Okay, here we go, another run-of-the-mill Naruto missing-nin fic. Of course this one isn't just some ordinary run-of-the-mill missing-nin fic, this a missing-nin fic with a storyline. Maybe a half-decent one too.

And no, this not an angstalicious story. It might have its moments, but, there's usually no angst to be seen in the sight of Naruto. Woot. Sort of. But be forewarned. There will be blood, body parts, and maybe, a lemon. If I feel the story needs one. And what I mean by angst is like, cutting, and crying in the corner about his life sucking blah blah blah... there will be a bit of this in the beginning, but that's mostly it.

So here we go, first chapter of "The Perfect Ninja"

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. Ever.

XXXXXX

Naruto was sitting on a bench, a popsicle in one hand, held out in front of him. Naruto himself, was just watching it melt.

Because he was dead.

Naruto just couldn't understand. That man was dead. His eternal beacon of light, guidance, an endless tower of power that stretched into the sky, was suddenly, unceremoniously, toppled over, like that.

Jiraiya, ero-sennin, his sensei, was dead.

He immediately darkened. Dead, because of Akatsuki.

The ruthless bastards just took his sensei's life, so easily. It made him want to go to the Akatsuki base and kill the leader himself. But he couldn't. Simply because, he didn't have the power to do so. Naruto was just about as strong as Jiraiya, but no more, no less. And the leader killed Jiraiya, almost effortlessly. He would kill him just as quickly as He did Jiraiya. Maybe just a little faster, because of the search for the Kyuubi, and all the other Jinchuuriki. So there was only one thing to do.

Get stronger.

Naruto sat up, and promptly got off his bench and started walking to the Hokage's office. He was going to request another three year training trip. Except this time, by himself, and whoever he met along the way.

The only way to get stronger is to learn more jutsu, have better taijutsu, have even bigger chakra reserves than he does now, control that chakra, maybe even trying to get it to Sakura's level, maybe even Tsunade's. He has the ability to improve in all aspects, and he will. He'll get strong enough to kill the Leader of Akatsuki. He'll become Hokage. He'll become the perfect ninja. One that has no weaknesses, who could kill even S-ranked criminals with ease.

He'll kill the Leader of Akatsuki, without breaking a sweat. He'll destroy the Akatsuki single handedly. There will be no more deaths of his friends for his sake.

And that's a promise.

XXXXXX

Tsunade was having an absolutely atrocious day. She had paper work as tall as a mountain, missions to give out up the wazoo, and to top it all off, she just found out her best friend, old teammate, and maybe even possible... no. She shouldn't think of those things.

Jiraiya was dead, and she couldn't do anything about it. Jiraiya was the strongest out of the Sannin, stronger than her, and had gotten killed by Pain. There was only one person left in Konoha who could stand up to Pein. Naruto. Not being favorable, he really showed the most promise out of his class. To learn the rasengan in a month... it's no small feat. And to take the rasengan to a level even Minato couldn't, showed that the boy was a pure genius in the shinobi arts. And from his battle record, the boy has only lost two real fights in his life. The time that he fought against Orochimaru, in the forest of death, and against Orochimaru a second time. The time he fought Sasuke at the Valley of the End, doesn't count as a loss, since Naruto made it clear he could have won, but only by killing Sasuke. Which was something that Naruto really didn't want to do.

She was interrupted from her thoughts when her assistant, Shizune, started to call her name.

"Tsunade!"

"What is it, Shizune?" She needed to think about the situation before she could resume her duties. It had taken every inch of willpower left in her to not cry in front of Naruto, Sakura and the rest. She needed to rest, and when she was ready, she'll start up her work again.

"You have a guest!"

She thought about telling Shizune to send him/her away, but decided to ask for their name first.

"Who is it?" Then again she might not really care who was there, and then just send her guest away anyways.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Speak of the devil. She would have thought he needed a longer time to cool off. Maybe he was more mature than she thought, 'Pfft, Naruto, mature?'she thought, ' Some chance in hell that's going to happen. Might as well find out what he wants,'

"Send him in."

The minute he started talking, she regretted her decision.

"Naruto, what do you want?" Tsunade said, wanting to get this over with as quick as possible. She was inches away from breaking down right in front of him.

"Hokage-sama, I have an important request for you. I'll be straight forward and precise. I wish to leave the village again, on another training trip, but this one a little-" He was cut off short by Tsunade.

"No way. The Akatsuki is on the move, and you'll be captured. If you get captured... there will be no more use for hope. The world will end if you are captured," Slightly disturbed at the "Hokage-sama", and even more at his seemingly serious composure.

'Is he serious? Like I would let out one of my strongest ninja in this time of need,'

"Tsunade, that's not true and you know it. If I fall there is still is one last hope. Pein might be able to take on one or two Kage's, but can he take on all five? Plus, their strongest ninja? No, not even a god, as he claims to be, unless he is Kami in human form, can take them all on and survive,"

'She has to understand me,' he thought,' I'm leaving for the good of the village. For her, for Kakashi, for Ino, Kiba, Chouji, Lee, Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Shikimaru, Shino, Hinata, and Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai. For all the Jonin, Chunin, and Genin. For all of the villagers. For everyone,'

"What does this have to do with you leaving? If Pein comes to attack Konoha, we need you to defend it. You're Konoha's last hope. You'll die if they capture you."

"Tsunade, I know I'm not as strong as Pein. I am only as strong as Jiraya. I have learned all I can from everyone here. You've even admitted it yourself, I'm stronger than you. Sure, you can teach me chakra control, but what else. Your techniques don't fit with my fighting style. I have to ask someone who can teach me all the things I need to know. How to better expand my chakra reserves, control those reserves, learn more powerful jutsu, learn a taijutsu style, increase my speed, strength, and stamina. Control my demon better. Learn things that no one else could teach me."

"I think I can help you with that last one, Naruto-kun."

Both Naruto and Tsunade looked at the newcomer, who was standing in the far right window. It was the ancient toad sage, Fukusaku, who had adorned his robes and staff. As a note, he had a smirk on his face.

"I can teach in the ways of the sage art. Something that nobody else could teach you. I cannot guarantee that you will be powerful enough to kill Pein, but I can surely help you on your way."

"... How long would it take?"

"It took Jiraya-kun one year to learn the sage arts. He never was able to master it."

"Well it took him a year to learn the rasengan, and I only learned it in a month."

"This training is much harder than the rasengan's. It will take a very long time to learn," The toad said, though slightly in awe at the time it took him to learn the rasengan, an A-rank, bordering on S-rank jutsu. He also heard form Gamakatchi that he had perfected the rasengan . To do something even the Yondaime couldn't... this kid must be a genius.

He was at Jiraya's level, at the age of 15. Jiraya told him that he was his equal, but Jiraya meant in his prime. Naruto could defeat Jiraya. But even in his prime, Jiraya couldn't have won. The boy still needs more training, that is true, and it is also true that he needed it from someone not in this village...

He knew what the boy needed to do. But the boy would never accept the offer, without a reason to...

The boy needed to become a missing ninja.

It was the only way. Though it is true many who remain faithful to their village are very powerful, but they are at the peak of their power, no matter what. More jutsu's, a different taijutsu style they mostly couldn't learn. The Kage's of the five villages are as strong as they're going to get. But Naruto could most likely take on two of these Kage's at once, and come out the victor. But Naruto isn't at the peak of his power. He has much more potential. Pein, although, could probably take on all five, and easily win. What Tsunade said was wrong. Even though Jiraya killed four Peins, that man was barely trying the whole time. The man could take on all of the Kage, and their best ninja, and come out as the victor. Though he might be damaged, he would win, and not be crippled. This man had the ability to take on the world and win. Naruto doesn't, at least not at this time. But he certainly has the potential to. All he needs to do is match Pein. Him, and any other Kage could defeat Pein if Naruto reached that level of power. Naruto can learn a new taijutsu style, simply for the matter that he doesn't really have one. He can become stronger, faster, smarter, more agile, and have more stamina. He can learn how to use a sword. He can learn new justu's. And by learning the sage techniques, he might just become more powerful than Pein. But he needs to learn from the best. He needs to learn from The Twins. But... Naruto needs to learn from him first. They only accept the strongest of pupils, as they wouldn't even accept Jiraya. They have had only two pupils. Both have surpassed them, and could defeat them both at the same time, on their own.

The Twins were two men named Takusan and Taisetsu. Unlike most stories where you had twins that were born together, both insanely strong, but almost completely opposite in personalities. These twins were different. There had almost exactly the same personality, gaining sicknesses at the same time, both were at the same level of power. However, it is unknown what their personalities are truly like. The only ones that would know would be their two unknown apprentices, and their mother.

Strangely, they were born in separate locations, because of a jutsu that killed their father, but not their mother. His body was torn in half by a time-space technique, performed by an enemy of their father. Their father was a famous samurai by the name of Taishita Riki. He was as powerful as many Kage level ninja, and it was said he could hold his own against all the Sannin, in their prime. It was strange. This man came before the Sannin. They should be compared to him. He was a great man, but became a ronin, because of some embarrassment or out of shame for someone; he exiled himself from the samurai. It was rumored he was killed by the second Raikage, a man who specialized in such matters.

Takusan was split from his mother, and was raised in the village of Layika. An old man, an old ninja, lived there. He taught him taijutsu and kenjutsu, his specialty. Taisetsu was raised by his mother until the age of eight, when his mother was sold as a slave. He was then raised by a priest, who knew the ways of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and fuiinjutsu. At the age of 13, they, by fate, met up again, having both surpassed their masters, and went in search of their mother. They found her as sex slave under regional warlord Tanki Sastsujinsha. Back then, men weren't given positions because of their nobility or anything. This man had no royal blood, but in some ways, was noble. But they didn't care. The man was no pushover in the way of the samurai, but still lost, because of the twins anger, teamwork, and skill. They killed him slowly and painfully, and then rescued their mother. She died at the age of 47. Both of these men surpassed their father greatly, and were two of the most powerful ninja ever known. They seem to be immortal, because they have lived for one hundred and twenty years, but still looked like they are exactly 32. They may be just trapped in this state, or may just have an extended life. The twins aren't as strong as they were in their prime, no. Not even close. But they do have the knowledge of every technique they now, the combat experience they gained through the years, as the wisdom of two sages. They could certainly teach someone how to become powerful.

Their training took more than five years, the longest one could be out of Konoha without punishment.

Even for him, it would take a little more than five years to complete their training, and surpass them.

He was snapped out of his small stupor by Naruto speaking,

"It doesn't matter. If I have to do this training to be able to beat Pein, I will. I have to become stronger!" He said, raising his fist.

"So, do you accept?" said Fukusaku, eyeing Naruto cautiously.

"Hell yeah!"

They all laughed, one with bitterness and sorrow, covered by mirth. Another with a laugh only a wary grandfather could possess. And the last with determination and power. And they all laughed.

But only one smiled.

XXXXXX

Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Neji and the rest of the Rookies were walking around town, in search of Naruto, if only to comfort him. He had lost his sensei, in which he had trained with for three years. That man was almost a grandfather to Naruto.

They finally came to the Hokage Tower, and saw Naruto coming out, talking to a toad, who had a hermit cloak on, and a staff.

He took notice of them, and shouted,"Hey guys! Come over here! I got something to tell 'ya!"

They walked over and Lee said,"Hello Naruto-kun! What is it that you wanted to tell us!" in his usual boisterous voice.

"Well... I'm going to be leaving again."

"What! Why!" cried Ino.

"I'm going to be going on a training trip. First, I'm going to train with this guy, then he's gonna have me train with someone even stronger!" Naruto said enthusiastically.

"Well, that's great and all, but why are you leaving so soon? You just got back from training." said Tenten, with others voicing the same thing.

"Because... I'm not strong enough to beat Pein."

"Pein?" They all questioned.

"He's the leader of Akatsuki," He replied, spitting Akatsuki out with venom and malice,"He killed Jiraya, and he said that I was just as strong as he was by the time I had learned the Fuuton Rasengan. I couldn't match Pein and the level I'm at right now, so I have to become even stronger."

They would have to understand. He wouldn't want to get into an argument, because he had to leave right now. Even if they did argue, he would have to diffuse the situation quickly.

"You can't leave right now! At least wait for a while before you leave," said Ino.

"I can't. I have to leave now. To gain strength. For all our sakes," Said Naruto, trying to get away as fast as possible from this conversation.

"But... can't you just get stronger here?" said Rock Lee.

Naruto sighed and said, "No. My teacher said that I can only be taught at a special mountain, far away from Konoha. I'm sorry, guys," And he jumped away, leaving them behind.

XXXXXX

Naruto met the old toad at the front gates of the village, wrinkly warts and all.

"Sup, toad man!" Exclaimed Naruto.

The old toad sighed,"That's sensei to you now."

"Well then lets hit the road, sensei," Naruto said, adding a joking tone to his voice.

The old toad just ignored it. He said," Are you sure you want to leave your village again, so quick? I mean you just got back. All the people you haven't said hi to. Are you sure you want to leave right now?"

Naruto exuberantly yelled,"Definitely, old toad!" The sage grew a tick on his face," I'll come back, and I'll be able to defeat Pein! And then I'll become Hokage."

The toad grew a melancholy look on his face, with foresight.

'Only if there's a Konoha left, Naruto-kun'

XXXXXX

Sweet! First chapter of the Perfect Ninja, and there's already a slight foreboding of... well you'll just have to read on.

And for a slight spoiler, (not a big surprise for those who read the summaries) Rock Lee plays a large role in this story.

Let see.. Pairings:

I dunno, the story really won't be that big on pairs. Maybe NarutoxOC?