Now, he is a piece of artwork in my collection." He spoke as if it was the most normal thing in the world. A true sociopath.

"That… was a human?"

"Would you like to know how I prepare a specimen?" He took the Jinchuriki's wide eyes as a yes. "First, I drain its blood. Then, I wash the body inside and out. Next, I do what I can to protect the body from… decay. After that, the last step is to alter the puppet and fill it with hidden weapons." Sasori's bloodshot eyes intensified. "This is my art!"

Naruto felt as if he was going to be sick. As he looked into his opponent's eyes, there was no indication the man was lying. He enjoyed talking about his 'art.' "You make humans out of people?! No wonder the Hidden Sand didn't want you there. You're sick."

"Hm, I didn't expect you to understand the essence of eternal beauty. No matter." Sasori nearly sounded disappointed. "After Itachi kills your friends, you can watch as I add them as specimens to my collection before we rip out your beast. As of right now, I have exactly three-hundred human puppet masterpieces."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "As if I'd let you do something like that!" He yelled as he charged the former Sand Shinobi from behind. He already had begun a series of hand signs. In a plume of smoke, a lone clone appeared behind him.

At the same time, Sasori swiftly turned around and pulled his arm out from his cloak. Where his hand was supposed to be was a club-like apparatus, several strange columns stuck out on all of its sides. With force, the device detached from him and launched in the direction of the blond. The pillars ejected themselves from the club and opened up to reveal dozens and dozens of poison-dipped senbon.

'More needles, just like I thought.'

His clone took out a handful of shuriken and threw them, followed by a quick series of hand signs. "Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He yelled. A half-dozen ninja stars became nearly one-hundred. Though, they couldn't be expected to block all of the needles.

That was the real Naruto's job. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

His powerful gust not only stopped all of the needles in their tracks but went on to supercharge the speed of his barrage of shuriken.

Sasori snarled and curled his tail to block. His body was too bulky, and some of the projectiles got through and sliced up the sides of his cloak.

It fell to the ground and revealed the rest of Sasori's Hiruko puppet. Sasori was on all fours, a giant, light-brown shell on his back. The shell was made to look like a mask, and the metal tail came out of its mouth like a tongue.

Naruto pressed forward. With a simple hand sign, he transformed his clone into a Fuma Shuriken. He surrounded it with Wind Chakra, contorted his body, and threw it at the angry puppet user. Sasori went to leap backward, but Naruto was already prepared to make sure he couldn't.

Boar, Tiger.

"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!:

The ground beneath the Puppeteer turned to mud, which he sank into. It wasn't too deep, just enough to submerge his arm and legs. Sasori tried to force himself free, but it was far too sticky. His only hope was to block, but the tail proved to be little in the way of resistance. The wind-enhanced Fuma Shuriken slice through the appendage like butter, and slammed into Hiruko.

Naruto allowed himself a smile as the puppet was sliced nearly down the middle. Both halves fell to the side, a cloaked figure he could only assume was the real Sasori emerged and retreated to a safe distance as his clone shuriken poofed out of existence.

'That wasn't too difficult.' The Genin thought. 'I can't be too careful, though. He said he had hundreds of more puppets just like that one. Who knows what other tricks he's got hidden away.'

"Hidan and Kakuzu weren't lying. You're pretty good. I'll admit, I underestimated you. I would've been in trouble if I hadn't moved inside of Hiruko to avoid that attack." Naruto raised an eyebrow. His voice was no longer deep and grating; it was light and sounded young, almost pleasantly so. The only indication that it was even the same person was the tone. Devoid of all emotion… except for the newly formed undertones of anger. "I wonder, though, what will happen when you lay all of your cards out on the table? That's when battle experience matters the most. You simply don't compare."

"Say that again after you manage to lay a finger on me." Naruto lowered into a defensive stance. He had to be ready for anything.

"Haha, don't say that." Even his laugh sounded fake and forced. "You saw my poison. All I need is a single scrape, and I'll win. Don't worry, though. I won't let the poison kill you. We'll save your death for when we rip the Nine-Tails out of you."

"Stop being a coward and show yourself."

"Heh, suit yourself." Sasori removed his cloak. "It's been a while since I've had to actually try."

The blond's eyes narrowed suspiciously. The puppet master appeared to be a young boy around his own age. He had fair skin, greyish-brown eyes, and messy, red hair, and his fingernails were painted black, similar to Itachi and Kisame. He had a purple ring on his left thumb with the symbol for 'sphere' in its center.

Something about all of this didn't add up.

'He looks my age, but I've never heard about this guy…' The Genin thought. Sasori wasn't in the Chunin Exams, and he was never mentioned by anyone he knew from the Sand Village. 'How could he possibly have made three-hundred puppets out of people already?' Another thought crossed his mind. 'And he mentioned his better battle experience as if he was much older than me. What the hell is going on?'

"Naruto! There you are!"

The boy looked past his opponent and was slightly surprised to see Kiba and Shino at the entrance to the cave. When they realized that who separated them from their former classmate, their expressions grew more serious.

Well, Kiba's did, Shino always looks pretty serious.

"What are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked while remaining focused on the S-Class Criminal. "Is Gaara safe?"

Kiba frowned. "Kurenai-Sensei is with Kakashi and Sakura. They're making their way towards the Leaf. Though, that guy Itachi seems to be pursuing them."

"Then, why are you here?! Shouldn't you be making sure Gaara's safe?"

Sasori smirked and discreetly moved his fingers.

"We were told to come and help you. Don't be a jerk, Naruto!" Kiba yelled. "We can beat this guy together; the others will be fine."

Hiruko's head detached from its sliced up body and shot into the air. It spun rapidly in place as needles sprayed out in every direction.

"Damn!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran through hand seals.

"Heh, is that all?" The Inuzuka mused. Kiba and Shino readied kunai to try and block the incoming assault, but they didn't know the danger that they were in.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Before they could do anything, a massive wall of earth rose up in front of them. The senbon embedded into the protective structure but did not go through.

Sasori smirked, which complimented Naruto's frown, as the projectiles aimed at the Jinchuriki bounced off a faintly visible wall.

Kiba peeked his head from behind the wall with an annoyed look on his face. "Why the heck did you do that?! We could've handled that!"

"His needles are poisonous, you idiot. One scratch and you're a dead man." Kiba's faced paled slightly. "Don't even risk getting near them if you can avoid it."

'I wasn't able to control my Wind Wall as well as I would have liked, and he definitely noticed.' Naruto took a semi-deep breath. 'I know I've got a bunch of chakra to spare, but I should really be more conservative. I don't know how long this fight could last.'

Naruto's already several clones and elemental Jutsu, and without much in the way of results. Besides the loss of Hiruko, Sasori hadn't taken any damage or expended much chakra. And that puppet was just one of many.

"I figured that you used some kind of Wind Jutsu to block my attack earlier, but I just needed to be sure. That's a neat little trick you have there."

"What can I say?" Naruto quipped. "I'm just full of surprises."

"Heh."

Naruto blinked. At that moment, a rush of memories flooded his mind. He tried his best to grasp at the images and pull them in. One of his clones had just been dispelled.

Something about a mask? Something bad! What the hell was going on out there?

While he took a moment to sift through this new information, Sasori used this as an opportunity to strike.

The top portion of Hiruko's tail that had been chopped off early in the fight darted off of the ground and raced at the Jinchuriki.

Naruto rolled to the side to avoid the strike just in time. Though, the grim expression on his face couldn't be missed.

"Naruto, what the hell's wrong with you?" Kiba yelled out from the other side of the cave. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Kiba is right." Shino chimed in. "All of our focus should be directed on the enemy."

The Uzumaki barely registered what his friends had said. His mind raced, bones ached, and heart clenched. His brain screamed at his feet to move from that spot, but he knew that he couldn't.

He had to face Sasori. If he left, the Puppeteer would just follow him. That would make things even worse than they already were.

Kiba locked eyes with Naruto, and the Genin's expression made his heart sink. Kiba already knew that whatever the kid had to say, it was going to be bad news.

"Hinata and the others… they're-"

"We're almost there." Pakkun called out to the four he had been guiding. "I can smell Team Kurenai coming from the direction of the Leaf, as well. We should get to Naruto a little bit before they do."

"Have things changed at all?" Shikamaru asked. "What's going on over there?"

"From what I can tell, Team Kakashi engaged two people from the Akatsuki and retreated with Gaara. Based on his scent Itachi chased after them, while the other stayed behind to fight Naruto."

"Why would they do that?" Hinata chimed in, clearly worried for the blond's safety. "Naruto is one of their targets. Wouldn't it have been better for him to retreat, too?"

"As much as I don't like it, splitting up the Akatsuki may be the best move. If Naruto went with them, that would just mean that both of the Akatsuki's target would be together in one place."

"Still, it's pretty risky." Temari said. "You just love making high-risk plays don't ya, blondie?" She teased the clone.

"I'm not much of a Shogi player, but even the real me knows that sometimes you have to be a little risky to win." His grin was matched by Shikamaru's. "Besides, we knew that we have two teams closing in on our location. No matter how strong these guys are, he can, at the very least hold his own until backup comes."

"You seem like you could be a decent Shogi player." The Nara commented. "We're gonna have to play sometime."

The doppelganger rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Not a chance, hehe. I've seen you think in the middle of a fight, you would beat me pretty easily."

"As much as I love hearing you guys scheduling playdates, we have a little problem." Pakkun cut in, his voice grave.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru questioned tentatively. "Did something happen to someone?"

"No, it isn't that." The dog shook his head. "There's a new scent in the air. They're in between us and everyone else. We're closing in on them fast."

"Do you know who it is?" Naruto's clone asked.

"No… but that isn't what has me concerned." The Ninja Hound said slowly. "Whoever it is, it's as if they appeared out of thin air."

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru looked over at Hinata, who nodded and activated her Byakugan. "Stay on your guard, everyone!"

"If this person had been there this whole time, or even made their way to that exact spot, I should've been able to sense him much sooner than this. But… it's like he came out of nowhere."

"He's right in front of us!" Hinata alerted her team. They stopped just as the mysterious man came into view.

He wore a black long-sleeve top that covered his neck and chin, a pair of black gloves, dark pants, and a long green scarf. Around his waist was a thick black belt with armor-like metal plates attached to it, and similar plates were attached to his upper arms.

"Are you Akatsuki?" Naruto's clone demanded.

Everyone else readied themselves for a fight.

The strange man's response was not what they had been expecting.

"Oh, I wish! Those guys are so, so cool!" He said in a high-pitched, happy voice. "But, don't worry, I'll be a member one of these days! Maybe when I kill you guys!" He cocked his head to the side. "It's very nice to meet all of you. You can call me… Tobi."

Black spiky hair and a swirled orange mask that only left one eye visible completed his look.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27: Tobi is a Good Boy

Pakkun discreetly backed up and allowed the shinobi to step in front of him to face the threat.

A thick bead of sweat rolled down the side of Shikamaru's face. The one who called himself Tobi just continued to watch them silently.

'Tch, he probably wants us to attack him first.' Then, another thought occurred to him. 'Or, maybe, he wants to stall for time and keep us all separated from one another. The nine of us together would be a problem for them, but split up into three groups of three…'

They could be picked off one at a time.

"This guy's bad news." Naruto's carefully toned words shook the Nara from his thoughts. "I don't know why, but I can feel it."

"Yeah, I can already tell." Shikamaru whispered back. "He's playing the idiot, so we lower our guard. No way the Akatsuki would associate with someone like this unless he was powerful. And then, there's what Pakkun said about him…"

"Uh, are you guys done talking?" The masked man asked. His demeanor, voice, and way he spoke were the opposite of what they had expected from a member of the Akatsuki. It was a little off-putting. "I'm pretty sure we need to fight now." He raised his fists up and adopted a sloppy stance. "Prepare to feel my wrath!"

Evil and menacing individuals like Kisame and Kakuzu suddenly didn't sound so bad. At least they fit the bill for an infamous criminal organization.

…

…

…

Tobi put his hand underneath his chin and looked up at the sky. "Hm, what should I open up with?" He mused aloud to himself in a surprisingly innocent tone. "Oh! That's a good idea!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Wait, no… what if they… or maybe… that might work. Hmm…"

Temari grit her teeth. They had to get to Gaara, not waste time in a standoff with this clown! "We don't have time for this!" In a flash, her giant fan was off of her back and in her hand. With all three moons visible, she waved it at the strange man.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Strong, razor-sharp winds swirled outward and sliced up rocks and trees.

"No, wait! I wasn't ready, please!" He yelled as the attack seemingly swept him up. "Ahh!"

The Jutsu spanned a broad area and kicked up a lot of dust and dirt in the process. They lost visual on Tobi, but it was clear that Gaara's sister had done some damage.

She planted her fan into the ground and leaned up against it. She shot a confident smile over at the others. "He doesn't seem so tough."

Naruto's widened eyes caught the attention of the Sand Sibling, followed by her balance being suddenly thrown off.

"Hey, this is a pretty nice fan." A voice from behind her said playfully. "Where did ya get it?"

Temari corrected herself and whirled around to see Tobi nonchalantly in possession of her fan. He waved it around like an immature child playing with a toy without a care in the world.

The look of shock on her face said it all.

"How did he-" Shikamaru started but stopped. "I didn't even see him move."

Temari stepped forward and threw a head kick at the stranger.

He yawned mockingly, and, with his other hand, moved the fan to intercept. The kunoichi grimaced as her shin collided with solid steel, but she spun in the opposite direction with a back fist.

Tobi went to move to counter but found he couldn't. He glanced down at his feet. "Oh, cool!" He exclaimed as the girl's fist went right through his head and slammed into the fan. "You can do that weird Shadow Jutsu! I've heard about that; you must be from the Nara clan!"

Barely able to process what had just happened, all Temari managed to do was grab her fan from the immobilized man and create some distance. "Shikamaru?" She turned to the genius of the group for answers to what they all saw.

His mind swirled with possibilities. 'He was able to take Temari's fan away and wield it, so he's definitely a solid person that we can hit. On the other hand, her punch clearly passed through him.' There were still far too many unknowns to make a determination.

"I'm… not sure." He answered in a slightly confused tone. "I'll have to see more."

Naruto flicked a kunai at the masked man's chest and watched as it passed right through him. He frowned. 'Since I was sent through the connected seals, I'm pretty much useless in this fight. I barely have any chakra left. If I can just give Shikamaru more data that he can analyze, I'll be satisfied.'

"Hey, watch it!" Their enemy yelled. "Those are pointy, you could really hurt someone!"

'He's not even bothering to fight against Shikamaru's shadow.' Naruto thought. 'Is that because he knows that we can't hit him, or can he escape it at any time?'

"You know, I'm getting kind of bored of being captured… let's keep fighting!" As if he had read the clone's mind, Tobi sank slowly into the ground. The Nara family Jutsu seemed to have no effect on him.

"What?" The clone blurted out as he looked around. "Where the hell did he go?!"

"This doesn't make any sense." The Nara allowed his shadow to return to his body and brought his hand up to his chin. "When he started to sink into the ground, I lost my grip on him. How is he able to move around like that?!" He looked around at his equally confused comrades. "Keep your senses on high alert, we have to assume that he can pop out of anywhere."

"Naruto!" Hinata yelled, her Byakugan still active. "Behind y-"

It was too late.

The clone felt the cold steel of a kunai pressed against the front of his throat. The masked man's voice echoed in his ear from behind. His eyes widened.

'Wha-! How?!'

"I'll be here all week! Tell your friends…" Then…

Darkness.

The real Naruto put his head down and took in a deep breath.

Kiba and Shino had already left to go and help Shikamaru's team, which meant that Sasori was his problem, and his alone. Kiba tried to stay and help him, but the blond insisted that they both go. The Genin had a feeling that they would need all of the help they can get.

'Everything is going to be okay.' He tried to reassure himself. 'They can handle themselves.'

If he allowed worry for his friends to consume his thoughts, he would put himself at an immediate disadvantage. And he had a feeling that his opponent wouldn't think twice about cutting him down if he's distracted.

"You seem to be a little down." The Puppeteer called out to him as he withdrew a scroll from his robe. "Let me show you something that'll take your mind off of it."

"Three?" The Jinchuriki read the unfurled scroll aloud. "I don't-"

"You aren't from my village, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate true art when you see it."

'What does he mean by that?'

'Poof!'

The smoke quickly dispersed and revealed another one of Sasori's puppets. The puppet was tall, had spiky, medium-length, dark blue hair, and yellow eyes.

"This is my favorite piece in my entire collection." His eyes narrowed, and his lips curved up into a sinister smile. "You'll see why soon, but you can call him the Third Kazekage."

'What? The Third Kazekage?!' Naruto's mind raced. He didn't know much about the Kage outside of his own village so, even if that was the Third Kazekage, he wouldn't be able to tell by its appearance.

The Puppet Master loved the expression on the boy's face. "I really don't like to keep people waiting." He waved his arms around and flicked his fingers in a calculated pattern. "So, let's get this over with!"

The puppet got to Naruto so fast, faster than he anticipated. Several poison-dipped blades came out of hidden compartments on its right arm.

'Damn!'

He flew through hand seals at incredibly high speeds. Tiger, Horse, Boar, Ram, Rat, Snake.

'Ninja Art: Needle Jizo.'

Naruto's spiky, blond locks elongated and wrapped around his body. The chakra-infused mane protected his body from the razor-sharp steel, but the collision's force was too much. The weaponized Kage's momentum carried through and tossed Naruto against the rocky cave wall. He crashed down on all fours and caught himself with his hands while his hair receded back to its usual place.

Sasori commanded his tool to follow, and it did just that. The pressure was on almost as soon as the blond had touched the ground. Naruto barrel rolled to the side just as the blades slashed into the earth. He grimaced as the sharp steel carved through the stone floor far too effortlessly.

'So sharp! Is that even steel?'

The Jinchuriki pumped chakra into his legs and kicked off against the ground to distance himself and the contraption. While in midair, he created a clone. The doppelganger appeared right in front of him. In one seamless motion, the real Naruto gripped his copy by the vest collar, pushed him down towards the ground, carried that momentum into a front flip, and heaved his duplicate at the puppet.

"I don't think so!" Sasori yelled, along with couple flicks from his fingers.

The Third's mouth opened, and dozens of needles shot out. The suicide clone exploded violently when the projectiles pierced it. Since he was still in the air, the force from the blast slammed Naruto back down into the ground.

The teen let out a groan and picked himself up. 'He knows to stay away from my clones. Maybe I played that card too early?'

The smoke had yet to clear, but he could hear Sasori's next move. On cue, what dozens of wooden hands busted through the smoke. He wove a few signs and kicked off the ground again, but he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to evade the attack.

Not yet, anyway. He pointed his open palms at the ground.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

Naruto rocketed up in the air, flipped over, and landed on the cave ceiling. The army of arms sliced through the ground where he had stood. From his new vantage point, he was able to see over the top of the plumes of smoke and smoke that were kicked up from the assault. The teen ran along the ceiling in the direction of the one who pulled the strings. He and went through even more seals.

"Water Style: Water Jet!"

Out of his mouth shot a high-pressure stream of water. The blast of liquid slashed in between the puppet and his Master. Sasori's chakra string went taut and split off from the Third Kazekage as they were severed by the Jutsu. The water tore up the earth and rock as it made contact with the cave floor.

He smirked as the Third Kazekage, now free of Sasori's control, fell to the ground. Fukasaku would be so proud that he could perform that Jutsu at such a high level. Naruto rushed the redhead, who could do little to defend himself. The blond threw a strike at the Akatsuki's head, which he expertly dodged.

The Jinchuriki gritted his teeth and continued the flurry. Naruto prided himself on his speed, and he was surprised to find that Sasori, albeit with great difficulty, was able to avoid all of his attacks. A left jab followed by a right uppercut made Sasori flip backward to evade.

Naruto continued his assault. He spun into a back kick, Sasori stepped to the side, and it missed by mere centimeters. The blond contorted his body in the opposite direction to throw a back fist. Once again, the Puppeteer ducked just in time and stumbled away. His expression never changed, despite being on the defensive the entire time. "Is all you can do is dodge!" The Leaf Shinobi taunted.

It was clear that the Genin was superior in both speed and Taijutsu. All his opponent could do is disengage and get some distance.

Sasori didn't respond, though Naruto could see the subtlest movements in his fingers.

His eyes widened.

Naruto leaped to the side just as the Third Kazekage blitzed him from behind. The Third's razor-sharp, poison blades trimmed a few of the hairs on his head as it raced by.

Sasori smirked confidently. "Now it's your turn to dodge. No more playing around." He made a hand sign, and the husk of the Kazekage's mouth dropped open. "You're going to wish you hadn't sent those friends of yours away. It's over."

Grainy, black material drifted ominously out of the puppet's mouth. It made a sound that was difficult to describe; it grated and ground against itself. The sound was incredibly unpleasant.

The Jinchuriki narrowed his eyes. "Is that… sand?"

"Not just any sand." Sasori said as the black grains began to combine together to form something new. "This is what made the Third the strongest ninja in the history of the Sand Village. I'm going to use the Iron Sand to grind your arms and legs into dust. But, don't worry, I know enough Medical Ninjutsu to ensure you won't die. Not yet, anyway." He chuckled humorlessly.

'This is the Third's technique?' Was the first thought that crossed his mind. 'Human puppets can use Ninjutsu?!' It all made sense now. This was why Sasori made them. At first, it didn't make sense. Why go through all of the trouble of turning a human into a monstrosity?

It was for this purpose. To use the abilities of the dead as a weapon at your own disposal.

'This is bad… he has hundreds of puppets like this?'

'I'll have to be careful that I don't kill him.' The redhead thought with a touch of annoyance. He raised his arms up to command his instrument of destruction. "Iron Sand: Scatter Shower!"

The metallic sand rattled from the sudden chakra infusion, molded itself into large pellets, and accelerated rapidly at the blond.

After a couple brief scuffles, the two sides were at a stalemate. No one from Team Shikamaru dared to make another move, and Tobi looked more than content to just sit there and waste time.

The Nara's teeth ground together. They weren't getting anywhere! And worst of all, the masked guy loved every second of it.

"You know, you guys really are boring." Tobi teased as he rubbed the part of his mask where his chin would be. " That blond kid seemed kinda fun." He went to turn around. "Maybe he'll entertain me a little."

Hinata suddenly sprung forward, her Byakugan glared daggers into his back. She pressured him with the high-speed Taijutsu of her clan.

"Woah!" Tobi yelped as he narrowly dodged one of her chakra-laced strikes. "Hey!" He dodged another, arms flailing about in every direction. "I've seen those eyes before…" The goofy man clumsily dodged a flurry of jabs while in the middle of his thought. "You're a Hyuga, aren't you?! Oh no, I definitely can't let you hit me! You can turn off my chakra!"

The mysterious man expertly twirled around Hinata just as she leaned forward with a palm-strike to his heart. She overextended, her three-hundred and sixty-degree vision showing the movements of her enemy, but she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Tobi lashed out to strike.

"Fang Over Fang!"

Out of nowhere, Kiba sliced through the air with one of his clan's signature techniques. But, to his surprise, there was no contact made. He slowed down in midair, contorted his body, and landed to face his opponent. The Dog user's eyebrow rose in confusion.

The masked guy was still standing in the exact same place.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, might have seen the final piece of his puzzle.

'At least Hinata managed to get away.' He noted. And she didn't look hurt. 'Seems like we were able to make it in time thanks to Naruto's warning.'

"Kiba, Shino!" Hinata called out to them. "What are you doing here?"

They ran over to her. "We joined up with Naruto, but he said he was worried about you guys. One of us tried to stay behind, but he insisted that we came here."

Tobi was now surrounded on both sides. Team Kurenai on one side, Shikamaru and Temari on the other.

"Hinata, I need eyes on him at all times!" Shikamaru commanded, which seemed to get the attention of Team 8. "I think we might be onto something here…"

"Did you seem something, Shikamaru?" Temari whispered right beside him.

The Chunin made a hand sign. "Think so." He answered as his shadow extended out in front of himself.

Tobi didn't even try and move; he even casually watched the shadow connect with his. "That technique again? Didn't you see what happened before?" His voice sounded the same… but the tone. "You should already know that it won't work on me."

It was bone-chillingly calm!

"I know, but if you want to get out, it'll give our new arrivals a little glimpse at what you can do." Shikamaru was now smiling confidently. "I think I have you figured out."

"Oh?" The man's visible eye curved up in slight amusement.

"You use some kind of Teleportation Jutsu, right?" The Chunin asked rhetorically. "It allows you to move around unhindered, which is how you escaped my Shadow Possession. That explains why your scent just suddenly appeared earlier. You also can make yourself intangible to avoid attacks and rematerialize when you want to attack."

Kiba snarled. "If he can do that whenever he wants, how the hell are we supposed to touch him?!"

Shikamaru smirked. "Hinata." She blinked. "He was going to hit Hinata, but you came swooping in just in time, Kiba." Everyone looked at him blankly. He frowned. "Did you guys not see what happened?"

"Didn't he miss?" Kiba asked what he assumed was an obvious question.

"His attack… went right through me." Hinata said slowly, then her eyes suddenly widened in realization. "If he wants to attack us, he needs to materialize completely!"

Shikamaru nodded but was cut off before he could continue.

"Heh, you Nara sure are good." A shiver went shot up everyone's spine. Tobi no longer sounded like himself, his voice was deep. He sounded… terrifying. "I bet you're Shikaku's brat, right? Has to be. It might be a good idea to kill you right now. That way, you won't become a nuisance to me later."

'He knows my dad... Just who the hell is this guy?!'

Temari stepped in front of her friend. "A-As if we'd let you!" The slight quiver in her voice betrayed her true feelings.

They were out of their league.

That elicited a chuckle from the masked man, but he didn't say anything else. His lone eye was transfixed on the son of the most intelligent man in the Land of Fire.

'This guy seems pretty knowledgeable about the Leaf Village. The Hyuga and Nara Clans, along with immediately knowing who my father was. Was he a former Shinobi of ours?' A drop of sweat rolled down the side of the Chunin's face. "Just… who the hell are you, anyway? What do you want?!" The Nara asked as he allowed his shadow to return to him to save his chakra.

Their enemy smirked behind his orange masked. "In due time." He answered in his new voice as he held up a finger. "All will become clear eventually. That is, if you're around to hear it."

The Leaf, and one Sand, shinobi all felt pits at the bottom of their stomachs.

They had a terrible feeling about all of this.

"How is his pulse doing, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he kicked off of another tree branch.

"He's steady and stable." She responded, somehow able to evaluate his vitals while leaping from tree to tree. "I'm positive we made it in time. He's in rough shape, but he's not getting any worse."

"Are you positive?" The blond clone asked. "We really saved him?"

Naruto's doppelganger was the one who was tasked to carry the Kazekage with Sakura by his side if medical aid needed to be administered. Kakashi was stationed in the rear, while Kurenai positioned herself in the front.

"I'd be a lot more confident if we could stop so I could give him treatment, but Gaara should still be fine."

"Let's not get carried away, Naruto." The Copy Ninja warned a glance behind them confirmed what his nose relayed to him. They gained some ground on their pursuer. "Not when Itachi is still hot on our tail."

"Speaking of that, are you sure it's a good idea to make it back to the leaf and leave the others behind?" Kurenai asked cautiously. "What's to stop Itachi from turning around and going after them?" She could feel the Uchiha as he got closer to their group, but could they count on him to continue to follow?

"As long as we have Gaara, Itachi has no choice but to come after us." Kakashi reassured. "What I learned from Master Jiraiya's intel is that the One-Tails is one of the first Tailed Beasts that needs to be sealed away. Not only that, but the Nine-Tails has to be the last."

"Still…" Kurenai looked back at the pair in the middle, her vision jostled slightly as she kicked off of another branch. It was clear from the clone's heavy breaths; he had reached his limit. "I don't think Naruto can make another batch of clones to give us breathing room from Itachi."

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. She had a point 'What to do?' He thought. 'Should we take the risk and engage with him? Do we have the strength to defeat him?'

The blond doppelganger's head snapped up and twisted around, his gaze lingered in the direction of the Akatsuki hideout. "Oh no, this is bad!" He nearly yelled.

He landed on a branch with Gaara but didn't jump to the next one. Naruto's body went rigid, a look of deep worry written all over his face.

His actions caused the other three to stop with him. "Naruto, what's wrong? We have to go!" Kurenai called out to him.

The blond didn't react to her words.

"Did something happen?" The pink-haired Chunin asked apprehensively.

…

"There's someone else." Was all he said, his eyes refused to leave that spot.

"What?" Sakura questioned further.

"There's another Akatsuki member." His voice was cold, which matched his current demeanor. "They attacked Shikamaru's group and took out a clone of me like it was nothing." Sweat rolled down his face. "Whoever they are, they're bad news."

Sakura and Kurenai looked as if they had been struck.

"A third one?" Kakashi wanted to confirm, to which the copy of his student nodded gravely. "Damn, not good. To my knowledge, they were supposed to operate in pairs. This is new." He muttered and opened his Sharingan eye. "Guess we have no choice but to stay here and fight. If Itachi were to turn back and join his allies… everyone would be in trouble." They had to operate based on the assumption that the Uchiha was aware of what had transpired near the hideout.

"We should get down to the forest floor. We're more vulnerable up here like this." Kurenai did her best to rally the demoralized team. She was worried but had faith in her and Kakashi's team to get the job done. That was all they could really do.

Team Kakashi dropped onto the soft dirt beneath them. Naruto gently laid his friend onto the ground, while everyone got into protective stances around the two Jinchuriki. A tense silence filled the area, while they waited for the infamous Uchiha to join them.

Just a moment later, their enemy dropped down from the sky like he had accepted an open invitation. His face was nearly blank, but he seemed slightly surprised that his prey had decided to stop and face him.

If he were honest, he would rather they continue to flee. He had made enough difficult choices this week.

"You decided to stand and fight, hm?" The Sharingan Master asked coldly. "Brave, but foolish."

The clone clenched his jaw tightly and pushed past the others. He made sure to avoid eye contact while he spoke. "What kind of game are you bastards playing at, huh?" The blond doppelganger nearly spat.

The outburst wasn't entirely unexpected, but it raised a few questions. "Game?" He thought it was pretty obvious what was happening, but the blond was always rather dense. "There is no game, Naruto. We simply require to One-Tails to further out plans. Hand him over, and I'll let all of you walk about from here."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you traitor!" Naruto continued his verbal tirade. "That orange-masked guy, who the hell is he? Is he with you?!"

The faintest of twitches flickered across the missing-nin's features. It was almost indiscernible, but Naruto and Kakashi saw it. For someone who killed their own kin to have any visible reaction to that statement was unexpected, to say the least. Questions were raised on their end, as well.

Did he not know about Tobi?

The Uchiha murderer's breath hitched in his throat, and he felt his mouth go dry. It felt like a bolt of lightning had ripped its way up his spine and into the back of his head. It took every fiber of his being to not let what he thought show through to his face.

"…Did you say an orange mask?" Itachi asked, outwardly calmly. Though, on the inside, his prodigious mind raced through all of the scenarios he had anticipated. This had not been one of them.

Not even close.

Madara had made a move? How? Why? From what he had understood, Madara had planned to join the Akatsuki as a member soon, but not yet. This did not make any sense. What could have possibly changed? Or, was this his plan all along and he was just unaware?

His eyes flashed as a realization dawned on him. A conversation between their leader and Zetsu he had noted to be strange came to mind. 'So, he must have been the emergency countermeasure that Pain spoke of.' Of course, how had he not deciphered that cryptic statement?! It should have been so obvious! His emotions swirled, so much so that it was difficult for even him to hold them back. It appeared that ANBU training was useful for some things, after all.

'Could he be after Naruto? No, that can't happen. This ruins everything…'

"Does that mean he is with you?!" Naruto's teeth were bared, and one of his hands was clenched tightly at his side.

Things had gone off of the rails, and fast. Itachi had to make a choice right now, that much was obvious. Though, he knew that no matter what he decided to do… it would change everything. This took him back to that fateful day seven years ago. When Danzo and the Elders handed the world's worst ultimatum and he was expected to make an unthinkable choice.

What could he possibly do now?

He gave his best attempt at a contemptuous grin. "It doesn't matter." He dismissed. "None of you will live long enough to find out." His gaze drifted down to the unconscious Kazekage. "Now, I'll be taking the One-Tails. If you insist on getting in my way, then I have no choice."

Itachi raced through a quick set of signs and placed his index finger and thumb in front of his lips.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

His choice had been made, and he would not look back.

Never again…

Naruto attempted to catch his breath just as he dodged one of the massive shapes that Sasori had created with the iron sand.

It crashed loudly into the cave walls behind him, and splintered rock shot out in nearly every direction. The dust and debris wedged between his vest and undershirt were unbelievably frustrating, but there were more important things to worry about.

The terrain had begun to change; the hideout's roof had started to cave in on itself from the Puppeteer's powerful attacks. Sweat rolled down the Genin's face.

'This guy's strong, I can't get close to either of them. Should I have let Kiba and Shino stay to help me?' The Jinchuriki, though with a touch of trepidation, his breath still labored. 'Did I bite off more than I could chew?'

"Is running away all that you can do?" The redhead threw the blond's own taunt back at him. "You'll slow down eventually, and, when you do, I'll win."

Those words were intended to sting, but they appeared to miss their mark. Naruto just gave him a blank stare, which showed no fear. He had been through far too much over the past couple of years. What would Jiraiya think about him if he failed on his first mission after they had trained so hard together? The work they had put in together couldn't be in vain. Not only that, but what of his friends? They were in danger… he owed it to them to survive.

Naruto's mind went back to what Jiraiya had said about his father. The Nine-Tails had been entrusted to him by his dad, the Fourth Hokage, the Hero of the Hidden Leaf. Could he really face the man in the afterlife if he were to fail? No!

Yes, that's right.

Naruto's eyes reinvigorated with the same flame his Master saw when they made their bet.

'That's right, I can't afford to lose here!'

The boy withdrew a familiar scroll from his pouch and smirked. He ran at the troublesome puppet and clenched his jaw in anticipation. 'I hope this works!'

'Heh, a head-on assault? Guess he's run out of options.' The puppet master maneuvered his chakra threads to counter his opponent's assault. The Iron Sand: Gathering Assault shapes were extracted from the cave walls, and barreled towards Naruto from both sides.

'Yes!' Sasori leaned forward in anticipation. He'd crush the boy's body, and drag him back to one of their other remote hideouts.

There, he would await his inevitable extraction.

Naruto threw his unfurled scroll into the air and made a single hand sign. "Lightning Trap: Release!"

From the scroll, massive tendrils of electricity spread across the battlefield. The conduction of the metallic sand drew in the white-hot bolts. The effect was immediate; the iron sand weapons began to shake violently as it, and the Third Kazekage puppet, were struck heavily by Naruto's attack. Now with no magnetic charge, the black sand dropped harmlessly to the ground.

'What?!' Sasori nearly panicked while he tried in vain to command his puppet to defend.

It was too late.

'Yes!' Naruto inwardly screamed, as he pulled out a small tag from his weapon pouch. He closed the distance fast and placed the paper tag on the forehead of the Kazekage.

'Ninja Art: Chakra Seal!' The blond leaped back, a confident grin on his face.

Sasori eyed him curiously and made a hand sign to continue his assault. The iron sand of the Kazekage quivered but did not move beyond that. It couldn't have still been from the Lightning Style attack. If anything, that effect would last a couple seconds at most. There was a faint flickering behind the usually dead eyes of the redhead.

Was he beginning to show his anger?

"What did you do?!" He demanded. The most dangerous attack in his arsenal had just been rendered useless… by a child, no less.

"I sealed the chakra within that puppet with a special tag that I made. Though, I never expected to have to use one on a puppet. It will no longer be able to expel chakra from its body, or use Jutsu. It's just a regular puppet, now." He shot the Akatsuki criminal a hard look. "It's over, please surrender, so we don't have to continue this game."

If Sasori could bite the inside of his lip, he would've drawn blood. He was at a point in his life that emotions of any type were a rare occurrence. But… this boy made him furious. His eyes narrowed menacingly; a growl nearly escaped his lips, proof of the distaste he had for the Jinchuriki.

'Heh. I wasn't going to let it come to this, but the brat isn't really giving me much choice. Guess I'll just have to destroy his will first, then capture him.'

To Naruto's great surprise, Sasori rescinded the chakra threads attached to the Third Kazekage. It's wood-like body rattled and bounced against the hard stone floor. He rose an eyebrow. Did that really work, was it over?

Couldn't be.

"There is no point in continuing the fight with the Third Kazekage." Sasori answered the unasked question, his voice as calm as can be. "It'll only get destroyed like Hiruko; wouldn't want that. I can always reverse the sealing effects after you die."

'Guess I shouldn't be too surprised.' The Genin thought with a slight frown.

"I do have a question, though." The Puppeteer asked as he withdrew another scroll from his robe.

"And what would that be?" Naruto asked back warily. He wanted to make a move but felt that rash action would only put himself in unnecessary danger, especially because of Sasori's potent poison.

"You had the perfect opportunity to destroy my puppet when you disrupted the Magnet Release. Yet, instead of doing so, you chose to simply seal away it's chakra. Why?"

The Uzumaki shot his opponent an odd look. "Why does it matter?"

"That puppet is still a threat as long as it's on the battlefield. It still has hidden weapon attacks that I could use at any moment. You know this, and yet you decided to take that risk anyway."

Naruto resisted the urge to break eye contact, but Sasori could still feel his gaze waver. His chuckle was filled with cruel intentions.

"The Sand Village should be able to have a proper burial for their Kazekage. If you have him, then they probably don't even know where he went. I'd hate to think about how they've felt since he disappeared."

"You're pathetic." Laughed the missing-nin. "You'd put your life in even more danger than it already is, for that? Why do you care? You aren't even a shinobi from the Land of Wind."

Naruto twitched.

'Yeah, why do you care.' A familiar voice said.

Naruto's eyes snapped wide open. Who had even said that? He allowed his senses to extend beyond Sasori and the battlefield but felt nothing around them.

They were alone.

'Even after all we've been through… you still continue to show your worst enemies mercy. You're just asking to die. He's right, you're pathetic.' The voice continued with harsh taunts.

A dull ache crept its way to the back of his head. He resisted the urge to rub his temples as the sensation continued to magnify. The boy's heart rate began to elevate, the sound of his blood being pumped throughout his body thundered in his eardrums. 'What's happening to me? Who's there?!' He pleaded for an answer.

…

Just when he thought the voice was gone, it answered.

'Isn't it obvious?' Their tone was derisive. 'I'm you!'

His eyes suddenly darted back to Sasori, who seemed unaware of the blond's inner turmoil. The redhead was too focused on the unraveled scroll in his hand to notice.

Whatever this was, it wasn't being caused by the Puppeteer. That's when the grim reality finally dawned on him.

It was his own mind doing this to him.

Sasori's voice cut through his dark thoughts.

"I didn't expect to actually have to use these pieces, but, oh well." While his eyes were lifeless, his devilish smirk betrayed cruel intentions. "They don't exactly have any practical use … but I've been saving them for this special occasion."

Daughter and son. That was what was scribbled within the parchment.

Naruto's eyes widened, and his heart sank.

"W-What's that." The Genin stuttered out.

"Oh, I think you know." Sasori seemed to be enjoying this. He channeled a small portion of chakra into his sealed scroll.

'Poof!'

"Afterall, you know them very well."

Naruto's eyes widened as he balled his hands into fists and dug his nails deep into his palms. Crimson blood rolled off his knuckles and onto the rocky floor. The pain was lost on him, he didn't even feel it. "No…" Tears brimmed at the edges of his eyes, only sheer will kept them from cascading down the sides of his face. His lip quivered, and his heart clenched. "How could I let this happen to them…"

Tsunami… Inari.

The Uzumaki remembered that day vividly, even though it was one he'd rather forget. Tazuna's body had been the only one to be found. The other two, they had mysteriously disappeared. Blood had been everywhere, but it didn't prove anything; that could have all been from Tazuna, for all he knew.

He feared the worst, but, at the same time, that foolish, optimistic side of him had filled his mind with beautiful dreams.

'Maybe they had gotten away.' He told himself.

'Why would the Akatsuki bother collecting their bodies?' Was an attempt to rationalize this reality.

'They're out there somewhere. I'll find them one day!' A futile statement that he had kept at the back of his mind. It allowed him to sleep during his bad days, and even smile on his better ones.

As he looked back on it, such impossibilities were now apparent. They only served to make himself feel better, a way for his brain to issue damage control.

To stop the bleeding if you will.

Now, as he looked at them, a sudden rush of nausea accompanied the tears that had broken through his resolve. It looked like them, but it also didn't. Inari didn't have his hat, so the hair at the top of his head fell out to the sides. A small change, but it made him appear to be a stranger.

Tsunami… where was her smile? Every time Naruto had seen her, she always beamed. Even when there was no reason to do so. And her eyes were supposed to be so full of positive emotions. In just her gaze, you could see all of the love she carried for her father and son, perhaps, even him. But now? Her face was lifeless, cold, and dead. That image would haunt him for a long time, that he knew.

Their skin was darker, and they had vertical lines at the sides of their mouths. Their bodies have probably been rigged with more of Sasori's poisonous weapons.

"What a happy little reunion, this is." The Puppet Master's monotonous voice broke the blond out of his stupor. "How about you three get a little more acquainted?" He waved his arms and, with a flick from his fingers, used the friends of the Jinchuriki to launch his next attack.

Naruto didn't even move, he couldn't. Not even when Inari and Tsunami blasted him with a flurry of punches, could he put up even a modicum of resistance. There was a taste of iron in his mouth after Inari connected with a particularly stiff punch to his mouth. Tsunami threw an uppercut to the body that nearly lifted the blond off of the ground. He doubled over and grabbed at his gut as all of the air was forced from his body. The mother-son combo kicked him away.

The Jinchuriki landed several feet away and found himself faced up at the sky.

He was just being toyed with.

There was a sneer on Sasori's face. If there was one thing he had always enjoyed, it was sadism. It was the most effective way he could exercise his will over someone else. After all. what could be more sadistic than beating someone to a bloody pulp with their own friends? As creatively wicked as the Scorpion of the Red Sand was, not even he could think of many things worse than that.

There was a method to his madness, a reason behind why he did things like this.

To make them feel the same way he did when his parents never came back, and he was helpless to do anything about it.

Then, why? Why wasn't he enjoying this?

Sasori frowned. 'What is this that I'm feeling?' His confusion only seemed to anger him even further. In this form, he wasn't supposed to feel anything at all.

As for Naruto, his glazed eyes were too unfocused to admire the beauty of the sky. In fact, none of his senses were working correctly. His nerves were too numb to feel the ground he was supposedly laying on, and even the ambient noises of her surroundings were drowned out by his own mind.

There was only one thing that he could hear. Oh, how he wished that it weren't the case.

"Like I said… we really are pathetic, aren't we?" Those words rattled around in his mind like a deafening sound desperately trying to escape a small, enclosed space.

And, in that moment, it was all there was.

Chapter Text

"Present"

"Flashback"

Hikari: Light

Yami: Dark

Chapter 28: Two Steps Back: Breakpoint

The world spun at a dizzying rate. If the boy were completely cognizant, his stomach would be doing backflips from the sensation. Instead, in his current state, his view from the floor of the cave captivated him. It felt like he could feel the actual rotation of the Earth as it rocketed through space. It made him feel so small, so inconsequential. His place in the universe meant nothing against the vast endlessness of the sky and stars.

Their battle had ravaged the Akatsuki hideout, so much so that the ceiling had long since fallen. Pieces of debris were scattered about the battlefield. They ranged in size from pebbles to boulders.

Naruto could barely focus, but he still managed to make somewhat coherent thoughts.

'The sky… is so beautiful.' His eyes lingered for what felt like ages.

It had gotten somewhat later in the day. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun had peaked a little while ago. The sunset couldn't be more than a couple hours away. If only he had been able to admire this sight of the smoky, orange-hued sky. It would truly have been something to behold.

The Uzumaki was not one to admire artwork, but the heavens spun in such a way that it reminded him of some abstract art that Jiraiya had tried to show him once. Naruto hadn't understood it then, it had seemed like a waste of time. There were far too many things that demanded his attention, to the point where art seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of it all. But, now…

It was wonderous.

A small piece of his conscious mind returned to him at that moment. 'Wait… what am I doing here?' He managed to ask himself in hopes that the voice in the back of his head would return and help guide him. 'What was I doing before?" The blond couldn't remember for the life of him.

To his dismay, it was silent.

'Did I imagine it? Was I dreaming?'

Again, nothing.

After what seemed like a long silence, reality around him had begun to change. The azure sky was sucked into itself to form something new. Well, not quite… All that was left was, well, nothing.

A vast, familiar whiteness that resonated deep within him.

His sense adjusted slowly, and the sensation of rotation ceased. Thank goodness; the blond had started to feel sick from the feeling of movement.

He went to sit up but found his limbs far too heavy to move. Naruto was exhausted, so tired, in fact, that he felt he could spend the rest of existence in that one spot. His eyelids had begun to grow heavy, and he fought with himself to keep them open.

Then, suddenly, a strange sensation started to overtake him.

He started to giggle to himself.

The blond didn't know where it came from, why he felt this way, or what was so funny, but he chose not to fight it. The laughter started out slow, but gradually increased in intensity until it bloomed into a full-blown cackle. This went on for several seconds. His lungs burned for oxygen, but the hysteric howls continuously flowed from his mouth with no end in sight.

Coherent thoughts became harder to come by. The only thing there was laughter. It drowned out the Uzumaki's consciousness, pounded against his eardrums, and thumped in his chest.

Just as he felt himself slip into the sea of madness that threatened to consume him, a voice caught his attention.

"Did… he break?" An innocent, childlike voice asked.

More importantly, that was the person he had heard before.

That seemed to trigger something within him. His eyes snapped open and, with what little neck movements that were possible, his eyes darted around in an attempt to find the source of the sound.

"Are you surprised?" Someone else said. Their voice sounded just like the one prior, but it was much harsher. Angry, even. "He's been a wreck for a long time. Honestly, I'm surprised it took him this long!"

"I suppose you're right." The more pleasantly voiced stranger relented. "I just wish it hadn't come to this.

"Well, don't we all? Too bad that isn't how life works."

Slowly, but surely, the invisible weights that must have been levied on top of his body started to ease up on him. Naruto let out a groan and, with a push, propped himself into a seated position.

"Where the hell am I?" The Genin mumbled out. He shut his eyes; his body still not used to the movement. The dull pain in the back of his head had spread along the sides and started to thump loudly. "What's going on?"

"Hmph, do you really not remember my home? How rude!" The innocently voiced boy chided.

Naruto's eyes opened, and he was greeted with a familiar sight.

It was the child version of himself he had spoken to back when he had still been at Mount Myoboku. Just like before, the child was wearing a white t-shirt, along with knee-length cargo shorts. "It's you." He acknowledged; a frown tugged at the corner of his lips. "But… why?"

"How could you forget?!"

The angrier voice caught the real Naruto's attention. He turned his attention slightly to the side and blinked confusedly. Another version of himself stood a few feet away from his white-clad counterpart. They looked exactly the same, both aged at around five-years-old. The only way you could discern them from one another based solely on appearances were their clothes.

They wore the exact same clothing, just opposite colors. The new kid Naruto wore a black t-shirt and black shorts, their differences and similarities reminded the boy of Ying and Yang.

"I'm sorry, what?" The teen asked, as he still processed the new iteration of himself. "What did ya say?"

The darkly dressed Jinchuriki's lips twisted into a contemptuous sneer. "That redheaded jerk turned our friends into puppets, and you can't remember?! Are you serious?!"

Just like that, Naruto felt the thunderous crash of his recent memories nearly consume him. He remembered his quest for the Kazekage, the struggle against the Hidan and Kakuzu impersonators, Gaara's retrieval, and the fight with the one called Sasori. Oh, and lastly…

His dear friends had been turned into lifeless tools just to inflict more pain on him.

The teen's eyes went glassy, and a faint twitch tugged at his facial features. That was right, he had been content to stay here for eternity if that meant he didn't have to feel pain anymore. He couldn't face the puppets of the friends he had failed to save.

"You have to go back." Ying Naruto said. "You know that, right?"

"Why?" The current Naruto asked. "Can't I just stay here with the two of you?" It seemed easier here.

"Our friends." Those simple words widened the real one's eyes a great deal. "If you don't get up and fight, all of our comrades are going to die. Are you okay with that? Can you live with that?" The nice blond asked carefully. "We'll die, too."

"No, they can handle it." He lied to himself. "I don't need to be there."

"Would you stop being so depressing?" Yang Naruto grumbled out. "Isn't this what we've prepared for all of these years? Did you think all of this would be easy?! If that was the case, we wouldn't have had to work ourselves into the ground!"

"I…" The teen trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You need to get your ass up and stop them!" The black-clad Naruto started to get upset. "We're not going to fail everyone when they've all put their faith in us. That's already happened once before we can't allow it to happen ever again!"

"But, I don't even like fighting anymore!" The words flew out of his mouth before he realized that he said them. Naruto's hands waved around frantically as he spoke as if that would help convey the internal struggle that swirled within him. "I haven't liked it for a very long time. The only reason I trained to get stronger, the only thing that has kept me from giving up was to protect everyone close to me!" The teen felt tears well up behind his eyes, but he refused to show weakness like that. "It's been so hard… I just want it all to stop."

"You think we don't know that?" His Yang half responded with a harsh tone. "All three of us have been through hell, and it won't get easier." The truth caused the seated blond to look away, but his dark half didn't stop there. "Still, nothing has changed. There are still loved ones and family that we need to be there for. So if you lay down and give up, it would be the same as killing them yourself!"

"F-Family." The current one stuttered out.

"That's right, do you think Jiraiya-Sensei would just sit back and let you be taken away by the Akatsuki?" Yang Naruto scoffed. "There's no chance. That idiot would gladly risk his life to save us… could you bear the thought of him dying to protect our worthless life? He's… pretty much our dad. We have to stay alive, so Jiraiya can continue to live. "

Some fire returned to the eyes of the original. He winced and picked himself up off the ground, but the pain wasn't too bad. Though he did feel tired and sluggish.

"Y-You're right." He stammered out. "I can… no, we can do this."

Yang allowed himself a small grin but shook his head in disapproval. "Not with how you were acting out there, you can't. If we let you go back out there, you'll only die. Honestly, did you think we wouldn't notice?"

Naruto frowned and looked away. It was strange, he felt like the kid in this situation when it should be the other way around. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said that as if he had been caught with a snack before dinner by his parents.

"Yami, I don't think we should-"

"Not now, Hikari. He needs to hear this." His dark half interrupted, and turned his attention back on the original whose gaze had remained downtrodden. "We watched your fight with Hidan. You know, the monster who killed my friends!"

The current Naruto winced at that, but a flash of realization crossed his bright blue eyes. He looked at his younger copy and crouched down to eye level, his elbows rested on his knees. "You must be the one Hikari mentioned the last time I was here. I get it now, you're the me that was there that day, weren't you? He referred to the incident in Wave. "After that, you came in here to get away."

"That's right!" Yami shot back. "And I felt sick to my stomach watching you hold back against the people that did that to us." That statement caused the older blond to recoil a bit. "Not only did you put Sakura and Kakashi-sensei in unnecessary danger, but you even felt bad about hurting Hidan with your Rasengan!"

"B-But, they weren't the real ones!" The teen stammered in an attempt to defend himself from the accusations. "I killed an innocent person that was disguised as Hidan!" Even after a significant amount of time had passed, those words were still difficult to say. It made him feel sick.

"Bullshit!" The dark Jinchuriki dismissed his excuses. "We didn't know that until after the fight was over. And besides, you let him stab us when you could have easily dodged it."

"I took the blow so I could make sure I hit him with my attack." His eyes didn't match the words that came from his mouth, and it was obvious. "It was to make sure I didn't miss with the Wind Rasengan.

"Yeah, right. Like I would buy a weak excuse like that." Yami scoffed. "If you really wanna die, next time, don't be a coward and decide you want to avoid the attack at the last second. Take the hit head-on, and die a weakling."

The teen unconsciously took a step back from his accuser, his eyes wide with a myriad of emotions behind them.

"That clone of the Akatsuki wasn't that strong, we should have beaten him much easier than we did." Dark Naruto gave his older counterpart a hard look. "I mean, look at the fight we're in right now. Sasori is much stronger than Hidan was and, yet, we're doing better against him! Instead of going all out against these bastards, you're matching their strengths!"

"I-I…" The Genin bit his bottom lip. "Even if I go all out against Sasori, there's no guarantee I can beat him! He's strong, much stronger than I had expec-"

"Maybe if you weren't showing mercy, you would have a better chance!" He cut the taller blond off with his harsh words.

The original's mouth closed. That seemed to have struck a chord within him.

"These are the Akatsuki!" Yami's rage had grown each time he spoke of. "Just a single one of them put Kakashi-sensei in the hospital for weeks. They snatched up Gaara, the Kazekage, from the heart of the Hidden Sand without anyone knowing what had happened. But… you're still showing them mercy? What is wrong with you?!"

"The Third Kazekage… the village deserves to have a proper funeral for him." The teen sounded like a broken record at this point. "I couldn't destroy the body of their leader like that."

"Are you so insistent on that because you couldn't do the same thing for Inari and Tsunami?" The black-clad blond didn't wait for any answer and continued. "Is that worth risking the lives of us and our loved ones who are still alive?"

…

"Well?!"

"…I don't know…"

"Yami." The lighter side of Naruto cut in. "Showing mercy is a part of who we are. Killing people is not a part of our Ninja Way. We need to give our enemies every chance possible to prove that they are worthy of life. Think about what Gaara was like before we met him; or Neji. Hell, even Zabuza. Did they not deserve the chance we gave them? If we didn't give others the same chances, we gave those three, then what kind of person are we? There were even those poor farmers in the woods that we helped out when no one else would give them a chance! We have the chance to help change people's lives, and all we need to do is show a little kindness and mercy!"

"There's a thing as too much mercy!" Naruto's Yang half shot back. "A religious freak whose main hobbies include mass slaughter and destruction, and a monster who's made countless puppets out of people… how many chances to they need before you'll realize that they won't change? The Akatsuki are different than those three, and you know it!"

"If it had been up to me, I would have spared Jaaku's life. Instead, I had to watch helplessly as the two of you killed him in cold blood. I don't have the ability to pick and choose who gets to prove their goodness." Ying answered sadly, a slight droop to his facial features. "You know that, and as long as I am a part of Naruto, he'll continue to feel my influence. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I'm sorry."

"Well, maybe if you could make that distinction, we wouldn't have this shitshow on our hands…" Yami shoved his hands deep into his pockets and scoffed loudly, but didn't say anymore.

There was a long silence between the blond trio. The three were at an impasse; none of the blonds knew where they could go from here. Though they did know one thing.

If the current Naruto went back to face Sasori as he was, he'd most certainly die. Good thing, the passage of time in this space didn't translate to the outside world. They had some time to come to a conclusion.

Teen Naruto's eyes were glued to the ground below his feet. Everything his dark half said was right. 'I am pathetic.' He echoed the word he heard in his battle with Sasori, as frantically ran his hands through his blond locks. 'I've worked so hard for this. I thought I resolved myself to do what had to be done. And yet here I am, faltering during the moment of truth.'

His thoughts drifted back to when he was still at Mount Myoboku, an exchange with Hikari at their first encounter together.

"No, silly. I'm a part of you. That piece of you that you're feeling right now, the one that wants to hope, that's me!" With a smile on his face, he put a fist out in front of him. "So, what do you say?" He asked, waiting for a reciprocal fist bump. "Do you want to hope?"

Taking a step back, he sadly shook his head. "Sorry… I can't."

Instead of being sad like he had expected, his Jiraiya-minded side nodded while still maintaining his smile. "I understand. You can get rid of me permanently if you want."

"Get rid of you?" Naruto blinked, shaking his head rapidly. "Why would I do that? You're a part of me."

"If you don't accept me, there isn't really any purpose for me to exist." He received a look of confusion, urging him to continue. "Even if you don't accept me, as long as I exist within you, you won't be able to write the book that you want. You won't be able to be the person you want to be. I'll always be in the back of your mind, urging you into a direction you don't want to go in."

"You are a part of me." He reiterated. "If I erase you, I won't be the same person anymore." Naruto said, sticking a thumb sharply into his chest. "There may be one day when I'm forced to change into someone different, but this is not one of those days."

"So, what will you do?" His light-hearted side asked.

"I'm going to face the world for all that it is. And then, after seeing it with my eyes wide open, I'll make my decision."

His eyes fell on his pure, light half, and he let out a long sigh. 'Well, I guess I did try and do that, didn't I?' He couldn't stop the fond, nostalgic emotions that flowed within him. The only problem was, they were accompanied by painful ones, too. 'I faced the world for what it was… and it just reaffirmed the thoughts I feared were true.' Naruto walked towards Hikari and placed a hand softly on the child's head.

Ying Naruto, startled by the unexpected gesture, looked up with his big, bright blue eyes. Before the small boy could say something, the teen gave him a somber smile.

"Thank you." His smile slowly dipped down into a frown. "You were there when I needed you. All of that positivity saved my life more times than I could count. You kept that smile on my face when I was all alone when the villagers acted like I didn't exist, even after Sasuke left the village, and I felt lost. Without it, who knows? I could have ended up like what Gaara was like when we first met."

Tears prickled at the corners of Hikari's eyes. "What are you-" He trailed off, as the situation became clear to him. Their frowns matched.

"You said that as long as you were part of me, I'd never be able to become the person that I wanted to be." The teen started to explain the unfinished question. "Well, I'm taking that advice you gave me back then. I need to be able to make a difference in this world, ya know?"

"A-Are you sure?"

Yami watched the whole scene unfold before him, his expression was unreadable.

Their current iteration nodded. "For things to get better, change is necessary. We've tried it this way long enough, and it hasn't made much of a difference. We conflict with each other too much, you know that."

The white-clad blond smile a genuine smile that spoke volumes. It was like the boy expected it to play out this way for a long time. "I see… I guess there really is much of a choice, is there?"

"You've done more than enough." The teen responded with a shake of the head. "You deserve some rest, so please... it's time that you go to sleep. I'll take it from here, you don't have to worry about us anymore."

"Okay, I understand." Ying seemed to accept this answer. His lips curved up into a satisfied smile as he gave Yami a knowing look. Slowly, he began to fade out of existence, his final words barely a whisper.

"Take your time, neither of you should be rushing to join me. And, above all…"

Live.

Just like that, Hikari was gone. The fact that he disappeared was clue enough, but it was more than that. Naruto could feel that he was absent within him. It was like a part of him had been forcibly ripped from his body, and the wound still fresh.

Though it wasn't as bad as it sounded. A new piece that was truly him had already started to grow in its place, and it felt good. Like Naruto Uzumaki was now whole.

The teen found that his mind felt clearer, thoughts sharper, and resolve unbendable. Hell, even that persistent headache that plagued him for nearly a year was gone. It was almost like Hikari had caused it, and he'd been the one to rattle around inside the boy's mind whenever their ideals diverged from one another.

It was a guide he no longer needed.

'I can do this.' He felt more like himself than he could ever remember being. 'I have to do this.' That was what he lacked before, the will to act on his convictions. Well, not anymore. 'I WILL do this.' The Jinchuriki grinned at his mental victory.

The two that remained locked eyes. To the current Naruto's surprise, his Yami counterpart appeared sad. 'I guess it shouldn't be that big of a surprised; they spent all of their time together.' He allowed himself a small smile. 'Even polar opposites can get along. Isn't that right… Sasuke?'

"I could only stare on in horror when Hidan and Kakuzu taunted me just after killing my friends." The little one opened with. "Even though I couldn't have done anything to avenge them if I wanted to, not trying to fight for my life will always be my biggest regret. What are you going to do now, so you can die without regrets?" The child asked his older version.

The teen turned around to leave but paused. Naruto turned around to face his younger self and gave him a steely look of determination. "I'm going to do what has to be done, no matter how hard it is to do. The will to act on what I believe in… with that, I'll never regret anything ever again."

Yami's change in expression said enough. He approved of those words.

"Good luck, then." Yang said as he watched his older personal fade away, back to the real world.

The three of them had been through everything together. Sure, the methods that each of them believed in vastly differed, but their end goals aligned. All they wanted was to keep themselves and their friends safe from harm.

Was that such a hard thing to do? Well, as it turns out, it was. At least, it was in this world.

Though… the blond that just left was different from his predecessors. That look in his eye… it was completely different from just a few minutes prior. 'Maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time.' Yami chuckled to himself and looked to his side to share his thoughts with Hikari.

Only… no one was next to him.

"Oh, right." The realization struck him harder than he'd like to admit. "I'm all alone now, aren't I?"

Sasori watched with a wary expression as Naruto picked himself up off of the ground. That surprised him a bit; he didn't think the kid would have what it took to stand again and fight. The Jinchuriki hadn't said a word, but the Puppet Master could already tell his opponent was different somehow. The way he looked at him was colder, similar to the stare of a seasoned shinobi. It would have unnerved him, had he felt meaningless emotions like that.

"So, you still have more fight left in you?" He asked wickedly. "How very interesting!"

Instead of a quip in retaliation, the boy disappeared from sight.

"What?!" The redhead thought frantically. He spun around and caught a flash of blond hair that sped towards him. The speed of his Puppet Master Jutsu was impressive, Tsunami and Inari were already between him and his opponent.

Naruto made a simple hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He summoned ten clones. They split into two groups, five to engage each puppet. The original paid them no mind and pressed forward.

Sasori had no choice, with a growl of annoyance, he detached his chakra threads. He had only managed to dispel a few clones with his puppets before the real blond closed in. If those pawns hadn't beaten him mentally, they would be even more useless in a real battle. Compared to the Kazekage, which the Genin had already subdued, the Wave civilians were mere toys.

"Seems you're taking this more seriously?" The Puppeteer taunted while he backstepped to maintain the distance between them. "Did seeing old friends again upset you?"

No response, just a ghastly stare. Not what Sasori wanted, at all.

'Should I use Performance of One-hundred Puppets? No… his explosive clones would just destroy them.'

"Tch, so be it." Sasori ripped off his Akatsuki robe and revealed his true body. That seemed to get a reaction out of the Jinchuriki. He smiled eerily.

The teen skidded to a stop, a look of disgust on his face from what he saw. "So… that's why you look like you're my age. You really are a freak, aren't you?" Naruto broke his silence.

"Since you're using those pesky clones, I guess I'll have to change my strategy. I haven't had to solve a problem like this since I joined the Akatsuki. I wonder how long it's been…"

On Sasori's arms and torso, they deep lines that ran across his 'flesh.' It was the same as Inari and Tsunami, which probably signified the individual pieces that composed their puppet bodies. The Akatsuki's stomach was also carved out, and a large, poison-dipped, spool of metal cable with a stinger tip was in its place. On the right side of his chest, there appeared to be a space for some sort of hidden compartment. Next to that, a cylindrical piece of flesh that pulsed and twitched caught Naruto's attention, but he didn't linger on it for long.

The redheaded puppet's eyes were even more lifeless than before. "Since I've had to use myself in battle." The cable unraveled itself slightly from his gut, and he nonchalantly stepped onto it as it elevated him off of the ground. Two sets of four windmill-like blades sprung out from his lower back, the same thick, purple substance dripped off of them.

"So…. Shall we begin?" Sasori asked as a deranged expression took over his features.

Naruto, backed by his clones that still remained, lowered into a readied stance. If he was impressed by his opponent's theatrics, he didn't show it. "Let's get this over with."

Whit a cruel smirk, Sasori pointed his palms outward. What looked like small barrels poke their way out from the centers.

Naruto's instincts screamed at him to move, so he jumped backward and allowed his clones to form a protective line in front of him. Just as he did that, intense streams of fire erupted from the Puppeteer's palms.

Three of the seven doppelgangers jumped into the air, while those that remained on the ground went through the same set of seals.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

The collaborative thick wall of Earth rose up and collided with the searing flames. The wall held entirely for a few seconds, but thin tendrils of fire poked around the sides.

"Definitely singed my eyebrows off." One of the clones grumbled.

The second wave of clones, already in the air, each threw a handful of wind-enhanced shuriken.

"Wind Style: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Little pests!" The redhead taunted.

It didn't matter. With a simple swipe of an arm, Sasori consumed their horde of shuriken in his firestorm. The moment it made contact with the wind, the blaze intensified, and melted the shuriken along with the group of blond copies.

It was only for a moment, but Sasori took his eyes off the Naruto's on the ground. They had flanked him and were closing in fast with wind-enhanced kunai in hand.

'Surrounded, huh?" The blades on the Puppet Master's back began to rotate rapidly. To complement this, he spun in a circle. The razor-sharp blades clashed, followed by four loud 'poofs.'

Wind enhancement was a sharp tool, but the rotation of the Akatsuki's attack gave him a slight advantage. Though, it was at the cost of one of his favorite weapons. Out of his eight blades, six were broken entirely; the other two were massively chipped and dull. He scowled and retracted the useless steel back int his body.

'All of this effort… for a little brat!'

A glimpse in his upward peripheral alerted him to the last blond. Naruto fell from the sky at high speed, a fist cocked back to deliver the knockout blow. "I got ya!"

'Heh.' In a flash, Sasori kicked up the cable he stood on, and it lashed out at the Jinchuriki. 'Too easy!' He thought to himself as the stinger satisfyingly ripped through the Jinchuriki's gut. The blond's eyes went wide, and he desperately gripped at the puncture site.

'I…' The Genin breathed out, barely a whisper. "I…" It was clear he was in a great deal of pain.

This boy had made him feel more rage and emotion than he had in the past twenty years. Hell, he might have been more challenging to defeat than the Third Kazekage. The former Sand Shinobi wanted to bluster about his victory, to mock the arrogant child's risky attack. And he would have if he had not caught something in the corner of his eye.

Atop the wall of mud that the clones made earlier, was Naruto Uzumaki. He sat casually, one foot hung loosely over the edge, the other on top of the wall with his knee bent and pointed upward. Upon being noticed, he smiled and waved at his enemy with an air of smug satisfaction.

"…win." The pierced clone finished.

Sasori's eyes widened.

The original watched with some satisfaction as his suicide clone erupted in the face of his enemy.

Naruto slid off his perch and walked over to where the blast had occurred. 'That should have done it.' He thought confidently. "I've used way too much chakra in this fight. Any more, and I won't be able to help the others against Itachi and that masked guy.'

The smoke cleared, and some damage had been done. Sasori's left hand and right leg were both blown off. He was knelt up against a piece of the cave wall that still stood, his handless arm placed protectively over his chest. His pants were singed and in tatters. The Genin glanced off to the side and saw the man's limbs were still intact. How durable were these puppet bodies, anyway?

"My suicide clones are unable to use Jutsu. You should have noticed something was off when I just went for a regular punch."

The Jinchuriki stopped a few paces short and looked down at the Puppet Master with a blank expression. His lack of emotion seemed to snap something inside of Sasori, and his usual façade of disinterest was replaced by a seething rage.

"What do you look so smug about?!" He went to stand up, only to realize it wasn't a good idea. That only seemed to anger him further. "Aren't you furious about what I did to your pathetic friends? Huh? If you are, then kill me!" A crazed smile overtook him. "No… let me guess, you're still not going to kill me, are you?" The boy didn't say anything, which elicited a chuckle from the redhead. " You probably don't have the heart to do it. What do you want me to do; should I beg for forgiveness, or maybe say sorry to the Sand Village for murdering their leader?"

Still no response. The Akatsuki criminal was only met with the same blank stare.

Sasori grit his teeth. "Say something!"

Naruto took that as an invitation to move closer. He took a few steps, then knelt down to get on eye level with the crippled puppet. "Sorry, but you're fresh out of chances." He said coldly. "If you had asked me earlier today, I don't know if I would have been able to kill you, as idiotic as it sounds." His stare was resolute, unbendable. "But I'm not the same guy from before." He withdrew a kunai for his pouch.

"If you think killing me will bring your friends back, then-"

He was cut off before he could finish.

"Make no mistake." The blond challenged. "That isn't the reason I'm going to kill you." He felt calmer than ever. As if the only thing that mattered to him at that moment was his objective. It was liberating, the sensation of flowing unhindered in the direction he wanted to go. There was no voice in the back of his mind trying to pry him off of the path that he sought. "This isn't about revenge or anger. I don't want to make a decision like that based on petty emotions. It's because it's the right thing to do. You've hurt and killed countless amounts of people, and you don't seem to care. This isn't about you or me; it's about doing what is best for the world. And, sorry to say, that starts with you not being a part of it."

And, he wasn't about to allow the Puppeteer to get another word in edgewise.

He lunged at Sasori's chest with his kunai. At the same time, the Puppeteer unclenched his hand, and a dark-colored ball he had concealed rolled out and dropped to the ground. They were enveloped in a thick, purple cloud just as Naruto drilled through the psychopath's heart.

'On no… not like this.' Yami thought as he watched from inside.

Naruto's first instinct was to emit Wind Chakra from his body and disperse the smoke. He did just that, and he was able to get a good look at Sasori up close. The flesh in his chest was stabbed through its center; thick, reddish-purple fluid dribbled out around the edges of the puncture point. But that wasn't the first thing he had noticed.

The man's smile was what alerted him to his grave error.

It was too late.

Small, yes, but he had inhaled a hint of the purple smog into his body. The effects were immediate, his body started to go numb. It started with his legs as they wobbled. He turned and fell against the rock right beside his enemy. Naruto's breathing started to go erratic, but he attempted to control that as best he could. A dull pain in his chest became more pronounced with each second that passed.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" The blond said. "Couldn't accept death, so you had to try and drag me along for the ride. Like you haven't caused enough pain and suffering already."

"Heh." The man in question barely had the strength to turn and look at him. "For someone who's going to follow me soon after, you sure don't seem very worried. Could it be that you've accepted your death, too?"

"I'm not going to die." He said it with such finality. "I barely took in any poison. It won't be able to kill me if the Nine-Tails has anything to say about it."

That caused the redhead to cough out in laughter. The outburst caused some more blood to gush out of his wound. He looked down at it; it wasn't extremely deep, but it was definitely fatal. By his own estimations, he had a few minutes left. Even if he could apply Medial Ninjutsu, Naruto had more than enough fight left in to subdue and stop him.

Still, it wasn't all for nothing.

"You're a fool." He finally managed to say after his fits of pained laughter. "All I need is a drop of poison for it to be fatal. You took in plenty, and being a Jinchuriki won't save you, either. The only thing that can stop it is my antidote. And that poison, in particular, is especially intricate, I'm the only one who can crack it. Face it, kid, you're done. You have three days, at best."

"One of my teammates is a world-class Medical Ninja." The blond reasoned, still exceedingly confident he is in no real danger. "She can make me an antidote. Maybe I'll join you some other time, but not today."

"After everything you've been through… you're still optimistic that life will treat you fairly?" Naruto's eyes widened at that. Sasori's pauses between words became more noticeable; his time was coming to a close. "There's no guarantee… your friend will even make it out of this alive. Itachi is even more dangerous… than I am." He chuckled again. "Even… even if they somehow managed to find you… I doubt you'd survive the trip back to the village."

"I guess we'll have to see." Naruto grunted out due to the pain. "I've survived much worse than this, believe me."

There was a brief silence between the two. The only sound that could be heard was the seeping wound of the Puppeteer, which occasionally spurting out blood. It was difficult to listen to the life slowly leave another person, but was Sasori considered human? He certainly toed the line between human and monster.

Surprisingly, it was the Sand Shinobi that broke the silence. "Looks… like I'll finally… be able to see my parents. I wonder… if they've been… waiting for me?"

The Uzumaki stared at the man for a moment, a complicated expression on his face. That was strange; he almost sounded happy to say those words. That wasn't an emotion he had expected the man to be able to feel.

"Sorry to say this, but you're headed off to hell once this is all over." He wasn't really sorry. "You won't get what you want in the afterlife, if someone like you can even go there."

Sasori's head went to turn his head to face the man who killed him, but his neck gave out. He didn't have the energy to hold his head up. Still, he glanced up so the two of them were making eye contact. "I… know that." It was evident by the delay between nearly every word that speaking was challenging for the redhead. "Do… you think… Shinobi… actually go to heaven? He wheezed out a laugh. "We're all… going down there."

Naruto rose an eyebrow at that. Huh, he was probably right. It was hard to argue otherwise.

"How did your parents die?" He hated that he even asked that question, but he said it anyway.

The man on death's door looked down at the ground. "White Fang… of the Leaf." He said through a great deal of effort.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Sasori recoiled a bit at those words. It wasn't just him; Naruto hadn't expected himself to say something so genuine.

"Thank… you…" He looked troubled, as if he were unsure about why he had shared that, or even thanked the enemy that would be the cause of his death. A moment passed before he made his decision, and the look went away. "Can you… reach into my pocket?" The Puppeteer asked slowly as the color started to fade from his eyes.

The Genin frowned. "What, more poison? Thanks, but I think I've had my fill. It tastes good, by the way." Only he could manage to joke in a time like this.

"You really… are an interesting… person." The man in question shook his head in response. "Just… do it."

Naruto grimaced but obliged. He reached over and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Honestly, it surprised him that something so delicate could have survived a battle as fierce and destructive as theirs. He opened it, which only left him further confused. It was just a bunch of abstract symbols, nothing noteworthy at first glance.

"What is this?" Was all he could say.

"It's the… coded antidote… to my poison. Take it to… the Cipher Core."

"But… why?" He was confused. "You know that I can't save you. And even if I could, I still wouldn't." This gesture was meaningless… and yet, the S-Class criminal did it anyway. "What's the point?"

"Heh… who knows?"

Another pause. Though, this time around, the air had significantly less tension.

"Thank you, Sasori." It felt odd, very odd, to say, but it was appropriate.

…

The master craftsman had no response to that.

"Is there… anyone in your village that you want to give a message to?"

It was a longshot, but…

There was another awkward pause, and Naruto watched with mild curiosity as the redhead's eyes flickered erratically. If it weren't for his lifeless puppet body, he would probably be able to tell what his foe thought or felt at that moment.

"Tell… Granny Chiyo… that I-I'm s-sorry." Sasori barely managed to breathe out.

"Granny Chiyo." He repeated as he stored that away in his brain for later. "You got it."

The Puppet Master was so weakened that he didn't have the strength to nod his head in thanks. Instead, he moved his eyes up and down. And based on Naruto's face, he understood the message. The Akatsuki criminal could feel his life slipping away from him, but he tried to cling to it. This was all the strength he had left. That was when the realization hit him.

He was afraid of death and wanted to take someone with him. Sasori didn't know what compelled him to change his mind and give the boy the antidote, but he was content with that decision. Dying alone didn't seem so scary anymore.

This entire time, he had tried to escape death by becoming everlasting. A puppet, that was what he was; or, what he tried to be. Chiyo's grandson was never able to achieve that dream fully. To control chakra, he needed a human element. The organ he carried around in his chest was one big weak spot, but it was necessary for his quest.

A quest with no end, ends abruptly and without resolution. Without a reward or light at the end of the tunnel; nothing but a fruitless journey.

Oh well… life wasn't exactly an enjoyable existence; happiness had forever eluded him. The last time there was even a semblance of that in his life was when his parents were still alive. Even that, though, was but a distant memory that seemed like a false reality now. True happiness, maybe, just maybe, that emotion was possible through the application of eternal beauty. No matter the cost, he was prepared to wait that long to find out. Yet, there was always a chance that, too, was impossible. That possibility frightened him nearly as much as death.

Perhaps, it was for the better this way; to hope that it's true and die, instead of living to the point where you realize that it's not.

'Yes… that must be the true beauty in life.'

Those were his final thoughts.

"Sasori?" The seepage of blood from his wound had ceased.

Nothing.

"Sasori? Are you still with me?" Naruto reached out and lightly shook his shoulder.

Still nothing.

Sasori of the Red Sand was dead.

This was not something that Naruto had foreseen. Their battle was supposed to be gritty, destructive, unapologetic, and end, leaving the last one standing with a sense of victory. Instead, he only felt conflicted and annoyed and angry at himself that he felt conflicted. Sasori was an evil, awful person that turned human life into his own plaything for his personal, selfish goals. How could someone like that have even an ounce of goodness within his soul? It shouldn't be possible.

Naruto clenched the piece of paper in his hand.

If that were true, why would he give his enemy the antidote? It didn't make any sense. Was there more to the Puppet Master's story? He had to find out. And there was only one person that he knew of who would have the answers he sought.

'Granny Chiyo, huh? I guess I'll just have to ask her about all of this.'

Naruto would never be able to forgive the criminal for what he did to his friends, but there was definitely more to him than what he allowed others to see. Sasori's actions in his final moments did not match who he was while alive. But why?

Only time would tell.

He thought back to their conversation. After the explosion, Sasori was defeated and helpless. Yet, he goaded Naruto into killing him.

'He probably wanted to die, but didn't think I was going to actually do it.' He thought to himself, as his eyelids began to grow heavy. 'Was this… what you wanted… Sasori?'

The Uzumaki drifted off into a soft slumber.

Naruto awoke with a start and surveyed the area around him. The fog from his nap cleared, and the teen suddenly became aware of where he was. He felt a weight that bore down on his shoulder. To his side, Sasori must have slowly slid down until he was leaned up against the blond. That had to have been what startled him.

With delicate care, Sasori was lowered down onto his back, his face pointed to the heavens. It appeared like he was staring up into the sky without a care in the world, much like a certain Nara the blond was friends with. The Puppet Master always looked so lifeless that, even in death, he looked the same as when he was alive. In a sense, did that make him look alive?

Naruto gazed up, as well. It wasn't dark, but it certainly was later in the day from when he initially passed out. If he had to guess, he had been out probably between thirty to sixty minutes. The dull aches and pains he had felt before slowly magnified, and now the effects of the poison were noticeable. He gripped at his chest. His face had started to go numb, as well.

How troublesome.

'I wonder how the others are doing? I hope everyone is alright.'

"So, you're actually still alive. I have to say I'm quite impressed. The risk was worth coming all this way, then."

Naruto's eyes widened, and he went to stand up. His body vehemently declined the invitation, as he slid back down the remainder of the cave wall he was leaned up against. Well, this was not good. No antidote, and a weak, nonresponsive body. The boy looked around for the voice, but he didn't see anything immediate. To see is to believe, but the Genin knew that voice from anywhere.

"Where are you?!" He called out to the person in hiding.

"I'm almost surprised that you actually managed to kill Sasori all by yourself." The calm, collected voice ignored him to continue their thoughts. "That's quite the accomplishment, if I do say so myself."

Naruto frowned. "Well, come out and congratulate me, then." He challenged. "It's rude to compliment someone and not show your face to them."

"Heh, you're slowly fading from his poison, and you want to fight?" The unseen man asked with a hint of humor. "How very like you. Very well."

Out from the shadows, he stepped. A ghastly figure in the eyes of Shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. An S-Ranked criminal deviant with blood-red eyes.

"As much as I'd like to humor you, there is no time for pleasantries. We must make this quick."

Naruto narrowed his own blue eyes in disgust. His guess had been correct. There was no mistaking that voice, he knew it all too well.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Chapter Text

"Present"

"Flashback"

Chapter 29: One Track Mind

"Shikamaru…" Temari took in a deep breath. "This isn't working. Do you have any other ideas?"

They were the last two standing. The masked man only seemed interested in Shikamaru, so when the others got in his way, they were incapacitated easily. Shino, Hinata, and Kiba; they all seemed alive, but if they didn't figure something out soon, it wouldn't matter.

The Nara in question was down on one knee, his hands together to form the shaky seal for his family's Jutsu. His face and jacket were scuffed up, and he had a worried, narrow-eyed look on his face. 'This isn't good.' He had racked his brain, but Tobi's Jutsu proved to be more dangerous than he had initially thought. 'It's like his abilities have no limits. Even though he has to make himself solid to attack, his mastery over it is so great that it doesn't matter. We can't hit him; we just aren't fast enough. Not only can he make himself impervious to attacks, but his transportation technique makes him undetectable. Hinata, Pakkun, Shino, and Kiba couldn't trace his movements.' A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. He was almost out of chakra. 'How the hell are we supposed to stop someone like that?!'

The two allies exchanged a look that said more than words could ever hope to manage. Even in all his brilliance, Shikamaru had no clue how to stop him with what they had.

'If only we had Gai-sensei, or Kakashi-sensei, even Lee. Someone skilled enough, or fast enough, to take advantage of his phase ability's weak point.

"You know, I'm actually a bit disappointed." Said Tobi, though he didn't sound it. "Shikaku should be ashamed that he raised such a worthless brat." He seemed to contemplate for a moment. "You're almost not worth killing."

Tobi stopped and stared at the bare ground to his side.

"Zetsu, what are you doing here?" He asked aloud. "You'd better be bringing me some good news. Can't you see that I'm busy?"

Seconds later, a strange, plant-like being rose from the ground; half of his body black, the other white. The monster donned the black cloak with bloody clouds. After seeing the masked man's strength firsthand, Shikamaru doubted anything these guys did would surprise him anymore.

"Naruto Uzumaki defeated Sasori. He is dead." His voice was monotonous, but it betrayed some surprise.

Temari's eyes flickered. That name was familiar. Yes, she was positive Kankuro used to talk about him. 'Sasori of the Red Sand? Can't be… is Naruto really that strong?' Sasori was supposedly a master craftsman, a genius puppeteer above the level of even Lady Chiyo.

"What did you say!?" He asked as if he heard incorrectly. They clearly had not expected the battle to turn out that way. "How is that possible? Did the Nine-Tails have backup?"

'That has to be him.' Temari was sure now. Based on the masked guy's reaction, who else could it be besides the Scorpion of the Red Sand?

"No, and as far as we can tell, he defeated Sasori without the assistance of the Tailed Beast. It seems as though Hidan and Sasori were not wrong in their assessment of him."

Tobi took a deep breath, agitated by the news of the Puppet Master's failure. This was not a part of his plan, and it was evident by his reaction.

It seemed like he was no longer focused on the group in front of him he had toyed with.

The Masked Man seemed to regain his confident demeanor quickly. "No matter. We have time to claim Naruto." He tried to reason with his anger. Yes, that wasn't the main reason for this mission. Even the loss of Sasori could be absorbed when he joins the Akatsuki ranks. As long as they reclaimed the One-Tails, he reasoned, this endeavor could be viewed as a success.

"That isn't all." Zetsu said, his tone made Tobi fight back a reactive frown. He ushered his superior to lean down.

The spiral masked man obliged.

The two Akatsuki began to whisper something amongst themselves that Shikamaru couldn't make out. Whatever was said, it made Tobi's only visible eye widen in bloodshot rage. The Nara felt his consciousness slip, no longer able to resist the level of exhaustion. He had used far too much chakra to ensure that he and his friends would make it out alive. The break in action had caused all of the adrenaline, the only thing that kept him upright, to clear out from his system.

The last thing he saw was Temari try to reach out and catch him.

After that, it all went black.

He let out a weathered groan. A dim light poked its way through his barely opened eyes, which made him start to stir. Hands gripped his shoulders firmly, and a gentle rocking caused his eyes to flutter open.

"Naruto."

The blond winced as he adapted to the brightness of his surroundings. He saw a flash of pink, but his brain couldn't make the obvious connection. Sore muscles and general exhaustion made him reluctant to stretch out his limbs, but it was nice to think about.

"Hmm?" He hummed absentmindedly, as slumber fought to keep him. "Wh's ther?" His question came out a jumbled, unintelligible mess.

"Naruto!" The person said a bit louder.

The Uzumaki, more awake now, recognized that voice this time. His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw were those familiar emerald eyes. "Sakura." He said. A smile tugged at his lips as the last of his grogginess dispersed. She returned it and reached her hand out for him to grab. Naruto obliged and pulled himself to his feet. "What are you doing here? Where's Itachi? Wasn't he with you guys?" She didn't look that worried, so his attitude reflected that calmness.

"He left." Though, she certainly seemed confused. "We fought him for a little, but he replaced himself with a clone and escaped. Honestly, Kakashi-sensei and I thought he was coming after you, so we rushed back to make sure you were okay. We're not sure where he is now." She looked to the spot next to where the Genin had rested. Naruto followed her gaze, and he knew was she was about to ask. "Is… that?"

"Yeah, that's Sasori's real body. He partially turned himself into a puppet." His mood turned somber, and he wasn't sure why. It endlessly frustrated him, but he reserved the right to judge himself until he returned to the Hidden Sand to learn more. "He was tough, for sure."

Though, that made him realize something.

Naruto rotated his shoulders, neck, and flexed his knees. Nothing, he wasn't stiff, sore, or in pain.

"Wow, Sakura. You sure work fast." His hands flew behind his head, a cheeky smile on his face. "How did ya create an antidote for the poison so fast?"

"Antidote?" She cocked her head to the side and gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything, I just got here."

'Wha-" His hand flew to his pants pocket. From it, he slowly pulled out the piece of paper that Sasori had given him. It was folded just how he had left it. 'This doesn-'

A pair of Sharingan flashed in his mind, and it's tomoe spun in a hypnotic dance. The teen felt his senses leave him. A dull ache wrapped around to the back of his head and his body resisted the urge to stagger backwards. Before he could understand what had happened, it was over. He blinked.

Sakura reached out and grabbed his shoulder again. "Are you okay, Naruto?" She asked with a gentle shake.

"Huh?" The Genin blurted out. "Oh, nothing. It was nothing, sorry. I think it was just a dream I had." He finished weakly.

"A-Are you sure?" The kunoichi pressed, as her teammate started to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said with a dismissive wave. A decent distance away from the spot where fell asleep, he knelt down. Naruto took out a scroll and quickly sealed Sasori's arm and leg.

Next.

"What's this?" Sakura had followed him to his second destination.

The Uzumaki looked over the shoulder at her, then back to the puppet. "This is the Third Kazekage." The pinkette's expression looked like a combination of confusion and disgust. "Sasori made puppets out of people, and the Third Kazekage was one of them."

"Puppets… out of people!?"

Naruto nodded soberly and pointed in another direction.

The kunoichi followed his finger, and her heart broke at what she saw. "Oh my God…" She felt like she would be sick, her hand flew to cover her mouth. "T-That's…" Tears trickled down her cheeks at the sight of her friends turned into lifeless puppets. All of her strength went to try and keep it together.

"Yeah." Her friend finished sadly. Though, he still managed a smile. "Heh, at least I'll be able to give them a proper burial next to Tazuna." They, too, were sealed away into one of his scrolls. "I never thought I was going to be able to do that."

They walked back over to the man who was responsible. Sakura's sadness turned into anger. "This monster was the one who did that to them?" Her hand tightened into a fist. "I wish the bastard was alive so I could punch his head off."

"I don't know." The blond reached out and closed the redhead's eyes. "I think he might have suffered enough, himself." Lastly, the former Akatsuki criminal's puppet body was sealed away.

That surprised Sakura; she hadn't expected that response. "How could you say that?! You can't be serious, not after what he did to Inari and Tsunami! Are you saying that you forgive him for what he did?"

"I didn't say that! I can never forgive him." A sigh escaped his lips. "I killed him, he's dead. Just because I'm sad that it had to come to this, doesn't mean I forgive him for turning my loved ones into weapons for the sole purpose of hurting me."

When he decided to remove Hikari from his subconsciousness, Naruto hoped he would no longer feel such naïve compassion for his enemies. That ended up not being the case, but it did help the blond learn more about himself. Hikari and Yami weren't actually pieces of him like he had initially thought, but completely separate entities. Yang was filled purely with positive energy, and Yin negative energy. The two halves played tug of war with his emotions, which led to his unstable and erratic behavior ever since the Land of Waves. He was the third, more balanced identity that shared similarities with the other two, but still had his own persona, ideals, and feelings. The real him was kind and compassionate at heart even without the influence of Yang Naruto's energy, and that was something he doubted he could ever change.

To become perfectly balanced, the blond knew that he would eventually have to expel Yami from his subconscious, as well. However, that was something that he couldn't do right now. Naruto had to achieve his goals, which meant that he would have to be ruthless in the face of his enemies. For something like that, a little bit of darkness was a necessary evil that would push him past his limits.

Without it… the teen didn't know if he would be able to see it through till the end. Even though he resolved himself, the fear that he wouldn't be strong enough without Yami's influence was still there.

"S-Sorry." Sakura hadn't realized how harsh she had sounded.

"It's alright, I understand what you mean." His voice was genuine. They both felt pain, it was only natural to react with anger. "More importantly, where are the others; Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, and Gaara? Is Gaara safe?"

"I'm right here, Naruto." A calm, deep voice came from above them.

Gaara of the desert, the Land of Wind's Kazekage, descended down from the sky on a platform of sand. He looked a bit roughed up, but his smile upon the sight of friend dissuaded any negative thoughts the blond had.

"Gaara, you're awake!" Naruto rushed over to his friend just as he touched down on the ground. "You're okay! How are you feeling?"

"I have certainly felt better. The Akatsuki was partially successful in it's goal. I can sense that a large portion of Shukaku's chakra was pulled from the seal." He answered honestly. His joints ached, chakra low, and near exhaustion. The One-Tail's host nodded as they exchanged a firm handshake. "I am alive, though, thanks to you."

"Ah, it was nothing, really. It was a group effort."

Gaara chuckled. "Kakashi and Sakura told me everything. No need to be modest. I am in your debt once again, Naruto Uzumaki." The redhead looked over to Sakura. "I checked our surroundings, and I didn't see any of the enemy. Now that Naruto is awake, I think it would be best to meet up with everyone else."

"Right." Sakura nodded. She saw the confused look on the Genin and decided it'd be best to fill him in.

"Once we saw that you weren't hurt, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei went off to help Shikamaru and the others." Worry flashed behind her emerald eyes. "Your clone seemed pretty distressed. Something about a dangerous guy with an orange mask."

"My clone must have disappeared when I passed out because I don't remember any of the things that he did."

Yeah, nothing at all.

"We can finish filling each other in on the way." Gaara stated, as the sand from his gourd created two more platforms for his friends from the Leaf. "Kakashi was able to give us a rough idea of where to go, and my sand will give us the best vantage point to locate them. Get on, we don't have much time to waste."

"Are you sure you can handle that right now?" His fellow Jinchuriki asked.

"I'll be fine. Hurry, we must go."

The two Leaf teens nodded and stepped on the condensed sand.

Despite Gaara's weakened state, they were able to fly at fast speeds. The winds delicately combed through their hair, a calming sensation that was fully welcomed during these hectic times. Along the way, they discussed Gaara's capture, the Leaf's inevitable involvement, and what had happened throughout this chaotic mission. There was pain on both sides, that much was clear.

"I-I'm really sorry about what happened to Kankuro." Naruto put his head down. Those were tough words to hear, Kankuro was a good person and a great ally. He'd be forever grateful that the puppet-master-in-training saved Kiba's life when they tried to retrieve Sasuke from the Sound Ninja.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, a pain tried to creep its way out from behind them. Emotions besides anger and hatred were still very new to him, but the potential loss of his brother circumvented that ingrained stoicism and indifference. "I am not exactly sure what happened afterward, but he tried to save me from Itachi Uchiha. Considering that I was captured… well, I can only assume the worst."

"Either way, he IS a great brother and an excellent Shinobi."

"Thank you, Naruto…"

After the trio's discussion, a moment of silence fell unto them. Perhaps it was to honor the memory of the Kazekage's brother, or maybe it was a stunned silence from the news that they may have lost a comrade. It wasn't uneventful, the longer they traveled, the more diligent they were in their surveyance of the land below them.

"There they are!" Shouted Sakura, as she pointed down at a few specks a couple hundred meters in front of them.

The blond squinted towards the spot she had alerted them to. He could just barely make out a handful of distant figures. That had to have been them! "Good eye, Sakura!"

"Hold on." The One-Tails Jinchuriki instructed. "We will descend."

"I don't see any Akatsuki." Noted Naruto as the specks became larger. "And everyone looks okay!"

A moment later, they touched down, drawing the attention of those who were still conscious; Kakashi, Kurenai, and Temari.

"Gaara!" Temari, who had been by Shikamaru's side, was up to her feet instantly upon the sight of her beloved little brother. She ran over to the new arrivals and embraced him. "Thank goodness you're okay." Tears of joy prickled at her eyes and freely flowed. "You have no idea how worried I was…"

He smiled warmly, returned the hug, and looked around to all of the people present. His gaze fell particularly long on the unconscious Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. They appeared okay, and Sakura was already at their sides to check vitals to ensure they stayed that way. "I have all of you to thank for that." He bowed his head. "On behalf of the Sand Village, I am in debt to all of you." The last person his eyes fell on was his Jinchuriki friend, who returned it with a thumbs up and a smirk.

Temari let go of the iron grip she had on her brother and met a pair of bright blue eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki…" She was at a loss for words. The Genin had delivered on his promise, more so than she had ever hoped. "I'm so sorry that I didn't trust your judgment. Because of you, my brother is safe. Thank you so, so much!"

"Don't thank me. I was caught sleeping on the job." The blond teen walked over to his downed teammates and took a knee. He smiled as he saw them begin to stir in their sleep. "These guys put it all on the line for the sake of the mission. If you're gonna thank anyone, it has to be them."

"How about I just thank all of you?" Temari asked sincerely. "You guys saved my brother, and I will be forever grateful."

Naruto closed his eyes as his smile grew. "I suppose that works, too."

"I wouldn't sell yourself short, Naruto." The blond kunoichi said. "From what I hear, you defeated Sasori of the Red Sand. It shocked the enemy we were facing when he heard the news."

Kakashi's eye flickered at the mention of that name, but he remained quiet.

"The man with the orange mask?" The Jinchuriki countered. He just wasn't interested in talking about his fight.

"Yeah." The Sand Sibling looked over to the leaders of Teams 7 and 8, silently glad that they arrived when they did. Their presence is what made Tobi finally leave them alone.

"I bet Shikamaru has a lot to say about that guy's abilities. Too bad I won't be here when he wakes up." He glanced back at his friend and the entire objective of his mission. "We need to get Gaara back to the Sand as quickly as possible."

Kakashi stepped forward. "I agree. Itachi and Tobi seem to have retreated, but we can't expect things to stay that way. The sooner we get Lord Kazekage back within the safety of his village, the better." He looked over to his fellow Team Captain. "Kurenai, can you lead the injured back to the Leaf when they wake up? They have more than fulfilled their duties for this mission."

The red-eyed Jonin nodded her head. "Of course. It's probably for the best since these four have important information to relay about the appearance of the masked man. I'll report back to Lady Fifth when we return. Though, I suspect she'll want to debrief the three of you when you return, as well."

"Let me give you guys a little extra support until they wake up." Naruto brought his arms up to form his favorite seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Eight copies of the Genin appeared. They nodded to their original and took off in different directions. "They'll set up a perimeter around you for extra protection. I doubt the enemy will try anything, but better safe than sorry." A sudden wave of lightheadedness struck him, and he was suddenly glad he was already on one knee. He stood up shakily and let out a nervous laugh. "Though, with the amount of chakra I have, I won't be able to maintain them that long. An hour, at most."

Kurenai chuckled. "I think that'll do fine. Thank you, Naruto."

The Copy Ninja eyed his student with a bit of worry. "If you're tired, you can head back to the village with the rest of the team. I'm sure some rest would do you well."

"Sorry, can't do that." The Nine-Tails host said, a faint glimmer of a grin twitched at the corners of his mouth. "I have a promise that I need to keep. Can't quit yet."

"A promise?"

"Yeah."

His student's tone was cryptic, and his look of steely-eyed determination reminded him eerily of his late Sensei, Minato. Kakashi smiled, which was betrayed through the curvature of his visible eye. "Well, we shouldn't be keeping the village waiting. I'm sure everyone is anxiously awaiting the return of their Kazekage."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly. There was only one thing on his mind, and it wasn't Gaara, the Sand Village, Akatsuki, or even the fate of Kankuro. He needed to understand how, in his last moment, someone as insane as Sasori could do a selfless act that would save the life of his enemy. It didn't make sense, and it went against all his actions and motives the Puppeteer had shown up until that point. There had to be some reason, a missing piece of the puzzle that could explain these inconsistencies. It was eating him up inside.

To his knowledge, there was only person who would have the answers that he sought.

'Granny Chiyo of the Sand… what do you know?'

Shikamaru's unit had already been close to the border between the two nations, so the retrieval squad neared their destination.

They had traveled for several hours in mostly silence. Even after the battles had ended, the dry desert air was tense.

Sure, they engaged in some small talk. Temari and Gaara were interested in Naruto's time on the road with the Legendary Sannin. He gave roundabout answers and mostly talked about Jiraiya and how hard he trained. You know, the good parts.

Conversely, the blond showed interest in Gaara's ascension to become the Wind Shadow. It was such a big step from where the Sand's Jinchuriki had been after their clash at the Chunin Exams, he almost didn't believe it when he had first heard. Gaara's abduction had quickly overshadowed the fact that he was his village's leader. The change the redhead had undergone was noticed by Naruto immediately. I mean, he wasn't trying to kill anyone; that's already a massive step in the right direction. Still, to convince his village that he had changed so quickly? A tall task, indeed.

"Kankuro is going to be so glad that we got you back, Gaara." Temari's whimsical tone contrasted brutally with the reactions of Naruto, Sakura, and Gaara. "I'm sure he's worried sick." Her bright eyes flashed over to her brother, but they dimmed when she saw his look. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm fine." His weak smile did little to remove the worry from her gaze. The sand beneath his feet felt unusually coarse as he ran. "We're almost there, I can keep going."

Temari seemed to accept this. As her head turned to look ahead, she missed the exchange between the other three teens.

They all looked as if they were about to be sick. Gaara had decided not to tell his sister about the fate of Kankuro, on the off chance that he was wrong. There was also a piece of himself that didn't want to believe that his brother was dead. By not telling Temari, he could deny the inevitable just a little longer.

Once again, Kakashi's keen eye seemed to pick up on this. He was observant, but not without manners. The subject was clearly touchy, so it would be best to be left alone; he frowned. Over his lifetime, the Copy Ninja had seen that look more than he would like to admit. 'Bad news, I'm sure.'

"What's that?" Temari, the only one looking ahead, asked.

They were about two miles outside of the Hidden Village, but something peeked over the horizon of the sand dunes. They squinted against the bright desert sun, which made it difficult to make out what was ahead. Whatever it was, was broad and spanned a sizable distance.

The closer they got, the clearer it became.

The look of confusion on Gaara's face was borderline comical, Naruto simply closed his eyes; a soft smile graced his lips.

"Gaara." Temari breathed out, he features matched the other blond of the group.

They doubted it was everyone, but, with them huddled up like that, it sure looked like the entire Sand Village was there.

Those of the battalion wore looks of determination. Though, upon seeing the retrieval squad, their demeanors changed. You could tell when each of the Shinobi noticed their leader was among the group. Fierce, steely-eyed stares were slowly replaced with teary, exuberant displays of joy.

The One-Tail's host slowed to a stop. A feeling in the pit of his gut suddenly exploded to all corners body. It felt… good. Why did they all look like that? Was all of that happiness and relief… for him? "Wha-"

"It's our Kazekage! He's safe!" Someone shouted.

'Our?'

"Lord Gaara!" A few others proclaimed.

"Lord Fifth!"

'They seem so relieved.'

"He's back!"

"Thank goodness he's okay!"

'Is all of that really just for me? Am I… needed by someone?'

The horde surrounded their leader, who looked utterly overwhelmed with what was happening. His eyes were wide open, making the black rings that surrounded them even more pronounced than usual. His breath hitched, lip quivered, and posture stiff as a board.

Gaara's people always seemed to tolerate him as their Kage. He had anticipated that it would take time and a great deal of effort for them to truly accept him, but he was willing to put in the work to make that happen.

But this…

Even in Kage's wildest dreams, he didn't expect to ever receive a reception such as this.

Yet, here they were, tears flowed, screams of joy vibrated the sand at his feet, and celebrations ensued over the safe return of their Shadow.

Dual streams of tears fell down his cheeks. The Kage hadn't realized it when he was younger, but this is what he had always wanted. To be loved, wanted, needed.

To be surrounded by those who care for his existence.

A single hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was, only to be met with the happy gaze of his fellow Jinchuriki. Gaara wanted to say something, but his dry throat and overloaded brain took too long to get his thoughts out.

"I'm happy for you, Gaara." Naruto said with the utmost sincerity. "These people, your people, they truly care for you." The Genin gave him one last gentle squeeze and walked towards the wall of admirers. "Savor this moment, you deserve it." Was the last thing he said as he pushed past the sea of bodies and disappeared into the crowd.

"Naruto, where are you g-" It was too late, the blond was swallowed up.

He was gone.

"He did say he had a promise to keep." Kakashi walked up to his other side, voice just loud enough not to be drowned out by all of the noise. The Leaf Jonin gave the redhead an eye smile. "You know Naruto, that kid has always had a one-track mind. I'm sure he'll be alright."

Gaara looked at his friend's Sensei, then back to the spot Naruto had parted the Shinobi. It had been in the direction of the village's entrance. He held back the desire to frown.

This wasn't a time for any negative emotions. No, he wouldn't allow himself to not enjoy this moment. Temari was now at his side, the crowd continued to tighten around the small group.

"From what I gathered, they were tired of not knowing what was going on." Temari said, her teal eyes were unusually full of tears. Even someone as stoic as the oldest Sand Sibling wasn't able to contain her excitement. "A bunch of our ninja convinced Baki-sensei to send out a battalion to make sure you got home safe."

Gaara closed his eyes. Yes, he would enjoy this while he could.

Because he had a feeling that it wouldn't last.

Naruto hadn't taken very long to find the person that had run things in Gaara's stead. Baki, Temari had mentioned the name while they were still in the desert. He vaguely remembered what their Sensei had looked like from the Chunin Exams, and it all clicked when he saw the man's face.

The cloth Baki wore over half of his face was such an odd attire choice, it proved helpful in jogging the boy's memory.

"Yo."

"You." Said Baki as he looked up from the paperwork at his desk. It had only been about three years, but to Naruto, it looked like the Jonin had aged over a decade. His face was marred with stress-induced wrinkles, and there was a deep bag under his one visible eye. Was that from his assumption of Gaara's responsibilities, or worry over his student's safety?

Probably a combination of both.

From the look of shock on his face, it was clear that he recognized his new guest. "Where have you been?! We've been awaiting updates from the Leaf for far too long! My people have been in a mass panic over the fate of our Kazekage!" Oh no, he was angry. How bothersome. "Now, you just waltz into the Kazekage's office without a care in the wo-"

"Gaara is safe, don't worry."

Those words cut through his anger like a hot knife through butter. "What?!" The Sand Jonin shot to his feet, fists clenched tightly against the large, wooden desk. Negative emotions dissipated and replaced by… relief? "Where is he?! Is he hurt?"

"He's fine." Naruto's face was calm, though he couldn't stop the small smile that peeked out from the corners of his mouth. "Just outside the village. We ran into that battalion that you must have just sent out. They should be at your entrance soon."

"Oh, this is excellent news!" The wrinkles already began to disappear; it must have been a long time since he smiled so wide. He walked around the table, and towards the entrance the Leaf's Jinchuriki stood in. "I must inform the Council and assemble a welcome party for his return. Our people will be beside themselves with joy! How could we ever thank the Leaf for their assistance?" At this point, while it was aloud, Baki was speaking mostly to himself.

"Wait."

The Sand Sibling's Jonin instructor was wrestled from his musings, only to find that the blond had not moved from his spot in the doorway. In the wake of this wondrous news, the usually chirpy and energetic Genin wore a complicated expression. It did little to dampen his own reinvigorated mood, but it certainly raised some questions.

"I need a favor." Naruto said simply.

"Anything." Baki responded earnestly. How could he deny a request from the Shinobi who saved Gaara's life not once, but two times? After all, Gaara would have never had a life, or future, to begin with, if Naruto Uzumaki had not clashed with him the day of the Konoha Crush invasion. "What is it that you need?"

"I need to see someone right away. Would you happen to know… who Granny Chiyo is?"

That brought him to where he was now. He'd been waiting in the Kazekage's private medical examination room for nearly thirty minutes. It was a decent-sized space, there was a sizeable L-shaped tabletop in one of its corners with cabinet space above and below it to store medical supplies and other necessities. A steel swivel chair with a black leather seat was positioned in front of that. There were three regular chairs on the other side of the room, which faced the Kazekage's personal padded examination table. The walls were the same dusty, pale yellow-orange of every building in the entire village.

He wondered briefly how the people here didn't go mad with how bland and repetitive everything was.

Naruto took a seat in one of the three chairs and had already unsealed Sasori onto the examination surface. His thumbs twiddled against one another, and he let out an exasperated breath. From the title the Akatsuki criminal had addressed her by, he knew she was old; but this was ridiculous. It shouldn't be taking this long!

It was as if someone from above had taken mercy on him because the door slid open mere seconds later.

'Here we go…'

A light, feminine gasp escaped the newcomer's lips immediately upon entering the room.

It had to be her.

She was an elderly woman with black eyes and lavender-colored hair tied in a bun, a Sand Village traditional dark-colored, loose-fitting outfit with a poncho-like top.

"Is that…" Her voice choked up; facial features twitched uncomfortably, a clear sign of being an old-fashioned shinobi. It reminded the Genin of the twenty-fifth principle that Sakura had mentioned to him once. She was at Sasori's side much quicker than someone her age should be capable of moving. "No, it couldn't be… Sasori?"

"You're Granny Chiyo, I presume?"

The woman heard him but did not take her eyes off of the deceased redhead. Her body shook lightly while she hovered over the former Sand Shinobi.

'Well, they must have been close at some point.' Mused Naruto as he studied her body language to glean more information. 'Not sure how he could have been close to anyone, though...'

"Is this really him?" She unconsciously gripped her modified arm as she stared at the human-like husk that looked just like her grandson. "They told me that you had information about Sasori, not that you killed him." Chiyo's voice was barely above a whisper.

"That's him. Considering he was a missing-nin from this village, I didn't want anyone to know I had his body."

"And why's that?" The retired kunoichi glanced back at the teen for the first time, streaks of dried tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Because I wanted to talk to you about some things." Naruto leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and interlocked his fingers in front of his face. "It was easier this way."

"You put my dead grandson here in front of me, and your immediate action is to interrogate a sad, old woman?" She lightly chuckled in a humorless, sarcastic way. "You Leaf Ninja, despicable as always."

He was right, of course they were close. His grandmother, it was an obvious answer that he had anticipated.

"That's ironic coming from the person who raised a monster." Chiyo recoiled at that and turned away, but he wasn't about to let this woman off that easy. "I'm sure you know about what he's done, he said the village was aware of his actions before he defected."

Chiyo couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze; the floor at her feet seemed much too fascinating to do so. Naruto wasn't sure if the intermittent shaking was from old age, or distraught. Both would be a pretty decent bet. There was nothing that she could really say in response to that, and her lack of response proved that.

The Jinchuriki frowned at the woman's silence. "Well, allow me to clue you in. Your 'precious' grandson joined a criminal organization tasked with capturing people with Tailed Beasts inside them." She twitched again, but he didn't care. This was not only something he had to say, but she had to hear. "I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and he turned my friends into puppets and used them as tools to try and capture me." Yes, he definitely had to get this off of his chest. "He's also directly responsible for the abduction of not one, but two of your Kazekage."

Sasori's grandmother's already dim eyes went wide after that last statement. "T-Two?! No, it couldn't be…" She blurted out. Not that she even had to ask, it was clear what the whiskered boy meant as soon as the word s left his mouth.

"That's right, one of Sasori's human puppets was the Third Kazekage. At least, that was what he said. I doubt he had any reason to lie about something like that. Besides, I don't think the Iron Sand is a common ability to have, even in the Land of Wind."

Chiyo propped herself up against the examination table. Her breath grew ragged and clenched at her heart tightly. Sasori was right in front of them, and he looked so peaceful. Their memories together when he was just a small boy were still so clear, and they made tears prickle at the corners of her eyes once more. How could such an innocent-looking child do the atrocities this Leaf boy claimed that he did? Yet, even though he was an outsider, she believed every word of it. How… how could it have ended up like this? Had she really failed that much as the boy's guardian?

What's more, she didn't know which news surprised her more; that Sasori had been the one behind the mysterious disappearance of the Third, or that this boy somehow managed to kill Sasori by himself. That latter only seemed more implausible now that she knew Sasori was in possession of the Iron Sand Jutsu.

The Nine-Tails host gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. Tons of information had been dropped on her, and while he was there for answers, he recognized the situation required some patience.

"Why did you come to me with all of this? Do you want me to say sorry for the things that he did to you?" She would have laughed if a piece of her hadn't just died. "I hadn't seen him in over twenty years. We would have been complete strangers to one another."

"I don't need an apology; wouldn't want one to begin with."

"Then, what is it that you want? To harass an old woman who just lost the last thing that tied them to this world?"

Naruto rose an eyebrow, only now realizing how guarded Chiyo was around him. A few of the things that the elder said earlier only seemed to further confirm that there some unspoken issues between the two of them. "You must really not like people, or is it just those from foreign nations?" He had let the comment about despicable Leaf Ninja aside, but it was more indicative than he initially realized. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm actually here to talk about who Sasori was before I met him, and you're the only one in the world that can tell me."

She gave the teen a strange look, then she turned back to her grandson. Once again, memories of a young Sasori filled her thoughts. To this day, those cherished moments were both a blessing and a curse. A reminder of what is, and what it could have been.

"Why would I bother with something like that? Digging up old, painful memories is pointless. It changes nothing, nothing at all." The granny finally said.

"Tell you what… if you indulge me, I'll pass on his last words. They were left for you, after all."

"Heh, I suppose despicable wasn't the right word. You're heartless, and would go so far as to openly manipulate me to get what you want." Despite her words, she didn't sound very upset by it. "And here I thought that Shinobi like the one's from my era were a dying breed."

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not like your generation." There was a sliver of an edge in his voice as if that comparison struck a chord within him. "You, the people who fought three bloody wars to protect and enhance your own national interests. It's the reason our world is the way it is, right now. I'd be like your generation if I threatened the lives of you and your loved ones to get the information I sought. I'm just asking for some equivalent exchange."

"Perhaps you're right. Very well… I'll tell you anything that you want to know." Chiyo reached out and brushed some of the hair out of the deceased Puppet Master's face. "After all, the world that my and the previous generation created is what turned Sasori into the person he inevitably became. Sweeping it under the rug would do no good to anyone."

"What do you mean by that? How did it change him?" Naruto leaned forward further, intent on capturing every word. Finally, he was at the precipice of what he had searched for ever since his encounter with Jaaku. The world was a cruel place, and within it terrible people, that he knew; why did it have to be that way, and how did it directly influence and alter someone within it? Based on the redhead's final actions, it was evident that he was not inherently evil like Hidan. Buried deep down, there was a modicum of good in the Puppet Master.

"Well, it all really started when the White Fang of the Leaf stole his parents away from us." She nearly spat it out, which surprised him. After all of these years, that wound was still fresh. "After that, the Sand Village teachings and the cruelty of war did the rest."

"Tell me all about it. I want to know everything."

Extreme high points were always accompanied by devastating low points. Not all things in this world went the way they should have, and life had reminded Gaara of that at nearly every turn in his life. The Kazekage pulled his now hysterical older sister tightly to his side. Her heavy sobs cut him deep. It took all of his willpower to not breakdown at that moment, but he had to be strong.

It hadn't been long until Gaara, and his rescue squad made it back to the village. Spirits had still been high, and even Gaara had managed to crack a smile for a bit. It was an unexpected but welcomed return for the Wind Shadow. That was until Baki had greeted them at the metaphorical gates. The look on his teacher's face confirmed his worse fears, and, at that moment, he couldn't help but glance over at his oblivious.

And yet, even though he knew it to be probable, the confirmation of Kankuro's death still hurt more than anything he had ever experienced. However, it was probably not even close to what Temari was currently feeling. Not only did she have a bond with their brother for much longer than him, but she was also blindsided by the news of his demise. Gaara was able to brace for the possible impact.

Their relationship of the Sand Siblings had started out strained, and continued to be that way even after the Chunin Exams. Gaara couldn't change overnight, and his siblings did not expect him to. It was a gradual process, one that made the end result well worth the effort. Slowly but surely, they were able to grow and nurture a familial bond. They loved each other and would protect one another with all of their might. Kankuro's death proved that to be true when he put his life on the line to shield his younger brother from the clutches of the Akatsuki.

As a result, it was a life that was cut far too short.

"It's okay, Temari." Her brother's simple words were spoken with great effort. "We won't allow Kankuro to be forgotten." Though, those sincere did little to quell her sorrow.

"He died to not only protect his Kazekage, but a beloved brother." Kakashi gripped the headband that concealed Obito's eye, bittersweet memories of his past flickered lightly in the back of his mind. "A death worthy of a Shinobi."

"We have held off on a service until your safe return." Baki's words hung in the air.

"I think it would be best to have that service today." Gaara's answer was immediate and wholly expected. "My return will not overshadow the sacrifice that my beloved brother made for me." The One-Tails host looked over to Kakashi and Sakura. "I would be extremely grateful if the three of you would stay and join us…"

Sakura smiled in hopes that it would raise everyone's spirit a little. "Of course, Kankuro was our friend. We would want nothing more than to attend."

The Kazekage quickly nodded his thanks, and then put his focus back on his grieving sister.

"It will take us a couple of hours to make the arrangements, and everyone in the village notified of the ceremony." Baki interjected. "For the time being, you are free to make yourselves at home. If you wish to stay the night after the ceremony, we have also put rooms aside. I can have some of our attendants show you to them if you'd like?"

Kakashi waved him off politely. "If it's alright, I'd like to go find my student first. Can't have him getting into trouble in a different village."

"Do you mean Naruto Uzumaki?" Baki asked.

"The one and only."

"Well, then you're in luck. I know exactly where he is."

The Copy Ninja's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Oh? And where would that be?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Eternal Beauty

"You… never told him?"

The old woman's gaze fell slightly, but she remained resolute. The silence in the room suddenly felt deafening. "How could I have? Sasori was just a small boy. He didn't know the horrors of the world, and I couldn't bring myself to tell him that he had lost his parents." Naruto noted that when she spoke about the past, she gained a few more wrinkles around her eyes and above her brow.

The weight of loss apparently never stop bearing down.

"That's your reasoning? You didn't think he would need closure? You planned on lying to him his entire life?"

"No, I-"

"From what you told me, he was a perfectly normal kid before that happened." The blond had long since abandoned his chair and now lightly paced the room, his hand cupping his chin. "You tried to protect him from the death of his parents, but you might have ended up doing more harm than good. If you had helped him with his trauma instead of sweeping it under the rug, maybe he wouldn't have ended up this way."

Chiyo's eyes continued to linger on her grandson, a wistful smile graced her old features. "I look back on the past nearly every day of my life, and I couldn't agree more."

"Why didn't you?" It was an honest question.

Even more wrinkles. "I thought showing him how to play with puppets would be enough." There was a touch of helplessness in her voice. A foolish thought, she knew. "They were a distraction for me, and I thought the same could work for him." The retired kunoichi knew that what she had just said was incredibly naïve, but that was truly her thought process those twenty years ago. "I-I-"

"Let me guess, the Shinobi teaching's you grew up with… they didn't prepare you to deal with something like this, let alone help someone else through it." The pieces of this giant mess of a puzzle were finally starting to fall in their appropriate places. The image they created was an unwelcome, but expected, representation of the world they lived in.

The look in the defeated eyes of Sasori's grandmother said it all. If she were miraculously given a chance to go back and change things, she still wouldn't know what to do to help the boy. Compassion, rehabilitation, empathy… these things were unbecoming of a shinobi. Once again, the twenty-fifth principle wormed it's way back into his mind.

A Shinobi never shows their feelings, no matter what the circumstances. Feelings are a weakness that only cloud his judgment and weaken his sense of duty.

Perhaps, the mindset itself is the disease?

"It only made everything worse." That was painful for her to get out. It was apparent she had never said any of this aloud to anyone, not even her brother. "Sasori quickly became a Puppet Master prodigy, and the Village saw his immense talent. They used the skills I helped him develop as a way to cope and, instead, turned him into a killing machine to aid us in the Third War."

The blond stopped his pacing and eyed the woman carefully. "And… what did you think about that at the time?"

She expected that question, but it didn't stop her from burying her head into her hands. "He was only a boy, but his efforts helped save many lives. It was effective, and I knew he could help the Village survive. That is our duty."

"Yeah, that was what I expected you to say." Naruto let out a long sigh. "That isn't something exclusive to the Sand Village, though. It seems like every Ninja Village has that same mindset."

"That's because, no matter the damage it causes to an individual, Shinobi are the pillar of strength that hold everything up. Without those sacrifices, everything would come toppling down. It is an effective system, and it garners superior results." The elderly woman grew up in the infancy stages of the village system revolutionized by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, so her insight was as comprehensive as just about anyone alive today. "It is something that we simply accept as reality."

"Not too long ago…" Naruto started off. "I took a man's life because I thought people like him were the problem in the world. I saw him as a disease that crippled a nearby nation so he and his people could profit from it." His eyes narrowed as he attempted to look at the situation with a new perspective. "I wasn't naïve; I knew that humans put their own self-interests first. It makes sense, honestly. I have no problem with people wanting the best for themselves, it's just when they hurt innocent people to get it… I…" He ground his teeth together. "It's just, is that really the only way to do things? Or, is that simply what we accept because it has been that way for so long? I was blaming the people within our broken system, instead of the system itself…"

"Such a young man, and, yet, you are already trying to tackle such complex questions."

"Someone has to."

"Heh, I suppose you are right." The Granny mused with a weary grin. "With some reflection, I can say that my generation created a lot of the problems that yours will have to deal with in the coming years. Perhaps yours will be the one to correct them. Just don't come to me asking for help. Your generation must figure these things out on your own."

"With all due respect, I'm not sure if I would want your help in the first place."

"Hahaha!" The retired kunoichi bellowed with laughter, and even Naruto sported a slight grin at her expense. "I think that's fair. I don't even know if I'm qualified to give advice anymore." She wasn't about to let the boy forget about the deal that they had made. "Is there anything else that you would like to hear?"

He appeared to mull that question over for a few seconds. "No, I've heard exactly what I was looking for." The Genin said after a short pause, as his attention drifted over to the 'corpse' of the redhead. "I think I understand Sasori a little more than I did before."

"Does that mean you are going to keep your word to me?" Was her cautious question. After all, that was the only reason she told the whiskered boy about the life she and Sasori lived.

"Of course." Naruto interlocked his fingers behind his head. "I made a deal with you, and I don't plan on going back on my word."

The retired kunoichi shook her head. "For someone from the Leaf, I suppose you aren't so bad. Though I must ask, why are you so interested in my grandson? What happened between the two of you that you come to me with all of these questions?"

They locked eyes.

Naruto unclasped his hands from behind his head and crossed them in front of his chest. "When I gave him that fatal wound in his 'heart,' he tried to take me with him with a poisonous gas cloud. I couldn't react in time, and ended up breathing some of it in."

Chiyo's eyebrow raised. "If that's really true, then how could you possibly be alive? Sasori's knowledge of poison is only overshadowed by your Hokage, that old Queen of Slugs, Tsunade." There was still a bitter taste in the Sand Elder's mouth regarding the Senju. The Sannin was the only medic in the world who had ever gotten the better of her in the Great War.

Naruto went to speak, but a shooting pain erupted within him and began to pinball around in his brain. A grimace escaped his lips. He plopped back down onto the seat he had used in the beginnings of their conversation. He took the bottom of his palm and pressed it firmly against his temple to try and alleviate some of the discomfort. His vision was filled with a crimson-red hue. A black, four-sided pinwheel invaded his field of vision and spun in a hypnotic dance that captivated his consciousness. And, just as soon as it appeared…

It was gone.

The blond blinked until his vision reverted back to normal. He wasn't really sure what had just happened, but, whatever it was, it appeared to worry Granny Chiyo.

"Are you okay, dear?"

'Dear?' Naruto thought that was a bit odd, but he didn't say anything. "I'm fine, just a headache. I get them sometimes." His tone was dismissive. Naruto briefly searched his short-term memories, only to come up with nothing. "Sorry… what was your question again? I spaced out for a bit."

She didn't seem to fully accept that answer but decided not to make a big deal out of it. "Sasori's poison." She prodded gently.

"Oh, right." A flash of realization glimmered behind his bright eyes. How had he forgotten? "Even though he was still going to die, even though it did absolutely nothing to help him, your grandson gave me the antidote to his poison." The old woman's eyes widened significantly at that statement. "That's the main reason I needed to find you. Leading up to that point, he did nothing that would suggest to me that he would be capable of doing something like that. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I wanted to find out why."

Upon hearing that, the gray-haired woman once again walked up to the examination table. "Sasori…" Her sorrowful whisper hung in the air. It was only a single word, but it said so much. Her lip quivered, and she felt those tears that weren't Shinobi-like force their way out of the corners of her eyes. "Maybe… he did that so the organization that you spoke of would still be able to capture you?" It was almost like she was trying to convince herself that her grandchild wouldn't be capable of something like that.

The Genin shook his head. "I'm sure Sasori has given the Akatsuki the antidote to his poisons. Sasori was a smart guy, it wouldn't make sense to leave his comrades in the dark about something like that. Besides, he said that poison would take about three days to kill me. Plenty of time for his buddies to get their hands on me."

"No… no, it couldn't be." Her lack of blinking was mildly concerning, but it was unexpected. There were plenty of instances where the missing-nin had shown he was a monster. "That's the only thing that makes sense."

Naruto grinned thinly at the old woman's denial. "If that were the case, then why would he tell me to come and find you?" Her eyes opened even further, something Naruto didn't even think was possible. She didn't speak, so he took that as an invitation to keep talking. "How do you think I know who you are? I asked him if he wanted me to deliver a message for him. Like I said before, his final words were meant for you. Are you ready to hear them?"

Chiyo felt her throat go dry. She tried to scrounge up enough words to form a complete sentence to answer back with. "I-I-" She couldn't find any.

"He told me to tell you that he was sorry."

The Genin watched the woman's reaction closely. Her spirit was hardened by at least two wars, and she had already shed a few tears today. That proved just how much she cared about Sasori. And yet, those tears before only seemed to scratch the surface of her sorrow. Chiyo began to lightly shake, but she had her back to him so he couldn't see her face. Naruto could hear it, though.

The old woman sobbed lightly to herself over the body of her deceased grandchild.

'Sasori, what would you think of this?' The Jinchuriki mused to himself.

There was a knock at the door. "Naruto, are you in there?" It was Kakashi's voice on the other side of the wall. Chiyo hadn't reacted to the sound, so the teen thought it best to slip outside. He opened the door just enough to fit through, and then closed it quietly behind him.

"Did ya need something, Sensei?"

Kakashi had tried to peek past his student to see into the room but wasn't able to make out anything inside. He gave his student a look for the strange behavior. "We were looking for you, you kind of just wandered off without telling us where you were going. Are you alright? Is everything okay in there?"

"Sorry about that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I had to keep my promise to Sasori."

Kakashi noted that the boy's bashful action didn't match the look on his face. "Sasori?" That was definitely a name that he recognized. "The man from the Akatsuki that you fought? That was the person you needed to keep your promise to?" To be honest, the Copy Ninja was a bit surprised. Even though Naruto had a caring and forgiving heart, after what Sakura told him about Inari and Tsunami…

"I found his grandmother and handed his body over to her." The teen tried his best to dissuade his teacher's confusion. "I hated the guy, but we put everything on the line against one another. Even someone like him deserves a little respect in the end."

Kakashi nodded his understanding. He wasn't sure that he agreed with that statement but didn't come to find the blond to argue over their ideological differences. "Well, I came to find you to tell you that we'll be staying in the Sand Village for a while. Depending on how things go today, maybe even for the night. Baki set up some rooms for us if that does happen."

The Uzumaki cocked his head to the side, his features bunched together slightly. "What's happening today? Is it a party for Gaara's return?"

Kakashi's one visible eye blinked. "I-I thought he would have told you when you saw him."

They scrunched up even more. "Who, Baki? No, he didn't tell me anything. Why? What happened?"

"Kankuro… is dead. He died trying to protect Gaara from being taken."

"Oh… I see…" He stayed silent for a moment as Kakashi watched him closely. "Gaara had mentioned that is was possible, but… hearing it's true is something else entirely. How are Gaara and Temari doing? Are they okay?"

"Temari is pretty upset, and Gaara has been trying to console her." The Jonin's eye curved downward, which the blond assumed it meant he was frowning behind his mask. "Though, I don't think that's giving him any time to process what happened for himself. When you're done here, could you go talk to him and make sure he's doing alright? It would probably mean the most coming from a friend."

His student glanced back at the door and nodded. "Yeah, I'm almost done here. I shouldn't be too long. I'll go see him right after this."

Kakashi gave his Genin a sad smile and turned to leave. Unsurprisingly, he clicked open his pouch and took out a copy of 'Make Out Innocence' and shot a lazy wave over his shoulder. "The service will be outside this building in a little over an hour. I'll see you there."

"Right." Naruto watched the form of his Sensei retreat before bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. A sigh escaped his list. 'She's probably in there crying still… maybe if I just wait out here, I won't have to deal with any of that.' That thought made him feel awful, and yet it didn't change how he felt. After all, the son of the Fourth Hokage didn't even like to deal with his own emotions. There were two occasions where literal manifestations of himself had to slap some sense into him because he didn't want to do it. How was he expected to help someone else through their emotional baggage?

Simple; he couldn't.

'Oh well, guess I'll just have to give it a shot.' The teen reached for the doorknob to the Kazekage's private exam room and was about to turn it, and then his ears twitched.

A faint hum emanated from the room; it was so quiet that he had barely even noticed it. His hearing may not be at the same level as people like Kakashi or Kiba, but it was still better than most. Instead of barging in insensitively, Naruto did the classy and respectful thing. He pressed his ear up against the door for a little bit of eavesdropping.

Even though the sound grew louder, it didn't really tell the boy anything new. Though, that didn't last long. What alerted him that something may be wrong was what sounded like pained coughing and gasps of air.

'Chiyo?!' Naruto haphazardly swung the door that separated them open. Even then, he wasn't really sure of what he was seeing. "Hey, Granny… what the hell are you doing?"

The old woman in question was still hovered over her grandson, but something was different. Both of her hands were placed over the puppet's chest, and they emitted an intense blue glow. She looked over her shoulder and gave the boy a look he was pretty sure that he'd never forget.

A soft, almost serene smile.

The teen didn't have to ask; he could tell that whatever she was doing was putting her through immense pain. The facial twitches, sweat accumulation, and pained expressions made it very clear.

"Oh… this?" She asked through some effort. "Pay me no mind, I'm just an old woman trying to right one of the many wrongs I've made in my life." The blue light that emanated from her palms flickered slightly, then intensified even further. That elicited a groan of agony out of the old woman.

'For a veteran like her to show pain from this… and that doesn't look like Medical Ninjutsu, either.' There was also that look he saw in her eyes. "What is this Jutsu? What are you doing?"

"This… is a Reanimation Jutsu that I developed." Strain flickered just above her brow, and she bit the inside of her cheek in a feeble attempt to quell the torment that ravaged her body. "Funnily enough, I got the idea to create this Jutsu to help Sasori when he was a boy. Who would have thought I'd still get to fulfill its purpose? " The painful image of her sad child playing with puppets made in the image of their mother and father wormed its way into her mind, and, this time, her grimace was not from pain. "Perhaps this can make up for how useless I was to him."

It was from regret.

'Reanimation?!' Naruto walked to the old woman's side. To his shock, the stab wound in the Puppet Master's artificial heart was being stitched back together. "You're bringing him back to life." It was a statement, not a question. "He's been dead for so long, how is this…" The Genin's eyes darkened slightly at the prospect of something like this being possible. "A Jutsu as powerful as this… what does it cost?"

No answer.

"Granny Chiyo!"

Still nothing. Words weren't needed, her lack of them was the only answer he needed.

"You're a fool." The Jinchuriki attempted to bite his tongue, but the words just rushed from his mouth. "You'd really trade your own life for his? Why?"

"You said it yourself, Sasori showed that he is capable of change. You saw it with your own eyes." Her eyes narrowed, and another tear dribbled out from one of them. "If that's true, then I would gladly give my own life so that he could have his back. I'm just an old bag of bones, my life isn't really worth all that much these days."

"You're just talking nonsense!" He gripped the woman's shoulder but tried to not jostle her too much. "The things I told you about him just mean that there was still a little piece of himself in there. To think he could change back to the way you remember him as after all that's happened over the years… we both know that isn't possible. Stop trying to convince yourself otherwise."

"No." In just one word, she conveyed her true feelings; a will of unbending steel, and the eternal, unconditional love of a grandmother. "This is my choice. I've made so many terrible ones in my long, worthless life… but, this. For one of the first times that I can remember, this truly feels like the right thing to do. I know it."

Naruto furrowed his brow. What could he say to convince her out of this obvious mistake? "Even if everything you say is true, what if you're wrong? If Sasori wakes up and attacks, I may just have to kill him again."

"Not to worry… he won't be a threat to you. This Jutsu is special." The Elder's breaths started to become more labored. "I am not simply bringing him back to from the dead; I am breathing the life into his puppet body."

"What do you mean?"

"I developed this forbidden technique alongside the Sand's Puppet Brigade Division. With it, you could even bring inanimate objects, like puppets, into the world of the living."

"But, doesn't that mean he won't really be Sasori, just a new consciousness in his body?"

"Normally, that would be the case." Chiyo smiled through the unbelievable strain her body was undergoing. "However, Sasori's puppet body has a human element that he used to manipulate chakra. His consciousness is contained within it, not the puppet body itself. I am extracting the essence of Sasori that is still within his artificial heart, and, with my own chakra, I will breathe it into this puppet."

"And what does that mean?"

"Sasori's consciousness… should be tied to his modified body. He'll be able to survive without his human element, but… will still need it if he wants to manipulate chakra." Her breaths had grown even more ragged. "That is because his real body no longer has a chakra network."

'An immortal body?'

What a disaster this had turned out to be… The blond teen let out a hoarse breath and levied a stern stare onto the weakened veteran.

"You could have everything work out perfectly, but there's still one huge problem." Chiyo couldn't respond, between her strained breaths and efforts to maintain the Jutsu, all of her attention was divided up. "It's not like you're reviving Gaara, your Kazekage, or even someone like Kankuro. Sasori is still an internationally wanted criminal. When the Sand finds out what he did to the Third and Fifth Kazekage, and that he's alive… he'll spend the rest of eternity rotting away in a cell. You still have time to stop this before you pay the ultimate price! It isn't worth it!"

"You… cared enough to… bring him to me like this." The glow from the woman's hands slowly faded until it stopped altogether. "I… trust you to… take care of my… grandson…Naruto. My only regret… is that I couldn't see him alive… one last time."

With her Reanimation Technique now completed, the Honored Sibling toppled over to her side. Instead of reaching out to catch the old woman, Naruto watched her with conflicted eyes as she collapsed onto the ground.

Naruto grimaced, and forced himself to look away from the sad scene in front of him. A pit formed in his stomach, one that he quickly identified as a feeling of intense guilt. "I'm sorry that I was so rude to you earlier… I was just so angry about what happened to my friends. It was wrong of me to take that out on you. I just… wish I would have said it to you earlier… before you-" The teen's ears twitched.

She wasn't breathing.

An eerie silence filled the room, one that gave him the urge to leave and never come back. Sasori hadn't started to move yet, but Naruto could feel a faint glimmer of energy emanating for his body.

Great, just great.

"Why… would you entrust me with something like that? You just met me…"

'What… is going on?'

One second everything was dark, and, just like that, it looked like he was nearing the end of a dark tunnel? There was a faint light that peaked out of the sides of his peripheral vision. His eyes squinted to adjust to the new visual stimuli.

'Where the hell am I? What is this?'

"Finally awake, ya damn bastard?"

Sasori's eyes fluttered open, and a wince escaped him at the sudden surge of light that hit his corneas. He was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

'That's…'

It had been twenty years, but he recognized these walls anywhere.

'How… is this possible?'

"I can't believe I get myself into these situations." The redhead turned just in time to catch Naruto rubbing his hand through his hair in annoyance. The blond boy was sat down on the other side of the room. "I had to miss Kankuro's ceremony for this. You're lucky I can use Shadow Clones, or I would have left your ass here until I came back."

"You… what's going on?" The Puppet Master's battle instincts kicked in as he subtly scanned the medium-sized room. "How am I here? I should have…" His body twitched ever so slightly.

The Genin flared his chakra. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you." Naruto had noticed what the man was doing and decided it best to nip it in the bud. "I'd like to keep my promise to Granny, but I'll kill you a second time if you give me a single reason to." His look was stern. "And I mean any reason."

"The Witch has something to do with this?" Sasori grunted out harshly. "Not possible, I saw the wound that you gave me. Not even her medical prowess could have saved me when I was that far gone." Was this all just a nightmare? He truly was not sure. It all felt real, but that could just be the cruel work of the afterlife playing tricks on him.

"Heh." Naruto's laugh was devoid of any sense of humor. "You know, I would have thought the same thing a little while ago, but…" He held up something that caught the man's attention. "Things keep on surprising me."

That was his core!

The missing-nin shot up to a seated position, wide-eyed. "That's…" His shaky gaze slowly drifted down to his chest to confirm the impossible. To his disbelief, his core of flesh was gone. "H-How?"

"I didn't know you could look so rattled." Despite the teasing words, Naruto maintained a deep frown. "As for the how… well, I'm not sure you'll like the answer to that." Sasori gave him a stern look that demanded answers, but the blond simply pointed down on the floor in front of the Puppeteer.

The S-Rank threat had a flicker of emotion pass through his usually dead eyes as his gaze lowered further. His grandmother laid unmoving on the ground; arms crossed peacefully over her chest. Her eyes were closed shut, and there was a peaceful, almost content smile on her face.

"A forbidden Jutsu that she apparently developed to try and make you happy as a kid." Naruto carefully observed his former opponents body language as he continued to speak. There wasn't a visible reaction, not that the blond expected there to be much of anything. "I'm not exactly sure what she meant by that, but its purpose was to be able to breathe life into puppets. She did that to bring you back to life at the cost of her own. The only thing this heart is good for now is giving you the ability to wield chakra. Without it, you're harmless."

Sasori sneered. "What a fool." Eyes locked on the cold corpse of his grandmother. "Why would she do something so idiotic? Who would sacrifice their own life to save someone else's? It just doesn't make any sense."

"I'm pretty sure that's what love can do to a person. Emotions like that, they make us do stupid things that we wouldn't think of doing otherwise." The Genin wasn't sure, but it felt like the Puppet Master was holding something else back. His cold eyes and steely demeanor made it difficult to tell, but he could feel it. "As for why, well, we spoke about you at length; then, I relayed the message you left for her. After that, she made this decision even though I tried my best to convince her otherwise. She was having none of it, though. It was a choice your grandma felt she had to make."

The Scorpion of the Red Sand decided that the ceiling was where he would levy his gaze. The blond's face had begun to annoy him and thought it better to just ignore the nuisance.

Unfortunately for him, the person he deemed a pest was no going to let that happen.

"Eternal beauty." Naruto recalled aloud. The redhead's body twitched slightly. "I remember you mentioning that term when you described your art in our fight. You made puppets out of people, so the human form would never wilt away like your parents did." He was no psychologist, but even someone like him could piece the obvious together. The blond pointed at the Akatsuki member, more specifically, his augmented body. "Is that why you turned yourself into that monstrosity; to become your own ideal piece of art? Everlasting and immortal?"

As each word that he was forced to listen to went by, the man's face contorted ever so slightly. "Is there a reason behind your blabbering, or do you just like to hear yourself talk?" The Puppet Master shot back with more edge than he had expected.

"I thought it would be obvious." The Jinchuriki levied a heavy stare at his captive. "Because of what Granny Chiyo did to you, you now have the eternal beauty that you have always wanted. As long as you maintain that puppet body, you will never fade away. You won't die of old age, and you don't have the need for any human elements to sustain life."

"Just what the hell is your point? What do you want from me?!"

"Are you happy now?" Sasori's eyes flickered open slightly. "You have obtained the thing you wanted most, right? You had to pay a steep price to achieve it. Tell me, how does that make you feel?" He smiled. "I'm interested."

"I feel nothing… nothing at all."

"If you're lying, then that's pretty sad." The blond dug into his weapons pouch while he spoke. "Then again, if you're telling the truth, that is probably even more tragic." He shook his head and tossed the items he withdrew in the direction of the redhead. "Tell me if that changes with this."

Sasori snatched them out of the air without even looking, but he did manage to shoot his captor a sharp glare. "What are these?"

"What does it look like? A pair of scrolls." A similar look of contempt drew a thin smirk from the blond. "Hell if I know." He said with a small shrug. "I noticed them next to you after your grandmother brought you back to life. They definitely weren't there before, so I assume she left them for you."

Sasori held one of the scrolls out in front of his face and unfurled it with one hand, which blocked Naruto's view of his face. The man was silent for a few seconds and then repeated the action with the second piece of parchment. Still, he did not say a single word.

"Well?" The blond asked. "What is it?"

The Puppeteer rolled the pair of scrolls back up, tied the string around them, and placed them delicately into his pocket. Whatever the mysterious sealed contents were, it left the thinnest of grins on the redhead's face. That grin, however, didn't seem to match the man's eyes. It was so slight that Naruto could have just imagined the whole thing.

"If you truly wanted to know, you should have opened them while I was still dead."

Naruto blinked. Was that… the sociopath's attempt at humor? Huh, who would have thought? Now he was really interested to know what it was the old lady left for him. The Genin let out a light chuckle. "Heh, I guess you're right."

"So, what happens now?" The Puppet Man asked while he brought his gaze back up to the ceiling.

"Huh?" The blond gave him a look that Sasori couldn't see. "What do ya mean?"

"I've done… bad things to both you and this Village. I can't infuse my chakra without my core, I'm pretty much at your mercy in the heart of a place that wants me dead. If your plan were to kill me, you would have probably already tried to do so. So I ask; what is next?"

"Well, you're a member of the Akatsuki, it's not like we can just let you roam free." The teen brought a hand to his chin. "As for what comes next, well, I have a plan. Only time will tell to see if it actually works out. You'll just have to sit tight and wait for things to fall into place."

"It isn't like I have much of a choice." The Puppet shot back stoically.

"True. At least you understand that much." Naruto's facial features twitched slightly; the familiar sensation of his clone's memories being relayed to him tugged at the corners of his mind. "Speaking of which, it looks like I have a couple of things to attend to." The blond quickly made his way to the door, took one final glance back at his former opponent, and began to speak again. "Company will be here in a couple seconds. Don't try anything stupid while I'm gone. I'm not responsible for the actions of the Sand's Black Ops. Just because I haven't killed you yet does not mean that they won't. See ya later."

And with that, Sasori was left to wrestle with his own thoughts.

Baki's face was strained behind his best mask of stoicism. He bit the inside of his cheek with a bit too much force. "Naruto Uzumaki, couldn't something like this wait until later. Until our Kazekage is-"

"No, it can't." The Nine-Tails host said simply. "We're not sure when Gaara will be ready to meet with us. A few days? A week or two? I don't have that kind of time to wait around, so I'd appreciate it if you all, the council, would make a decision today."

Naruto had his own seat at a massive round table in the center of a large, open room. Behind him were four giant stone statues of the previous Kazekage. From what Baki had explained, his attendance was not a regular occurrence. When a request is made, routine procedure dictates that the committee comes to a determination without the presence of the requestee. It was only because of the boy's efforts in the retrieval of Gaara that he was given the floor.

He wasn't sure who Yūra was, but his seat sure was comfortable.

'Sasori wasn't lying to me.' The blond thought upon seeing the giant stone sculptures. 'That puppet is definitely the Third Kazekage. No doubt about it.'

"Let me get this straight." The one who introduced himself as Gōza began. "You claim that Sasori of the Red Sand is the man behind the disappearance of the Third Kazekage and the attempted capture of Lord Fifth, and you expect us to just hand him over to the Leaf?!" The man sounded genuinely surprised at such a ridiculous request. "Don't misunderstand, we are grateful for what you have done for this Village, but these terms are ludicrous. It would make a mockery of the Land of Wind to let one of our greatest enemies get away unpunished."

"I agree." Another older man spoke up, Naruto wasn't that good with remembering names he didn't care about, but he was almost certain the geezer's name was Jōseki. "Sasori is an S-Rank missing-nin, who has committed numerous atrocities to the people of our Village. Now, you tell us that he is linked to the assault of two of our leaders and the murder of one? He will be tried as a criminal by us, no exceptions."

There were a series of nods and murmurs of agreeance between the Sand's higher-ups, while Baki just looked on with an accumulation of sweat forming at his brow.

The teen frowned. "Yes, but Sasori is a member of the Akatsuki. Their goal is to capture all of the Tailed Beasts, not just the One-Tail. The information he has as a potential informant is much more valuable than any satisfaction you would gain by bringing him to justice."

"Then, we will simply interrogate him ourselves." Ryūsa, another council member, chimed in. "Do you Leaf Ninja not trust us with even that much? Is this request coming directly from Lady Fifth Hokage?"

"No, I haven't consulted with her yet. I just wanted to get a jump on things with some preliminary discussion. There won't be an official agreement until we hear back from her." Naruto corrected with a shake of the head. "The Leaf has more knowledge on the Akatsuki than any major village thanks to the information gathering of Master Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin. Therefore, leaving him with you would be doing a disservice to the entire Ninja World."

Gōza's brow knitted together. "Yes, but-"

"No 'buts.'" The blond cut the Elder off with little regard for their opinion of him. "Must I remind you that Gaara, your Kazekage, still has around one-half of the One-Tail's chakra still inside him? Do you think the Akatsuki will be satisfied with that, or is it more likely they will be looking to come back and take the rest? Last time, they just waltzed in and took him right from under your noses. If given a second chance, I doubt you'd do any better." That seemed to get the council's attention. They all reacted similarly, in fear for the safety of their people and leader. "The more information the Leaf Village has, the sooner we can stop the threat of the Akatsuki. This is the best course of action to keep everyone safe."

The Sand councilors looked at one another with uncertainty in their eyes. The boy's words had apparently struck a chord within them, but they were still unsure of how to act. Well, all but one of them.

"This is all fine and well, but you can't sit there and act like this does not benefit the Leaf, as well." Baki had apparently heard enough of this deliberation and decided to throw his hat into the ring. "Your Village is home to the Nine-Tailed Fox, an immense asset to your military might. You could want this information to better protect your Jinchuriki, not us. We are grateful for what you have done, and we understand that you are our allies, but you must look at this from our perspective."

"Are you saying you need something in return?"

Baki placed his interlocked hands in front of the lower portion of his face. He looked conflicted with this whole situation, but a stiff nod was his response.

"Okay." Naruto said with a nod back. "That's perfectly reasonable, given the circumstances. There are two things that we can give to the Sand in return for the exchange of Sasori of the Red Sand."

"And… what would those be?" Ryūsa asked cautiously.

The Uzumaki took in a deep breath while thinking back to what Chiyo had requested of him. 'The things I do for a bastard that I don't even like. Granny... why do I have to watch over that miserable guy?!'

"The first is the puppet body of the Third Kazekage that I retrieved in my fight with Sasori."

Loud, annoying chatter erupted between members of the committee at the mention of their late Wind Shadow. One angry voice, in particular, rose above the others and was aimed at the teen. "You would use the corpse of our beloved leader as a bargaining chip to get what you want?!" Jōseki nearly spat out.

"Would you not?" Naruto retorted back honestly. "Ally or not, I'm doing what I think is best for the good of the world. You are all included in this world, by the way. For us to have the best chance to stop that organization, we need Sasori. Therefore, I will do whatever it takes."

After a few moments of angry whispering and harsh glares, the noise in the room seemed to settle down. Baki levied a heavy gaze on their guest, hands still interlocked just below his nose. "What of the second concession?" Was the question on everyone else's mind.

Naruto let out a soft sigh. That went about as well as he could have hoped. Bargaining with the Iron Sand user could have compromised the entire meeting, but the gains outweighed the benefits. It was too tantalizing of a piece for them to disregard. "As I said before, Gaara still has a portion of the One-Tail within him. No doubt, the Akatsuki will, once again, set their sights on him to complete his extraction. As a show of good faith for the exchange and our alliance, I would like to have a capable Shinobi sent over on an S-Rank mission to watch over the Kazekage until the threat has ceased. He will act as a deterrent to another Akatsuki attack."

Jōseki scoffed in dismission. "You have already said that you have not yet been in contact with Lady Tsunade. How could we possibly hand over the prisoner without confirmation from her?"

"I've already sent her a message using one of my toads. We should hopefully be hearing back from her shortly. I wouldn't think to close the deal without her confirmation."

"Even so." Ryūsa cut in sharply. "How could a single Shinobi be expected to deter the Akatsuki from invading our Village again? Should we not expect to be given an entire squad at the very least? "

Naruto smirked. "Oh, trust me, we won't be sending over some random Jonin to protect Gaara. Don't worry, he will be in good hands."

"So, you already have someone in mind?" To which Naruto immediately nodded. "Who is it?"

"…Might Guy."

"Those guys were such stuffy bastards..." Naruto groaned out. He raked his fingers through his blond hair for a few seconds, letting out a satisfied sigh in the process. "I can't believe I made it through that conference without losing my mind. I have no idea how Gaara deals with it all of the time."

"You're just full of surprises." Sakura said as she pulled down hard on her gloves. "Sasori's intelligence will lead us one step closer to stopping the Akatsuki, so I'm sure it was worth acting dignified for a few minutes." Of course, the unspoken caveat was that it would only be true if they were able to get the Puppet Master to talk. Pessimism would do them no good right now, so the team opted to not bring up that very real possibility.

"I'm just glad Granny Tsunade is reasonable and agreed to the terms!" One of his hands continued to comb his hair, while the other went a few inches lower to straighten out his headband. It looked straight, but it didn't feel straight. It had to feel right, or something was terribly wrong. "It woulda been so embarrassing if I talked a big game just for Granny to shut me down!"

The trio was waiting at the entrance of the Village for a certain someone to see them off. The previous day had been long and tedious, but fortuitous. After several hours of deliberation, this time without Naruto being present, the Sand's council had decided to accept the blond's terms of exchange. That, of course, was contingent on Tsunade's approval, which came a bit later.

"She realizes how important it is for us to get more information from the Akatsuki." The Copy Ninja chimed in. "Losing Gai for the foreseeable future is a substantial loss, but it's also to protect an allied village and a friend."

Sakura's lips curved up creepily. "Are you just saying that because you won't be able to see your best friend in the whole wide world for a while?"

"E-Erm, no." Kakashi stuttered out. "What are you talking about?" Despite his reserved nature, both of his students could tell he was pouting behind his mask.

"I think you're right, Sakura. Sensei is just too cool to admit it." Naruto matched the pink-haired girl's uneasy grin. "Actually, I'd wager Gai-sensei is his only friend."

The Sharingan use sighed audibly, bristling from the teasing of his young students. This only intensified the funny looks and chuckles they shot his way, which furthered the usually aloof Jonin's levels of embarrassment.

"Asuma is my friend." Was the man's indignant response.

The girl of the group rolled her eyes at the scarecrow and looked back at her blond teammate. "Hey, I know we got off track, but where is Sasori, anyway?" The pinkette asked her teammate. "Aren't we taking him with us?"

"Oh, yeah." Naruto unconsciously tapped one of his vest pockets. "Since he's technically a puppet, I can seal his ass away without killing him. I'm glad, too. I'd rather not have to listen to him the whole way back home."

'It'll also help just in case there are some… prying eyes trying to spy on us.' The teen mentally added.

"There were a few times back in the good old days where I wish we could have done that to you." Sakura teased with a laugh. "Isn't that right, Sensei?"

…

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The teens noticed that their teacher was looking back on the path that went to the Village.

Muffled footsteps from the sand approached the group, followed by a deep voice. "We are sorry for the long wait." It was Gaara, followed closely by Temari. "Things have been… difficult, to say the least."

Naruto had to hold back the urge to wince.

Gaara was in rough shape. He looked particularly tired and weary from someone who never got a lot of sleep, to begin with. The rings around his eyes looked larger and more pronounced. A sullen expression he wore was proof enough that Kankuro's death weighed down on him heavily.

However, that was not what had unnerved the blond. It was Temari.

She looked… terrible, for lack of a better word. The Genin hadn't interacted with the oldest Sand Sibling much, but the blond kunoichi always wore a sharp smile and had an air of brash friendliness. But now? The Jonin's eyes were darkened, downcast, and half-closed, her face was pale, and that ordinarily perfect posture was slumped and subdued. The girl's hair was down, not bothering to put it up in the signature four pigtails that she always wore. Temari didn't even greet the members of Team 7, instead opting to stare at the ground at their feet as she robotically clung to the side of her younger brother.

"It's no trouble at all." Naruto said immediately. "We haven't been waiting that long." It was a lie, but a necessary one.

"We hope that you do well on your journey and hope that you succeed." Gaara reached out slowly to form one half of a handshake. "I wish I could have been there to assist you with the council. They can be a tad… troublesome, as Shikamaru would like to say."

"Nah, they were fine. Most of them have sticks up their asses, but Master Jiraiya taught me a little about how to deal with people like them." The Nine-Tails Host took one glance at the outstretched hand and shook his head. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to try something else." Naruto, too, outstretched, but differently than his red-headed friend.

"Bump fists with me. There is someone that I would like to meet…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 31: Aftermath: Reset and Reload

Today had been a frantic one, to say the least. According to field reports by Naruto and in-person debriefs by both Shikamaru and Kurenai, their S-Rank mission had taken a turn for the worse. While it was a relief that her Shinobi had made it out relatively unharmed, the information that they relayed to Tsunade was grave in nature. The accounts of the orange-masked man who intercepted Shikamaru's unit appeared to be connected to the organization made her skin crawl in particular. If his known abilities, courtesy of Shikamaru, were anything to go by, he was an extremely dangerous opponent. So dangerous, in fact, that the mysterious threat was to be immediately placed in the Bingo Book with the designation of S-Rank under the name 'Tobi.'

Then, there was information she received along with the confirmation of the mission's success. 'Chiyo of the Sand traded her life for that of her grandson, who was in the Akatsuki. The old harpy didn't seem like the type.' The Hokage bit the tip of her thumb as she reviewed the relevant records one last time. 'Sasori of the Red Sand… that name certainly takes me back… Naruto handled the situation very well; their council has a reputation for difficult and tiresome deliberation.'

She let out a long sigh that shower her age when appearances did not. "I know that this is sudden, but, for the sake of our alliance, we have to ensure the safety of the Kazekage." Tsunade brought her ink-dipped stamp down on a few reports, along with a mission proposal. "Considering the circumstances, I'd like you to be at the village gates by the end of the day. Is that enough time for you to get everything in order?"

"Of course, Lady Tsunade!" Might Guy saluted his agreeance. He had opted to stand during his entire audience with the Hokage, against Tsunade's wishes that he sit. She warned him that their meeting would be a long one, only for him to proclaim that it would be 'most un-youthful' if he were to relax and stay seated while his best friend, Kakashi, was out on a dangerous mission. "I know how important this mission is; my team will understand!"

"Remember that this is a long-term mission with an unknown completion date; prepare accordingly." Lady Fifth found herself flipping through the files of Guy's students. She adopted a pensive expression at the new dilemma that had just formed in front of her. "I know the four of you were preparing to leave for a different mission, but I think I can arrange a fourth member for them. That would probably leave Neji as Team Guy's leader in the meantime."

"Believe me, Neji is more than ready for this opportunity." The Green Beast gave his famous eye-blindingly bright smile, coupled with an empowering thumbs-up. "He's my amazing student, after all!"

"I'm sure that he is." Tsunade agreed. "Otherwise, I would just find a replacement for you. No, I think Neji Hyuga is ready for the next step in his Jonin duties. Glowing praise from everyone he has worked with, you included, and a Shinobi of enviable capabilities. I have to continue to push his limits and see how high he can go. That kid has a bright future."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." The Taijutsu Master was practically sobbing over the kind words for his beloved protégé. "You won't regret this. He won't let you down, I swear that on my very own life!"

The Gambler rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at the man's bond with his team. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your mission now, Guy?" Her innocent smile was betrayed by her passive-aggressive undertones. "Make sure you still leave by the end of the day, okay?"

Guy's eyes went wide at his egregious oversight. "Oh, of course! How could I forget!?" He was already jogging in place. "Don't you worry, Lady Hokage! Just for that, I'll be out of the village in under five hours! No, three hours!" With the proclamation, Green Beast bolted out of her office and down the hall. Despite the distance between them, his booming voice could still be heard as clear as day. "You can bet your life on it! Hahaha!"

The Senju let out another sigh as she continued to rummage through the scattered paperwork on her desk. "I'm getting too old for this. How did you manage this for so many years, Sarutobi-sensei.' She paused for a moment, then shook her head with a grin. "That was a dumb question; he had to deal with Jiraiya as his student. Compared to that, this is only a minor inconvenience."

There was a knock at the door and, a moment later, Shizune's head peeked out the side. "M' Lady?"

"What is it, Shizune? Can't you see that I'm busy?" The Sannin asked, eyes still glued to her messy desk.

Dan's niece took that as an invitation to enter the room. She was quickly standing at Tsunade's side with her arms clutching a clipboard at her chest. "I couldn't help but notice Guy racing through the halls. What was that about?"

"Oh, I just assigned him a new mission." The blond said offhandedly. "That reminds me, do you know where I put the Chunin and Jonin rosters? I need to assign their team a temporary replacement."

"Why?" Shizune tried to peer over her master's shoulder to catch a glimpse of the documents she was reviewing, only to scowl when a stack of papers was dropped on top of them. "Is his mission going to be long-term?"

"Yes, he should be leaving by the end of the day. But knowing him, he'll be ahead of schedule."

"Oh. What is the mission?"

Tsunade shot her a side-eyed glance but shook her head. "Sorry, can we talk about this later? I really do need to find those rosters. Did you see them?"

The black-haired girl nodded with a sincere smile. "Of course. And last time I saw them, they were in the middle drawer on the left side of your desk."

"Ah, there they are. Thanks, Shizune, this is just what I needed." Deciding it to be a good start, she began to flip through the listing of Chunin first.

The Kage stole another glance once she noticed that she still had company. "Was there something else that you needed?"

The young medic's eyes opened slightly. "Oh! Yes, there was." She handed over the clipboard she'd been holding, which Tsunade quickly grabbed. "Hiashi Hyuga has requested an audience with you. He'll be here shortly."

"Great." For the hundredth time today, the Fifth Hokage let out another tired sigh. "And here I thought I would be able to get a bit of work done today. How foolish of me."

"Would you like me to clear the documents off of your desk for the meeting?" Shizune sounded a bit too eager when asking that question. "You know how those stuffy Hyuga's are; right, M' Lady?

"No, that's alright, this shouldn't take too long. I'd prefer to be able to right jump back into my work when this is over. Go retrieve him, please."

The Sannin's student nodded and swiftly left the room, which left her mentor alone with her thoughts. A grimace tugged at her lips as she felt a pit form at the bottom of her stomach. Was it the meeting with the Clan head that she was dreading; perhaps, it was the sake she had a little too early in the morning. Or…

Was it something else entirely?

Their fists collided, and Gaara watched in amazement as the world swirled and changed around them. This same sensation had happened before, but he was always alone, and it wasn't as seamless as this. Usually, he found himself being ripped from his consciousness and thrown into his own mind by the One-Tail. Never in his wildest dreams did he think someone would be able to join him.

Though, as reality slowly started to settle, the Kazekage was in a different scape than memory served. The air was dark and cold, the floor wet and uninviting; just at the edges of his peripherals, he could see piping and metal bars along the ceiling.

"From the look on your face, I'd say your mind space doesn't look like this."

Gaara blinked to focus his eyes and locked eyes with a pair of blue ones. The redhead shook his head to clear to cobwebs even further. "No, not at all. However, it does feel… familiar." The Kage felt his gaze drift just past his friend to a massive cage. Behind it, he could make out a silhouette of an enormous, caged beast. 'Is that… the Nine-Tails?'

Naruto noticed where his fellow Jinchuriki was looking and gave his best attempt at a calming smile. "Don't worry about him. He's not so bad once ya get to know him. Isn't that right, Nine-Tails?!" He finished much louder so his tenant could hear him.

"Hmph!" The Fox's was laying down with both eyes closed, and his chin resting comfortably on his paws. "Is there a reason you had to bring that damned Tanuki into my space? I can't stand being around weaklings!"

A growl behind the Sand Sibling alerted him to another the presence of another.

"Why the hell am I here?!" Shukaku practically roared. "You stupid fox! We haven't seen each other in centuries, and that's the first thing that you say?! The raccoon dog grumbled. "I think I'd rather take my chances with the Gedo Statue if that means I didn't have to see your ugly mug again!"

"Are you sure about that? The statue seems to have take a decent bite out of you. You're looking a bit smaller than usual, Shukaku, and I thought you were pathetic before. Hahaha!"

Shikaku was practically fuming at this point. The Nine-Tails hid his slight smirk behind his paw but didn't say anymore.

From what Naruto could see, this appeared to be normal behavior between the two Tailed-Beasts. 'They're acting like siblings.'

Naruto walked up to the unfamiliar cage. "You do look smaller than the last time I saw you." The boy began. "Is it because they sealed away a portion of your chakra?"

The Tanuki snarled. "Why would I answer to a hum-" Shukaku leaned down and squinted at the Jinchuriki. "Wait… I know you." Now, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're that kid who stopped me from rampaging back then! You're lucky that I'm confined behind these bars; otherwise, you'd make for a delicious meal! In fact, why don't you come a little closer?"

Naruto gave the 'monster' a genuine smile. "Heh, sorry about that." The Genin sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "But, you can't really blame me. If I hadn't, my home and friends would have probably been killed. If there had been another way, I'd have tried it."

"You humans are the ones who locked me away in the first place; it's only fair that I should be able to kill a few thousand of you every once in a while!" The beast let out a loud cackle. "But you have piqued my interest. What the hell do you want coming all of this way to see me?"

"Naruto, I mean no offense, but you do not know Shikaku." Gaara had strategically positioned himself between the blond and the source of his night terrors. "He is a bloodthirsty monster that tries to force his way out of me at every opportunity. Talking with it will only lead to bad things."

The blond turned to face his friend. "I know more than you think. I can handle this." The Fifth Wind Shadow gave his first friend a long look, but obliged and stepped to the side.

"I won't ask again." The Tanuki warned ominously.

Naruto turned back to face the giant raccoon dog. "Sorry that we couldn't rescue the two of you sooner, Shukaku." The Uzumaki started with a respectful nod. "We were a bit too late and weren't able to make it in time."

The Tailed Beast rose an eyebrow at the unusual display from the Jinchuriki, and he couldn't help but steal a glance at his brother. To his surprise, the Fox was watching the interaction intently with one eye open.

'Kurama's Jinchuriki is… apologizing to me?'

"I did everything that I could." The blond actually had the nerve to give him an authentic-looking, somber expression. As if a human could actually feel that way about a Tailed Beast. "Just know that I promise I will get the other half of your chakra back from the Akatsuki. They won't get away with doing this to the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuriki!"

'Wait…' Those didn't sound like lies. Over the years, the Sand Spirit had developed a sort of 'human lie detector.' It wasn't that hard, considering all of the mortals he had ever met ended up lying to him. Well, everyone except the Old Man Sage of Six Paths and the Monk; and, yet. 'This boy doesn't sound like he's lying to me…'

This was the first time since those ancient days where he actually believed what a human was telling him.

"Why would you help out a Tailed Beast? What the hell is in it for you?!"

Naruto unconsciously gripped at his gut, and his eyes darkened slightly. "I know what it's like to be looked at like a monster. All of my years growing up, I felt like I was locked in a cage and put on display for everyone to hate. I never would have imagined that the beasts inside of us had it even worse. That's why I want to help you guys in any way that I can!

"I didn't ask for your sob story, ya big baby!"

"You-You kinda did..."

"How can I be expected to trust a mortal, of all things? I won't be fooled by false promises again."

"The Nine-Tails said something similar." The Genin chuckled lightly to himself at the memory of his first real conversation with his tenant. "I wouldn't want you to trust me based on my words. I'll show you who I am and what I'm about with my actions, instead."

Shukaku grumbled lightly to himself while he watched the blond Jinchuriki with a calm and critical eye. It was like he was surveying the boy's body language for any hints of deceit or ill-intent, and was frustrated that there was nothing to be found.

Naruto took this as a cue to continue speaking and did just that. "Just in case the Akatsuki wants the rest of your chakra, the Leaf Village sent you guys some protection, so it doesn't happen again." Despite the good news, Naruto's gaze lowered, his features downcast. "Still, I'm not sure it will be enough. I just wish there were a way we could stay in contact in case something happens."

A shift in the air made Naruto look back up. His eyes widened slightly. "What are you-"

The One-Tails massive fist was pressed up against the cage bars, and the beast had an expecting look on his face.

"Don't ask questions, boy, just hit your chakra with mine."

The Uzumaki brought his hand up towards the cage against the enormous, sandy paw of the Tanuki. It dwarfed the size of the same beast he fought during the Chunin Exams, but that size could still easily squash him like a bug.

'Tap'

It was immediate.

'Oh, I see.' Naruto felt their connection; it was nearly as strong as the one he shared with the Nine-Tails. With just a simple touch of fists, they could exchange information and feelings far more efficiently than through talking. 'You Tailed Beasts sure are bundling up a lot of hate, aren't ya? That can't be a healthy thing to do.' He thought to himself and, hopefully, only himself. After a moment, both parties pulled back and sized one another up.

One bit of knowledge, in particular, drew a cheeky smile from the Leaf Genin.

"So, I'll be able to contact you with this?" Naruto said cryptically while staring at his fist.

"Sure, whatever." Shukaku said irritably. "Because of this bothersome seal, I could only give you a tiny piece of my chakra; but, it's plenty to link us together. If those bastards come after us again, you'll be one of the first to know. Got it, kid?"

The boy in question bowed respectfully to the giant Tanuki. "I'll do my best. You have my words."

"Hmph. Take the dumb Fox's advice, and show us instead of telling us. Otherwise, I'll just have to kill you and everyone that you love."

Naruto grinned mischievously and shot a glance behind him. "Oh, do you mean… Kurama!" He said that last word much louder intentionally.

The Nine-Tail's ear pulled back, and his teeth bared as he let out a blood-lusted snarl. "SHUKAKU!" Kurama was up on his feet in a flash and slammed the top of his head against the cage. It rattled dangerously as he stood there with crazy eyes. His hot, vapor-like breath erupted out of his nostrils like an active volcano. "I'll kill you for that!" The Fox roared.

The raccoon dog was much too serious right now to make fun of his sibling. No, that would come later. Instead, he chose to levy a sober gaze on the blond. "I mean it, Naruto Uzumaki. Do not mess with the Tailed Beasts."

However, it was definitely more difficult to hear with the orange giant verbally rampaging in the background.

Despite the heavy, and borderline sadistic, words, the Uzumaki decided to hit the One-Tail with a thumbs-up and a confident smile. "Like you said, words don't matter. You'll have a front-row seat now, so just watch me."

The Tanuki didn't say anything back at that, but his look showed that he acknowledged that statement. With their conversation done, Shukaku and his host slowly faded out of the blond's subconscious.

Gaara was startled by the sudden sensation but calmed down after he exchanged a look with the blond. Because he had much less chakra, he was the first to entirely disappear. The Sand Spirit was too busy shooting a smug look of victory at his more powerful sibling.

That seemed to remind Naruto of something. "Oh, and could you do something as a favor to me?" The beats looked at him intently, which urged him to continue. "Could you, you know, allow Gaara to sleep?"

"What is in it for me?" The monster's voice was even beginning to fade out. "How else am I supposed to get my kicks being locked up all of the time? Terror is the only way I can keep myself entertained these days!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "If Gaara gets some sleep, he'll be better prepared to protect himself. It isn't just for his sake, ya know?" The raccoon-dog hybrid didn't look all that convinced. The boy sighed. "Just… think about it, okay?"

Shukaku closed his eyes. "Hmph!" He huffed in moderate annoyance.

And, with that, the Sand's greatest weapon faded into nothingness.

'Heh, thanks for understanding.' With their new connection, there was a good chance the One-Tail had heard that fading thought. At least, Naruto would like to believe that he did.

"Naruto…"

That tone made a drop of sweat roll down the Jinchuriki's cheek. 'Oops, I kinda forgot about him.' A sheepish smile tugged at his lips as he turned around to face the wrath of his roommate. "What is it?" He asked with a touch of innocence.

"How dare you!" The beast seethed. "Just because the pathetic Tanuki told you what my name is, does not mean that you have the right to address me as such. If you do it again… I'll rip you apart."

"How come you don't want me to use your name? You'd rather me just call you Nine-Tails forever?"

"I'd rather you not talk to me at all." The beast growled out. "Only one man has ever called me by that name, and he is long dead."

Naruto noted that last piece of information but decided not to comment on it. He scratched his cheek and let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I know. But since we're stuck with one another, I'd like to call you by your name instead of the number of tails ya got. It's more personal, ya know?"

Kurama huffed indignantly, then let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm forced to associate with you for my own benefit, do not mistake it for anything else. You're still a human, whom I would kill without a second thought if the circumstances were different."

"Okay, okay. You're always so damn angry." The boy put his hands up in mock defense of the Fox's bitterness. "I can see through that wall you put up in front of yourself. Maybe you'll come around eventually?" He asked rhetorically with a laugh as one of his hands raked through his blond locks. "I'm sure I'll wear ya down soon enough."

"Hn."

"You sure are talkative today." Naruto teased the giant chakra monster. "Ah, well, I should probably get going. Things to see, people to do; ya know?" He flashed the Fox a wave before he turned around to leave.

...

"Wait, no. Reverse that."

"Boy."

"Eh?" Naruto squinted at the unusual tone from his prisoner. "What is it?"

"You're on the way back to the Leaf Village, correct?"

"Yeah… why?"

"The Hermit. I need to speak with him."

Naruto's squint intensified. "Hermit? You mean Jiraiya-sensei? Why do you need to talk to him?"

"He seems to be the only one of you fools that has any semblance of intelligence." Kurama snarled at the abundance of questions. Though, that might have been the closest thing to a compliment he could manage towards a mortal. "Never mind that. I do not want to explain myself twice. You will know when you bring him to me. All you will have to do is bump fists with him like you did with Shukaku's brat. Understand?"

The blond blinked and frantically put his hands up in protest. "Wait, I'm still really confus-"

"Good, now get out of my sight."

Naruto's stomach churned, and he was struck with a sense of intense vertigo as Kurama forced him out of their shared mindscape. "Oh god…" He felt bile rise up in his throat and had to fight to keep it down. "I really hate it when he does that…"

'I'm convinced… he just enjoys kicking me out of my own head.'

"Uh… when who does what, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, his one eye giving his student a sideways glance.

The boy in question blinked again. He looked around and noticed that everyone, even Temari, was looking at him strangely. "Oh… did I say that out loud? Hehe, my bad."

"So, Shizune said that you wanted to speak with me?" Tsunade was trying her best to be polite, but she was already in a bad mood. The day had not gone how she had hoped it would from the very start. It didn't help that Hiashi was not someone to come all this way just to exchange formalities.

The Clan Head of the Hyuga openly grimaced at the unsightly state of the Hokage's Office. No matter, he would push that aside and took a seat on the opposite side of her desk. "Yes, I wanted to address some concerns on behalf of the clan about some recent events."

'This should be good.' The Senju inwardly grumbled, despite her outward neutral body language. "And what would those be?" Although, she already had a feeling what he was referring to.

"We would like to know why the future heiress of the Hyuga, Hinata, was sent on an S-Rank mission outside of the village." For the first time, the stoic man's features cracked, and some anger poked its way through.

The Sannin's eyebrow raised slightly at that, but she would wait until the man's rant was over.

"Sending an unsealed member out on such a dangerous mission is unacceptable by itself, but then I catch wind of her getting admitted to the infirmary upon her return. As the Hokage, how could you make this decision without consulting me first?"

"Hinata is a Chunin who is up for consideration to become a Jonin; if she were a child, I might have considered you as council when making decisions. But, she is a full-fledged shinobi of this village and I will treat her as such. Besides, I thought she would have told you the details of her mission."

His eye twitched. "Well, she mentioned a mission but not any specif-"

"I think you'd also like to know that I did not assign that mission to her." The Slug Princess continued, not caring one bit that Hiashi was in the middle of speaking.

The Head of the Main Branch narrowed his eyes. "If you did not give her that mission, then who did?"

"Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, and your daughter came directly to me and practically demanded that they be put on any mission concerning the Akatsuki. I really had not put any thought into forming a squad solely tasked with opposing the organization, but they convinced me to put my faith in them." Tsunade rummaged through her desk drawers and took out a slip of paper. "This is the proposal that they used to help strengthen their case for why they were perfect for the job."

The pale-eye man grabbed the slip and scanned it over briefly with his touted eyes. "I don't understand…" Upon noticing it was his daughter's handwriting, he trailed off. "Why would Hinata put herself in such danger when we have to think about the future of the clan? She has already proven herself worthy of the title of heiress. Why go so far?"

The Sannin interlocked her fingers just below her nose, which made her expression challenging to discern. "That's probably something that you should go ask her, yourself. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of work that I need to get done."

The Clan Leader's grip tightened around the slip of paper, but he obliged and stood up. "I apologize for misunderstanding the situation." He gave the woman a curt nod. "I will be on my way now. You have my thanks."

Tsunade winced at the look on the man's face as he took his leave. 'Maybe I should have taken the heat for that one. I'm going to have to apologize to Hinata the next time I see her.'

"Well, after all of this damned paperwork." She grumbled. "Shizune!"

The woman in question swiftly entered the room. "Yes, M' Lady?"

"I need you to bring me someone from the cipher core. Immediately."

"And what should I tell them, Lady Tsunade?"

"I need to send out an encrypted message for Jiraiya to return to the village."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll do that right away."

"Wait."

The Hokage called out just as her student's hand grazed the nod. "Is there something else that you need?" The young woman asked, confusion written on her face.

"Where is Tonton? I haven't seen her all day."

"Oh…" Shizune seemed a bit surprised by that. "I'm not sure, I'm sure she's running around somewhere."

The Female Sannin's narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you okay, Shizune? Are you feeling ill?"

"No, I feel fine. Why do you ask?" A thin drop of sweat rolled down her subordinate's face.

"Well, just remember that if you're ever not feeling well to let me know. I can always get someone else to assist me while you take a day, or two, off. Okay?"

"I know, Lady Tsunade. Thank you." She let out a breath like she was relieved.

The blond kunoichi watched the slowly retreating form of her student and shook the cobwebs from her mind. Everything about today felt off, and she couldn't put a finger on what it was.

Oh well, she'd have more time to think about it later. There was far too much to do.

"There it is! Finally, I can take a shower in my own home. I can't wait!" Sakura sounded overjoyed at the sight of the imposing Leaf Village's gates coming into view. It meant that the trio was finally back home. "I'll finally be clean again!"

"I just wanna be able to drop Sasori off to Ibiki at T&I and take a long nap." Naruto let out a long yawn while he ruffled the side of his head. "My bed isn't the most comfortable, but it's still better than the ground!"

Sakura gave her teammate an incredulous look. "You want to sleep? It's midday!"

"That's why it's called a nap, Sakura. I thought I made that part pretty clear." Was his dry response.

"Oh, shut up." The kunoichi said with a roll of the eyes. "Wait, why don't you just buy a nice new bed if yours is uncomfortable? You're a best-selling author now, you got to have some money saved up from that."

The blond's eyes lit up. "Huh. Now that you mention it, you're totally right." He rubbed his chin as if to contemplate the thought. "I should probably upgrade some of the stuff in my apartment."

"Alright, kids." Kakashi, who had been trailing behind his two students, had now caught up and was wedged between the two. He plopped his hands on top of their heads and affectionately messed up their hair. "That's all good and well, but, first, we have to report back to Lady Tsunade."

"Oh… right." The teens look deflated as their hopes for peace and relaxation were quickly dashed.

"Let's report in with the guards first, and then we'll make our way to the Hokage Tower."

"Okay, Sensei…"

Team 7 walked through the Leaf's entrance, and on their left, just as usual, was the check-in station. There was a single person in the booth, and he did not look like he was having the best day. As the sound of footsteps approached, he looked up from the spot where he had been daydreaming. The melancholy look he had before was quickly replaced by a wide smile.

'Social activity!' The spiky-haired man inwardly yelled.

"Yo, Kotetsu." The Copy Ninja added in a nonchalant wave to increase the cool factor. "Team 7 is reporting back in from our mission. Is the Hokage ready to see us?"

"Of course." He did his best to play things cool, but the smile that he couldn't keep contained told the whole story, at least, to Naruto it did. "Lady Tsunade has been expecting the three of you back and would like you all to report to her immediately."

"That's what I thought." Kakashi acknowledged with a nod. "Well, if you don't mind, we'll be heading over there to see her right now. Thanks."

While his two teammates continued down the main path, Naruto lingered behind for a little. "Is everything alright, Kotetsu? You seem a little down."

"Oh, uh…" The man with the cloth running across his face reacted as if he didn't expect anyone to notice. "It's nothing, really. You should be heading over the tower with the rest of your team."

Naruto frowned. "Now that I think about it, where's Izumo? You guys are always stationed here together."

"Well, that's actually what I'm worried about. You see, I haven't seen Izumo in a few days."

"Is he missing?"

"No, nothing like that." Kotetsu waved his hands in front of himself in a dismissive motion. "Izumo had mentioned that he wasn't feeling well earlier this week, and that he might be coming down with something. We're assigned with gate duty for the entire week, and it's been really slow. I told him it would be no big deal, and that I'd cover for him if he were to miss a couple days."

"I'm assuming that's not all." The Chunin gave him a look of surprise, which prompted the teen to continue. "You wouldn't look so worried and sad if Izumo was just a bit sick. So, what else is going on?"

The Guardsmen bit his lip slightly. "I've known Izumo nearly my whole life, and things have been a little… strange lately? Yeah, that's probably the best way to describe it."

"He hasn't been acting like himself?"

"Yeah, these past couple of weeks." Kotetsu confirmed with a nod. "I can't really explain it, but things have been different around him. I'm just worried that it's something more than him being a little sick. Something that he just isn't telling him. I wanna give him space, but…"

"You care about him." The Uzumaki finished the thought. "I understand where you're coming from. It's only natural that you would be worried about a friend if you feel like they might be dealing with something." He gave the uneasy Chunin a genuine smile. "I think that you should go check on him and see how he's doing. Izumo may think that he needs some space, but he'll appreciate your friendship."

"You know what, Naruto? You're right! I'm gonna go check on him once my shift is over." For the first time these past few days, his spirits were trending upwards. "Thanks for the advice."

"Glad I can help! I gotta go before my team gets mad." The blond made a simple hand sign with one hand and waved goodbye with the other. "Good luck, let me know how it goes. See ya!"

'Poof!'

"Heh, what a guy."

…

It had only taken him seconds to make it from the check-in booth to the Hokage's Tower in the center of the village. Just as Naruto thought, his team was already waiting (not so) patiently outside the front doors."

Sakura had her hands on her hips, clearly irritated by the delay. "There you are, Naruto. You had me worried that you were going to skip out on the debrief and get a head start on your nap. What were you doing, anyway?"

The blond in question sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I was just catching up with a friend. I didn't mean to keep the two of you waiting."

"With the way you disappear, we might have to put a collar on you." The pinkette said as the two teens walked through the door their Sensei was holding open for them.

"Sorry to break it to you, Sakura, but I'm not into that kind of stuff."

'Oh, no.' Kakashi was frozen in the doorway. 'Whatever made you think it was a good idea to say that, Naruto?' He wasn't about to get in between them to stop what was about to happen.

Sakura punched really hard.

The silence was making him nervous. "…Sakura?" Naruto, upon realizing his error, managed to squeak out.

…

…

The hopeless boy turned towards the third member of their group for answers. "Why isn't she saying anything, Sensei?"

All the Jonin could do was shrug his shoulders and rapidly shake his head.

The kunoichi's hand was clenched, and her eyes were shut tight. Unsurprisingly, her cheeks were dusted with a light-pink hue, probably from embarrassment. She took a deep, calming breath and loosened the grip she had on her fist. "You know what? I'm not mad at you, just disappointed."

"Wait, really?!" The relief in the boy's voice was palpable. "That's good! I can live with that!" Disappointment wasn't exactly a new phenomenon in his life. It was certainly a better alternative to getting hit into the stratosphere.

Despite her words, she stomped past the two guys and made her way up to the level that held the Hokage's Office.

"Master Jiraiya, on the other hand, is in a world of trouble when Lady Tsunade hears about the stuff he's been teaching you!"

By the time the words had sunken in, Sakura was out of sight. The Genin slumped over. "Oh, man. I'm going to have to apologize to Sensei big time the next time I see him."

Well... if there is a next time.

"You got off lucky. Master Jiraiya, however…" He trailed off, knowing the already grim imagery painted in their minds was perfectly suitable. "Speaking of, how did you even hear about… well, you know?"

"I accidentally read it in one of Sensei's pervy books. I'm such an idiot, now Sakura is gonna think I'm a giant pervert!"

"Ah!" The 'Make-Out' super fan bopped his fist on top of his open palm. "Make Out Violence, huh? Good choice, that is truly a classic!"

The blond's eye twitched slightly. "Ya know, I'm starting to think you're the one who should be punched. Should I go let Sakura know?" Without waiting for an actual answer, the former prankster bolted in the same direction the pinkette went.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Wait, Naruto!" He ran after his student. "Let's talk about this like reasonable people! Don't do anything rash!"

"Haha! When have I ever been reasonable?!"

"Now would be a pretty good time to start!"

Naruto let out a mischievous cackle as he rounded the corner down one of the hallways. He thought he was home free, until something wrapped around his neck with the pressure of a vice grip.

They had apparently caught up to Sakura, and she decided it best to put the Genin in a headlock to shut the two of them down. "Why am I surrounded by morons!?" She used her free hand to grab her other wrist and pulled it tight against her body to sink in the hold even deeper.

"Wai… Saku… n't… brea…"

"If I let you go, do you promise you're going to behave yourself?"

Unable to respond with words coherently, the Uzumaki managed to nod his head up and down frantically.

Sakura, a woman of her word, let go of the stranglehold. Naruto's oxygen-deprived body required the precious gas, and he accommodated it with huge gulps of air. He stayed quiet and just nursed a sore spot on his neck just under the chin.

"Now, are the two of you ready?" There were right outside the doors to Tsunade's office, and there was some edge to the woman's voice.

The men's bodies went rigid, and they nodded sharply.

"Great!" The kunoichi said with a singsong voice and a bright smile. "Then let's go!"

Naruto and Kakashi shot one another a wary look before following the girl through the large wooden door.

Women were mysterious creatures.

"I see…" Tsunade flipped through all of the files she had on the matter. "No wonder this mission was so difficult. Things went off the rails pretty quickly for all of you."

"That might be an understatement." The only Genin of the group groaned out. "The whole thing was a mess pretty much from the very beginning."

"And what of Itachi? Did he really just disappear without a trace."

"That's right, M' Lady. Though, we're unsure of what his reasons for retreating were." The Fifth's student stepped in to answer the question. "Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and I were with the unconscious Kazekage. We thought he might have changed his target to Naruto, but that wasn't the case. He was just gone."

"That's actually been bothering me since it happened." Kakashi put his hand to his chin as he stared at the floor in front of him. "We had Itachi's supposed target, and he even pursued us for a while. It doesn't make sense that he would just randomly give up and retreat with nothing to show for it. Logic would dictate that he would at least try to go after Naruto, their second priority."

"What do you think that means?" The Slug Queen prodded gently, in hopes it would produce an adequate explanation.

"I'm not really sure, but it seemed like he was indecisive about something. We can only speculate at this point."

Naruto had only been partially paying attention to the conversation going on around him. Everything had been fine until Itachi's name was brought up. Just the mention of the rogue Uchiha was enough to make him feel a strange sensation in the back of his mind. It was like he felt compelled to add to the conversation, but he had no idea what it was. It felt important. How could he possibly have anything substantial to say? After all, he had only seen Itachi for a brief moment when they broke into the cave.

Right?

Tsunade frowned; she had figured as much. "Naruto, do you know what Itachi's plan could have been?" It was a longshot, but they didn't have anything to lose. "Did you notice, or hear, anything when you saw him briefly?"

"Well… now that you mention it, Itachi had a quick conversation with one of the shadows that were there when we broke through the boulder." The blond answered slowly after a moment of thought.

"You mean the projections of the other Akatsuki members that you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah." Naruto shook his head to try and clear the fogginess. "There was this guy with weird eyes, the leader, I think. He ordered Itachi to go after Gaara and to let Sasori handle me. They still needed to seal the rest of the One-Tail." Much to his dismay, sharing the only piece of information he had did not get rid of the feeling that he had.

Something wasn't making sense. It was like a puzzle, but they were missing a few of the pieces; the full picture couldn't be seen without them.

"Hm, I supposed Kakashi is right. We should stop focusing on the things that we don't know and put our attention on the facts that we've gathered. Sasori of the Red Sand must be taken to Ibiki, immediately. If we can get any information out of him, this mission could prove to turn the tides in our favor against the Akatsuki. "

"Yes, ma'am!" The entirety of Team 7 saluted.

"Team Kakashi, you are dismissed for now. Go get some rest, I'll have someone summon you when we've learned anything else."

Sakura slumped over in relief, Kakashi shot a half-hearted wave over his shoulder as he began to walk away, and Naruto let out a tired yawn. The mission was complete, they could finally relax for a little.

"Actually, Naruto, could you stay for just a minute longer?" The Hokage asked just as the team began to file out of the room.

His teammates shot a look his way, but Naruto just shrugged. "I'll catch ya guys later."

Once the room was clear, Tsunade leaned forward slightly.

"What's up, Granny? What did I need to stay behind for?"

"I wanted to talk to you about one of the theories Jiraiya came up with when the two of you were out of the village together. I believe that it is particularly prevalent right now."

"Hm, and what's that?" He squinted slightly. "And why are you just talking to me about this, and not the others?"

"That's just it, this intelligence must be contained to the best of our ability. That's why I can only tell you; because you're already aware of the possibilities."

Naruto couldn't help but gulp. "Yeah, I understand. What's going on?"

The Slug Queen's eyes darkened. "Jiraiya believes that there is someone within the Akatsuki who has special abilities in espionage and tracking, very similar to his own skills. No, perhaps even greater."

"Yeah, he told me about that. It makes sense; it was like they knew what was going on around us. That was how they were able to get the drop on us in Wave."

"Exactly." The Hokage agreed with a stiff nod. "That's why, until Jiraiya gets back, I would like you to work alongside Ibiki in uncovering any information that we can get out of Sasori. We might be able to glean something on the abilities of other members within the organization. Just remember, this must all remain classified. You cannot tell a soul." There was a bit of eeriness in her voice.

Naruto gave her a look filled with unease. "I can understand being cautious, but I get the feeling that something else is going on here."

The Sannin grimaced and leaned forward. She spoke at a much more subdued volume. "I can't explain it, but, for a while, I have had this strange feeling that the village is being watched."

"You mean…"

"I've gotten word from the Hidden Sand that there were a few traitors amongst them. The two men that you fought disguised as Akatsuki were both high-ranking Jonin from the Land of Wind."

"What?!" The boy's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

The Hokage nodded gravely. "Kakashi gave the Sand Village the coordinates of your battle, and they went to inspect the battlegrounds. One of the men was even a councilman, a man named Yūra."

"Y-Yūra?" That name, he had definitely heard it somewhere before. Of course, the council had allowed him to sit in Yūra's seat while they deliberated.

"Yes, I have been told that he was a loyal member on their council for several years. You must know what that means about the potential security within our own village, and it's important that you keep all of this under wraps. If there is a traitor amongst us, we have to snuff them out before our nation's security is put at risk. I have recalled Jiraiya, he'll be able to assist T&I when he returns."

"I don't know, this seems like a lot to put on some Genin like me." Naruto wasn't one to put himself down anymore, but this mission wasn't exactly suited to his skills. Torture and interrogation weren't exactly Jiraiya's forte either, so it's not like he could have passed it along to his student.

"Who said I was entrusting this S-Rank mission to a Genin? No, that simply wouldn't do." Despite the circumstances, the blond Senju couldn't conceal her small smirk.

"Eh?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, for your exemplary efforts in the successful mission to retrieve the Kazekage, I hereby promote you to the rank of Chunin!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 32: A Rat Hidden Amongst the Leaves

Naruto tapped the backside of his pen against the bottom of his chin and twiddled the writing utensil between his index finger and thumb while a look of concentration consumed his features. It was long overdue, but this had already taken up the bulk of his morning. It even started to spill into the afternoon.

For what seemed like a long time, inspiration and motivation, they had felt as if they were at a standstill. Life had caused his thoughts to turn into a jumbled, incoherent mess. It was hard to tell what was up or down sometimes, let alone good and evil.

Yin and Yang.

When he finally got around to putting pencil to paper, what would the result be? The blond boy had been lost about where he wanted to go with his thoughts. But now, after his conversation with Chiyo, the path had started to become apparent. The light at the end of the tunnel had begun to come into focus.

Naruto, along with four of his clones, sat around the apartment, writing the day away. In recent memory, life had gotten in the way of any potential free time he would have had. It wasn't like the early goings of his adventure with Jiraiya. However, despite that, the plan to write a sequel to his successful novel had always been there. With the little downtime he'd be granted following the mission to rescue Gaara, it was finally time to put an end to the bout of writer's block that had plagued him.

"Don't you think a tone shift like this would be, I don't know, jarring to the readers?"

After hours of collaboration, one of the doppelgangers finally decided to say what had been on everyone's mind since they started the brainstorm session.

The original blinked and then gave his copy a strange look. "Would it really be all that surprising? I think it's a pretty realistic interpretation of the world we live in. A person's entire life can flip on its head in an instant and be changed forever. Whether it be good or bad, change happens whether we want it to or not. If you don't ride the waves, you'll just be pulled under by the rapids."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Wait a second… why are you even worrying about the readers in the first place?" The real Naruto asked as he cut off his clone. "That isn't the reason that we write these stories."

"What about sales?" All four clones seemed to agree with this, shown by the simultaneous nodding of their heads. "How can we expect it to sell well when it's so much different from the first book? Our fans aren't going to be expecting something like this."

"You… you care if it sells well?" Sure, their last book was a best-seller, but that wasn't the expectation when they wrote it. As long as it got published, the blond would have been happy even if it didn't sell a single copy.

This all began because he wanted to beat Jiraiya in their bet. It later coupled as a way to put his feelings out there for all to see.

The blond copy gave his summoner a dubious look. "Duh. We like money."

"Wow, okay." Naruto felt like each time he brought his clones together like this, he learned something new about himself. It was almost as if he was peering into his own subconscious. "I didn't realize that mattered that much to me…"

'My own clones are making me feel like I'm shallow…'

"Unlimited ramen."

"Hm." Upon hearing that well thought out, beautifully crafted argument Naruto rested his chin on his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he formed an equally intelligent response. "I do like ramen."

'Maybe being shallow isn't that bad, after all…'

A knock at the door broke the newly-minted Chunin's concentration. With a huff of exasperation, the boy slid off the bed and made his way to the door. He was greeted by the appearance of a member of the ANBU down on a single knee. They wore the mask of the cat.

The Black Operative appeared to have no interest in formalities and got straight to the point. "Naruto Uzumaki, Ibiki Morino will require your assistance in one-half hours-time at the Torture and Interrogation wing of the Intelligence Division Building."

A feeling lingered in the back of the aforementioned boy's mind. He tried to reach out, to grab what felt like a distant memory of the past. To some, trying to recall a hazy memory was a tall task. To someone who has mastered the art of sorting hours of information by way of Shadow Clone experience transfer? It was borderline child's play.

It was on a day over two years ago. The then-Genin had tried to forget it, but those memories came back to him as clear as day.

Naruto's eyes flashed in realization as the memory clicked in his brain. "Oh, it's you!" The familiar and alluring aura around the mysterious man confirmed his thoughts. "You're Uddo, aren't you? Didn't we meet in the Land of Waves?"

The man stiffened slightly but gave a curt nod.

"It's good to see you again! It's been a long time." The newly-minted Chunin said with a genuine smile.

"I'm surprised that you remember me; we didn't speak much during that mission."

"Well, you seemed nice. I try my best to remember nice people. They're pretty hard to come by sometimes."

Cat didn't say anything in response but seemed to shift uncomfortably under the Chunin's gaze. An ANBU member wasn't often recognized. And, even then, no one cared about who the men and women behind the masks were. There were nameless tools that served the Kage of their respective villages.

To be nameless and unidentifiable was the goal they aspired to reach. It was nearly an honor.

The boy seemed to take the hint and snickered to himself. "So, Ibiki needs me to stop by in half an hour? Okay, I'll be there. Thanks for letting me know."

Uddo nodded and silently body flickered away.

'Man, the ANBU are almost as stuffy as those councilmen from the Sand. Does no one around here know how to have regular conversations? Hell, I have better conversations with myself sometimes.' The blond mused to himself. 'Ah, well.' He closed the door back behind him and walked back into his apartment.

"Who was at the door?" One of the clones asked as he looked up from his paper scribbled.

"Yeah, was it Jiraiya-sensei?" Another one asked with a touch of excitement.

The original shook his head. "Nah, nothing like that." He added in a dismissive wave. "Ibiki's finally gotten around to summoning me. I guess they need some help or something. I've gotta leave in a couple minutes after I grab some things."

"What, they couldn't let us have one day off before dragging us back in?" The sales-conscious clone asked irritably. "We just dropped off Sasori last night! I bet they didn't even try to get him to talk!"

The real blond smirked. "We know perfectly well that a Shinobi's work is never done. Look at Master Jiraiya, he always seems to be doing some type of mission. Besides, it won't be so bad. You guys can stay here and work on the story for a bit while I go and take care of this. Sound good?"

"Yeah, whatever. Leave to go do the cool stuff while we get stuck writing another book to make you rich!" The clone in search of unlimited ramen waved the original off. "Just make sure you bring back some Ichiraku, ya damn slave driver!"

"Alright, alright." The Chunin clipped a weapons pouch to his hip and laughed. "Just make sure that you write what we all agreed on. If you do that, I'll bring you all back two bowls of Miso with extra pork."

"Oh, extra pork?!

"He said two bowls, right?! I didn't mishear?"

"You got it, boss!"

"We're gonna hold ya to that!"

The soft click of the front door left the doppelgangers to their own devices.

They didn't speak; the only audible sounds within the room were the taps and scratches of pens and pencils against the papers and parchment. The team of blonds worked best by drafting their ideas individually and then bringing them together via collective groupthink. Despite being copies of the same person, each clone tended to come up with at least a couple unique and interesting ideas. The tantalizing flavors of noodles and broth appeared to be an effective motivator for the group.

Well, most of the time.

"Hey, guys. I have a pretty great idea." One of the clones decided it best to break the silence. "I think it would be awesome if we made a story about r-"

"No books about ramen!" The other three clones blurted out. There was always one of them that wanted to write about food. How many times did they have to explain that no sane person would want to read about something like that?

"I'm just really hungry, you guys…"

…

On the other side of the door, Naruto took in a deep breath as he tightened the knot of his headband. 'Maybe I can grab a bite to eat on my way there. I was so focused on my work that I forgot to get some breakfast.'

The walk through the village was a relatively quiet one. Naruto didn't see anyone he was familiar with, and he wasn't in much of a mood for small talk, anyway. Though, that was probably because he was hungry. The streets around the markets were packed with civilians and Shinobi, but the commotion fell on deaf ears. It was a skill he developed to avoid the hateful glares and whispers of the villagers, but now it just allowed him to keep to himself—a nice little silver lining in that whole ordeal.

Now that he thought about it, the Jinchuriki hadn't really received many of those familiar looks. It wasn't something he had put much thought into since returning, but it was definitely noticeable. People looked his way, sure, though the emotion in their eyes was different. They still whispered in his direction, but their facial expressions weren't the same. It was almost like people were curious about him and gossiped amongst themselves instead of loathing his existence. Though, what they were curious about, Naruto wasn't sure.

'Is there something on my face?' The teen mused as he used his hand to wipe any smudges or spots that might be on his cheeks or mouth. He frowned; his hand was clean. So, that wasn't it. 'Do they not recognize me and think I'm a foreigner? Sure, I haven't been around in a couple of years. Even so, I don't think I look that different. I'm still blond, not any people around here can say that.' One of his hands unconsciously brushed against his cheek. 'And I still have these… a pretty identifiable trait if I do say so myself.'

The Uzumaki was brought from his thoughts, a pop of color in his peripheral caught his attention. It was a little green and beige shop off to the side of the road. 'Dango-ya, how original.' The teen thought to himself dryly. Though, to his surprise, his stomach decided it was time to growl loudly. 'Well, I'll be picking up the ramen after I meet with Ibiki. Maybe a sweet snack wouldn't be so bad?"

Naruto shrugged and ducked under the blue banners that led into the sweets shop. The interior of the building looked about as small as it did on the outside. There were a couple wooden tables with bench-like seating, and, deeper in, an old woman stood in front of a cash register. Upon seeing her new customer, she smiled brightly.

"Why, hello, young man." Her warm tone surprised the boy, but it was definitely welcome. "Is this your first time eating here? You don't look familiar."

"Yeah, actually." Naruto scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment. "I was walking by, and my stomach told me to stop in and give it a look. I guess I have a bit of a sweet tooth today, ha-ha."

"Well now, we can't have that. I'm a firm believer that everyone in the Leaf Village should taste the dango from my shop. It's famous around these parts!" A sparkle in her eye alerted the blond teen that this wasn't a game to the old woman. Her business was clearly something she took very seriously. "Just for that, I'll give you a fifteen percent discount on whatever you decide to get today. Think of it as a first-time buyer special."

"Wow! You really mean that, Granny?" The shop owner chuckled at the informal nickname and nodded her head. "You're the best! Thanks a bunch!"

"Don't thank me." Said the old woman, her warm smile never leaving her face. "Now, do you know what you would like to order?"

"Actually, yeah." Naruto had his hand on his chin while he looked at the hanging menu above the woman's head. "Can I get an order of hanami dango with a green tea, please?" This wasn't the first time he's had this type of sweet dumplings. The Chunin was by no means an expert on the dessert, but he and Jiraiya had frequented a couple shops during their travels after their escapades at Mount Myoboku.

"Of course, that is an excellent choice. That will be fifty Ryo, young man." Naruto handed over the money with an eager grin. "Your order will be ready in a few minutes. Feel free to take a seat, and I'll bring it right out to you."

"Actually, can I get the dango to go?" Asked Naruto. "I have a meeting that I gotta rush to real soon."

"Of course, dear. Don't you worry about that, I'll take care of it."

The blond nodded graciously and turned around to sit and wait for his food. While doing that, he happened to run into a familiar face.

Anko Mitarashi, his second proctor in the Chunin Exams, was sitting at one of the tables. She was absentmindedly sipping on some tea. There was a pile of dango to her right and a pile of empty sticky on her left.

"Ah, you're Anko, right?" The teen asked while walking up to the Special Jonin.

The woman in question glanced up quickly, and then looked back down at her delicious dumplings. Naruto definitely wasn't crazy; the woman licked her lips similarly to that of Orochimaru. "What do you want, brat?" She asked in between bites of the succulent sweets. "Don't ya see that I'm busy with some really important stuff, here? You'd better have a good reason for interrupting the most important part of my day."

The Uzumaki couldn't help at stare at the remains of what must have been a massive dumpling order in front of the rather petite woman. "Hehe, you really seem to like dango, huh?" The purple-hair kunoichi narrowed, and Naruto suddenly felt himself sweat under the pressure of her gaze.

"Do you want something? Am I supposed to know who you are? You can't have any of my food. Get your own."

"W-Well, I wouldn't expect you to remember me. I was one of the participants in the Chunin Exams a few years ago. You were my proctor in the Forest of Death." Jiraiya's student realized it firsthand, but Orochimaru's former student was someone who got straight to the point. Thankfully, that slice on his cheek had healed nicely.

The Snake User took a sip of her drink. She looked the kid in front of her up and down with an unreadable stare. Her attention lingered a bit longer on his mop of blond hair and huffed. "Naruto Uzumaki, right? If you're mad that you didn't get promoted, you're damn near three years too late to contest the Hokage's decision. Leave me alone."

Naruto blinked. "What, no. That's not what I'm talking to you for. I actually ended up making Chunin recently, but that doesn't matter."

"What is it, then?" You could tell by her tone that she was starting to get irritated at the meandering conversation.

"I just wanted to ask you a couple questions about the Torture and Interrogation Department. See, Ibiki wants to meet with me and I-"

"Why would I know about anything to do with T&I?"

"What? But aren't you a part of T&I? You work there, don't you?"

"Huh?! Where the hell did you get that idea?" She took another bite of her sweet dumplings with vigor. If Naruto hadn't been so focused on the conversation. Her mannerisms would have reminded him of a certain Akimichi.

'Wait, has she eaten five more sticks worth since we started talking? H-How?! When?' Those speeds reminded him of the time Team 7 tried to see what Kakashi looked like beneath that mask of his.

Even more sweat. "Well… you seem pretty close with Ibiki. Oh, and you just seem like you fit in perfectly with that kind of work. Besides, I could have sworn I had heard from someone that you were in T&I." At this point, the boy was just rambling on nonsense.

"I don't know who you heard that from, but I have no clue what the hell you're talking about." She waved one of her newly empty dango sticks in the kid's face. "I mean, sure, I like torture. It's pretty fun, I give you that. But I've only ever done it in the field. If I bring someone in, the first thing I do is hand them over to Ibiki's ugly mug. And not, I don't stay around and watch the show. Though, that's mainly because Ibiki tells me to leave. He's a real buzzkill, did ya know that?"

Naruto twitched slightly. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like his entire life was a lie. 'I coulda swore she worked with them… where did I hear that? Who else thinks this?!'

"Here you go, dearie. One order of hanami dango with a green tea."

Naruto's state of bewilderment was broken by the sweet old shop owner that called out to him. She held up his food in a to-go bag and a disposable cup for his beverage.

"Wow, this smells great." The teen grabbed his order from the woman's hands with a giddy smile. "Thanks, Granny. I can't wait to taste it!"

"Just promise that when you taste how delicious they are, that you'll come back soon for some more."

"Oh, trust me, Miss, I'll be back." Behind Teuchi and Ayame, this was only the second time that a shop owner in the Leaf had treated him so kindly. Just for that, they had earned his business for the foreseeable future. "I can already tell that these will be fantastic!"

The boy bowed deeply and turned to leave. Though, something compelled him to stop and look back over his shoulder. "By the way, Miss Anko?"

"What is it now, brat?"

"Ya might want to take it easy on the dumplings. If you keep eating like that, you'll get fat."

The Snake Queen's stopped chewing, her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she let out something akin to a beast-like snarl. To Naruto, it felt like a cease and desist order.

"Ha-ha, forget I mentioned anything." His nervous laugh was an indicator that he was about to hightail it out of there. At that moment, he knew how Jiraiya felt when he would get caught while spying on angry women. "I'll see ya around!"

The kunoichi watched, eyes still narrowed, as the blond bolted out of the shop. After a moment of lingering on the spot where he had just been, she looked down at her favorite food. Anko frowned, let out a sigh, and pushed the plate with her dango away from her.

"Damn brat…"

…

After rounding a corner a reasonable distance away from the eruption zone, Naruto chuckled to himself and rubbed the back of his head. 'First Sakura, and now Anko… I should really watch what I say around girls.' If there was one thing the Great Toad Sage didn't teach him, it was the complexities of the opposite gender. Though, that wasn't unexpected. Jiraiya wasn't exactly the ladies' man he believed himself to be. Far from it, actually.

"Boss… is that you?"

"Eh?" Naruto blurted out, not realizing that someone had snuck up behind him. "Is that you. Konohamaru?"

"Big Brother Naruto, it is you!" The Third's grandson shouted exuberantly. "I heard that you came back to the village a little while ago, but you left on a mission before I could see you."

"Yeah, I haven't had much time to relax since coming back. It just seems to be one thing after another." The Chunin scratched his cheek. "But enough about me, I see that you've become a ninja. Congratulations, the headband looks good on you!"

Konohamaru straightened his headband, a toothy smile plastered on his face. "Thanks, hehehe. I've been putting in a ton of work so that I can catch up to you. I can't have my eternal rival leave me in the dust on the path to becoming Hokage, after all!"

The teen fought the urge to frown. "R-Right. Well, uh, continue to have that mindset, and you'll keep getting stronger. I can tell that you've improved a lot, so I'm definitely going to have to keep my guard up." He ruffled the boy's hair. "I can't let a brat like you surpass me."

The Genin huffed. "You don't have to treat me like a kid, you know. I am a ninja, after all." Suddenly, his eyes began to twinkle. "Hey, I almost forgot! I have this really awesome pervy Ninjutsu that I've been dying to show you! Do you want to check it out?!"

"Actually, I have a meeting in a few minutes that I can't be late for. Can we get a raincheck?"

The twinkle in the Sarutobi's eyes dimmed, and his gaze fell to the ground. "Oh… okay. Sure, no problem."

The dejected look from his biggest fan ate away at his resolve, and he mentally sighed. "How about you walk with me on my way over there, instead? I may not have enough time to see how much you've grown, but we can still catch up. Sound good?

"Sure!"

Naruto tilted his head in the direction they were meant to go in. "Walk with me." Said the blond.

"Okay, hehehe." Hiruzen grandson clasped his hands behind in head in a familiar fashion and followed his rival. "So, where are ya heading, anyway?"

"I was summoned to the Torture and Interrogation Division by Ibiki. He was one of my proctors in the Chunin Exams, so I know how strict the guy can be. He would tear into me if I were late for my summons.

"Ooh, that's so cool." The kid was practically deifying the Uzumaki at this point. "What do ya need to go there for? Something super important, I bet."

"Ah, ah." Naruto held his finger up in a chastising manner. "Sorry, I can't say. It's a big secret, and I can't tell anyone. Not even you, Granny Tsunade's orders."

"Ah, you're no fun!" The Sarutobi lamented. "You can tell me. I won't let anyone else know! I promise!"

"Hey, didn't you say that you're a Ninja now? You should know that a Shinobi should never disregard his orders from a superior. Unless… you wanna tell the Hokage that you want me to leak out classified intel?"

"N-N-No, that's o-okay… I don't need to know." Ebisu's student went rigid at the mention of the blond Senju. Her wrath was legendary, and it was something that he did not want to be on the receiving end of.

"Ha, I thought so."

"You know, you sure have changed a lot, Boss."

"Hm? What do ya mean? I'm still me." Everyone keeps saying that to him.

"I don't know." Konohamaru contemplated with his chin in his hand. "Something about you just seems different… You seem more responsible, I guess. If anyone disobeyed the Hokage's orders, I would have that it'd be you. To be honest, you've always been kind of an idiot."

'Cheeky brat…'

"Speaking of different, what's up with the villagers lately?" Naruto doubted the preteen knew anything that would be of help, but it was still worth a shot. "Even since I've come back, they all just look at me and whisper between themselves. You have any idea what that's about?"

"Oh, that?" The Genin said through a yawn as if it was nothing that important. "From what I heard, you're kinda famous around here now."

Naruto eyes squinted in utter confusion. "Famous? For what?" That was the last thing that he had expected.

"Your book." The kid said as if it was obvious. "You wouldn't know, but your book was the talk of the whole village when it came out. Seriously, all of the book stores sold out on the first day!"

Jiraiya's student was aware of how his book sold, but that didn't really tell him much. "Okay, but that doesn't explain why everyone is acting so weird."

"I don't know that much, but Ebisu-sensei told me that your book 'opened a lot of people's eyes.'

"Yeah?"

"Mhm." Nodded Konohamaru.

"If they liked it so much, why don't they walk up and talk to me? Isn't it weird that they're just staring at me from afar?"

"Sensei says they feel guilty about something, but he didn't tell me what. I don't really get it, either, honestly. Do you know what he's talking about?"

"Guilty, huh?" Naruto paused for a moment in faux thought. After appearing to think it over, he shook his head. "Nope, I have no idea what Ebisu is talking about. I should probably ask him."

Asuma's nephew frowned but didn't press the subject. "Well, when you find out, let me know. Okay, Boss?"

"Of course, kid." He ruffled the boy's tall hair once again. They finally made it to the blond's destination. Just in time, as a matter of fact. "Welp, we're here. I gotta go inside, but I'll definitely see you around. Okay?"

Konohamaru's cheeks reddened up from embarrassment, and he pushed his idol's hand away from him. "Don't go treating me like a kid again! While you're in there doing boring missions, I'm gonna be training to get even stronger than you! Got it? I'll be Hokage before you, you can bet your life on it!"

The Chunin smiled. "Oh yeah? Next time you'll have to show me some of the things you've learned. We can spar, and I might even show you a thing or two."

"Wait, really?!"

"Yeah, just make sure to bring Moegi and Udon with you next time. It's been ages since I've seen the two of them."

"Heh, deal!"

They exchanged a thumbs up, and the Genin watched as his mentor walked through the doors of the Leaf's Intelligence Division.

What a curious day this had turned out to be.

Uddo, by the look of his distinctive mask, was patiently waiting in the lobby, no doubt to act as a guide to bring the boy where he needed to go.

"Nice to see you again, Uddo." Naruto said with a wave. "So, where are we heading?"

"Good, you're here." The Wood User said in a subdued tone. "T&I is located in the west wing. I'll show you the way, Ibiki is already waiting for you."

"Lead the way."

The ANBU nodded wordlessly as he led off to the side and down a long hallway. Naruto trailed slightly behind his guide on his right side, but could still see the cat whiskers wrapped around the sides of his mask.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?"

Uddo stole a glance at the boy to his right but swiftly turned back to look ahead. After a moment, he decided to answer. "I don't have much to talk about."

"Well, what do you like to do?"

"Serve my Hokage and nation as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village." The stoic man didn't miss a single beat with his response.

The teen scratched his cheek. "Right… Okay, what do you do in your free time?" He was determined to get somewhere with this conversation.

"I don't have much of that." They rounded another corner, which led to another long hallway. This place was almost akin to a maze. "Sleep, I suppose? Yes, I enjoy sleep."

'Maybe I was wrong before… The ANBU Black Ops might be even stuffier than Gaara's councilmen.' Naruto shook that off with an awkward laugh. "Do you have any hobbies? What do you like that doesn't include being a ninja?"

Yamato hadn't expected to have a conversation like this or any at all. No one had ever realty taken an interest in who he was or what he liked, to the point where he didn't even know much about those things, himself. The fact that Naruto was asking him all of these questions threw him off a little bit, but that wasn't a bad thing. It felt good.

"I suppose I enjoy architecture."

'Finally, we're getting somewhere.' The Chunin thought thankfully. "Architecture, that's cool! So, do you like to build houses in your free time?"

"When it is necessary."

Naruto gave the man a strange look, but couldn't say anything in time.

The Wood User stopped in from of a heavy-looking steel door at the end of the third hallway they made their way down. "This is where you'll meet Ibiki. He should already be inside." Cat bowed slightly and turned back the way they came. "Have a good rest of your day, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Thanks. You, too. And, oh, make sure you find yourself another hobby! Your life sounds kind of boring."

"A-Ah, well…" Even with all of his Shinobi training, nothing could have prepared him for the brashness of the Uzumaki. "I suppose I will keep that in mind."

Such a strange boy.

Tsunade found herself walking through the village at a near-frantic pace. It wasn't often that the Hokage would go to investigation sites herself, but this was a special case. If the pit in her stomach was any indication, she knew this was somehow connected to the eerie feeling that's loomed over her these last few weeks. To satiate her conscious, the Senju needed answers right away. She relaxed slightly upon seeing the back of Shikaku's spiky head.

"Now, son, tell us everything right from the beginning. I want to make sure that we don't miss out on anything." The Nara Clan Head said calmly.

"I-I already told you everything!" Kotetsu was sitting down on a bench with his head buried in his hands. "I d-don't know what else to say!" You could tell by the tone in his voice; he was lost.

"Just walk me through the whole thing again." The patient Jonin Commander asked again.

"O-Okay." The Chunin took a few calming breaths to lower his rapidly beating heart. "Izumo had been acting a little different lately. He said things that he normally wouldn't say acted in ways that I had never seen him act. Then, a few days ago, he had mentioned that he wasn't feeling well; asked if I could man the gate alone in case he's too sick to join me. I said yes, since things had been pretty quiet recently. But I hadn't heard from him since and wanted to check to see if he was okay."

"So, you came to his apartment to find him, correct?"

"Y-Yeah." The worry-ridden Chunin nodded. "That's when I found his apartment completely emptied and ripped apart. He's never done something like this before. I know Izumo better than anyone! If something were wrong, he would have talked to me about it! That means something must have happened to him!"

"I thought as much." The Nara nodded gravely with a hand on his chin. "Seems like there's something else going on here." His thoughts drifted back to the theory that the Hokage had disclosed to him. 'If there is a mole in the village, then this could be an important key to revealing their identity.'

"H-Hey, is there something you guys aren't telling me?" Izumo's friend asked desperately. "There is, isn't there? Please, tell me! Is Izumo going to be alright; do you know where he is?!"

"I'm sorry, but that is all we know as of right now."

"B-Bu-"

"Kotetsu Hagane." The pair of men turned to see the Fifth Hokage walking swiftly up to them.

The eyes of the man in question lit up. "Ma'am!" He said with a salute.

"You are relieved of your duties. Please return home; we'll be in touch with you for any updates."

"But, Lady Tsunade… what about-"

"Let us work to find out what happened." The blond's tone was firm and authoritative, but her soft eyes showed layers of empathy. "If we find anything, you'll be the first to know. I assure you."

Kotetsu couldn't bring himself to hide his frown but nodded his compliance. "Of course, Lady Hokage. Thank you."

The Jonin Commander and Slug Sannin waited for the young man to leave before addressing the issue at hand.

"I didn't expect you to come yourself, Lady Tsunade." Shika said. "I had planned to deliver my report immediately after concluding our preliminary investigation."

"Normally, I would have let you." The kunoichi couldn't help but bit the inside of her cheek a bit too hard. "There's just this feeling that I can't shake, and I needed to come and see it for myself."

"I understand. Tsume and Kuromaru are doing a sweep of the premises. They should be done at any moment. Let's hope they can give us some clues to what is going on."

"I see." With a simple wave of her hand, a Black Ops member was at her side in an instant. "I need a member of the Hyuga clan here, immediately. Ensure that they are aware that the details of this are extremely classified. We can't let word out that we're on to something here."

"Right." Without another word, the cloaked Shinobi disappeared in a flash.

Not even a moment later, Tsume Inuzuka came around the side of the building on the back of her trusty Ninja Hound, Kuromaru. She hadn't said a word yet, but they could tell that any news she had would not be good. The look on her face said it all.

"Report." Requested the Hokage.

"I made a round of the building, but I don't sense or smell any troublesome chakra inside." The feral-looking Inuzuka said slowly. "As far as any other potential dangers, I'm not entirely sure what could be on the other side of those doors."

"From what I understand, Izumo didn't actually walk inside. The second he saw the state of the apartment from the front door, he reported it. A member of the Hyuga Clan will be here shortly. If there are any traps to worry about, their eyes will find them." Tsunade noted the look on the woman's face and frowned. "Though, that doesn't seem to be what you're worried about. Did you learn anything?"

"Yeah." Kiba's mom said with a nod. "The closer I got to his room, the more obvious it became."

"What is it?"

"It smells like death. And, by the scent of it, it's been like that for a while."

"What?! Why did this not get brought to my attention sooner?!"

"I reviewed the records of this building." Shikaku cut in. "It has a small number of occupants; only eight units. Furthermore, none of the other residents are Shinobi. Whatever happened here, it's safe to say no one heard, saw, or smelled anything."

"Damn…" The Sannin's expression darkened significantly. "Do you think there's any way that could be a coincidence?" She asked her commander.

"I think the most appropriate course of action would be to assume that, if someone is behind this, they planned this after collecting intel on their surroundings."

"Speculation won't do ya much good until we have more information." Tsume chimed in as she jumped off the back of Kuromaru. "Let's just wait until the Hyuga shows up. Their Byakugan will tell us a lot more about what's going on."

"You're right, but…" The Senju's frowned deepened even further. "I feel awful for saying this, but, deep down, I hope this is a similar situation to that of Sakumo Hatake." The blond ground her teeth together. "Because, if it's not…" She couldn't even bring herself to finish that sentence.

It would put the Leaf Village in grave danger.

And none of the three Shinobi present on the scene believed that they were that fortunate. No, there was no way that this was a suicide.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The man with twin scars running down his face breathed out. "You're late."

"Eh, only by a couple of minutes. I had to get something to eat, ya know?" The blond casually waved off as he entered the room.

It was a large, open room with a few large desks scattered around. Each station was manned by a Shinobi. They all seemed to be tasked with looking through files and going over paperwork. At the very back of the room, there were three sturdy steel doors equally spaced along the wall. The ones on the left and right were partially open, but the door in the middle was sealed shut.

"Hm, right." Ibiki frowned. "Now that you're here, I would like to get started as soon as possible. Or do you need to do something first? Gotta use the bathroom? Oh, how about a snack?"

Naruto's eye twitched. "Just tell me what you need me to do. What's going on?" He was going to ignore the not-so-subtle dry sarcasm of his former proctor.

"You brought Sasori of the Red Sand to me the other night. I've had a man with him every minute since then, and he hadn't uttered a single word." Ibiki shoved his hands deep into his pockets, a clear sign that he was frustrated with the situation. "Because of his puppet body, I am unable to extract any intel from him. He feels no pain, has no loved ones in this word, and does not fear death. There is nothing that we can use to get him to talk. None of my mind games are going to work on him, either. He's a… special case."

The Chunin scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind, but I was hoping you'd figure something out. You're the best, after all." Though, none of that explained what they were doing right now. "If that's the case, why am I here? If you can't get him to talk, then there is no way that I have a shot."

"Ah, but that's just it." The interrogation specialist spun around, and the back of his coat nearly slapped Naruto in the face. "About an hour ago, he finally said something. The first words since his imprisonment. That is why you're here."

"And… what did he say?"

"He wanted to speak to you. In fact, he made it abundantly clear that there was no one else that he would talk to, except for you."

"Eh?! He wants to talk to me? Why?"

"How should I know? I already told you, those are the only words that came out of his mouth." Ibiki growled out. "You know, I figured that in the three years since the Chunin Exams you would have gotten a little smarter. Guess I was wrong to assume that."

"Ha, you're just mad that you couldn't trick someone as dumb as me with your tenth question mind games! Like you said, it's been three years; let it go, Ibiki."

"Heh, the blind confidence you have in yourself is truly something to behold. No one else would have accepted that tenth question after not answering any of the previous nine." The T&I expert did his best to laugh it off, but Naruto could tell the man was still bothered by what happened. "Tell you what, I'll let it go if you can get Sasori to tell us what he knows."

"Without that confidence, I'd most certainly be dead right now." The boy smirked. "Leave it to me, I'll get him to talk."

"Perfect. He's restrained in the room behind the middle door." The Special Jonin gestured in its direction. "The Akatsuki, their motives, members, abilities, strengths, weaknesses; these are all key components of the organization that we don't know much about. Any and all things pertaining to the group hold priority."

"I know that much. I'm not that dumb."

Ibiki couldn't help but smirk while watching the blonde's retreating form. 'I can understand why you like that kid, Master Jiraiya. He's quite the interesting brat…'

…

Naruto closed the metal door behind him with a loud click. "I heard you wanted to speak to me." The newly-minted interrogator said as he took a seat in the questioning room. "Nearly twenty-four hours of interrogation and you don't say a single word. Why am I the only one you want to talk to?"

Those of the Torture and Interrogation Unit of the Hidden Leaf would do anything in their power to shift the advantage in their favor. A quick glance of the room could tell Naruto just that. The room was dark and depressing. It didn't have any windows for natural light that could potentially uplift the mood, an intentional design choice, no doubt. The bare stone walls reverberated sound to an extreme degree, and the floors were a bland grey color that scratched irritably against the bottom of your shoes as you walked. A table, two loud, metal chairs, and an incessantly ticking clock mounted on the wall were the only contents within the space.

This would all be effective in breaking down the will of their captive, but, as Ibiki said, this was a special case. As far as they were concerned, Sasori of the Red Sand was unbreakable. Hell, he was barely human, to begin with. Standard protocol proved to be useless on him. The only way he would talk is if he wanted to.

"You don't seem very happy to see me." Smirked the S-Rank threat. "As for why, well, that's a little complicated."

Sitting across the wooden table, Sasori was wrapped from head to toe in a straitjacket covered in chakra suppression seals. Unkempt bangs that fell in front of his eyes, along with his habitually emotionless face, made him look the part of a patient in a mental institution. The former Sand Shinobi was even tied to his metal chair, which was already bolted to the ground.

'A lot of precaution for someone who can't even use any Jutsu." Noted the Jinchuriki. 'Though, I wouldn't expect much less considering who the prisoner is.'

"It's complicated? How?"

"Before we get into any of that, I must ask; how many days has it been since our battle? It's impossible to tell how long I was dead or sealed away in that scroll."

"You could've asked anyone here how long it's been. I really wasn't needed for that."

"Yes, but I trust you. As much as someone in my position can trust another person, anyway." The sociopath said simply. "The T&I Department of the Leaf is well known for being ruthless and manipulative to get what they want. I'm sure lying also falls under that banner without hesitation."

'Why is getting the correct amount of days important to him? Would I be playing right into his hands if I told him that little bit of information?' Naruto couldn't help but cross his arms at his chest in a defensive manner. "It's been six days since you 'died.'"

"That is good news. Thank you, Naruto."

"Can you start getting to the point? What is all of this for, or do you just enjoy playing games?"

"Why do you seem so on edge?" The Puppeteer chuckled humorlessly. "I'm the one bound up, not you. You should relax a little bit."

The Chunin decided it best to not dignify that with a response, instead opting to give the criminal a hard stare.

"Hm, I thought this would be a little more fun. Where is all of that banter you had during our fight?" The Puppet User almost seemed sad. "How disappointing."

"Sasori."

"Alright, alright." Throughout the length of their conversation, the tone of Sasori's voice never actually changed. It was monotonous. "I think that it's safe to say that I have a lot of information on the Akatsuki. In fact, I was one of the main intelligence gatherers for the organization. However…" Chiyo's grandson smiled eerily. "If you want to know what I know, you'll have to do something for me first."

"You're willing to rat out your partners… if I do some errand for you?" It almost seemed too good to be true. Because of that, he'd continue with some precaution. The blond didn't think Sasori would lie to him, but he'd leave every possibility open.

"Don't misunderstand, the Akatsuki are not some close-knit group of friends. A lot of us actually can't stand one another. Any of them would betray me in an instant if they slightly benefitted from it; some would even do it for fun." The redhead explained. "Think of it as less of a friend group, and more like the various allegiances you see between the Five Great Nations. We don't trust, like, or care for others in the organization, but we work together to further our individual goals. Now that I have reached immortality, I have no need for the Akatsuki. They don't mean anything to me."

"Then why don't you just hand over all of the information willingly? In your eyes, you aren't really betraying anyone."

"I lost a mutually beneficial relationship, so I need to replace it with something else. That's what you're for, Naruto." Sasori's faced twitched, and a glimmer of emotion poked its way through. "There is still a loose end that I need tying up. If you want to know about the Akatsuki, then you need to take care of it for me. Do we have a deal?"

"It's not like I can force you to tell me what you know." Naruto mused aloud. "Okay, clue me in. What exactly do you want? I have to know before I agree to anything."

"Excellent." Sasori's smirk only grew in size. "Tell me, do you know Orochimaru?"

The Jinchuriki's eyes widened slightly at the mention of that name. "Orochimaru… that's right, I had heard he was a former Akatsuki member." Naruto couldn't possibly explain the vast history he has with the Snake in a short amount of time. The bastard dangled a lure in front of Sasuke, nearly destroyed the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams, and killed Old Man Third Hokage. And that was probably only the tip of the iceberg for the awful things that he's done. "Yeah, you could say that I know him. If you want me to deliver a message to him or something, it's completely out of the question. If I ever see him again, I'm going to try and kill him."

"Now that's what I like to hear." The Puppet Master almost sounded eager at this new development. "You see, I can't stand that snake even more than you. What I want you to do is simple; kill Orochimaru, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about the Akatsuki."

"Kill Orochimaru?!"

"I would do it myself, but I can't exactly walk around as I please. And I doubt that you people are going to let me out of here anytime soon. No, the window to make a move is rapidly closing. I have intel that suggests his current host body has begun to reject him, which means he may not be at full strength. Orochimaru must be defeated before he switches to a new body. Since I can't do it, then you must."

Naruto grimaced at the implications behind the man's words. Sasori wasn't aware of it, but the teen knew precisely who the next host body was supposed to be. And he was right; if the serpent succeeded, he would become much too powerful. The Sharingan could not fall into his greedy hands.

"A window?" The blond repeated between squinted eyes. "Is that why you were curious about how long it's been since our fight? Something is about to go down, isn't it?"

"That's right." The man's cold voice chilled the air around them. "You said that it has been six days, correct?"

To which Naruto nodded in confirmation.

"Go to the Tenchi Bridge in the Village Hidden in the Grass. Six days from now at noon, one of Orochimaru's men is working undercover for me as a spy, a man named Kabuto Yakushi. That is where I am supposed to rendezvous with him."

"That bastard again? Great." The news of him being a double agent wasn't all that surprising to the blond. After Naruto found out that the Medical Ninja was a Sound spy, the man would always be considered a weasel in his book.

The former Akatsuki member tilted his head slightly to the side. "Oh? You know of him already?"

"Let's just say we aren't exactly friends." The Chunin couldn't hide his distaste for Orochimaru's lapdog, which was made clear through his venomous tone. "So, what's the plan? Capture him and have him lead me to the Snake's den?"

"That would be ideal, but it may not be that easy." The redhead warned. "I suspect that this meeting may be a trap. I have a feeling that Orochimaru became aware of the Jutsu I placed on Kabuto. For a while now, the information Kabuto has supplied me with has been much less comprehensive than I've been used to. That means Orochimaru is either suspicious of him, or he has already been made aware of my influence. If that's the case, he may appear in Kabuto's place with plans to eliminate me."

"Good. That will make it much easier for me to kill him."

"What if they both decided to go? You're strong, maybe even strong enough to defeat a weakened Orochimaru by yourself. However, I don't believe you are powerful enough to defeat both of them at the same time."

"I can always find someone in the Village strong enough to take on Kabuto while I deal with the Snake. Actually, I already have a few names in mind."

"You could always take me with you, you know?"

"I didn't realize you were a fan of telling jokes, Sasori."

"The only thing I desire in this world as of right now is his elimination. I would do anything to do it with my own hands."

"And what about when he's dead?" Naruto asked. "What then?"

"Does it matter?" The restrained man responded dubiously. "I will have achieved everything I have ever wanted. I will finally be happy."

"And if you aren't?"

Sasori closed his mouth and remained silent. Though, the immediate change in demeanor told the Chunin all that he needed to know.

He didn't want to think about the possibility of his last hope being unfulfilling.

"How can I trust that you'll fulfill your end of the bargain after I complete mine?" Naruto asked to get their conversation back on track. "I can't force you to do anything; you can't possibly expect me to just take your word for it."

"Naruto, are you saying that you don't trust me? After all that we've been through together?" If the Puppeteer was trying to sound sarcastic or playful, he didn't. Like always, his tone was void of any and all emotion. "That hurts, truly."

"Can you honestly blame me?" The teen retorted.

The former Sand Ninja let out a sigh. "I suppose not." He shifted slightly underneath the straitjacket. "Then, I shall give you a little piece of information right now to show you that I'm serious. And, trust me, it's vital to the safety of your village."

'The safety of the village?!' Naruto eyed the man carefully. "Okay, talk."

Sasori showed the faintest glimmer of a smirk.

"Move this rug, please." Neji instructed, the veins around his pale eyes pulsing with chakra. "There's something under here."

The ANBU nodded silently, and two of them moved an inconspicuous throw rug that had been placed in the middle of Izumo's Living Room.

After the Hyuga had discerned that the apartment was not booby-trapped, the team of Shinobi was cleared to move in. The unit had smelled like death, according to Tsume, but there was no body to be seen. At least, not any that the Hyuga prodigy could detect. However, they didn't need a body to prove that something had happened.

The wooden floors underneath were stained with splatters of what appeared to be dried blood—more than what would be necessary to die from blood loss.

"Hm, by the looks of it, whoever did this attempted to clean up their mess." Shikaku said as he kneeled down to get a better look at the evidence. "There's no body to speak of, so it goes without saying that we can rule out suicide." He glanced over to ANBU. "Find something that may have Izumo's scent on it. Tsume, do you think it's possible to get a scent from this stain?"

"I'm not sure. If we're lucky, the scent may have seeped into the wood before it was cleaned. Kuromaru?" She asked her hound.

The single-eyed wolfdog nodded and began to stiff the red-stained flooring. After a moment, another Black Operative returned with a scarf from the bedroom and presented it to the beast. The hound sniffed that, as well.

"It's faint, but the blood is definitely the same scent as the owner of this scarf." Tsume's companion said gruffly.

"Why would an enemy spy kill a Chunin of all people, and in their house, no less?" Mused the Nara. "What would he have gained from this? By the looks of this place, they tore it apart in hopes of finding something. But what? None of this makes any sense."

"Do you think it's possible someone within the village killed him over a grudge?" Tsunade asked the Nara hopefully. "Maybe this is a contained incident and not an enemy attack?"

"You think another Leaf Shinobi did this in cold blood?" The genius rested his chin into his hand. "I suppose that could be a possibility. Do we have potential suspects?"

"Is it possible that kid Kotetsu could have had a hand in it?" Tsume chimed in. "He conveniently found the crime scene. It would make him an obvious candidate to rule out."

"I doubt that." Neji added with a shake of the head. "I saw them together just a few days ago. They seemed as friendly with one another as always. I don't think that he would have-"

"Wait… did you just say a few days ago?!" The group was startled by the sudden outburst of Kuromaru. "Are you sure of that? When was this?"

"Five or six days ago, if memory serves." The Side Branch Cadet frowned. "…Why?"

"That's… not possible. The scent on the floor isn't fresh." The hound's piercing, yellow eye widened in distress. "It's aged. If I had to guess, it's been here for at least two weeks."

It felt as if the temperature in the room had just dipped several degrees. At that moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.

"So, there is an Akatsuki spy in the Hidden Leaf?" Naruto's fingernails dug deep into the table. "Damnit! Now of all times?!"

Sasori tilted his head to the side at the child's reaction. "Seems like you already suspected something was amiss."

"It started with the incident in the Land of Waves, which I'm sure you're fully aware of. You guys were able to separately track the movements of Jiraiya-sensei and me. The perv made the assumption that you had a highly skilled tracker and infiltration specialist. Then, there was the news of those men used to impersonate Hidan and Kakuzu. If moles were able to sneak their way onto the Sand's council, that only made it more likely that they could do it to us."

"The two from the Sand were actually my subordinates." The Scorpion of the Red Sand corrected. "Though, that incorrect analysis was still able to lead you down the correct path. I shouldn't be surprised… Jiraiya of the Sannin is legendary in the world of espionage and information gathering. The infiltration was successful shortly after your attempted capture that day. While I'm not sure about the details of how it came to be, they've already been in the village for about two years."

"That long? Seriously?!" The Chunin was doing his best to quell his nerves. The prospect of having someone watch him without his knowledge had made his skin crawl. "So… who is it and where can I find them?"

"His name is Zetsu." The Puppeteer began with a blank expression. "He is a white, humanoid creature with yellow eyes and green hair. His adept tracking comes from a skill he possesses that allows him to move undetected underground. As for where he is right now, well, I have absolutely no idea."

"I don't get it." The blond breathed out slowly. "Something like that would stick out like a sore thumb. How has he been able to go unnoticed, but still able to steal our intel?"

Sasori's lips curved down into a slight frown. "Zetsu has a special ability just for situations like this. If he can steal even a sliver of chakra from someone, he can turn into an identical copy of that person. This is no ordinary Transformation Jutsu; his 'Substitution Technique' copies a person's chakra signature, scent, and even the victim's clothes. Not even the visual prowess of a Hyuga or nose of a Ninja Hound can pick out the fake."

A shiver went up the Jinchuriki's spine. This situation was much direr than anything he could have predicted. "If what you're saying is true, how the hell am I supposed to find someone that can disguise themselves like that?"

"I said I would give you information about the Akatsuki, not advice on how to deal with your problems." Glowered the redhead. "That's something you will have to figure out on your own. However, I will tell you one piece of good news; despite being a vital member of the Akatsuki, Zetsu does not possess high fighting power. In fact, I can say with certainty that he is the weakest one within the organization."

"I have to tell Granny Tsunade right away." Naruto's abrupt jump to his feet made his chair scrape unpleasantly along the stone ground. Sasori winced ever so slightly. "Something like this can't be pushed off!"

'Granny?' Sasori thought dryly.

The teen turned to leave, but something in his mind made him stop. His gaze fell on the restrained Grandson of the woman he watched die just a few days ago. He smiled warmly for the first time since entering the room. "Thank you for your help today, Sasori. This goes a long way in stopping the Akatsuki."

"I didn't do it for you." The Puppet shot back with a cold tone. "We spoke about this already. I need you to kill Orochimaru, and this is the best way to ensure that you do. If the roles were reversed, I'd add you to my collection without a second thought. Don't forget that."

"Heh. You know, you remind me of someone else that I know." A certain furry fox immediately came to mind. "We'll talk again soon, okay?"

"Get out of my sight. You're beginning to irritate me."

"Heh, okay. I can see when I'm not wanted." The Uzumaki rested his hand on the steel door's handle. Before he turned it, he looked back over his shoulder one last time. "Oh, and about happiness… I think you should think about what you want from your life, and why."

The former Akatsuki member narrowed his eyes. "What?" He already had that, didn't he? Since a young age, Sasori's dream was to become everlasting. It was complete; he had done it. Still, something was missing.

"What is your purpose in life? Why are you here in the first place? Find that, and maybe, one day, you can truly be happy."

Sasori didn't take his eyes off of the back of the blond's head. Even after the boy disappeared behind the cold, steel door, the man's gaze was still transfixed on that spot. There was, at least, a modicum of sense behind those words. After all, it wasn't like the Puppet Master had many options he could use to occupy his time. No, he was alone with his thoughts; and that was it.

The quiet walls were not as inviting as they had been just a short while ago. For once, he found himself missing the noise.

'Hm.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 33: It's Better This Way

"Oh, c'mon, c'mon! Let's head into a town; can we, please?! All of this walking is really killing my mood!"

The bombastic Tobi was doing laps around the stoic Uchiha prodigy. Itachi was able to stay composed, as usual. There wasn't a single twitch in his eyes, while the playful fraud kept darting in and out of his field of vision.

Despite outward indifference, he was inwardly running through endless theories and several simulations. Something was wrong; that was clear. Madara Uchiha, Tobi was what he was going by, had come out of the shadows and joined the organization. With Sasori's death still being fresh in all of their minds, it wasn't a huge surprise. No, that wasn't the problem.

Why had they been paired together? Was it merely because he had been the Puppeteer's most recent teammate, or was there hidden meaning behind it? Perhaps, just maybe, the Uchiha rogue had overanalyzed the situation in front of him. He had a penchant for doing it, that he would admit. The Clan may still be alive if he had curbed that habit sooner. Self-deprecating thoughts have been the norm ever since that fateful night at the compound.

It still haunted him to this day.

The orange-masked Akatsuki seemed to huff and puff from being ignored for the tenth time today. It was disturbing seeing someone with so much power act in such a manner. It was a scarily good act, to boot. If they hadn't worked with one another in the past, Itachi could see himself nearly falling for the ruse; a possibility that made it all that more terrifying.

"Oh, Itachiii." The fool said in a singsong voice. "What do ya say? We can get some hot food from a shop. Oh, I bet it will be delicious! Wouldn't that hit the spot right about now?!"

No answer.

"Perhaps you would like this voice a little better." The raven-haired prodigy stopped in his tracks and looked at the new person before him. Tobi, whose voice had been light and cheerful before, was now cold and grating. "Ah, I seem to have finally gotten your attention. That is good." The curvature of his visible eye was accompanied by a mirthless chuckle.

"I'm glad to see that we are no longer playing games. Madara."

"You're no fun, Itachi. Stoic and robotic, as always. No man is an island; you'd do well to remember that."

"Why have you joined the ranks? What are you playing at?"

"Whatever do you mean?" The sinister man said with a hint of amusement. "Sasori is no longer with us. With no new members lined up to take his place, I only thought it best to step out of the shadows to join the Akatsuki. Besides, you would be so lonely without a companion. You should be grateful; I'm doing you a favor."

"You can drop the act." The former ANBU Captain was incredibly adept at picking out a lie. Years of acting as a double agent honed this ability to the highest degree. Though, it wasn't like the man in front of him was trying all that hard to hide his intentions. "You don't even believe the words coming out of your own mouth."

"Heh, straight to the point. That is so like you." The man behind the mask nearly sighed. "If you must know, I'm here to make sure you don't fail your next assignment. You see, your debacle in failing to capture the One-Tail didn't go over so well within the organization. Something like that cannot happen again."

"I know that." Itachi responded calmly. "However, I had no choice in the matter. I was outnumbered. And with Sasori defeated by the Nine-Tails, it was only a matter of time before I was, as well. Only later did I find out that you joined in the fight. Had I known sooner, things may have gone differently." Those cold eyes flashed dangerously as if daring Madara to challenge him.

It was a verbal chess match, one that most wouldn't even pick up on. However, these two were not just some run of the mill Shinobi; they were the pinnacle of the once great and feared Uchiha Clan. It was clear that neither wanted to fight, but they were still cautious their counterpart would strike.

"Hm, I wonder about that." His tone would have chilled nearly anyone to their core, but Sasuke's brother held steadfastly. "Answer me truthfully, did you have a hand in Sasori's defeat? I find it nearly impossible to believe that he was beaten by the Nine-Tails brat all by himself. Zetsu saw you at the battle site with Naruto, and Sasori was already down. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"

'He really doesn't know anything.' Itachi's thought as he allowed his shoulders to relax slightly. "By the time I arrived back at the hideout, Naruto had already killed him. I soon found myself pinched between him and the team I had previously pursued. With two Jinchuriki and two highly skilled Jonin along with a skilled medic, my only option was a retreat."

They glared at one another.

"Hm, Naruto Uzumaki, huh? I had my doubts, but this conversation seems to have confirmed it. It appears we took him far too lightly. On top of that, I now realize I should have killed that Nara brat while I had the chance. Together, they could grow to become a real thorn in our side."

The son of Fugaku did not lower his guard, still raised around one of the two founders of the Hidden Leaf. The air was heavy with unspoken tension. There was something else the masked man wasn't saying; he could feel it.

"So… what is the plan now?" Sasuke's brother asked tepidly.

"We will continue to hunt just as before. One of the things mentioned in White Zetsu's report says that the Hidden Sand has acquired a worrisome new asset that will impede any further advancements. Half of the One-Tail's chakra will have to do for now; we can always retrieve the rest later. And, as for the Nine-Tails, when the time comes… I will task Pain with that duty."

"I see…"

Not good. Not good at all.

'Naruto… have no choice but to leave the rest in your hands…'

The exchange with Ibiki was brief. Naruto explained the vital information that Sasori had relayed to him and that his plan was to head straight for the Hokage. They both agreed that this was imperative to the safety of the Land of Fire. Haste was key.

Though, for reasons unknown to even himself, the blond left out the part about the Tenchi Bridge.

It just wasn't nearly as pressing as what was happening within the Leaf. Yes, that was what he had told himself. I mean, who would care about that when a spy was in their midst? It made sense… right?

Well, that didn't matter right now; the only thing that did was finding Tsunade. The quicker, the better. A sense of trepidation crept up on him and refused to go away. He just had to hope that nothing would get in his way.

"Hey, Naruto! Wait up!"

'Of course… just what I needed right now.' Naruto turned around and smiled. Though, it lost a bit of its luster when he noticed the person's body language. Kiba didn't look very happy, and he wasn't even riding on Akamaru's back; the dog followed slightly behind the Inuzuka, his tail down between his legs in a subdued manner. Come to think of it, the Dog User's callout to him sounded rather aggressive for addressing a friend.

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't voice his thoughts. "What's up, Kiba?"

"What's up?!" The boy nearly snarled. "You really got the nerve to act like nothing is wrong?!"

"Eh?" Okay, now the Uzumaki was definitely confused. "What did I do?" Looking the member from Team 8 up and down, it was clear that he wasn't fully recovered from their mission. There were scuffs and scratches on his face, and his right cheek was bandaged.

"Don't act like you don't know. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura both said you were in the room when Lady Tsunade told you guys that the four of us were still in the hospital. They came to see us. You know, their friends!"

'What? She said that?!' The blond Chunin thought. 'Actually, I did zone out in there… Did I really miss that?' The Jinchuriki shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get distracted, not after what he had just learned. His friends were important, but they were still alive; some people might not be very soon if he didn't deliver this intel to Tsunade immediately.

"Look… Kiba, I don't mean to seem like an ass, but I have some really important stuff going on right now." He sounded almost pained to say that. "We're going to have to talk about whatever this is later."

Kiba's frown deepened even further as the blond teen walked past him. He followed just as quickly. "More important than your friends?! More important that Hin-" The Inuzuka stopped himself.

Naruto couldn't bring himself to say it aloud, but, yes, this was more important than visiting his friends in the hospital. Much more.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Kiba, but I wouldn't expect you to get upset over something like this. I honestly didn't even realize you guys were still in the hospital. If I had known, I definitely would have already visited you."

"This isn't about me, idiot."

The newly-minted Chunin stopped and turned to face his similarly-ranked friend. "Then, who are you talking about?"

That made Akamaru's owner hesitate slightly. He avoided eye contact for a moment, a clear sign of inner turmoil. What was so bad that it made him reluctant to talk about it?

"Hinata got it worse than all of us."

"She did?!" Blue-eyes widened slightly. "Is she okay?!"

Kiba roughly crossed his arms at his chest. "Oh, so now you care about her?" He scoffed. "Yeah, she's getting better like the doctors say. But that isn't the point." Akamaru whimpered softly behind them. "Hinata was one of the three people who demanded to be put on the squad tasked with fighting the Akatsuki. Hinata was actually the one to write up their argument for why they were the best people for the job. She fought her ass off for you. Now she's in the hospital recovering from injuries she received trying to protect you, and you don't even try to see how she's doing?"

"I already told you, I didn't kn-"

"Even if she wasn't in the hospital, you didn't even bother to check in on her." Kiba suddenly coughed into his fist. "And Shikamaru, too. Yeah… he's a good guy, a good friend. Make sure you pop in his room for a visit." He finished weakly.

Naruto felt a pang in his chest. Kiba was right, and he knew it to be true. Why hadn't he even attempted to make sure they were alright? The last time he had seen them, they were unconscious… Sure, a lot was going on right now, but that was definitely no excuse for his behavior.

'Some friend I am.' The teen thought disparagingly. After all, his friends and loved ones were supposed to be what he held closest to his heart. It wasn't like him to disregard them in such a manner. 'Is this a side effect of losing Hikari?' No, he wasn't going to let himself off that easy. That excuse was just a pitiful attempt to try and shift the blame off of himself. This was his fault, and he would take responsibility for his actions.

Jiraiya's student sighed. "Thanks for letting me know, Kiba. Right after I take care of this, I'm going to go see how everyone is doing… I'm sorry for being a crappy friend."

Kiba nodded, accepting that answer. Deep down, he knew the blond idiot wouldn't have forgotten something as important as this without good reason. Still, seeing the downcast expression on his Hyuga teammate's face was enough to send him into 'brotherly mode.' It was bad enough the girl had to deal with her overbearing father, but her idol seemingly not giving a damn about her despite all she had done? No, that was where he would draw the line.

"I'll hold you to that, Naruto."

The blond reciprocated the nod, and body flickered away with a simple hand sign.

'Whatever you're doing had better be damn important, idiot…' The Inuzuka knew it was; the knucklehead wasn't someone who would lie about something like that. Still… "You're so oblivious." He was speaking as if someone could hear him. "How can you not see how she feels about you?"

Naruto quickly found himself in the room with the Fifth Hokage and the Jonin Commander, Shikaku Nara. After his encounter with Kiba, he wasted no time in making his way to the tower. It had taken a bit of waiting since the two were out conducting official business. If their location hadn't been highly classified, the blond would have gone to look for them himself. Despite the severity of his visit, he waited as patiently as he possibly could.

The discussion had been more extensive than his exchange with Ibiki, but not by much. While massive in weight, the information he carried was quick and easy to explain.

"I see…" Tsunade had looked worn out before their meeting, but it was even more apparent now. The Jutsu she used to keep up her youthful appearance was still in effect, but even it couldn't hide the toll this day had taken on her. "And Sasori told you this himself?"

The Uzumaki nodded. "I'm not entirely convinced that he's telling the truth, but I think that-"

"Oh, he's definitely telling the truth." Shikaku cut in. "In fact, this news could not have come at a better time."

"And… why is that?"

"We're working on some theories right now, Naruto." Tsunade said calmly. "It's okay. You can let us handle things from here on out. You've been a tremendous help to us."

That put the Chunin at peace. It was good to know that he sometimes didn't need to run himself ragged, trying to solve a problem all by himself. To rely on other people, that is what Kakashi had told him to do before they left on their mission to rescue Gaara. Thinking back on it… Naruto didn't follow it all that well back then.

"Then, I would like to make a request. If that's okay, of course."

"Oh?" The Sannin's eyebrow rose. "What is it?"

"The spy is most likely here because of me, right?" Both Jonin nodded their agreeance. "Well, then why don't I just leave the Village for a bit? If we don't tell anyone, this Zetsu guy won't have any idea where I am. In an attempt to find me, he might step out of place so you guys can snuff him out. Besides, there's something that I need to do, and this is the perfect time to do it."

Tsunade mulled it over in her head. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to get Naruto out of the line of fire while they suppress the flames. Though, letting the Jinchuriki outside the Village walls would always be a risk. The Chunin had already proven that he could take care of himself, but a pair of Akatsuki would be a tall task for even someone as strong as Jiraiya, let alone his student.

'What to do?' She thought.

"If I may ask, what is it that you need to do outside of the Leaf Village for, Naruto?" The levelheaded Nara asked with thinly-veiled curiosity. "As you know, it would be dangerous to let you go anywhere by yourself. Even if we have Akatsuki here, they could still be skulking around close by, too."

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. He had already made his choice. "I want to visit the Land of Waves and bury Tsunami and Inari next to Tazuna. I made a promise to him at his grave that if I found their bodies, I'd bring their family back together again."

Tsunade's heart panged for the boy, and her kneejerk reaction was to authorize his request. Though, as the Hokage, she resisted the temptation. The Commander, on the other hand, was a little less quick with the emotional trigger.

"We still have the Akatsuki to worry about. You can't be out there alone." Shikamaru's father put his hand to his chin. "Though, if we mobilize a whole squad… then, Naruto's whereabouts may be found out by the spy. Too many moving pieces on the board will uncover our strategy. That would be counterintuitive to the whole reason that he'd be leaving in the first place…"

"I can always get myself out of any dangerous situations using the Reverse Summoning Technique that Jiraiya-sensei showed me. All I need to do is summon a big enough toad, hop in its mouth, and poof back to Mount Myoboku."

The Sannin, despite the situation, smiled. "I'll meet with the Elders, and we will find some common ground. I'll do everything in my power to get you to the Land of Waves as safe as possible."

'The Elders?' The Jinchuriki couldn't help but grimace. 'Those bastards again?'

"I know that none of this is ideal." Upon seeing that face, Lady Fifth sighed with a shake of the head. "We both are aware that the higher-ups only see you as a military asset. If I do anything reckless, they may try to turn this against me."

"No… I understand, Granny." The blond bowed. "As the Jinchuriki, I can't be doing things that will put the Leaf in danger." With his head dipped down, neither of the Jonin could see the look on his face.

Fierce and defiant.

"I'll meet with them later this afternoon and get back to you. If all goes well, you should be able to leave in the evening."

Jiraiya's pupil was dismissed, leaving the two leaders alone with a new and essential piece of information.

"What's your analysis about this Zetsu person and his abilities, Shikaku?" The Senju asked of potentially the most intelligent man in the Land of Fire.

"Based on the information Naruto gave us, I can say with near certainty that this Zetsu took the place of Izumo and assumed his identity. It explains why Kuromaru and Neji had conflicting stances on when he was last alive. The person Neji saw just a few days ago was not the real Izumo, but Zetsu in disguise."

"I agree with that. However, where does that leave us now? The imposter hasn't been seen in a few days. He could be anywhere, or anyone."

Shikaku nodded sagely. "We have to take a step back and look at the big picture. The first question is, why Izumo? What was the benefit of taking the place of a Chunin?"

"Couldn't it have been random selection? We don't even know how the intruder got into the village. It could have been a crime of opportunity, not necessity."

"I doubt that." The genius continued. "Think about it; he was a Chunin regularly staffed as one of your assistants and commonly on rotation for gate duty. Those make this less likely to be a simple coincidence." He started to pace in front of the Hokage desk. "Then, there was his apartment."

"It was messed up, torn apart." Recalled Tsunade.

"Exactly." The deer herder snapped his fingers. "My guess is, Izumo was chosen because, from an outsider's perspective, he could be deemed as an easy target who had access to important information. If he got close to you, then all of our intel would be at his fingertips."

"He couldn't have found anything of note within that apartment. And I never had Izumo and Kotetsu handle classified intelligence. Which means…" She trailed off.

"He would have found that out rather quickly. Zetsu must have already changed into someone else." Shikaku concluded, arms folded tightly at his chest. "He could be anyone with close ties to you, Lady Tsunade."

"Damn!" The Sannin bit her lip. "We have to meet with them to plan our next course of action. For now, do background checks on every potential suspect with the assistance of the ANBU Back Ops, and do it in secrecy! You're one of the only people that I can trust right now."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The Nara obeyed with a bow.

"We have to keep this contained. I haven't even told Shizune what's going on yet." She swung around her desk and poked her head out of the door. "Shizune! Call a meeting of the Elders, immediately!"

"Y-Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

"Oink!" Added Tonton.

Shikaku Nara walked over to the windows behind the Hokage's desk and frowned. Looking down at the people of his beloved village, it sickened him to think that anyone of them could be an enemy of the state. Now, he feared that at least two people had been killed by some imposter trying to get close to Naruto and Tsunade. That was his son's friend, and he'd do anything to protect him.

And yet, what was this feeling?

'But… why? Why do I feel like I'm missing something incredibly important.'

'Why… did I lie? I could have told them about the Tenchi Bridge, but I didn't. It's only six days away. If I leave for the Land of Waves today, I'll have to head straight to the rendezvous point." The blond raked his hands roughly through his blond locks. 'What is wrong with me?!'

Naruto had wanted to tell Granny Tsunade about what the Puppet Master had relayed to him; he really did. Yet, when push came to shove, his mouth didn't move the way he wanted it to. It was almost like something deep within his consciousness had ordered to keep that detail secret. He hadn't felt like himself.

A four-sided pinwheel.

'I'll definitely tell Granny the next time I see her."

He definitely would not.

The smell of anesthetics and other chemicals reminded the boy of where he was. He blanched; his abject hatred for hospitals rang loudly in his ear. This was for a friend, so there was no place to be a baby. There were just a lot of bad experiences he associated with being confined to the hospital.

A Chidori to the chest, along with a missing friend, in particular, came to mind.

The teen shook his head clear and recalled the words from the nurse at the front desk. 'Room 205. Should be three more doors down on the right.'

Just then, the door to the room he was walking towards slid open, and Hiashi Hyuga stepped out. Those eyes, as cold as ever, were quick to lock onto the approaching Chunin. Naruto hadn't even done anything, but he felt guilty about it. That hard stare, no wonder Hinata wasn't a very outspoken person. Who would be when they had to face those unforgiving eyes every day? It felt like every movement he made was being examined, scrutinized. It would deflate anyone untrained in discipline and self-acceptance, especially a child.

Much to his chagrin, the Clan Head seemed content to stand at the door and wait for his daughter's visitor to arrive and try to move past him.

"Lord Hiashi." Naruto nodded.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The nobleman didn't seem very impressed. "Here to see my daughter, are you?"

"I am." This moment felt similar to when the Uzumaki met with the Sand's council. "I wanted to swing by to thank Hinata for her help in the mission and to make sure that she's okay."

Hiashi said nothing, though the intensity of his stare increased drastically.

The boy on the receiving end scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Is everything okay with you, uh… sir?" He had no idea what was happening.

"That depends on what you mean by your question."

"W-What?"

"My eldest daughter is in the hospital. Do you think this is good news? Should I be happy with these developments?"

"No! That isn't what I sai-"

"On that same note, these unfortunate circumstances have led me to have one of the first introspective conversations with Hinata. I feel that our understanding and the bond that we share as father and daughter are stronger now as a result. In that sense, I suppose that you could say that things are 'okay.'

"Heh, heh." Naruto could do nothing but laugh nervously. "That's, uh, good to hear, I guess."

'What the hell is this guy talking about?' The blond added mentally.

"Just a few years ago, I considered Hinata a failure not worthy of leading the Hyuga. During spars, she would routinely get bested with ease by her younger sister, Hanabi." The Hyuga took in a sharp breath, and Naruto wondered why the man was telling him all of this. "Then, over the past couple of years, she quickly grew into someone I barely recognized. Her confidence surged, strength grew… but she still maintained the same kindness and gentleness of her late mother." A sad smile appeared on the face of the aging widower. "I had thought my teachings and guidance had finally gotten through to her, that she came to understand the importance that being heiress to the clan was to us."

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but where is this coming from?" In other words, what did it have to do with him? Hinata had told her side of this story earlier. What was Hiashi getting at?

"I was wrong. It was not me that spurred her transformation. To be more precise, my strict tutelage was the reason she was timid and reserved in the first place. I see that now." Naruto's humorous squint of confusion made the typically stoic Byakugan wielder chuckle lightly. "I don't understand what she sees, but I suppose that sort of thing is in the eye of the beholder."

"All Hinata needed was for you to believe in her. As her father, why couldn't you do that from the start? She would never have had to claw her way to where she is now if you were there at the beginning."

The Clan Head blinked, taken aback by the bold stance the boy took. Not many had the gall to speak to him in such a way. However, he did not get upset by it. On the contrary, that little display showed him what made this boy special. "Yes, I know that now. It was a grave mistake that I wholeheartedly accept responsibility for. Thank you for giving my daughter the things that I could not. Or, rather, something that I did not realize she needed. My wife had always been the nurturing one, and, well, it appears that I failed miserably in that department." He bowed his head slightly in appreciation.

"Eh?" The Chunin blurted out, eyebrow arched. "I didn't give Hinata anything. What she did, she did on her own. Don't try and diminish all of the work she had put into herself."

'This boy is even denser than Lord Jiraiya… shall I just tell him?'

"She… cares for you deeply. Much more than you know."

"…What?"

Hinata was seated by the window in her hospital bed. It was bright and sunny out, but she was stuck inside in this uncomfortable hospital gown. The weather outside mirrored her usual disposition nicely, but all she felt was gloom today. Many people came to visit her during her stay, which was nice. And yet… the one person she truly wanted to see had not shown up. She found herself gripping the familiar orange book in her hands a bit tighter.

Kakashi and Sakura insisted that if he wasn't here, then that meant he was busy with important matters. The Heiress took those words at face value, but it didn't help her feel better.

The blond had changed a lot since going off with Jiraiya on their adventures. It should have been evident to anyone that knew him. However, after some reflection, she began to notice that something was off with the Naruto that she knew. It was different than simply growing up and maturing, he wasn't nearly as enthusiastic or happy as he used to be. When asked questions about his time away with the Sannin, his apathetic responses usually skirted around them entirely. That smile, bright as the sun, had dimmed to a point where it was nearly unrecognizable. The shy girl had been so happy for his return that she missed several red flags from the way he was acting. Now, it was as clear as the day that she was currently missing out on by being confined indoors.

"I wonder what he's doing… I just hope that he's okay."

Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Hinata, it's me." The blond's voice was one she recognized immediately, and she involuntary stiffened up. "Are you decent? Can I come in?"

The Hyuga teen stuffed the book underneath the covers and nervously straightened the sheets for her bed even though nothing was wrong with them. "Y-Yes. You can come in."

The door slowly opened, and his blond mop of hair was the first thing that came into her view. After sliding the door shut behind him, the whiskered boy stuffed his hands deep into his pockets.

There was an air of tension in the room, one that Hinata could feel but not understand. 'Did something happen?' She wondered.

…

"How are you feeling?" The blond finally broke the awkward silence. "Kiba said that you got roughed up pretty good." He could have winced at the way he phrased that. "I mean, I just wanted to make sure that you were feeling okay."

The kunoichi deflated slightly at the mention of her teammate. 'Is… that why he came to see me? Because of Kiba?' The Inuzuka had expressed frustration at Naruto's no show, and despite her best attempts to calm the boy down, he had declared to 'teach that blond idiot a lesson!' after his own discharge.

"I-I'm okay." Her tone was soft. "The doctors said I broke a few ribs and had a break in my right femur, along with some other minor injuries. I feel much better thanks to their Medical Ninjutsu. I should be able to leave in a few days."

"That's good to hear." The Uzumaki scratched his cheek, a tell that he was either nervous or uncomfortable. "I would have been here sooner, but I had no idea you guys were in the hospital! Kiba said that I knew, but I really didn't; honest. You know that, right? I would never forget about my friends like that!"

"Of course I know that, Naruto." It still felt unbelievably good to hear it come out of the boy's mouth. "You'd never turn your back on your friends, just like we would never do that to you." She smiled warmly.

"Ah, that's a relief!" The teen plopped down on the chair at the girl's bedside. That bit of confirmation seemed to have cut some of the tension within the room. "I knew you wouldn't be mad at me, but it's still good to hear, ya know?"

"I heard the mission ended up being a success." The kunoichi said in an attempt to nudge the conversation forward. "The Kazekage is safe because of you, you know?"

"It was a team effort. We had a huge team; I couldn't have done without the help of all of you."

"You're so quick to dismiss yourself." Hinata was surprising even herself with the way she was speaking. "It's okay to give yourself credit when you do something good." She would know. That advice, thanks to Ino, helped her significantly in changing as a person.

"Heh." His laugh didn't sound that happy. "That's what everyone keeps trying to tell me… but it wasn't good enough for me. I still made so many mistakes that I could have avoided. Granny Tsunade even gave me a field promotion to Chunin. Can you believe that? Me, a Chunin?"

"That's great news!" This Naruto reminded the Main Branch Hyuga of the time they spoke at the training grounds before the blond's fight against Neji. "That's something you should be happy about. She saw your skills and potential and rewarded you for all of the hard work you put in."

"I don't deserve it."

"Why not?"

The sternness in the question brought the Uzumaki's gaze back up; throughout their talk, it had slowly dipped down to the ground that rested beneath his feet.

"Being strong doesn't mean I deserve to be Chunin. I've made so many mistakes in the past. I don't have the brains of Shikamaru, or the leadership or Kakashi-sensei, to handle that kind of responsibility. I don't trust myself with the lives of my friends."

"But we trust you with our lives." The Heiress added in gently. "Why do you not trust yourself?"

"What if I'm not strong enough, or I make another stupid mistake that gets someone killed?" The blond grimaced, the only thing he could think about was the massacre in the Land of Waves. All of that blood was on his hands, and he knew it. "If I had that choice, I would always try to do everything by myself. It's better this way. If anyone has to die, I would be glad that it's only me." Kakashi's words rang loudly in his ears, but they had lowered to a faint whisper. He knew the man was right, but, deep in his heart, the blond couldn't bring himself to adopt that kind of mentality. One of his goals was always to protect his friends; how could he do that when they were trying to protect him?

"What about those people that you're trying to protect? They also want to protect you. Do you think that they would be okay with your choice to sacrifice yourself? Are you even considering our feelings at all?"

Naruto couldn't help but frown at those words; they stung. "Hinata, I-"

"The Hyuga are known for being able to read people. And, to me, you're almost like an open book right now." She unconsciously squeezed the novel that was resting in her lap underneath the covers. "It isn't just for us. You're afraid of being alone again."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"I've been watching you for a long time, so I think I understand you a little. Why don't you just let your friends help you? If we help each other, then no one person has to shoulder all of the responsibility."

The look of intense emotion in those pale eyes reminded the Jinchuriki of what Hiashi had said to him in the hallway.

…

He didn't answer.

"Is something wrong, Naruto? Ever since you got back to the village, it feels like you're trying to push away everyone that cares for you."

"I… ran into your dad on my way here." He involuntarily sucked in a deep breath. "He mentioned that he spoke to you… about why you joined the Akatsuki Assault Squad. And, also, about how you managed to grow so much over the past couple of years."

If Hinata's behavior was any indication, she had not expected her father to be brought up. The twiddling of her hands in her lap, coupled with her downward gaze, reinforced that thought.

"Oh."

He was about to do exactly what she feared would happen.

…

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me that I was the reason for both of those things and that you… cared for me. A lot."

They both shifted uncomfortably, and the kunoichi was suddenly very aware of the reason for the tension that she felt earlier. Her face grew hot.

"You shouldn't." Naruto shook his head. "Ah, wait, that came out wrong. What I'm trying to say is that we're friends, good friends. But… we're just friends. Caring for me in the way that you do… is a mistake."

Hinata's grip tightened around the bedsheets she had clasped onto ever since the boy entered the room. She finally lifted her head up, and Naruto was surprised to see anger in her typically bright and caring eyes.

The Uzumaki flinched.

"You think what I feel is wrong?" The shy girl didn't seem so reserved anymore. "Naruto, how could you say that? Why do you think you have any right to tell me what I should feel?" The Heiress didn't raise her voice, but the tone behind her words was fierce and full of defiance.

And, also disappointment.

She had a right to be mad. After all, the Uzumaki never said that he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Instead, he tried to negate everything that she felt as if she was mistaken. In truth, Naruto had no idea of the depths of admiration and love that Hinata felt for him. That's not his fault; how could he know when she had never said anything about it? Despite that, the words did not sting any less.

The boy winced at how hurt the girl felt. "N-No. Hinata, I-"

"Please leave; I would like to be alone." With a firm voice, the Hyuga turned away from him and looked out the window. She was mad and didn't want to see his face right now, but it was also an effective way to hide the tears that she knew were already welling up in her eyes.

Naruto reached his hand out as if to grab hold of the situation and mend it back together. It was too late. Based on her body language Hinata had already distanced herself from him, and it was clear that he was no longer wanted in the room. His hand fell lifelessly into his lap. With a heavy sigh, Jiraiya's student stood up slowly.

"I'm sorry… I'll go now."

A few seconds later, he was at the door—another sigh, followed by a sad look over the shoulder.

"I'm… about to do something really stupid." The Jinchuriki spoke even though he wasn't entirely sure the Heiress would listen to him. "The problem is, I know that it's stupid and dangerous, and I'm going to do it anyway. I have to." Hinata still didn't shift her head to look at him. "I have a duty to do, which I will gladly risk my life to complete, and I'm not just talking about being a Shinobi. What I want to do is not even for the sake of the Village. It's why I can't be with anyone. I couldn't live with myself if someone that loved me like that had to worry every day about whether I am going to live or die."

Still no response.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I hope you get better soon."

'It's better this way.'

The soft click of the sliding door told the Hyuga that she was now alone. Well, it would have if she hadn't already had her Byakugan active; the veins around her eyes were proof enough of that. She may not have been facing the boy when he spoke, but she had seen everything. The range of her vision extended out to the hallway. After a moment, the whiskered Chunin was out of sight, and she didn't bother to extend her visual field.

That appeared to be her breaking point.

A few sniffles, followed by a couple sharp breaths, and the future Clan Head brought her hand to her face to wipe away the tears. Tears brought on by a man who didn't understand the first thing about what she truly felt.

"That's a terrible reason to be alone, dummy…" She whispered to the empty room.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" The knucklehead pounded the top of his head like a drum. "What the hell is wrong with me?! She was already in the hospital feeling like crap, and I had to go and make it worse on her!"

The view from atop here was grand, but he didn't have the heart to enjoy it.

Naruto sat atop the stone statue of his father, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The slightly humid wind delicately through his hair and lightly brushed over the whisker marks on his face. That did little to soothe his mind, though.

Everything had gone so smoothly in his head.

Hinata would come to realize the error of her ways and go back to just being a regular friend. There was so much going on in his life right now, countless things he worried about. It made the mere possibility of romance a foolish proposition. It would only get in the way of all that he wanted to accomplish. After all, he was a complete mess. How could anyone care for him in such a way? It didn't make any sense to him.

'Kiba's gonna want to fight me after he hears about what I said.' The Chunin sighed. 'I just hope she doesn't hate me now…'

"What would you have done, dad?"

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, the blond's instincts screamed at him. There was something wrong. In an instant, Naruto spun around on one knee, a kunai already gripped tightly in his hand.

Above, left, right.

Three strange, black, and white lion-like creatures rushed him at high speeds. 'What?!' Thought the blond frantically. With a clap of his hands and a surge of chakra, Naruto's Wind Wall sprung to life full-force around him. The elemental forcefield impeded the advancement of the oncoming threats.

All three monsters exploded and, to the teen's great confusion, sprayed out a thick, black substance. "Ink?" Was the determination he came to after closer inspection. "Well, whatever they are, they aren't as durable as I expected them to be. What is going on here?"

The high-pitched squealing of steel slicing through the air alerted him to the assailant approaching his back.

'Clang!'

It was a boy around the same age as himself, his tantō scraping dangerously against the Jinchuriki's knife.

The pale stranger has short, straight black hair and dark eyes. His outfit consisted of a high-collared midriff shirt and black pants.

Most importantly, his headband donned the Leaf's insignia.

"I'm going to give you a minute to think about what you're doing." The Uzumaki warned. "I'm in a really bad mood. I might do something that I'll regret later."

The assassin, who did not seem the least bit worried about the threat, smiled eerily. "I had heard you were able to kill Sasori of the Red Sand, an S-Rank threat from the Akatsuki. After seeing you for myself, I can see that those are only rumors. You're pretty weak, aren't you?" Despite their weapons clash, that creepy smile stayed on his face.

As if to say: I'm not trying all that much.

Naruto smirked. 'Am I being underestimated?' He thought.

'Poof!'

The assailant's eyes showed the first bit of worry as a seal-less clone appeared behind him. He leaned forward on his lead leg and threw a back kick to quickly dispel the copy.

'Got you!'

With his rear foot off the ground, Naruto slipped to the side and disengaged from their struggle. Without a solid foundation, the mysterious teen lost his balance and stumbled forward from the sudden loss of opposite force.

Jiraiya's student grabbed his attacker's arm, tripped his legs out, and threw the boy over his shoulder straight into the ground and onto his back. All of the assassin's air was expelled from his diaphragm, but Naruto left him no time to recover.

Naruto's knee dropped heavily into his gut, and a kunai was placed precariously close to the unknown teen's throat.

"I told you that I wasn't in the most forgiving mood today. Maybe you should have listened to me." That tone promised pain if his words were disregarded. "Now, before you die, tell me what you want. Why did you try to kill me?"

"I wasn't trying to kill you. " Despite being an inch away from death, the pinned Shinobi showed no outward fear. "I merely wanted to see how strong you were. I needed to know if the rumors were true. If you had died from that assault, then that would have answered any questions that I had."

"Next time, don't assume the skill level of someone you just meet." He pressed down on the kunai a bit harder. "As a Shinobi, you should know better. You're just asking to get yourself killed."

"Haha." That might have been the most disgustingly fake laugh Minato's son had ever heard. "I must say you hide your abilities very well. I am usually quite perceptive, but you play the role of a weakling convincingly. I'm impressed."

"I haven't seen you around before. Who are you, and why did you want to see how strong I was?"

"You can call me Sai." Another creepy smile, coupled with that monotonous, almost bored, tone. "As for why, well, it's only natural I would want to assess the skill level of my new partner."

"Partner? What are you talking about?"

"You requested to go to the Land of Waves for a personal mission, yes?" The blond teen nodded. "It was decided by the Elders and Hokage that I will accompany you on it. I assumed you to be weak if you needed guardianship, but that doesn't appear to be the case. How interesting."

Naruto didn't sense any lies coming from the one called Sai. He removed his knee from the sternum of his new teammate and offered a hand for assistance. The pale boy ignored it, opting to stand up by via his own accord.

'He seems decently strong, and I have never seen him before… On top of that, the way he acts reminds me a lot of Uddo.'

"Are you a member of the ANBU Black Ops?"

"You could say that, yes."

A glint refracted in those azure eyes. 'Perfect. I found my distraction for Kabuto, Sasori.' Thought the Chunin. "I want to leave today. Can you meet me at the Village Gates in an hour?"

"My mission is to accompany you, so, through my obligation to the Village, I must comply with your intentions." Still, that smile that made Naruto's skin crawl was plastered on his face.

"You could have just said yes…"

"Yes."

The Uzumaki took a deep breath and shook his head. 'Roll with it. It's not worth the effort.'

"We'll meet at the gate in one hour." The blue-eyed Shinobi made a quick hand sign for the Body Flicker. "Oh, and if you try to attack me again… I really will kill you next time." He wouldn't actually; it was mostly to try and get Sai to sweat a little. If something like that was even possible for a member of ANBU.

'Poof.'

Outwardly, those words of warning appeared to have done very little. On the inside, however, well, who knew?

…

"What took you so long, ya jerk!" One of the doppelgangers stomped up to the original after he walked through the front door. "Do you know how long we've been here doing your dirty work?! It's been hours, and you never came back to bring us food! What's up with that?!

"Yeah!" Chorused the other blond copies fuming behind him.

"I know, I'm sorry." The real Naruto would have scratched his cheek sheepishly, but his hands were full. "I didn't realize there were so many things I needed to do, but don't worry. For your hard work, I brought each of you four bowls of ramen!"

The clone's anger quickly seemed to die down. Should… should they still be mad? They knew they were being taken advantage of through their love of ramen, but it was four bowls. Four bowls!

"With extra pork?"

"With extra pork."

With extra pork!

The hungry Naruto's scarfed down their reward with fervor. The original thanked them for their efforts, dispelled them, and took in the experience that team had gathered for the day. It didn't overwhelm his senses, but he held onto something for support just in case. Once all of the necessary information had been sorted and assimilated, he took out a scroll and sealed all their notes and drafts away.

'I'll bring these with me. Who knows, may want to write a little to keep my mind occupied.' A quick glance at the clock showed that it was already almost time to leave. 'Better do a quick once of the apartment. Don't wanna miss anything that could be important.'

After a few more minutes of collecting items, the blond found himself staring at an old photo of Team 7. 'It's so dusty. How'd I miss this when I cleaned up before?' He asked himself as he lazily wiped the glass frame with his hand. All of the memories from his early Genin days came flooding back to the forefront of his mind.

Some good… and some bad.

His gaze lingered particularly long on the only one in the picture who wasn't around anymore; Naruto's best friend, Sasuke Uchiha.

'Sasuke.'

The pain and wounds he felt after the battle at the Valley of the End were mostly gone; only a lingering sense of sadness and self-doubt remained. Not that he failed in bringing the Uchiha back, no; Naruto just realizes now how foolish and naïve he had been back then. Trying to force Sasuke back, when it was clear the prodigy had no plans to, was idiotic. If the battle had swung the other way in his favor, it still wouldn't have ended well. Not with Sasuke the way he was. Speaking of that, Orochimaru…

The Snake wasn't the primary catalyst in the young Uchiha's change, but it certainly didn't help the situation. No, the flame of hate the avenger had for his elder brother was already searing and luminous; the serpent Sannin, with his wild ambition, merely fanned the inferno to new heights. There would have been a breaking point regardless; his involvement simply expedited the unfortunate chain of events.

'I haven't seen Sasuke in almost three years. What if he's changed into someone like Orochimaru?' It wouldn't be unbelievable to think that being around a sociopath like Orochimaru would alter a person for the worse. Could his friend reach that point, though? They may not have always gotten along, but Sasuke never did anything to make Naruto think of him as a bad person. He could be an asshole sometimes, but that was it.

In the end, he really wouldn't know until the day they meet again. Would they be friends or foes?

'If it's true, and Sasuke has changed, I'll-'

There was a dull ache in the back of his head, but he ignored it. With a heavy heart and sad eyes, Naruto placed his framed picture of Team 7 face down on the table.

'I'll have to kill him, too. For his sake.' To save a friend from the path of darkness, no matter what it takes.

No regrets.

A sound off to his side withdrew him from those morbid thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, a hawk landed at his window. It scratched gently against the glass with one of its talons. The majestic bird appeared to be carrying a scroll on its back.

Naruto, confused, slid open his window and gently removed the message from its carrying case. With the job done, the bird of prey took off into the sky.

The teen unfurled the parchment, all while wondering what the contents contained. The Hokage's easily recognizable seal immediately told him who it was from, and, potentially, what it was about.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't meet in person, but some new information has been revealed about the situation. It is nothing to worry yourself about, but we should keep our distance until it is resolved because of what we discussed before. Your request has been accepted, but the Elders insisted upon assigning you an ANBU member under the command of Danzo Shimura. I'm sure you have heard bits and pieces from Jiraiya about this man, and I warn you to take all that he told you very seriously. Watch your guard like a hawk, because I am sure he will be doing the same with you. Be safe, and come back alive."

'Is she being intentionally vague in case this message was to be intercepted?' It made sense since that Zetsu guy was still skulking about. 'I wonder what kind of information they're talking about? Did Sasori spill more details, or did they figure something out by themselves?' The Uzumaki doubted the Puppet Master said anything, but that guy didn't make any sense to him. It was possible, just not very probable.

Wait, wasn't he told not to worry about it?

The blond teen shook his head. 'I should get going, anyway. I've got some big days ahead of me.'

"The Great Naruto Bridge? I see, so you were named after this bridge, yes?" The one called Sai asked behind his fake smile.

Naruto twitched slightly at the obvious attempt to rile him up.

"No wonder you have such a strange name. Haha. Waves, water, fish; it all makes sense now."

"You don't talk for the entire way over here, but now you decide to open your mouth? What the hell is up with that? Could you just not think of a sly comment to make until now?"

"That's right, fishcake boy."

So far, the Root Operative hadn't done anything to arouse suspicion. To be fair, there was not much Naruto could go off of. All they did was travel from the Leaf to the Land of Waves in near-silence.

The only thing about the whole situation was the guy himself. He creeped the blond out. The empty grin was bad enough, but he'd sometimes catch the pale teen just staring at him. It didn't feel like an examination, either. It almost felt like… his new teammate was… trying to be friendly?

"You know, you ought to work on your facial expressions a little bit more." The Chunin stated while they walked under the arches of the famous bridge. "Anyone, even a civilian, would be able to tell that you're faking."

"Oh?" The smile dropped, replaced by an inquisitive look. "It is that obvious that it's not genuine?"

"Yeah, it is."

"What gave it away? I've tried very hard to get it right, but these types of things do not come naturally to me."

"First of all, no sane person is going to be smiling all of the time. People aren't that happy. It's freaky, so cut it out. Secondly, there's no emotion in your eyes when you do it. Without that, you're just going to look like a serial killer. A person's eyes are the real key to what is in their hearts. It's much easier to fake and also a lot more difficult to hide. Lastly, it looks like you're forcing your facial muscles into that position. It just doesn't look natural on your face. You're far too tense and rigid when it's supposed to be happy and relaxed."

"Hm, I'll take these tips into consideration. Thanks, shorty."

"You're gonna be the one looking up at me in a second after I drop you again." The blond shot back calmly, he hand placed casually behind his head.

"Are you actually Naruto Uzumaki?" A simple yet loaded question.

"Eh?" The aforementioned blond glanced over at the Root Shinobi. "Of course, I am. Who else would I be?"

"I believe that you are already aware that I am not just here to act as your bodyguard. You are stronger than me, so the prospect of you needing my protection seems silly. You are also smarter than you look, which means that you must have figured this out immediately after our first encounter."

"Obviously. What's your point?" The elephant in the room had been addressed. Though, it surprised the Jinchuriki that his watchman was the one who outed it. Instead of revealing the notice he received from Tsunade, Naruto would take the compliment. He was reasonably confident he would have figured out that information without the Hokage's help, but there was no way to know for sure.

"It's just, the intel on you that I have been supplied with seems to be as if it was about another person. Hotheaded, easy to anger, low intelligence, prideful, and a middling Shinobi in strength. And yet, you are none of these things."

"Damn, that stuff is a little hurtful. Whoever compiled that list definitely has it out for me. Normally, some of the snide remarks you say might annoy me a bit, but I've heard a little about how Root trains their soldiers."

'He is even aware that I work under Lord Danzo, not the Hokage?'

"You're stripped of all emotion and are essentially made to be tools used for the sake of the Land of Fire. It reminds me of another ANBU that I met. Because of that training, you lack tact and have no awareness of social cues. I can't, in good conscience, get mad at someone when they don't even realize they're doing something wrong." The Chunin patted his partner on the shoulder in a gesture of understanding. "You're an ass, but I kind of like you."

"I nearly killed you."

"Are you kidding? It wasn't even close. There'd need at least two more of you for me to break a sweat."

There was a brief silence between the two as they arrived in the small town's shopping district. Every time Naruto visited, the area became more and more prosperous in the time he was away. There were even more shops than last time, and each of them seemed to carry a wide variety of products. The residents looked happier; their clothes were no longer tattered and old. Tazuna's bridge had truly changed their lives forever.

Once villagers became aware of his presence, they began to huddle around their savior in mass fervor. Not only was he a best-selling author in those parts, but he was one of the main catalysts that freed the land from the clutches of Gato.

To even someone as emotionally detached as Sai, the Wave celebrity looked uncomfortable with the whole situation. Despite that, the teen 'happily' signed a few autographs and greeted a few familiar faces before he was on his way.

It wasn't long until they were at the gravesite. Naruto's eyes fell on the three plots already there.

So much death and in such a short amount of time.

With a sad sigh, the Uzumaki unsealed the puppet bodies of Tazuna's family. A quick and easy Earth Style Jutsu was all that was needed to prepare their resting place. The human puppets were buried, covered, and mourned over in the span of just about forty-five minutes.

'It took a long time, old man, but I finally did it. I brought Inari and Tsunami back to you like I promised. They may look a lot different from the last time you saw them, but I did that best that I could. I hope you can rest easy now.'

The boy whose name was immortalized in the nation's famous bridge took a moment of silence for his fallen friends.

Zabuza, Haku; they may have not seen eye to eye initially, but he had been grateful to have met them. Those two allowed him to find his own Ninja Way. One that, while he had changed drastically since their confrontation, he still believed in with absolute certainty.

Protect your loved ones with everything that you have.

Inari, Tsunami, Tazuna; they were taken from the world far too soon. Despite being oppressed by a cruel tyrant most of their lives, they were kind and caring people who had the guts and determination to never give up. Without them, the area would still be destitute and hopeless. If anyone deserved their name on that bridge, it was these three.

Naruto winced as a bright shine of light glinted in his eyes. The steel off of Zabuza's executioner's blade being the culprit of the offense. It was as if that little moment of chance compelled him to act.

"You're taking the blade of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman?" The ANBU teen asked as he watched his partner seal up the massive sword. "What good could that possibly do you?"

"I'm not really sure." Said the Jinchuriki honestly. "I just don't think it's a very good idea to leave it here. I wouldn't want something as dangerous as this to fall into the wrong hands. I have no intention of using it myself, though; I prefer to use kunai."

"Are we going now?"

"I see that smile." Naruto commented. "You'd love to leave, wouldn't you?"

"More than anything." Was Sai's honest response.

"Fine, but…" There was a glint in the eye of the blond, one that made even Sai uneasy. "Just to be clear, your mission is to escort me wherever I go, correct?"

"That is correct. I have been told to be at your side at all times."

'Just as I thought. That's perfect...'

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. No reason, at all…"

Chapter Text

Please disregard the below. I am back to uploading. Thank you.

After some thought, I have decided to stop uploading new chapters of this story to AO3. There isn't really any feedback or engagement going on here for me, so I don't really see a point in taking the time to transfer it over. It feels like a chore to me, which is something that makes the writing process less enjoyable. In all honesty, I don't even know if anyone is going to read this update. Are people even actively following this story? I have no way to really know. However, that doesn't mean I'm abandoning my fic. I still post new chapters over on Fanfiction.net under the same Penname and Story Title. That has always been the main place to read A Bet of a Lifetime. In fact, the newest chapter is already up over there and a second one is coming sometime next week. If you enjoy the story, I urge you to go over to FFN to continue reading. If you despise FFN (or me) and don't want to move just to read my fic, then I totally understand. I hold nothing against you and hope you feel the same way towards me. AO3 is so far in the back of my mind that I forgot to post it here, which is really what made me decide to just fully cease uploading altogether.    

To the 5 people reading this, thank you for taking the time to listen. I hope to see you on the other side.

Chapter Text

"Where are you going?"

Naruto didn't say anything and, instead, pumped some chakra into his limbs and propelled himself off another tree branch.

Sai's face was blank, but internally he was confused. Just when he thought he had his traveling companion figured out, the blond began acting strangely.

The mission had been simple enough. Escort the Jinchuriki to the Land of Waves and back. There were no incidents that warranted concern of any kind; everything had gone exceedingly well. That was until they started to get close to their home. Without warning and even less explanation, the blond suddenly changed his course and started to go southwest, even though the gates were in a straight path westward to their current position.

Something didn't seem right.

The Root operative attempted to match the blond's speed with his own chakra-infused limbs, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He caught up quickly, annoyed by Naruto's lack of acknowledgment of the situation.

"What's going on? We should be making our way back to the village. Our mission parameters have been met, and it is time to report in."

"Oh… right." The way the Chunin spoke sounded off - like he wasn't even trying to cover up his lies. "I forgot to mention that we have to go somewhere else first. I hope you don't mind."

"That wasn't in the mission details given to me. What is going on?"

"I know it wasn't. You're free to go back to the Leaf by yourself, but there's something that I need to do." The meaning behind those heavy words was masked behind a neutral expression. "Something very important.

Sai couldn't stop a bead of sweat from rolling down his cheek at the intent behind those mysterious words. "And… what would that be, exactly?" The air around them got heavy with tension. Whatever this new goal was, it was clear that it was being carried out outside the authority of the Hokage. This reality meant one of two things; it was either treasonous against their nation or perilous.

"If you come along, I'll let you in on it. Well, not for a bit later. I can't risk you reporting anything, ya know?" Naruto finished with an almost sincere looking smile. "I can tell you one thing for certain. I'm not betraying the Leaf Village or anything like that." The Uzumaki spoke like he could read minds.

Sai's eyes stayed narrowed and locked in on his blond 'teammate.' That statement did little to quell the suspicions that were rising up in his chest.

'Naruto Uzumaki… he is fully aware that I am under strict orders to go wherever he does. This is my mission, after all.' Thought the pale teen. 'He's purposely avoided sharing any details of his objective, in fear that I would contact Lord Danzo and have a team of Black Ops on his trail. Without knowing where he is going or what for, I cannot leave his side to write a message; there's a good chance we won't be able to track him down if that were to happen. In fact, I would wager he is betting on that to be true. It has also been clearly established that I lack the power to stop him by myself even if I wanted to.' There was nothing he could do except follow; the Jinchuriki had trapped him.

There were a few questions at the top of Sai's mind. What could his new teammate be planning? Could he take the boy at his word about not betraying the village? And, most of all, how could Root's intel on him be so inaccurate? The Shinobi outlined in his detailed file was nothing like one before him. The level of deception and cunning being displayed rivaled those in the Black Ops Division.

"How can you expect me to trust you?" Asked the black-haired ANBU.

"Have you trusted me at any point even before this?"

"No."

"Good, then we have something in common. I could come up with some weak reason explaining why you should believe me, but I won't bother. You have to trust me or risk being unable to complete your mission. I'd hate to think of how Danzo would react to your news of losing track of the Leaf's precious Jinchuriki."

The implications of that closing statement were nearly palpable. The Uzumaki was right, and they both knew it to be true.

"Lead the way..." The boy in the crop top said begrudgingly.

"I'm glad you decided to help me out, despite not having to." The blond thanked with a ghost of a smirk. "It means a lot."

Sai shot the other teen a stern look following that comment. Though, for whatever reason, he decided not to comment any further.

It wasn't like there was much choice in the matter.

Leaf Shinobi are… strange. In fact, Sasori would venture to say that they were unlike any Ninja that he had ever encountered before. The Scorpion of the Red Sand had battled with or against hundreds, no, potentially thousands of Shinobi who hailed from the Land of Fire but never spent enough time around one to learn about them. Not that he would have cared to, anyway. He found it much more interesting to study his enemies' bodies; the corpses' inner workings told an individual much more than that same person could when they were alive. A dead body is incapable of telling a lie; the same could not be said about those in the world of the living. Through this method, you could learn a lot about life… and yourself.

Well, now he didn't really have much of choice in the matter. As disgusting as it was to admit, he was equivocal to a prisoner of war. Without using his chakra, the feared poison specialist was helpless, something that he was having a difficult time coming to terms with. And yet, he wasn't treated like an enemy.

"You know, since we're stuck here together, for the time being, we could talk about something?" The man across from him offered weakly.

The Special Jonin had dark, spiky hair with red-framed sunglasses. Like most other high-ranking agents, the man wore the standard Leaf Shinobi outfit complete with a flak jacket and forehead protector, the latter of which infuriatingly slanted to the left.

"Silence." Sasori growled out. "I would prefer silence."

Aoba sighed tiredly but then shrugged a pulled out a book he had brought for this very occasion and started to read.

"Why don't you treat me like the others?" The redhead asked, referring to the harsh individuals who work in T alongside Ibiki. "I am the enemy; treating me kindly serves no purpose. It's pointless." Scoffed the missing-nin. "This is why the rest of the Ninja World laughs at those from the Leaf. So soft and pathetic; it's unbecoming of a Shinobi."

Aoba rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I doubt I'm going to be able to get you to talk. I don't see any point in treating you poorly. And, who knows, maybe I'll succeed and kill you with kindness." He finished with an awkward smile as if remembering just precisely who he was talking to.

"What a foolish reason. How stupid…"

How was this nation always on the winning side of the Great Wars? The absurdity of that fact had done an excellent job keeping the former Akatsuki criminal occupied during his sentence. Warfare required cold, ruthless hearts and strong wills, the exact opposite of what he observed from inside his jail cell.

'The First Hokage's, Hashirama Senju's, Will of Fire.' It had been a term that came up frequently along the Land of Wind's ranks when he had still been among them. It was the stuff of legend during the wars between the Great Nations. Did the desire to protect their nation really drive the soft Shinobi of the Land of Fire to victory each time? The notion of such a thing seemed utterly ridiculous. And yet, it was the only thing that made sense. How else would they be able to rise above other nations who stick firmly to the code of what a Shinobi should be? Did the other countries not have a similar will? No, they had to. The average soldier was devout to their nation, right? How did this differ from Hashirama's will?

'What is the Will of Fire, and how do you acquire it?'

'mmmmm… mmmmm… mmmmm… mmmmm…'

"Huh, what's that?" The eyes of Sasori's watchman darted around the small room.

"Your pouch is vibrating."

"Oh… thanks." The Special Jonin said sheepishly. He took out a scroll that was glowing and, like his captive said, lightly humming. "This is what Ibiki said would happen when-"

'This man is far too comfortable around me. It's insulting!' The Puppet Master inwardly raged. Perhaps he could use that naivete to his advantage? "Hey, you, what is that scroll for? Why is it doing that?"

Instead of answering the question, the guard pumped a tiny bit of chakra into the glowing parchment.

'Poof'

To the prisoner's shock, Naruto Uzumaki appeared in the room's center.

"Ah, Ibiki said that you might do something like this." Aoba said with a friendly grin. "Here to check up on things, Naruto?"

It took a moment for the clone to regain his bearings, but he quickly adapted to his surroundings. "Ah, yeah. That's right. You're… Aoba?" If he remembered correctly. "Since I'm still technically assigned to this mission, I just want to make sure everything is still going smoothly. Not that I expect anything bad to happen."

"I wish I could say he's decided to change his mind and give us some intel, but, no, there's nothing new to report."

"I figured as much." The doppelganger stole a glance at the captive, only to find the man already staring at him intently.

"Naruto Uzumaki, how are you here? Where did you come from?" The Puppeteer was clearly confused by the scene in front of him. 'It shouldn't be possible, but… did he send himself through that scroll? Is that why all of the guards assigned to me have held possession of that same scroll?'

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know?" Laughed the Chunin. "I'll tell you what; give me some information on the Akatsuki, and I'll tell you all about it."

Sasori grinned. "On second thought, I'm not that interested."

Naruto returned the smirk and turned his attention back to his fellow Leaf Ninja. "Well, everything looks good to me. I should be back in a few days. If anything happens, just know that you can alert me by sending some of your chakra through the scroll. I'll know right away."

"Works for me. I'll let the next person who switches know, as well."

"Perfect, thanks!" The copy closed his eyes and made a hand sign. "See ya!"

The blond disappeared just how he left, in a plume of thick smoke. In a split second before his departure, Sasori noticed the subtle nod and smile the blond gave in his direction.

After all… the day was fast approaching.

'What?! A clone?" The former Sand Shinobi recalled their battle to the death. 'Of course, that technique is one of his favorites. Does that mean he has to ability to transport his clones over long distances through scrolls? How? A connected time-space link? Is that even possible?' Though, despite this new development, it opened nearly as many questions as it answered. 'If such a thing is possible, why send a mere clone? If something dire were to happen, his physical body would be much more effective than a copy.'

That was when it clicked. Yes, it all made sense to him.

'I see… that can only mean that non-living things, or chakra constructs, can be sent through the linked time-space. Why else would the boy send a clone in his stead? This could work out in my favor. I could…'

"You're of a higher rank than him, and yet you seem to be the one taking the orders. Why?" The redhead had already deduced the answer, but this conversation still was beneficial in many ways.

"Rank isn't the only thing that matters." Aoba said with a finger shake. "Lady Hokage personally assigned him to this mission; that means she trusts his abilities, so I will follow his lead without question. Besides, that kid was strong enough to defeat you, an Akatsuki member, in battle. He's earned my respect several times over."

'Just as I thought.'

The room fell into a comfortable silence, aside from the incessant ticking of the clock. While it was used as a dirty tactic to break down prisoners, Sasori had grown to enjoy the rhythmic sounds that it offered. It was just enough stimulation to keep himself occupied.

Speaking of the clock… time… day…

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his teeth ground together with enough force to crush bone.

"Leaf Ninja." He spoke up again after the brief silence.

"Hm?" Aoba wondered. "What is it?"

"Where are the two scrolls that were taken from me? I would like them back."

The Special Jonin frowned. "We've inspected them, and I already know that each of those scrolls contains a puppet. You expect me to hand over your own weapons to you? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Yes, but that's not the point." Sasori said bluntly, to which the Special Jonin blinked indignantly. "You already said that I am powerless like this; no? Not only am I unable to use chakra, but I can't move because of these restraints. "

"Then, why do you want them so bad?"

"Those…" His face fell. "Are the first puppets that I ever crafted. They are made in the image of my late parents. I would just like them to be in the same room as me, that's all. I don't trust you fools to not misplace them in storage. You don't actually have to give them to me."

'He almost seems… sad?' His guard thought to himself. 'Could this be some kind of trick? But what? Like he said, even if the puppets were here, it isn't like he can actually use them. It's impossible. The core that allows him to manipulate chakra is with Naruto, who isn't even in the village right now.'

It seemed like a reasonable enough request, right?

"I can go grab them for you after the shift change."

"…Thank you." Sasori lowered his head in thanks. Or what appeared to be the showing of gratitude. In reality, it was to conceal the smirk that crept its way onto his face. 'You fool…'

The campfire had been going steady for over fifteen minutes, which meant it was time to sit back and bask in the rejuvenating orange glow of its flames. Relaxation and peace of mind are crucial elements to a focused Shinobi; Fukasaku had been the one to teach him that. And he would need all of it for the potential battle that was about to come. Tomorrow was the day they would kill Orochimaru or capture Kabuto and throw him in the cell next to Sasori. At least, that was the plan. It would most definitely be easier said than done.

Naruto and Sai had set up for the night a reasonable distance away from the Tenchi Bridge. Far enough away where their campsite wouldn't attract any attention, yet close enough that they could wake up in the morning and make it to the rendezvous point with ample time to spare.

Speaking of the Root agent…

Sai sat on a log on the other side of the fire, his expressionless eyes bored into the blond. The tension in the air had been high ever since they passed by the Leaf Village a few days back. Talking has not been something they had done much of in that time.

Naruto had taken great precautions to ensure that his partner in crime had not used any tricks to alert Danzo of their whereabouts. He had theorized that if the pale Shinobi had been chosen over all of the qualified ninja under Danzo's command, he must have a unique skill set.

Yes, he must have some way to communicate over long distances. How would he be able to do that, you ask? The Jinchuriki did not know. All the blond did know is if he kept a close watch over him, nearly any form of communication would be impossible. That is, except for the clones, he can send through his own linked scrolls.

And he was right. Much to Sai's annoyance, the Uzumaki gave him no opportunities to slip away and write a message to his superiors with his ink. Even when Jiraiya's student slept, there was always a rotation of clones that stood watch over them and their camp. Naruto had said it was to ensure their safety, but even an idiot would realize that it wasn't their only purpose.

"Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?" The blond Chunin asked innocently. "Did you want a cup of instant ramen? I have more. If you're feeling hungry, I would even break into my supply of emergency ramen."

The black-haired teen didn't utter a word, instead opting to maintain the same heavy stare.

Naruto couldn't help but fiddle with the scroll connected to the one he gave the T department. It had been a few days since he last checked in, but they were told they could quickly contact him if needed. Besides, Aoba seemed pretty confident in the simple task of watching Sasori. 'Well, I guess that means I'm not needed, right? No need to check in again.'

"That scroll again?" Sai finally broke the vow of silence he had adopted for nearly the entire day. "I saw you using a similar one with the same kanji a few days ago. What is it for?"

"Oh… it's nothing. Don't worry about it." The blond said with a shake of the head as he put the offending item back in his pouch. "Besides, we got some important stuff to talk about. I was just about to let you in on where we're going. I know that you're dying to know."

"Does it even matter at this point?" Was the level response he received.

"Huh?" The blond questioned dumbly. "Of course it does. Where you're going is always something that matters."

"I only wanted to know so I could report your actions back to the village. But you already knew that." Sai did not relent his cold gaze. Those dark eyes flickered luminously from the wisping fire. "You've waited long enough that, even if I could get a message out, it would be too late. They would not be able to make it in time to force you back."

"Ah, don't say that." The knucklehead said with a playful wave. "I'm going to need you at your absolute best. So, I have to tell you what's on the agenda for tomorrow. It's only fair, right?"

"I haven't agreed to any of this. As far as I'm concerned, at this moment, you're a traitor to the Land of Fire. I would take you down myself if I could do so."

"Isn't your mission to protect me? What would the higher-ups say if they knew you tried to kill me?"

"Above all else, my duty is to protect the security of our village and nation. If I determined that you were a threat to that, Lord Danzo would accept my discretion for your termination."

'A village and nation, huh?' The blond thought to himself. As far as Naruto was concerned, the idea of a nation was the issue. However, that was a conversation for another time entirely.

"Once you know what I'm trying to do, I'm pretty confident that you'll realize that I'm not a threat to the village." Despite the allegations and threats, the blond maintained his confident grin. "So… are you going to listen to what I have to say?"

"I am here now, and it would be foolish to turn around now, so I will listen."

"That's good to hear."

'What is going on?' Tsunade bit the tip of her thumb, the strain in her face creating wrinkles in her forehead. 'Naruto's trip to the Land of Waves should have taken, at most, two days. It's been five days, and there is still no sign of him, not even a message to explain the delay. Could something have happened? No, Naruto himself said that he would use the Reverse Summoning Technique to get out of any danger he may find himself in. Could he be taking longer to give us time to find Zetsu? If so, why no message? If that were the case, I don't think it would take him this long to send a messenger toad our way.'

Interestingly enough, Danzo had not received any updates from his subordinate, either. Typically, the Slug Sannin wouldn't believe a word out of the old War Hawk's mouth, but the man seemed unusually bothered and irritable from the lack of news. If he were lying, his demeanor would be a lot more condescending than it usually was. The guy loved to taunt when he had the advantage in a situation; that could be traced back to his days competing with the late Third Hokage. As it stood now, it appeared that both parties were in the dark about their Jinchuriki.

To make matters even worse, they hadn't made any progress in uncovering the infiltration into their ranks. No suspicious moves had been made, and their suspect pool was not very refined. Even with Shikaku on the case, it didn't look promising.

With the assistance of the ANBU Black Ops, the Hokage covertly acquired a list of all Shinobi who were currently supposed to be in the Village. If the Akatsuki spy had impersonated a third person, someone would be missing from this updated roster.

The only person who was unaccounted for was Izumo Kamizuki, so that longshot yielded no results.

'Whoever they are, they're content to hold their ground and wait out the storm. Is it because of Naruto, or something else? Does this mean that they are aware of our suspicions?' It would be much easier if they knew of the man's motives, but Sasori had not been interested in sharing much beyond surface-level information.

"Is everything okay, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked as she handed her mentor a cup of hot tea. "You seem distressed." There was a look of worry on her face, one that made Tsunade feel guilty.

The Fifth Hokage shook her head. "Sorry, there's just a lot on my mind right now."

"I've noticed that things have been tense around the tower for a few days now." The brunette commented while she bent down and scooped Tonton off the ground. The small pig oinked in resistance but soon settled comfortably in the woman's arms. "If there's anything that you need to talk about, just let me know."

If the biting of her lip was any indication, Tsunade appeared to mull something over in her head. With a mental sigh, she decided it was best to let Shizune in on the situation. The Jonin Commander had advised them to keep the information as contained as possible, but they weren't getting anywhere. A need set of eyes to analyze the situation was becoming a necessity. If anyone noticed suspicious behavior around the Hokage Tower, it would surely be someone who was there just as much as her!

"Actually, Shizune, there is something." The Sannin rested her chin on her interlocked fingers and blew a stray hair out of her face. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone else, but I really need a second opinion on the matter. I don't think I have to tell you this, but make sure that what I am about to tell you does not leave this room."

The young medic noticed the look in her master's eyes and gently placed Tonton down at her feet. "Of course. What is it?"

"We have reason to believe that an Akatsuki spy has infiltrated the Leaf Village."

Shizune's eyes widened, and even Tonton oinked in a distressed tone. "A-A spy? Are you sure?!"

The Slug Sannin nodded gravely. "Yes, Izumo is missing, and his apartment has been torn apart. It would appear that the enemy took his place. We aren't sure who they are posing as right now." Her eyes darkened as her gaze fell to the papers on her desk. "I suspected that something like this would happen. Then it was confirmed when we got word from the Sand that two of their Jonin were disguised as the Akatsuki members Naruto and his team faced off against."

"Do you think… Izumo is…" She trailed off.

"It's very likely, yes. And there could be many more bodies that pile up if we do not find the one responsible."

"O-Okay." It looked as if Tsunade's pupil was still trying to process all of this information. "Do we have any leads? I assume that you have Shikaku working on potential theories?"

"Yes, he is, but we still don't have much to go on." Her tone was a mix of annoyance and anger. "We're still unsure of their motives. That would help us greatly in identifying possible targets. Are they after me and the village's classified intelligence, or are they trying to get close to Naruto for his Tailed Beast? Perhaps a combination of both? It's hard to say, in all honesty."

"I haven't noticed anyone acting out of the ordinary. But, now that I know, I will be keeping a close eye on things. You have my word, Lady Tsunade!"

"Oink!"

"And Tonton, too." Tsunade added in with half a smile. "Don't forget about her, Shizune."

"Haha, of course." The young medic grabbed the now empty cup off of the desk. "I'll go get you another cup. We can discuss this more once I get back."

"Please. It helped calm my nerves quite a bit."

"Say no more. I won't take long, Lady Tsunade."

The blond Sannin let out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping from their previously rigid position as her student left the room. Perhaps the reasoning behind telling Shizune was more than just looking for another set of eyes to analyze the problem. Just getting the issue off her chest seemed to have relaxed her somewhat; that said something because they hadn't even done anything yet.

Shizune had been with her for years; she was her rock. Whenever Tsunade let her temper get the better of her, Shizune was there to even her out. It didn't always work, but it was more effective than nearly everything else. In a way, it was the exact opposite of being around Jiraiya, who only seemed to agitate her further.

'I should probably inform her about the situation with Sasori went she comes back.' The blond mused as her eyes scanned over a few documents on her desk. 'Not even that old badger Danzo knows about it.'

They had intentionally leaked out the information that Sasori was killed by Naruto during the mission to rescue Gaara. While that wasn't a lie, anyone familiar with the situation knew that it was far from the complete truth. No doubt, the spy would hear this information and assume the worst happened to their associate. That way, the Akatsuki would never suspect that he was actually still alive within the village. If they became privy to that information, no doubt they try to either rescue him or assassinate him in his detainment.

Not much was known about Sasori's mortality, but, if necessary, the Akatsuki would find a way to kill the unkillable.

As of this moment, the only people that were aware of the real situation with the Puppet Master was herself, Team 7, Ibiki, and a few carefully vetted members of the Torture and Interrogation Division. No one else could be trusted to such a degree. The more people who knew, the better chance the truth could be leaked to those they were trying to keep in the dark.

Speaking of Team 7…

Tsunade put down the files she was reading over and buried her head in her hand. The little conversation had distracted her, but now the reality of the situation was back full force.

'Naruto… I hope you're okay. For everyone's sake, please don't do anything stupid…'

Suddenly, and with great force, the door to her office exploded open. The Hokage reflexively shot to her feet in a battle-ready position, only for her eyebrow to raise in confusion.

She dropped her hands heavily on the desk in front of her, and angry scowl plastered on her face. "You two? What is the meaning of this? And you, you should be in the hospital! I haven't cleared you to leave yet!"

"I'm sorry about this, Lady Tsunade." Kiba said with a frightful grimace. Though that could also be from the strain of his teammate practically hanging off of his shoulder. "Hinata made me bring her here. She would have tried to get here by herself if I didn't help. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to anything I said!" The Inuzuka explained hurriedly.

The female Sannin turned her attention to the Hyuga, who still looked the part of being a patient. The hand that wasn't wrapped around Kiba's shoulder was pressed firmly against her side, no doubt to try and alleviate the pain of those busted ribs. The girl's pale, almost lavender eyes twitched from the pain, and her breath was heavy and ragged. Whatever compelled the Chunin to drag that useless body to the Hokage Tower must have been important.

"I'll allow it." Tsunade waved off the secretary standing behind them, horrified at the scene that was taking place. The woman seemed supremely relieved that she wouldn't receive the Hokage's legendary wrath for this intrusion. "Hinata, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Despite the agony she was in, the Hyuga's face portrayed someone fierce and determined. "Where is Naruto?!"

The Sannin frowned behind her hands. "Naruto? Why would you come here to find him?"

"You sent him out on a mission, didn't you?"

A knowing nod later, and the secretary closed the door to give the three ninja some privacy. "I'm afraid Naruto's whereabouts are currently classified. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer any oth-"

"He told me he was going to do something stupid." With the help of the Inuzuka, she straightened her body up. "Did you send him somewhere? I just need to make sure that he's okay!"

Tsunade's hands dropped unceremoniously onto her desk. She couldn't help recoil at those words as a pit formed in her stomach. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"Not much; he stopped by the hospital a few days ago. We… talked about some things and he told me that. I didn't say anything because I don't think he wanted anyone to know, but I suddenly got a bad feeling that something was wrong. I should have reported this sooner. I'm sorry…"

"Well, the truth is that I have no idea where he is right now. I sent him on a quick assignment that should have been completed by now." The blond's eyes seemed to flash in realization. "Come to think of it… Naruto was the one that suggested he be sent out of the village." She slammed her fist against the desk, causing the wood to splinter under her knuckles. "That damn brat! If what you say is true, then he might have used this as an opportunity to do a dangerous mission by himself."

"This is crazy." Kiba breathed out. "I know the blondie is an idiot, but do you really think he could have done something like that? Isn't there any way that we can contact him before he gets himself into even more trouble?!"

Tsunade pursed her lips together, then frowned. "No. I have no way to conta-"

"Shikamaru!"

Both the Inuzuka and Senju turned toward the Hyuga heiress, their eyebrows arched in confusion.

"Huh?" They both said in unison.

"Shikamaru might still have the scroll Naruto gave him during our mission." She was already turning to leave, but Kiba was trying to pull her back before she hurt herself. "With that, we can contact him immediately by sending a clone through it!"

The Hokage's eyes lit up. Hinata was right; she had definitely heard something about Naruto's connected scrolls during their mission debrief. The blond knucklehead must have given Shikamaru one when their teams split up during their hunt for the Akatsuki.

"Settle down, Hinata." The medic urged. She looked towards the Dog User. "Kiba can find Shikamaru much faster than you can in that state. Why don't you stay here with me while he goes and tracks him down? I'll even give you a round of treatment while we wait since I'm pretty sure you reaggravated your injuries on the way over here." Her tone was reassuring yet firm. At that moment, the heiress had reminded her slightly of the blond they were trying to find.

Bold and reckless.

Another wince of pain told the Hyuga to accept her superior's offer of assistance. "…Okay." Hinata relented, though she didn't appear happy to do so.

"Leave it to me. Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba nodded, gently set Hinata in one of the chairs, and jumped at the window with his trustee Ninja Hound. The fluffy white dog followed with an eager bark.

"It will all be okay, Hinata." The Senju continued with her reassurance. "The brat may be an idiot, but he's with another Leaf Shinobi right now. I don't think he would do anything too crazy that would endanger both of their lives."

The Chunin maintained her frown. The only thing that came to mind were the words that Naruto left her within the hospital room.

'I'm… not entirely sure that's true…' Was a thought that she would keep to herself, in hopes that she was wrong.

'Transformation Jutsu.'

Naruto was engulfed in a thick plume of smoke. When it cleared, his blond hair was gone, replaced by a mop of bloody red locks.

He had chosen to assume the form of Sasori's real body for this undercover operation. It was a bold choice, but one he felt would legitimize his identity as the legendary Puppet User.

"Are you ready?" The transformed Akatsuki asked. The voice he used was also scarily close to that of the original Puppet Master, which was much easier to mimic than what he sounded like inside the Hiruko puppet.

"Just one moment." The ANBU teen appeared locked in deep concentration, his paintbrush nimbly across the parchment in his free arm. "Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll."

A dozen ink creations, which all took the shape of forest-dwelling animals, dragged themselves from the boy's sheet of paper and scurried off into the surrounding forest.

'So that's how he made those weird creatures that attacked me, huh? Some strange Ink Jutsu.' The blond mused to himself. 'I wonder if he can also write messages in a similar way?'

Sai had been and still was, somewhat wary of the Jinchuriki. The whiskered teen was overtly and shamelessly manipulative, which means that he could not be trusted. However, the mention of gaining information that could lead to the elimination of Orochimaru had sparked the boy's interest. After all, the Snake Sannin was nearly at the top of Danzo's kill list. While it was true the two had been in close contact before, the threat that Orochimaru posed to the village would continue to hang over them if he were left alive. Not only that, but his assassination would bury any evidence of Danzo's affiliation with the rogue ninja. That would be necessary to ensure the man's path to becoming the Sixth Hokage.

There was that, and also a secret assassination target that Sai had been assigned to recently. It happened to be aimed at someone very close to the Sound Village's leader. But he would keep that little tidbit of information to himself.

"It's almost time." The Chunin was now talking lower, nearly at a whisper. "Finish up, then conceal yourself as best you can. I'm going on ahead. Wait for my signal." Naruto had chosen a plain dark, hooded cloak as his attire for his Sasori impersonation. He pulled up the hood just enough that it would conceal his features, but a few strands of red hair still poked out the sides.

The Uzumaki sucked in a deep breath and began his walk down the dirt path that led to the bridge. There were a million thoughts that raced through his mind while he made that trek.

What he was doing was unbelievably reckless, that he knew. This wasn't some routine assignment you'd send a Jonin instructor on with his Genin squad. No, there was a strong possibility that they would be face to face with one of the Legendary Sannin. Weakened or not, Orochimaru was someone that could fight on par with his own master, Jiraiya. Even with all of his strength, Naruto couldn't hope to stand a chance as someone as powerful as the Toad Sage. Would this be a similar outcome?

'Maybe it would be better if he didn't show up. We can just capture Kabuto and head back to the village. Yeah, that would be easy.' The blond shook his head in an attempt to wash away the strands of doubt that lingered in his brain.

'Kill Orochimaru, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about the Akatsuki.'

'Heh, damn that Sasori. No choice then.'

The Tenchi Bridge was coming in to view just past the tree line.

It appeared to be a simple arch bridge of medium length and width, supported by thick, taut ropes and red metal bars on both sides. The passage connected two sides of what appeared to be a rock divide, which promised a long and painful fall to anyone who allowed the strong gusts of wind common to this area to carry them over its edge.

'Wind's howling… I can hardly hear myself think.'

For the first time, 'Sasori' stepped out into the open; the strong breeze off of the horizon threatened to wrestle the hood from around his head. Each step he took elevated his heart rate slightly; the moment was beginning to get to him. 'Kabuto is a medic; a skilled one, at that. I have to remain calm. He may be able to tell from my vitals that I'm not who I say I am.' Another deep breath. A few more.

The creak of his steps against the solid wood beneath his feet was a surreal experience. This was it; the rendezvous point. It let the Chunin know that this was really about to happen. The silhouette figure of his assumed target could already be seen walking on the other side of the bridge. That image nearly spiked his blood pressure again, but he didn't allow it. This was the point of no return.

They stopped at opposite ends for a few tense seconds, then continued their way to the middle.

'I can't see their face from here… is it really Kabuto?' Despite the burning questions, the faux redhead adopted the stoic and emotionless mask he had seen the original frequently wearing. If the spy knew the real Puppet Master, then it was safe to say he would have to be consistent and accurate with his mannerisms.

If not, his cover would be blown.

Slowly, but surely, the two met in the bridge's center. Instead of the immediate exchange of greetings, they both simultaneously turned to look off and admire the views. The continuously swirling winds mirrored the tension between the two men perfectly. Was his cover already blown? Or was this type of behavior typical between them? Oh well. It was now or never.

"Were you followed, Kabuto?" It was a risk to use that name without verification, but a calculated one.

At the mention of his name, the spy seemed to relax significantly. Their shoulders slumped, and they reached up to pull down the hood that masked their features. Just as Sasori had told him, it was none other than the glasses-wearing weasel, Kabuto Yakushi.

"So it is you, Lord Sasori. No, I definitely wasn't followed here. It's just you and me." Kabuto breathed out calmly.

"Good…" To be true to character, it was crucial to not say too much; the Scorpion was not a talkative one.

"This must be your true body, then? I must say, I'm honored you would show yourself to me like this, even after such a long time. It's been about five years, hasn't it?"

Way to leave out the part where he's never seen your real body, Sasori…

They still hadn't turned to face one another, only stealing the occasional side-eyed glance when the moment suited them.

Before uttering a word, the imposter pulled down his own hood. His crimson locks framed his deceiving young-looking face, but his adolescent looks did not coalesce with those eyes; cold, aged, and experienced.

"Trust that these are not ideal circumstances." The fake said. "Hiruko was badly damaged in a recent fight with Leaf Shinobi. I did not have time to work on the repairs in time for this meeting. And, as you know, I hate to keep people waiting."

"Indeed. These must have been some formidable Shinobi if they were able to cause you that much trouble."

"Yes, they were."

Their brief, but tense, silence was drowned out by the ambient noise around them.

"We must be quick. If Orochimaru were to learn of this meeting, I would surely be killed."

The fear in the man's voice sounded genuine. Did that mean that this wasn't a trap, or was he just an extremely skilled liar? Based on Kabuto's role in the Chunin Exams a few years back, lying was definitely among his many skills. However, that didn't prove anything. Not yet, at least.

"Of course. Before anything, I have a couple questions that need to be answered." The Chunin said in the mimicked tone of the Puppet User. "Which hideout is the Snake currently holed up in?"

"Right now, Orochimaru is hiding away on a small island just to the North of here."

"For how long?"

"We will be on the move once again in three days. Though, I haven't yet been told which one that will be."

"And the vessel?"

"Sasuke Uchiha is also there. He and Orochimaru rarely stray far from one another."

'So, they aren't that far away from this place.' The blond said internally. 'But only for another three days? Damn, if we want to make a move, it might have to be now. Would it be better if I just killed Kabuto right here and now? If this is a trap, it might be a good idea to get rid of him before Orochimaru shows his face. It would lead to a lot less trouble down the line…'

"We should discuss the orders that you gave me, Lord Sasori before I run out of time."

Naruto had to hide the grimace his features demanded he show. 'Damn, what do I do? Should I kill him or capture him? If I kill him and Orochimaru doesn't show up… that could screw me over! What's the best move, then?' Oh, how he wished he had brought along someone like Shikamaru for this mission. His insight would be invaluable in a time like this. 'If this conversation drags on any longer, I raise the risk of blowing my cover! Gotta make a decision soon!'

"Speak." Naruto said through his voice inflection

"Even after his reincarnation, Orochimaru uses a Protection Jutsu on the specimens from his previous discarded body. That means that I wasn't able to analyze their cellular structure, as you commanded me."

'Seems like Sasori was looking for other means to secure his immortality after the modifications to his body were partially unsuccessful. I'm not surprised that he would have stooped so low to become a body hopper to get what he wanted. Now, what would someone like him say in response?'

"How disappointing… You aren't doing much to prove your usefulness to me, Kabuto…" The Uzumaki said in his best attempt at being intimidating with such a young sounding voice.

The spy shrunk into himself and waved his hands in front of him defensively. "I-I'm sorry, Lord Sasori!" A thin bead of sweat rolled down the gray-haired spy's face. "I assure you I'm doing everything that I can to be of great use to you! It's just that Orochimaru is very cautious around not just me, but everyone! If there is anything else I can do, please let me know!"

'Something doesn't feel right…' Naruto's body tensed up in response to the spy's odd behavior. 'We're right next to each other, but he's speaking so loudly. And the tone he's using is a lot different now than just a few seconds ago. I know the winds are hard to hear over, and he may very well be nervous, but… it almost feels like he's…'

In a fraction of a second, the transformed blond saw Kabuto's gaze flicker up and past him, and haunting reflection glimmer off of his glasses. That, and the goosebumps on his neck, told him that they were no longer alone.

'Signaling someone!'

Naruto dropped down into a crouch just as a blade whizzed over his head. If he hadn't reacted in time, that blow would have cut deep into his midsection.

'That's-!'

The assailant recovered smoothly, stuck his sword into the ground, and threw a twisting back kick as his hand swiveled expertly around the hilt of his weapon. The blow met the redhead's cross-guard, who used its force to flip away and gain some distance.

The transformed Uzumaki landed gracefully and was now carefully surveying the pair in front of him. His eyes narrowed, but it wasn't an act to play the part of the Puppeteer. This just made things a lot more complicated.

'Out of all of the things that I thought could happen, this was not one of them…'

"Thank you, Sasuke." The Snake's henchman said with a ghost of a grin. "I felt he might have killed me if you hadn't come when you did."

The newcomer wore dark blue pants, over which he had a blue cloth that covers from his stomach to his knees, which was secured by a purple rope belt, similar to one that Orochimaru frequently wore. This was complemented with a white long-sleeved shirt kept open at the torso to show off his chest and black arm guards covering his forearms.

The raven-haired Uchiha said nothing as he coolly wrenched his sword from the ground. Once it was free, he pointed it dangerously toward the enemy. "You tipped him off, Kabuto. I might have been able to take him down if you hadn't given it away. Stay back; you'll only get in my way. He's mine."

'This confirms Sasori's suspicions. They planned an ambush to take him out. But why is Sasuke here? I figured it would have been Orochimaru.' The disguised Uzumaki thought.

"So, you're Sasori of the Red Sand, I presume?" Sasuke asked in an even tone. "From what I hear, you're the new partner of Itachi Uchiha. Is that correct?"

Naruto rose an eyebrow but didn't say anything immediately. 'Of course. A one-track mind, as always. Why was I even questioning his motives?'

"I was hoping that he would have shown up with you today, but I suppose that was just wishful thinking." The teen said evenly. "I could cut off your arms and legs to force you to talk, but it doesn't have to come to that. Tell me where to find him, and I'll let you live."

"B-But Sasuke, Lord Orochimaru's orders are to elim-" Kabuto was cut off before he could finish.

"That isn't my problem. The only person I want to kill is Itachi. If this guy tells me where he is, then I have no reason to fight him. The two of you can handle that by yourselves. I'm not doing your dirty work for you."

'That must mean that Orochimaru is here, too. I bet he's slithering around in the forest like the snake that he is.' Naruto resisted the urge to take his eyes off of them and scan the surrounding area.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sasuke." Was all the disguised blond said in return.

The teen narrowed his dark eyes and lowered his blade until it was perpendicular to the bridge. Something about the man's tone changed significantly. It was eerily familiar to him, a fact that he clearly didn't like by the look of his facial expression. "And why is that?"

"It's because…"

'Poof!'

"…I'm not really Sasori."

The smoke obscured the imposter's figure, but that voice was all too familiar—a blast from the past. If the Uchiha was surprised, he didn't show it. His onyx eyes closed briefly, only to open a moment later with the Sharingan now activated.

The first things to come into view were a mop of blond hair, bright blue eyes, and two sets of whisker-like birthmarks.

"Naruto… what a surprise." By the tempered response, the teen had figured it out before the Transformation Jutsu had been dispelled. "Then, do you know where the man from the Akatsuki is?"

"Naruto." Kabuto scowled safely behind his more powerful companion. "What is the meaning of this? Where is Sasori!?"

"Heh, you don't seem that interested in catching up, I see. Not surprising, you were never the type for small talk. Straight to the point, like always."

"Are you here to try and drag me back to the village again?" The raven-haired teen said with a humorless chuckle. "I thought I told you the last time we saw each other that I don't care about playing ninja with you in the Leaf Village. You don't interest me, so get out of here before you make me finish what we started at the Final Valley."

"Where is Orochimaru?" Similar to Sasuke, Naruto didn't seem all that interested in dredging up the past right now. The faintest look of surprise did flash across the Uchiha's face, but it was gone nearly as fast as it appeared. Despite the blond's indifference, he made an obscure hand gesture above his head, which caused the opposition to tense slightly.

A second later, Sai shot out from the forest from the blond's 7 o'clock. He landed, tanto already gripped tightly, all the while sending a hard stare in the direction of the rogue Uchiha.

'If they attack, I'm going to need him at my side right from the start.' The Chunin noted mentally.

"I know you've always had a pretty big ego, Sasuke, but I'm not here for you. Hard to believe, I know, but I don't care if you come back to the Leaf. Just don't get in my way, and we won't have any problems. So, I'll ask again, where is Orochimaru?"

The rogue smirked at the honesty within that remark.

Without warning, Kabuto burst out into a fit of laughter. It was obnoxious to the blond's ears. "Wait… don't tell me; you wouldn't be foolish enough to come here and think you could kill Lord Orochimaru, could you? All by yourself?" The level look he received from the Leaf Shinobi only furthered the man's amusement. "What makes you think a talentless Shinobi like you could ever measure up to the greatness of one of the Legendary Sannin?!"

"Did you want to fight instead, Kabuto? You're talking big, but I'm pretty sure I beat you when I was that weak little Genin. What does that say about you, I wonder?"

Kabuto pushed his glasses up to hide his face, but you could tell that comment got under his skin. "You call that lucky shot a victory? Well-"

"You're just a pathetic little rat who hides behind the power of someone who is actually intimidating. You take me lightly not because of your own ability, but because of the people you surround yourself with." The Uzumaki didn't want to hear the medic talking anymore, so he decided it best to cut him off. "And while we're on the subject of ability, I should point out a pretty big detail that you're glossing over." Despite the uncertainty and dangers surrounding this confrontation, he allowed himself a confident smirk. "You were supposed to meet Sasori here, right? Well, if I'm here in his place, I wonder what happened to him?"

It was satisfying for Naruto to watch the Sannin's lackey go wide-eyed in shock. "I-Impossible! Y-You're not saying that you…"

"That's right. I killed him." Again, not the entire truth, but it was enough to get his point across. "If you really want to see if I'm lying, then come at me. I would love to be the one to wipe that smug grin off of your face."

Before the medic could respond, the air between the two pairs began to swirl unnaturally. The current was so strong, in fact, that it had started to pluck leaves off of the nearby trees and wrap them around the cyclone. The greenery spun in a hypnotic dance, only for it to suddenly stop, a new figure standing in the now still epicenter of the whirlwind.

"How interesting." The newcomer said, his tone so cold that it could send a shiver up the spine of even the most seasoned Shinobi. Though, all he received from the Uzumaki was a look of contempt. "I really thought that you were Sasori, at first. The fact that you're here and you know what his true form looks like must mean that you truly defeated him in battle. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Orochimaru…" Growled out the blond.

"The two of you really came here without any backup?" The Sannin continued. "How foolish; I didn't realize you were so eager to die." He put his hand to his chin, a sadistic smiling already tugging at the corners of his lips. "I would love to let you go so you could take out more of the Akatsuki for me. However, if it's true that you killed Sasori all by yourself, it may be better to eliminate you right now."

'Not good. Three against two… why don't I ever listen to my gut?' A drop of sweat rolled into the boy's brow as he weighed his options. 'Even if I leave Kabuto to Sai, there's no way in hell that I can take on both Sasuke and Orochimaru. I have a feeling that just one of them is going to give me a run for my money.'

"You may have to die, but at least we can make a game out of it." The Snake taunted with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm dying to know… who is stronger, the Nine-Tails, or Sasuke?"

The usual stoic Sharingan wielder scowled slightly at those words but didn't say anything, a fact that was not lost on the Jinchuriki.

'Seems like Sasuke doesn't want to fight me. I can work with this.'

"Kabuto, get back." Orochimaru commanded. "Let's give the two old friends the space they need to settle their differences." At that, the two criminals hopped back to their side of the bridge, their arms crossed in mild amusement mixed with intrigue. "We have a front-row seat to watch how this battle unfolds."

"Is this wise, Lord Orochimaru?" Inquired the silver-haired medic. "If Naruto truly killed Sasori of the Red Sand, Sasuke could be in trouble."

"Oh, don't worry about him." The Snake said with a sinister grin. "It's not like our Sasuke has been sitting around doing nothing all of this time. Besides, I highly doubt he defeated Sasori by himself. Yes… I'm sure of it."

"If you say so…" Kabuto didn't want to believe it, but the steely look in those blue eyes told a different story than the one his master was trying to weave. Something about the blond was profoundly different.

Sai, who looked on in unease at these unexpected developments, leaned forward close to this partner's ear. "What are we to do now?" He asked in a low whisper.

"I'm not sure yet, but I might have an idea." The Chunin responded just as quietly. "Stay back for now, and let me handle this."

"Are you sure that you know what it is that you are doing?" The teen wearing the crop top inquired, trepidation creeping into his usually monotonous voice.

"No."

That was not the answer the pale boy wanted to hear; though reluctant to do so, he obliged, nonetheless.

Nearly three years ago, this was a faceoff the blond thought would be inevitable. His friend, haunted by a tragic event with his family, had clung desperately to the darkness, and it would be his job to rescue him from it, even if he had to use force. Back then, the goal to bring Sasuke back had been higher on the priority list than the Akatsuki, as foolish as that sounded. The amount that things could change in such a short amount of time was… hard to believe. Naruto had changed; as much as he denied it when the topic was brought up by his friends. Finally, staring into those crimson eyes put his life into perspective.

Now, as they stood across from each other in the bridge's center, Sasuke was not his goal, but a potential obstacle in the way of his new desire. It was ironic because he was certain that's how the Uchiha viewed him at the Valley of the End.

"I'll give you one last chance to get out of here, Naruto; that is, if you don't know anything about Itachi."

"I'm not going anywhere." The blond's tone was defiant and unyielding. "I already told you why I'm here."

The raven-haired teen didn't seem fazed by that declaration. "If you say so…"

"Truth be told, I'm pretty curious to see how strong you've gotten, Sasuke." The Chunin lowered into his stance, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Don't disappoint me. After all, we're both high-level Shinobi."

His raven-haired rival brandished his katana, a similar, but more subdued, look graced his features. "Hn."

The two friends rushed at each, Naruto being the first to lash out with a swift jab and a strong cross over the top. Sasuke parried both strikes easily with the flat of his blade and countered with a horizontal slash. His opponent leaped over it expertly. The Uchiha used the momentum from his swing to spin into a backfist with his opposite hand. Naruto brought up his guard and ate the shot.

The Chunin skidded off to the side, already whirling an enhanced kunai around his finger while simultaneously correcting his balance.

'Wind Style?' Sasuke's Sharingan analysis proved vital, as he decided to dodge the incoming projectile instead of blocking with his katana. The sharp hunk of chakra enhanced steel whizzed by his head, taking a few strands of hair with it.

In the instant the rogue took his eyes off his opponent, Naruto had already made a pair of doppelgangers. They rushed from the left and right, with the presumable original choosing to engage head-on.

'Chidori Stream!'

A discharge of electricity exploded from the lightning user in all directions. The clones at both his sides, who already were near, were dispelled immediately by the high voltage attack. However, the real one forged ahead straight into the attack radius, showing no signs of stopping.

'Wind Wall!'

Similar to the Uchiha, Naruto allowed his natural affinity to surround him. The thin tendrils of lightning bounced harmlessly off of his elemental forcefield. The brunette prodigy, slightly wide-eyed, retreated from the charge and seamlessly went through a series of signs.

'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!'

The knucklehead grinned at the attempt to use his own wind against him. He allowed the chakra wall around him to dissipate as he went through a few seals of his own.

'Water Style: Water Wall!'

The duo spat out opposing elemental streams at one another. The collision produced a loud hiss as the fire superheated the water, which then enveloped the entire bridge in a thick coat of steam.

Sasuke squinted his eyes, but not even his eyes could pierce through the fog that they created. "Water and Wind Style, huh?" The boy called out into the mist. "Are you sure that you're not still obsessed with me?" There was no answer to his taunt. His goad didn't seem to have any effect.

The air was still, eerily so. All the prodigy could hear was a faint whistle in the air. At first, he assumed it to be the hot air around him. Until…

"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A storm of ninja stars sliced through the air with malicious intent. While only a fraction of them were aimed at the Uchiha, he needed every ounce of his expert swordsmanship and visual prowess to counter the all-encompassing attack. Dozens of projectiles ricocheted off his blade; only a few had managed to make it through his guard and cut up his clothes and arms.

The fog had just started to clear, so Naruto wasn't able to see the grimace on his rival's face.

'That was definitely a Naruto attack.' Sasuke thought bitterly as if he were mad that he couldn't anticipate it. 'Don't know where his opponent was, so he just attacked everything. How annoying.'

An orange-clad leg swiped through what remained of the obstructive vapor. The Sharingan's anticipative ability allowed the teen to put his guard up in time. However, when Naruto's shin contacted his forearms, he was not prepared for the sheer amount of force behind the kick.

'So heavy!' Was Sasuke's only thought as he was knocked off of his feet. The boy hit the ground, tumbled, and smoothly rolled to his feet. Naruto was on him immediately, but the Uchiha was able to recover just an instant quicker.

The pair traded blows for several seconds, each getting a few shots in between the others guard. Sasuke ended the exchange with a push kick, which sent Naruto skidding backward.

After the clash, neither moved for their current spot. Even though their breathing was labored, each was sporting a sizable grin.

"Why don't you use that curse mark of yours and go second state? We both know that you're going to need it to beat me." The Jinchuriki, if anything, sounded amused. There didn't appear to be any animosity between the two. "According to your orders, you're supposed to be trying to kill me. Isn't that right?"

"Why would I go all out when it's pretty clear that you're holding back, as well? Besides, I didn't want to end the fight that fast." The onyx-eyed teen retorted confidently. "I know that you're an idiot, but, like I said before, the only one that I want to kill is Itachi."

"I see. That's good to hear." Naruto said slowly. "Do… you remember what you said the last time we fought, right? About what happens when two powerful Shinobi of equal skill engage in combat?"

The blond's rival slowed his breathing down, his expression as stoic as it was when they first started. "Yeah, I do."

"Then, I think you know what happens next." Jiraiya's student gathered chakra into his palm until a familiar blue sphere swirled to life. "Right?"

Instead of responding with words, the Uchiha's hand began to crackle and spark with his version of Kakashi's Jutsu. Before it was even complete, they ran at one another.

"Rasengan!"

"Chidori!"

Strangers, comrades, rivals, friends, brothers, enemies; many words could be used to describe the relationship between the fox of the Uzumaki Clan and the hawk of the Uchiha Clan. It was immeasurably complex, just like the two of them were on an individual level. They stood together in the bridge's center, a divide beyond just physical, their most signature Jutsu aimed at one another. However, it was different than the last time; the opposing forces the two brought to the first fight were no longer present. The blond wasn't there as an oppressive force to drag him back, and, because of that, the rogue no longer felt forced to sever their bond to grow stronger.

There was no hate, anger, resentment, or bitterness. They looked into each other's eyes, able to understand everything that wanted to be said; that needed to be said. Time seemed to grind to a halt as the area was enveloped in a glimmering white light. At that moment, the only people who knew what was going on was the two of them.

'Boom!'

The A-Rank Jutsu collision's concussive force was so intense that it nearly blew the bridge in half. The rivals were sent off in opposite directions as the wooden structure shook and rattled dangerously. Sai caught Naruto as he skipped towards him, while Sasuke had to catch himself and roll to his feet.

"Thanks, Sai." Muttered the Chunin, surprised his comrade bothered to come to his aid after the manipulative things that he pulled.

"Don't thank me. I only did it because I need you alive if we have any hope of surviving."

"Right…"

"What do we do now? I doubt that we can win this fight."

The Jinchuriki kept his eyes locked on his friend. "I don't know yet… we're about to find out, though."

"What do you mean by that?" Prodded the Root teen.