It was early morning as the group, including Fumito and Tobi, left the campsite, heading back home to konaha.

Fumito was dressed in a travelling robe that looked like it was as old as he was, his long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and rested on his shoulder, and a large snail riding on the other, he looked about the same age as Naruto.

"Do you know the last time I was in Konaha was at its creation by the first Hokage." Fumito said cheerfully, obviously not as cranky in the mornings as the teenagers around him were.

"Why have you not been there since, you go to the mist every five years?" Naruto asked.

"The security is much stricter at Konaha than it is at all the other villages, I couldn't risk the chance of being found out." Fumito said to the blond.

"And why not I would have thought people would have a great respect for you if they knew who you were?" Naruto asked.

"Yes they would, but that is the old me, the one that butchered thousands to get his name in the history books, I even changed my name to Fumito, which literary means man of history. I don't want to be known for all the evil I have done, and if that means I have to hide away, so be it." Fumito said, still with a smile face, and started to hum joyously.

"You could live like a king if you just admitted to yourself who you are." Sai said confused, "instead of living as a wonderer like you are now."

"But which life is more worth living, the life of a unhappy king with all his luxuries, or the life of a happy wonderer, content to spend his years without a care in the world?" Fumito asked the pale stone-faced boy.

"I just don't get it." Sai said after a little pause.

"Not many your age do, I certainly didn't, hence my extensive record, but after a while you realise physical possessions are worthless when compared to happiness." Fumito said wisely.

"But what if the possessions bring a person happiness?" Sakura asked.

"Then I would feel incredibly sorry for that person as they will never be able to see the true happiness that would be staring them right in the face." Fumito answered.

"Like what?" Sakura asked a little confused.

"Friendship, companionship, that Uchiha boy, would you give your earthly possessions for him to be with you and in your friendship once again?" Fumito asked Sakura, who tensed at Sasuke's name being mentioned.

"How do you know that Sasuke was once our friend?" Naruto asked.

"I have seen you four all together, years ago in a town near the mist, I recognized the Uchiha bloodline limit running through his veins, and put one and two together when I heard that another Uchiha had betrayed the village and his team mates." Fumito said while trying to figure out why the mention of this Sasuke's name would still have such an effect on his old comrades, Sasuke had obviously turned his back on them, they should do the same.

"Do you know whether there are any elementals left, I wouldn't mind to have one as a summon?" Naruto said, changing the subject.

"They are now all dead, thanks to you!" Fumito said as the joyful look suddenly fell of his face.

"What? If you are talking about the Kyuubi then I had nothing to do with it, it has it's own and I can't be blamed for it!" Naruto said angrily.

"No I'm not talking about the Kyuubi, you and that oversized frog killed the last elemental." Fumito said monotonously.

"What? When?" Naruto spluttered.

"it was in the water country, the elemental was water based, I'm sure you remember, a fight like that doesn't leave the memory without a fight." Fumito said, glaring at Naruto.

"Oh do you mean that weird water frog mutant person's summon, where it was just water and nothing else!" Naruto said in sudden realization.

"Yes, his name was Umibozu and the person that summoned him was a man called Amachi who was in compliance with Orochimaru." Fumito said.

"I'm sorry if Umibozu was a friend of yours or something." Naruto apologised.

"Don't worry kid, I don't blame you, I would have done exactly the same thing if he was set upon me, it was either you or him and you wanted to live." Fumito said regaining his depression-obliterating smile.

Even though Fumito had regained his joyful attitude the merry talking didn't start off again, Naruto just hoped that the awkward silence wouldn't last for the entire seven hour walk.

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Seven hours later

To Naruto's utter despair the silence hung over the group for the entirety of the trip.

Naruto was mentally screaming for something to do, other than walk and listen to Fumito's consistent humming. Sakura seemed just as desperate as Naruto, but the lazy Kakashi and the emotionless Sai didn't seem bothered in the slightest over the lack of conversation.

The group could see the Konaha main gate though the trees, Naruto and Sakura openly sighed their relief over the tedious hike finally coming to an end.

The guards in the watch tower leant over the side and yelled the fact that team Kakashi and one extra were approaching the main gate, and to summon the Hokage at once, and a genin messenger ran to alert Tsunade.

The group reached the gate, Tsunade was stood at the guard post waiting for them to arrive, she was anxious to meet her old sensei once again, she had ran out of her office and towards the main gate as soon as she had got the news of their arrival.

"Fumito sensei!" Tsunade said loudly as he came into view, clutching him a super powered hug that would have killed most men, "It's great to see you! You seem a lot younger than I remember." Tsunade observed.

"Well yeah that's the problem with not aging when everyone else does, as you would expect me to look older as you do." Fumito explained, Tsunade did not understand but did not really care she was just happy.

"So, you've agreed to sort out Orochimaru for us, this is great, to finally see the master in action!" Tsunade giggled like a little girl.

"Not quite Tsunade, I am not strong enough to take on Orochimaru's forces, but I have agreed to help you and get you ready for the attack, how long do we have for training?" Fumito asked.

"Training? There is no time for training, recent reports say that Orochimaru's attacking forces are a five days run away, we need to spend our time evacuating the civilians and strengthening our defences, all hands on deck." Tsunade said hoarsely.

"Five days is loads of time, have you ever heard of a time seal jutsu?" Fumito asked the bewildered Tsunade.

"No." she said simply.

"Well a time seal jutsu seals time and slows it down inside the sealed circle. We could put a seal all the way around Konaha, inside this seal about one hour outside will be equivalent to a week inside. We have loads of time!" Fumito said enthusiastically.

"But what about the time it will take you to draw all these seals around Konaha, it has bound to take more than five days?" Tsunade said.

"Ah the art of shadow clones!" he said with a glint in his eye.

"But I thought you couldn't use jutsu anymore?" Naruto asked confusion flooding his head.

"Just watch." Fumito said as he touched Tobi's head making him transform.

"Tobi, body swap jutsu." Fumito ordered.

"Yes sir!" Tobi said forming some very intricate hand signs, and then put his hands on Fumito's head, there was a flash, when everyone's vision had returned they all looked confused, it looked like nothing had changed.

"Ok what it that do?" Tsunade asked getting a little annoyed.

"We swapped bodies so that I could use my jutsu from an able body," Fumito said from Tobi's body.

Fumito applied a henge to give himself the look of his normal self, them used the mass shadow clone jutsu to get to work.

Naruto gasped, not even he could create that many shadow clones, looking around him, various clones muttered "excuse me," and "sorry," as they passed villagers to get to the borders of the village, to set up the seal. All the clones instantaneously summoned paint cans as soon as they were in place, we will have this done in no time, they all thought at the same time.


well what did you think?

I have put a link to a drawing I have drawn of naruto with his new image in my profile, feel free to have a look.

please review.