"You're sure this is the best plan Itachi?" Nagato looked over at the black haired Uchiha. He almost couldn't believe his ears. What he was suggesting could either go very well and make everything much easier for everyone, or it would blow up in their faces.
"It's a better plan then hoping for the best later on. Waiting for them to grow will only make their capture more difficult. If we strike while they're weak we can bring them to our side. I've been watching the nine tails. Convincing it will be simple." Itachi said in a quiet voice. He had been back to Konoha to see his brother. From afar of course, while he was checking out how long it took for the village to realize there was an intruder.
"Having the one tails and nine tails a head of time would be smart; they have always been the strongest." Konan looked up from her lap. It would be good to have something to do that didn't involve anything with the mist.
"You have got to be kidding me. You can't honestly think that having two brats under foot for the next 5 years is a good idea." Hidan scoffed at them all. They were more soft hearted then he realized.
"Its wiser to get them now. Or would you rather wait and then have to sneak in to a village on alert to capture a mature Jinchuriki?" Itachi said lowly.
"You all realize how much it costs to have kids around right?" Kakuzu looked up at Nagato with what appeared to be a skeptical expression.
"What say you Sasori?" Nagato turned to look at the sleepy red head.
"Ones from Suna? I guess I don't care either way. So long as they aren't pests." Sasori just looked back off into space.
"Then go ahead Itachi. Take Konan with you. They may both respond better to her." Nagato stood up and walked out of the meeting room.
"Two kids? Really?" Kakuzu just looked at Itachi "I think someone misses playing big brother. What were you doing at the leaf anyway?"
"Checking defense times. They are quite slow." Itachi rolled his shoulder and looked to Konan "I'm going to run some reconnaissance. Ill contact you when we strike."
Konan nodded and left as well.
Hidan snorted "Strike. Right. Because a ten-year-old is the hardest target."
"When you want someone to come willingly and quietly it is. Unless having the Kyubi lose control and blow our cover is a better option to you?"
Hidan just scoffed and he and Kakuzu left.
"Do you need back up?" Kisame asked cracking his knuckles.
"Two would raise suspicion. I'll be back soon." Itachi gave Kisame a nod and left to pack a bag for an extended trip to the leaf. How hard could it be? He has seen the boy from a far, it shouldn't be difficult to lead him away from the protection of his jounin minders.
Naruto hunched in on himself as he trudged to the narled old tree outside his academy building. The swing there had always been a source of comfort and peace amid a village of glares and fear. He wouldn't let it get to him. He couldn't let it get to him.
The words rang in his head. Freak. Monster. Demon. Failure. He pretended not to hear them as the words hurled past him. The reason behind the words he couldn't understand. He didn't remember being a monster. Or a demon. He had poor chakra control which is where Failure may come from, but the others just didn't make sense.
He could hear them. Even when they made an effort to be quiet. He could sense the glares and the fear as they dug into his back. Nothing ever seemed to go right and now he really was alone.
The one person he trusted to care, to help him, considered him a failure like everyone else.
He had run to the Hokages office that day to ask about some kind of favor, when he had stopped short at the office door. There had been voices inside. Old man, Iruka, and someone he didn't recognize. Not directly anyway.
Old man had asked how he was doing at the Academy and Iruka had him hawed around for a moment before saying "I just don't think he will be cut out for this."
Naruto had run before he had a chance to hear anymore. It hurt enough hearing it from strangers, he didn't need to hear it from people he cared about as well.
He slumped onto the swing and kicked into the dirt in hurt and disappointment, his heart constricting at the notion that Ramen was about to get a lot more expensive, and lonely. It didn't taste as good when he ate it by himself.
Itachi couldn't believe his luck. He thought for sure he would have to wait around for something to happen or to be able to coax the Jinchuriki away from anyone and yet there he sat. Alone. By looks of it lonely. He pressed his necklace to call for Konan and waited a bit until he felt the Anbu presence leave the clearing.
They were watching the boy, but apparently didn't care enough to witness a pity party.
He waited for the tell tale shuddered breath that was always his brother's indicator that he was upset, and when he heard it he slipped out of cover and sat down next to the blonde at the roots of the great tree. Making sure that he couldn't be seen from the road.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly which made the boy startle.
Naruto looked at the black haired Ninja with black and red robes suspiciously. He hadn't heard him approach. He rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes "I'm fine."
"Doesn't look like it to me." He plucked a piece of grass from in front of him, keeping a sharp ear out for any disturbances.
"What would you know?" Naruto pointedly looked away from the stranger.
"I know a bit about being blamed for something you had no control over. Having a village turn against you, ignore you for something you didn't even do. I also know the hatred that comes from something I did do. So I think I can tell when someone is being treated unfairly over something they had no say in." He looked up at the wide eyed boy who was staring at him like he had just grown two heads.
"Do you know why?" He asked, not daring to hope for someone to actually tell him something.
"They hate you for what's inside of you. The nine tailed fox."
He had heard the story to many times to count. He also knew of the containers. At least it explained some things.
"You know. You don't have to be treated this way." Itachi didn't know which route to take, so he decided on the chance of love first.
"I don't have anywhere else to go." He looked down at his dirty sandal and kicked a rock away.
"You could leave with me." Itachi tried for nonchalance.
"I don't even know who you are." Narutos hands tightened on the ropes holding his swing.
"Itachi. I live far from here. With others who want peace for all the nations. An end to the Shinobi wars."
Naruto looked at him again. If Itachi had wanted to kill him he could have just done it. Its not like he would have been able to stop him. No one was around this area this time of day either so he could have snapped his neck and no one would even know "How do I know this isn't a trap?"
"Well I guess you wont know. We will care about you though. Keep you fed and train you. You will be accepted. Understood." He sensed Konans presence in his previous hiding spot "You would be welcome with us. We want you there."
"Why?" Naruto didn't unsdertand. No one wanted him.
"Because no one deserves to be treated the way you have."
Naruto just looked at him.
"My friend Konan is here. Would you be okay with meeting her?" He almost had him. He could see the idea sticking. He just needed to cement it.
Naruto shrugged and watched as a blue haired women stepped out from behind the trees.
"Naruto right?" She asked as she approached.
"Yeah."
"Were you going to come with us?"
Naruto looked between the two ninja. He didn't know how much worse it could be where they were, compared to where he was now. Where they lived no one would know anything about him. He wouldn't be stared at for apparently being the Jinchuriki. So he did the only thing that made sense at the time. He nodded to her and stood up from the swing.
Itachi did an internal sigh of relief, but then he felt the chakra of two ninja approaching "Time to go Konan. Ready Naruto?"
Naruto nodded, and just as he took Konans hand Iruka and Kakashi raced towards him.
"Naruto!" Iruka shouted just as the blonde and women disappeared in a storm of paper strips. He narrowed in on the other other Ninja who stood there for a moment.
Itachi watched them draw close "You didn't think to care for him. So we're taking him." Before disappearing in a cloud of white smoke as well.
Iruka and Kakashi shared a look before bolting back to the Hokages tower.
When Naruto and Konan appeared back at the Akatsuki base the blonde looked up at the gaping cave mouth "You live in a cave?"
Konan let a small smile fall in place "Its much nicer inside. Shall we get you settled? Then we should introduce you to everyone."
Naruto nodded and followed her into the shadowed mouth of the cave, giving one last look to the blinding sun. Hoping he wasn't willingly walking right into a trap. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
