Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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"UZUMAKI-SAN! JIRAIYA-SAMA!" Various ninja celebrated, carrying odds and ends of construction, that would help rebuild the village. Anyone that wasn't seriously injured or exhausted, had immediately begun repairing. Yamato had woken up, and was aiding the repairs quite quickly, his Mokuton abilities helping vastly.
Following the ANBU was tough work for Naruto, he had barely healed enough to jog, and was now barely keeping pace with Shizune, who was keeping a bit back from the two Sannin.
"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" She questioned, looking at him oddly. He was breathing rather harshly, as well as having trouble with his injuries from before.
"Yeah.. Just tired and injured. I just want to get briefed by Hokage-sama, and then pass out." He responded, as Shizune continued staring in his direction, before launching away, off to assist the other shinobi and kunoichi in rebuilding.
Grunting at the landing, Naruto straightened himself to follow Jiraiya and Tsunade, who quickly made their way up the Hokage Tower. Passing the receptionist, who simply nodded in greeting, they entered in his door, staring at the somber expression displayed on the Hokage's aged face. 'Everyone is tired, but the day can't end this early...' Naruto thought out.
"I have some bad news to tell you three." He began, as Naruto and Jiraiya immediately stood ramrod straight, prepared for it.
"We were lucky that the Hi no Kuni Daimyo was currently in Konoha at the time of the invasion, or else he would have perished. The last of the active Shugonin Juunishi(Twelve Guardian Ninja) were slaughtered in able to ferry the rest of the Daimyo's family to safety. His family is safe and sound, however problems have arisen." He continued, as Jiraiya and Tsunade's eyes widened. The Shugonin Juunishi were very powerful ninja, not on the level of the Sannin, but still quite powerful. To be killed...
"The Daimyo, has requested you Jiraiya, as well as you, Naruto-kun, to guard his family while they are being transported back to Konoha. You will be leaving at any time of your choosing tomorrow, however not before talking to me." Sarutobi said, as Naruto and Jiraiya nodded.
"Hai!" Their response came, as the Hokage nodded.
"I would also like to commend all three of you, on a job well done. Tsunade, you allowed us to have almost no casualties, and very few injuries. You also directed our forces with almost perfect precision. Jiraiya, your new found abilities have allowed Konoha to exist another day. Naruto, you are the true hero. Put against insane odds, and you still almost kill yourself just so Konoha will come out on top. Your summoning of the toads was crucial, and Konoha will appreciate you for a long time." Sarutobi complimented, as each of the ninja simply smiled in return.
"I have one last thing to say." Sarutobi nearly finished, as their gaze snapped back to him. "Tsunade, you will be my successor, as Godaime Hokage of Konoha!" He said, as silence permeated the room.
"What?" Her voice responded, staring at him in amazement and wonder.
"By today alone, I showed that I am too old to be the Hokage of this village. I will be calling the Council of Fire, once the Daimyo's family is safely in Konoha on Jiraiya and Naruto's mission. I hope you'll think about it, Tsunade.." Sarutobi's voice came, as her eyes glazed over. 'I'll continue what they all embodied, I will make sure Konoha continues to burn brightly.'
"You three are dismissed. I want you all to be rested up for tomorrow, no exceptions!" His voice echoed through the door as they left.
"You, gaki, are coming drinking with us tonight." Jiraiya and Tsunade said, causing Naruto to pale. Their laughter echoed throughout the tower, as the slowly exited. Naruto, following them out, fell into darkness once his first step arched into the outside world.
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Waking roughly two hours later, Naruto noticed the foreign ceiling and the oddly sterile smell. Sighing in annoyance, Naruto rose off of the bed, swinging his legs over the edge. Noticing that they hadn't stuck any needles inside of him, because of his interior bone armor, Naruto stood up, removing the tag from his wrist. Sticking his head out the window, Naruto grinned.
"Hospitals can't hold me for long..." Naruto said, dropping from the building, and landing on the ground. Hurriedly moving towards his apartment, Naruto needed to grab his wallet before making some purchases, which he needed to obtain a new shirt, and hopefully sandals. Jumping over the rooftops, it was nearing sundown, and Konoha looked a lot better then when he had seen it after his fight. It seemed that the entire ninja corps had helped the carpenters and construction workers to rebuild Konoha as soon as possible.
Skirting across the rooftops, Naruto reached his apartment within minutes, easily maneuvering through the fire-escape into his section of the building. Grabbing his wallet, he shut and locked the door behind him, before jumping and beginning to move. If he wanted to get his purchases done, he better do it now before being dragged off with Tsunade and Jiraiya to places unknown.
"Oi! Naruto!" Kiba's voice came through the moderate quietness, causing Naruto to wince. Stopping completely, Naruto turned to face the three genin quickly approaching him. His state of above the waist undress didn't seem to mollify the Genin in any way, who had seen his earlier fight.
"Good job on the fighting out there. I heard your coming to the parties going on throughout the village!" Kiba said, as Naruto nodded.
"I'm just heading off to buy some new clothing, so I don't continue looking like a wreck." Naruto's response came, as he started moving again, the three genin quickly following him.
"We might as well come along.. We're all going as well. Almost every ninja is going, and you're one of the guest of honors!" Kiba continued, as Hinata and Shino nodded in confirmation.
"Do you know where any of the other Genin are?" Naruto questioned, as they easily reached the merchanting sector, their feet pitter-pattering across the rooftops.
"I believe they are either with their team members, or with their respective clans preparing." Shino answered, as Kiba added in another statement. "Yeah, our parents gave us permission to go together."
"Naruto-kun, is it true that the Hokage is choosing a successor?" Hinata asked, as her two other teammates looked at him with honest curiosity.
"Yeah, I know who the person is, they just haven't accepted yet." Naruto responded, as the three Genin looked despondent, obviously wanting to know the identity.
"I would assume it is one of the Sannin, probably Jiraiya-sama, his defeat of Orochimaru only furthers his abilities. Although, Tsunade-sama also showed great capabilities in the invasion today, successfully leading us to victory with almost no casualties." Shino deduced, Naruto deciding not to give a comment.
Dropping upon the front door of the store, Naruto quickly entered, moving towards the upper-ware section. Picking out the same shirt Ino had gotten him last time, Naruto also retrieved the same sandals as well, before heading up to the register and paying. Clothing stores were probably getting quite the chunk of money, from the various ninja who tattered and destroyed their clothing.
Re-outfitting himself, Naruto quickly set out on a mission, accompanied by three genin, to find the rest of the Konoha Genin.
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"Explain." Pein's voice broke through the hollow cavern, as he stared at the pained Orochimaru and calm and neutral Sasori. All of the Akatsuki members were there physically, as they had just delivered the Jinchuuriki a few days ago. "Konan, heal Orochimaru."
"It was Jiraiya of the Sannin." Sasori began, motioning towards Orochimaru.
"Jiraiya? Last I heard, you were stronger than him, Orochimaru." Kisame's voice rang out, as he got a look of annoyance from Orochimaru.
"I was, but he seemed to have become a Sennin. I was forced to uplift my resurrections to even survive his onslaught..." Orochimaru gasped out, as Pein nodded.
"He summoned, these two little elder toads, who had abilities to aid him in combat. Turning into a 'Sage' grants him many powers, and we only witnessed two. His Jutsu are much stronger and much more versatile, and his physical capabilities are multiplied at least tenfold." Sasori calculated, receiving nods of understanding.
"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was able to defeat both the Yonbi no Saru and Ichibi no Shukaku, leaving those two countries in a state of weakness." Sasori continued, trying to provide as much information.
"I believe it would be unwise to attempt to target the Kyuubi, when he is under the protection of two of the Sannin almost constantly. The addition of not knowing the extent of Jiraiya-san's abilities is also frightening." Sasori ended off, as Pein nodded, before speaking.
"Change of missions. Itachi and Kisame will provide thirty percent of their chakra, and I will send their donated chakra on a mission to test both Jiraiya and Naruto's defenses. We can hold the sealing for some more time, allowing both Sasori and Orochimaru to recuperate from their battle."
"NO! TOBI NO GIVE RING BACK!" Came the high-pitched voice of Tobi, who was simply glowered at by Konan, while Kisame and White Zetsu began laughing yet again.
"You won't have to, yet, Tobi. Orochimaru still needs to recover." Pein responded, his voice unchanging from his normal tone.
"Kisame, Itachi, if you would bring two bodies of the captured ninja here, along with yourselves. I will create the clones, and you will be given control after wards." Pein stated, watching them move closer, dragging two bodies along with them. Sealing did take quite a bit of chakra, yes, but it was taken slowly, allowing it to recuperate over time.
Murmuring something, the leader slammed his hands into the two bodies, as a surge of chakra left the bodies of Itachi and Kisame, straight into the bodies. They quickly maneuvered back to their original locations, as the two bodies morphed to their likeness. "Shouten no Jutsu!(Shape shifting)"
"You two are to scout out and test the defenses surrounding the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. If possible, try to bring out and glean any knowledge from Jiraiya-san's so called 'Sage' Mode." Pein commanded, as the two lookalikes merely nodded, before sprinting out the entrance of the cavern, in the direction of Konoha.
The cavern was filled with silence, other than Orochimaru's pained gasps and Konan's work.
"Tobi go sleep now." Kisame guffawed. Konan face palmed.
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Naruto awoke the next day early, prepared to deal with the days problems. He had to talk to Jiraiya as well as hopefully spend some time with the other Genin. The Hokage had officially classed it as an A-Rank, with any Shinobi interference making it S. The parties the last night had raged long and hard, shinobi and kunoichi showing happiness at defending off three other villages.
He was probably the only one of the shinobi that had battled that did not get pissed drunk, thanks to the Kyuubi. Rushing through his morning routine, Naruto also had to see of Kirabi. They were set to leave the gates at around twelve, along with the Mizukage and her entourage. Now that Konoha was allied with Kirigakure and Kumogakure, it would make them stronger on all counts. They had both of the strongest Jinchuuriki, as well as the now best shipping and trade routes.
The Raikage and Mizukage had apparently expressed enjoyment in the battles that they had fought in across Konoha, and had hoped to do it again, perhaps in another location that wasn't inside of an actual village. He was lucky that all of the ninja would be there to see off the other Kage, so he could find Jiraiya and the Genin easier. He had been getting claps on the back all night from various ninja, who had shown pride at his display of abilities.
Quickly maneuvering through his apartment, Naruto decided to eat breakfast with Jiraiya, rather than himself. The Gama-Sennin often ate breakfast late, and in random locales. It was obvious that he would be waiting till after the Kage left to eat. Picking up his various items that he carried with him, Naruto quickly opened and shut the door, before locking it. There was another thing he was awaiting from the Hokage himself, a Chuunin promotion.
It was quite obvious that he would be obtaining it, judging by his completion of the mission that the Hokage had handed out to him, as well as risking a previous mission to save lives of allies. He had shown great tactical knowledge by bringing the enemy Jinchuuriki farther away from Konoha, and had even helped the village while in combat, by summoning the three giant toads.
Naruto, however, showed annoyance. Konoha was now actively at war, and the other Genin wouldn't have to wait to obtain their Chuunin vest, they could basically do any mission that was involved in the war, and receive the promotion. Having waited four years just to get his, that was a large annoyance and turn off.
Sighing, Naruto dropped out of the buildings window before rushing off to the main gate, preparing to see off the allied Kage. The shinobi and kunoichi had taken a great liking to them as well, having helped in the invasion. Saying goodbye to Kirabi would be annoying, as they had developed a strong friendship, and wouldn't be seeing each other for quite a long time.
Sighting the large conglomeration of people by the gate, Naruto realized he was probably close to being late, and bee-lined towards their location. Flourishing with a flip, Naruto landed directly beside Jiraiya, much to the Sannin's amusement. The various Kage stood there, awaiting his arrival.
"And there's the last of us." Sarutobi said, grinning at the arrival of Naruto.
"Yo, finally someone who can respect my skills. Naruto here is like my bottle of pills." Kirabi rhymed, as everyone around him stared at the horrible attempt.
"Haha, sorry. Seemed to have woken up a bit late..." Naruto responded, receiving questionable glares from the shinobi that lined the streets. Waking up late when you are seeing off Kage, as the apprentice of a Sannin?
"No worries, Naruto-san! I hope to see you again, hopefully when your older, so we can spar!" The Raikage exclaimed, patting Naruto on the back. "Great job you have done for Konoha, Hokage-san. Judging by him alone, we'll be able to win this war." The shinobi of Konoha positively gleamed at that, happy that another Kage was acknowledging them for their strength and power.
"Indeed, Hokage-sama. We witnessed the abilities of your shinobi and are proud to have them as our allies." The Mizukage said, the contingent of Kiri-nin waiting just outside the main-gates for their Kage. "I would also like to offer Naruto-kun the request of visiting my village, perhaps when he is older. You could show me some of your techniques... Hn?" Jiraiya guffawed at that, while Tsunade glowered in her direction, shocked by the non-existent amount of discretion the female Kage showed.
"I would enjoy visiting both of your villages, Kage-sama." Naruto's simple response came, his eyes staring at the Mizukage, slightly blushing.
"I assume we will now be operating by liaison, considering the large distance. I will have someone sent over as soon as possible to debrief you two. Hopefully -" Sarutobi was cut off by the flight of several messenger birds, floating down towards the various Kage present.
Pausing for a few moments to read the scrolls, immediately anger was shown across the Kage's faces. The Raikage crumpled and shred his paper with his strength, anger showing, Kirabi mimicking, having read it over his shoulder. The Mizukage's began melting from the intense heat, while Sarutobi crumpled and pocketed his.
"What's happened?" Jiraiya and Tsunade questioned.
"As we are allies now, I will tell you, Hokage-sama. It seems that Nii Yugito, our Jinchuuriki of the Nibi, was captured by people wearing black cloaks and red clouds, seemingly called Akatsuki. They took nothing else, along with several casualties..." The Raikage supplied, as Sarutobi's eyes widened. Walking into an enemy village as a bunch of mercenarys, and managing to capture their Bijuu was extremely difficult to think of.
"It seems Kiri was struck as well, however by ninja we know of. Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki managed to apprehend Utakata, our Jinchuuriki of the Rokubi. Yagura-san, the Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi, has also been deemed missing. The missing-nin were wearing black cloaks with red clouds, calling themselves apart of Akatsuki.." She said, anger dripping from her voice.
"It seems that the same fate would have happened to Iwa's Han no Gobi. Since Yonbi and the Ichibi were here, we can conclude they are safe, along with the Hachibi. Takigakure, is seemingly at war with Konoha now as well, they have sided with Iwa. Apparently, some of our ninja, wearing Konoha-headbands, infiltrated and captured their Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi. After wards, they forced a mass evacuation before destroying the entire city..." Sarutobi said, receiving wide eyed looks. "However, these nin were wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them as well.."
"It seems all of the minor villages have sided with Iwa and Suna. Amegakure will surely join Iwa and Suna in destroying Konoha, after all we've done to them, and with the betrayal of Taki, we have lost them. The Akatsuki are apparently going after the Jinchuuriki, so I implore you to defend Kirabi with all you can. Likewise, we will have Naruto trained and protected as soon as possible." Sarutobi finished receiving nods.
"We must be going, Hokage-sama. Our villages will be in strife for a while. We will stay in contact!" The Raikage and Mizukage yelled, swiftly turning to leave.
"Naruto, hope to see you soon. Don't get yourself captured by those rude dudes!" Kirabi yelled, moving to follow his brother.
"Likewise, Kirabi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, as he watched them leave. The news was shocking. Five Jinchuuriki captured within a month, and Naruto knew that Gaara and Roushi didn't have as much power as the rest, they too would be easily captured. As the allied ninja finally disappeared from sight, Sarutobi turned towards his own forces.
"Disperse." His simple command was obeyed, as the various shinobi shot off in different directions, to help with the last day of repairs. "You two, my office." Sarutobi said, as Jiraiya and Naruto moved to follow him.
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"Phew." Kisame said, as his and Itachi's doppelgangers neared Konoha. They had sprinted as fast as they could, wanting some action, to reach Konoha. Usually it was useless moving at such fast paces, as it left marks and the ability to be traced. "At least we're close. I feel sorry for everyone stuck at the actual sealing." Itachi simply grunted in response. He hoped his messenger bird had gotten to the Hokage, along with the earlier ones he had caught.
"You know a way to get in right? I wouldn't mind doing some damage, but I'm sure that would waste quite a bit of my chakra.." Kisame questioned, as Itachi stared on, gliding through the trees.
"Yes. There are special ways given to ANBU to secretly access the village, without notifying anyone else. We will use one of these to get access, and hopefully attempt to battle Jiraiya-san or at least find more information on them." Itachi replied, slowing down so they could sacrifice speed for silence.
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Naruto quickly stuffed a ration bar down his throat to quell his uprising stomach, as him and Jiraiya stood in the Hokage's office, alongside the Daimyo.
"You two will be leaving within an hour, to obtain the Daimyo's family, correct?" Sarutobi questioned, staring at his two underlings.
"Naruto and I just need to get some things, and we'll be on our way. Shouldn't take that long to come back, unless we encounter trouble." Jiraiya confirmed, as the Daimyo stared at them in interest.
"I've seen you two fight, and the Hokage and I have come up with a proposition for you two, should you two accept." The Daimyo said, as they turned their eyes to him in interest.
"A proposition?" Jiraiya and Naruto both said, staring intently between him and their resident Kage.
"Of course. Because of my guards' fates, I am in the need of new guards. Since the Sannin declined all those years ago, I've decided to ask you again. Of course, Tsunade-sama will not be able to come, unless she declines as Hokage. Ever since Asuma and Chiriku left, I never had guards on the same level. I am asking you, and you're apprentice, to be my guards until the Hokage comes up with a more... simple team." He began, as Naruto stared in wonderment. Protecting the Daimyo was given to Ninja that had powerful abilities, and all of them had been killed, of course the Daimyo would look to someone stronger than his previous guards.
"The mission will take however long the Hokage takes to make up a team to guard me, which could run from two to four years. You will be receiving payment every two weeks, from me personally, ranked as an S-Rank Mission. I'll be staying in Konoha for about a month or so, to talk about the whole war thing, as well as to provide funding should Konoha need it." He finished, leaving Jiraiya and Naruto their thoughts.
"We'll have to think about it.. I was thinking on taking Naruto on a training trip, and I'm pretty sure that would be hard to manage should we be protecting you. We will tell you our answer once we have returned from our mission." Jiraiya carefully replied, receiving an affirmative from Naruto.
"That is understandable." He simply replied, as the Hokage moved to talk again.
"Naruto, I also have something for you." He said, as Naruto sprouted a smile. Throwing him a scroll laced with string, he began speaking again. "In that scroll is the official documentation promoting you towards Chuunin. There is also a vest sealed inside of it, though I doubt you will be wearing it." Naruto got clapped on the back from Jiraiya, and this was sure to make Yamato proud.
"You were promoted by Hokage-san and I, due to your outstanding abilities in the field, as well as making sure your team members all survived, and going out on a limb just to help other Konoha-nin survive." The Daimyo explained, an evident smile on his features.
"Thank you." Naruto responded, bowing towards the two figureheads of his country.
"Naruto and I better get going now, if you want you're family here anytime soon. Oh, and Sarutobi-sensei, make sure that you watch out. Akatsuki is sure to send more ninja to figure out how powerful I really am, and they'll come straight here." Jiraiya said, dragging Naruto out, who was thanking the two leaders profusely.
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"Ah! Naruto, it seems you've got another mission?" Yamato questioned, as him and Kakashi dropped beside the blonde and Jiraiya. The man had been run ragged getting the supports for the walls of Konoha up, but his work was done now.
"Yeah. Can't say much though." Naruto deftly explained, as they continued walking. He hadn't been able to see any of the other Genin, and hoped that they received the news that he was out of the village, he didn't want them looking around for him.
"I understand. Hokage-sama has already debriefed Taichou and a few other of us to watch out for some Akatsuki nin. Safe travels!" Yamato said, as him and Kakashi jumped off again. "Oh, and good job on obtaining Chuunin!" Naruto simply waved in response, as him and Jiraiya jumped out of the village, onwards towards their target.
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Several Hours Later
Kisame and Itachi quickly dropped into Konoha, alongside one of the walls.
"Come, Kisame. We must hurry if we want to glean any information before being encountered." Itachi said, as they sprinted in the daylight, their cloaks billowing behind them. After a few moments of running, Itachi grunted before stopping, next to a canal. Instantly, blurs formed out of the forest, impeding their path.
"Seems like Akatsuki to me, no Taichou?" Yamato said, Kakashi poised beside him.
"Indeed. Why don't we give them a warm welcome to Konoha?" Kakashi said, receiving nods from his fellow Jounin, as he raised his headband, unobscuring his Sharingan. "Lets just find out who these hooligans are, and then drag them off to Ibiki-san."
The Akatsuki nin's hands moved towards their straw hats, slowly gripping them. Lifting them off their heads, all the Konoha nin immediately poised for battle, cursing. "Seem like friends of yours, Itachi-san." Kisame grinned, tossing his hat to the side.
"We all already know who Itachi is. His partner is Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist." Kakashi said, as each of the Jounin began preparations for battle, unwilling to dive in first.
"We aren't here for a needless battle, Kakashi-san. Simply give us the location of Jiraiya-san and Naruto-kun, and we will be on our way." Itachi said, not hoping to get into a battle. It would deplete their chakra far below what it would take to push Jiraiya into his Sennin form. The two prisoners they had taken had about half of Itachi's normal chakra, putting him at about seventy percent, while Kisame was only at about fifty percent.
"And if we don't?" Kurenai replied, her and Asuma taking a few steps back. Both sides were unwilling to mount the first offensive, as it would be risky for them to do so. The Konoha-nin knew few of Itachi's new abilities, and next to none of Kisame's. Itachi and Kisame were attempting to conserve chakra, which fighting would be detrimental towards.
"Then we will have to force it out of you." Itachi's reply came. It wouldn't do to run around Konoha like headless chickens, looking for people who could potentially be out of the village. It would also be deluded to chase after someone out of the village without set coordinates, as it would take time. He slowly unbuttoned the top few sections of his cloak, allowing view of his chest mesh.
"Maa, maa Itachi-san. You're always the peace advocate, and yet when they start fighting you beat the living shit outta them. Should really just stick to one thing..." Kisame said, as Itachi gave him a simple stare in response. "Guess we'll be fighting, eh?" He raised his hand to grip his sword, easily releasing it from the latch on his back, before holding it before him.
Immediately the ninja straightened, prepared to move at any sign of movement. "Don't stare into his eyes!" Burst from Kakashi, as Itachi immediately found the sight of the dark-haired women, Kurenai. Realized Kurenai had been caught, Kakashi gave a curse, knowing there wasn't anything he could do in the few seconds he could, with Itachi's partner close by.
"Tsukuyomi."Itachi said, as instantly they were transported to a different plane. Kisame would guard his body for the second he was gone. The women appeared before him, tied to a cross, eyes widened.
"Where are we?" She questioned, fighting against the restraints to no avail.
"This is the ultimate Genjutsu. Here, I control everything. It will only take a second in real time, however, in here it will last three days. Three days of the worst torture imaginable." Itachi said, as his body disappeared from sight, transforming into ravens.
Kurenai immediately felt her body ripped apart, shred from the inside out by what seemed to be invisible razor blades, as she screamed her throat raw. After the torture ended, her body regenerated, her screams still coming from her throat as the pain flashed back.
"Two days, twenty three hours, fifty nine minutes, fifty nine seconds left." Itachi's voice rang out, as her body began to burn alive. Her screams immediately ripped her world apart, the unending pain continuing for what seemed to be eternity. After only an hour, she was a sobbing and crying mess, as blood dripped from her, Itachi's voice ringing out around her.
"Ready to tell me the information?" Itachi's voice rang out, as her pale face shot up, in the direction of his voice.
"Go... to... hell!" Kurenai gasped, as she fought against the restraints. Her response was met with Itachi's form coming into view right before her, his hand outstretched.
"Two days, twenty three hours left. Will you live, Kurenai-san?" Itachi said, as ravens broke from his body, engorging onto her body, eating her alive. Her screams tore the air again, as she felt her body pecked and picked apart, never ending. Her mind was basically sending unending signals of pain, as only two thoughts racked her brain. 'Its a Genjutsu!', and the simple feeling of pain.
"How many tortures can you go through, before spilling the information?" Itachi said, as immediately small rats sprouted from his feet, running at her. "You see. I control everything, Kurenai-san. I can make this all end, should you choose to tell me." He murmured, voice penetrating everywhere.
Hours passed, Kurenai's voice never ending in screaming and pleading for it to stop, however unwilling to disclose the information. "Do you know the casualty rate for this Genjutsu?" Itachi questioned, as he stopped the torture and healed her body within a wave of his arm. Her shake of the head answered his question.
"It is zero. I have never been able to kill someone through this, however, there is an upside to that. Anyone that I have not ended this on myself, has been reduced to a quivering vegetable. You will relive every experience you feel on this realm, should you not disclose me the information." Itachi informed, as her eyes widened, but strengthened with resolve. She would not sell out her village.
"Go to hell, UCHIHA!" She roared, thrashing against the bindings.
"As you wish." Itachi said, as with a wave of his arm, fires sprang up all around them, causing the air to blister with warmth, and the woman began sweating profusely. Disappearing from sight, Itachi continuously tortured her, employing every kind of technique he had. Two days passed, as she lay an extinguished version of her old self. Her skin was pale, hair lifeless, eyes dull, and voice barely screaming.
"Do you wish to tell me, now?" Itachi questioned, pausing the torture.
"Please. No more, please..." Her weak voice penetrated the plane, as Itachi nodded.
"As you wish." Itachi confirmed, before he spoke again. "Speak."
"They left." She was interrupted by a fierce bout of coughing, racking her weak system. "To do an errand for the Daimyo." Her voice was weak and barely a whisper, but Itachi simply nodded, before waving his arm, ending the technique. An errand for the Daimyo usually meant traveling to his town, which would now be their next target.
Returning to the real world was a simple affair, as Itachi felt his presence return to his doppelganger's body. Kurenai's eyes widened, as an instant transformation occurred over her. Her hair grew lifeless, as skin paled from the intense amount of stress poured atop her. She immediately collapsed, knocked unconscious.
"Kisame, we are going." Itachi simply said, slightly exhausted from the chakra usage. Kisame simply nodded, as they shot off in the direction they came. The rest of the Jounin were unwilling to follow, after observing the effects of his unknown technique.
"Kurenai!" Asuma yelled, as he dove by her side, feeling her overly warm skin under his palm. Kakashi and Yamato were automatically by his side, as Asuma slowly picked her up.
"We have to get her to the hospital. We know nothing of what Itachi did. Judging by the way they took off, it must have been something intense to get her to give away the information like that..." Kakashi murmured, as they rushed towards the hospital.
"Someone needs to inform Hokage-sama, that Itachi Uchiha is now actively after Jiraiya-sama and Naruto-kun." Yamato said, as he broke off from their group, heading towards the Hokage tower. Their speed increased as Asuma finally got a firm handle on Kurenai, racing towards the only location that could make an attempt at healing her.
"I don't understand how anything that powerful could happen within barely seconds." Kakashi said, as they broke in front of the hospital. "Itachi must surely have gotten better if hes off chasing Jiraiya and Naruto." Breaking through the doors, Kakashi immediately headed off to find Tsunade, while Asuma got her checked and booked into a room.
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Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard Kakashi speak of his brother. 'Itachi was here? Going after Jiraiya-sama and Naruto?' Immediately thoughts of vengeance went into his head, as he went into overdrive. Leaping onto the rooftops, Sasuke knew he had to inform another Jounin of their presence, before finally seeing his brother again after all these years. Resolve slowly tightening, he quickly located Sakura, practicing her sword stances.
"Sasuke-kun?" She said, as he quickly dropped in front of her, halting her attempt at practicing.
"Come, quickly. Itachi is after Naruto, we have to inform a Jounin before going off after them." Sasuke said, as she quickly sheathed her sword, before they picked up their pace, hopping to the rooftops.
"Didn't Kakashi-sensei said they were doing something for the Daimyo?" Sakura questioned, as Sasuke nodded.
"Apparently, however Itachi and someone else from his group are after them. Naruto's our teammate, he's going to need our help!" Sasuke urged, as they jumped to a higher rooftop, scouting across the village.
"Ofcourse!" Sakura agreed, as she scanned the other half of the village. Their eyes poured into any crevice, looking for any source of help, before finally finding Rock Lee's sensei, Maito Gai moving across the village to the entrance.
"Gai-sensei!" Their voices shouted, as they moved, darting over the buildings towards the green-clad Jounin.
"Yosh! What is that my rivals pupils require of me! I was tasked on the most youthful mission by Hokage-sama!" Gai's voice boomed, as he slowed to accommodate their approach. Stopping before him, Sasuke quickly began speaking.
"Itachi! He's after Jiraiya-sama and Naruto. They are going to need he-" He was quickly cut off, as Gai raised his thumbs in his pose.
"Yosh! My youthful pupils! I have already been commanded, as Konoha's Green Beast, to help Jiraiya-sama and Naruto evade capture and/or damage!" Gai said, as he began moving.
"You two shall accompany me! I am the only Jounin skilled enough to fight Uchiha Itachi, while Kakashi-san and Yamato-san meet us on route! I will delegate the removal of Naruto-san out of the equation to you two!" He nearly yelled, as he slowed down so they could keep apace with him.
"Hai." They both responded. Itachi Uchiha and his ally were too powerful for the Genin, no matter their reasons for fighting. Moving out of the village, Sakura and Sasuke felt relieved that they had found help quickly enough.
"Under no circumstances will you two enter the fight. Jiraiya-sama and I will be engaging in combat, while my eternal rival and his accomplice provide support. You will retrieve Naruto and move him to a picked location." Gai commanded, receiving more nods. They soon heard the sound of running across rooftops, as Kakashi and Yamato lanced above them, prepared for battle.
"Yosh! We must go now, at great speeds!" Gai yelled, as the three Jounin shot off, being hastily followed by the Genin.
"Knowing Itachi-san and his partner, then they will seek to ambush Jiraiya-san and Naruto-kun. They will likely be moving at much faster speeds that we can go, so we must make the most of the time we have." Kakashi calculated, receiving nods from his team.
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Itachi recounted the thoughts of what he knew, and the dangers he would be encountering in facing Jiraiya of the Sannin. Knowing that Konoha would likely send a support team to aid them, him and Kisame would have to hit fast and hard, to force Jiraiya into his Sennin form, and attain a list of as many powers he had as possible.
'Sennin are formed when they have a special bond with a specific summon, or Bijuu. Documented records show Hanzou as the closest to being a Sennin, however unable to actually complete the transformation. Before him, we have the Rikudou Sennin, whose powers were only documented as powerful and great, having been the creator of Ninjutsu.' Itachi thought, as him and Kisame quickly closed in on their prey, their speed easily overcoming the one of their prey.
'Before the manifestation of his Sennin powers, or him showing them, Jiraiya was known as the weakest of the Sannin. Having only his abilities as a Fuuinjutsu user, as well as his familiarity with the toads and Rasengan backing him up. Known for his brashness but amazing intellect, as well as great diversity, he wasn't a foe to mess around with.' Itachi continued thinking, the only sound in the air the thunking of feet on wood, and Kisame's sword banging across his back.
'After his manifestation, he was easily able to defeat Orochimaru and Hanzou at the same time, causing Orochimaru to release his undead summons. Such a great power increase, especially at that level has been undocumented. Hanzou was renowned for his great powers, and matching him and Orochimaru would require a lot of talent and skill, which apparently Jiraiya had. It would not be wise to doubt him, even in his standard form, and be crucial that we live as long as possible, while he is in Sennin form.' Itachi deduced, as they neared their location.
"We don't have much time once we have encountered them, Kisame, to fight. Konoha will surely be on our tails. If we can't force Jiraiya to transform, then we must attempt to capitalize and capture Naruto, before making a break for it. It could be, by chance, that turning into Sennin has some sort of negative to it, that doesn't allow Jiraiya to transform without a set time to recover." Itachi said, as Kisame merely grinned.
"Of course, Itachi-san."
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"Naruto, now you must remember, to not always use the Kyuubi. It might bring many positives, but with it come a lot of negatives. Should an enemy develop their own suppressive seal, and you begin to use its powers, then you will most likely become knocked unconscious. If you do not release the Kyuubi, then the only negative the suppressive seal offers is sealing off some of the Kyuubi's benefits for a short while." Jiraiya said, as him and Naruto walked at a leisurely pace.
"Hai, Jiraiya-sensei." Naruto said, as Jiraiya simply grinned. It was good having an apprentice that avidly listened, and respected his wishes.
"I've been working on a new seal for you personally. Due to the Kyuubi's vast powers, you often wake up with one hundred percent chakra, I've noticed." Jiraiya said, as Naruto stared at him. Seals were often extremely good, or extremely bad when placed on a human body. "With this, I have the idea of using seals to seal away amounts of chakra, so whenever you are in need, you can use them." Naruto looked confused at this, perplexed by what his sensei meant.
Staring at Naruto, Jiraiya quickly chuckled. "Alright. Look at this." Jiraiya said, as he placed his palm outward, forming a Rasengan. Blue wisps slowly formed into the air, before finalizing into the deadly technique. "Did you see the time it took to create, a second or less, but still a second, correct?" Jiraiya questioned, as Naruto gave a nod.
"Now look at this." Jiraiya quickly gave a face of concentration, as chakra poured forth from his palm, filling the surrounding area with chakra. Once properly saturated, he quickly formed a Rasengan, shocking Naruto by its sudden appearance.
"Now the seal I'm developing, would be a chakra depositor of some sorts. Before you go to sleep, you simply seal as much chakra as one can hold, and then place it onto your shoulders. Should you ever be running low on chakra, you'll receive about twenty-five percent of what you put into it, while the other seventy five is sent into the air directly, saturating it. With the chakra in the air, you can form Jutsu's quite easier, as well as block attacks with the raw burst of chakra it first gives." Jiraiya said, as the blonde's eyes widened. "If I manage it correctly, the raw movement of chakra should also be able to dispel most Genjutsu!"
"That's quite powerful Jiraiya-sensei." Naruto said, as he realized all of the possibilities it gave him.
"Ofcourse it is, gaki! The best thing is, that you'll probably have dozens of these littering your body! And, you'll be the only one that can actually use it, because of the Kyuubi!" Jiraiya layed on, as Naruto's thoughts continuously rattled with the idea's teaming from his brain.
"But then, couldn't enemy shinobi use it as well?" Naruto questioned, curiosity peaking his voice.
"Well, that depends. First of all, they'd have to be pretty close to you, pretty much Taijutsu range. Second of all, your chakra is much more... powerful. It comes straight from the Kyuubi, so it still isn't standard chakra, its a much more thicker, powerful version of it. It would take some time for the enemy to actually mold it completely, letting you know about their intentions." Jiraiya answered, Naruto simply nodded, being a sign of a well enough answer.
They walked leisurely for several minutes, simply basking in the environment. Jiraiya had told Naruto to take it easy, if the mission wasn't on rush order, then there was no need to waste energy on running. Jiraiya had a much more layed back style than Naruto's previous Sensei, who had prided himself on a perfect record, as well as a quick completion time. Naruto however, was not used to 'taking his time', and simply wanted to rush the whole ordeal. The request of the Daimyo still lay in the back of his mind, his thoughts churning around it.
His thoughts quickly turned to Jiraiya, who had suddenly halted, face transformed into intense concentration. Head snapping backwards, he quickly pushed Naruto behind him, as two ninja appeared before them. Straw hats gone, Itachi and Kisame simply stared at their two objectives. Figure out Jiraiya's skills, or take the Jinchuuriki.
"Akatsuki." Jiraiya simply growled, moving himself into a combat position, Naruto slowly walking backwards, knowing not to participate.
"Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-kun." Itachi said, nodding to both of them. Jiraiya immediately averted his eyes, knowing the gist of techniques the Sharingan could produce.
"Itachi-san, you get Jiraiya while I get the kid?" Kisame questioned, making small-talk as he slowly unwound his giant blade, showing it off to Jiraiya.
"I believe you'll both have enough trouble just with me." Jiraiya simply said, stepping into their line of view over Naruto.
"Kisame-san, I do believe I would have trouble alone with Jiraiya, perhaps we could leave the Jinchuuriki till later." Itachi said, Kisame giving a sharp turn of the head in his direction. Usually it was unlike Itachi to request help, but Kisame knew Itachi's intellect was spot on, and stayed quiet.
"Ah, the joys of youth. I remember when I was a young hooligan like you two, challenging my elders just to get my ass whipped. Why don't I teach you some respect, gaki?" Jiraiya said, eyes roving between Kisame's head and Itachi's torso and feet.
"Very well." Itachi said, his hands blurring into handseals. Naruto's eyes roved to their uniform, interested. The large cloak easily covered most of their body, as well as their entire arms, hiding them from view. They seemed rather durable as well, if Akatsuki-nin were always wearing them. He would see if he could grab one from one of their bodies if they died, or have a copy created. It would be much more astute than a skin-tight shirt, as well as having much more effect.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Immediately a large ball of flame erupted from his mouth, as both Jiraiya and Naruto dodged. Kisame followed from the edge, following the elderly man, intent on shredding him. Jiraiya flipped back, running through his own handseals as Kisame caught up.
"Hari Jizou!(Needle Jizo)" Kisame swung onwards, his massive weapon crashing into the form of Jiraiya, who skid several feet before stopping, widening his eyes.
"I see you met my Samehada's special ability, Jiraiya-san. It drains chakra quite well, making me an astute member of a team wanting to capture a Jinchuuriki." Dropping his technique, Jiraiya flipped backwards, as Itachi came out of the underbrush, flying through more seals, as Kisame jumped over Jiraiya, cutting him off. "You haven't seen its second ability, however I will spoil for you. Instead of cutting, it shreds!" Kisame grinned, patting his sword on the side.
"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"Itachi said, spitting several fire balls from his mouth, intent on frying Jiraiya. The Gama-Sennin simply jumped up, but was met with a crushing blow from Kisame's deadly weapon, turning the white haired nin into mud. Jiraiya emerged from the trees, slamming his hands into the ground.
"Doton: Yomi Numa!(Swamp of the Underworld)" The two foreign nin immediately landed in it, unable to escape, as Jiraiya tossed an exploding tag in, watching as the two ninja simply disappeared in plumes of smoke. The two nin emerged from the trees, coming from opposite sides. The toad summoner simply jumped high up in the air, bringing his hands up to his mouth.
"Gamayudan!(Toad Oil Bullet)" Oil flooded from his mouth, intent on ensnaring the two cloaked nin below him, as they tried to escape. Capturing Kisame, Itachi moved to retrieve his partner, unsheathing his sword, when Jiraiya brought down his next technique.
"Rasengan!" The swirling blue ball morphed into Jiraiya's hand, their trajectory headed straight towards Kisame's form. Throwing his sword directly at Jiraiya, who was forced to block with the Rasengan, Itachi quickly grabbed onto his teammate, before pulling, the squelching sound giving way to Kisame's legs.
"Ugh!" Kisame muttered, staring at the bottom of his uniform and legs. Jiraiya dropped on top of them, landing a kick on Itachi's midriff, sending him end over end, as Jiraiya tried to land his next move, an axe-kick, onto Kisame. Dodging swiftly, Kisame raised his sword to block the older nin, sucking away some more chakra.
Grunting, Jiraiya leaped away, as Itachi stood back up, his face still impassive. Clearing a few more paces behind him, Jiraiya began to think. 'It would be improbable I would get enough time to turn into a Sennin, and in that time they could easily capture Naruto and get away. He would just have to hold out long enough for the reinforcements to get here. Seeing the oil still behind the ninja, Jiraiya quickly thought up a diversionary plan.
"Katon: Endan!(Flame Bullet)" Jiraiya said, a fire ball shooting from his mouth, directly at Kisame, who deftly dodged. Immediately, the large amount of oil that had been behind him lit up, sending an enormous heatwave at his back, causing him to pause. Immediately shunshining at the pause, Jiraiya raised a Rasengan, hammering it into Kisame's midriff, as the ex Kiri-nin gaped at Jiraiya. Grinning, Jiraiya pushed more, as Kisame was flung back into the oil.
Turning to Itachi, Jiraiya grunted as he saw Kisame jump over him, standing side by side with his teammate.
"Poor Samehada! Wasn't even prepared for that hit. Look! You damaged it." Kisame whined, raising his sword, showing the indentation to Jiraiya. Showing great flexibility, he immediately swiped it at Jiraiya, before bringing it down vertically directly after. "We'll do the same to you!"
Dodging the swipes, Jiraiya jumped back again, before forming two Rasengan in each hand. Darting back forward, intent on striking down Kisame,who quickly hefted his mighty weapon to block, as he realized Jiraiya's true intention. Jumping over the blue-skinned nin, Jiraiya bore down on Itachi, who easily evaded, before being pinned down by a Jiraiya that had come from the ground.
"Die!" Jiraiya yelled, drilling Rasengan into the Uchiha as he gave a low groan, before morphing into several ravens, as Itachi spoke from farther away.
"Karasu Bunshin no Jutsu. (Crow Clone)" Itachi incanted, as the crows dispersed. "Jiraiya-sama, why don't you just show us your true power, or simply hand over the boy to stop wasting our time." Jiraiya gave a bout of laughter at that, keeping Kisame in his sights.
"I don't need to do anything to defeat chumps like you. Of course you're here to figure out just how truly powerful I am, after the ass whipping I gave Orochimaru. That was just a test run, and I hope to never need it again." Jiraiya informed, placing himself into his Taijutsu stance again.
"Alright, whatever you want." Kisame snarled, running through handseals. "Suiton: Bakusui Shouha! (Exploding Water Colliding Wave)" Water poured from the mans mouth at great volumes, beginning to flood the surrounding area. Jiraiya flipped backwards, as the water became greater and greater by the second, Kisame and Itachi easily jumping on top of it to stay afloat. Watching as Itachi recollecting his previously thrown sword, a great tidal wave erupted, intent on smashing directly into Jiraiya. Kisame rushed with his gigantic blade poised, moved to shred Jiraiya to pieces.
Crashing into the water, Jiraiya quickly dodged Kisame's strike, losing some chakra in the process. Watching from underneath the water, Kisame quickly brought his sword down, swishing into the liquid, intentions on striking Jiraiya, who quickly rose to the surface. Losing the Rasengan in his hand to the sword, Jiraiya maneuvered backwards, contemplating.
'Incredibly smart, Itachi is. Close range combat is left to one on one, as Kisame can't have interference from a teammate without them suffering some repercussions. Itachi stays back, intending to examine weaknesses and find openings to exploit. Kisame is a great shinobi, I can't attack without suffering either damage or chakra losses, and can't defend without suffering the same consequences. These two together are an incredible team.' Jiraiya thought out, thinking of a strategy to use.
Naruto watched from the trees, amazed by what he saw. This was incredibly different from the battle he had undertaken as a Jinchuuriki. His had relied on high-powered techniques to do as much possible damage as he could. It didn't require much strategy, only instincts and an understanding of the abilities an enemy had. However, this high level fight displayed much more... subtlety. Neither ninja overstepped their bounds, as a wrong move could lead to capture or death. They preplanned every step, ensuring survival and maximum damage. It was awing to just view it.
Itachi stood away from Kisame, who was attempting to lock Jiraiya in combat again. It would be unwise to cast Amaterasu, as it would have a high chance of either missing, or Jiraiya dodging by various means. Tsukuyomi required eye-contact, and attempting to force Jiraiya's eyes to align to his own would leave openings, as well as being unable to figure out the powers of the Sennin Moudo if Jiraiya passed out from the mental trauma.
"Move, Kisame." Itachi said, as he charged in as his teammate flew back. Kisame was the brute force behind the team, while Itachi was the speed and finesse. Unsheathing his sword, he attempted a horizontal strike, but was quickly blocked by the Sannin's own kunai. Jiraiya's view switched to his arm, to better hold sight of it, as he swung again, coming in for a diagonal chop to his shoulder. Jiraiya stopped the blade, before sliding the kunai down the blade, sending sparks into the air, as he dropped it before gripping Itachi's arm. Pulling him close, Jiraiya brought his fist to the ninja's face, sending him flying through the air and water.
Wincing at the pain lancing up his face, Itachi stared at the Sannin who stood calmly before him. It obviously wasn't true when Orochimaru had declared him the weakest of Sannin. His intelligence and power seemed directly even to Orochimaru's, if not better. Orochimaru was either jealous, or did not know of Jiraiya's abilities as a ninja well enough.
Thoughts roaring through his head, Itachi, for the first time, didn't know how to proceed. Jiraiya could either counter or dodge any of his stronger techniques, and attempting to abduct Naruto would simply leave him with several openings when he went to retrieve him, plus the Jinchuuriki's. own abilities. Having Kisame fetch the boy would be easier, but he wouldn't be able to distract Jiraiya forever, and knowing Jiraiya, they had several fail safes to prevent an easy capture or hostage situation. Itachi wondered if this is how it would feel if he was facing Madara, or Pein. Even at complete chakra, Itachi knew he had a high chance of losing outright to Jiraiya, and even with Kisame, the results would be similar.
If they gave the time that Orochimaru had given him during their fight, then Konoha's reinforcements would arrive, allowing Jiraiya to cease his transformation. If the transformation required more time for a time to power ratio, then this would be completely useless, because Jiraiya would only reach his complete abilities once the allotted time had been given. Anger grated on Itachi's nerves, as his brain worked harder and harder to find a solution. Allowing Jiraiya to transform now would do nothing, there simply wasn't enough time. The last chance they had would be to blitz the boy, once Jiraiya was actively distracted and his presence's whereabouts were known.
His eyes flowed over the greenery, searching for any chakra markings or projections caused by the blonde, visible to his Sharingan. Flares of Kisame shot up around the top layer of the water, causing annoyance. The water was quickly lowering, thanks to the non-existent barriers around the edge. Scanning the trees, Itachi found several blondes hunkering around, at separate heights. That would be an annoyance.
Jiraiya watched as Itachi's body movement indicated he was searching for something, grinning. They had realized they couldn't defeat him, and now Itachi was searching for Naruto. They'd eventually find him, that would be inevitable, but by then, hopefully reinforcements and Jiraiya would catch up. The boy was slinking around in the shadows, creating clones and traps, so when they did choose to hunt him down, it would not be an easy capture.
"Don't tell me you are already giving up!" Jiraiya said, faking a stretch. If they continued, he would obviously end up severely exhausted, and had to bide his attacks correctly. Kisame's sword seem to suck out chunks of chakra at once, being a major nuisance. He knew they weren't really going out, but neither was he. It just wouldn't be viable to do so, they would rather test to see if he had any faults and capitalize, if not they would locate a situation that they could prevail in. "The boy is already long gone, you two."
Kisame let out a curse at this. There was no way they could trump the Sannin in speed alone, and turning their backs to him would just give him a free shot. However, Itachi knew better than that. Jiraiya had only seen Akatsuki in action twice before, that wasn't enough times to learn a pattern. The first time had four ninja, and the second two. Jiraiya wouldn't send the boy away without knowing for sure that there would be no reinforcements.
"Kisame, he's still here." Itachi murmured, eyes still drifting in the trees. He had seen over twelve clones and three of them had the potential to be the real one. There had been countless shuffling in the tree, indicating that more were lurking.
"Didn't think that'd work either." Jiraiya simply said, watching the two nin. The clock ticked on, and reinforcements came closer.
"You want to play games with me?" Kisame said, his shark teeth showing in his grin. "Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu! (Water Shark Missile)" Jiraiya jumped farther away from the water as a shark head rose, rushing towards him. Quickly forming a Rasengan, Jiraiya rushed at the oncoming shark, sending water droplets everywhere once connected. Immediately several Kisame appeared behind him, formed of water, as Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"Got you! Suiro no Jutsu!" The copies echoed, as Jiraiya was encased in water. The actual Kisame strode over, taking control over the mimic for the technique. Jiraiya grunted in annoyance. Mizu Bunshin were easy to dispatch, but having the actual person occupy the circle of water allowed them to defend it quite easily.
"Go, Itachi-san!" Kisame shouted, Itachi nodded, before springing into the forest, intent on scouring it for the blonde. Jiraiya realized his precarious position, and understood he could only do one thing, rush towards his Sennin transformation. Balancing himself so he wouldn't move, Jiraiya calmed himself mentally, hoping that he would beat the clock ticking.
An explosion ran from where Itachi had jumped in, crows flying over the forest before forming back into Itachi, as he dropped back down to Itachi. "Seems like Naruto-kun has quite a few clones, prepared to detonate on contact." Itachi simply said, as Kisame grunted. A clone burst out of the foliage, intent on ramming into Kisame.
"Suiton: Suigadan! (Water Fang Bullet)" Itachi yelled, his handseals all but a blur to the ninja around him. A mass of water rose, as a compact bullet of water shot out, striking the clone, forcing it to detonate. Kisame showed great dexterity, using his sword Samehada to block the concussive force of the explosion, as Itachi simply dodged backwards. Jiraiya's eyes showed mirth at that, it seemed Naruto was handling himself perfectly.
"Teshi Sendan!" Naruto's voice called out, as bones flew through the air directly at Itachi, who jumped out of reach, as Itachi backtracked the voice, chasing it into the forest. "Hone: Kidou!" Another voice yelled, as Kisame yelled out in pain. He had managed to attempt a handstand, but his legs had stalled directly where his head previously was, pierced completely through by the bone.
"I'll chop your fucking head off when I get you!" Kisame yelled, as Itachi sprinted back out, explosions trailing behind them. The rest of Kisame's Mizu Bunshin dispelled before his eyes, water splatting the ground once again.
"This is certainly getting annoying, Naruto-kun. You will not be able to evade us for long, perhaps we will go easier on you once we capture you?" Itachi shouted, his voice echoing over the treetops. They couldn't really place Jiraiya as a hostage, the water was both a great offense and defense. It trapped an opponent, sure, but the water was much harder then steel, forcing it to be immune to piercing weapons.
Naruto grinned at the sight of the slightly injured Kisame. He couldn't attempt another Bone Launch for a few more seconds, as chakra had to re saturate the bone as well as it having to grow back. The added time was also needed to build up the critical amount of chakra behind it. Naruto was quietly moving throughout the trees, abusing his clones for maximum coverage and defense.
Itachi simply stared at the blood-stained bone on the ground, tracing its trajectory path back into the forest. Tossing a few shuriken in first, Itachi simply heard thunks, as he slowly walked in. He immediately back flipped to avoid the explosion, giving a slight grunt at the exertion. Jiraiya needed a minute or so to overpower the real Kisame, but if he switched to a Mizu Bunshin, he could attempt it as soon as they switched.
"I'll flush him out!" Kisame angrily said, before performing a set of handseals. "Mizu Bunshin!" Water instantly morphed to his likeness, taking control over the technique, as he ran through more handseals, prepared to bring the blonde out of hiding.
"Sui-" He was immediately cut off as a powerful fist connected with his face, sending him crashing into several trees. "Oh no you don't!" Jiraiya said, as Itachi stared wide-eyed at the semi transformation. He wasn't as 'toady' as Orochimaru had implied, meaning that it wasn't a complete transformation, but it surely gave some benefits judging by the power of the strike. Bracing himself for a much more difficult fight, Itachi stared at Jiraiya's face.
There was an instant blur of movement, as Itachi barely ducked underneath the hay maker, pure power exuding off of the Sannin's form. Blocking the knee brought up with his forearm, Itachi winced as he was sent tumbling backwards by the amazing strength behind it. Kisame immediately swung his blade in, to cover for his downed teammate, staring at the empowered Sannin.
Swinging his massive blade at him, he watched Samehada giggled with the awesome amount of chakra he sucked from Jiraiya, who parried the blade with a wince. There was a slight scratching sound, as Kisame realized the massive weapon hadn't shredded, only scratched the exterior of the skin. Jiraiya immediately followed up with a horizontal kick to the side of his arm, sending him back to the trees.
"Increased chakra, power, speed, and strength just off of the minute amount of time we gave you." Itachi calculated, his analytical skills going haywire over the information being processed by his eyes. "Truly a great transformation, Jiraiya-sama. Now lets find some weaknesses." Jiraiya simply watched the young ninjas feet, looking for any shift in movement or posture. He had not completed the transformation to his maximum capability, meaning that it wouldn't last long without the other Gama Sennins, and he would suffer worse exhaustion after than during a normal one.
Watching Jiraiya run forward, Itachi predicted his movement as a left hook, and darted downwards before taking steps backwards, but didn't realize the other fist coming down in a hammer fashion, crushing him into the ground. Groaning, he was quickly kicked in the stomach, sending him end over end in pain. Through the pain, he realized the Sharingan wouldn't completely predict his movements, the odd chakra coursing through his opponents body prevented it.
Jiraiya couldn't use any techniques, as the Senjutsu chakra would deplete much faster if so. He heard the grunts and the sound of a wood cracking, as Kisame yelled, "I'm going to catch you, and then skin you alive!" Running through the forest, Jiraiya launched a flying kick through the tree, intent on smashing it to bits along with Kisame's head.
Realizing the trouble, Kisame quickly raised his sword in an attempt to block, as he skid across the floor from the strength behind it, as it sucked out more of Jiraiya's special chakra, causing Samehada to giggle again. Jiraiya realized he had next to no Senjutsu chakra left, and quickly bounced off of the content sword, attempting to move as far away as possible. Jumping through the trees, Jiraiya quickly landed in the midst of the pathway, water splashing at his every step, as he felt exhaustion begin to course through him.
The two ninja appeared before him, battered and a bit bloody, but well enough to semi-continue the battle. Jiraiya was not in such a condition, and realized as such when his body slowed down, as the ninja looked on in confusion at him, and then Kisame's expression grew to haughtiness.
"There's your weakness for you, Itachi. Once he runs out of that chakra Samehada likes so much, he is severely exhausted. Prepared to die, Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Kisame mocked, hefting his giant blade out of the slightly red water. His leg still stung from the bone piercing it had received, but it didn't completely negate his movement, merely limited him and caused pain.
Jiraiya realized that this had been there plan long enough. They had been told he needed to stay still to activate, and putting him in the water prison met that condition. Having that, they used Naruto as their own bait to get him to rush into his transformation. Jiraiya groaned at the fact that he had been outsmarted.
Kisame ran at him, full tilt, as he swung his blade down, intent on scraping Jiraiya's face off, who weakly jumped back. Immediately there was a blur of motion on the pathway, as a brown-haired ninja jumped in between the middle of Kisame and Itachi, slamming his hands into the ground.
"Mokuton: Shichuurou no Jutsu! (Four Pillars Prison)" Instantly a large wood construct sprang up from the ground, ensnaring both missing-nin in it. Kakashi and Gai appeared directly beside Jiraiya.
"Yosh! Jiraiya-sama! We are here to defend you!" Gai boomed, his teeth sparkling as he raised a thumb at the white-haired man.
"Phew. Took you guys long enough, no?" Jiraiya complained as he leaned on a tree, intent on catching his breath.
"We apologize for the delay. We weren't sure of the exact route, and Itachi and Kisame both had a head start, as well as much faster speeds." Kakashi explained, as Jiraiya merely nodded. There came a banging from inside the prison, as Kisame yelled out in anger, banging his weapon across the wood.
"I will handle the most unyouthful person here, Uchiha Itachi!" Gai proclaimed, earning a nod from Kakashi.
"I guess than Yamato and I will handle Kisame than." Kakashi's reply came, before Jiraiya cut-in.
"They are pretty banged up, Naruto and I did a good number on them." Jiraiya informed, as both Gai and Kakashi listened intently. There was the sound of leaves rustling, and then Sasuke and Sakura dropped out of the trees, breathing heavily.
"We're – here." Sakura said, as she pressed her palm against a tree. She moved to speak again, but was immediately cut off by Itachi's voice.
"Step back Kisame." His dry tone spoke, and there was the sound of movement before it was still.
"Amaterasu." He intoned, as there was a rush of chakra and then black flames appeared, eating and swallowing the wood. Yamato immediately dropped the technique, not wanting to waste chakra on something futile.
"Take Naruto, and go!" Kakashi commanded, as Naruto appeared before the Genin, before immediately getting dragged off.
"Lets go!" "Quickly!" They urged, as Naruto followed them towards the chosen destination. Sasuke stared back in his brother's direction, wanting so badly to stay and fight, but knew better.
The two missing-nin stood in the slowly dying fire, as it ate the rest of the wood construct up, staring at their new opponents.
"Oh come on! We were just getting to the fun part with Jiraiya!" Kisame complained, as he hefted his sword up before him. Realizing that they would be nearing low chakra soon, Kisame quickly came up with a plan.
"Doton: Doryuuheki! (Earth Style Wall)" Kisame incanted, as a gigantic earth wall contained the ninja, stopping any type of maneuver they might use to escape. Running through more handseals, Kisame called out his next technique. "Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" Water ran rampant from his mouth, as it began filling up the self made arena.
The Sannin and Jounin stood, not understanding what his ploy was. If he intended to use his home turf advantage, then it would still prove disastrous for him against three other ninja that could use Suiton and Doton techniques. The water was several meters high, before he stopped as the waves started. Shooting forward, Gai left only a mild smokescreen of water to cloud his movement as he went to lash out at the Uchiha.
Blocking with his gigantic sword, Kisame merely grinned before speaking. "Not so fast! Suiton: Goshokuzame! (Five Feeding Sharks)" Sharks burst forth from his hand, running furiously through the water at the spread out ninja, as they realized his strategy. He obviously had great chakra reserves if he wasted that much on these techniques, and he simply planned to stall them out by not allowing them to scale the wall, or fight him in the water.
"Konoha Reppu!" Gai yelled, striking Itachi in the legs. The nin stared in aghast horror, as the body turned to crows. His plan was to hold them off, until Itachi could capture the Kyuubi, whose protection now was only himself, and two Genin.
"Figure it out now?" Kisame barked in laughter, as Yamato and Jiraiya moved to escape. Scaling the walls, they were stopped when the sharks lashed out above them, forcing them to fall back into the water. Jiraiya quickly formed a Rasengan, running back to the wall he just fell from, attempting to slam it in. Sharks jumped into the way of the sphere, diluting its power until it simply disappeared, as the sharks reformed underwater.
"How bout some fun and games now?" Kisame questioned, as the Jounin turned to him. They prayed that Naruto would last long enough against such a foe, because if he didn't then it would only spell disaster. Kakashi immediately lifted his headband, as all three Jounin prepared for combat, while Jiraiya sat aside, attempting to find a loophole as well as regain some energy.
ASDASDASDASDASDASDASDASD
Itachi raced through the trees, following the path he had seen them start off on. Knowing the Genin, they hadn't thought ahead to back track or switch paths, merely the fasted route there. Itachi sighed at the problem he was in. He was a triple agent, through and through. He worked for Akatsuki, Madara, and Konoha. He betrayed Akatsuki's goals for Madara's personal Eye on the Moon plan, and he worked against both of them for Konoha's sake. He still had to keep up appearances though, and thus aided with any missions that were not specifically against Konoha.
Kisame was sure to hold out for several minutes at least, giving Itachi enough time to "speak" with his younger brother and Naruto. He still wanted to repent on his sins, and he counted on his brother for doing such a thing. He would just have to 'enforce' the hatred a bit more, before having a little discussion with Naruto.
His speed easily outstripped the Genin, as he saw more and more tracings of bits of chakra left, and his eyes quickly calculated the various paths they could have taken from the steps, as he followed his instincts. Flying through the greenery, Itachi made quick work to catch up to the Genin, as a clearing formed up ahead. Sighting the three Genin, Itachi quietly unsheathed his sword.
Sprinting into the clearing, Itachi reared his entire arm, intent on striking his younger brother. Bringing the blade down, Itachi felt it pierce through oddly placed bone, before finally realizing who he had truly hit. His Sharingan had been decieved.
"Surprised? DIE!" Kyuubified Naruto yelled, three tails behind him, as he swung his arm at Itachi, sending him crashing into the trees.
Sorry about the late update.
Explanations: For Elemental Affinities, this is my belief. I believe any ninja can use any element, however they only have "1" specialty. Such as Sasuke's lightning, Naruto's wind, or Kakashi's lightning. However, Naruto can use Fire/Lightning/Earth/Water, it will just cost more chakra and it wont be as effective as someone who is in tune with that specific element.
Kisame and Itachi rape Jiraiya! WTF?: Think of it this way → Itachi and Kisame aren't at full strength, true. However Jiraiya really wasn't trying, because he knows about Itachi's trickery in Akatsuki. I also made more repercussions to Sage Mode, I don't like how people gain a lot of power with no drawbacks. I like the 8 gates and Kyuubi for that. Sage Mode doesn't shorten life span, however it does exhaust the body because it isn't as used to that kind of chakra coursing through it. Because Jiraiya didn't completely do the proper transformation, it exhausted him far more than normally. He still has pretty high chakra, just little energy.
Rewriting earlier chapters: After Chapter 10, I will be going back and rewriting Chapters 1-7. After doing those, you will see updates begin to fly by. This work will be about 300k+ in length, if my shortest estimate is correct.
Common Mistakes: I make them. Please point them out, and I will get to fixing them asap.
Chakra: This Naruto has less than actual Manga Naruto, because this one doesn't spam Kage Bunshin. However, his Daibakuha Bunshin do take more chakra then standard Shadow Clone
Non Affinity Moves: I believe moves like Hari Jizou/Kage Bunshin/Shunshin/Henge/Genjutsu aren't a special affinity, its just if you can personally use it yourself.
Rape Dojutsu: Sharingan and Byakugan can't see through all Genjutsu, that is just retarded and completely takes one main portion of a shinobis abilities away. My way is that if the Sharingan/Byakugan user knows they are in a Genjutsu, it makes it much easier to break out of.
Tobi: Hes immortal, obviously hes going to be bored. I just decided to have some fun, and possible provide some fun for everyone.
Thanks for reviewing.
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