*Chapter 7*: Chapter 7

Author's Note

WARNINGS- This is Yaoi, Male/Male, Slash, Gay, whatever you want to call it. Hit the back button if you don't like. This is a Time Travel story (Should start about the 10th Chapter). Again, hit the back button if you don't like. This story was not meant to be very different from the original show (Japanese dub). It was meant to show the consequences of a small change. And given that I SUCK at writing fight scenes, I had a tendence to either summerise or write them out as they appeared on the show. SPOILERS- Naruto Original, Naruto Shippuuden, and two Naruto Shippuuden movies (4- The Lost Tower and 6- The Road to Ninja).

If you don't like any of these, just don't read this story or comment. My confidence is already in the rubbish bin, I don't people beating me down any more. Please, no flames/trolls.

Naruto, Kakashi, and Baki left Sakura to continue working on Kankurou. They got word from Tsunade that Gai's team was on their way to help them. Baki told them about the goings on in the village.

"Baki-sama!" they looked over, "Kankurou's regained consciousness!"

Naruto walked up to Kankurou's side as his eyes opened. He looked around, before his eyes settled on Temari.

"Kankurou, are you all right?" Temari asked.

"You're back already, Temari?" he asked weakly.

"I heard that the village was in danger." she told him.

"Sorry for making you worry." he said.

"Idiot! Don't say stupid things like that." she said.

Kankurou looked over at Naruto.

"Is that you, Naruto?" he asked.

He nodded, smiling at the boy, "You look weird without that makeup."

Kankurou chuckled softly.

"You look weird without the orange..."

Kakashi looked at Baki, "Please take me to where Kankurou-kun fought. I may not look it, but I'm a pro at tracking. If I can get a hold of their scent-"

"Don't bother-" Kankurou said.

He forced himself to sit up.

"All of my puppets have been recovered, right?" he asked. They retrieved them, laying Karasu next to the bed, "There were two enemies. One of them took Gaara. Track Gaara's scent and you'll find him. And in case they split up, I can give you the other guy's scent..." He pointed and Karasu opened his hand. There was a piece of fabric there, "I had Karasu's hand take a piece of his mask."

Kakashi picked it up, "You still put up a fight even when you're down. Nothing less from a Suna shinobi."

Kankurou grinned before grabbing his stomach in pain.

"Kankurou, are you okay?" Temari asked.

The puppet user looked at Naruto. Kakashi summoned his dogs. He gave the cloth to them.

"Find out where they're headed." The dogs took off the moment they got the scent.

The old woman and man walked up.

"Chiyo-baa-sama, Ebizou-jii-sama!" Kankurou said.

"I want to hear you say this one more time." Chiyo said, "There is no mistake that one of the enemies was Sasori, correct?"

Kankurou looked down.

"Was he, Kankurou?" Ebizou said.

"He himself said that he was Akasuna no Sasori." he said.

"Akasuna no Sasori?" Kakashi asked, "Seems like I will be able to ask you a few questions about the Akatsuki. I'm counting on you."

After nightfall, Sakura came back with an antidote, forcing Kankurou to drinking it all. He was coughing heavily as he finished.

"You should be all right now." she told him, "Just take it easy and sleep until the trembling stops."

"You guys should call it a day as well." Baki told Naruto, "WE have rooms ready for you."

"No, we've got to go after Gaara as soon as possible." Naruto said.

"We'll take you up on that." Kakashi said, coming up behind them, "We're going to have some difficult battles starting tomorrow."

Naruto wasn't happy but he accepted it.

"Naruto..." he looked at Kankurou, "Please take care of my brother!"

Naruto smiled at him, "Leave it to me!"

Naruto woke up the next morning after Pakkun gave his report to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, did they find Akatsuki's hideout?" he asked.

"Yeah. We need to head out immediately." Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded, dressing quickly. They met up with Sakura outside.

"As soon as the Suna finishes their preparations, we'll be leaving with them to retrieve Gaara. Got it?" Kakashi told them.

"Sorry for making you wait." Temari said.

"Are we all here?" Kakashi asked.

Just then, Baki jumped down.

"Wait. Temari, you and your team will remain here on border patrol duty." he ordered.

"Are you kidding me?" Temari said.

"It's an order from our superiors. If word of Kazekage-sama's absence gets out, one of the other villages will try to attack us." he told them.

"But that's why we need to rescue Gaara as soon as possible, right?" Temari protested, "These guys came all the way from Konoha to help us! Gaara is supposed to be our Kazekage. They have to send someone from Suna!"

He hesitated, "But..."

Chiyo ended up volunteering to go with them instead. They raced through the trees as quickly as they could.

"Naruto, can I ask you something?" Sakura asked, "How long has Akatsuki been after you?"

He looked down, "I don't know." He jumped ahead.

"Two members of Akatsuki once came to Konoha in an attempt to take Naruto. That was three years ago, and now they're starting to move again. I don't know the reason why, though." Kakashi answered for him.

"Why would they wait three years?" Sakura asked.

"I assume they wanted to go after him again, but couldn't. Probably because Jiraiya-sama was with him the whole time." Kakashi said.

"No." Chiyo interrupted, "The information I have gives a different reason."

Naruto glanced back but said nothing.

"It takes a lot of preparation to pull out a Bijuu once it's been sealed into a person. That's why they were delayed." Chiyo told them.

"What's a Bijuu?" Sakura asked.

"You're Tsunade's apprentice and you don't even know that? Especially since Konoha has the Kyuubi..." Chiyo said.

"In Konoha, everything about the Kyuubi is treated as top secret." Kakashi said.

"Well, I guess it's have to be." Chiyo replied, "The Bijuu are mythical demon beasts with tails. Suna has had the Ichibi for a long time. That would be Shukaku, who's been sealed within Gaara."

"Ichibi? So, there are others out there besides the Kyuubi?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. There are nine of them total, and they all have unique characteristics and powers. Each of them has a different number of tails. The Ichibi has one tail. Nibi has two tails, up to the Kyuubi, each one has a name that corresponds to the number of tails it has. The Bijuu are essentially enormous masses of chakura. During the Great Ninja Wars, each nation's hidden village tried to obtain them, hoping to turn them into weapons. But their powers are far beyond human understanding. They can't be controlled. I don't know why Akatsuki wants their power, but it's far too dangerous. I suppose even during peace, the times continue to change. The Bijuu still exist, scattered across the world." Chiyo explained.

They were forced to stop running, however, when Itachi appeared before them.

"Who's that?" Sakura said softly.

"Already?" Kakashi said.

Naruto glared at him, "Itachi...

Sakura looked at the Uchiha in surprise and horror. She then glared.

"This is him? The kid who wiped out his entire clan." Chiyo said, stepping forward.

"It's been some time, Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun." Itachi said.

"Itachi..." Naruto said, "I see that cut healed up nicely."

There was no change in his expression, but slowly, his hand came up to touch his face.

"I gave that kunai to Sasuke as a present." he continued with a smirk.

"Yet Sasuke was unable to injure me. He must have been very angry." Itachi said.

"Maybe that's why he defected to Orochimaru." Naruto said, watching Itachi carefully.

The reaction was small but it was there. His eyes widened slightly.

"I see." he responded.

Itachi's hand came up.

"Everyone! Don't look directly into his eyes, or you're finished!" Kakashi ordered, "Itachi's Genjutsu are Doujutsu. In other words, they take effect through your vision. You're okay as long as your eyes don't meet his."

"But then, how are we going to fight him?" Sakura asked.

"You focus on his feet and body, and attack based on how he moves." Kakashi said.

"That's easier said than done." she muttered.

Naruto pulled his kunai, spinning it around his finger.

"Don't attack, Naruto." Kakashi ordered, "He uses the Mangekyou Sharingan, a Doujutsu far more powerful than normal Sharingan. You suffer the full effect of his Genjutsu the instant you're caught. In other words, while it only seems to be a second to everyone else, it can feel like hours, or days, for the one trapped in the illusion. I was lost in his phantom world for three days and ended up unconscious for a week. Dispelling the jutsu isn't possible."

"He's a dangerous opponent." Chiyo said, "Just who is he?"

"Impressive as always, Kakashi-san. You learnt much from just one encounter with my Tsukuyomi." Itachi said.

"I'm not done yet." Kakashi said, "After using that technique, you were very fatigued and retreated immediately. Besides using a large amount of chakura, using that technique poses a huge risk to your eyes. Right, Itachi?"

"An impressive analysis, for having only seen it once." Itachi replied.

"Itachi," Kakashi reached for his hitai-ate, "how bad has your eyesight become?"

That seemed to surprise the normally stoic man. He closed his eyes.

"Kakashi-san, you couldn't have..." Itachi said.

Kakashi touched his head, "Well, I may have let my guard down last time, but I'm no slouch, you know. Things will be different this time."

Itachi raised his hand, pointing to Naruto, "It's time for you to come with me, Naruto-kun."

Kakashi charged. A Kage Bunshin of Itachi charged. Naruto used Rasengan to dispel the clone quickly. However, when he looked up, Sakura, Chiyo, and Kakashi were on the ground. One by one, they got up, changing into Itachi. In the blink of an eye, kunai shot out, hitting each of the three Itachi. They flew back but never hit the ground. The Itachi turned into crows, flying around him. He realised he was in the Genjutsu.

"My eyes aren't the only method I have for using Genjutsu. I can cast them with a single finger." he raised his hand again, "Don't worry. I won't use the Mangekyou Sharingan. Or more specifically, I can't use it right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked.

Itachi made a hand sign, "You don't need to know. Time to go to sleep."

Naruto glared. He felt his eyes getting heavy. He clapped his hands together.

"Kai!" He pushed as much chakura as he could in it.

The crows began to disappear, turning into shuriken. They struck him repeatedly, but he didn't let it bother him. His right side turned into Sasuke. He ignored Sasuke talking, holding his form. Sakura's head came out of his stomach. Kakashi came out of his left shoulder. He ignored everything, closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes, Sakura and Chiyo were touching his shoulders. Kakashi and Itachi were fighting.

"His Kage Bunshin?" Naruto asked.

"He hasn't made any Kage Bunshin." Chiyo said.

He sighed, "I got caught pretty easily."

"You used Rasengan on the air." Sakura told him.

Naruto shook his head.

"Get ready, Naruto." Kakashi told him.

"Katon: Housenka no jutsu!" Itachi tried. Kakashi just dodged.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Itachi sent at them.

The three of them jumped out of the way. When the smoke cleared, Kakashi had Raikiri in his hand. He charged at Itachi but he jumped away. Naruto came at him from above with Rasengan. He slammed Itachi into the ground. Unfortunately, Itachi was just a clone. Naruto escaped into the trees before he had a chance to attack him. The area filled with mist.

"Kirigakure no jutsu. Certainly a good choice for making it harder to use Genjutsu. But before my Sharingan, jutsu like this are meaningless. Can we stop this silly game of hide and seek, Kakashi-san?" Itachi asked.

Kakashi walked out from behind a tree.

"I suppose so." Kakashi said.

Naruto watched and waited. Kakashi made the mistake of looking Itachi in the eye. Kyuubi stirred inside him, confusing the boy.

"No wonder my Genjutsu is not affecting you. You're a Kage Bunshin." Itachi said as another Kakashi climbed out of a hole in the ground.

Naruto took the opportunity to attack. With a new form of the Rasengan, he attacked, destroying the Kakashi clone. Itachi just smiled, blood moving down his mouth. As they approached, they found another man in his place, dead. Chiyo recognised him as a Jounin from Suna.

"There's no doubt. They've already begun extracting the Bijuu." Chiyo said, writing a note back to Suna.

"There's no time. We need to save Gaara-kun right away." Kakashi said nodding.

"What do you mean by extracting the Bijuu?" Sakura asked.

"They probably plan to make another Jinchuuriki from Shukaku, the Ichibi." Chiyo said.

"Jinchuuriki?" Sakura asked.

"I already explained that Bijuu are beasts with unimaginable power, remember? And that various nations tried to use them as military weapons. A Jinchuuriki is one who controls their power." she said.

"But before, you said-" Sakura started.

"And that was the truth. But it didn't stop people from trying, by sealing the Bijuu within people. Through sealing jutsu, the Bijuu's powers were suppressed, and the nations tried to control them that way. And those with Bijuu sealed in them, like Gaara, are called Jinchuuriki. Jinchuuriki gain unimaginable power by joining with a Bijuu. Including Gaara, there have been three people in Sunagakure's history who have been Jinchuuriki." the woman unsealed a toy bird as she finished writing her note. She sent it away with the note.

"Countless wars have been started by using Jinchuuriki, haven't they?" Sakura asked, looking to the ground.

"Indeed." Chiyo said.

"Then the people who became Jinchuuriki-!" She looked at Naruto, "How do you even extract a Bijuu?"

"You need a lot of time, and a powerful Fuuinjutsu that can balance out the Bijuu's power. But if you do that, then the Jinchuuriki will..." Chiyo trailed off.

"They die, Sakura-chan." Naruto said softly.

Chiyo nodded.

"That's why we need to find Gaara quickly." he finished.

"The other two Suna Jinchuuriki I mentioned... They died when we extracted Shukaku from their bodies." the woman said.

Sakura looked down.

"You always cry so easily, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, "Don't worry. I'm going to save Gaara."

"Naruto, I'm worried about y-" she tried to say.

"We need to hurry." he walked away from her.

Slowly, they followed him.

A sun down they took a break, even though he didn't want to. They needed to rest. It was only for a few hours before they were back up and running again.

"They no longer need to hold us off?" Kakashi said.

"That is a possibility." Chiyo replied.

"They couldn't have..." Sakura whispered.

Naruto's fists clenched. Kyuubi's chakura slipped into his system and he sped up.

"Naruto, wait!" Sakura called after him.

"Why is that kid trying so hard to save Gaara, when he's from a different village?" Chiyo asked, "Just what I he?"

"He's also a Jinchuuriki." Kakashi replied, "The Kyuubi was sealed in him. Naruto may not really care about Sunagakure itself. But Gaara-kun is a Jinchuuriki like him. Naruto understands how he feels better than anyone in your village. No matter where they're raised, Jinchuuriki are all treated the same. That's why Naruto feels he has to save him. It doesn't matter if he's from Suna or Konoha. To Naruto, Gaara-kun is a friend who has felt the pain as him."

They landed on to the water to see Gai's team. Instantly, Naruto's eyes were drawn to Neji. He looked good, but Naruto had more important things to worry about.

"You're late, Kakashi." Gai said.

"Well, we ran into some trouble on the way here." Kakashi said.

"Naruto-kun! Sakura-san!" Lee greeted them happily.

"Hey, Kakashi, you weren't talking about me, were you?" Chiyo said.

"Naruto..." Neji looked at him in surprise.

Naruto knew his eyes were red, knew that the whisker like marks on his cheeks were darker. He was surprised the other three hadn't said anything.

"You guys were a bit quicker than us." Sakura said as they approached.

"Who's this elderly woman?" TenTen asked.

"This is the Sunagakure's senior consultant, Chiyo-sama." Sakura introduced.

Chiyo held up a piece sign, "Pleased to meet you!"

"Now then, shall we do this, Kakashi?" Gai asked.

"Yeah."

Naruto looked up at the large boulder that blocked their entrance. He closed his eyes but he couldn't feel Gaara any more. He had a bad feeling. Neji used his Byakugan to get an inside look.

"The inside is rather wide and spacious, but... I can't get a very good image of what it's like inside. It seems that there are some people there." Neji said.

"Can you see Gaara?" Naruto asked.

"W-What is that?" Neji said.

Naruto grabbed Neji's shoulder. When he didn't respond, he started shaking the boy.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

He looked down, "It s hard for me to explain."

"That means..." TenTen looked to the stone.

"Which means we have to see it for ourselves, doesn't it?" Lee said.

"In which case, I'll keep it short." Gai said, putting his hand on Lee's shoulder.

Gai jumped far back before charging and punching the stone. It made no effect.

"A barrier, huh?" he said.

He walked back over to them.

"What should we do?" Lee asked.

First, we have to remove the barrier, Lee." the spandex wearing sensei said.

"How?" TenTen asked.

Naruto looked at it.

"And we have to figure out just what type of barrier it is." Sakura said, peering up at it as well.

Gai nodded, "Okay! First we need to figure out what type of barrier it is, Kakashi."

"It's a Gofuu Kekkai. We must locate the five seals and remove them at the same time." Naruto was the one to answer it. They all looked at him in surprise, "It may have a Kyoumen Shuuja under as well, which causes an exact replica of the remover that will attack them."

"I see you've learnt more than just Ninjutsu." Kakashi said proudly, "We need to find the others. Neji-kun?"

"Understood." the boy activated his Doujutsu again, "One's on top of a boulder, about 500 metres northeast of here. The second one is on tree trunk in a gorge, 350 metres south southeast. The third one is on a Cliffside, 600 metres to the northwest. And the last one is in a forest almost 800 metres southwest of here."

"In which case, they're pretty far away. What's the signal going to be?" Sakura asked.

"There's no problem there." Gai said, taking off his backpack, "These wireless radios can cover those distances. So, we'll get directions from Neji and find those seals."

"We will remove the four seals surrounding the area. If this is a race against the clock, then my team's the quickest." Gai said.

When Lee talked, Naruto was very happy that he didn't have a microphone. All four of the others were clenching their ears.

"Lee, you have your mic turned on too high!" TenTen snapped at him.

He bowed, "I'm so sorry."

He still hadn't turned his microphone down, meaning they got hit again.

"Lee. Hey, Lee." Gai begged.

The boy finally turned it down.

"Okay! Team Gai..." Gai put his hand in between them.

After giving Lee a look, he put his hand on his sensei's. TenTen needed a little more prompting. Looking to Neji, the boy was glaring at him. They got into a bit of a staring contest. After a bunch of noise from Gai, Neji finally put his hand on theirs.

"Fight with the full power of youth!" Gai said cheerfully, "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! And one more fight!"

Naruto bit his lip, hiding a smile from the pained look on Neji's face. Then, they took off. Sakura prepared to break down the boulder. Kakashi was on the boulder, ready to peel off the seal. When the seal came off, Sakura quickly destroyed the boulder and jumped away. Kakashi went to Naruto's side. They entered, seeing two Akatsuki members, and Gaara's body on the ground. The blonde Akatsuki member was sitting on Gaara.

"So then, I wonder which one is the Jinchuuriki." the blonde said.

Naruto barely kept his temper under control, feeling his eyes turn red, "You bastards! I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"The one who screams and charges first... Is that him?" the other Akatsuki member said.

"That's what it looks like." the blonde said.

"Get the hell off him!" Naruto snapped.

The blonde chuckled, "There's no mistaking it. He's the Jinchuuriki. The first thing he'll do is scream and charge at you. Itachi actually described him quite accurately."

Naruto didn't move, however. He was looking at Gaara. He didn't think it was possible that Gaara could die.

"I see you realised." the blonde said, "He's been dead for a while."

He reached down and tapped Gaara's face. Naruto growled.

"He's definitely the Jinchuuriki." the blonde said.

He and the other one talked for a while. The blonde's name was Deidara but he only called the other guy 'danna'. The two were arguing. Naruto sent a windmill shuriken at 'danna' but he blocked it with a tail, not even looking at them. Naruto's eyes narrowed, was his body a puppet? Finally, Deidara got off Gaara. He then threw something into the air and made a sign. An odd bird thing appeared. The bird picked up Gaara's body and flew into the air. Deidara jumped up with it, just as 'danna' attacked his partner.

"Later, danna!" Deidara called.

The bird thing ate Gaara's body and flew over their heads. Naruto immediately took chase. He vaguely heard Kakashi call after him but he didn't care. He'd deal with that bastard. Outside on torii, Naruto glared up at the sky. Kakashi joined him.

"Gai, come in." Kakashi said into the radio, "The enemy split into two groups. We need back up. Come back right away."

Naruto looked at him.

"It appears that they were caught in that trap you were talking about." Kakashi told him. Kakashi pulled up his hitai-ate, "There's no going easy in this fight."

"Should you really be fighting me? Sharingan no Kakashi-sensei. Just for the record, Sasori-danna is stronger than me. Probably. Although our opinions differ greatly on what real art is." Deidara said, "Looks like they've started."

Kakashi glanced back but Naruto didn't take his eyes off their enemy.

"You think a little girl and an old hag will be enough to stand up against Sasori-danna?" the Akatsuki member asked.

"Sensei, please go to Sakura-chan." Naruto told him, clenching his firsts, "I'll save Gaara!"

He jumped up but missed as Deidara dodged with the bird. Naruto hit the rock face, smashing it. Deidara sent another bird down but Kakashi intercepted, hitting it with a shuriken. With a hand sign, the bird exploded. The shuriken was sent back to Kakashi was he deflected it.

"You shouldn't be worth fighting if that's all it took." Deidara said.

Naruto pushed some rumble out of the way, glaring up at the man, "I won't let you have Gaara!"

"You're weird, for a Jinchuuriki. I've heard that Jinchuuriki are gloomy and hate people. My comrades have defeated two other Jinchuuriki, not counting him. It seems that neither their friends nor their villages tried to save them. In fact, it seemed like there were people who were happy to have them gone." Deidara laughed.

Naruto glared.

"A kindred spirit who was hated and despised... You couldn't just ignore him. Gaara... Gaara died when we removed the Ichibi. That's going to happen to you, soon. You hear me?" he growled.

"I won't let you bastards get away with this!" Naruto snapped.

The bird began to fly away. Naruto quickly took chase.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi called.

"Kakashi-sensei, you take care of Sakura-chan!" Naruto told him.

"Seriously..." Kakashi muttered.

He followed Naruto.

"Gai, what's happening on you end?" Kakashi asked into the radio.

Naruto launched himself over some trees that were suspended over the river. He kept a close eye on the man, seeing him reach into his bag. He pulled his hand back out but didn't attack. However, after a short while, three birds were thrown at him. They weren't as big as the one Deidara was riding. As Naruto landed on another tree trunk, two slammed into him while the third hit the trunk, exploding. Kakashi pierced one with a shuriken, causing it to explode. Naruto was knocked off but managed to grab hold of another branch. He had to duck as the last bird flew overhead. It went after Kakashi instead. He saw Kakashi jump just as it exploded. Turning back to the Akatsuki member, he saw him reach into his bag again. He continued to follow. Two small things fell, but not to Naruto. They exploded between Kakashi and Naruto. The copy ninja just came through the smoke. Naruto heard a crash behind them. It sounded like Sakura was making a mess. Deidara picked up his speed, and so did Naruto. Kakashi, however, didn't.

Deidara led them away for quite a while before throwing a handful of things down. Naruto moved passed them, but they appeared to be after Kakashi. Naruto knew he could deal with Deidara, and knew that Kakashi would be all right.

"Wait, Naruto!" Kakashi called when he couldn't get passed.

"You're too slow! I'm going ahead!" Naruto shot back.

"Don't try to do too much on your own!" Kakashi snapped.

Naruto looked up at Deidara, "I'll be all right, Kakashi. I've been training for these bastards."

He went too far ahead to hear any response from his former teacher. An explosion sent mild worry through him, but he didn't have time to wonder. Deidara stopped, moving down to talk to Naruto.

"It's finally just the two of us." the man said.

Naruto glared.

"Don't make such a scary face." he said, "I'm letting you see your friend again."

The bird opened it's mouth to show Gaara.

Naruto pulled a kunai, "Are you weaker than Itachi, Deidara?"

The man's eye twitched; so that was a sore spot for him.

"Itachi... He can claim, and rightfully so, to be the strongest person in the world." Naruto gave the other blonde a sadistic grin, "I was able to injure him when I was twelve."

Naruto went to launch at him but a hand stopped him.

"Wait, Naruto!" Kakashi said.

Deidara was surprised, "What? I thought I'd finally killed you." the man sighed.

"Well, I apologise for not letting you blow me to bits." Kakashi replied in a bored tone, "Net time, you need to think of a way for them to differentiate between the real one and a Kage Bunshin. Assuming there is a next time."

The bird's mouth closed and Deidara flew higher. Naruto went to follow but Kakashi didn't release the boy.

"Calm down, Naruto." Kakashi told him.

Naruto turned, shooting a glare at him, "Go back to Sakura-chan, Kakashi. You're getting in the way."

The man raised an eyebrow at him.

"Listen, Naruto. You aren't used to fighting against his type. And in addition, as someone who specialises in close combat, his long range style is the worst possible patch for you." Kakashi told him, "There are only two ways to fight against someone like him. The first is to draw the enemy into close combat and defeat him there. The other is to use attacks with an even greater range than his and defeat him from a distance. Either way, you must have a companion, who either specialises in long range attacks, or has support techniques meant for long range fights. If you don't have either, the battle is lost. Well, that may not be the case for someone as smart as, say, Shikamaru."

Naruto glanced at him, "You've got long range fights. Though, I doubt you're as smart as Shikamaru."

"That hurts, Naruto-kun." he teased, "We need to work together and force him to leave himself open."

Deidara turned away.

"If you get everything I've said, then listen to me. I'll tell you the plan." Kakashi told him.

They took chase again as Kakashi told him the plan. He then made a sign. He held this sign, building his chakura. It was taking too much time in Naruto's opinion, though. If it took much longer, he'd deal with it himself, with or without Kakashi.

When Kakashi finally lowered his hand, Naruto saw his Sharingan was different. Naruto stared as they ran.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked, turning to him.

"Don't worry if it doesn't work. I'll make sure to finish him." Naruto promised.

"If it comes to that." the teacher replied.

They continued.

"Naruto, back off for a bit." Kakashi ordered.

With a reluctant nod, he did.

"Mangekyou Sharingan."

Naruto watched Deidara as everything swirled a bit. He crawled up the side of the cliff. However, then Kakashi grabbed his eyes, just as Deidara's arm came off. He tried it again, but Naruto wasn't sure if it was going to work any better. Reaching the end of the cavern, Kakashi left it, going into the tree line to continue the technique. Naruto went around, going to head of the Akatsuki member. Just as Kakashi's second attempt failed, he appeared behind Deidara on the bird. The man turned and jumped from the bird. Naruto severed the head of the bird and summoned two clones to catch the bird's head. Immediately, he went to dig Gaara out as another Naruto landed next to Kakashi on the next branch back.

"Kakashi, are you all right?" he asked.

"I've been better." the man admitted.

The three clones were able to dig the boy out. There was no denying the fact he was dead, though. Naruto felt tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to kill you." Naruto looked passed the trees to where Deidara had landed.

"Yes, yes. I'll fight again with you soon." the other blonde said.

"You're letting your guard down." Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto appeared behind Deidara. He turned just in time for Naruto to punch him in the face.

"I warned you that you let your guard down!" Kakashi called back.

Naruto summoned four clone, each one grabbing a hold of an ankle or shoulder and slamming the man into the ground. Naruto came down, putting all of his weight on one foot as he slammed it into Deidara's stomach. He punched him in the face again, and kept punching. Forming a Rasengan, he went to slam it into him but he only hit clay. The clones dispelled as Naruto growled in anger. Chakura began to pour from him; Kyuubi's chakura. He could feel the first tail manifesting. He punched the clay again, causing an explosion. Deidara was nearby, he knew that. He needed to find him. A second tail began to manifest. Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto spun. The man was holding the seal Jiraiya gave him.

"I'm all right, Kakashi." he said. He looked around as he suppressed the tails, "He's nearby still."

Sakura jumped down, supporting Chiyo.

"We finally caught up." Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said.

"You did a good job finding us." Kakashi commented proudly.

Sakura looked at him, "We felt a huge chakura a few minutes ago."

"Did you guys get him?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded.

"What happened to Gaara?" Chiyo asked.

Naruto looked down before looking back up to where two clones were supporting Gaara's body.

"All right." the woman said.

Naruto's head snapped to the side. Gai's team was standing in front of Deidara. They began to fight.

"Watch out! He's a long range fighter who attacks with explosives!" Kakashi called after them.

Deidara took a bite out of the bird's body. His body began to balloon.

"Everyone, get back!" Neji called.

There was a large explosion that they attempted to outrun. Somehow, they were able to.

"What's going on?" Gai asked as the smoke cleared.

Kakashi had used his attack against to swallow the explosion. Naruto caught him as he fell over.

"You okay, Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"What the heck did you do?" Sakura asked.

Panting, Kakashi looked over at her, "I blew the explosion into another dimension." he said.

She was surprised, "Another dimension?"

"I don't really get what happened, but I suppose it means we beat the enemy, right, TenTen?" Lee commented.

She pulled away, "Hey, don't ask me!"

"More importantly, is everyone all right?" Kakashi asked.

"Just pass out already." Naruto told him, "I know you want to."

The two Naruto clones jumped down with Gaara's body.

Gaara's body was laid in the grass. Sakura looked over it but there was nothing she could do. Tears flowed freely from his eyes as he stumbled towards the boy.

"You weren't supposed to die like this, Gaara." he said, "You just became Kazekage!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Chiyo said.

"Shut the hell up!" he snapped, turning to her.

She looked surprised.

"It's your fault! If you damn Suna shinobi hadn't put that monster inside him, this never would've happened!" he yelled at her, "Do you have any idea what kind of burden he carried?!" He bowed his head, "Damn the Jinchuuriki. You have no right to act like you're better, to label us and use us..." He wiped his tears on his jacket sleeve, "I trained for three years... and nothing's changed..."

He heard footsteps. As he looked up Chiyo was kneeling next to Gaara. She put her hands on his chest. A blue orb appeared around her hands.

"Chiyo-baa-sama, that jutsu will-" Sakura said.

Naruto looked at her. Chiyo looked back but closed her eyes.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

She just shook her head. Naruto had a suspicion of what the woman was doing.

"Sakura-chan?" he asked again.

"She's bringing Gaara-kun back to life." she answered.

That was exactly was he was suspicious of. The woman got weaker and weaker. Naruto knew the price of it. Walking around Gaara, he knelt across the woman and offered his hands.

"Use my chakura." he told her gently.

"Place your hands on top of mine..." she said softly.

He did so. The orb of chakura grew tremendously. He accepted the strain without even a grunt of discomfort.

"I'm happy that someone like you has appeared in the shinobi world we foolish old people created." she told him weakly, "Everything I've ever done was a mistake. But now, at the end, it looks like I'll finally be able to do the right thing. Suna and Konoha..." she looked up, "Their future will be much different than the way things were back in my day." She looked back at their hand, "That strange power of yours that Kakashi mentioned... That power will have a strong influence on the future. And Sakura... Next time, save the people who are dear to you, not some old hag. You and I are very similar. There aren't many girls as chivalrous as you around. You'll surpass your teacher as a female ninja. And Naruto, this is a request from an old woman. You are the only one who can understand Gaara's pain. And Gaara understands your pain. Please, save Gaara."

He nodded.

The woman collapsed as Gaara sat up. Sakura caught Chiyo while Naruto put his hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"Gaara..." he said softly.

"N-Naruto..." the red head whispered.

He looked around, seeing the clearing filled with Suna nin.

"They're..." Gaara said.

"Everyone ran here to come save you!" Naruto told him.

"Gaara-sama! Are you okay?!" Matsuri called.

Gaara nodded in shock.

"Yes!"

Everyone cheered. Some were even crying. It made Naruto feel like crying. Gaara found his family, even if he was only now realising.

"You had me worried, Otouto." Kankurou said, walking up.

"Who do you think you are?" Temari asked him, "Gaara is the Kazekage! Show some respect, you lowlife!"

Kankurou scoffed at his sister. She pulled Naruto out of the way.

"Gaara, how do you feel?" she asked.

Gaara looked away and tried to stand.

"You shouldn't start moving around yet." she told him, "Your body is still very stiff."

He sat back down. Matsuri and another girl began fighting over Gaara like Sakura and Ino used to, knocking Naruto away as they wanted to get closer to the Kazekage.

"Don't let it get you down." Kankurou said, walking up to him. He knelt down, "The girls who drool over the cool, elite guys are always the weakest ones."

"Say that to Sakura." Naruto muttered, sitting up. He looked at the man's painted face, "You're better looking without the makeup."

The boy gave him a surprised look before looking away in embarrassment. Temari was blocking the two girls from getting too close to Gaara.

"Thank you, Naruto." he said.

Naruto looked over at Chiyo, "Thank her, not me."

He stood as the realisation of Chiyo's death spread over the crowd.

"Naruto, you really are a strong person." Naruto looked at Temari, "You have the power to change people."

He stiffened, staring at the woman in shock as she looked down.

"Chiyo-baa-sama was always saying that she didn't care what happened to the village. She wasn't the type of person who would do this for Gaara." she continued.

Gaara looked down as listened to his sister.

"Chiyo-baa-sama has placed the future in yours and Gaara's hands. A splendid end, befitting a true shinobi." Kakashi said.

Naruto nodded, "Just like Sandaime-jii-chan."

"That's right." Kakashi replied.

"Gaara-sama!" Matsuri's voice drew his attention.

Gaara shrugged her arm off as he went to stand. He almost fell but Naruto caught him. He was surprised by this. He made himself stand. Naruto kept a hold of his arm. Everyone was watching Sakura hug Chiyo's body.

"Everyone, pray for Chiyo-baa-sama." Gaara ordered.

Everyone bowed their heads, closing their eyes in prayer.

They returned to find the whole of Sunagakure waiting for them. Naruto and Kankurou were supporting Gaara as they walked. Cheers could be heard the moment they could see the sand wall.

"That's some homecoming." Kankurou laughed.

The people raced out to greet them, Baki in front.

"I'm glad you're safe." he told his former student.

"Thanks to everyone here." Gaara said softly.

Baki turned to Naruto, "Uzumaki Naruto, I thank you."

Naruto stiffened, "I wasn't- I didn't really do anything." he said, looking down.

"Kazekage-sama, everyone from the village is waiting." Baki told him.

The crowd separated, and they went to walk between them.

"Wait..." Gaara said.

He looked back. Chiyo's body was being carried on a stretcher, wrapped in a black cloth.

"Take her first." Gaara told them.

They stepped aside and they took Chiyo through.

"Pay your last respects to Chiyo-baa-sama." Baki ordered the crowd, "Pray silently!"

Sakura walked in with them.

"We're home now, Nee-chan." Ebizou told her.

Naruto sat with Gaara as he rested in his bed. They would be leaving soon, and Naruto wanted to talk to him before they did.

"Why do you have a bed, anyway?" he asked, grinning at the boy, "You don't sleep."

Gaara just turned away, hiding a smile. Naruto reached up and ran a hand over his hair, making him glance back.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better." Gaara replied, "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"What makes you-" Gaara just smirked at him, making him chuckle, "Baa-chan told me to inform you about one of our S ranked missions."

Gaara looked him curiously, "That's rare. Missions aren't discussed between villages."

Naruto nodded. He grabbed Gaara's hand and the boy let him hold it.

"Sasuke... have you heard about him?" Naruto asked.

"There have been rumours..." he said slowly, "That he defected for Orochimaru. No one can tell me if that is true or not."

"The official stance is complicated." Naruto admitted, "Officially, he's supposed to be on a mission. That's been close to three years now. Most of Konoha is sure that he's defected now."

Gaara nodded slowly, "So... What is the truth?"

"You cannot tell anyone. Tsunade-baa-chan told me to tell you and only you. I understand Temari, Kankurou, and even Baki, but no one else. Not even the council." Naruto said.

Gaara nodded, "...I promise."

"He's on a mission." Naruto told him, "To infiltrate Orochimaru's lair as an apprentice. He pretended to defect. He'll learn all he can and attempt to take out Orochimaru before returning home."

"I see." Gaara looked at the ceiling, "Why did she wish us to know?"

"In case he comes here." Naruto said, "I don't see why, but that's why she wanted you to know. He might need a safe haven."

"He will have it." Gaara said.

Naruto reached up, brushing his hair off his forehead. Gaara leant up, though, pressing his lips against Naruto's. Naruto blinked in surprise, but leant into it. Slowly, Gaara pulled away.

"Sorry..." he whispered, looking down.

Naruto shook his head with a smile, "It's fine. You did just die after all." he laughed.

Gaara gave a small smile, laying back down. Naruto ran his hand over Gaara's hair again.

"I'll probably be gone when you get up." he told the Kazekage. He smirked, "If you want another kiss, than tell me."

Gaara's face reddened as he looked away, "Shut up."

"So, is this a 'I just died and I want a kiss' or is it 'I like you but don't know how to say it'?" Naruto continued to tease.

Gaara's face went even more red, "... I've never kissed any one... I liked it..."

Naruto smiled and grabbed the boy's chin, making him look at Naruto. He kissed him again gently.

"It is nice, isn't it?" he whispered.

Gaara looked at him, "How did you feel when you fell in love?"

Naruto tilted his head in curious confusion, "I've never fallen in love, Gaara."

"Really?" the boy's monotone tone didn't change but Naruto could tell he was surprised, "I believed you and the Uchiha..."

Naruto choked lightly, "Sasuke? I'm not in love with Sasuke!"

The look on Gaara's face said he didn't believe Naruto. Shaking his head, he smiled and stood, "I'm gonna have to go."

Gaara stood slowly, "I will see you off."

Team Kakashi and Team Gai visited Chiyo's grave before being seen off by the Sand Siblings. Gaara held out his hand for Naruto to shake, surprising the boy yet again. When Naruto didn't shaking it, sand spun around his wrist, lifting the limb. Smiling, he shook the boy's hand. Kakashi was being supported by Gai as they moved. He used too much chakura with his Doujutsu.

Annoyed at being slow, Gai tossed Kakashi on his back, much to Kakashi's embarrassment. Gai raced ahead. Lee moved his backpack to his chest.

"Neji." he said.

"Hell no!" Neji snapped.

Smirking, Naruto jumped on to Neji's back and pointed after their senseis.

"Go, Neji-kun!" he said.

Neji glared at him, "I'm going to dumping you on your ass."

"Go!" Naruto said again.

The man sighed and went after them.

"Only Naruto could get away with that." Sakura muttered behind them.

Kakashi was taken to the hospital, after his horrendous experience on Gai's back. After a few hours, Naruto got off Neji's back, and they all gave their backs to Lee for his extra weight. At the hospital, Naruto damn near saw Kakashi's face but he somehow still kept his face hidden.

Naruto stood behind Sakura, Tsunade, and Shizune as they left the hospital.

"Is it about that?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes." Sakura responded.

"Have you discussed it with Kakashi?" the Hokage asked.

"Not yet, since Kakashi-sensei was out of it the whole time." Sakura replied.

Naruto tilted his head in curiosity; what were they talking about? Tsunade stopped and glanced back.

"And Naruto?"

"Not yet. I was going to but I couldn't get him alone." she said.

"Let's hear it then." Tsunade led them to the Hokage tower.

Naruto was on the roof, looking down at them.

"This is the information I received directly from Sasori, an Akatsuki member. He said it was my reward for defeating him." Sakura said.

"The Tenchi Bridge in ten days, huh?" Tsunade asked.

"That was four days ago, so it's in six days now." Sakura told him.

Naruto nodded to himself. It made sense not to discuss it around Gai's team. This situation was sensitive.

"Can we really believe him?" Tsunade asked her student.

"Considering the situation, I think so." she replied.

"What will you do if it's a trap?" Sakura gave her a surprised look, "He could be using Orochimaru as bait to draw you to the bridge, and have Akatsuki waiting there to ambush you."

"If it's a trap, we'll spring it!" Sakura said confidently.

Naruto smirked; that was his Sakura.

"Regardless of what you say, Kakashi's going to be out of action for over a week." Tsunade told her, "But you only have six days left! Without Sasuke, your team was already short on members."

Sakura nodded.

"We've got no choice but to recruit some new members and make a new team." Tsunade said.

Sakura went to protest but Shizune spoke first.

"Tsunade-sama!"

"What?" the woman asked.

"If that's the case, the we should send a small team to check things out first." Shizune said, "And even if you decide to let Sakura go, you should remove Naruto-kun from the team!"

"Shizune..." Tsunade tried.

"Yes?" she replied.

"You and Sakura are among the few shinobi who I can truly trust. I am, without question, sending Sakura and Team Kakashi on this mission."

"Then isn't it the same as if you sent out my team?!" Shizune asked.

"No, it's not." Tsunade told her.

"Because of Sasuke?" she asked.

"They have strong emotions involved with Orochimaru that will lead them to success in this mission. That's where you and Sakura are different." Tsunade told her.

Shizune looked down, "I understand. But, at least pull Naruto-kun from the mission!"

"What do you think Naruto will do once he hears of this?" she said, raising her voice and looking up at him.

"I suppose we should get some teammates." Naruto said, leaning against the railing.

Shizune and Sakura looked up in surprise. He jumped down and landed on the railing next to Tsunade.

"Gaara has been informed." he whispered before jumping off.

Naruto walked through the streets, thinking about it. He walked passed Shino. He noticed the boy but he wasn't sure if Shino wanted to talk to him.

"It's been quite some time, Naruto." he stated as Naruto passed him.

Naruto nodded, "Yes, it has, Shino."

Just then, there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Naruto saw Kiba and a very large dog that looked like Akamaru.

"Shino, you're early." the Inuzuka said.

He looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Is that Akamaru?" Naruto asked.

"Ahh!" Kiba jumped off Akamaru's back and up to Naruto, sniffing him, "Yep! That smell is definitely you, Naruto!"

Naruto's eye twitched, "That's how you recognised me?" he pointed to Akamaru, "Is that really Akamaru?"

"Of course." he said, "Hey, you got pretty tall, huh?" He held up his hand.

There was a small gasp, but when he looked back, he didn't see anyone.

"Hinata?" he called.

There was another small gasp. He walked around the corner to see he leaning against the fence.

"Hinata, what's up?" he said, "Why are you hiding?"

She looked at him, her face red. She stumbled and fell over. Kiba ran up behind him.

"Why do you always pass out when you see Naruto?!" he whined.

They leant her against the tree Shino had been leaning again.

"So, you guys have a mission?" Naruto asked.

Kiba nodded, "We're waiting for Kurenai-sensei."

"Well, I've got to find some teammates. Kakashi's held up in the hospital again. And with Sasuke out on a mission..." Naruto sighed.

Kiba rolled his eyes, "We all know that he defected, Naruto. Why won't you guys just admit it?"

"He's on a mission." Naruto said firmly. He turned to walk away, "Be careful on your mission."

Naruto continued on his way, thinking that maybe Team 10, or Asuma, might be willing to. Shikamaru was an examiner for the Chuunin Exams and couldn't go. As he was talking to him, Chouji came up, giving Shikamaru a bentou. However, he was sensing someone else. Someone powerful that was nearby. He sensed an attack and Shikamaru attempted to push him out of the way. Naruto just pushed his hand out of the way, though. He turned and sliced the attack with his kunai. It was some odd, ink drawn lion and appeared to come alive. Another one attacked from above. Chouji grabbed it with an enlarged hand and squished. By the time Shikamaru and Chouji turned around, Naruto was gone. He appeared on a roof at the end of the road, next to a pale boy with a tantou on his back, a brush in his hand, and a scroll on his lap.

"Best stop, kid." Naruto told him as he went to draw again, "I'm not above kicking your ass. Trust me, you'll lose."

The boy gave him a smile, which Naruto immediately that it was fake.

"Stop with the fake smiles." he told him.

Instantly, he froze. Slowly, the smile left his face.

"From the outfit, I'd say... ANBU Ne, right?"

He gave no reaction, just disappeared. Back down with Shikamaru and Chouji, Ino arrived.

"Naruto, long time no see!" Ino waved.

He waved down at her.

Naruto met up with Sakura outside the arena for the Chuunin exams. No one was there, though Naruto could sense the ANBU Ne member nearby again. He was good at masking his presence. Naruto stepped close to her.

"Sakura-chan, our new teammate is probably ANBU Ne." he whispered to her.

"ANBU what?" she replied softly.

"Just don't trust him, okay? Ero-sennin told me about these people. They're really messed up." he said, just as the boy stepped out from behind the pillar.

"Hello, asshole!" Naruto greeted.

"Hello." he said with another fake smile.

Another man walked out beside him.

"I'll be acting as Kakashi-san's replacement for this team." the older man said.

"I thought I said kill the fake smiles?" Naruto told the Ne member, "If I'm not allowed to put on a face, neither are you."

Sakura nodded firmly.

The other man stepped forward, "I'll be acting as the team's captain while Kakashi-san is in the hospital. Please call me Yamato."

"Yamato-taichou?" Sakura asked.

He nodded, stepping closer to them, "Since you guys are on the same team, it'll cause a lot of problems if you don't get along."

Naruto sighed, looking at Sakura.

"I'm sorry about before." the boy said with yet another fake smile, "I wanted to know how strong you were, since we're on the same team."

"I'm going to hit you every time that smile appears on your face." Naruto warned him.

"Thanks to our little encounter, I learnt you're a useless, dickless pantywaist." he said.

Naruto was immediately angry.

"He's our teammate now, don't start fights with him!" Sakura warned. She looked at the boy, "And you, you're really being a jerk."

He laughed, just as fake as his smile, "Oh really?"

"If you keep acting like that, everyone will hate you." she told him.

"Oh? But I really don't like ugly bitches like you." he said.

Naruto didn't even try to hold Sakura back, forcing Yamato to.

"What was that, you asshole?!" she snapped.

"Remember what you just said to Naruto-kun!" Yamato told her.

Naruto smirked, "Kid, do you know how strong the Godaime is?"

He looked at Naruto curiously.

"Sakura-chan's just as strong, if not more so." he said with a smile, "You've been warned."

"Anyway, the four of us will start our mission soon... And, well, we're not going to have many chances to get to know each other." Yamato tapped his headdress, "So, introduce yourselves!"

"Uzumaki Naruto." he said simply.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." she was glaring at the kid.

"My name is Sai." the kid said, yet another fake smile on his face.

Naruto disappeared and reappeared behind Sai... and smacked him upside the head.

"Okay, that's enough introduction for now." Yamato said, "Now, I'll explain our mission. Our objective is to head towards the Tenchi Bridge in order to capture the Akatsuki spy working under Orochimaru. This is also a rare chance for us to obtain information on Orochimaru. We'll have a valuable source of information for planning Orochimaru's assassination if we can capture this spy. Be sure to proceed with caution." they gave him a nod, "We'll assemble at the main gate in an hour. We'll depart once you've equipped yourselves."

Naruto followed Sai. He still kept his things on him in a scroll, so he had the time. Everything seemed normal, until he felt another presence and heard the clink of metal on metal.

"Nice move." a voice said, "Never let your guard down, got it?"

"What do you want, Senpai?" Sai's voice spoke.

Naruto heard the brush of cloth and paper. He could hear an envelope.

"The top secret mission assigned to you by Danzou-sama is-"

The voice cut off and a kunai shot out the window, going into the tree near him. He masked his presence more as a cat ran out from being scared.

"Just a cat?" the voice said.

Naruto could see him. He was wearing an ANBU mask and his hair was in a spiky ponytail.

"Anyway, Danzou-sama's vision for the village's future rests upon this secret mission. Failure will not be tolerated." he said.

"I know." Sai said.

"Very well." the man replied. He seemed to take notice of something in the room, "You're still carrying that thing around?"

"This is..." Sai's voice was very quiet.

The man faced Sai, "In Ne, you have no name. You have no emotions."

"You have no past. You have no future. There is only the mission." Sai chanted.

"That is the purpose of Root. We exist underground, unseen, supporting the great tree we call Konoha. Don't ever forget that." the man disappeared.

"Yes." Sai said softly.

Naruto left Sai's house after that. He got what he wanted. After that, he headed to the hospital, planning on speaking to Kakashi. However, when he arrived, he saw Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, and Yamato in his room. Yamato and the girls had just arrived.

"Long time no see, Senpai." Yamato said to Kakashi.

Naruto smirked; so Yamato was an ANBU.

"You're... I see. So you're the one she called Yamato." Kakashi said, "I see."

"Yes. Yamato will be my code name while working as the captain for your team." the man said formally.

"Yamato, huh?" Kakashi asked.

"I brought Yamato here because there's something he needs to know if he's going to act as Team Kakashi's captain." Tsunade said.

"And it's the main reason why you were chosen to be Kakashi's substitute." Jiraiya said.

"Is it about Naruto-kun?" Yamato asked.

"Exactly." Kakashi nodded, "You already know that the Kyuubi was sealed inside of Naruto, correct?"

"Yes." Yamato replied promptly.

"There are times when the Kyuubi's chakura flows out of Naruto's body and starts to take on the demon's form." Jiraiya told him, "We call this the demon fox's cloak."

Yamato was surprised, "The demon fox's cloak? Does this happen frequently?" he looked nervous.

"It happened in the previous mission, though Naruto remained in control." Kakashi said, "As Naruto's emotions intensified, more and more of the Kyuubi's chakura began to flow out of him until it enveloped his entire body... and took on the form we call the demon fox's cloak. Before the second tail was able to completely form, he suppressed it. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't."

"I see." Jiraiya said, "So it did come out."

"Going by the formation of the chakura, it's likely that more and more tails will appear. And eventually, there would be nine." Kakashi said.

"That sums it up." Jiraiya said.

Kakashi looked at the pervert, "Jiraiya-sama, how many tails have you seen him go up to?"

Jiraiya began to remove his shirt, "In my whole life, I've only come close to death twice. The first time, six ribs and both of my arms were broken, and several of my internal organs were severely damaged. It happened when I was trying to peek at the girls in the onsen, and Tsunade beat the snot out of me." Naruto barely held a snort of amusement, despite the seriousness, "And the second time..." he showed them the scar on his chest. Naruto was ashamed of it, for having lost control and nearly killed the man, "was when I was training with Naruto, and the fourth tail formed. His anger is the primary trigger. The angrier he gets, the faster the tails appear. He can maintain control of himself up to three tails. But once the fourth tail appears, he can no longer distinguish between friend and foe, and leaves naught but destruction in his wake. He looked exactly like a miniature version of the Kyuubi."

They were shocked.

"Even with the Yondaime's seal, he can draw out that much?" Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya put his shirt back on.

"I haven't figured out the specifics myself, but I can only come up with one explanation. The Yondaime's seal is weakening."

"The Yondaime's sealing technique?" Tsunade said.

"There's more." Jiraiya continued, "When Naruto enters the Kyuubi state, it may look like the fox's cloak is shielding him from harm, but in actuality, the chakura causes constant damage to his body. When the fourth tail came out, he started bleeding heavily, the blood mixing with the Kyuubi's chakura. And despite the severity of his injuries, he went on a rampage. Once the cloak dissipated, the Kyuubi's chakura inside his body began healing the wounds. If he keeps going through cycles of heavy injury and accelerated healing like that, his body's going to break down and his life span will be shortened." He ran a hand over his head, "Naruto intends to master the fourth tail, though he promised not to attempt anything unless it's necessary."

"That's why we need you, Yamato. You've inherited the DNA of the Shodai." Tsunade said.

"You're the only one who even has a chance of controlling a Jinchuuriki! And luckily, Naruto's also wearing the Shodai's necklace. We're all counting on you!" Jiraiya told him.

Silence filled the room.

"You should also know..." Kakashi said, "Naruto is listening in."

Naruto smiled; Kakashi knew him so well. Jiraiya looked around but didn't spot him.

"You can sense him?" he asked, "I haven't been able to do that since Sensei died."

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head, "No, I just know him. I've not been able to sense him for a long time."

"Get down here, brat." Tsunade snapped.

Sighing, Naruto opened the window and walked in. He sat in the window.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready, Naruto?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto just pulled out a scroll.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"That Sai asshole was given an order from an ANBU member." Naruto said.

Instantly, Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Did you hear what?"

Naruto shook his head, "Just that it had something to do with some asshole named Danzou and his 'vision' for the village. And a reminder of what I guess is the ANBU Ne's motto."

She nodded, looking to Yamato. He nodded without needing to be told.

"Sakura-chan knows he can't be trusted either. Though, she doesn't know about Ne." Naruto said. He looked to Yamato, "I'm glad to know you're trustworthy. If Kakashi trusts you, I do."

Kakashi put a hand on his chest, "You've honoured me." he mocked, "And what happened to me being 'Kakashi-sensei'?"

"I'm still mad at you about the last mission." Naruto stated simply.

He sighed.

"You two best be going." Tsunade told Yamato and Naruto.

They nodded and went to leave. With his hand on the window frame, Naruto paused.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked.

"Give me the order." he said softly as he glanced over his shoulder at her, "Whoever you want will die."

They met up at the gates and headed out. There was still some tension between Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. Naruto carefully kept his mouth shut. This guy pissed him off. More than anyone he'd ever met. It would be for the best if he just kept quiet.

"Please stop staring at me like that, or I'll have to smack you." Sai said.

"Every time you open your mouth, you piss me off!" Naruto growled.

"It's nothing personal. I'm just portraying myself as the kind of person who says things like that." he said.

Sakura looked at him, "Portraying yourself?"

"That's what makes it personal." Naruto muttered, "You don't belong on this team."

Sai stopped and looked back at him. Yamato did as well.

"You're the biggest asshole I've ever met." Naruto said.

"Hey now, that's no way to act in front of your captain, is it, Naruto?" Yamato said, "Trust and teamwork are the most important attributes of a team. I know Kakashi-san taught you that."

"He's not a part of Team Kakashi!" Naruto snapped, "The other member of Team Kakashi is Sasuke."

Sai put his hand on his hip, "Well, that suits me just fine. Betraying Konoha... Running off to serve Orochimaru... Don't put me in the same group as the gutless little homo."

Naruto went to launch at him, anger filling him. Sakura's hand came out in front of him, stopping him.

"We do need to put teamwork first." Sakura said, "Sai, Naruto still doesn't know much about you, and he went too far. I apologise. Please forgive Naruto."

Yamato gave a sigh of relief, "At least one of them is serious."

Sai gave another fake smile, "No problem. Apology accepted."

Sakura smiled and suddenly, Naruto was very nervous.

"Really? Glad to hear it." she said.

He smiled, just in time to get punched by Sakura. He hit the ground and skidded.

"I, on the other hand, don't care if you forgive me." she said.

Naruto smirked.

Sai wiped his mouth, "You tricked me... with that fake smile of yours."

"You don't know anything about Sasuke-kun." she told him, "Don't you dare talk trash about him again. If you do, I'll punch you for real next time."

Several long seconds passed before he spoke, "Fair enough. I won't say anything about him in front of you. And I had no idea you could use fake smiled like that either. I'll be sure and remember this." he stood, "A smile is the best way to deal with difficult situations. Even if it's a fake one. Used properly, you can fool anyone with them. I read that in a book." He gave another fake smile, "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work properly when I try it."

"Shichuurou no jutsu." Yamato said.

A large, wooden cage appeared behind the man. Naruto looked up at it in surprise. Mokuton?

"If you three keep this up, I'll lock you up in this cell. We don't have much time until we reach the Heaven and Earth Bridge. But we can spare some time to stop along the way. Here's a little proposal for you." Yamato said, "I can either lock you all in this cell for a day to help improve your teamwork, or we can spend the night at an onsen. Which would you prefer? The three of you don't know anything about me either, right? I prefer to handle situations with diplomacy, but I'm not averse to controlling people with fear."

Naruto sighed.