As per usual, I don't own Naruto, Fashion Night Out, or any of the big brands, or fashion names I out in here. I realize that the names I've been introducing are all with their surnames before the first names. This is planned, as the story does take place mostly in Japan. Seems like I'm going through a massive chapter production rate increase. Lol. Only two more plus an epilogue! Thank you for sticking with me! =)

Confrontation

"Don't be a fool, Naruto! They are after your inheritance!" A palm slammed onto the solid wooden desk, making it shudder violently. "They killed Jiraiya without a second thought and hardly left a trace in the process. They will do the same to you!"

"I'm not going there to die, Grandma Tsunade." Naruto, for once, was the picture of calm. "I want to talk to them. I want to know why they killed Jiraiya-sensei. You said he took them in for a short while and taught them what he could, right? How did they turn out this way then?" He pressed, tone urgent and pleading. "Maybe, if I can understand them, I will be able to understand Sasuke better."

At that name, Tsunade paused in the middle of her angry tirade. She observed the other standing in front of her, taking in his new height, and his solemn, determined face. The light in his eyes had returned, and it seemed to be burning brighter than ever. Tsunade clicked her tongue and released a heavy sigh.

"Do you really want to go that badly?" Tsunade crossed her arms, suddenly quieter than usual.

"Yes." The answer came, steady and unfaltering. "I'm… sorry about the last time. I guess I'm a bit like Jiraiya-sensei too." He gave her a rueful smile.

"You still think about him? Why don't you spare yourself some thoughts once in a while. Completely forgetting about yourself isn't going to help anyone." Tsunade took out her Blackberry, fingers typing a message out.

An address.

A minute later, Naruto's phone beeped from his pocket.

"Heh." Naruto flashed his mischievous fox grin at her. "When I'm thinking about him, I'm also thinking about me. And I'm always thinking on how to bring the bastard back."

Tsunade stared at him, intrigued. Naruto paused at the door without turning back, grin still in place.

"I'll be back real soon, Granny Tsunade."

And he walked out into the night.

"We'll hold the meeting next week. Have you got all the information we need, Sai?"

"Almost, sir."

"Good. Then we shall act as soon as possible."

It was a beautiful spring afternoon in Paris when Naruto landed. There were cherry blossoms constantly at the edges of his vision, filling the scenery with a constant soft pink. Just like in Japan. It's March already… Naruto contemplated, wasting no time in getting a taxi from the airport, showing the driver the address on his phone screen. Can't believe two months have passed since your funeral, Pervy Sage.

In the meantime, attention in the fashion world was divided between Konoha and their "crisis" (they couldn't keep his death a secret forever), and Taka with Uchiha Sasuke at its helm. A solo player, and his own boss, he managed contracts, shoots, and even discussions with designers about the clothes he'd wear for them. This had impressed quite a few big shots—Orochimaru had certainly trained him well, to the point where a manager was not required. Heh… That was always his style. Naruto sniggered into the palm of his hand.

But two weeks ago, they featured Sasuke's assistants—the three of them were always following the Uchiha around. There was a picture where the red-headed PA had her arms around a nonchalant Sasuke's neck, and that had somewhat pissed him off. He spent the next three days pouting about it.

The taxi jerked to a stop in front of a fancy high-rise building in the city. It looked like any other—tall, grey, and countless glass panel windows on every floor. He walked into the building after paying the driver, carefully taking in his surroundings. With just his cellphone and wallet, anything could happen.

Though surprisingly, he didn't have to go to the receptionist to get the card that will allow him to use the lift. As if his arrival was anticipated, several muscular, suited men—complete with shades—looking very much like bodyguards began to escort him towards a separate lift, in a completely different block of the building.

As soon as they reached the 20th floor, the bodyguards simply gestured Naruto him out, towards the door at the end of a single corridor. The doors of the lift closed behind him without a sound, and Naruto found himself on his own.

He approached the door, seeming more in control of himself than he had ever been—there were no traces of nervousness or fear in his expression. Before his hand touch it however, it opened. He was gazing into orange irises, seeming to shimmer as the light reflected off them. They belonged to a woman whose appearance seemed to be of the late twenties. Her hair, which was tied up in a bun and held together by a paper rose, was dyed a shade of royal purple. And she had a labret piercing—the stud was made of white gold. Her complexion was so fair that Naruto briefly wondered if she was made of porcelain.

He walked passed her, and saw a man with straight hair that reached his neck, dyed a blood red. His eyes were too purple to be natural, so Naruto assumed he was wearing contacts. However, he was extremely frail and resembled an anorexic—his body so thin that his ribs jutted out and his cheeks were deeply sunken.

"I'm not here to do anything." Naruto broke the thick silence first. "I want to know why you killed Jiraiya-sensei."

"So you are Jiraiya-sensei's godson…" Nagato asked, his deep, rumbling voice filling the room. "Are you sure you have the time to spare? Konoha seems to be in a rather precarious position right now."

"I'll listen to what you have to say until the next morning if I have to." Naruto's jaw clenched, his nails digging into his palms.

It was all he could to stop himself from lunging at the guy and tearing his throat out.

"Very well. I shall share with you our story."

"Nagato! You can't afford to waste your time on him." The woman beside him exclaimed, clearly against his decision. "You need his inheritance, don't you?!"

"Wait, Konan." Nagato held a hand up, motioning for her to calm down. "I curious to know how this boy thinks and what he actions will be."

Konan kept quiet after that, with a troubled expression on her face.

"Besides, he won't have come unprepared. He was raised by Jiraiya-sensei after all." His lips stretched into a dry, unemotional smirk.

"What do you mean we're not allowed entry?!" Karin shot back.

"Well, you didn't receive a card, did you?" Kisame grinned, not at all sorry. "Fashion Night Out is an exclusive event. It is invitation only. Don't tell me that Sasuke's PA doesn't know even that…"

"Ngh…!" Karin's jaw clenched—so angry she could not say anything to the blue man in front of her.

"Is that why you, a props man like myself, is cast out here as well, Kisame-senpai?" Suigetsu came up from behind the red-head, also having a sort of madman's grin on his face.

"Heh heh…" Kisame chuckled wryly. "To think that you've grown so much I could hardly recognize you." He momentarily glanced at Sasuke, whose eyes were focused straight ahead. "Only you were sent the invitation, right? Itachi-san is already inside."

"Hmph." Sasuke began to make his way to the entrance of the building.

"No, Sasuke!" Karin called after him. "It's too risky to go alone. By making the fact that he was participating in retail events for Fashion Night Out during Vogue's editorial interview last month—you will not just end up with your career in shambles!"

"Stay, Karin. I only hired you to gain access to him." Sasuke's narrowed his eyes at her, a dangerous fire kindling in them. "This is my revenge. Do not get in the way."

Karin shrank back, due to cold fear more than anything else. Juugo was ever the obedient one, silently stepping aside to allow Sasuke to pass. She observed Suigetsu and Kisame taunting each other, noting that a few reporters had begun to look in their direction, because of the volume both were speaking at. But what was that…? Karin held her chin, in deep contemplation. I've never seen Sasuke so… bloodthirsty before. Granted, we're not fighting a war or anything—this is at most considered foul play.

A lone man, holding one of those small voice recorders interviewers always used, began to approach them, albeit hesitantly. A quick, severe glare from Karin, and one look from Juugo however, was enough to send him flying far, far away. Watching Sasuke disappear through the circular-shaped entrance which was emitting a strange, eerie blue light, Karin's gaze fell onto the red carpet that was being decked out for all the big names in the fashion industry arriving later.

And thus, the waiting began.

It had been three hours—two of which Nagato spent talking, one of which Naruto spent thinking. Konan remained standing faithfully by Nagato's side, showing no further signs of distress. They were patiently waiting for the answer Naruto would give them.

Recounting the facts he was told, it seemed that Naruto and Nagato had hit a stalemate. The gist of the story was this—orphaned at five, Nagato met Konan and another dear friend, Yahiko at aged seven. Jiraiya took them in, feeding and teaching them whilst ignoring the dissatisfaction of colleagues around him. He instilled a love of designing into Yahiko, of business and finance in Nagato, of modeling in Konan. They began their small business using basic materials, a blog for posting pictures and managing sales, and Konan as a model. Because of this, the clothes they made were stylish yet completely affordable. Yahiko's new and innovative designs caught the eye of a sponsor, eradicating the need of taking a bank loan in order to start up a small company. Within three years, they had expanded to seven countries.

The three of them, side by side, doing what they loved to be doing.

It was like a dream.

Until reality shattered it.

"We were naïve to believe that those happy days would continue until the rest of our days." Nagato gave Naruto a bitter smile. "Our success had garnered unwanted attention too. And the number one enemy… was Konoha and The Leaf."

Yahiko was sued for copying elements of Hyuuga Corp., Suna, and Sound's designs, and simply meshing them up to produce his products. It didn't matter what it was—shoes, clothes, accessories—they had covered all bases. They managed to get a lawyer, but he was second-rate. They lost to Shimura Danzō's lawyer— Hanzō—as well as the case, and Yahiko's career was destroyed. Distraught, he wandered the streets of Tokyo that night, in the midst of a storm.

"As if that was not cruel enough, a drunk driver rammed into him before our very eyes. He died the next day…" Nagato voice grew thin and wispy, as if it something in it had broken. "We went through his belongings to sort them, and we found an old name card. It was Jiraiya-sensei's, and it had Konoha Studio's symbol on it."

Naruto pressed his forehead against his hands, which were held together loosely. He drew a shaky breath, not really sure whether it was for them or for himself.

"I ask you this, Naruto: how do you want to face and defeat the cycle of injustice in this world? Five years ago, we lost Yahiko, and our company. Last year, you lost Uchiha Sasuke to Sound. This year, you lost Jiraiya-sensei to death. Tomorrow, yet another person will bear the pain of losing something." Nagato lifted his head to meet Naruto's gaze. "With someone else's pain comes the need for self-justice. That is why Akatsuki is targeting Konoha now. And the same reason Uchiha Sasuke sees nothing but Itachi."

Naruto's stares at his reflection in the cup of tea he had been offered. It has gone cold. He bites his lip, hardly feeling the pain that blossoms from the amount of force he presses against it. Jiraiya-sensei… Dad… You two put your faith in me, but I can't even provide a proper answer now. Will I ever be able to one day?

"What do you want my inheritance for?" Naruto asked, being the first to break the long period of silence.

"I'm surprised that Tsunade has not told you anything." Nagato raised his eyebrows.

"I sat through the reading of Jiraiya-sensei's will. I left before Granny read my parents' ones."

"Aside from the two bank accounts with ten-figure amounts in them, the information we received states you will be the owner of Konoha and everything that goes with it. Your parents bought over Sarutobi's shares long ago."

Naruto's shot up from the couch, "You mean…!"

He collapsed back onto the leather sofa, weak in the knees with the revelation.

Nagato nodded, "You will be the next Hokage. And that is why I want to hear your answer." He paused to cough before continuing. "Fashion, food, and technology are the three most common global things. With the money, there are plans to implement a system in a string of companies that will get rid of rivals and enemies that want to wreak havoc on other companies. Death will be swift, and silent, by the underground world. With Konoha, we plan to snuff it out, and make sure it never revives."

"Then…" Naruto's hands balled into trembling fists. "Aren't you just repeating the cycle over and over again?!"

"Not for long, over time, only those companies worthy of remaining will be spared. Eventually—,"

"Eventually, there will be no more companies left!" Naruto bellowed at him, rising to his feet again.

Instinctively, Konan had put a protective hand in front of Nagato when she saw Naruto beginning to stand. But at that sentence, both adults' eyes widened with shock.

"Getting rid of those that have bad intentions will never work!" Naruto made a sweeping motion with his arm, shaking his head angrily. "Didn't you say so—there is a cycle of injustice. But the cycle had to be started somehow! And if there were simply good people in the beginning, someone must've changed! You planning on acting like God or something, judging people like that?! Don't fuck with me! If there's any company left at the end of your grand plan, it will be yours, and your own sense of justice!"

The last word also seemed tangible, with the energy and the emotion Naruto put behind it. It seemed to have knocked the breath out of the other two.

"I don't want to do anything to you. Nor do I want the Akatsuki to be shut down." The blonde spoke softly, but surely. "I simply want you to stop this. And stop killing." He looked at his own palms, and the lines etched in them. "I don't have an answer for you right now. If I did, I would've gotten Sasuke back already."

"You're planning to let Akatsuki go? Even after knowing what we want to do?" Nagato scrutinized Naruto's solemn expression, as if he was searching for something.

"Don't get me wrong—I haven't forgiven you. I don't think I will… Not for a very long time, at least." Naruto said, gazing out of the window, into the azure sky. "But I acknowledge you as my seniors. After all, You were also Jiraiya-sensei's students before me. That's probably why. I guess, until I can come across a really concrete answer, this shall be it for now."

"I see…" Nagato pondered for a short while, also following Naruto's line of sight into the sky. "Konan, make preparations for Maldives."

"…Are you really sure, Nagato?" The woman questioned, not moving from her position.

"Yes. Put Akatsuki to rest. And use the private line to inform the police about our members' deeds. All the evidence can be sent after that."

"In both soft and hard copy?"

Nagato managed a somewhat lopsided smile. "Yes, indeed."

"Eh…?" Naruto jerked his head back and forth, completely missing the meaning of the short exchange between them. "Wha—?"

"These four hours were entertaining, Naruto." Nagato stood up slowly, walking over to his desk, and picking up a framed photo. "I shall leave you to find that elusive answer. You had better leave soon. By noon tomorrow, the Akatsuki will be no more."

The door to the office was left ajar, as Konan and Nagato walked down the corridor, without another word.

"Late for the first event, my foolish little brother?" Itachi voiced, the words carrying over to the rest of the people working around them.

Tch. He took the first attack.

Sasuke's lips pulled into a smirk—he hadn't expected anything less.

"Not at all. In fact, I arrived fifteen minutes earlier. But your props man—Kisame, was it?—he seemed rather keen on wasting our time."

"Hmph." Itachi turned on his heel to change into his clothes for the first hour of the night.

"Uhm…" A rather nervous girl held up a different set of clothes and shoes for Sasuke.

He took them without a word, and stalked after Itachi, aware of how the latter's steps were quick, and hard to keep up with.

For normal people, that is.

He was just about two paces behind when—

"Aah!" A man, who was carrying a bunch of takeout boxes (presumably lunch) to his immediate right, tripped.

The boxes and several containers of sauce, already flimsy, broke open to reveal their greasy, dark-coloured content. Sasuke pivoted on his right foot, swerving his entire body and the arm which held the things he had to wear clockwise, away from the falling man. He escaped the food assault by less than an inch, and he had seen the tip of Itachi's foot pressing against the man's ankle as he walked past. Without bothering to check if the man was alright, he continued towards the toilet he had seen Itachi go into, lost in cold, calculating fury.

As he walked in, he scanned the area. Three stalls were occupied, but as the silence stretched, he heard a very faint rustle of fabric. He focused on the stall in the middle, taking out a small vial. Uncapping it, he raised his arm in a tossing movement into the air as he walked past that particular stall. The drops fell randomly on whoever it was inside. Locking the door of the fourth stall behind him, he kept the vial back in his pants pocket, and proceeded to speed change.

He was out the same time as Itachi was, and grinned darkly when he noticed the slight smell of rotting fish lingering around his brother. It wasn't ridiculously overpowering, but more of a faint overtone that people could catch once they were close enough. Careless… He thought, and left.

Dilute ammonia, huh? Itachi's eyes flickered towards the hem of his right sleeve. A beautiful but bad smelling model would be both a comedy and a tragedy. He reached for something in between his folded clothes, wiped the colourless liquid against the hem and used the hand dryer to hasten the drying process. The person who was using the first stall came out to wash his hands. He wrinkled his nose in confusion as Itachi exited the toilet.

"Funny…" He muttered to himself. "It smells like dead fish behind me, and vinegar beside me. The hell is going on with this toilet?"

He picked up the pace, arriving just two minutes after Sasuke did, back at the Armani Exchange booth. Sasuke knew at once that the smell had been removed, and he bit back a curse. No stain on the clothes… so it must've been white vinegar instead of baking soda. Damn you, Itachi. The stylists came up to them to fiddle with their hair, the designers doing last checks on the fitting, and the make-up artists laying on the final touches. The event was to start in ten minutes, and they had yet to walk to the other end of the O2 center arena to pick up Rolex watches.

Setting off at a brisk pace much like before, Sasuke took the lead this time, gliding through the throngs of people rushing through their last minute preparations before the doors opened. Itachi ducked to avoid a metal crowbar swung right at his temple as the man in front of him fumbled. Sasuke had deliberately walked into his path, and out of it the last second. Itachi bided his time, slowly backing diagonally away from Sasuke but keeping to their destination.

A magnificent crash. He paused and turned, like everyone else.

Sasuke was on his knees, seemingly to have avoided the impact. People were shouting at the nonexistent person who had dropped the ice figurine from the second floor seats above. The mess was hastily being cleaned up. Blood red met blood red, with the promise of more clashes to come as the evening progressed. Celebrities and world-famous designers began to flock in, and the murmurs of conversations behind to fill the arena.

So caught up with their 'duel', they did not notice a pair of pale, lavender eyes quietly watching them with a fierce concentration. But only from time to time. More accidents happened, more things fell, more people—especially those holding canapés and drinks—tripped. Itachi and Sasuke, being put on the same events at the same time, went from booth to booth, changing clothes and having their hair and make-up redone. After the concerts, as well as several retail show events were done, the after party started. People came up to them, one after the other, some at the same time, trying to make conversation. Itachi and Sasuke conversed, never too far from each other, often with subtle, insinuating undertones.

"Ah yes, Miyaguchi-san. I have heard of you designs. Sasuke, for some reason, kept yawning when he mentioned you last time."

"Itachi has enough women to run a red light district of his own."

"Oh, I shall have to decline your offer this time, sir. But maybe Sasuke might be interested. He was often curious about the effects of various designer drugs."

"What's Itachi like? Excellent at everything—studies, fashion, and in the bedroom. I should know."

At the last drawl, there was a two second hush as the two women who had been listening to Sasuke began to wonder about the implications of the words he chose. Itachi appeared unfazed, but in actual fact, he was very aware of how not just the women, but other faces, including a magazine editor, had picked up on it. He continued to chat for a bit before excusing himself to head off to the last booth to change for the last time that night. Sasuke promptly followed.

There were booths no only situated inside the arena, but in the outer ring in between the restaurants as well. They rented about half the space outside and the whole inner arena for the event.

All it took was one misstep.

A single step at an odd angle, and too much pressure on the heel.

And it broke.

With a sudden crack, Itachi fell forward onto one knee. His fall was as graceful as a swan's, the coat he wore flowing gently as he moved. Sasuke who was just in front of him, had also lost balance—the left hem of his pants had been tugged in such a way, he turned to face Itachi. He double over, just managing to prevent his own fall. Sasuke watched his brother with wild, panicked eyes. It was then he saw the sheen of sweat coating Itachi's forehead, and he heard the labored breathing of the man who was his brother.

"Forgive me, Sasuke… This is the last time."

Two fingers flicked at his forehead, causing him to flinch out of sheer habit. The slight sting of pain brought back a horde of memories he had buried deep within him. The sensation was familiar, loving, and warm—just like how it was from his childhood.

Several women around them began screaming, and there was a faraway cry of 'call an ambulance!'. He stayed bent over, only realizing that Itachi was now unconscious and lying on the floor. There was a flash of deep, cobalt blue hair at the corner of his vision. And when he blinked again, he saw a woman beside his brother, listening intently to the rhythm of his brother's breathing. Those gentle fingers, often bandaged because of wounds from various needles, now rested on the once-proud Itachi's shoulder. They shook—from fear or realization, he did not know.

"Uchiha-san…"

His name was whispered, the sound choked with grief. And the young woman disappeared with Itachi, in a whirl of reds, whites, and oranges.

And now, for today's headlines. It seems as of noon yesterday, the Akatsuki organization has been dissolved. Police received a phone call from a private number, which they are still trying to trace, telling them to meet at the Tokyo 101 tower. There, they found a blank CD and an envelope containing a list of crimes carried out by each member. Using the list, each arrested member will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The people who work for the company have either been arrested or have gone missing.

Nagato: Missing

Konan: Missing

Tobi: Missing

Zetsu: Missing

Kisame: Missing

Sasori: Arrested

Deidara: Arrested

Hidan: Arrested

Kakuzu: Arrested

Uchiha Itachi is now receiving treatment in the ICU unit of X Hospital. He will undergo trial once he recovers.

Next, a woman has been raped…

Shikamaru closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to the continuing drone of the television. He felt tired, so tired from relief. The heartbeat monitor showed that Asuma's heart was still beating steadily—a sign that he was still alive. He would wake up soon, they said, soon.

Kurenai sat across him, expression unreadable. She had one hand on her lap and another on her abdomen.

"Do you feel sick?" Shikamaru asked, switching the electric box off with the remote.

"Ah, no." Kurenai smiled a small, brave smile at him. "I find morning sickness gets better if I have a few crackers before I get up."

He drew a deep breath, "I'm—,"

"It's not your fault, Shikamaru-kun." Kurenai cut in, firm. "He wanted to get the information of his own accord. He understood the risks. Hidan and Kakazu were just more violent than the others. And in the end, it was you who managed to record the incident clearly, narrow down the police officers that weren't backing the Akatsuki in order to call them to the scene."

"So you're the fucktard who's been sniffing around our boots, huh?! And you've got a fucking wife too! Hey, how about I break every bone in your bodies, and offer your screams and blood to the great Jashin!"

"You noisy fanatic… One of these days, I swear I'll kill you."

"Ha?! The fuck you said Kakuzu! You did not just fucking say that, you fucking bastard!"

"If you want to kill them, hurry up and kill them. My money arrives at 11pm. And we have ten minutes to get there."

"Ah, fucking hell! It's always your fucking money we're rushing to get all the damn time!"

She shuddered, recalling the previous happenings of two nights ago. They had ran from their home, hoping just to make it to the next morning alive. Kurenai had been whisked away by Chouji and Ino, who had been missed called thrice. Shikamaru had stayed behind to help buy time, but the police arrived just to see Asuma collapse onto the floor full of wounds, and Shikamaru thrown into a waterway.

She felt a warm, strong hand on her tense shoulder—belonging to the youth who had been sitting beside her.

"I will protect you." Shikamaru stood up, depositing his hands in his pockets. "You and the life you carry."

At the same time, in another place…

"Are you alright, Sakura?"

"Y-yes. Somehow." She accepted the mug of warm tea handed to her.

"It's a good thing that the reporters aren't giving the names of anyone else that had a hand in their direct capture." Kakashi's tone grew stern. "And the fact that we found you in the state you were in last night. What were you thinking—taking on the two of them alone?"

"Logically though, I was the best candidate. I am hardly known yet, even if I were gone, Shizune-senpai and Tsunade-sensei will still be around. The risks will be minimal for Konoha."

"At the price of a life." Kakashi's voice was strained.

"But to think that you soaked all of your make-up brushes in chloroform just in case a situation like this were to arise. Acted like a newbie artist, and held out against the smell by sheer willpower until both Sasori and Deidara blacked out from it." Iruka came out of the kitchen to join them, carrying a mug of his own. "Quite impressive. Where did you get the chloroform from?"

"I needed it to be the correct concentration, so I diluted it myself at the lab I used to work in." Sakura explained. "Also, I used to work with it quite a bit, so I was probably more used to the fumes."

"Not by much." Kakashi snorted. "In that half-dazed state, you convinced the bartender to call the police who had just been informed of who they were and what they had done. Staggering out into one of the dodgiest places in town—I'm surprised someone didn't have their way with you."

"I was surprised too. It would've been too easy." Sakura shivered, thinking of the possibilities that could have been. "Speaking of which, what were you two doing there?"

"Danzō's been compiling information on Tsunade in order to vote her out of the company. We've just been doing the same for him." Suddenly, the smile lines appeared at the edges of Kakashi's eyes, full of cheek.

"And we're getting there." Iruka chuckled, exchanging a knowing glance with the silver-haired man.

Sakura's eye began to twitch slightly as she tried to grin back at them. Somehow… I get the feeling… Then, she noticed the way they looked at each other, and her grin relaxed into a wistful smile. As long as they're happy…

"What do you have to say to all this, Tsunade?" Danzō challenged, tapping the papers in front of him.

Tsunade knew all eyes were on her—ten of the biggest shareholders of Konoha. Her occasional laziness, her choice of doing things and why she discuss any of it with the old farts in front of her, her drinking habit, and lately, her slump when she realized both Orochimaru and Jiraiya were dead.

She lowered her head ever so slightly, "They are all true. I will not counter any of it."

"Then, it should be reasonable if you resign your job as Hokage, and quit the company?"

"Yes," Tsunade flashed them a grin, "but I'm not surrendering it to any of you old geezers who are interested in nothing but money and the fast life!"

An uproar amongst all of them.

"The insolence…!"

"Why did we ever trust the company to her?!"

"Our shares are depreciating in value, and it is all your fault!"

"And Konoha is now being targeted by several companies who want to bring us down!"

Danzō and Tsunade remained silent, enjoying the unfolding drama for their own separate reason. It didn't last long however, for there were some shouts and scuffling that could be heard from outside. They quieted down, listening with curious, bated breath. Then, the double doors of their meeting room burst open, revealing a very noisy, very unkempt, very tired Uzumaki Naruto.

"Hah… Hold it right there!" He panted, pointing at Danzō. "All of you elders don't know half the things Granny Tsunade did in order to keep this company alive, so don't you complain!"

"Don't call me Granny, you brat!" She smacked him over the head, sending a whine of pain throughout the room.

"And even if you did vote her out, the company will never belong to you! You're planning on taking over aren't you?!" Naruto threw the midde-aged man an accusing glare. "You're going to buy the shares from everyone here, and take down whoever that doesn't accept so that you can be the sole owner of Konoha!"

And this was news to all of them in the room. Well, except for Tsunade.

"I am heir to this company! So nothing should happen to it without me knowing about it either!" Naruto thumped his chest with his fist.

"Such claims!" Danzō stood up, enraged. "Where is your proof?!"

"The proof is right here."

Danzōo recoiled at the voice, stunned, "Sai…?" He breathed.

"This is a copy of Namikaze Minato's will. If you all would care to read it," Sai began passing around pieces of paper to each shareholder, "it states that ownership of Konoha is to be transferred to Naruto when he turns eighteen, no matter what the circumstances."

"Also~" Kakashi waltzed into the chaos, seeming to be right at home in it. "Here's a stack of what Danzō's been doing without your knowledge or your permission! Take your time to read through it. It's quite a big pile~"

"Hatake Kakashi…!" Danzō ground out through gritted teeth, vein popping at the side of his head from the fury he was holding back. "Damn you and your copies!"

And hence, that's why he's called the Copy Man—for having copies of documents whenever and wherever you need it. Iruka swallowed a horrified groan, listening to the situation from outside in the hallway. How embarrassing.

"The Akatsuki is not targeting us anymore. They disbanded—it said so this morning on the news." Naruto started.

"You watched the news, Naruto?" Kakashi gave him an incredulous look.

"Sh-shut up!" Naruto yelped back at him before turning serious again. "Those 'other companies' were either branches of theirs or Danzō's connections trying to scare you into getting rid of Granny Tsunade. They'll stop by tomorrow—Iruka-sensei's already e-mailed all of them.

"But for now, I still have one more thing to settle. And because of that, I'm going to make the company's shares private. I'll buy all of your shares at double the price you bought yours at the start. No matter how you have acted, you have been part of this company for a long time."

"What… What do you plan to do with this company?" An elderly lady by the name of Utatane Koharu finally regained her ability to speak.

"I'm going to use it for something personal. After I'm done with it, I shall open the shares to the public once more. And I will let you know before we announce it." Naruto answered, full of confidence.

"Then, why should we obey your selfish requests?! If you're going to use it for your own good—I refuse!"

Naruto turned his head to look at him properly, with eyes that shone with a sort of pity, instead of the anger he expected. And just like that, Danzō was stripped of the last thing that held his composure together—his dignity.

"Do you have the right to refuse now?" Naruto asked a soft, but fierce question. "Or would you rather go to jail for all that you've done? I just want the shares back. Not your property, not the rest of your money, and not your children."

Danzō flinched slightly, as if the last word struck a chord. He stared at Sai, gauging the young man's reaction to that. Sai met his eyes, but that one look gave no indication of whatever effect the words had on him. With a shaky hand, Danzō picked up his golden-topped cane and began to walk out of the room, and eventually Konoha Studios. His grip was so tight, the whites of his knuckles showed, and his nails dug deep in good quality wood.

Uzumaki Naruto… I will remember this!