DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ - THE SPIRIT THAT REMAINS STRONG - THIS IS THE SEQUAL, AND A CONTINUATION OF THAT STORY! YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS STORY WITHOUT READING THAT ONE! PLEASE VISIT MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK TO THE OTHER STORY! READ THAT, THEN READ THIS! ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!

Chapter 1

The Danger Awakens

I figure since I have some of the chapters for this written already, might as well bring it out! And that it feels awkward not to write this story. So here you go, the second book in the double trilogy!

DISCLAIMER: -searching on Ebay- LOOK! A Masashi Kishimoto costume! I could fool the creators into thinking that I'm him and steal Naruto! -keeps reading- JAPAN ONLY?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Naruto glared at the former Akatsuki member in front of him. "I thought Sakura-chan killed you…" he cursed, and took a step forward. "Why are you still alive?"

Sasori chuckled in his cold tone. "It seems she did not kill me. I faked my death so I could kill you. You didn't kill Deidara-san either." He said, and stared at the two shinobi. "I see you're the Hokage now. Congratulations. Now I will take more pleasure in beating the shit out of you."

Naruto growled and formed his hand signs. "Katon: Fenikkusu Yaiba!" he shouted, and blades of fire shot out from his palms, hitting Sasori straight on. "I swear! I'll kill you!" The new Hokage whipped out a kunai, and flew at the puppet master. He swiped at his forehead, creating a huge gash.

But Sasori took one of his special kunai and rammed it up Naruto's gut. It was soaked in poison, and Naruto could feel it spreading. "I swear," Sasori growled. "I'll kill you. Plus that pathetic village of yours."

The Rokudaime flung out of the kunai, and landed with a thud on the ground. Coughing, he wiped the blood from his mouth, and created more hand signs. "Fuuton: Akai Kiba!" he said, and a large fang of wind swirled around Naruto's right arm, coloring red. When it completed, he charged at Sasori, whipping his arm around furiously. Sasori moved side to side, dodging the blows that the blonde jinchuuriki threw at him. Another fang of wind circled his other arm, and he threw both of his arms at the former Akatsuki member. Now it was getting harder for Sasori to dodge the attacks, and one blasted him in the head and stomach. He coughed, and flew backwards slamming into a tree.

The puppet master shakily rose to his feet, and sighed. Trying to keep his balance, he picked out one of his puppets, and flung it towards Naruto. "I sure am excited, to bring out this puppet aren't I?" Sasori chuckled evilly, raising his hands that now had chakra strings coming from the tips of his fingers. He brought his hands in closer to his chest, and laughed at the puppet standing before him.

Naruto smirked. "Sakura-chan told me about this puppet," he said, and examined the puppet. "She said it was quite hard to avoid its attacks, the Sandaime Kazekage puppet. Didn't she destroy that too?"

Sasori smirked. "All puppets can be recreated you know, like this one. I even gave it an upgrade." He said, still keeping the same expression. "I want to test it on you." The puppet jerked backwards as the puppet master moved his hands back, and he thrust his arms forward, shooting out various kunai and shuriken flying towards Naruto. Skillfully, Naruto ducked, jumped, swept and spun from side to side, avoiding the poison soaked projectiles. Sasori frowned, and moved his fingers in a twittering motion. The Sandaime Kazekage puppet froze in its tracks, and split apart. Its limbs had spears on the ends, sharpened to the point, a dark purple liquid seeping down to the ground. The limbs charged at Naruto, one just barely swiping his arm.

The Hokage clutched his arm in pain, and jumped back a little. When he got used to the pain, his slowly made his hand signs, wincing at the pain searing up his arm. "Tajuu, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he panted, and all the clones appeared, each getting into their own pair of two. All of the clones began to make a Rasengan, to prepare for Naruto's new technique. One by one, the clones finished the Rasengan, but the color did not remain a light blue, but changed to a clear white as they all put in some of their wind chakra. The real Naruto sweated a little from all the chakra the clones were using, but it wasn't anything to worry about. Then, all the extra clones went as decoys to Sasori and his puppet, while the Rasengan users waited for their chance to strike, setting up in a large ring. When the former Akatsuki member began to fight them all, the other clones came rushing at the fighters, coming in for contact. As soon as one of the clones made contact with the Rasengan, all the others did as well. Together in a chorus, they all shouted, "Fuuton: Tajuu Kage Rasengan!"

Kakashi gasped as he saw the jutsu take its toll on Sasori. He did it…and he never told anyone? He thought in his head, surprised. Naruto actually completed the Rasengan. He truly did surpass his father.

Sasori flew back, blasting through about twenty-nine trees, maybe even more at the impact of the jutsu. The real Naruto rushed towards the dust cloud that appeared over the land, determined to kill the puppet user. As the debris cleared, the Rokudaime examined the beat up body of Sasori. His chest was almost torn apart, and he stomach was pounded in. The head was bloody with cuts, gashes, and bruises everywhere, looking as if his head was never shaped correctly before. His legs were bent up in a 'z' shape, obviously broken. Naruto picked up the form of Sasori, and jumped up into the trees, carrying him away from the village, and out of the Fire Country. What could he have been doing here? He asked himself. Is Sasori the one pulling the strings behind the Country of Blood? Naruto jumped down as he saw the border from the Fire Country, leading into vast grassland. Gently, he set the intruder down on the ground for another country to worry about. When he was sure Sasori was unconscious, and that he dragged him out far enough, he shot off.

All the way back to Kakashi that a thought pierced his mind. Why is he still alive? He should be dead… He pushed the thought away, and jumped down where he saw Kakashi. Kakashi was staring at him with a surprised, yet pleased stare. "Nani?" Naruto asked, returning the look. "What is it Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled from under his mask, still staring at Naruto. "You perfected the Rasengan," he said joyfully. "Good work. But why didn't you tell anyone?"

Naruto chuckled, "I didn't think it was necessary." He said. "You probably would have told me not to use it anyways."

The smile on Kakashi's face faded. "How do you know?" he retorted, a little angry that the new Hokage could not trust him. "I might've let you use it."

"Feh." The Rokudaime coughed. "Let's go. Everyone's probably wondering where we are." Naruto shot off, but wasn't going as fast as Kakashi.

Kakashi stopped, and looked back at Naruto. "You need to get those wounds checked. You know what happened to Kankurou-san when he got poisoned." He said, remembering the attacks that Naruto failed to dodge completely.

Naruto nodded, and proceeded to the village. "This poison isn't going to affect me that much." He said, smiling. "After all, I have a few little secrets hidden."

Kakashi was about to ask what, but Naruto had already gone too far to hear him. "Tch, baka." He growled, and went to catch up to the Hokage.

Naruto plopped down on the ground at the entrance the village, and sighed. He took out a little cloth and wiped the blood oozing down from his arm, and began walking back to Central Konoha. When the bleeding ceased, he put the cloth to his stomach wound and set pressure on it. He coughed up a little blood, but not much. All the bleeding stopped, and Naruto put the cloth back in his pouch. As he got closer to Central Konoha, the voices of the villagers became louder, and he could hear someone running around. He wiped his forehead of all remaining sweat, and walked back into the party.

Sakura noticed him come in, and ran toward him. "Naruto!" She said, relieved, and embraced him, but felt a sticky liquid on her skin. She backed away and saw blood spots on her arm. "Wh-what happened to you?" she asked as she glanced at Naruto's arm which was still bloody.

Naruto smiled. "Just a little run in with someone." He lied. "Nothing to worry about." The blonde started walking away, but unfortunately hacked up more blood.

Sakura ran over and put her arm around his back, studying the stab on his arm. Very tiny, but still noticeable, was a speck of purple liquid. Poison. "Poison?" she echoed, and stared at it more closely. "…I remember this poison…" Naruto began to shake as he thought about what would happen if she realized that Sasori was still alive. "Naruto. What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, and began limping away to the Hokage's office. "I've got to go lie down," he said woozily. "I can't see straight."

Sakura noticed him staggering, and ran after him as he entered the building. Right as she caught up with him, she saw him fall to the ground. "Naruto!" she exclaimed, and ran over to him. She flipped him over, and noticed another large wound on his gut. More poison. Carefully, she took a sample of the poison from the wound. "I hoped I was wrong…" she said, noticing the type of poison. "If this is Sasori's…then…" Thoughts from the trouble with Kankurou flashed through her mind. "Shit! I don't have time to waste! Hang on, Naruto!"

There you go. The first chapter. Don't worry, Naruto's not in a life or death matter. If he was...it'd be more dramatic! Please Review!

Yamahato Yokimoko-san