Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I own this story, which is good enough...

Warnings: mild violence and Killer Bee


A bright fluorescent light was glaring inside the room through the glass window, making those in the room sound out little noises of complaint. In a tangle of limbs, Nagato made one last attempt to roll away from the one who so boldly chose to ruin his slumber. Opening one violet eye slowly, the man glanced around and his gaze focused onto a mop of blond hair under his chin. He tried to sit up slightly, but found just whose limbs were halting his movement. Suddenly a soft mewl sounded off underneath him and the tanned boy shifted his torso fully onto his own, soft golden tresses nuzzling and tickling under his chin. Nagato felt like the room just got a few degrees warmer.

"Naruto," he whispered soothingly, trying to wake him up as calmly as possible.

"Mmhm?" It just caused him to wrap his arms around the elder's neck, leaning in. This caused Nagato's face to incontestably flush and he quickly pushed the unconscious teen to the side.

"We should get moving, Jiraiya sensei, Naruto." He made sure to call in a bellowing tone to effectively wake them.

Both shinobi woke with a start, immediately looking around to see if they were being attacked.

"Oh, Nagato, it was you. Ohayo~" Naruto gave his signature grin, eyes closed but head up towards the red head.

Said man turned around to hide a suspicious red tinting to his facial features. Coughing, he added, "We should get going. It's already late in the morning. I'll go wake the others. Jiraiya sensei?" He motioned in a questioning manner for said sannin to help him. Wanting to just march out then and there, he waited for the white haired sage to lift him with an arm around his shoulders as they went to the room diagonal to theirs.

"Oi, Nagato. Are you blu-shing?" The old man rolled his tongue on the last word.

Nagato wished he could just march out of that room alone and pretend like nothing was wrong- to avoid any more embarrassing encounters- but alas, that was too good to be true. This is why shinobi wear masks and purge emotions. When they got to the door, Nagato knocked softly, only increasing the force when he got no answer. A minute later, a drowsy Kushina opened it, still rubbing one eye.

"Kushina-san, please have you three immediately get ready. We're leaving soon." With an obnoxious yawn barely stifled behind a hand and a few nods, the woman walked back inside, closing the door in the process.

Sighing inwardly, the flame haired Sanninme no Rikudou had the two head back inside their own room where a young, oblivious blonde was still waking from his torpidity.


One sassy blonde and an inappropriate, cult-obsessed man strolled through a small village and came to a shop hidden between two food stands. Inside they were bombarded with various weapons and sealing tags, along with other important materials for shinobi-use.

"What can I do for you? Oh, aren't you Kakuzu's partner? Do you know if he has made any good catches recently? Tell him to come back and do business again." The aged man leered towards Hidan and gave him an unnerving smile. Not that he was unnerved by it at all.

"Kakuzu- that dumb shit bit the dust. Maybe he could just give himself to you." The Jashin worshiper darkly chuckled and started going on about how he should've come to Jashin-sama's side before he kicked the bucket.

"We just came for 2,500 kunai, 2,800 exploding tags, and whatever new merchandise you're monopolizing, hm." The brown-grey haired, dull-eyed man smirked and strove towards a back room they hadn't noticed at first. A couple minutes later he was holding a long, narrow wooden box. The way the old man was simpering, it was obvious to the other two that what was in it was a bit on the expensive side.


"Bee is alive! That message implied he was and Bee wouldn't be defeated that easily!" The Raikage was seething down at some of his shinobi. Apparently they held doubts over the Hachibi jinchuuriki's well-being.

"H-hai Raikage-sa-sama," they tried not to tremble at their leader's wrath. He could get quite dangerous when even a little upset. They bowed low and rushed out of the room without ever meeting his gaze.

"Darui, come with me. We're searching for him ourselves!"

"Where to, though?"

"..."

The Yondaime's mouth fell slightly open at the thought that he 'again' acted impulsively and didn't have a clue in the world. "We...should search the outskirts of the village first, of course. And... go from there."

"In other words, you don't know." He exasperatedly drew out a long sigh, one that got pointed glares from the other man with him. "Well we could try that, but he definitely wouldn't stay that close. Probably should check the areas with dense patches of forest, since he'd never be stupid enough to hide in an open area." With that, they both walked side-by-side out of the village, minds set with poignant determination.


A seventeen-year old with dark hair suddenly woke with a start. Passed out from thirteen hours earlier, he still felt drained of all energy. With sheer will alone, he pulled himself up with the rigid bark and huffed as his legs almost bucked. Slowly, but surely, the young Uchiha stumbled around. His destination: only forward. He will just keep going forward never looking back. He didn't have enough strength even in his mind to think of a better solution. This curse won't kill him per say, but its affect has the purpose to definitely have anyone with it to wish for their own death. He was too stubborn for that, though. He'll just have to get right back up and find a solution himself. Then he can worry about inflicting revenge on the old geezer, even in death.


"You seven will come with me to Kumogakure. We leave tomorrow morning, so meet at the front gates early." Neji, Sakura, Yamato, Kakashi, Lee, Sai, and Hinata all bowed to Tsunade and dispersed.

An ANBU suddenly dropped down from who knows where and dropped to one knee in respect.

"Have this given to the Cryptanalysis department to encrypt it so that only the Kumo Cryptanalysis team can read it. Then have them send it to the Aviary to deliver it straight to the Raikage."

After standing up and presenting a low bow, the ANBU shun-shined to his destination.


"What is it? Another message from Kabuto?"

"Iie. From Deidara's team and Zabuza's. Apparently they are finished with everything for now and met up at a new hide out." Nagato showed Konan the crumpled scroll.

"Nagato, should we have them meet up with us then?"

"No, Naruto. They have to keep watch for intruders and set up traps. It takes a lot of effort finding a useful area suitable for a headquarters. Besides, we're almost there. See?" Nagato held up a hand by the blonde's temple and pointed somewhere out in the distance.

"This...this is the Land of Whirlpools?" He asked incredulously, not believing a civilized land used to be there.

"Some sections still look like this. His voice held regard and regret.

"Have you been here before, Nagato-san?" Karin directed at the other, with the same expression as her blond cousin.

"Once." They all paused to take in the lack of view. From all the eye could see so far, burnt trees littered the dusty ground and planks of fragmented wood were skewed about. Some belongings that people once owned were strewn about the 'doorways' of 'houses'. Really, the houses were more like broken bridges; flattened and burnt to nothing as the remnants lay in puddles connected to flowing streams.

The blue haired woman decided to break the silence, albeit quietly. "Let's get moving."

As the six continued on, spotting some livable homes here and there, they soon came to a wide field of growing rice and other crops separated from each other. A far ways down past it, there were what appeared as traditional cottages lined up in three long rows. With their incredible shinobi eyesight, they could see figures moving to and fro the fields carrying woven baskets. They quickly made their way to the site.

XxX

The group walked around the tiny village and made note of their activities. The simple way everyone completed a task in-synch with those around them and continued on with something else right after; how the people took turns harvesting some crops while others brought it to the desired destination. The way some women and young boys were standing around in a couple booths spaced out from each other, selling but also bartering with a couple customers for these same crops or in some cases clothes or necessity items.

Naruto was in complete and utter awe. Everyone is living in these circumstances, but they all seem content and at peace. They're all working together to function as a whole. No. They ARE a whole. After everything that happened to these people. It's unbelievable! Naruto smiled at Nagato and Jiraiya, trying to convey his thoughts. However, they were lost in thoughts of their own as they stared at the scene around them.

"Excuse me, are you travellers? We haven't had any passer-by's in months!" A boy with burgundy-red hair, height that reached only to Naruto's shoulders, and golden-tan skin tapped the blonde's arm. He peered up at him with glistening hazelnut eyes that anyone could tell were overjoyed. Right then, a girl who matched the boy's appearance almost exactly, only with sharper features, ran to his side. Both adolescents were so beautiful and alike that you almost wouldn't be able to tell them apart, nor their gender, if not for what they were wearing. The girl wore a sleeveless short tan dress that criss-crossed under her collarbone while the boy dressed in a dark blue yukata that came down to his ankles, the sleeves tied up.

As everyone seemed finished with 'sizing up' the two villagers, they thought it impolite to ignore the boy's question for any longer. This time Karin did the talking, though, as she bent forward with one hand grasping her left hip and the other holding her glasses in place.

"Yes, we are travellers. However, we are planning on staying in this country for a while. Do you know where Uzushiogakure is located? Or...where it used to be?" She tried to form her words cautiously, but then figured it wouldn't matter in the face of these two innocents.

Immediately troubled expressions replaced the overjoyed ones. The six didn't pay it any mind and waited patiently for the two to answer.

The girl spoke up to Karin. "Hai. It used to be a ways north of here. It was raided and run down by intruders until a few years ago. After decades of giving in, some men in surrounding villages couldn't take it anymore and tried fighting them off. They left but... most of the men had died, too."

"So, if we went there right now, it would be inhabited and rebuilt?" Kushina asked with a smooth, gentle voice. The girl 'mm-ed' an answer back but added, "as much as they could with what little strength the leftover men had. There really aren't many of them. And most went back to their villages to their wives and children. Our grandparents were apparently from Uzushiogakure but they left when they were so young and took refuge here. Our parents died from one of the swarms of intruders."

Naruto took note of this. "One of the swarms? For how many years did how many swarms of attacks come?" He didn't really want to know. The look on the siblings' faces told it all.

"Well... we're going to make it right! I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto! And this right here using my services is Nagato and that's Karin and next to her is Konan. And that old man over there is Ero-Sennin and right next to him is my wonderful kaa-san, Kushina!" He pointed to everyone and gave the two kids a wide, closed-eyed grin. "What are your names?"

The blonde opened his eyes to see the other twos' wide and unbelieving. Their mouths copied each other perfectly with the amount they were hanging open. The boy seemed to come to his senses first and reflected Naruto's smile. "I'm Uzumaki Kaoru and this is my twin, Chizuru!"

XxX

"This is where we live and the others help us out sometimes. All the homes look like this, too!" Chizuru directed at the guests.

They all walked in further and surprisingly, it was quite spacious on the inside. There weren't many chairs and the ones that were there were all noticeably handcrafted and made of oak. They chose to sit on the woolen rugs covering the whole of the wooden flooring and continued with their talk. Nagato, being the leader he is, felt like doing most of the talking. "So how did you two end up living alone with each other? And how did you go unnoticed from the intruders when you were living so close to Uzushiogakure the whole time?" His voice was questioning.

Hands clasped tightly in her lap, legs crossed over each other while sitting in the oaken rocking chair, Chizuru slumped out of a quick daze. "At first it was our grandfather who mostly protected us. But he passed away about six summers ago. Our grandmother died the year before him. Since then these villagers have been looking out for us. Everyone here looks out for each other, actually. We all have our roles to play and we're happy with the way things are!" Her face quickly brightened up at the end.

"Would you two like to come with us, then? We're all Uzumaki save Jiraiya-san and Konan." Nagato offered calmly, knowing what their answers would be. Although a couple minutes passed by before he received it.

With barely audible voices, the two replied synchronously. "Hai."


Making their way through the shrubbery dusted in pure white snow, the yondaime and Darui continued heading northeast from the village. All of a sudden a shaky voice could be heard calling out to the pair.

"Raikage-sama!" The messenger was actually a pretty low-level shinobi and was surprised at having been handed this important task out of nowhere. He just remembers walking past the Raikage's lone hallway to go meet with his boss in the Aviary when another female kunoichi with short, bobbed, blond hair grabbed his arm and shoved a rolled up scroll in his hand. She told him to give this to the Raikage immediately, who had left the village some while ago, and turned and left. The man had to ask around the Raikage headquarters to get any info on where their leader went. The best he got was that the yondaime was seen heading east-northeast from the village gates and he started in that general direction. After what seemed like forever, he finally felt the familiar, intimidating chakra emanating a little ways from his current location. He called out breathlessly until he finally saw him with his close subordinate. "Raikage-sama! There-there's an urgent message for you."

The two men stopped mid-step and casually turned around to face the new guest. They took note of his disheveled appearance and low rank and became confused. If it was so important, why send somebody like this instead of an actual, professional messenger or an ANBU? The Raikage outstretched his hand and waited for the out of breath shinobi to relinquish the mysterious item. Once he did so, the Raikage bid him permission to leave as they waited for him to fade from sight.

Darui took a step closer to his friend. "What is it about?" The Raikage unrolled it and held it up for both to see, having this much trust in the other to have him view it without his prior knowledge on what it holds. On it was a coded note with the translation neatly inscribed below it. The translation read:

Raikage-sama, I have sent a group of seven your way on the 15th to discuss important matters. As Hokage, I took the liberty of joining their ranks. More will be told in private upon arrival. Expect us there in four days' time.

Also, do you know 'the friends' that are to help us?

Darui noticed the utter surprise in his friend's eyes. He wanted to question him on the last part, but figured the lightning nin would confide in him on the matter if necessary. The two continued on with their present mission.


Killer Bee was in pure bliss as he listened to his enka master sing. My style will be altered in a whole new light, yeah. I better start planning for my upcoming concert. His shishou Kin-sama was settled atop his trusty companion, Ponta the raccoon. "Go ahead Bee, let me hear what you've learned."

Bee opened his mouth and was about to give quite a performance, but an unwelcomed guest interrupted his 'show'.

"Who are you? Bakayaro, konoyaro!" A tall figure stepped out of the shadows as each step he sunk more into the thick blanket of snow. The crunching sound was the main indication that there was an intruder to the jinchuuriki.

As the man stepped into the light, the two (plus raccoon) noticed the eerie appearance. Light blue skin that made the dead look healthier than him. White, round eyes that seemed to stare into one's soul or mind and analyse any situation with ease. A large, wrapped object covering the man's back that had to be some form of weapon. The sharp teeth reminded the jinchuuriki about a Kirigakure nin he once had the pleasure of fighting as a kid. The biggest detail about who he is was the cloak the man wore. After Bee and the other two finished sizing up the new presence, they demanded his reason for being there.

"I'm just here for the Hachibi, you should know that."

"Kin-sama. He's one of the Akatsuki. Stand back and I'll take care of him." Kin and Ponta made no sign of moving, but Bee knew they were competent enough to keep themselves from dying in the face of this S-ranked nin. Bee turned and directed his following comments to the fishy guy. I should write that down. After said action, "I'll erase you in a jiff. So be prepared, bakayaro, konoyaro!"

The Akatsuki member slightly scoffed. "I searched high and low for you, Hachibi. My great blade Samehada loves powerful chakra, and it seems like yours would be a perfect meal. Sorry, but you're going to be food for my Samehada. Don't worry though, because I won't kill you." His voice died off with each syllable in the frigid air, although calm and collected. Obvious that he was used to this sort of thing and fully confident to defeat his strong opponent.

Killer Bee waved his hands in emphasis. "But I'll kill you; I'll show you that we're worlds apart in power." Bee was unphased by the odd man's apparent strength and imposing demeanor.

Ponta and Kin took this time to back up behind the confines of the first layer of trees surrounding the open area. Seeing this, the rhyming Kumo nin threw a pencil enhanced by high-frequency oscillations generated by lightning. It whizzed past the man's ear but Bee's objective was different, as he used that time to rush at the blue Akatsuki member with two katana. His blades were vibrating as he thrust one at his target with blinding speed and agility. However, said target saw this and used his Samehada as a shield, the wrapping coming undone and revealing what looked like a bush of dermal denticles. (What shark's skin is made of. That's why it's so rough.)The vibrating immediately stopped as his katana made contact with the other blade. He directed his other sword at the man's chest but was dodged at the last second.

"How did you stop Bee's super vibrato lightning blade?" Kin asked incredulously from his safety in the woods. The Akatsuki member just smirked and waited for the jinchuuriki's next move. Bee twisted out of reach and summoned a full Hachibi cloak with 8 eight tails. As the red chakra spread to the weapons in his hands, he continued on with the attack. Only when he made contact with Samehada again, along with head-butting the other and kicking one leg at the other's kneecap did he begin to grasp the situation. The chakra disappeared.

"You've probably noticed by now, but my Samehada sucks out the chakra from anything in close proximity of it. Your octopus-flavoured chakra seems really delicious to him. Samehada rarely gets this worked up."

It was hard to tell Killer Bee's expression or thoughts with his eyes hidden behind the shades. If he didn't wear them, he might look a little worried. "You... eeto..."

"Hoshigaki Kisame. Pleased to meet you after the fact." He, although the enemy, was courteous to strong opponents.

They both got serious. Bee sensed that most of his chakra was stolen and spoke up to the Hachibi. Yo, most of my chakra got taken away from those last few exchanges. So lend me yours, yeah?

If it weren't for me, you'd have been gone a long time ago. The Hachibi grunted out and did as requested.

Not wanting to cause too much damage or give away his location, Bee decided not to go all out and do a full transformation but instead entered Bijuu version two form. Thanks for your hospitality, yeah!

Kisame observed the transformation into a maroon, beast form with seven tails protruding out the back and horns on top the head. This is a lot more chakra than before. Even Samehada can't absorb that much. Not fully paying attention, he braced himself for impact as the jinchuuriki lashed himself at Samehada. Not being able to remove all the power surging out from the bijuu form, Kisame was thrown back, skidding across the snowy floor. Killer Bee reverted back to his version one state, surprised of how much was managed to be taken away with just that clash.

"Now you've done it." Kisame held open the tattered cloak to reveal the nasty opening in his abdomen, dark blood hiding the severity of the wound. A sizzling sound broke the silence as the wound healed up. "The stronger the opponent, the stronger I become. I do not tire, nor do I fall."

Kin yelled out, "It seems his blade transfers the absorbed chakra into him in the form of stamina!"

As if on cue, the handle of Samehada slithered out if the black sleeve as the main part of the blade lessened in size.

"I'm called the tailless bijuu." Kisame held a satisfied grin as he felt reenergized. Suddenly his mouth puffed out. Water style: super exploding water shock wave! Exclaiming mentally, a large body of water now encompassed them and continued on for miles through the woods and sky. This time, Kisame did the transforming and appeared in a half shark- half humanoid form. Ponta and Kin were caught up in the assault as well. It took all of their power to keep air in their lungs and not drown. Kisame rushed at the three with blinding speed, knowing that he had the full advantage now that he was in his 'natural environment'.

Seeing what the shark-man was after, Bee swung around using his lightning style and swam to Ponta and Kin-sama. Before Kisame could swipe at the two, his blade collided with another vibrating katana and Samehada jolted in ecstasy at the embrace.

"The longer you stay in here, the weaker you'll get." Bee couldn't answer, not having communication under water as one of his talents. Bee entered his version two state again and grabbed Ponta's tail, effectively dragging him and Kin through the water to find a way out. As Kisame came at them, a voice erupted in Bee's mind.

Bee, you can't take him by running. He can breathe underwater and is faster than us here. Pay attention, the water is in motion and he's at the centre. Meaning where he moves the water will move with him and you won't get anywhere. Since he only wants you, leave the raccoon and enka geezer and travel in the opposite direction. Then go all out.

Doing as told, Bee let go of the tail and swam away, waiting to be followed. The shark-nin just smirked and kept swimming towards the two. What?!

Bee dashed at the man and swung, but Kisame was expecting this. What he wasn't expecting was for the jinchuuriki to change his lower half into perfect octopus legs. His body was trapped by the suction cups and his attack was stopped.

Ponta and Kin took this chance to exit the water prison, but the tight hold Bee had on the lower fins and legs had a big consequence. His chakra depleted almost completely and his body slackened. Bee knew how dire the situation was and now that he didn't have to worry about protecting his friends, he chose to make a run for it. Puffing up his mouth wide, like a chipmunk collecting nuts for a long hibernation/winter, he spurted out thick ink that made the water opaque. Kisame lost all vision as Bee swam in the direction the ink hadn't covered yet. However, the ink didn't stop the water from being able to sense the chakra lurking inside. Kisame came after him nonetheless and buffeted him until he was barely conscious. Undoing the jutsu, Kisame stood over the body strewn on the now not so snowy ground (they had moved quite a distance away from the initial location). Kisame unattached Samehada from his body, which was how he was able to go into shark form, and held the sharp blade above the jinchuuriki's lower half. As he swung, Samehada dug himself into the ground to prevent the impact and bit Kisame from the handle. Letting go, he dodged another attack the blade tried inflicting upon its user. "Don't tell me you've become attached to the Hachibi, Samehada?" Kisame inquired, flabbergasted.

The sword just hissed and brought its handle onto the unloving body, pouring the stolen chakra back into the man. Out from behind Kisame kicked the great blade a few meters away into a tree and picked up a lone katana discarded on the ground. "Shall we exchange weapons, then?" Waking up, Bee felt power surge into his body and he grabbed an extra pencil from his front pocket. Just as Kisame was about to cut off a limb or two, the pencil, glowing from the technique he had used earlier, flew past the white-eyed shinobi. "Too bad."

"Yes, that's too bad." Kisame grinned, not understanding why the jinchuuriki had said that. The katana had cut cleanly off and behind the two were Darui and the fourth Raikage. Great. That was one of my favourites. And now I'm found. At least I'm not dead, yeah!

Darui called out to the jinchuuriki laying beneath the Akatsuki member. "Sorry we're late, Bee!"

Bee didn't acknowledge Darui so much as he did the other. "Brother..."

"How did you find us, Raikage?" Kisame was far past annoyed now.

"You caused quite a scene. Did you really think no one would notice that water dome above our heads? We close already and sensed Bee's chakra signature inside." Darui did the talking, seeing as how the yondaime wasn't making any notion to.

Out of nowhere, Killer Bee felt more power and energy succumb him and looked down at Samehada. Red chakra emitted from his body. "Let's do it, Bee."

"Okay, brother!"

Kisame couldn't compare to the two's speed as a double lariat locked with his neck when he was about to call upon another water technique. Before his heart stopped beating and mind stopped functioning, he spoke as his head rolled to the ground... "I must say, you two are too fast. Congrats." When it was certain the life had left him completely, the Raikage and Bee faced each other, an anxious smile from Bee not met from the other.

"Brother..." suddenly a hand grasped his head in a tight lock and Bee started to go dizzy.

"Wandering around nowhere Bee!" The Raikage exclaimed, by no means less than pissed off.

Bee squirmed out of the grip, trying to grasp the hand off his head. "Even your non-dominant arm does me a lot o' harm! Sound the alarm!" Even in a time like this, his unbearable rapping is still in effect. Darui and the Raikage rolled their eyes, shook their heads, and sighed. The hand loosened and rested on a shoulder instead. "Let's go home Bee." With that said, Bee grunted and followed in pursuit of the already meters-away pair, Samehada wrapped around his arm and holster on his back.

A/N: I know it was very similar to the actual scene in the anime (and probably the manga), but since I wanted to keep it in canon at times I couldn't just make it completely up. So I altered it a bit and twisted it around, but for the most part, sorry for the 're-run', I guess you could say.


A dark figure emerged out of the dense woods, hood up to obscure his face. Reaching a long, pale hand into his side pouch he took out a white linen cloth, a scalpel, and a small pair of tweezers. With scalpel in hand, index finger and thumb pinching said item with care, a cut was made into the chest lain on the ground with precision. What was removed was carefully placed using the tweezers into the cloth and stashed away, along with a few strands of ebony hair. With the present task now finished, Kabuto made sure to seal the body into a scroll and left with no trace to be found.


"That was pretty quick. I thought it'd take at least a couple weeks. Thankfully there was good weather over the seas." Neji wore a thoughtful look but continued walking just behind Tsunade and Kakashi.

"Tsunade-sama. Aren't you going to tell us why we've come here yet? I know it's something to do with the war, but there's more to it right?" Sakura called out from the back of the group, determined to make her fifteenth time asking the last.

They reached the main gates of Kumogakure and were confusedly welcomed through. It seems most people hadn't gotten the message yet of their planned arrival. Only when they continued on to the point that they were right outside the Raikage headquarters did Tsunade stop. She held up one hand, never turning around, and did a quick wave to simply shake the question off. "We're here to meet with the Raikage." She replied innocently, not about to answer anyone's questions.

They swerved around many hallways and up five flights of stairs until they came to a large, rounded, hickory door. Before a knock could be made, the door swung open to reveal an eccentric maverick of some sort. The words he spewed out in a flash as a retort to whatever the Raikage was talking to him about was an assurance to this conclusion.

Kakashi, Lee, and Neji noticed the weapon coiling around his upper arm and back and recognized wear they'd seen it before. Apparently Lee wasn't as forgetful as his sensei. Surprising.

When the two men had stopped arguing, Kakashi couldn't help but speak up. "Where did you get that sword?"

Killer Bee peered to his right and stroked the rough material, who somehow purred from the action. "In my last fight, yeah."

Kakashi's eyes widened at the casual statement. He remembered the odd partner of Uchiha Itachi those few years back when they came to Konoha.

Tsunade stepped through the doorway with bold surety and stood in front of the Raikage. When everyone else filed in slowly she sighed and eyed him up and down. Taking out the anonymous message from before from her shirt pocket, she slammed it down on the desk in front of him and waited. Picking it up and letting his eyes run through the short letter, the wheels in his head started turning. "Do you think the other Kage received this as well?"

"Maybe, but I don't believe so. Since they have no contact or relation with Killer Bee. There's probably a reason Konoha was included; our experience with our own jinchuuriki and the fact that he's still alive. However, I think we should notify the other three and call for a meeting. In person."

The rest in the room were still confused, but understood it had something to do with the two remaining jinchuuriki. They remained quiet and waiting for anything to be directed their way.

The Raikage hummed and glanced at Bee, who was stealthily trying to make his escape. "Bee!" When he paused, slowly and hesitantly turned, then reluctantly came back to his side, the Raikage continued. Sweat drops were visible on everyone. "So we'll have them informed and come here in a few days? And what will we be talking about? If it concerns Bee, he's fine under my protection. I'm more concerned about your jinchuuriki." He was glaring by now, annoyed at what he thought was implied incompetence directed at his power and leadership. Tsunade ignored it, of course.

"I'm worried about Uzumaki Naruto, yes. He is not under my protection any longer. But the person who sent this only referred to the Hachibi. That means they know where the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki is and knows that he's safe. They know that Bee, however, is what we should be worrying about. And I'm sure you're as curious as I to know what the first clause meant."

A quiet sneer was let out as the robust man made to answer the Godaime Hokage. "So you lost him? And yet you doubt me? Tell me then, what do YOU think we should do concerning my brother?" Tsunade drew out a heavy sigh.

"I think we should discuss this later in private, don't you think, Raikage-san?" He just rolled his eyes and leaned back into his tall chair.

"How long did you plan on staying?"

"Possibly until the war breaks out and we're called out to fight."

With a grunt and a scowl, the yondaime noted just who was standing before him instead of where she should be at the moment. "And what about Konohagakure, if you're staying so long?" Tsunade smirked at this, anticipating the accusing question. "The interim Hokage[s] are very capable and have been advisors for three Hokage. I'm sure I can leave the village in their hands during my absence." A minute of silence passed until the Raikage finally resigned himself. He called for an attendant stationed outside the room.

"Show them to one of the village's inns and give them a couple rooms free of charge."


The weakened Uchiha made it to the river's edge and fell to his knees hard, taking out a brown canteen/bota bag to fill up. After drinking approximately a quart of the water, which tasted suspiciously salty, he took in his surroundings. Noticing those same trees that happened to be a certain distance from the river as a familiar area he had always passed for missions in the past, the slight hill on the other side of the water, and a rocky cliff farther a-ways to his left continuing east. He gasped loudly and instantly went rigid. I thought I had prepared myself, but I guess this wasn't the idea I had had.

He put the full bota bag he held back into the small bag secured on his back, which he had previously purchased. Standing up on wobbly legs, he went into full alert. He knew he had to go to Konoha to get information on this so-called curse placed on him, but if he's spotted he'd be dispatched in an instant. He also didn't want to see anyone he used to know. Or anyone for that matter. Weakness was not a quality any Uchiha could accept, nor reveal. He pondered for a moment, seeking the next best plan, instead of just moving forward like before. Thinking it over, having the thoughts roll around in his head, he came up with the best outcome. I should travel around the Land of Fire and head around Konoha in a loop. Then enter from the other side where no one would suspect...I'm closer south so I'll make my way through the Land of Rivers. Once I'm perfectly aligned on the other side of Konoha... The dark haired Uchiha lost his train of thought and sighed, but he nodded his head in approval of the plan nonetheless. Pivoting his foot 90° he started heading south.


Currently traveling through the steppes and slopes of the Land of Whirlpools, the group of eight were glad they were more than halfway to their destination. They all halted when the two youngest asked for some water and they came to one of the many streams crossing the land.

"Hey Naruto, one of our main missions is to recover some of the lost Scriptures, is it not?" Karin had walked over and stood next to the bent over blonde, trying to wash his face and cool down.

"Hai. What of it?" He now stopped and looked at her with full attention.

"Well...what will we do if we find out that they've all been stolen or destroyed? It seems likely to be true."

Naruto stood stiff as a board, eyes downcast for some time before meeting the other's again. "I don't think that'll be a problem. The Uzumaki clan was powerful for a reason. They should have been smart enough to protect them in a hidden place all this time." His voice was strong but still laced with worry and traces of hopefulness. Kushina had walked over at some point and felt the need to pitch in.

"He's right! The Uzumaki clan were the secretive type to just seal away a fuuinjutsu technique. Actually, they made it a habit of sealing away random and sentimental objects because thieves later on became more commonplace. One of my guardians as a child told me about it." She adorned at that moment one of the saddest, yet happy expressions Naruto ever saw. How those two contradicting emotions functioned together was a mystery.

XxX

One long hour later, the band of shinobi reached their final destination. They took the time to observe their surroundings. The edges for miles traveling inwards was still rubble, but some homes and buildings, both modern and traditional, stood in the centermost regions. Since the area Uzushiogakure rested in the steppes, from the front to the center of the village had a gradual rise in elevation. If they came from the opposite side, it would look the same; the centre being the highest. Just like it sounds, the land in general appeared as wide, green, curving steps. A couple men were seen atop one of the highest parts, where it looked like an irrigation system and crops were set up. Probably rice. All eight decided to greet the remaining villagers there as they explored the inside of the village.


In the dark, musty tunnel lit only by thin streams of the last light of dusk and candlelight, Madara sat on the stone ground, legs crossed and relaxed. "Hn. Black Zetsu came to me this morning. Kabuto is at it again." Obito and Madara shared knowing looks and continued to alter their plans a bit at the new and unwelcomed news.


"There. They should all receive the news in a couple hours and meet here by the middle of next week." The Raikage motioned for Tsunade to sit. She closed the door to the office and did just that. Then she handed the Raikage a piece of paper. "These are the positions and jobs I've had the seven who came with me take. They should be quite useful in the meantime while we figure things out. He skimmed it over, seeing someone named Sai and Hyuuga Neji be stationed at a high-elevated fort by the seaside and some Haruno Sakura work at multiple places like the hospital. "Seems fine to me. Now, where were we?..."


That night, Yamato, Sai, and Kakashi held a private conversation in the male's room while everyone else was busy. They needed to talk about something before they all dispersed to their new locations.

"We don't know where he is though. What if Madara captures him, and we won't know until it's far too late?" Sai's black orbs were filled to the brim with worry, almost like the waves of a sea about to crash onto the sandy shore. He wasn't good at showing his emotions, nor picking up on them, but that had gradually changed after the mission with finding Sasuke. That was thanks to Naruto. The blonde might not realize or notice, but whenever they were in the village or on a mission together, the socially awkward shinobi would always watch him. It became almost a pastime for him. Before Sai knew it, Naruto had replaced the part Shin had held in his heart, and the boy became an invaluable friend. He was sure the blonde meant as much to Kakashi-san and Yamato-san as he did to him. Only in the image of a pupil or close teammate to the other two.

"I don't know, Sai...we might have to break our word and try to find him in the end." Kakashi looked at Yamato, knowing he understood his unspoken request. "Don't tell anyone of this conversation. For Naruto's and our sake." Kakashi then directed at Sai, who just nodded. They continued discussing different scenarios concerning their favourite blonde and what this 'Shinobi World War' has in store for them.


After a long day, everyone had just about nearly collapsed the minute they decided on a house to stay in. They talked with the few people they found and were told that there were only thirty-nine people here (all middle aged men). After carefully choosing a well-located house, which was some odd combination between a yurt and a ryokan style, they chose their rooms and met up in the main hall. The inside looked like any traditional Japanese home, but the genkan (entrance) was rather wide with more than a foot difference and the shoji and fusuma had various intricate designs painted on the translucent paper. The whole building was round with a high roof curving upwards. Inside the village, on the top-most layer of finished residences, chiiori farmhouses could be seen where the men stayed to be close to the rice paddy fields. Near the western side but still focused in the centre, a shinden-zukuri complex of traditional buildings resided, where it appeared to be almost a town or religious centre, instead of an imperial or noble residence like it was normally used for. It seems the craftsmen and carpenters who worked on reconstruction wanted to have some fun and be creative. Stationed all around here-and-there were shoin-zukuri style houses as well. The men the group had met with that day said the purpose of them was to practice chanting any religious texts, meditation, and overall work to find inner peace. They all seemed religious men, but they just waved it off and claimed it was more so a way of living; the principals and philosophy of certain religions they learnt helped guide their daily life. They didn't have any beliefs of gods or an afterlife for that matter.

After everyone inside the hall gathered on the tatami floor, the women and Kaoru separated from the men and started their own conversation. Chizuru and Kaoru began telling stories to the other three about some fun times they had in the Ichikazu-mura village they just left, and caused abrupt laughter echoing through the halls at one particular prank they had done as children. The guys tuned them out once Naruto gently helped Nagato to the ground and stationed himself beside the crippled man.

"So what should we do now? The village is still far from being complete, but it should be fine for the moment while we search for information and jutsu techniques, right?" Jiraiya broke the silence. They thought about it for a minute before Naruto voiced his thoughts.

"The initial goal was to rebuild it, so we should continue with that. But the top priority is finding sealing techniques that will benefit us against Madara... we should divide everyone into different roles accordingly." Naruto locked eyes with Nagato. "Nagato, if and when we find the Scriptures, could you do the translating and study them? You should have experience with that." Nagato was slightly impressed at the blonde's deductive reasoning, remembering stories told by Jiraiya of how dumb-witted he sometimes was in the past. Maybe he changed? Or maybe he was always like that but hid his intelligence from everyone... He pushed the thoughts aside when he noticed Naruto waiting patiently for his response.

"Yes, I could do that. We should try to get information from the men here to see if they know anything about them."

Naruto grinned and jerked his head in agreement.

"We'll also need more supplies. None of the people here look like shinobi. I doubt they have our regular weapons or materials. I'll send a message to Deidara and have him deliver them personally." Nagato motioned for Jiraiya to bring something to write with and to write on. Once he finished, adding a part emphasizing the explosive blonde should carry out this mission with swiftness and no delay, Jiraiya attached it to the talons of a light brown hawk they had received from a man they met earlier that day. After the designated jutsu signs were enacted, the bird flew out the open window and on towards a four-day flight.

Karin, Kushina, and Konan had noticed and inquired upon the situation at hand.

"I've sent for Deidara. He should arrive with supplies at the end of the week."

They just nodded at the words. They soon all got up and headed to their individual rooms, save Nagato and Naruto, who shared one. Naruto was now officially Nagato's personal crutch, not that the seventeen-year-old minded. They both enjoyed each other's company. They both fell asleep after a while of talking about their own personal adventures, some laughs and grins escaping the older at the talk of the other's past antics.


Outside under the starry night sky, no one noticed the mokuton bunshin that slipped past the night guards. It kept sprinting and sprinting to the desired location, never stopping. This type of clone doesn't get tired or disappear easily. The man conducting the jutsu had given it specific instructions, as well as a fool-proof plan. They will find him, and when they do, they'll come for him.


So writing this story is kind of therapeutic for me. You know, helps a lot with the stress. Unfortunately I can't work on this as often as I want and I'll admit that updates won't be coming in weekly like I said. Although I might update next weekend just because I have only three days of classes this week. Also, I'm sorry for the long, boring chapter. All of this needed to be added in, though. Itachi and the others will come into the next chapter, don't worry. But the romance with ItaNaru will come after Nagato and Naruto. Just like all those Korean dramas with the clichéd love triangles, if any of you have watched them. They can get so annoying though, since it's always the same and so predictable. Well, tell me what you think and keep tuned in!