This maybe the last chapter for a little while cause my school starts this week.

I know, I know, but I will still be working on it and will get the next chapter up asala

Till then, enjoy! :)

Chapter 10: Found

"May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't." - General George S. Patton Jr.

"So I came back here, before anyone could find them…" Naruto finished up his explanation hesitantly. Tsunade didn't move or say a word for several minutes, as she started at the ground in deep thought. The last Jinchuuriki and young father shifted his feet a few times as he started to squirm under the silent tension. Tsunade rubbed her right temple with one hand and sighed, the little blond idiot had left without permission and made no contact for three years but he hadn't actually hurt anyone.

Naruto left to protect the village, to keep his promise to Sakura, and to save a teammate. Could she really fault him for that? No, she decided, she couldn't but as the Hokage she still had to do something. The Hokage couldn't allow a shinobi, especially a Jinchuuriki at this time to just roam about outside of the protection of the village. Though he had been taking care of, and keeping himself hidden until now… Jiraiya's apprentice no doubt about it. Tsunade sighed and finally spoke, coming out of her thoughts, and keeping Naruto from a nervous breakdown.

"So you took both boys as your own… and have been taking care of them since their… birth?" Tsunade questioned to be sure of what she'd just heard. Naruto nodded, glad she finally said something, but didn't feel it was enough.

"They are mine." He assured. While unintentionally letting the female Hokage know he wasn't going to give them up. Tsunade pursed her lips and frowned. 'Naruto was right about one thing, if anyone ever found out about this, those boys would be in danger.' She thought.

"Do they know?" The blond Hokage asked. Naruto knew what she meant.

"No, they don't remember anything and I haven't told them anything about what happened." Naruto answered. The boys were still very young, there would be time to tell them later, when they were older. Tsunade nodded absently before letting out a breath and smirking softly.

"You've gotten yourself in a lot of trouble this time brat. You know I could have you imprisoned or executed for half the things you've done?" Tsunade said rhetorically. Naruto grimaced nervously, not knowing what she was getting at.

"Here is what we are going to do; you will be reinstated as a Konoha ninja and given the title of the Konoha Toad Sage Shinobi. Which means you will report directly to me, and only to me, from now on. And you will keep your past rank." Tsunade smirked as Naruto's eye twitched; really it was becoming a running joke that the kage level Jinchuuriki was still a Genin.

"And my sons'?" Naruto asked ignoring his rank, for now he had other things to worry about. Besides being a 'Sage Shinobi' sounded cool anyway. Tsunade smiled at his question and nodded, but still feeling a bit weird that the stubborn, brash kid she'd met only six years ago was now a father of two.

"For your first mission as a Konoha Sage Shinobi I am assigning you to protect and raise Sasuke and…" Tsunade trailed off, waiting for Naruto to fill it in since she had never gotten the other boy's name.

"Rai, Jiraiya." Naruto supplied without flinching. He'd been using the name for years so saying it didn't have as much effect on him anymore but he sure caught Tsunade's attention with it. She looked surprised, but the look quickly faded into acceptance and she gave a small sad smile as she closed her eyes.

"Right, your mission is to protect and raise Sasuke and Jiraiya Uzumaki outside the village until further notice. Do you accept?" She asked looking back to him. Naruto smirk coyly, as he finally got it.

"Yes." The blond sage spoke with resolve. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"There is one thing though Naruto, I need to see them. I need to see for myself that they are truly… reborn in every way. That Sasuke truly doesn't remember, and won't grow back into who he was before. And that, Jiraiya doesn't have any… side effects from the Kyuubi." Tsunade said picking her words carefully. She had hesitated on Jiraiya's name but only for a moment. Naruto was nervous to show anyone Sasuke and even Rai but at this point he didn't have much of a choice. Besides if he was going to show them to someone he would rather it be someone he trusted.

"I can't bring them here, they'd be spotted." Naruto replied. If he had to show them to her, so be it, but he wasn't about to walk them straight into the one place people were most likely to recognize them. The Hokage nodded absently seeing his point.

"I will meet you in one week's time on the border of our summons." Tsunade replied. Naruto looked confused and she rolled her eyes. 'Some things never change.' She thought.

"The border between where my slug summons and your toad summons live. I can have my summons summon me too, brat." Tsunade dead panned.

"Oooh." Naruto sweat dropped, chuckling nervously. Tsunade rolled her eyes to the heavens praying the blond blockhead's kids wouldn't turn out as dense, before remembering something.

"Oh and Naruto you are never to teach or tell anyone about the jutsu you used on Sasuke. I want you to write it down and give it to me so I can secure it in a special vault, after that burn any notes you have on it. If anyone found out about that jutsu it would be total chaos." Tsunade said seriously. Naruto of course looked completely confused and surprised. The Hokage sighed.

"Naruto, you do realize that with a few tweaks to keep the memories, your jutsu could become a 'fountain of youth' jutsu or even eternal life… Heck it already is; just few would want to lose their memories for it; since it would kind of defeat the point." she stated seriously. By the look on Naruto's face it was clear he had never had the thought cross his mind. Soon his face turned to fear though as he realized he'd found a way to do what that evil snake, Orochimaru had tried to accomplish for fifty years… and he'd done it on accident…

"Breathe Naruto." Tsunade ordered, and Naruto suddenly realized he hadn't been breathing for almost a minute. Naruto took a few slow deep breaths before speaking.

"Why do you want a copy?" Naruto asked not wanting his jutsu to fall into the wrong hands.

"For the same reason you made it in the first place, a last resort." Tsunade answered easily, it was the standard answer. Nobody ever wanted to give up the secrets of their powerful, dangerous jutsu. "It will be put into the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing." Tsunade added so Naruto would feel more comfortable. Too bad it was the wrong thing to say. While Naruto was proud one of his own jutsu was important enough to be put in there, he knew something else about that scroll.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, I was able to steal that scroll when I was still an academy student…" Naruto dead panned. Tsunade blinked dumbfounded. She never had gotten to read the kid's whole file… and she had no idea what to say to that. Naruto shook his head.

"I'll make it and seal it in a safe place with the toads. So if you ever need it and I'm not here you can get it from them." Naruto stated. Tsunade wanted to argue but couldn't think of a good reason why that wouldn't work, or somewhere as safe that she could keep it that was still nearby. Oh well she'd figure it out later, it wasn't really the type of jutsu you used in a fight anyway.

"Alright." Tsunade sighed "I'll walk you to the west gate; I want you to take a roundabout way back and make sure you're not followed back to them. I will see you and them in one week." Tsunade ordered. With a tone that left no arguments, if he wasn't there she'd hunt him down herself, screw regulations. "Do you know where you're going?" Tsunade asked walking him out of her office.

"Uhm," Naruto thought for a second. He had been just moving around wherever was low profile but now that he didn't have to hide anymore, at least not from everyone, he could visit some old friends. Not ninja friends, not with the boys, but maybe Shion in Demon Country or Princess Koyuki or maybe Inari in Wave? Uh, Inari is a bit too close to Konoha… maybe when things cool down. "not sure, might go see some old friends." He finished as he walked behind her out of the Hokage's tower.

In Suna a teenager with bright red hair watched two toddlers wrestle in his office, the Kazekage's office. Gaara's eye started to twitch, it had been almost three days and he was already developing thoughts of tying the toddlers up and throwing them in a closest until Naruto got back, and thinking they were… cute. Honestly he wasn't sure if he was more scared of what Naruto would do to him if he did the first or the very fact he was thinking the second.

"Give it back Sasuke! It's mine!" Rai yelled as he managed to roll back on top of Sasuke and reached for the small piece of candy Sasuke was holding onto like his life depended on it. The little raven held the precious piece of candy tightly to his chest as he tried to hold his twin back with the other hand.

"No! It's mine!" Sasuke shouted back and tried to roll them back over, but only managed to the side rolling Rai off him. The raven stood up quickly to get distance, and Rai did the same but had his hands slightly in front of him in a grabbing motion and jumped to tackle Sasuke back to the ground and grab the candy. Rai was caught in midair by sand. Sasuke turned to protect the candy and closed his eyes, after a few seconds he noticed nothing hit him and turned back.

The little raven smirked seeing Rai had been grabbed and not him. Sasuke quickly unwrapped the candy and tried to put it in his mouth before Gaara's sand caught him too. He didn't make it and the sand took the candy from him. Of course now neither of them was very happy.

"Hey that's mine!" Both boys shouted in perfect unison, the tone and timing exactly the same. Gaara shivered involuntarily, it sounded almost like an echo but not. Pushing away the thoughts of a Kage shivering at something two toddlers did, Gaara sighed.

"If you can't stop fighting neither of you will have it." Gaara spoke evenly. Sasuke and Rai's eyes widened fearing 'Uncle Gaara' would hurt their precious candy.

Miles away Zetsu was moving through the ground at high speeds towards Konoha. Every once in a while the plant clone would slow enough to check where the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki was but never stopped in his pursuit. He was still maybe half an hour from the last Jinchuuriki. Once he finally found the Kyuubi he would defeat it, and take it back his master. Zetsu knew he was taking a risk to not report the Uzumaki's location but he believed it was a far greater risk that the boy would go into hiding again before his master could get to the boy.

Zetsu knew though that if that happened and he lost the Jinchuuriki again… his master would not be pleased. And probably would take out his anger on Zetsu. No, it was far less risk to acquire the boy himself and bring him back to the base. He saw the boy defeat Nagato but Zetsu had the power to suppress the boy's Kyuubi power, and knew that the Jinchuuriki needed time or a clone to channel that other energy he used on Nagato, if he fights carefully that should give him enough advantage to win.

Just outside Konoha Naruto stood facing Tsunade with his back towards where he needed to go. Tsunade had taken him a roundabout way to the gate and he was out of the village before anyone could see him. The Hokage was hesitant to let Naruto go, she trusted him but she couldn't just base this decision on what she felt, it concerned the whole village.

Naruto Uzumaki was their Jinchuuriki, the last one at that. Even if he was telling the whole truth it was risky to let him go where the Akatsuki could take him. On the other hand he had managed to keep himself hidden all this time, along with the very existence of two little boys. Tsunade sighed, her apprentice will be pissed, her 'advisers' will be pissed, not that she cared but they could be annoying. Then all of Naruto's comrade's will want answers… answers she couldn't give.

"You know you're a real pain in the ass right?" Tsunade asked rhetorically. Naruto opened his mouth to shout but realized he was putting her in a difficult spot and swiftly shut it. Instead of shouting he smirked, then grinned sheepishly putting his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto conceded. She was still helping after all the stuff he pulled, he could admit to being a pain. Tsunade closed her eyes with a small smirk and shook her head in amused annoyance.

"Take the long way back brat." Tsunade said changing the subject, and giving the slang term for 'make sure no follows you and cover your tracks'. "And don't be late for our meeting." That was a definite order. Naruto saluted with a smile and turned around before jumping into the trees. Tsunade watched him go until she couldn't see him anymore and started her walk back to the office, taking the longest route she could. She was sure there would be many young ninja waiting at her door wanting answers.

Naruto had been jumping through the tree tops for almost twenty minutes going a bit slow since he was being extra careful not to break any branches on the trees and leave a trail. Still he estimated he would make it back to the Sand village a day before he told Gaara. He also left a clone or two behind him that would dispel in an hour, or if they saw someone following him.

'So far so good.' Naruto thought just as tree routes jumped out of the tree he had just landed on to grab him. Naruto mentally kicked himself for the jinx as he quickly jumped away from the appendages. The blond's mind immediately went to Yamato, who was the only one he knew that could use wood technics. That thought left his mind quickly though as he saw a black and white creature appear right out of the branch he'd been standing on.

'Of course a clone of the first Hokage could have the same ability.' Naruto thought, and that's exactly what it was. In the last few years Zetsu had been modified and was able to successfully manipulate the wood element. Naruto had landed on another tree branch after having to jump away from the one he was on quickly but decided it was probably safer on the ground and jumped off letting gravity pull him downward to the grass and earth.

Naruto's strong, deep blue eyes never left the Akatsuki member. He had been found, and he couldn't be found, his life depended on it. And if he were to die what would happen to his sons? No, it wasn't acceptable. He couldn't be found… but he was, which meant not only would he have to win but if he wanted to stay hidden, wanted his sons' to live and be happy… he would have to kill the Akatsuki member.

Naruto knew he had killed before; when he was younger there were a few bandits that he had killed on accident, at the time he didn't even know how weak their bodies were without chakra supporting them. The weird zombie heart thief guy from the Akatsuki he had taken down was going to die by his jutsu but Kakashi had actually finished him off. And Sasuke… But this wouldn't be an accident, and Kakashi wouldn't be there to take the kill, this would be him killing someone, on purpose.

The eighteen year old ninja took a calming breath, his eyes still never leaving the inhuman looking Akatsuki. He waited for his enemy to make the first move, something he never did even just a few years ago. He would do it, he knew he would have to kill one day; it was part of being a ninja. He just wished that day wasn't today.

"You are different." Zetsu observed the Jinchuuriki's cautiousness. "How have you hid for me for so long?" the plant being asked wanting to know. Naruto watched the clone without even blinking once as he answered.

"I didn't want to be found." The blond answered vaguely. Honestly he had tried to cover up the Kyuubi's chakra with his own as much as possible so that he wouldn't be found in case that was a way they could find him. He didn't know it worked until now though he probably should have seeing he hadn't been found. As for being 'different' he didn't know or really care to reply to that.

"Hmm." Zetsu hummed appraising his target he came to the belief he wouldn't get any better answer out of the boy at the moment and decided to attack. What he didn't know was that the change he had glimpsed, the caution and strength radiating off the young Jinchuuriki came from the children he protects. His children. Zetsu was about to face something more powerful than a raging tailed demon, a father fighting for his sons lives.

Zetsu moved first but Naruto was ready and jumped out of the way when branches grew unnaturally fast from the trees around him to attack. He didn't take time to stop when he felt one of the branches nick him, cutting through his arm rather deep. The nineteen year old ran with Zetsu close behind until he came to a small clearing that happened to be close. It was only maybe twenty feet across but it was better than behind him where the trees would give his enemy a better advantage. Though he knew the wood could still be used in the clearing it was a slight disadvantage to the Akatsuki member and Naruto would take what he could get, he wasn't taking any chances.

Zetsu watched the Jinchuuriki impassively before attacking again and he mentally noted that the boy was playing it smart, which was usual from what he knew of the nine tails container. The plant like man sunk into the ground leaving Naruto on high alert. Not knowing if he would have time but having no other choice Naruto stopped moving even the slightest muscle, shooting his senses out and pulling in nature chakra.

Naruto's eyes snapped open after a few seconds, they were yellow, his pupils horizontal, and the skin around his eyes colored red. He jumped backward ten feet still well inside the clearing, as soon as he jumped though sharp wooden spikes emerged from the ground impaling air. He had sensed Zetsu doing the jutsu just in time. The nineteen year old sage didn't even stop to breathe in relief, now that he could sense the Akatsuki member Naruto knew he was getting ready to attack again, and he was running out of time.

As soon as he entered sage mode the clock started, he had maybe five minutes before the natural chakra left him. Knowing this Naruto took the offensive. Jumping up slightly the teenage toad sage aimed a hard punch laced in natural energy at the ground right where he sensed Zetsu. The ground exploded, as if Sakura herself had hit it.

Zetsu was stunned, he had underestimated the boy. He knew of the abilities the Jinchuuriki possessed in 'sage mode' from watching the fight between the boy and Pain four years ago, but he never thought the boy could do it so fast. He had specifically tried to not give the boy time to use the technic because he knew he would be out matched.

He wasn't the strong force of Akatsuki, or the brains, he was simply the spy. He gathered information and brought it back to his master, to be used in whatever way his master wished. Really now that he thought about it, he had been foolish to go after the Uzumaki boy alone. It was just that he didn't want to disappoint his master again after three years if the boy were to disappeared again.

Naruto didn't think twice and pressed his advantage with Zetsu lying in the center of the crater he had just made. He created three clones, one went to pick up Zetsu and slammed him on the ground above the crater before the plant clone could recover enough to cause any problems. The only two remaining clones put their hands over the original Naruto's and within seconds a large blue shuriken sphere was held above the blond's head spinning rapidly. The sound humming off it vibrated with power that Naruto hadn't heard in three years…

The teenage sage hesitated for less than a second as he realized he was really about to kill someone. Genetic clone experiment or not, Naruto's heart retracted from the idea. The images of his sons' innocent faces flashed in his mind though and he knew he was running out of time, both for his sage chakra and Zetsu staying down and out of the ground. The two clones that helped to make the jutsu dispelled as the third clone punched Zetsu again before holding him up.

Naruto hardened his heart and threw his most destructive jutsu straight at the Akatsuki tracker and his own clone. Zetsu after being given a moment to recover a little lifted his head up at the sound of the humming power that filled the air, to see the completed wind Rasen-Shuriken headed straight for him.

Zetsu struggled trying to sink into the ground and protect himself from the attack as much as possible but the shadow clone behind him held him around both his arms pulling him up, his feet just a few inches short of the ground which could save him. In some sort of self perseveration instinct he didn't know he had Zetsu threw his head back into the shadow clone's head making it dispel.

As the plant like man touched the ground he was already sinking into it but it was too late. The Rasen-Shurikin expanded and hit him head on with only half of him sunk into the ground. Zetsu's body exploded in pain but thankfully, for him it only lasted a moment. Zetsu was dead before his body was completely destroyed by the Rasen-Shurikin, cut into so many pieces nothing left could be seen with the naked eye.

Naruto's breath was slightly heavy but his eyes and other senses never wavered as he waited for the dust to settle. He was on high alert, thinking his enemy could have escaped when he felt his clone dispel just before his jutsu impacted. It was so close though he was sure it would hit, but he needed to know for sure before he let his guard down.

The dust settled and Naruto spotted the massive trench in front of him. He eyed it carefully before walking towards it slowly still trying to use his sage chakra to sense the Akatsuki member, which the chakra signature had disappeared when his jutsu hit… but maybe he could hide it? After a few minutes of looking over every inches of where the Akatsuki tracker had been Naruto felt his sage chakra leave him.

Naruto breathed out a few heavy breaths sweating, but he was okay. He knew he'd gotten lucky, that Zetsu guy must have underestimated him. Naruto took one more deep breath and let it out slowly. Deciding that if the guy wasn't dead he probably would have attacked as soon as his sage mode ran out of time, Naruto started walking towards the trees, though not in the most direct route to Suna.

If any of the other Akatsuki were nearby he wasn't going to lead them to his sons, he would take the long way and make sure he wasn't followed. Before he could exit the clearing he spotted a small glint on the ground. After scanning around himself one more time he walked over cautiously.

When Naruto saw what it was his eyes widened slightly. He crouched down to get a better look at a silver ring lying on the ground. The ring held the kanji for boar, Naruto picked it up carefully he knew he'd seen rings like it on the Akatsuki before, and figured it must be Zetsu's. Looking around one more time Naruto stuffed it in his pocket and took off into the trees, slightly more sure the Akatsuki member was really dead.

AND CUT!

narutofan :Thanks for reviewing!

suzanne : Glad I could make you laugh, the thought of Gaara babysitting is just funny all around XD

Alaina : I'm glad I made Sasuke likable to you, really I think he could have been a good person if everything just wasn't going against him. Besides it wasn't like Naruto was going to give up on him ;P

Thanks to everyone that reviewed, they really encourage me to keep writing :)

Oh and if you were wondering the POLL on my page is still open but I am already working on a Naruto/Bleach fic now,

and if there is enough ppl that want Naruto/Inuyasha crossover I might do one of those too.