Fashionably late, as usual. University is rather time consuming, and so were The Witcher and Bloodborne's extension, but oh so worth it. I can finally realize my dream of being a space cauliflower molesting people with my sticky parasitic tentacles, or wielding MY GUIDING MOONLIGHT again!

Speaking of dreams realized, GUTS GOT OFF THE BOAT. IT HAPPENED. HE DID IT. BASED MIURA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FREEING US OF THIS NIGHTMARE that you put us in in the first place but WHO CARES GUTS GOT OFF THE BOAT.

On another subject that will probably be of more importance to all of you my silky smooth readers, this story may or may not be put on hiatus for an undeterminated amount of time: next semester will be more intense, and following it I will be doing work internship overseas - most likely in Ireland - for at least six weeks. Which means that the next chapter will be released either sometimes in January or February if I stop being lazy and partake in hot tentacle molestation in Bloodborne, OR in June or July. And if I somehow don't lose my way and write the next chapter before I leave, the next one after will not be released until summer. This does NOT mean that this story is discontinued or that I'm out of ideas and need time to think over the plot. I'm just telling you guys in advance.

And since I (hopefully) got your attention here, I'd like to thank you all guys for your support; for following and favouriting this story - we broke the 1,000 and 800 marks in both HOLY SHIT - and for your reviews and your PMs. You're awesome. I wanna give you all a squishy cosmic hug, or a tap of MY TRUE MENTOR on your shoulders if you're not into that.

That's about it, now onward!

Disclaimer: WHO CARES GUTS GOT OFF THE BOAT.


"One's mindscape reflects what one holds in the depths of his heart."

That is what Kurama had told Naruto when the blond had asked him why his mind was 'such a freaking dump, ya know.'

The dark sewer system that represented Naruto's inner world was a manifestation of years of scorn and isolation: a sordid place, that the Uzumaki never wanted to remain in for too long, pushed by an instinctive feeling of repulsion to get as far away from it as he could.

When he opened his eyes to find himself in a similar decor of flooded catacombs, the only source of light being the flickering torches hung on the sandstone walls, he couldn't say that he was surprised. He would dare say he was relieved: knowing that Gaara's childhood had been even worse than his, he had expected a much more horrifying scenery. If anything, the desert dungeon theme was definitely classier than some crappy sewer.

But now was not the time to think about his or Gaara's mindscape decoration. He had to find his friend and Shukaku.

Much like his own, the jinchūriki of the Ichibi's mind proved to be a labyrinth. Naruto was mentally drawing a plan of the dimly lit dungeon, so he wouldn't get lost and fall on something he did not wish to see. If this place was anything like Kurama's prison, the Uzumaki knew that those corridors could lead him to memories or emotions Gaara had buried, perhaps unconsciously, in the deepest and darkest corners of his heart. He shuddered when he thought back on his training sessions under the Fox, which really consisted in opening those locked doors, facing what they hid, and admitting to himself that it was, indeed, part of him, as much as he wanted to deny it. It was the only way he could control them so they wouldn't overwhelm him whenever he called upon Kurama's chakra.

His steps eventually led him to a massive room, similar to the one where the Fox was caged, if not for one crucial difference.

No gigantic gates separated the bijū from his host; instead, all that restrained Shukaku was a single chain attached to the wall, linked to a rusted collar covered in kanji. A testimony of how weak the Evil Sanctuary Seal created by Chiyo and how damaged it was.

But as things were, this was more than enough to restrain the Ichibi.

Naruto had been right, Shukaku was in a pitiful shape: drained of most of his chakra, the One-Tailed Raccoon looked more like a huge pile of sand than the hulking beast the blond had fought three years before. The bijū was a crumbling mess, with cracks spreading over the entirety of his mineral body. The only thing that indicated that life was still coursing through the ruined carcass was the barely noticeable movement of his chest, provoked by the shallow breaths he managed to take, and the fluttering of his eyelids, as if Shukaku was struggling to stay awake.

The Uzumaki did not linger too much on the Ichibi's shape, but rather turned his concern towards the red-headed teen sitting in the middle of the room.

"Gaara!"

At his side in the blink of an eye, Naruto's worry grew from the Kazekage's lack of response. His eyes were open, but were looking at nothing, hazy and empty.

"Hey, wake up! You're already nappin' in the outside world!" the blond shouted, shaking Gaara's shoulder furiously.

He finally got a reaction out of his fellow jinchūriki when the redhead started to blink repeatedly, as if he had been snapped out of a daze. He slowly raised his head and blinked several more times, not sure if the whiskered blond in front of him was a product of his imagination. "...Naruto?"

The Uzumaki nodded with a smile. "Yep! It's been a while, heh?"

Instead of answering his greeting, Gaara took in his surroundings, and the crumbled form of Shukaku laying in front of them. "...where are we?"

"Oh, yeah, you probably never came here before." remarked Naruto. Considering the state of his seal, it was to be expected that Gaara had never entered his mindscape before. "Well, we're in your mind."

"My mind?" the redhead asked in a curious voice as he casted a look around.

"Yeah, your mind. This is something unique to us jinchūriki, as not only our bodies, but minds as well adjust to the presence of the bijū sealed inside us. Entering our mindscape allows us to communicate with them."

Gaara accepted the explanation with a nod. "I didn't know that. It's the first time I've come here."

Naruto scoffed. "It's not surprising. The Evil Sanctuary Seal keeping Shukaku inside you is a piece of crap. It holds him in alright, but that's it: your mind might as well be an all-you-can-eat buffet for him. It's only because he's almost out of energy that you can come here without getting possessed."

The redhead's examination came to a stop when his eyes settled on the blond. He frowned confusedly. "Then... if this is the inside of my mind... what are you doing here, Naruto?"

The Uzumaki's expression grew more serious. "I entered your mind because we have very important and very urgent matters to discuss, you, me, and-"

"Will you two knock it off... and let me rest in peace, already?!"

"-Shukaku."

The two jinchūriki turned towards the source of the deep, hoarse voice that still resonated against the wall of the massive chamber they were in. With obvious difficulty and accompanied by the grinding of his metallic leash, the Ichibi slowly rose until his exhausted, but hateful gaze dominated the two humans before him.

"It's bad enough that the squint I'm sealed in was beaten by that cocky blond asshole and ended up here," the beast growled. "and that I got drained of almost all of my chakra, but now the fucking brat that stopped my little outing three years ago just barges in uninvited! And worst of all..." the giant Raccoon lowered his head and took a whiff from Naruto, earning a glare from the blond. "You smell like a fox... AND I FUCKING HATE FOXES!"

The Uzumaki snorted. "Nice to meet you too..."

"You're Kurama's jinchūriki, aren't you? I remember, the chakra you used back then felt a lot like his... Why don't you come a bit closer, so I can rip you to shreds and desecrate your pitiful corpse? Then I'll do the same with Gaara..."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Naruto replied, sweat dropping. "Me and Gaara will stay right there, and we'll discuss like polite and responsible grown men... and raccoon."

"And what makes you think I wanna talk to you?" Shukaku growled. "You're an arrogant little shit if you think I'll listen to you. As expected from that nine-tailed bastard's jinchūriki!"

"Because you're in danger. We are in danger."

"I kinda already figured that out, genius! So what of it? Humans have always craved my kind's power, what would that change that I got sucked out of the fucker I'm locked in to be enslaved by someone else? Nothing!"

Naruto had expected that kind of reaction, and he could not blame the bijū for it. Still, he needed to get his point across: The Akatsuki would not be thwarted a second time in their hunt for the Ichibi. If he and Gaara did not cooperate, they were doomed.

The blond did not like it, but he would need to play the intimidation card against the stubborn Raccoon.

"And what if I told you that the person who wants to capture you bears the Rinnegan?"

The mention of the legendary dōjutsu had the desired effect to make the Ichibi stop his glowering and widen his eyes in astonishment. "W-What? How do you know about the Rinnegan?"

Naruto fought back a smirk, he knew he'd hit home since the overgrown coon looked like he'd choke on his own puke. "Because I saw it with my own eyes. The leader of the Akatsuki, the organization Deidara and Sasori, Gaara's kidnappers, belonged to possess your father's eyes."

This new statement only added to Shukaku's gob smacked state and left him speechless for a moment. Gaara capitalized on the Raccoon silence to voice his current confusion.

"I don't understand, Naruto. What it is exactly that you want us to discuss? And what is that Rinnegan you and Shukaku are talking about?"

The blond turned to the redhead, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I should bring you up to speed before we go on any further."

He then proceeded to narrate to his redheaded brother-in-burden and Shukaku the full tale of the rescue mission organized by Suna and Konoha. Naruto put a particular emphasis on the rescue party's break out into the Akatsuki's hideout, describing to the best of his memory the eyes of the apparent leader of the criminal organization and the demonic statue they had used during the extraction of the Ichibi. He continued with the conversation he had with Kurama prior to enter Gaara's mindscape, and how the Fox was convinced that the enemy was indeed in possession of two artifacts of the very first God of Shinobi.

Neither host nor tenant had time to digest what they had just heard before Naruto added what he had revealed only to a select few: the fact that Uchiha Madara was still alive, and certainly amongst the members of the Akatsuki. This piece of intel was a sensitive one: if it were to spread, panic would soon rage among the ranks of Konoha. The legendary Uchiha, even as a mere memory, could paralyze his old foes with his name alone. A more selfish, sinister reason for Naruto to keep the fact that one of the most powerful ninja in history still roamed the surface of the Earth, aside from avoiding drowning his comrades in fear was that he wanted to keep the man responsible for his ordeals for himself and Kurama. He had promised it to the vengeful kitsune and Uzumaki Naruto never went back on his own word.

Nonetheless, Naruto would not let his own vendetta endanger one of his closest friends. The Akatsuki and Madara coveted all the bijū. The ancient Uchiha might have had a particular interest in the Kyūbi, but that did not mean that he would never go after the other nine chakra beasts. They had to be prepared for the worst.

A hushed silence fell in Shukaku's prison as Gaara and the Ichibi took the time to take in everything they had just heard. The bijū just wanted to deny it all, brush it off as impossible; another human ruse to try and scare him just so he would not resist them when they would use his power. And yet it was too much for it to be a lie: how could this blond boy know so much about his late father? Shukaku knew for a fact that the few humans who had some sort of knowledge on the Sage of the Six Paths only spewed fairy tales based on the scarce known facts on the mythical founder of ninjutsu.

And then there was that boy who claimed, as he had looked straight in his eyes, that the leader of the organization after him and his brethren bear the Rinnegan, the Sage's eyes, and captured the bijū with the use of the Jūbi's withered husk, something that should have stayed where it had been hidden for the good of all. Things that the blond should not have known about, unless, as he claimed, Kurama had told him about the Sage's deeds. Which was almost as hard to believe as someone having the Rinnegan.

And, somehow, Shukaku found himself wanting to believe Naruto. Perhaps it was the way the blond talked to him, as a sentient being rather than a mindless beast, but it stirred something inside the Raccoon, a long lost yearning and hope that he thought had slowly withered after the death of the Sage, before dying for good once his first jinchūriki, the last person to actually consider him as an equal, passed away. Yes, he told himself, there was a little something in this blond kid that reminded him of Bunpuku.

But he needed to be sure. Nearly a century of wariness and resentment towards mankind was hard to dismiss. "Admitting that everything you just said is true, what do you gain by telling us... me, that? Why did you even bother coming in here to talk to me?"

"Because I need allies. We need allies." Naruto answered solemnly, putting a hand on his stomach where, the Ichibi guessed, was the seal containing Kurama. "I can't really say I like you, but we're in the same boat, me, Gaara, the Fox and you. Now, knowing who and what we're up against, wouldn't you agree that setting our differences aside and teaming up is the best way to resist? If you keep messing with Gaara, instead of working alongside him, the Akatsuki will capture you. It's only a matter of time."

So he was serious. That boy was ready to set aside his animosity so they could all survive. He was ready to cooperate – a word Shukaku had almost forgotten – with the bijū, and not merely using them as a near-limitless source of chakra.

"I agree."

The Uzumaki and the Ichibi turned towards Gaara, who had been sitting in thoughtful silence for a while. If he was honest with himself, and despite the profound admiration he held for his fellow jinchūriki, the Kazekage would say that he had a hard time believing Naruto. And who wouldn't? The only thing keeping him from dismissing the Uzumaki's incredible story was his firm conviction that he would not be goofing around on such an issue.

He had rapidly understood, after convincing himself that the blond was not lying when he spoke of the resurfacing legends in the rank of the Akatsuki, where Naruto was going.

"In front of such a threat, I agree that our only hope of victory is collaboration." Gaara continued.

"In any other situation, I wouldn't be so quick to decide: I resent you, Shukaku, much like you certainly resent me. But Naruto is right: we are fighting the same battle, and we should learn to cooperate, for the greater good."

The Uzumaki grinned widely, before turning his eyes back towards the weakened bijū, waiting for an answer. Gaara, too, was looking expectantly at the bijū.

The Ichibi returned his host's gaze for a long moment, gauging him. He hadn't expected him to react like this; it was Shukaku's power that drove Rasa to condemn his unborn son to a life of solitude and misery, it was Shukaku's power that brought Gaara to the brink of insanity and pushed him to murder comrades and foes alike, and it was because of that dark past that a few in Suna were still distrustful of their Kazekage.

And yet here he was now, willing to make a truce with the bijū who had caused him so much pain, for the greater good.

Shukaku found himself thinking – no, wishing – that, perhaps, there were a few humans who could maybe, just maybe, rekindle his belief in his old man's words of so long ago.

"I guess I don't have a choice... fighting with you is more appealing than ending up in that creepy pile of shit that's the Jūbi's husk. Fine then! We've got a deal, maggots. Now, could you please fuck off somewhere else so I can have a nap?"


The exit felt just as laborious as the entrance had, but Naruto nonetheless managed to find his way back into his body. He opened his eyes, and was greeted by the sight of a blue and radiant sky and the worried face of a retired puppeteer.

"You're finally back. How are you? How his the Kazekage? How did it go?" asked Chiyo rapidly.

Naruto took a moment to rub his stiff neck – he had fell into an uncomfortable position upon entering Gaara's mindscape, and the elder kunoichi, not wanting to interfere in the Uzumaki endeavor, had not dared even touch him – before answering.

"I'm fine. He's alright." His face then split into a triumphant smile. "And it went smoothly!"

Chiyo's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean...?"

"Yep! We've got Shukaku on our side now, even if he's not really happy about it."

The old puppeteer sat still, staring at the blond jinchūriki in bewilderment. Despite her newfound respect and admiration for this young man, she had not believed in his chances to rally the Ichibi to their cause - especially not by talking to him. The Shinobi world was rarely forgiving for those who wished to discuss rather than wage war. Only when a clear victor was decided did talks with the defeated were even vaguely considered, never between two belligerents who had yet to spill a single drop of blood. That was the world Chiyo was raised in.

Likewise, when Bunpuku had died, it was the past Kazekage who had tried to tame Shukaku with their Magnet Release before sealing it in the next jinchūriki, and who would subdue him whenever he got free from his host.

And here was Naruto, who with words and wishes of cooperation instead of domination, had succeeded where they had failed.

'Perhaps the saying is true, after all.' Chiyo found herself musing. 'The next generation will surpass the previous one...'

"Now that's done, all that's left to do is fixing Gaara's seal." the blond said, preparing his brush and ink. "And who know, maybe you'll learn a thing or two from me in fūinjutsu!"

The puppeteer smiled as she took out her own sealing set. 'You already taught me something valuable today, Naruto-san. Something I had forgotten long ago. To hope.'


It took the young shinobi and the old kunoichi a couple of hours to fix Gaara's seal and turn it into a perfect Evil Sanctuary one. Naruto was pretty happy with himself, but not as much as Chiyo was. The Suna Elder was feeling light, the phantom weight that had burdened her shoulders for so many years had been lifted, even if only partially. Gaara was still a jinchūriki, but no more would the Ichibi plague his every waking moment, and the power of the bijū would be put to good use.

The Kazekage, however, was still unconscious, though some color had come back on his face. A quick examination by Sakura, once Naruto and Chiyo had joined back with their team and the freshly arrived reinforcements, told them that his chakra was replenishing nicely, and that he should be awake by the time the rescue party would reach Suna.

The nine shinobi started their trip back to the Land of Wind shortly after, at a much slower pace than they had made their way to the Land of Rivers the day before, to ease up the trip for the three wounded and tired members of Team Seven and Chiyo - something Gai and Lee had difficulties to abide by.

Their arrival to Suna five days later was spectacular. The entirety of the village's population was massed at the gate, cheering for their Kazekage and for the Konoha nin who had saved him. Civilians and ninja alike were present, and quickly the rescue party found themselves surrounded by overjoyed and grateful Suna denizens. Naruto, who was the one holding Gaara, still too weak to walk on his own, was almost swallowed by the crowd – mostly composed of women, he noted – who wanted to greet their leader and thank the man who had saved him. A few of them were particularly insistent, if not downright frisky, and the Uzumaki would have flickered away to save Gaara's virtue if not for a brown haired girl – he was sure he had met before, but for the life of him could not remember her name, as if he had seen her in one of those irrelevant episodes that plague successful long-running shows - who was taking care of the most rabid women in a rather brutal and vicious way while still looking pretty content with herself. (Beta starts laughing at this reference.)

They managed to make it through the crowd thanks to Temari, who was quick to lead them to the hospital, where rooms had been prepared in advance for Gaara and the Konoha ninja. The following day, Naruto was sitting beside the bed of an awakened Kazekage, who, despite feeling much better, still had difficulties molding chakra after the near-full extraction of Shukaku and the modification of his seal, and kept the bed as a precaution – and because Temari had threatened to knock him out if he tried to leave the hospital before he was back to full strength.

"So, how are things going between you and the oversized rat?" asked the blond.

"Rather well. He hasn't threatened to kill me since you've entered my mindscape, which is a good sign, I think. However, he is rather unhappy at being called a rat. He insists that you stop and call him by his name or by his title." the Kazekage answered.

Naruto raised a brow skeptically. "He really said that?"

"No, I gave you the literary version."

The Uzumaki chuckled, which in turn made the Kazekage smile. Having a casual conversation with a friend – if 'casual' could be the term used when bijū were the topic of said conversation – was a relaxing change to the seemingly unending flow of visit from councilors and tribe chieftains or the awkward moments spent with Shukaku in his mindscape.

Sadly, these breaks would soon come to an end.

"You and your fellow Leaf-nin are going back to Konoha tomorrow, right?" Gaara said, already knowing the answer.

Naruto's laugh subsided, replaced by an unusual solemn expression. "Yeah, I would've liked to stay a bit more here, but we've collected critical intel on both the Akatsuki and Orochimaru during our mission, and we've got to inform Bā- I mean the Hokage."

Gaara nodded. Ever since his coronation as Kazekage, he had come to realize how precious information truly were, even more so than raw power or advantage in numbers. "Understandable. We'll have to wait for more peaceful time, or until you finally become Hokage to have more time to talk."

"Heh, don't worry, I'm going to take that hat off Tsunade's head in no time!" Naruto boasted loudly, earning him a scolding from a passing nurse.

The redhead's smile found its way back on his lips. "You're preaching to a believer."


The masked man stood in the middle of the crater that had once been a peaceful clearing in the middle of the woods of the Land of Rivers, looking at the broken body laying at his feet. Next to him, coming out of the charred ground, was a Venus flytrap enveloping a curious black and white head.

The man was in a foul mood. Usually, he would play the role of a lunatic fool, to mislead potential enemies or to simply seek some sort of entertainment in the bleak world of ninja, but not now. Not after seeing for himself what his most coveted was able to do, nor hearing what his companion had just reported to him.

"Repeat that again. I want to be absolutely sure."

The white half of the head popping out of the ground gulped audibly, before doing as ordered. "The jinchūriki of the Kyūbi had the upper hand the whole fight. He tricked Deidara with a clone, before summoning strange masked creatures that completely overpowered his adversary. And then... and then he asked Deidara if he knew anything about the Rinnegan or... or about Madara."

The man clenched his fist, and the Sharingan visible by the one hole in the orange swirling mask started to spin furiously.

He did not understand.

He was trying to make sense of the vegetal being's report. How could he know about the Rinnegan? More importantly, how could he know about Madara?

Was it Jiraiya? It could explain the Rinnegan, since the Sage had taught Nagato, but the rogue Uzumaki was officially dead. And even then, for anyone else was either a myth or something they had never heard about. However, there was absolutely no way he could possibly know of the true conclusion of the century old duel at the Valley of the End.

The Kyūbi? Highly unlikely. The Fox could not know about the end of the battle between Madara and Hashirama either.

The masked man sighed. It was no use trying to understand how Naruto knew. He knew, and that was all that mattered. He needed to act accordingly to the enemy's unexpected level and intel.

He crouched next to Deidara's corpse, took the Akatsuki ring bearing the "ao" kanji from his right index finger, and stayed still for a while, observing the scavenged piece of jewelry absently.

"What are you going to do now, Obito?" asked the head in a different voice than before, that seemingly came from the black half.

Obito took a moment to answer. "I need to change our plans, Zetsu, and I need to find some new recruits. Losing both Sasori and Deidara hit us hard. All of that, because of the Kyūbi."

"Yes, it seems that Itachi was wrong about him."

'Or that he purposefully lied... but no matter.' the masked Uchiha thought. 'My dream will eventually come true, nothing will stand in my way. Certainly not you, Uzumaki Naruto. I'll take great pleasure in shattering your every dreams and aspirations before taking the Fox from your broken body.'


Omake: Tsunade's pie

To celebrate Naruto and Jiraiya's return to Konoha, the Sage had decided to invite the Hokage and her assistant to dinner. Being as good a cook as Minato had been at naming his original techniques, dishes and drinks from the fanciest restaurants to mark the occasion accordingly. Absolutely not in a vain attempt to woo his old teammate.

It was an excited Naruto that opened the door to let the two women in. Tsunade looked quite happy herself, while Shizune seemed apprehensive, if not scared.

"Just in time, bā-chan, nee-chan! The food just arrived!"

"All we're lacking now are strippers! But maybe, Tsunade-hime, you could do something about it..." Jiraiya said, appearing behind his godson in the hallway.

"In your dreams, idiot." retorted the Hokage. "However, since it's a special occasion, I did bring something special."

Not one to let the suspense build up, Tsunade revealed what she had been holding and hiding under a napkin. "I baked a pie!"

Shizune looked even more terrified when the object came to light. Jiraiya's face turned white.

Oblivious to those ominous reactions, Naruto was beyond ecstatic. He could count on one hand the instances when someone had baked him something – Ichiraku not counting.

When the time had come to finally taste Tsunade's pie, the Uzumaki's enthusiasm had died down, several times over. Jiraiya was muttering something only Naruto could hear, something that sounded like "Even worse than Shima." Shizune looked like she was about to break down in tears.

Tsunade herself was smiling proudly, apparently unaware of the torture she was putting the other three through.

"So, how do you find it? Not bad, huh?"

Shizune nodded, which apparently was not a good idea if her quickly putting her hand in front of her mouth was any indication.

Naruto quickly came up with a meek "I've never eaten anything like that before", which was technically not a lie.

Jiraiya only gave a thumb-up.

Somehow, Tsunade bought it all. "Fantastic! Then I'll make more in the future! I actually enjoy baking a lot, it's relaxing! It's been a while since I've done it and I'm a bit rusty. I trust you three will sample my pies and cakes while I practice."

And that was how began the tradition of conveniently forgetting to invite Tsunade for dinner in Konoha. The only one who ever asked for the Hokage's pies was Ibiki, who had found in those pastries a brand new torture device. When a criminal in custody of the Torture and Interrogation department of Konoha was told he would get some cake, he knew his last hour had come.


Again, thank you all for reading, and very special thanks to Werejaguar of Halloween Town for her jolly cooperation as beta-reader and being super cool in general.

Don't forget that the sky and the cosmos are one, and to review too!