Chapter Six: The Attempted Kidnapping of Hinata Hyuga

"Have you gotten any sleep within the last few days, Rings?"

Nagato gave his longtime friend a weak smile as he sat at his desk, drained from overexerting himself. He had just gotten some sleep the night before, and it was the most blissful rest he had had in a long time. Of course Yahiko had noticed he hadn't been coming home to the Uzumaki Compound at night.

"It's calming down now, Yahiko. I'll be returning to a normal routine, now."

"Yeah, well, you'd better! Konan's been getting more worried than usual!" Yahiko couldn't help but laugh lightly at his friend's expense as more color drained from Nagato's face.

"That… isn't possible…" Nagato let out. He appeared as if he was trying and failing to compute something.

"I've found that caring for Naruto keeps her mind off of you temporarily, but that won't work forever, good buddy. You can't deny that you've become more significant in her life; you're the person she cares most about these days. And it doesn't take a genius to tell it's not just Hokage-subordinate loyalty…"

Nagato recovered slightly at hearing that.

"Yahiko… You should really try to make up with Konan. You make her happy…"

"We both agreed to give each other some space, Rings. It was nice to have your support, but not all relationships are meant to last. Besides," Yahiko gave him a cheeky grin. "She wants to be there for you. I agree with her about looking out for you and helping control your power, though; some things just aren't meant to change."

Nagato was tempted to rise to the bait and point out that he had saved him several times since they were kids, but Yahiko would find some way to get back at him.

"Anyway…" Nagato steered them back on topic. "Any objections to recruiting Kakashi's generation into Akatsuki? Asuma is particularly looking to join, and Kurenai is joined to him at the hip."

"I'd almost object to Guy, given his… 'youthism'…" They shared a chuckle. "That would dishonor Might Dai's only remaining family, actually… So no, no objections, really. I am surprised that Asuma wants to join up; I honestly thought that he'd carry out his threat of going to join the Daimyo's Guardian Shinobi. He seemed almost desperate to get away from Lord Third..."

"Well, they made up." Nagato wasn't sure what to tell him; he knew about as much as Yahiko did. There had been a growing rift between father and son, and then they seemed to make up with each other out of the blue. "How's the rest of Akatsuki? Still holding up?"

"Yeah, but morale took another hit with Orochimaru's little disappearing act…" Yahiko sighed and ran his hand through his spiky locks. "The new recruits should make up for the ones that quit, but some are beginning to question our efficiency and whether or not we actually make a difference. They're finding it hard to stay optimistic."

Nagato gave him a forced smile.

"I'll make up for that mistake. It was a dereliction of duty on my part…"

Yahiko shook his head.

"Rings, it wasn't your fault… Nobody considered the possibility that one of our strongest ninja would actually go rogue. It's still hard to swallow, even now."

"True," Nagato acknowledged, "But if I hadn't been so indecisive, we might've captured him."

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda," Yahiko said sarcastically. "It's not the Hokage's duty to bear the burden of all the failure; you know that Jiraiya-sensei and Lord Third are berating themselves just as hard! Hell, I could've done more that night; but the silver lining to this incident was the lack of casualties. There were wounded, certainly, but no one died. Stop being the sulky crybaby and carry on. As Shinobi, we endure."

"I am moving on," Nagato argued. "But it's still my…"

"No one blames you!" Yahiko interrupted his friend. "If anything, we would've been far worse off without you. You confronted Orochimaru, and you generated a network of Shadow Clones that were a great help! We'll get that bastard one day; Jiraiya-sensei is out looking for him, and I bet Danzo's got men out there doing the same. Let's not wallow in the past."

"Alright," Nagato sighed. He gave his longtime friend another weary smile. "You sure you don't want to be Hokage? You'd make a better one than me."

Yahiko nervously grinned and waved his hands in a 'no, thank you' gesture.

"I've seen enough to know to avoid the position," Yahiko weakly laughed. "I'm good with supporting you, offering input, and beating up anyone that gives you a rough time."

"You and basically all of our friends," Nagato muttered. "Obito's the only to have shown interest in taking over after I'm done, and I don't think he's Hokage-material yet…"

"How's he taking his new, ah, 'mission', anyway?" Yahiko inquired.

Nagato blinked and then recalled what Yahiko was referring to.

"Oh. He's… taking it well, I think. Maybe too well…"

He did not elaborate at Yahiko's questioning gaze.

- Elsewhere in the village… -

"You're going to follow me around all day, aren't you…?" Kakashi muttered as he and Obito walked around aimlessly.

"You brought this on yourself, 'kashi!" Obito taunted his teammate. He jabbed him in the side good-naturedly. "Even if it was for a crucial mission, you still gave us the runaround for weeks! I was kinda hoping Lord Hokage would do more than extend your vacation time… But I guess anything more would be overkill. I mean, if it were up to me, you'd be spending every second of waking day with Guy for a month!"

Kakashi gave him a deadpan stare.

"You're right, that is overkill." Kakashi drawled. "I wouldn't do that for a week; not even if you gave me your next years' worth of mission pay. Guy might be my rival, but you know as well as I do that it's possible to have him in… overdoses…"

"Oh, so does that mean I can collect a favor from you…?" Obito's eyes glinted mischievously behind his trademark goggles. At Kakashi's raised eyebrow, he added, "Because I had to be Guy's substitute rival in your stead for weeks and weeks! I think that entitles me to a special favor…"

Kakashi sighed breezily at having to owe Obito anything, but he did have a point. Sort of.

"Alright, what do you want?" Kakashi asked, half-dreading whatever Obito would have in mind.

"Ah-ah! I'm holding onto this one until a proper future occasion where I'll savor it! Savor it!"

Kakashi didn't miss the people ignoring Obito's maniacal fit of giggles; it must have been really bad while he was away. He had to once again give props to Ebisu and Genma for turning out as normal as they did given how much they were forced to associate with Guy as his teammates.

Kakashi snapped back to reality when Obito's special moment came to an abrupt end.

"Hey, it's that one kid… The guy that was paired up with you for that crucial mission." Obito mumbled as a brunette in regular Jonin attire jogged up to the two of them.

"He's not that much younger than us," Kakashi corrected him. "He's around the same age as… you know… 'he' would have been…"

"You can say his name, y'know," Obito rolled his eyes. He mused aloud, "About as old as Shisui, huh…?"

"Kakashi-senpai! Obito!" Tenzo greeted as he finally reached them. Obito was a bit annoyed he didn't get acknowledged as a 'senpai', but by the same token, it sounded like a term of endearment than just an acknowledgement of seniority. "I've been cleared for missions with you guys!"

Obito looked questioningly between Kakashi and Tenzo; there was something that he had missed. But before he could inquire about it, Kakashi looked to a nearby roof.

"… Let's talk about it up there." Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and Tenzo and Obito were right behind him. When they were gathered on the rooftop, he motioned for Tenzo to continue.

"Lord Danzo is still a little upset about it, but he's agreed to let me join Team Ro at the Hokage's behest. In return, Lord Hokage is allowing Lord Danzo to head the search for Orochimaru along with Master Jiraiya. As of now, Lord Danzo is pouring all his other resources into finding that traitorous Sannin. Well, as much as he can, anyway."

"What did you think about meeting with Lord Hokage?" Kakashi queried, curious.

"He was nice," Tenzo replied, looking thoughtful. "He's a mixture of stern and kindhearted; I can't quite separate the two parts of his personality. Lord Hokage is genuine, and he didn't force me to leave Root if I didn't want to. I honestly wasn't expecting someone quite like him."

"He gets that a lot, honestly." Kakashi eye-smiled. "His life experiences profoundly shaped him. Lord Hokage is an example to all of us; despite the great pain we suffer and the grudges we hold, we can overcome them and still protect those we love and the beliefs we hold."

"So you're joining us on Team Ro?" Obito asked, finally snapping out of his stupor. At Tenzo's nod, he grinned. "Good to know! I'm acting as leader of Team Ro in 'kashi's stead!"

Kakashi visibly leered at Obito.

"You never told me the Captain stepped down."

"You never asked!" Obito replied cheekily. "A lot happens when you lose contact with us for weeks, 'kashi! By the way, the situation in Mist is looking worse than we thought. Ibiki had a field day with Raiga, and we know there's like a revolution or something going on there. It's not even a civil war, technically; it's all one-sided. Someone's forcefully taking over. Don't know who 'cause Kurosaki was chased out before he could learn more details."

"That's… disturbing." Kakashi remarked. "For someone to oppose Yagura, and actually be winning…"

"Mist has had it the hardest," Tenzo decided to add in his two cents. "They lost a Jinchuriki in a last-ditch effort to destroy us; they got picked off by us and the Hidden Cloud in the last War, and now this."

"Has Root been able to gain any intel on the Hidden Mist as of late?" Kakashi asked Tenzo. "Those guys have always been secretive, but their recent closure to everyone and everything is ridiculous…"

Tenzo shook his head in the negative.

"Not even Lord Danzo has been able to sneak men into the Hidden Mist Village. Mist is pouring all of their resources into security and whatever else they're doing over there… As a result, we're reasonably sure that they're not gathering intel on anyone, but that is just as concerning as it is a relief. Raiga is the first break we've had in a long time with them."

"Didn't Yahiko save that Scorch Style user from them back in the War?" Obito mused aloud.

"Sand tried aligning themselves with Mist," Kakashi recalled. "After they were 'officially' out of the race for winning the War. They're lucky that Yahiko was there when the secret meeting took place, or they would have lost a valuable shinobi in Pakura."

"But it's what they wanted, really," Tenzo pointed out. "By offering Pakura as a sacrifice, they hoped to get in the Hidden Mist's good graces. Of course, the popular opinion is that the Hidden Mist wouldn't have been satisfied with just Pakura; at least, that's what Yahiko appeared to argue when he confronted the Kazekage about it."

"And now we're possibly sharing an Alliance with the Hidden Sand; an actual Alliance, and not just a shaky armistice like with the other Hidden Villages." Obito grinned and held his arms behind his head contentedly. "I wish the others would get with the program, though…"

` "That would involve everyone dropping grudges and suspicions of one another, Obito," Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "That's not something that happens instantaneously. I'm sure that even Lord Hokage had some trust issues with Master Jiraiya when he began training under him. If peace was so easily attainable, we would've achieved it long before now."

"Alright, alright… No need to take everything so seriously, 'kashi. I was just joking… Sheesh." Obito swore he felt something in the air, and he activated his Sharingan to be sure. His suspicions confirmed, he nervously saluted Kakashi. "Well, I'll catch ya later, 'kashi. You're gonna have your hands full for a while!"

Obito performed a Body Flicker and got the hell out of dodge. Kakashi was confused at first, but he perfectly understood a moment later.

"So this is where you were…" An overly sweet, cheery voice spoke into his ear from behind, which made Kakashi's hair stand on end. "You're late. You're going to start taking responsibility for your Eternal Rival, and you're going to start now…"

Kakashi tried to run for it, he really did, but Rin had him firmly by the shirt underneath his Jonin vest, and she was not letting go anytime soon. Tenzo observed this eccentric altercation confusedly before deciding to follow Rin and Kakashi a little ways up the street below them to a dango stand. Asuma and Kurenai were there, shooting Kakashi sympathetic looks, and so was Guy, who looked overjoyed to see the return of his Hip Rival.

"Kakashi!" Guy exclaimed joyfully. "My Rival, we must make up for lost time! The day is still young! Let us eat a filling meal of dango, and then reignite our Flames of YOUTH!"

Kakashi paled with each word that Guy proudly proclaimed, but he could not formulate an excuse to escape from his fate. Rin would hunt him down anyway even if he did manage to get away, and Guy would hound him until he succeeded in challenging him. It would be just like their Genin days… and Kakashi had no desire to relive that. Guy had invaded his home on several occasions; and even got in the tubwith him at one point. The tub.

Nowhere was safe.

"Alright, Guy." Kakashi very reluctantly relented. He numbly took a skewer and effortlessly managed to eat without revealing his face beneath his mask.

Rin took notice of Tenzo finally and motioned him over to sit with them. Her fellow brunet complied and sat beside Asuma.

"Sorry you had to see that," Rin rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Kakashi has been avoiding us for weeks, and he's the only one that can handle Guy's… eccentricities…"

"Not by choice, I assure you." Kakashi muttered to himself.

"So, you're the kid that Kakashi was with for the time he was avoiding us?" Asuma eyed the brunet sitting next to him.

"Nice to meet you!" Kurenai greeted from the other side of Asuma. "And welcome to our group! I'm Kurenai Yuhi."

"Asuma Sarutobi." Asuma grinned at the kid that was just a few years shy of them.

"I'm Rin Nohara," Rin beamed from Kakashi's right.

"And I am the Noble Blue Beast, Might Guy!" Guy gave him a grin that 'pinged!'. Tenzo knew that he would be the hardest to get used to. "If my Hip and Cool Rival has been working with you, then I must absolutely insist that we spar! I am most curious about your fighting style!"

At Tenzo's slightly perturbed stare, Kakashi stared at Guy dully.

"You don't have to fight Guy if you don't want to, Tenzo. But it might make it easier on yourself if you did."

"That's right!" Guy gave him a thumbs-up. "Once I've made up my mind, I won't stop until we've had a most youthful match!"

Upon seeing a well hidden nervous twitch from Tenzo, Kakashi sighed.

"But why don't you save that match for later, Guy? Actually get to know Tenzo first before challenging him. He's led a fairly sheltered life up until now."

"No problem!" Guy exuberantly replied and gave another thumbs-up. "It is you that I want to face the most, anyway, my Eternal Rival!"

Kakashi gave Tenzo a look that conveyed a message of, "You're welcome," while he bemoaned his own situation, mentally. Kakashi noticed Tenzo perceptibly relax, and was grateful to overcome that first obstacle in introducing Tenzo. Guy meant well, but he was far too forward, which tripped up most new people.

"Looks like Kakashi's back," A new voice noted as they entered the dango shop. Kakashi turned around upon recognizing it and saw that it was indeed Anko.

"Anko! You're okay!"

"Could be better," Anko muttered. At Kakashi's relieved expression, her gaze became quizzical. "What was eating at you?"

"Orochimaru." Kakashi replied simply. "I was afraid he had killed you!"

"Better start making sense, Hatake…" Anko groused as she crossed her arms. "What are you talking about?"

So Kakashi told her about their meeting several weeks back. Anko listened throughout, and spoke up when Kakashi had finished explaining himself.

"Sounds about right… Except Orochimaru didn't use me as a hostage, and I didn't meet you while being forced to work for that bastard. He forced me to do a few errands for him, but then he pretty much let me go. I didn't go to him for weeks and weeks; only lasted a few days, honestly…"

Realization dawned on Kakashi, and he felt like kicking himself. But he was not the one to sum up what likely happened.

"Orochimaru likely realized we were watching him very early on, senpai," Tenzo explained. "And then he posed as Anko, strange as it sounds. He may have done it so that Anko wouldn't have leaked any information of his experiments…"

Anko rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how much about the Curse Mark was bullshit, but even if he couldn't kill me with that alone, he could still have offed me himself."

"Still… Your hostage situation was one reason I stalled on attacking Orochimaru…" Kakashi grumbled. "I'm an idiot…"

"Aww. Hatake worried about little old me, that's so sweet!" Anko snaked her arms around his shoulders from behind and grinned ear to ear. "But I don't need saving like some sniveling princess."

To Anko's deadpanned comment, Kakashi replied, "I did say it was a reason, didn't I? There were other deciding factors. But I was worried for you."

"Besides, only a Genin would recklessly rush right in for a comrade, right, senpai?" Tenzo noticed Kakashi sweatdrop as he remembered Obito and Rin forgoing the mission to save him, on his first mission as a Jonin no less. "Er… Senpai?"

"W-Well…" Kakashi trailed off. Rin came to his rescue.

"Sometimes you have no other choice, when it comes to saving a comrade." Rin pointed out. "Waiting for backup could mean never seeing that comrade again. Alive, anyway."

"Well, this wasn't one of those times," Tenzo shook his head. "Even when we were prepared, Orochimaru still managed to escape. Confronting him earlier on would have been far worse."

"Enough about that, though!" Kurenai piped up while waving a skewer of dango. "Let's celebrate the fact that we're all alive, and no one's hurt!"

"I hear that!" Anko smiled toothily and ran to grab a stool in the back so she could join the group. Kakashi didn't look too pleased about how everything turned out, but he had to agree that they were all unharmed and that everyone was safe. He would simply have to train extra hard later for not being able to do more than he had…

- Three years later… -

"This is extraordinary." The Kazekage remarked as he marveled at the new method of communication. "I had my doubts, Lord Hokage, but this Jutsu may very well solidify our Alliance. The possibilities are limitless."

Nagato chuckled lightly.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. It still needs further testing; the Magical Lantern Body Technique was discovered by sheer coincidence, and I'm not yet aware of any drawbacks, if there are any. I still need to work out the range, how many people can communicate with it at one time, etc., etc. For the moment, I know that I am the one managing this Jutsu; our thought waves are transformed into Jutsu, amplified, and sent to certain locations, like the room where I meet with my Councilors, here. I don't know how much this will tax me, but I imagine that the amount of Chakra needed will be astounding, given the seemingly limitless range."

"That, and we will need to be reasonably safe." The Kazekage pointed out. "As we are, our bodies remain motionless, and our consciousness is transported elsewhere. Enemies could capitalize on that."

"Too true," Nagato agreed. "Hopefully those are the only drawbacks. I'll let you get back to your own affairs now; sorry for the inconvenience."

"Not at all. Keep me informed of any developments."

The link closed, and the illusionary silhouettes of the Hokage and Kazekage flickered out of existence in the meeting room. Nagato, actually sitting in his office, let loose a breath he didn't know that he had been holding; the Jutsu worked, and the Kazekage was given more incentive for staying within the Alliance. The Magical Lantern Body Technique would come in handy when situations arose in their respective villages, and would decrease the reliance on messenger hawks. That's not to say that this method of communication would make the alternatives obsolete, but it would without a doubt be the fastest, and the easiest, perhaps. Every Jutsu had its weaknesses, though.

A knock came at Nagato's door, and he verbally invited them in. Homura strode in with Koharu by his side.

"The envoy from the Hidden Cloud Village will be arriving here shortly." Homura announced as Nagato stood up. "The Raikage has seen fit to send his Head Ninja, as well."

"It is unusual for the Hidden Cloud to approach us when they have been quietly militarizing; we cannot lower our guard among these people."

Nagato closed his eyes solemnly and donned the Hokage hat.

"I will stay aware, but I would like to believe that the Hidden Cloud means us no harm. I can recall combatting the infamous A and B combo with Minato, and I want to trust in A, even if we didn't part on the best of terms."

As the three made their way down the streets, people lined up to watch the fateful encounter with the Head Ninja. Nagato could spot close friends amongst the crowd; Konan, Shikaku, Choza, Inoichi, and Shibi were the easiest to spot, at least for Nagato. He wasn't surprised that Yahiko and the Hyuga Clan were absent, because it was Hiashi's daughter's third birthday. Such a day would normally have the Hyugas frown upon visitors on the premises, but Yahiko had become such a great friend to Hiashi and Hizashi that it would practically be an insult if he wasn't with the Hyugas on special occasions.

Once the Head Ninja and his envoy had been welcomed warmly in the streets, they went back to a meeting room in the administration building. They sat down at a rectangular table for six people; the Hokage and his Councilors sat on one side, while the Hidden Cloud representative sat on the other, flanked by the Head Ninja and one other shinobi. The diplomat cleared his throat and gave a warm smile.

"Thank you for allowing the meeting to take place here, Lord Hokage! It is an honor and a privilege to be among such worthy adversaries, discussing an alliance between our two nations."

"The honor is all ours," Nagato beamed. He adopted a thoughtful expression. "I hope your Raikage, A, is well and settling into the role without any issues. His father died in battle a few years ago, didn't he?"

"About seven years ago, Lord Hokage," the diplomat smoothly replied. "Lord Raikage is in good health, and he hopes for the negotiations to go well."

"As do we," Homura cut in. Pushing up his glasses, he remarked, "Now Lord Raikage made note that you have made your stipulations known in the treaty that we outlined. May we see them?"

The diplomat passed the treaty over to Homura, Koharu, and Nagato for them to see as requested. They looked over the document for several moments, carefully making note of some items that would have to be negotiated. Meanwhile, the three from the Hidden Cloud looked around the room and noticed the portraits of the five Hokage over the doorway. Looking back at the Hokage and his two advisors, the diplomat also noted that Danzo was not among them.

"Your third Councilor couldn't make it, Lord Hokage?" The diplomat queried.

"No," Nagato muttered, not looking up from the document he was reading through. "He is currently handling a domestic issue, and may be doing so for some time to come."

Nagato left it vaguely at that, and the diplomat did not pry further. He instead turned his attention to the buildings lying outside the window, patiently waiting for the negotiations to begin. The Head Ninja's eyes rested on the Fourth Hokage's portrait above the door; and he was tempted to inquire about the Nine-Tails' incident three years prior, but was wise enough to avoid a taboo subject when he recognized one.

Eventually, the negotiations truly got started. The heated topics of debate naturally lay with money and missions; not once did Jinchuriki or families with bloodlines come up. The Hidden Cloud Village had two Jinchuriki, while the Leaf seemingly had one; and the Leaf had an abundance of clans with special abilities, while the Hidden Cloud could not match them in that regard. The fact that the Hidden Cloud didn't try to barter for a child or two – even though it would fail – set off some alarm bells in Homura and Koharu's heads, but Nagato continued to think optimistically, and signed the treaty once it was all worked out acceptably on both sides.

"I insist you stay the night," Nagato said as the afternoon drew to a close and they exited the administration building. "We'll see you off in the morning."

"As long as we do not impose," The diplomat bowed respectfully, as did his guard detail. "We would be honored to accept your invitation."

The three of them were escorted to the Uzumaki Compound. Such hospitality was unheard of, and especially generous, but Nagato's reasons varied and were multifaceted. Several people in the Hidden Leaf still bore grudges against the Hidden Cloud for killing friends and family, and Nagato wanted to protect them himself. But on the other hand, if their visit was for less than virtuous reasons, then Nagato would take responsibility and end anything before it could begin.

If the two villages were still allies come the next day, Nagato would contact A via his new technique and hopefully give him incentive to stay within the Alliance. The Alliance could be between five Hidden Villages – Leaf, Sand, Cloud, Rain, and Waterfall. It would be one more step toward peace.

While Nagato was doing all of this and hoping that the alliance between them and Cloud was genuine, Yahiko was keeping the peace between the Hyuga Twins as Neji had to be branded with the family Curse Mark to protect the Byakugan. No matter how much he had wormed into the life of the Hyuga Clan, Yahiko could not make them give up that tradition, and he had stopped trying a while back. But that did not mean that he gave up on changing their ideology when it came to that custom.

"Hizashi…" Yahiko placed a hand on the man's shoulder as he watched four-year-old Neji be given the mark designated for the Branch House. "I know it's hard… But remember why this tradition in place. I know it's stupid, but it is to protect your Dojutsu."

Hizashi took a shaky breath and nodded.

"I know… You convinced me long ago that we could do just as much as the Main Branch from within our Cage." He offered a small smile, which faded away just as quickly. "I just can't be happy that my son must endure the same pain."

"I understand." Yahiko solemnly replied. "But at least Hiashi has agreed to break tradition and allow him to learn techniques from the Main Branch, eh?"

"Yes…" Hizashi nodded, looking more comforted, but still pained to a degree. "Yes he has."

After Neji was branded with the Caged Bird Seal, Yahiko walked around the Compound with Hizashi so that his son could rest from the ordeal.

"How has Nagato been lately?" Hizashi asked out of the blue as they sauntered around.

"He's fine," Yahiko replied casually. "He's been focusing on establishing a firm alliance with the Hidden Sand; we've been in an unofficial one for the past three years to sort of test the waters. But now with the recent discovery of a Jutsu, Nagato thinks it should be in the bag."

"What kind of Jutsu would make him think that?" Hizashi raised an eyebrow at Yahiko.

"Communication is vital in any alliance," Yahiko explained. "What Nagato has essentially allows him to converse with people miles away. Konan and I were kind of his guinea pigs for that; and the only drawback so far is that the participants of the Jutsu become vulnerable, as their thought waves are transmitted to another location, but the bodies are left in their original spots and not consciously aware of any dangers."

"Thought waves?"

"Yeah. Our silhouettes take the form of our thoughts; the eyes are the only features that can easily be made out. We become holograms, kind of like ghosts. Nagato can project himself to any one of us, or he can bring other people into it. At this point, we don't know how many, nor do we have a range yet, but it's looking like the range could potentially be limitless. Messenger hawks take time to deliver messages – hours, a couple of days; but with this Jutsu, contact is instantaneous."

Both of Hizashi's eyebrows shot up this time.

"That sounds incredible. Nagato must be happy."

"Yeah," Yahiko nodded. "It's one of the best things that's happened for him as of late; the Hidden Cloud accepting the hand of friendship is another. And I guess, well, Konan's another. Though that's been going on for over two years now. She keeps him grounded, and he gives her hope. She encourages him, and he worries enough for the both of them. They protect each other. They complement one another."

Yahiko grinned just thinking about them. Hizashi quirked an eyebrow at him.

"That could have been you with her. You were going out for a while."

"Yeah, but I kept screwing up." Yahiko shrugged. "Best to just break it off and stay friends. Besides, she's happier now than she ever was with me."

"If you say so. I still think you wanted to pair them up, at least partly."

Yahiko rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well… That was kinda fun…"

Hizashi rolled his eyes.

"And I suppose your next project is encouraging my brother to have another child…"

"Or you." Yahiko grinned cheekily. "Tsume's got Hana and Kiba, so it's not unusual."

"Where did we go wrong with you?"

"Hey, being leader of Akatsuki is stressful! I gotta have fun somehow."

"Don't you find trying to implement branches of Akatsuki in other Hidden Villages fun?" Hizashi teased, goading Yahiko into chasing after him.

The two continued exchanging light banter for the rest of the afternoon. Soon evening came, and a feast was thrown for the birthday girl. Nagato, Konan, and Naruto shared a meal at the Uzumaki Compound while that was going on.

"Enough about my day," Nagato finally said after giving a summary of it. "How was your day, Naruto? Konan?"

"Great!" Naruto beamed. "Koko took me over to Shika's house 'n I got 'ta play 'n stuff!"

Nagato smiled at the three-year-old. He was only three, but Naruto already reminded him of Kushina.

"I'm glad to hear it," Nagato told the blond Uzumaki.

"The usual for me today," Konan remarked wryly. "Checked up on the Sensor division, helped run the assignment desk for missions, and checked the progress at the Academy. I would like to become a Jonin instructor for the next graduating class, if that's still okay with you, Nagato?"

"You're on the list," Nagato assured her. "It all depends on the children come graduation."

"You should consider taking on a Genin team yourself, Nagato!" Konan smiled. "Maybe you'll teach the next group of Sannin."

"I don't know about that…" Nagato appeared sheepish. "But I wouldn't mind taking on a Genin team in the next couple of years. I'll have to ask Hiruzen how he managed to take his students out on missions above D-rank; he was Hokage long before he took on Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sensei."

"I wanna be a ninja!" Naruto piped up. And then proceeded to explain how he'd become a more awesome ninja than Nagato… Again…

"When you're older, Naruto," Nagato softly laughed at Naruto's pout. "Enjoy what you have now!"

The evening passed by quickly with the three of them enjoying each other's company, and night finally, truly descended. Nagato went to bed just like everyone else, but he left Shadow Clones out to keep watch for any suspicious activity. Nothing happened until it was well past midnight…

The Head Ninja of the Hidden Cloud did not have it easy. He and a friend of his had been assigned the mission of escorting their ambassador to the Hidden Leaf; an odd mission for the Head Ninja, when one thought about it. Even if it was to protect an ambassador, it was still low-key compared to the missions he usually received as the second-highest ranked shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village.

That's because the faux mission was just a front. His real mission was to obtain a Hyuga; preferably one high up on the pecking order, or at least one related to such a Hyuga. And who was the Clan Head?

Hiashi Hyuga. Hiashi had a daughter that was three years old, and so she wouldn't be able to defend herself. She would produce fine warriors for the Hidden Cloud! … But she would need to be brought 'home' first, and that was the tricky part. Nagato Uzumaki, the Hokage, had them stay at his own family Compound, and had him and his team under surveillance, which made his job extremely harder than it had to be.

Or it would have been, had the Head Ninja gone to the Uzumaki Compound at all. As it turns out, he had substituted with a Lightning Clone, and stayed low by disguising himself with a Transformation. He made sure to keep his distance from the Hyuga Compound, as they could see through Transformations. But once night fell, he staked out a safe place to observe the patrols for a few hours.

Once an opportunity presented itself, the Head Ninja descended upon the Hyuga Compound, and went straight for Clan Head's place. He then proceeded to infiltrate via the roof, and sneak into Hinata's room from the ceiling. No one had caught onto him yet, so the Head Ninja snatched up Hinata and silenced her before she could scream. Slinging the unconscious Hyuga over his shoulder, the Head Ninja prepared his grand escape.

The man got as far as leaping over the walls that surrounded the compound. Hiashi turned a corner and came face to face with the intruder; and it made him furious, seeing his daughter in the possession of an unknown enemy. Strangely, the intruder did not move to try and run. He just stood rooted in place, seemingly frozen by being caught red-handed by the Clan Head. It did not occur to Hiashi that maybe, just maybe, the man wasn't as intimidated as he appeared to be.

Hiashi leaked Killing Intent like it was going out of style; it's just how mad this unknown enemy made him. He prepared to strike and kill the man for daring to commit such a heinous act, when a sheathed sword expertly smacked into the back of the thoroughly disguised man's head, effectively rendering him unconscious. The man collapsed, and Hinata remained unconscious.

Hiashi stared at the interloper, and couldn't help but show his gratitude with a smile. Yahiko had ended up staying the night, after all.

"No need to kill the guy, Hiashi," Yahiko gave a small smirk as the Killing Intent died down. "We don't know who this is, but I got a pretty good hunch."

Yahiko stooped down and unmasked their mystery would-be kidnapper. It was the Head Ninja, as Yahiko had suspected. Hiashi stared at the man in awe.

"How did you know…?" Hiashi whispered as he just stared in shock.

"Pretty easy when I'm out for a stroll; though I'll admit that the fact these guys were in town did put me on edge a bit. I was anticipating trouble somewhere, and luckily I stuck around to keep an eye on your place."

"I had been about to start an international incident…" Hiashi murmured in disbelief.

"That would be the worst case scenario," Yahiko agreed. Sighing, he picked Hinata up bridal style, and handed her to Hiashi. "Take her back inside, and keep an eye out for the other shinobi; I dunno if he's involved in this. If he does show up, just incapacitate him and bring him to Ibiki. That's where this lug is going, and then I'm off to warn Nagato."

Hiashi nodded stiffly.

"Thank you again for stepping in. I should not have allowed rage to consume me…"

Yahiko waved him off.

"You were concerned for your daughter! You stopped the guy long enough for me to catch up, and that's what matters. I won't tell if you don't."

Hiashi smiled wearily, and the two parted ways. As soon as the Head Ninja was in Ibiki's capable hands, Yahiko went off to inform Nagato… This would be a long night…

- The next day… -

Nagato rubbed his tired eyes in irritation as the reports on the interrogation came in. A had sent his best shinobi aside from his two Jinchuriki to kidnap a Hyuga, and he did not tolerate failure. The plan had been to try and kidnap the heiress if possible, and if it inevitably failed, the man was to die in the line of duty so that they could 'legally' demand for a Hyuga. Nagato was shocked that the Head Ninja had been willing to perish so easily; he was fanatically patriotic to his village, and he did not like discovering that he had failed in his mission.

Though the other two were not directly involved in the attempted kidnapping, they were put on house arrest until Inoichi figuratively dissected them as well. Ibiki had made the Head Ninja talk, but Inoichi had been the one to verify his claims, and had promptly examined the man's memories for a particularly thorough interrogation.

Nagato did not appreciate his suspicions being confirmed. He had hoped that A had been genuine in seeking an alliance, but he had not…

"You know we can't let the guy go, Rings," Yahiko pointed out as they sat in the Hokage's Office. "Hiashi would not approve, and to be honest, the guy deserves to be at the very least locked up for what he tried to do. Letting the second highest ranked shinobi of the Hidden Cloud return home would be a mistake!"

Nagato closed his eyes as he sighed regretfully.

"I don't like it any more than you do." Nagato replied. "But you know that A will demand his shinobi returned. If we kill him or even just imprison him, A will disregard the fact that he tried to obtain a Hyuga – or more accurately a pair of Byakugan – and will wage war on us again. It doesn't matter if he waits a few years and builds up his shinobi reserves; A will retaliate. It's the worst situation, politically."

"But we have proof!" Yahiko argued. "The guy's memories reveal it all!"

Nagato shook his head remorsefully.

"Implanted memories – that's the angle that A will use against us. The Leaf is notorious for many things, including our interrogation department. And because the Yamanaka have secrets, A will argue that they have the ability to implant memories. We can try to argue our case, but we won't have proof. They carried little to no supplies, so there's nothing there. And even if we proved the innocence of the Yamanaka, who's to say that A's shinobi weren't set upon by rogue shinobi? A will use anything in his desperation to reclaim his men, including starting a War somewhere down the line, if he doesn't get what he wants."

"Then what do you propose?" Yahiko asked bitterly.

"I have Konan and Shikaku developing a strategic counter; but it'll take some time. A has us at a disadvantage; we foiled his plan, but we can't make him admit to anything."

Yahiko rubbed his chin, and then a sly grin graced his facial features.

"Who says we need to make him admit to anything? He can have his shinobi back."

Nagato narrowed his eyes at the mischievous glint in his longtime friend's eyes.

"What do you suggest…?"

"Let's literally wipe their slates clean! Inoichi has a certain Jutsu to erase any guilt that the Head Ninja might have, doesn't he…?"

Nagato stared at his friend for a while after that. He was suggesting something akin to killing the Head Ninja; just not by their hand.

"Yahiko… That's a terrible idea. It's risky. For that matter, how would we get him back to the Hidden Cloud?"

"Obito. We'll return that Head Ninja so fast that the Raikage wouldn't be able to complain!"

Nagato shook his head.

"A would never accept the slight against him. He would still declare war."

"It's a loophole, Rings," Yahiko continued seriously. "A would get his men back; he wouldn't specify 'in their right frame of mind'. He won't. You've already written him a warning; I'm sure he'll write right back and demand the return of his men. He needs to learn to not mess with the Hidden Leaf! And this way, we get justice for what the Hidden Cloud just tried to pull!"

When Nagato still appeared uncertain, Yahiko assured him, "This way, neither side can rightly complain. The Hyuga receive justice, and A doesn't lose anyone. No one has to die."

Maybe not yet, but Nagato suspected this would come back to bite them, eventually.

"Let me run this by Shikaku and Konan." Nagato decided. "We need more opinions on this."

- A week later… -

As anticipated, A wanted his shinobi back; the alliance was off.

"I do agree with Yahiko's argument, just giving these guys back is a very bad idea," Shikaku muttered as they gathered to discuss the matter. "Setting aside the fact that it shows the Hidden Cloud Village can push us around; it would also let them have a powerful shinobi back without so much as a slap on the wrist."

"But Nagato is correct as well; detaining them and trying to argue our case wouldn't end well. Yahiko's idea is risky at best, but it's the closest we have to punishing them at all." Konan replied.

"The Hyuga would not tolerate these guys being sent back so easily," Yahiko reminded everyone. "So in addition to potential problems abroad, we have potential problems here at home. That's why I proposed to arrange their execution by the Raikage's own hand."

"And that will probably enrage A the most," Nagato felt compelled to point out. "We'll still be effectively killing them, just not directly…"

"There is no easy solution," Konan remarked. "Either we risk enraging an opposing village, or we give those shinobi in our custody another chance to attack us another day."

"Somebody will be enraged no matter what; let's keep the threats outside of the village." Yahiko firmly stated. Nagato narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his longtime friend; he was being unusually insistent in antagonizing someone, even if it was an enemy village. Nagato preferred to settle things with as little bloodshed as possible, and he knew for a fact that Yahiko did as well… So why…?

Deciding to put it to a vote to satisfy his conscience, Nagato let them choose. Nagato abstained, but it was a unanimous vote; Konan hesitated, but she still voted for Yahiko's plan of action. Reflecting on it, Nagato did think there was some merit to keeping the threats outside of the village, but he was saddened that he couldn't try and make peace with everybody. Even if the odds were against them, they should still have tried. But he let them make the decision, so he had to allow them to do as they wished; he would trust their judgment, at least for now.

So with a heavy heart, Nagato allowed Inoichi to use the Mind Body Disturbance Technique; contrary to what Yahiko thought the technique did, the Jutsu did not actually wipe the memories of the victim. Instead, the Jutsu took control of the shinobi's nervous system, removing control completely from them and giving it to Inoichi.

Unbeknownst to Nagato, as he dismissed their meeting and they went their separate ways, 'Yahiko' dropped a Transformation he had in place, revealing himself to be Danzo. It was all for the sake of the village in the end, so he had no qualm with deceiving the Hokage; if it prevented civil war, he would go to the necessary lengths to prevent it. He would not allow any more colossal mistakes that would lead them to ruin…

- Later that day… -

Obito transported them – himself, Inoichi, and the three citizens of the Hidden Cloud - to his dimension, and then to the top of the Raikage's administration building. Inoichi made a rectangular seal, and the three enemies were made to jump down and burst into the Raikage's office. The Head Ninja had appeared behind A, 'intending' to slash off his leader's head, but naturally A had sensed his sudden appearance, and his move was practically reflexive, as he twisted around three hundred and sixty degrees and made his arm maneuver his would-be attacker to send him careening into a wall.

The other shinobi and the ambassador were next to try and assault their Raikage; clumsily leaping right at him, they didn't stand a chance when A simultaneously punched the two of them out the broken window with Lightning-infused punches, uncaring if he slaughtered those two. It was his Head Ninja that mattered.

A literally stormed over to the recovering Head Ninja, with sparks flying off of him in his wake.

"You dare fail in your mission, and allow the Leaf to use you as a tool against me?" A snarled at the shinobi, who could not speak up for himself because of Inoichi's Jutsu. A held him up by the neck in a stranglehold, and shook him harshly. "Snap out of it this instant!"

The Head Ninja did not appear to respond favorably, so A smashed him into the wall brutally. Again. He still wasn't talking. A furiously threw him onto the floor next, leaving a small crater.

"The Hidden Cloud does not suffer traitors!" A roared at the helpless man. "If you do not cease this immediately, I will be forced to end you… And I hate to do that, considering how useful you've been…"

The Head Ninja still could not snap out of Inoichi's Jutsu. Inoichi forced him to continue to try and attack, so it was with a cold, iron heart that A ran through the man's head with another, more intense Lightning-fueled punch. His Head Ninja perished immediately. Once Inoichi felt his connection lost to the now-dead shinobi and ambassador, he nodded to Obito, who got them home without further incident.

"Damn the Hidden Leaf… DAMN THEM!" The Raikage roared and splintered his desk with a Lightning-infused fist, and went to call Mabui himself. It looked like they would be considering an alliance with the Hidden Mist, after all…

- Meanwhile, in the Village Hidden in the Grass…-

Orochimaru chuckled to himself as a hunchbacked man wearing a plain gray cloak approached him after having tailed him for the better part of a week. He was persistent, Orochimaru would give him that.

"To what do I owe the honor of meeting you, Sasori of the Red Sand…?" Orochimaru laughed as the man's stare became darker.

"I am here to formally recruit you, Orochimaru… Your skills will serve the Moon's Eye well."

Yes indeed; the name of Madara's organization is simply the Moon's Eye. More on them as events progress in the Leaf Village. And Danzo's starting to act in the best interests of the Hokage, or what he thinks are the best interests, as he does not want the Hidden Leaf to die from a combination of outside and inside dangers. Truthfully, he has noble ambitions, but they will not be seen that way.

Yeah, shorter chapter this week, roughly over half as long as typical – almost sixty percent; it was kind of hard to dredge up inspiration for this one. Good event – Hizashi lives because the Hidden Cloud could not demand for the body of a Hyuga– and Nagato discovers the Magical Lantern Body Technique, which does not specifically rely on the rings of canon!Akatsuki, going by Naruto Wiki. Does that mean that such a useful Jutsu only has the one drawback involving the participants being made vulnerable? That's a tricky question, because canon seemed to indicate the Jutsu was very, very convenient for the Akatsuki; having practically no drawbacks besides that one of vulnerability. Nagato could keep using the Jutsu for days at a time when they were sealing Tailed Beasts, and none of the other Akatsuki members looked fatigued too badly afterwards; more annoyed than anything else.

For the sake of believability, I'm going to have Nagato build up to that level of prowess. There won't really be reason for him to keep a meeting going for days, but he could build up endurance so that he feels nearly no waste of Chakra from utilizing the technique for meetings that last a couple of hours at most. Does that make him weak for not instantly being able to stand the Jutsu? No, it just takes a little getting used to, like any of his powers. 'Madara' isn't there to guide him on his Rinnegan powers, so he's a little slower in adjusting; at least, that's how I imagined Nagato learned his Rinnegan powers in canon, from Tobi, mostly. It's the reason that he hasn't discovered Rinne Tensei yet.

I tend to bring it up every time… But you guys are awesome, dattebayo! :D Six new favs, nine new alerts, and four reviews! I'll have a hundred alerts before long; and a hundred favs not too long after that, if this keeps up. I'm no Kenchi618, Lucillia, or Xomcon – Number 0, but you guys check out this plot anyway. Props to all you guys and gals brave enough to endure my crazy ideas! ^^

Next week I'll try and get back to my typical length! And it will be even better in quality, I hope! Sorry about this week. I may come back and edit this one; but for now, you've got the main events and 'current' events going on inside and outside the Leaf, so the story steadily moves on.

Review Replies:

Hachi8tails: Thanks for the support! It means a lot when you guys drop me a line! Having ideas and trying to communicate them through a single, cohesive storyline can be a little nerve-wracking, but you guys make it worthwhile.

Dreams-Wishes-Hopes: Thanks for sticking with me! Now that it's summer for me, I'm happy to update this thing! We're cruising now. Haha.

AnimeXLovers: I'm not saying it's a bad thing to inquire about something you're fascinated with; I just don't wanna explain something that's gonna happen… next chapter, now. lol Well, if everything was going splendidly, it wouldn't be as fun, I suppose. There needs to be some sort of feeling of accomplishment; obstacles to overcome. The plot's gonna be a mixed bag; some happy, some angst. Thanks! The nickname of 'Phantasm' just kinda stuck. Kakashi and Nagato'll get better; they've got friends to help shoulder the pain. Reactions will be mixed with Minato being used as the Deva Path; I won't spoil anything, but the angst is what I'm aiming for, partly. I wanna use a really bad pun for Orochimaru's death; but, again, it spoils future events. You found out about Hizashi here (well, it's implied from the change of events); Neji's character will be fleshed out in time! ^^ And as for Naruto, well, he's a baby at this point; three-years old as of the end of this chapter. Couple more weeks, and he'll be significant to the plot. Thanks for reviewing, as always!

wong jowo: I try not to spoil the really good, juicy parts; I did slip about Hiruzen, but that's not the whole story with him. There is more, but I'm keeping a tight lid on the fun surprises. It was hard keeping quiet about Minato being used as the Deva Path, believe me. Haha. It's going to be interesting to see how well next week's chapter goes.

Next time! The Fate of the Uchiha Clan!