Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and especially not the dialogue I lifted for the kage summit. Also, there's an homage to the story Uprooted, which i don't own either. Cookies to whoever finds it first!
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"So tell us more about Sasuke Uchiha," said the Kumo-nin standing on the water. Naruto's knee-jerk reaction would have been violent, but he pulled himself together and remembered several lessons from Jiraiya.

"Before that," he said, making a gesture to restrain Sai and Sakura' reactions, "tell me what two foreigners are doing in the village right after it's been hit hard by the Akatsuki?" He raised an eyebrow and took a step forward. "You haven't attacked anyone yet, but walking around with a sword isn't exactly friendly. Shouldn't you guys have a diplomatic escort? And who are you anyway?"

"I'm Omoi, she's Karui," said the male of the two. They started walking towards the river-shore, relaxing into non-threatening stances. "We're here with two missions. The first is to deliver to the Hokage a message from the Raikage, calling a Gokage Summit, which our teammate is doing. The second is to obtain information on Uchiha Sasuke to give to our hunter-nin pursuing him."

"What!" yelped Sakura. "Sasuke's a Leaf ninja! What's he done to Kumo?"

"What's he done?" snarled Karui. "What's he done!? He only joined the terrorist organization Akatsuki, broke into our village, and kidnapped our sensei that's what he's done!"

"He would never!" Sakura snapped, but there was a hint of uncertainty. He had left the village for Orochimaru, he had attacked her and Naruto, and he had been acting all-around unstable. She had read some psychology books under Tsunade's tutelage—to learn about healing the mind, as well as the body—and Sasuke had matched up with some of the conditions she'd studied. Still…"Sasuke—"

"Hold up," Naruto said quietly, and Sakura froze. There was a hint of danger on the edge of his voice that she only barely caught. Please don't turn this into a diplomatic incident, that's the last thing Konoha needs right now.

"Sasuke," Naruto continued gently, "was my team mate, and I was the only person he ever went all out against in a fight, except for the few times he was so badly outclassed it didn't matter. I probably know his fighting style better than anyone else alive, except for the people he's traveling with right now. If Sasuke really did all that, then I'll tell you everything you need to know, from how he liked to hide his camps to how he'll try to retreat when outmatched." Naruto was smiling still, and had the full attention of everyone in the clearing. Sakura and Sai were both frozen in shock at Naruto's possible about-face on Sasuke's safety. Then, barely visible, he was suddenly standing between the Kumo-nin, his arms looped around their shoulders companionably in a way that reminded Sakura of how Sasuke had approached him at Orochimaru's base. "But first you have to prove that Sasuke did all that."

"The hell!" yelled Karui, as she and her teammate reflexively flickered out of his reach. Naruto didn't pursue, he just gave them a moment to catch their breath and re-center themselves. Sakura couldn't see his eyes, but would have been surprised to see that they weren't red and slitted.

"So. Your evidence?" he prompted.

"Now you see here—" Karui started, but Omoi cut her off.

"Wait, Karui. He has a point. And if he really is Uchiha's former teammate, he'll probably have better information than any we'll find in the records. Let's just go with it." He turned to face Naruto. "First off, a team of our ninja were rendered unconscious, and one of them reported being interrogated for information on our sensei's location. He described Sasuke, and stated that the man he described was referred to as Sasuke, and possessed the sharingan. Then, when he engaged our sensei, a team of patrolling ninja saw the conflict and sent an alert to the village. They were too far away and too low-level to interfere, but they observed use of the Amaterasu technique, a sharingan only ninjutsu, confirming that the enemy was an Uchiha. With the death of Uchiha Itachi, that leaves Sasuke as the only Uchiha. Thus, we have witnesses who saw him, and saw techniques unique to him. Is that enough evidence?"

Naruto was quiet for a long moment. Then he cocked his head to one side, snorted, and smirked. "So basically, your evidence amounts to a memory from a man who was, by his own admission, mind-fucked by a high-level genjutsu, and the use of a technique that I know from personal experience can be sealed into a scroll, and re-released at a later date by someone who isn't an Uchiha. In fact, Jiraiya-sensei had me practice my fire-sealing on an Amaterasu he sealed and re-released that was cast by Uchiha Itachi, more than a year before. Not only that, but Akatsuki has at least one member—this masked freak named Tobi—with an implanted sharingan, and may well have transplanted Itachi's eyes into another member after his death. Assuming he's really dead; we never found the body after all. Now, this evidence is presented from a village that historically has a habit of double-dealing, like the Hyuga incident a decade ago, and it just happens to be delivered to the village just after an Akatsuki attack, at a time when we don't have the active man-power to watch you and make certain that Sasuke is the only ninja you take information about, instead of any number of other ninja, myself included. That's not nearly enough. I'm taking you into custody."

"Hey," yelled Karui, as she and Omoi put their swords in a ready position. "That's not it at all! This is our sensei we're talking about! We need to save him, or at least bring his killer to justice!"

"I'm not saying you guys are bad," Naruto said consolingly, "but are you certain that no one sent a second team after you to do some black ops? Or that your third teammate is actually doing what he said he would? And have I said anything that isn't true?"

"She, actually," Omoi said grudgingly. "And Samui is just as worried about Bee sensei as us, but I can't say you don't have a point. This does look pretty suspicious."

"You can't seriously think of giving up!" Karui yelled, whirling on him.

"This Bee-sensei guy, he was a jinchuriki, right?" Naruto asked. That made them pause for a second. "I mean, Akatsuki has been specifically targeting jinchuriki for the past three years, so it would make sense that he was. How many tails?"

"It's not like it's a big secret, or secret at all, really," Omoi conceded, knocked off balance. "Yeah, he was the Hachibi jinchuriki." Sakura only boggled at how Naruto was handling the situation and giving the Kumo-nin emotional whiplash. Sai still hadn't dropped his guard, but was confused.

"I really sympathize, believe it. The jinchuriki we have, with the Kyubi, has had a lot of problems with Akatsuki, too. This big attack, even. The Akatsuki boss showed up in person with his second-in-command as back-up to kidnap the poor guy. Luckily, he actually killed the leader, and convinced his assistant to retreat, but he was one tail away from going completely berserk. But the way I see it, it's entirely possible that your sensei was sold out to the Akatsuki by your village, same as the Rokubi and Shichibi were."

"That's ridiculous," Omoi scoffed. "Bee-sensei is Raikage-sama's little brother. A-sama would sooner cut his own throat than harm sensei."

"Jinchuriki are always related to the kage," Naruto countered, "it inspires loyalty in the weapon. Kazekage Gaara was the son of his village's Yondaime Kazekage, and so was Mizukage Yagura, and the Yonbi was the Tsuchikage's nephew. That doesn't stop the prejudice. I mean, our jinchuriki was the biological son of the Yondaime," Sakura and Sai both reacted, though only Sakura's spasm was visible, "and the adopted grandson of the Sandaime, and that didn't stop people from spreading lies and rumors, kicking him out of various shops, and trying to quietly sabotage his education in the Academy. Can you honestly say that your Raikage's councilors are all as close to your sensei as you are? That there aren't some people who cross the street to avoid him? That the ninja who watched his battle didn't interfere because they wanted Akatsuki to take your sensei? It wouldn't take more than four or five people to sell him out to the Akatsuki and mislead your Raikage."

Karui had blanched whiter and whiter as Naruto had been talking. Omoi's hands were visibly shaking. If they remembered they had even been thinking of fighting a few minutes ago they certain didn't act like it. Perhaps the intent Naruto had been leaking had an effect, but his words were persuasive on their own.

"Another thing, guys. Omoi and Karui, you said, right? Sasuke has, to date, killed Orochimaru, Deidara, and his brother Itachi. Two actual Akatsuki members and one sort-of member. Which do you think is more likely, in light of that? The Akatsuki welcomes him into its ranks and gives him the high-priority mission of capturing one of the last and most powerful jinchuriki? Or that they'd try to kill him in revenge like you want to, possibly by siccing a village's hunter-nin on him for hurting the kage's brother?" He paused, looking at his audience's faces. "Lastly, guys, have I said anything wrong? Anything? One thing? No? You guys see where I'm coming from with the whole taking you into custody thing?"

"Oh god. Oh god, oh god, ohgodohgod!" Karui had actually collapsed to the ground, and Omoi's sword had slipped from his fingers.

"W-we'll come q-quietly," Omoi said. Naruto smiled.
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"Uzumaki Naruto," said Danzo stonily. "I hear you brought two diplomatic envoys from Kumogakure into custody. Are you trying to cause a diplomatic incident when the village is the weakest it's been in decades?"

Naruto looked around the room, just a tent, really, and saw it was empty except for himself, Danzo, and Danzo's two Root guards. "Where's Granny Tsunade?" he asked, sounding unimpressed.

"The princess fell into a coma after the events of the attack. I was appointed acting hokage by the diamyo. That means that I have all the authority she did, including the authority to have your rank stripped, or throw you in prison for almost causing a diplomatic incident when we are at our weakest."

"Counter-offer," Naruto interrupted. "You take the hit off Sasuke's head, and I help you completely humiliate the Leaf's biggest political rival at the Gokage Summit. Refuse, by the way, and I have half a dozen shadow clones ready to spread the information I got out of the Akatsuki boss before he died about how he first turned against the Leaf when a one-eyed ninja lead a group of ANBU pretenders to reinforce Hanzo the Salamander when he double-crossed them at a peace treaty negotiation." Danzo raised an eyebrow. "Red-hair, summoned a giant statue that spit a soul-stealing spirit after his best friend died. Got his legs blown up by an explosive trap. Ring a bell?" Danzo didn't react, and was going to respond, but Naruto cut him off. "I know it's you, and you know it's you, and that's what matters. Well, no, what really matters is what the people of the village will believe. Corrupt, shady old guy, versus the hero who saved the village. Do you really want to pick that fight?"

There was a long pause. Then, wonder of wonders, horror of horrors, Danzo Shimura, the shinobi of darkness, actually began laughing. Long and hard, and deep from the stomach. Finally, he stopped, and wiped his eye with his one hand.

"I wish Sarutobi had given you to me in the beginning," he said. "You would have been great in Root." Naruto raised an eyebrow. Now that I've figured out how weaponize my Therapy Jutsu like Kiba joked about, sure. Huh. I wonder if i can actually get it listed as Therapy Jutsu, on a scroll or something.

"You wanted me among your traumatized, emotionally-stunted, fanatical devotees? Really? Considering what happens every time I get close to someone who's wrong the head, I have to wonder what you're smoking, and can I have some? Seriously, are you sure you aren't going senile like Jiji was?" That got another reaction from Danzo, but not an angry one.

"I was under the impression that you all but worshipped the ground Sarutobi walked on?" he said, a little shell-shocked.

"I love the old man forever, and I will always respect him. But he retired for a reason, and he shouldn't have started up again after my father died."

"Jiraiya told you of that, then?"

"No, which makes him another family figure I hold shit against, even if I love him like he was my father, instead of my godfather. Remember when I went eight-tails fighting Pain? Then I went right back to normal? My father put a safe-guard in the seal, designed to fix it if it ever came really close to breaking. I had a bit of him pop up in my head, and chatted for a bit before he fixed everything."

"Interesting safeguard," Danzo muttered. "Will it work twice?" The applications of a jinchuriki who could go berserk at will, and then harmlessly revert...I may not need my arm after all, if I can win his loyalty.

"Maybe. Probably not. Though, he didn't say how my mother was involved, so she might be there. I'm not going to rip the seal off to check, though. Hey, do you know anything about that? My mom?"

"Yes, and I will tell you some later time. The story will only add more hate to Kumo, though. They didn't kill her, but they tried to kidnap her just as they did with the Hyuga heiress. For now, we were discussing Kumogakure and the missing Uchiha."

"Yeah, yeah. I help you make the Raikage look like an idiot, and you take the hit off Sasuke's head, since aside from leaving, he's killed Orochimaru, Deidara, and Itachi, and gutted Oto. I think that should buy him a pardon, since you haven't been able to do any of that, even with your secret group of super-ninja. If we can talk sense into Sasuke and bring him back, you can even say he was a deep cover agent. Granny'll go for it if I ask."

"That sounds generally acceptable, pending the Godaime's agreement, should she awaken soon. If, however, he does commit any crimes against the village, such attacking the village or political figures—like myself, the daimyo, or Tsunade—he gets a price put back on his head. We could never cover that over." If Itachi couldn't keep quiet, I have an excuse to kill him, and if he could he has no more reasons to be disloyal.

"Sounds good," Naruto said, and one of Danzo's guards disappeared with a hand gesture, to spread the word around.

"Now," Danzo said, leaning forward, "let's discuss the specifics of your plan." Behind his bandages, Shisui Uchiha's implanted eye began to spin as he called on the Koto-amatsukami.
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"Naruto, what's going on?" Sakura asked, catching up to him as he was moving towards the gate with his pack. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yup," he responded with a grin as she matched his pace. "Have you heard about Granny?"

"She's in a coma. Shizune's working on her, but no change yet. She burned a huge amount of chakra, and it's mostly luck that she's not worse off. She might get better, but it might not be anytime soon. There's an acting Hokage in the meanwhile, though. This guy named—"

"Danzo Shimura," Naruto finished. "Remember how those Kumo guys mentioned the Raikage calling a Gokage Summit? Well, I'm going along as a guard for the old guy. I convinced him to take the hit off Sasuke's head, though."

"That's great," Sakura said softly, but something was still bothering her. "Naruto, those things you said to them about our jinchuriki. About you. Were they true?"

"Which things?" he asked with a grin. "I said a lot of things."

"Son of the Yondaime?" she asked under her breath.

"I only just learned, and I don't want to flaunt it. I want to be great on my own name, you know. So I think I'll keep using Uzumaki."

"Wow," Sakura said, her world spinning wildly. "And about how you were treated? I know people said bad things, but the discrimination, the sabotage, and assassination attempts?"

"There weren't any assassination attempts. No beatings, either, though there was yelling and swearing. But if Jiji would make a law that people who said the wrong thing about me would be executed—spreading the whole Kyubi thing to anyone who doesn't know—what do you think he'd do to anyone who actually tried to hurt me?" Sakura just grimaced, thinking about it. Nice the Sandaime had been, but he served as a ninja, jonin, and kage longer than many other people lived. He fought a sannin and two other kage to a standstill, and he lead Konoha through two wars. He wasn't soft. "The rest were true, though. He could keep me safe, but he couldn't make people like me, or even just be polite to me." Sakura thought about what she knew he'd gone through, and what else that she probably didn't know about.

"Naruto? When did you find out why people were treating you like that? About the Kyubi, instead of just thinking it was just you?"

"Mizuki-teme tricked me into stealing a valuable scroll as a 'special exam' after my third failure. I thought a field test made sense, since I wasn't good with books, and I trusted him because he and Iruka-sensei were the only ones who were nice to me. He told me the truth to rattle me when Iruka showed up, and tried to kill the both of us. But hey, I got the Shadow Clone Jutsu out of it."

"That long," Sakura mused. "Naruto, how did you not end up a monster like Gaara? Like he used to be? I've read psychology books for Lady Tsunade's lessons, and I know what that treatment does to people. I honestly wouldn't blame you, knowing all this now." He stopped, having reached the gate where Danzo would show up. He gave the question the thought it deserved.

"I honestly thought about it a few times, including just now, when I found out about my parents. I'd like to say I've forgiven everyone, but I haven't. I suppose that's why I feel so strongly connected to Sasuke: I almost went down the same road. It's three things, really. One, I don't want to prove everyone right. It would serve them right, but…well, you get it. Two, Doing that would hurt other people who never hurt me, just because they'd be nearby. Then I'd be as bad as the people who hurt me." He trailed off, and stared up into the sky.

"Three? Is it your Hokage dream?" Sakura prompted. "You don't have to tell me if—"

"No, I think I can trust you. I'm just not sure you want to know." He looked her in the eye. "Three: living well is the best revenge. Believe it." He smiled, and her eyes flicked to his teeth, and she shivered. "See," he said lightly. "Now you're going to have problems slee—"

Sakura kissed him. No tongue, just lips, but it wasn't gentle. She kissed him hard, and for a few precious seconds she clung to him like he was a tree growing over the edge of cliff, and she was on the verge of falling. And maybe she was. Then she stepped back and drew in a breath, and for a moment they just stood there, breathing.

"Naruto. I'm not going to say I love you, because I really, really don't know, and you wouldn't deserve it if I ended up lying to you. But I do know this. If you ever decide to follow Sasuke's path, I'm following you, come hell, high water, or whatever other hair-raising horrors you encounter." At the last one she poked him in the stomach and grinned. He laughed, blushing and unsure if he was dreaming. She turned and walked away, but stopped after only a few steps and turned back. "Naruto, how much of this can I tell our friends? Because I think they'd understand." He breathed, and thought.

"As much as you want them to know. I trust you." She smiled, not brilliantly, or softly, but wryly, like she saw irony in the situation. She nodded and continued walking away. She didn't look back. She didn't need to.
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"You were distracted," Danzo commented as they cleaned up the bodies of the Hanya clan ninja that had attacked them.

"Only on the journey," Naruto defended himself. "I perked up when the fight happened. Or did you forget that it was my disguised shadow clones that caught them first?"

"A valid point," Danzo conceded, mildly grateful that he had not needed to display his hidden eye or arm, to the dangerous boy. Koto-amatsukami would not persuade him to accept them as he had already used it today, and he didn't know how the jinchuriki would react without it to balance the scales in his favor. "And I must confess, I am surprised you are this calm in the face of death."

"The pervert did take me bandit hunting a few times," Naruto responded. "I don't like it, but that doesn't mean I won't kill, if it comes down to it."

"Like should be immaterial," Danzo said, continuing the debating habit they had fallen into once or twice already. "To a ninja, the mission and the village are of the only importance. Happiness, anger, fear, and disgust: these are all words that mean nothing, and the word failure means everything."

"I bet love falls into the useless category, too," Naruto commented.

"That is correct. It causes unnecessary distraction, and loss of control."

"That belief is why you didn't become the sandaime," Naruto responded, aiming for a low blow. "After all, if a ninja doesn't love his village, then why does he serve it? If the hokage doesn't love the village and its people, then why would he do what is best for the village instead of best for himself, like Orochimaru?"

Danzo didn't deign to answer, he simply made the gesture to continue moving. Once they were among the trees he broached a different subject. "Listen closely. I'm going to instruct you on the protocol for a diplomatic affair of this magnitude."
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The planning begins! I warn you that this will only be three or four chapters because I've pretty much written myself into a corner. That being said, if I happen to inspire anyone, feel free to steal the idea, or even copy some of text. All I ask is that you leave me review saying so, and mention me in your story's AN.