Huzzah! I give you another chapter of I spy!
–Begin–
"Huh?" Naruto, sitting in Ichiraku Ramen with his team, looked back at the ANBU who was staring at him. "A meeting?"
"Yes, Namikaze-san," the ANBU said, nodding. "You are to report to the council room immediately." With that, the ANBU vanished. Naruto could guess what it was about. Akatsuki had managed to infiltrate Konoha and caused havok, and Tsunade was in a coma from overexerting herself. No doubt, they wanted to appoint a new Hokage as soon as possible, so as to not appear weak to the other countries.
"Well, I'll see you guys later. Could you guys go guard Tsunade? I don't trust Danzo not to take advantage of this situation," Naruto told his teammates and sensei, all of whom nodded at him. He put his hands in a Ram seal and disappeared with a poof. Only when he was gone did Kiba realize something.
"That bastard! He left without paying!"
–Council room–
Naruto was sitting in a rather large stone chair on one side of a large table, next to the commander of the ANBU. Next to him was Sarutobi Hiruzen, followed by the old warhawk Danzo, then Koharu and Homura. On the other side of the table were six civilian members of the council, and at the head of the table sat his uncle on his father side, the Fire Daimyo.
Naruto had no idea why a rookie Jounin was selected to represent the jounin populace at this meeting, but he didn't say no, eager to see just how these meetings went down.
"We plan to continue working with the other countries against the threat posed by Akatsuki," Homura said, starting the meeting.
"After what happened in the village, we will need to strengthen the barrier. We will tweak the budget to train seal and barrier masters. We would also like for Namikaze-san to take an apprentice, and pass on his knowledge in seals."
"I already have one in mind," Naruto spoke up, getting surprised looks from the people around the table. "It's still a little too early, but I'm planning on asking Sarutobi Konohamaru to be my apprentice."
Hiruzen, staring at Naruto, smiled brightly at hearing that Naruto wanted to take his grandson as his apprentice.
"There's something else we should consider first," Danzo spoke up, and everyone, save for the Fire Daimyo, already knew what he was planning to say. "Who will be the next Hokage?"
"Can we not wait until Tsunade has recovered?" the Daimyo asked.
"My lord, Tsunade is still in a coma," Koharu explained. "We can't decide on a plan for the village when we don't know when she will wake up... Besides, she is partially responsible for what happened in Konoha."
Naruto suppressed a growl at that, and it was only thanks to the slight shake of the head from the ANBU that he kept from speaking up.
"I'd like to choose Jiraiya," the Daimyo said. "I like him."
"Even if you nailed him to the chair, you couldn't get Jiraiya to be Hokage," Hiruzen said, to which Naruto snickered.
"So, who shall it be, then?" the Fire Daimyo asked.
"Well-" Danzo started, but Hiruzen cut him off.
"I nominate Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto."
The civilians gasped at that, all of them thinking that Naruto was much too young for the position of Hokage.
"Hatake Kakashi," Naruto spoke up.
"Oho, the son of the Shiroi Kiba (White Fang), and my nephew, eh?" the Daimyo asked with a chuckle. Then, he looked to the civilians. "What do you all think?"
The civilians started whispering amongst themselves. Naruto picked up comments such as, "well-known, powerful and respected," and, "too young."
"Minato wasn't much older," he heard the civilian across from him say. They all nodded at each other, then looked to the Fire Daimyo.
"Namikaze," they all said in unison, making Naruto's eyes widen. He started to feel faint at that.
"Who is his teacher?" the civilian across from Homura asked.
"Hatake Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Sarutobi Hiruzen," Naruto explained.
"The son of the Yondaime, who taught Kakashi, and pupil of Jiraiya, who was the Yondaime's teacher, and pupil of the Sandaime, who was Jiraiya's teacher. There's no problem then," the Fire Daimyo said, smiling at Naruto, who was now breathing quickly, though quickly disguising it, so as to not act too giddily.
"The Sandaime's teachings have as good as destroyed the village!" Danzo spoke up, making everyone's eyes widen.
"Danzo," Hiruzen spoke, but got no further, as Danzo continued.
"Akatsuki's leader, the man who almost destroyed the village, was once Jiraiya's pupil. This is the result of sympathizing with other countries and giving them power! That sort of thinking is weak! That weakness led to Suna's betrayal... and allowed Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha. It led to the formation of Akatsuki, and to Sasuke, the last remaining Uchiha, leaving Konoha for his own secret purposes!" he spoke imperiously as he stood up. "What sort of Hokage do we need now? One who can put an end to this wretched situation, who can bring change to the ninja world and reinforce the laws that govern us. That man is me!"
"The Sandaime's teachings are what have kept Konoha from being ravaged by wars for nearly two decades!" Naruto spoke up finally, standing up as well. "Your approach of crush this, crush that, and then when all is destroyed, have tea, doesn't work! You will bring Konoha to ruin by making enemies out of everyone and everything! The Shodai and Nidaime didn't see fit to entrust the Will of Fire to you for a reason, no doubt." Danzo growled at that, while Naruto just looked over the others. "Who are we to spit on the legacy of our founders? For Kami's sake, the Sandaime has been acting Hokage for over three decades, and was even reelected after the Yondaime died. That just means that his teachings work, doesn't it?"
"The man makes a good point," one of the civilians told the Fire Daimyo, who closed his eyes, thinking.
"My lord, you can't-" Danzo started, but was interrupted.
"All right, it's decided," the Daimyo said. "Naruto, you will be the Rokudaime Hokage!"
Naruto stared at the Daimyo for a moment, then cleared his throat. "Would my whooping with joy and doing cartwheels affect your decision?"
Sarutobi chuckled, while the Fire Daimyo shook his head.
"Go ahead. Minato did the same."
Naruto whooped with glee and, as he said, started doing cartwheels around the room, much to the amusement of most, disapproval from Homura and Koharu, and rage from Danzo.
–Later–
Humming happily, Naruto strolled through the hospital. He couldn't help it. He was giddy as hell, proudly wearing the Hokage hat that had been given to him. Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. That had a damn nice ring to it! He was currently on his way to Tsunade's room, to tell his team the good news.
When he got to the room, however, he heard a woman's voice coming from inside.
"She's unconscious?"
"I'll take the letter. I'm her aide," came Shizune's voice.
"If you don't know when she'll wake up, let me speak to whoever's in charge in the meantime," the unknown woman said. Activating his eye and looking through the door, he saw eight people inside; Kakashi, Kiba and Shikamaru were standing guard at Tsunade's bed, while Shizune talked to the unknown woman. "I need an answer right away! It's urgent."
"But-"
Naruto took this opportunity to open the door, looking over the occupants of the room.
"Tsunade-baa-chan is no longer Hokage," he said wiggling his hat. "I am the new Hokage. I'll take the letter."
The woman walked over to him, and judging by the headbands on the two by the door, they were Kumo ninjas. She handed over the letter to Naruto, who opened it and read it. It was a request from the Raikage to allow Kumo to hunt down and kill Uchiha Sasuke.
"Sasuke, huh?" Naruto asked, humming. The Sharingan was a powerful doujutsu, and it was foolish to risk it ending up in Kumo's hands...
"What is your answer?"
"There are, of course, conditions to my consent," Naruto said, getting a raised eyebrow from the woman. "The Sharingan. The Sharingan is Konoha's, and will stay Konoha's, being delivered to us as soon as Sasuke is dead. So long as the Raikage meets that condition, I see no problem with this."
The woman nodded. "I will let him know." Next, she nodded to her two teammates, and together they left the room.
"Hokage?" Kiba asked finally, staring at Naruto in shock. "Seriously?"
"Well, not officially, yet. The Fire Daimyo and the civilians support the decision, but the jounins haven't voted yet," Naruto said, grinning, then clapped his hands together. "Anyway, a meeting of the five Kages has been called, and I need two mandatory 'bodyguards.' Who's up for it?"
"A meeting?" Kakashi asked. "Where?"
"The only neutral place there is here in the Elemental Countries," Naruto said. "Iron Country."
"And you want us to be bodyguards?" Kiba asked, getting a nod from Naruto.
"You and Shikamaru."
"Tch, why me, and not Kakashi?" Shikamaru asked, gesturing for Kakashi, only to find that he'd disappeared. "Aw, damn it..."
Just then, an ANBU blurred into view on her knees behind Naruto.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yuugao, I have a mission for you," Naruto said as he turned to look at the ANBU, reaching into his kunai pouch and taking out a scroll, which he handed to her. "I need you to track down Mitarashi Anko, who is currently tracking Yakushi Kabuto. When you meet with her, you will both track down Kabuto, but do not engage him. You will tell him you are there under my orders, codeword 'Homecoming.'"
Yuugao took the scroll, wordlessly nodded, then blurred away again.
"Time to bring our spy home?" Kiba asked, getting a nod from Naruto.
"According to him, Orochimaru is dead. No need for us to keep him away," he said with a shrug, then clapped his hands. "Alright, both of you get ready. We leave as soon as possible. Shizune," said woman jumped at being addressed, having felt a little forgotten, "I have stationed ANBU guards around this room. I don't trust Danzo not to do anything. But even with the guards, I want you to stay with Tsunade as much as you can."
"Of course, Naruto-kun," Shizune said, nodding, but then corrected herself. "I mean, Hokage-sama," she said with a smile. Naruto couldn't help but grin at that.
Team Kakashi left Tsunade's room, and went their separate ways once outside, Kiba agreeing to tell his sister that Naruto was going away. Once he was certain that Kiba and Shikamaru were gone, he spoke out loud.
"You can come down now, sensei."
From the roof of the hospital, Kakashi came falling down, landing in front of Naruto, looking at him with interest.
"I got the feeling you wanted to talk to me about something."
"It's about Danzo," Naruto said, making Kakashi's eye widen. "He's too dangerous, and Kabuto has information on dealings between Danzo and Orochimaru. I want you to take a handful of trustworthy jounins, skilled in stealth, and keep a close eye on him until Kabuto comes back, so that he can testify, and everything will be official. I'm counting on you while I'm gone."
Kakashi, completely serious, judging by the fact that he didn't have his book out, nodded. "You can count on me."
With that, he poofed away.
–The next day–
Kiba sneezed as Team Kakashi walked through knee-high snow, approaching the building between the three mountains known as the 'Three Wolves.'
"Hey, how come I've never heard about this place before?" Kiba asked as he wiped his nose. "And who are those guys?" he asked, gesturing for the strange people around them, dressed in white armor, white helmets and rebreathers. Each of them had four swords strapped to their person.
"Because ninjas have an unspoken rule that the neutral Iron Country is off limits. They don't have ninja here. They have samurai," Shikamaru explained, to which Naruto nodded as they stepped into the building, entering a large, cavernous hall, which was dimly lit. Meeting them was a man in his late 40's, with bandages wrapped around his head, with a long mustache and beard in a braid.
"Greetings, Hokage. We've been waiting for you," the man said, bowing his head. "I am the leader of Iron Country. My name is Mifune."
"Thank you for having me, Mifune-dono," Naruto said, bowing his head as well. "I have always wanted to see Iron Country. Even after this short a time, it's been an experience."
Mifune smiled. "Then, if you would follow me, I will take you to the meeting. The others are waiting."
Naruto and his 'bodyguards' followed Mifune through a set of large doors, proceeding down a long hallway to another set of doors. At the doors, however, to the side, was a set of stairs. Mifune stopped and gestured for it.
"Hokage-dono, your escort will need to go upstairs to watch the proceedings."
Naruto nodded to Kiba and Shikamaru, who nodded back, before heading up the stairs. Once they're disappeared, Naruto followed Mifune into the room. In the middle of the room was a long table bent into a half circle with five chairs placed at it. One in the middle, with two on each side. At the mouth of the circle was another table with a chair, where Mifune took a seat, gesturing for Naruto to sit in the middle chair, with a banner with the kanji for Fire on it hanging behind the chair.
Once Naruto had sat down, getting surprised looks from the other Kages, one an incredibly short old man (the Tsuchikage), another a muscular, dark-skinned man with his hair in cornrows (the Raikage), who were sitting at Naruto's left, and Baki from Suna (the Kazekage), and a very beautiful woman with long, auburn hair styled into a herringbone pattern at the back, a top-knot tied with a dark-blue band, and with four bangs at the front (the Mizukage), who were sitting on his right, Mifune started the meeting.
"Place your hats on the table..."
Every Kage there took off their Kage hats and placed them on the table in front of them, looking from each other to Mifune.
"You are today because the Raikage has called this meeting. My name is Mifune. I will be your amoderator. The meeting will now begin."
"I'll go first," Naruto spoke immediately.
"The makeup of the five Kages sure has changed," the Tsuchikage said. "You must be something special to be made Hokage at your age."
Naruto smiled. "Something like that."
"The Sandaime must have taught you right, but apparently forgot to instill in you any manners," the Tsuchikage said, to which Naruto's smile widened.
"I could say the same. Didn't your father ever teach you that it's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking?"
The Tsuchikage kept his stern look for a few moments, before bursting out laughing.
"Hah! Cheeky brat!"
"Tsuchikage, please stop interrupting," the Mizukage spoke in a gentle, soothing voice. "Hokage, please continue."
"I am the host for the Kyuubi no Yoko," Naruto explained, making everyone's eyes widen. "I am one of the Akatsuki's targets. So far, I have battled three members of the Akatsuki, and I have to say, their abilities are out of this world. They are extremely dangerous. I don't know how many jinchuuriki they have captured so far, but even one is dangerous enough in their hands. When I battled them for the first time, they had captured Yugito-chan, and they have no doubt captured more. We-"
"Hmph! Don't come and tell me that you want us to divulge which ones of us have lost their jinchuuriki!" the Tsuchikage interrupted once more. "Once a bijuu is stolen, the owning country can't expect other countries to help them. It's an embarrassment."
"I have no time for old-fashioned notions of appearance and honor," Naruto said, giving the Tsuchikage a steely look. "Not when the safety of my village is at stake."
The Tsuchikage gritted his teeth as he glared at Naruto.
"Just because the beasts have been stolen, that is no reason to be afraid," the Mizukage said. "It takes time, knowledge and skill to be able to control them."
"The hosts must grow with the beasts in order to adapt to them. Even then, control is difficult... It won't happen immediately," the Tsuchikage said. "Right, Hokage?"
Naruto sighed and rubbed his temples. "We would be fools to assume that the Akatsuki would steal the Bijuu if they had no idea how to use them," he said. "The only ones who can truly be said to have controlled the beasts are me, Uchiha Madara, the Shodai Hokage, and Killer Bee, Raikage's brother."
At that, the Raikage raised his hand, and then smashed it down on the table in front of him, smashing it.
"Quit your yapping!"
In a flash, the bodyguards of the Raikage landed on the desk in front of him, while everyone else's bodyguards jumped down and got ready to attack.
"We are here to talk," Mifune said. "Please refrain from such displays of rudeness."
"Kiba, Shikamaru," Naruto spoke calmly, having not even twitched at Raikage's fit of rage. Shikamaru and Kiba looked to Naruto, and then nodded, jumping up onto the stands above the meeting room again. Baki ordered his bodyguards to stand down as well.
"Ao, Chojiro, it's all right," the Mizukage said, and her bodyguards nodded as well. With orders from the Raikage and Tsuchikage, their bodyguards left as well.
"Konoha! Iwa! Suna! Kiri!" Raikage said loudly. "Akatsuki is made up of missing-nin from your villages! And that's not all! I know that there are those among you, including former Kages, who have used Akatsuki for their own purpose! I don't trust you! I had no intention of speaking with you! I called you all here to find out where your true loyalties lie!"
"How dare you?" Naruto demanded, shooting to his feet. "Konoha has not, nor will it ever, have any ties with the Akatsuki! They stand against everything Konoha stands for, and you spit in our faces when you insinuate anything else!" he growled out, surprising the other Kages with his hostility. When it came to his village's reputation, he would never allow it to be smeared. "The only involvement we've had with the Akatsuki has been entirely illegal. Danzo collaborated with Orochimaru, and that's it. He is already awaiting execution once my spy returns from Orochimaru. Now don't you dare say that my village has had anything to do with anyone that would threaten the peace in the Elemental Countries!"
The Raikage, who was actually a somewhat friend of Naruto, getting to know him through Killer Bee, seemed to calm down, then nodded.
"Sorry, Hokage. But this is frustrating! And Kirigakure!" he yelled, looking at the Mizukage. "You are the most suspicious! You have no diplomatic relations with other countries... and there are rumors that Akatsuki was formed there!"
The Mizukage was quiet for a while, staring down at the table. Then, she spoke up.
"To tell you the truth, there were suspicions that my predecessor, the Yondaime Mizukage, was being controlled by someone. It could have been Akatsuki, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it..."
"You all..." Raikage growled.
"Watch your tongue, Raikage!" the Tsuchikage exclaimed, a vein pulsing on his bald head. "It's because you were continuing to amass power and techniques during this time of disarmament that other countries were forced to hire Akatsuki in the first place!"
"What?"
"People," Naruto said calmly, though he managed to get the attention of the Kages, who focused on him. "We can sit here and point fingers all day, and we'd just end up dragging up several decades worth of reasons, but there is something even more important that I have to tell you all, as a sign of goodwill, information that I have received from my spy with Orochimaru." Seeing that he now had the full attention of both the Kages and Mifune, he continued. "There are rumors going around the Akatsuki that the real leader is Uchiha Madara."
Shock went through the room.
"Madara is long since dead," the Tsuchikage said. Naruto chuckled.
"Well, he's alive enough to have controlled the Yondaime Mizukage."
"You-"
"This is information I have received since Orochimaru's demise, and I only became Hokage a short while ago," Naruto said, bowing his head to the Mizukage. "Forgive me for not telling you sooner, Mizukage."
"As a neutral country, I have to say, the leader of Akatsuki read the signs of the times," Mifune said. "He used the stability and the suspicions of the other countries to increase his own power... At this rate, even Iron Country..." He sighed, then continued. "But there's always a silver lining... It's rare for the five Kages to come together like this. What do you say? Until Akatsuki is taken care of... what would you think of forming a five-village alliance?"
"An alliance?" the Raikage questioned in shock.
"Not a bad idea," Naruto agreed. "We're in a state of emergency. We have to cooperate."
"The chain of command should be uniform. We want to avoid any further confusion."
"So... the question is, who will have authority over this new army?" the Tsuchikage asked.
"You will only fight amongst yourselves," Mifune said. "So, I would like you to respect my position as a neutral party. I will decide who among you is best suited for the job."
"I'd like to nominate Raikage-dono," Naruto spoke up, surprising everyone else around them. Seeing everyone, including the Raikage, staring at him in shock, he grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Hey, I may be strong as hell, and I may be good enough to lead Konoha, but I have no illusions about being able to lead five whole villages into what might become a war. I'm too young to lead, Kazekage and Tsuchikage both have a history of dealing with Akatsuki, and Kirigakure is the birthplace of Akatsuki. If the Mizukage were in charge, there would be all sorts of worries about spies and information leaks. Raikage-dono is a good leader, so long as he can keep his emotions in check." A worried look appeared on Naruto's face. "I don't know what, exactly, the Akatsuki is planning on doing with the Bijuu, but we can't let them have the Hachibi or Kyuubi."
"Too late," the Raikage said. "They captured Bee the other day..."
"Impossible," Naruto said, shaking his head. "Bee and I are good friend. I placed on him a seal that, if he was ever in mortal danger, he could just channel a minute amount of chakra into, and it would summon me to his side immediately. Since he hasn't summoned me, it's obvious that he's still safe and sound."
Everyone were quiet for a moment. Then, the Raikage snapped.
"WHY, THAT UNGRATEFUL LITTLE...! HE USED THIS WHOLE DAMN AFFAIR TO RUN AWAY FROM THE VILLAGE AND HAVE FUN SOMEWHERE ON HIS OWN? UNFORGIVABLE! OH, HELL TASTE ME IRON CLAW!"
Naruto snorted. "Sounds like Bee, alright."
"Now that the Raikage has calmed down," Mifune said, then looked to the Raikage, who was gritting his teeth in rage over Bee. "Well, somewhat, I second Hokage-dono's nomination."
"Who does-" Naruto started, but then stopped, his left eye suddenly springing to life. It whirled around in its socket for a few seconds, and then locked into place, staring down at the floor in the middle of the five Kages. "Hey, hasn't anyone ever told you that it's rude to eavesdrop?"
Suddenly, a green, plant-like thing rose from it, and out of it came a completely naked, bone-white man with yellow eyes and green hair. His right side was deformed, looking like he'd been put through a meat grinder, and then hastily put together again.
"So, you discovered me?" he asked, chuckling.
"Akatsuki?" Baki asked.
"It would appear so," Tsuchikage said with a nod. With a blur, all the bodyguards were standing on the table, surrounding the plant man.
"Uchiha Sasuke is here somewhere. The question is... where?" Then, a huge grin appeared on his face. "Let's all search for Sasuke! Come on!"
"Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.
"What's he doing here?" Kiba continued, Akamaru growling.
"The one with the Sharingan," Mizukage muttered.
"The one who killed Haku and Zabuza?" the older of Mizukage's bodyguards, Ao, asked. Naruto cleared his throat.
"Excuse me? I killed them."
With speed even most of the Kages had trouble following, Naruto had appeared in front of the plant man, kicking him in the throat and pinning him to the ground.
"Come on now, tell me where Sasuke is, or I'll crush you," Naruto said calmly. It was only now that they realized that Naruto had also had time to put on his Hokage hat. The plant man just grinned up at him. Shrugging, Naruto pressed his foot down on his neck, satisfied when he heard a loud crack coming from his neck breaking.
"There was no reason to kill him!" Mizukage said. "If you had captured him, you might have been able to get some intel on Akatsuki out of him!"
"No one in Akatsuki will sell out their comrades," Naruto explained calmly. "They're all hardcore," he said, then looked to Raikage. "Shall we go?"
"Let's," Raikage said with a nod. "Shii, let's get started!"
"Yes, sir!" Shii, the pale-skinned bodyguard of the Raikage, said, nodding.
"You with the Byakugan," Naruto said, looking to Ao, who went wide-eyed, along with the Mizukage and the other bodyguard, "can you keep an eye on this place, while Raikage and I are gone?"
Though shocked, Ao nodded. With that, Raikage raised his fist, and smashed his hand through the wall.
"Let's go!"
"Kiba, Shika," Naruto said, and his teammates were immediately at his side as he followed the Raikage through the hole. They ran off, Kiba riding on Akamaru, as the Raikage's sensor searched for Sasuke.
"I can pick up Sasuke's scent. Below us," Kiba said, getting a grin from the Raikage.
"As expected of an Inuzuka. Shii?"
"I think he's right," Shii said. "I can sense a lot of chakras disappearing. It must be Sasuke!"
"Below, huh?" Naruto asked. "Kiba!"
"Got it!" Kiba jumped off Akamaru as he and the dog jumped into the air, spinning at high speeds. "Gatsuuga!" he exclaimed as they slammed into the floor, drilling a huge hole in it.
"In we go," Naruto said with a smile as he jumped in after him, Raikage and the other following.
As Naruto landed, along with the Raikage, who had covered himself in lighting chakra, they saw a room full of dead samurai, with Sasuke standing on the other side of the room, looking calm.
"Do we have a plan?" Naruto asked. Raikage didn't look at him.
"We kill Sasuke."
Naruto grinned. "I love simple plans like that."
Sasuke, wasting no time, charged at the pair, drawing his sword and jumping at them. Naruto was faster, though, dashing forward and meeting Sasuke in mid-air, clashing against Sasuke with a three-pronged kunai. They pushed off each other, landing in the spot they'd been standing in before the jump.
"It's been a while, Sasuke," Naruto said with a smile. "I hear you've been causing a lot of trouble."
Sasuke just glared, while Naruto looked at the tall, orange-haired teen behind Sasuke, who seemed to have partly activated a Curse Seal, half his face covered by markings, and his hand having a deformity on it, in the shape of a blade.
"It'll happen fast, Naruto," the Raikage said. "Be ready."
Naruto, knowing something was about to happen, charged up a Rasengan in his hand, just as Shii, standing behind them, went through a set of handseals. He started shining brightly, but other than that, nothing happened, though it seemed to have been a Genjutsu, as the guy next to Sasuke suddenly called out his name, as if Sasuke had been hurt or something.
"Calm yourself, Juugo," Sasuke spoke in his monotone voice. "This is just an illusion," he said as he canceled it. However, as soon as he did, he found the Raikage standing in front of him, with Naruto behind him, both of them attacking him at once.
However, Juugo got between Naruto and Sasuke, catching Naruto's Rasengan with his deformed arm, the skin of which was horribly twisted by the attack. Other than that, however, nothing seemed to happen to him. Raikage didn't have any more luck, as a guy, holding Zabuza's sword, appeared in front of him, catching Raikage's fist with his blade.
A loud crack was heard as the sword snapped in two, and Sasuke, Juugo and the other guy jumped away, the guy with the sword having his arms turn into water.
Naruto watched the trio of criminals, then went wide-eyed when he saw that Juugo guy activate his level 2 curse seal.
'No, wait... Something is different... The chakra is darker... more sinister... even more so than the Curse Seal...' Naruto thought in confusion as Juugo changed. A deranged look appeared on his face, as his skin darkened, and something like a headdress grew out of his head for frame his face, at the same time as six pipe-like appendages grew out of his back, with a chakra flame hovering above each pipe. The skin on his forearms grew thick, thick enough to act as armor for him, and his eyes turned yellow, with the sclera turning black.
Juugo cackled maniacally. "I'll kill ya!"
The Raikage scoffed. "DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, BRAT!"
With that, the Raikage charged at Juugo at a speed only Naruto and Sasuke's Sharingan could see.
"Kiba, Shikamaru, guard the sensor," Naruto ordered, getting nods from his teammates, who ran off to Shii, standing guard around him.
Now that Juugo was gone, Naruto charged at Sasuke, who glared at him with his Sharingan. However, try as he might, he couldn't put Naruto under a Genjutsu. Then, he realized why. Naruto had his real eye closed, and was only looking through his fake eye, which was impervious to Genjutsu.
Naruto whipped out another three-pronged kunai, and slashed at Sasuke, who raised his sword to block. Right before they clashed, Sasuke's eyes widen, but he was too slow to dodge, as Naruto's kunai cut right through his sword. Taking advantage of Sasuke's shock, Naruto spun, and smashed an elbow into his face, then came at him with a flurry of punches and kicks.
'He's fast!' Sasuke thought as he struggled to block and dodge the attacks. 'I can't-' He got no further, as Naruto connected with a roundhouse kick to the cheek, which sent him flying. He smashed into a wall, and collapsed to the ground, shaking his head to clear it. That was a powerful kick.
When Sasuke got up and glared at Naruto, however, the newly instated Hokage's fake eye went wide.
'Is that... Mangekyou?' he thought in surprise. Then, however, he narrowed his eye.
"It's over," Sasuke said, focusing with his eye. He didn't expect Naruto to disappear, though, reappearing right in front of Sasuke in a flash, smashing his elbow into his face.
"Don't underestimate me, Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed as he once more started a close-quarter fight, punching and kicking Sasuke, coming at him so fast that Sasuke didn't have time to focus his Mangekyo. He hit Sasuke with a 10-hot combo of punches and kicks, three of which were successfully block. At the end of the long chain of combos, however, Naruto took out another kunai, and with a flash, slashed at Sasuke's face. He'd intentionally left himself open when reaching into his kunai pouch, and anticipated the kick to the chest as he slashed, but a slight pain the the chest from a kick that sent him flying was nothing compared to the pain Sasuke was in, blood squirting from his left eye.
Sasuke let out an ear-shattering cry of extreme pain as he clutched at his eye, while Naruto flipped in the air and landed on his feet.
"You..." Sasuke hissed, calming down. He leveled his Sharingan at Naruto, who just smiled. Wondering what the hell Naruto was smiling about, Sasuke got his answer immediately. The Raikage flashed in from Sasuke's blind spot on the left, and smashed him with a backhand to the side of his neck, which sent him soaring away like a rocket. While he was flying, Naruto flashed into the air in front of him, and slammed a Rasengan into his gut.
Sasuke roared in pain as the Rasengan exploded outward, shooting him up into the ceiling and crashing through it.
"Let's go!" the Raikage shouted, jumping up through the hole Sasuke had just created, followed by Naruto. When they got to the top floor, however... "Huh?"
Sasuke was gone, nowhere to be seen...
"No, this isn't right..." Naruto muttered, looking to the Raikage as he pointed at a spot on the floor. "He was right here! I saw it with my eye! Then he just disappeared!"
"Damn Uchiha brat!" Raikage growled. Just then, Raikage's bodyguards, along with Kiba and Shikamaru, came out of the hole.
"Kiba, good," Naruto said. "Sniff Sasuke out."
Kiba nodded and sniffed the air a few times. Then, his eyes widened. "He's in the meeting room!"
The six ran off to the meeting room, and were met with a strange sight. The Kages and Mifune were staring up at the stands where the bodyguards had been, where a man in an orange mask sat, dressed in Akatsuki robes.
"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto demanded immediately. The man in the mask chuckled.
"Sasuke isn't here. I had to take him away. You two did quite a number on him, Naruto-kun," he said, clapping his hands softly. "My name is Uchiha Madara. I'm here to explain something to you... I just want to make that clear."
"What?" Raikage demanded.
"I want to tell you about my goal, the Moon's Eye plan."
"Uchiha... Madara..." Naruto muttered to himself, then clutched his fists. "Then you're to blame for the Kyuubi attacking Konoha."
"Oh, you know about that?" Madara asked, impressed, then nodded. "Yes, I was in control of the Kyuubi that night, until your father ripped that control out of my hands."
Naruto, humming, took out a kunai, and threw it at Madara. However, the kunai just passed right through the man, making Madara chuckle.
"Had to try it, huh? No doubt, you've heard about my abilities as well?" he asked, getting a nod from Naruto. "Now, will you let me speak?"
"I have no interest in hearing the twisted plans of Akatsuki!" the Raikage said. "I cannot understand you people!"
"I'm with him," Naruto agreed. "Hand Sasuke over."
"First, you will listen to my explanation," Madara said calmly. "I may comply, depending on your answer."
"Let's be calm about this, Hokage," the Tsuchikage said, somehow flying in the air, at eye-level with Naruto. "Let's hear what he has to say, and make our decisions then."
"It's a shame, really," Madara said. "I would have liked to have Sasuke weaken you to the point where I could take you hostage, but it looks like that was too much to expect."
"Hostage?" the Mizukage asked.
"For what purpose?" Baki demanded.
"Just to ensure that the Moon's Eye plan plays out smoothly," Madara said with a shrug.
"It certainly is a shock to hear that Uchiha Madara still lives," Tsuchikage said. "But why would a man of your caliber resort to these roundabout tactics? Surely, with your power, you could accomplish anything you want?"
"My wounds from my battle with the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama, were too deep," Madara said. "Right now, I am powerless. I am nothing more than an empty shell of my former self."
"So, this plan is for the purpose of returning you to your former self?" Naruto asked.
"Well, that's one way of putting it, I guess," Madara said with a nod. "But that's not all that it entails."
"What are you plotting?" Mifune asked. "What exactly is this Moon's Eye plan?"
"I would like to take my time with this tale," Madara said as he sat down on the railing. "If you don't mind, I'll just take a seat."
"What is this plan of yours?" Naruto asked.
"To have everything become one with me!" Madara said with a kind of giddy edge to his voice. "I mean to achieve a 'complete form,' in which all is united."
Shock and silence passed through the crowd for a few seconds. Then, the Tsuchikage spoke up.
"One with you? All united? What does that mean?"
"There is a stone monument passed down amongst the Uchiha for generations. Even now, it lies beneath the village of Konoha," Madara explained. "Upon it are recorded the secrets left to us by the Rikudou Sennin. Without our eyes, it is impossible to read. What's more, the Mangekyou Sharingan can decode more than the Sharingan, and the Rinnegan still more than that."
"Now this is getting ridiculous," the Tsuchikage said. "The Rikudou Sennin?"
"I speak the truth. The Sennin existed," Madara said. "And he left us this monument."
"Enough of this dawdling!" the Raikage snapped suddenly, stomping the floor, which cracked under the force. "What has the Rikudo Sennin got to do with this plan of yours?"
"Do you know why it is that he became the stuff of legend, worshiped by the shinobi world almost like a god?" Madara asked, getting no response. "Therein lies the connection between that man and my goal."
"Uchiha Madara..." the Mizukage muttered. "You possess the Mangekyou Sharingan, and Akatsuki also possessed a man with the Rinnegan. Then you must know everything that is inscribed there."
"Let's hear it," the Tsuchikage demanded.
"The Rikudo Sennin saved the world. Saved it from a monster," Madara said, making everyone go wide-eyed.
"A monster?" Baki asked.
"Naruto-kun," Madara said, looking at Naruto. "You once playeed home to a portion of that monster. The monster in question was the fused form of all the Bijuu, a being possessed of the ultimate chakra... the Juubi."
At this, a wave of shock passed through the room again.
"The Bijuu's tails only go up to nine!" Baki said, as that was common knowledge in the Elemental Countries.
"As I said, it is the fused form of all the Bijuu," Madara repeated calmly. "The Ichibi through Kyuubi are nothing more than beings created from the divided chakra from the Juubi... by the Rikudou Sennin, of course. The Rikudou Sennin developed a certain Ninjutsu in order to protect the world from the Juubi... Even now, that Ninjutsu is being quietly passed down.. the seal that creates a Jinchuuriki." Seeing the comprehension on everyone's faces, he nodded. "Yes... the Rikudou Sennin was the Juubi Jinchuuriki. In order to suppress its power, he sealed the Juubi into his own body. As the man who freed the world from the terrible Juubi, the Sennin was worshiped like a god by the people. But the Juubi's chakra was so massive and foul that if the Jinchuuriki were to die, it would escape the seal and terrorize the world once more. Fearing this, upon his deathbed, the Rikudou Sennin used the last of his power to divide the Juubi's chakra into nine portions and scatter them across the world's surface. And with that chakra removed, its actual body was sealed away and blasted into the sky, where its power could not reach. It became the moon."
"So, you're gathering the Bijuu to restore the Juubi, and take all that power for yourself?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from Madara. "But you've failed already! I killed the Ichibi Jinchuuriki three years ago. The Ichibi died with it."
"Fool. A being made only of pure chakra cannot die, unless swallowed by the Shinigami himself," Madara said. "The Ichibi's chakra was just scattered throughout Fire Country. I gathered up all that chakra, and sealed it away. Of course, I told nobody this, and Pein just thought that he had discovered a way around it."
"Clever," Naruto said, and Madara bowed his head.
"Thank you. Anyway, I will restore the Juubi, and become the new Jinchuuriki for it. Using is power, I will magnify the power of my eyes to the ultimate level, and activate a certain jutsu."
"A certain jutsu?" Tsuchikage asked. "What jutsu is that? What are you trying to achieve?"
"A massive-scale Genjutsu, reflecting my own eyes from the moon's surface. The Infinite Tsukuyomi! I will cast my Genjutsu upon all humans living on the earth's surface! Controlling all of humanity within that Genjutsu, I will become one with the world! It will be a world without hatred or conflict. Everything will be one with me... everything united. That is my Moon's Eye plan."
"To hell with that!" Raikage exclaimed, always one to be trusted to be blunt about things. "I won't give the world to the likes of you!"
"A peace born from an illusion is nothing more than a lie!" Naruto growled out. "Peace only holds meaning if it is created in reality."
"What do you expect us to find in such a world?" Mizukage demanded. "It would be devoid of hope, devoid of dreams! Nothing more than running from reality!"
"So, you mean to unite the world?" Tsuchikage asked coldly. "It sounds to me that rather than 'uniting the world,' you simply want to take it for yourself."
Madara laughed. "Well, do you five Kages think you can do any better?" he asked, and everyone could feel the raised eyebrow behind the mask. "Surely, you should all have realized by now... There is no such thing as hope! The concept of hope is nothing more than giving up. A word that hold no true meaning. Now, hand over the remaining Hachibi and Kyuubi, and cooperate with my plan. Otherwise, war will be upon us."
"War?" Baki questioned.
"I will not hand the Kyuubi over to you," Naruto said adamantly. Mizukage nodded.
"I concur!"
"What say you, Raikage?" Tsuchikage asked.
"I will not hand my brother to this man!"
"I may have no power myself, but I have the power of the Bijuu I have thus far collected," Madara said. "You have no hope of victory."
"We will not abandon hope," Naruto said immediately.
"Very well..." Madara said with a sigh. "In that case, I hereby declare the Fourth Great Ninja War!"
"The Fourth Great Ninja War?" Tsuchikage exclaimed. "Are you serious?"
"I'm not fool enough to say a thing like that in jest," Madara said as he stood up, the air in front of the eye hole of his mask beginning to swirl. "The next time we meet, it will be on the battlefield."
With that, Madara disappeared. Tsuchikage sighed and closed his eyes.
"Dear me... What now?"
"We have to form a shinobi alliance," Naruto said immediately. "There is no other way to oppose the power of seven Bijuu."
Baki nodded, and Mizukage looked to the Raikage.
"I recall you were against the idea, Raikage-sama?"
"It seems Naruto was correct, and no harm has come to my brother," the Raikage said. "But I refuse to allow Akatsuki to have their way with us any longer! We form a shinobi alliance, and settle this as quickly as possible!"
"What of Konoha?" Tsuchikage asked, looking at Naruto. "There are dark rumors going around about Danzo."
"Don't worry," Naruto said calmly. "Danzo is already being taken care of."
"Raikage-sama, we must make arrangements right away to track down Killer Bee!" Shii said. "If Akatsuki's targets are the Kyuubi and Hachibi, then they must still be pursuing Killer Bee with all their might!"
"Quite!" Rakage agreed. "Shii, select a search party at once, and contact the village so that they can begin the search at once!"
"Yes, sir!"
"We should let Team Samui know about this right away, too," the other of the Raikage's bodyguards said. "Omoi and Karui were seriously down about all this."
"In order to put a stop to Madara's Moon's Eye plan, we cannot permit him to obtain the Hachibi or Kyuubi," Mizukage said. "As such, it seems more prudent for our shinobi alliance to locate the Hachibi, and hide it away from Madara, along with the Kyuubi."
At that, Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms. "You must be joking," he said. "I will not hide while my village faces such dangers. Hide Bee if you want, but you won't tear me away from my duties as Hokage."
"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I think the Hokage is right," Tsuchikage said. "It would be a waste of power to hide him away, along with the Hachibi. Should we not consider them as a valuable part of our own military forces?"
"Unthinkable," Baki said. "Protecting the two remaining Bijuu is a vital object of this war!"
"According to my information, they will need to extract the lowest number Bijuu first, as in Ichibi, and work their way up," Naruto said calmly. "As long as they don't get their hands on Bee, we're safe. Besides, if Bee and I team up, not even the combined power of seven Bijuu can stop us. We both have full control over out Bijuu, after all."
"I agree with the Kazekage," Mizukage said.
"I partly agree with the Kazekage," Raikage said. "However, it would be foolish to think that Konoha would follow us if we decided to hide away their Hokage. I know Kumo would protest if I was hidden away. But Bee needs to be hidden. My brother isn't the kind of man to follow any strategies we might prepare." He sweatdropped. "Who knows what he might end up doing... He would only bring chaos to the battlefield!"
Mizukage was quiet for a while, then nodded. "Very well. Do you accept, then, Tsuchikage-sama, that we should consider the Hachibi target to be retrieved, restrained and protected?"
Tsuchikage hummed grumpily.
"I will share our information on Killer Bee with Iwa, Kiri, Suna and Konoha," Raikage said. "Once the Hachibi is found, I suggest that you send that information to me. I am probably the only person to whom my brother will actually listen, with the exception of the Hokage."
"I will go back to Konoha and gather all the intel we have on the Sharingan, and share it with you all, so we all know what we're dealing with," Naruto said. "I will also share all the intel Konoha has gathered about the Akatsuki."
"Erm... Can I... Can I say something?" Chojuro, who had a thick blade on his back, said.
"What is it?" Raikage asked.
"Well... ah, you see... erm..."
"Spit it out!"
"A-Amongst Akatsuki's remaining members is Hoshigaki Kisame," Chojuro said. "He's a member of the Seven Swordsmen like myself. That man possesses chakra on the level of a Jinchuuriki... and Samehada, the most terrible of the Seven Swordsmen's blades... Put him and that blade together, and you have a human who wield every bit as much power as a Jinchuuriki... effectively a Bijuu without a tail... That is what my senpai have told me... He is a special case... You must be sure not to underestimate him..."
"We are quite aware of that!" Tsuchikage said. "At any rate... is this all really acceptable? The power of the seven Bijuu that Madara will be sending against us is a huge unknown quantity... Even if we do secure the Hachibi and protect him with the force of our alliance... if that alliance is annihilated, it will all have been meaningless. That's why I say, it would be more advantageous to us if we were to send him, along with the Hokage, into battle from the start, working alongside the alliance's forces."
"Are you sure about that?" came Mifune's voice, and they all turned back to see him standing there, looking at them with a serious look on his face. "We see here before us the formation of the first ever true shinobi alliance. Its power, too, is a huge unknown quantity... Madara himself is taking a great risk using the power of the seven bijuu in this way. If it were no risk, then he would not have gone to the trouble of coming here and attempting to negotiate. It would seem that the situation is not entirely in his favor. Furthermore, we samurai, too, will take part in this battle! Tsuchikage-dono... are you still so worried despite all of this?"
"The question of who will lead the alliance is still up in the air," Tsuchikage said.
"I stand by my nomination for the Raikage."
"So do I," Mifune said, nodding.
"Mizukage, Kazekage, do you agree?" Tsuchikage asked.
"This is no time to be arguing here," Mizukage said. "I'll trust Raikage-sama."
"Let's entrust it to the Raikage," Baki said, nodding.
"Ryoutenbin no Oonoki (Oonoki of Both Scales)," Raikage said. "As the only one who has fought with Madara, your information is indispensable. Cooperate with us!"
"You're talking down at me like you're giving orders, same as ever," Tsuchikage said, glaring up at Raikage.
"You don't have to believe in me... but at this rate, the shinobi world as we know it will end," the Raikage said calmly. "We've got no choice by to put aside our self-interest and cooperate!"
Tsuchikage was quiet for a while, then scoffed.
"It's better than losing the war, I suppose... Plus, if the shinobi world ends, where will I quarrel with you? I'll cooperate." Everyone smiled as the Tsuchikage grinned. "The shinobi alliance is hereby formed! We've gotta tell those Daimyo fellas first, though."
–Later–
As the Konoha trio crossed the border to Fire Country, Kiba grinned widely. Naruto looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.
"What are you so happy about?"
"We've got bragging rights," Kiba said with a chuckle. "I mean, how many can say that they witnessed the birth of the first ever five-village shinobi alliance?"
Naruto chuckled. "That's true. You can now say, 'We were there, guarding our all-powerful Hokage-sama.'" Synchronized raised eyebrows from his teammates were the responses he got. Naruto shrugged. "What? I am all-powerful. Did you see me when I arrived in the village during Pein's attack? I looked like a damn god!"
"I dunno, Naruto," Kiba said, shrugging. "I thought you looked constipated."
"You know, I thought the same thing," Shikamaru said, nodding.
"Oh, ha-ha, guys, very funny... Make a mockery out of my hero moment..."
–The next day–
"What?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide. He was in the advisors' room with Koharu, Homura, Hiruzen and Kakashi. "Danzo is dead?"
"He was killed some time before Uchiha Sasuke appeared at the Kage summit," Koharu said with a nod. "One of our best, lost forever..."
"We'll need to hold a meeting to appoint you as the new Hokage immediately," Hiruzen said, getting a nod from Homura.
"We can't be part of a joint force without a leader."
Within hours, Naruto was in the council meeting room, standing at one end of the table, across from the Fire Daimyo. Kakashi had taken Naruto's place as representative of the jounins.
"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto," the Fire Daimyo said, "I officially appoint you as Rokudaime Hokage. May you rule for a many a decade."
"It's an honor," Naruto said, bowing at the waist. "I won't let you down. Any of you."
"That's what I'm hoping for," the Fire Daimyo said with a smile. "Now, this meeting is adjourned. We will hold the inauguration for Naruto-kun tomorrow at noon."
Just then, the door to the meeting room was slammed open, showing a panting jounin. "URGENT NEWS!"
"What is it?" one of the civilians asked. "This meeting is of utmost importance!"
"So is my report, sir!" the jounin said. "Tsunade-sama has woken up!
Everyone went wide-eyed at that.
Later, Naruto and Kakashi, who were on their way to the Hokage Mansion, where Tsunade had been moved to, were talking quietly with each other.
"Sorry, Naruto," Kakashi said in embarrassment. "Danzo slipped away from me."
"Wow, you're apologizing to me like I'm your superior officer," Naruto muttered, then put a hand on his chin, humming. "This could take some getting used to..."
Kakashi chuckled, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Minato-sensei acted the same way when he suddenly held the power to order Jiraiya-sama around."
"Yeah, I heard how he forced him to do D-rank missions for three months, for stealing his money when they went on 'training trips.'"
The two reached the Hokage's Mansion, where they parted ways, and Naruto stepped inside, following the sounds of Shizune's voice, until he reached a room with an open door. Inside, Tsunade sat at a low table, sitting on a futon, eating large quantities of food. She leveled a glare at Shizune, which Shizune mistook for a hungry look directed at their pig, Ton-Ton.
"N-No!" Shizune shrieked. "Get a hold of yourself! You cannot eat him!"
Tsunade blinked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, I'm glad to see you're feeling better, former Hokage-sama!" Naruto said in a cheery voice, making both Tsunade and Shizune turn to the doorway, to find Naruto standing there, proudly wearing the Hokage hat. Tsunade went wide-eyed.
"Naruto... What the hell?"
"If you had woken up a few minutes earlier, you would still be Hokage, Baa-chan," Naruto said as he stepped into the room. "I was officially named Rokudaime Hokage today."
Tsunade's jaw dropped at that. She was shocked that Naruto had been chosen as Hokage at his age, but at the same time, she was glad that Naruto had achieved his dream. She never wanted the job to begin with, anyway.
"I'm actually happy for you, Naruto," she said, smiling. "Now I can focus all of my energy on the hospital." Naruto smiled and nodded. Then, Tsunade asked something. "Er... You wouldn't happen to have any food hidden in your hat, would you?"
Naruto hummed. "You know, I have no idea," he said as he took off his hat, then smiled brightly as he looked inside. "Hey! I did have food!" Tsunade went wide-eyed, but was immediately disappointed when a ration bar can soaring through the air, landing on the table in front of her. Tsunade twitched.
"Anyway, I'm surprised about the joint forces. I can't believe that Raikage and Tsuchikage agreed to cooperate."
"Just goes to show how dangerous things really are."
"So, Uchiha Madara really is alive?"
Naruto nodded. Then, he turned to Shizune. "Hey, Shizune... I need an assistant... You interested?"
"I'm already employed as the Hokage's assistant, Naruto-kun," Shizune said with a sweet smile.
"Oh... I thought you were employed as the Godaime's assistant. Well, since you're still employed, I need you to call a planning session for me. We have to prepare for war. I'll stay here and take care of the Queen of the Hungry."
"Careful, brat..." Tsunade growled. "You're a hundred years too young to insult me and live."
Naruto just stuck his tongue out at her, while Shizune giggled at the interaction between the two as she left the room.
–Later–
"I hereby call this war planning session to order!" Naruto was sitting behind a desk in a cavernous meeting room underneath the Hokage Tower. To his left was Koharu, and to his right was Homura. Six tables had been lined up in front of Naruto, three to his left, and three to his right, with ten shinobi of various positions sitting at each table. Among the shinobi were Shikamaru, Kakashi, Hiruzen, and, to the surprise of many, Kabuto.
"I would like to start this off by debriefing Yakushi Kabuto," Naruto continued, turning his head to look at his trusty spy. "You have been my spy with Orochimaru for the last five years now. What can you tell us about the Akatsuki?"
"Well," Kabuto started, pushing up his glasses, "The Akatsuki are down six members, and only have the leader, Madara, Hoshigaki Kisame, Uchiha Sasuke, and Zetsu left. However, Madara is fully prepared for war against the Elemental Countries."
"Explain," Homura ordered.
"Zetsu is an experiment," Kabuto continued. "His cells have been implanted in some kind of generator of Uchiha Madara's design, which has the capability to clone him. Orochimaru's last estimate of clones was numbered at around 50,000 clones, but that was two years ago. It could very well be over 100,000 by now."
"100,000?" came the shocked outcry of the majority of shinobi there.
"Aoba!" Naruto said immediately. The jounin sitting at the table on his right, closest to Naruto, straightened up, awaiting orders. "Send a message to the other villages. They need to know of this immediately!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Aoba said, putting his hands in a Ram seal, before disappearing with a poof of smoke.
"Start gathering weapons and rations immediately!" Koharu ordered. "20% each to the battle squads and support squads. We must decide on the platoon breakdowns as quickly as possible! Bring us a list of every battle-ready ninja!"
"And something to drink!" Naruto ordered. "We're gonna be here for a looong time."
"There is another thing," Kabuto said, once more getting the attention of the other shinobi.
'Clever,' Naruto thought with a smirk. 'Instead of laying it all on us at once, you withheld some information, in order to get the maximum amount of attention.' Kabuto had always loved being in his superiors' spotlight. He lived for praise.
"I may have uncovered the general area of Madara's primary hideout."
Naruto stared at Kabuto for a few moments in shock, along with the rest of the shinobi in the room. Then, he grinned.
"Excellent! I knew it was a good idea to bring you home!"
–End–
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