Slowly opening his eyes Naruto looked around the dark cave seeing that save for a single black and red cloud robed figure he was alone. Last night he had been sleeping in Yamato-sensei's instant camp when something woke him up. There was a gray mist filling the room before he fell asleep again. As the figure stood up Naruto began to realize he had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki.
"Let me go now or I'll beat the living day lights out of you, believe it!" shouted Naruto as he struggled against the bonds, but they were tied unusually well.
"We, I, have no intention on harming you Naruto Uzumaki," said the Akatsuki member turning around in the darkness. His head seemed almost transparent in the shadow only revealing vague features and outlines.
"Like hell! I saw what you guys did to Gaara and my friends," shouted Naruto while working to get his hands free from their bindings.
The figure, apparently mad, quickly closes the space between the two in the span of a few steps. This person didn't act like any of the Akatsuki he had met before, but Naruto watched carefully to be sure. While Sakura and Chiyo-baba fought Sasori he had gone off to chase down Deidra. There had been more than one occasion where on a mission he found Sakura sitting awake wondering if perhaps the Scorpion of the Red Sand might have lived and would seek vengeance.
"Enough!" shouted his captor as he stepped into the light.
For a moment Naruto just stared at the face he saw behind the high collar of the cloak. The spikey blonde hair, deep blue eyes, boyish face. For a moment Naruto thought maybe he was looking into a mirror., but realized the figure was much older than himself. Genjutsu? Henge? Silently his mouth opened and closed slightly as words of feigned bravery or boast failed to come out. The blonde Akatsuki member tilted his head slightly revealing his whole face. A face Naruto knew almost as well as his own.
"Yondaime? Why… you were our hero. You saved us…," stammered Naruto refusing to believe what he was seeing. "A trick! You're nothing but Itachi playing with my mind with some genjutsu or someone using a henge to torture me for information."
The smile Yondaime wore slowly faded into a frown as he shook his head. Realizing this was the truth Naruto began to frown as well upon realizing the person he had looked up to for so long had turned out to be a traitor.
"Why?" was all Naruto could say.
"Because I was driving out of Konoha, Naruto. When Sarutobi selected me to be his successor both he and I made many enemies. The Kyubi was sent against our village by those fearing I'd a thread to their schemes. If I hadn't made it appear I had died in sealing it inside of you they would have turned my name into mud in hope of discrediting me," explained Yondaime casting his gaze aside. "Since I was no longer a threat they spared my reputation."
"Fine, I can believe that. Yeah… I can see how you would want to fix the village by gathering power ninja to help you, but the Akatsuki? Why not Tsunade and Jiraiya since they were out of the village at the time?"
To Naruto's surprise Yondaime laughed with his grin returning to his face.
"You mean raise an army and attack Konoha?" he asked bending down and rubbing Naruto's head.
"No, I mean…" stammered Naruo attempting to correct himself.
"I know what you mean, but the only answer would be a direct attack. Despite being wrong by them I don't wish them or any other village harm. That is the real intent of this organization I founded. To bring peace to this world by controlling the Biju. While most of the members are a bit questionable in their methods it is for the common good, Naruto," said Yondaime as he reached down cutting the bonds binding Naruto's legs with an odd shaped kunai.
"By the look in your eyes I guess you don't believe me. Not that I can blame you after Sasori and Deidra. You couldn't well expect the Suna village just to hand over their Kazekage with the reputation we had gathered by that point, right?"
"Maybe, but I can't forgive Itachi for what he did to Sasuke, believe it!" shouted Naruto as he attempted to position himself to jump into Yondaime.
The former fourth Hokage of Konoha knew what Naruto was planning before he got up onto his feet, and had already taken a step to the side before the boy had propelled himself forward.
"The Uchiha were among the worst of my enemies. Of the four noble houses of Konoha they had the most power and control. The Hyuuga were and are content with their traditions. The Aburame could care less for politics. Danzou has power among the Anbu and who do you think mostly made up the Anbu before Itachi's slaughter? The Akimichis? Itachi did go overboard in killing everyone in his clan, but he too had believed the false rumors about our organization and thought the extra slaughter would help on his resume."
"You aren't going to harm me, eh? So the extraction painlessly kills me then?" asked Naruto laying on the floor where he landed. He turned over so he could rub the ropes around his hands on a sharp rock he found.
"I have no intention of extracting the Kyubi from you if you join us. Then the last of the Uzumakis would be together to bring the world peace. Don't look surprised. You have your mother's nose, poor sister. The Kyubi attacking the village was Orochimaru's doing, but your mother was dealt a fatal wound in a botched attempt on my life by Danzou. Knowing I couldn't remain in the village I gave you the Kyubi hoping if they tried to take out their vengeance on you in my absence that it would protect you. Forgive me for not thinking it clearly through that having the Kyubi sealed inside of you would attract trouble, but it was in the middle of a battle and my sister had been killed by an Uchiha in front of my own eyes."
"I refuse to believe you," whispered Naruto in a broken tone. It was more for himself than Yondaime.
"If you must. I'll be back later to offer you the choice again," said Yondaime before vanishing into the air.