Summoner of the League

by KyuubiGoku

All it takes is one choice. All it takes is one chance. When others want to give up. When others want to surrender there is just one thing that can turn everything around. All it takes it one thought to be put into action. All it takes is one person to be unique. All it takes is one. different. Tactic.

13. Chapter 13

KG: Ugh, I have such a headache. Too much drinking today!

Wifey: New Years is over you imbecile! What were you drinking anyway?

KG: I tried Cherry Root Beer soda. Wooo, it's so HIGH!

Wifey: What?

KG: BANZAI!

Wifey: I'm filing for divorce!

KG: WOOOOOO!

Music of the Week: Ashes of Time by Audiomachine

Quote: "A person must find the courage to live a complete and full life. We learn to live when we stop being afraid and by engaging in critical analysis of our own thoughts, motives, emotions, and behavior. A tolerant person who lives without fear extends charity to the entire world. Courage always precedes an act of human grace, which expresses the luminosity of the human soul." By Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls.

---

Naruto opened his eyes. It was cold again. His entire body was freezing, and he was sure he was breathing heavily. He was gripping something hard and sharp. Wherever he was, it was very windy. It forced his sleepy eyes closed. His body shivered from the cold and the young blonde forced himself to open his eyes. He looked up. He saw a large cliff structure of stone in front of his eyes. Naruto then looked forward. Naruto gasped and his grip nearly slipped when he saw the skeletal remains of at least three unidentifiable bodies staring at him, their mouth agape with shock, horror, and terror. Each one was etched into the side of the cliff. If Naruto had to give them a comparison, then they were clear signs to any climb of the fate that awaited them if they continued in their path.

Keeping his hand on the jutting rock structure, Naruto steadied his breathing. Heh, it was kind of funny. If his memory had served him right, then he had just defeated Kushimaru and Jinpachi. He had then fallen unconscious with Ahri. Truth be told, Naruto was surprised he even somehow made it up here. His body had been killing him before he passed out. Now, his body was just very, very cold. An icy wind blew through his hair and stung his face. His clothes flapped in the wind and the young blonde felt another chill surge through his body. Once the wind settled, Naruto turned around to check his surroundings.

To be honest, he wished he hadn't.

Naruto was on the side of a bottomless mountain, hanging on to the thinnest piece of crevice that he could. His feet were stabbed into the side of the cliff and only now did Naruto notice the pain in his open-toed sandals from the blades of earth that its sharp shapes. Yet, Naruto also couldn't deny that his eyes were solely focused on the sight of the clouds beneath his feet. His lungs felt like they would burst. The air was so thin up here. Granted, Naruto didn't know how high he was, but in his mind, he was definitely high enough. All he could see was a sea of white clouds which covered everything below him.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a calming breath, but that breath turned into a cough when he felt the thin mountain air in his chest. Naruto looked up. His hazy eyes narrowed. He saw no top to this massive monolith of pure rock and ice in front of him. Yet, this icy wind and this cold, Naruto found himself remembering it from the first time he had been here. The muscles in his hands tensed up.

"Mount Targon," Naruto said, sleep still evident in his voice. Naruto couldn't say for sure if he was actually on this mountain or if he was having another dream. Who could figure out the difference anymore? Another blast of wind found Naruto's face and this one seemed to be a bit harsher than the others. It nearly made Naruto's hands slip. The young jinchuuriki stabbed his nails into the rock. It kept him steady. Once the wind settled, he released a pant.

He didn't get it. What could a location have against him? What could a damn piece of elevated earth and rock want with him so badly that it drew him in almost every chance it could get? He did not know the answers to these questions. He contemplated just going down. That could be the easier thing to do than doing anything else. Perhaps he could then find some more safe answers. He supposed that was easy enough.

Naruto leaned up with his body and dropped it down. If he recalled there was a piece of the cliff for him to stand on. He leaned his foot down and the young blonde felt the air slipped out of his lungs and he couldn't resist a yelp from his mouth when he found himself hanging to the mountain with just his hands. Naruto looked down and he saw absolutely no platform for him to stand on. "What? I know it was there. I stepped on it to correct my balance," Naruto said to himself. The cogs in the genin's mind turned for a moment and he then glared up at the mountain in realization. There was no going down from this. The only way you were escaping this mountain and this path was if you died. Either you made it to the top or you died. It was as simple as that.

Naruto sucked in a breath, which still burned his lungs, and pulled himself up allowing his feet to stab into the rocks again. Naruto was sure that someone, somewhere was having a nice time making fun of his current situation. Very well mountain, the blonde young man would play your game for now. So, despite how tired he felt, Naruto started climbing. He grunted as his still growing arms, legs, and muscles worked themselves against the mountain.

He grunted as he pulled himself up to another steep rock formation. He could feel even the smallest stone dig into his skin causing both discomfort and irritation, but he kept moving. He found a stable ledge which turned around a bend of the mountain. He pressed his body against the wall and shuffled himself atop the ledge. All the while he stared at the mountain wall, he passed too many frozen and aged skeletons that had gotten stuck in the ancient mountain's body. Each of their horrified expressions filled the furthest reaches of his mind. They told him to go back. They told him what would happen if he continued this path. Naruto felt like he didn't have THAT many options. He was out in the freezing cold, climbing a mountain with no equipment, this mountain apparently had a sense of humor and rebuffed his attempt to leave. Perhaps this was one of Iruka's…scenarios where you were screwed if you did and screwed if you didn't.

With a huff that nearly took his breath away, Naruto pulled himself up. The frozen rock was very slippery which resulted in Naruto having to really keep his nails in place to keep from slipping. The pain resonated into his mind. He gritted his teeth and the cold air blew away the sweat on his face. If this was some kind of ridiculous prank, Naruto wasn't amused by it. Swinging his body, the blonde made it to the next platform. He fell to his knees and panted lightly. His hair was covered in frost and shards of ice. His hands were stained by the surface of the stones he had used for leverage.

"You did this! You did this to me! Demon of Konoha! You took my life away from me!" a voice shouted. Naruto glanced up and to his surprise, he saw a Kiri nin staring at him with utter hatred in his eyes. Naruto frowned for a moment. No way could Kiri shinobi be here. Well, unless…they had come here with Naruto and if that was the case…

"You…how did you get here? I thought I was the only one climbing this thing. Have you see anything weird going on here?" Naruto asked. Yet, he could feel the killer intent rolling off the shinobi in front of him. Naruto couldn't place it, but the man didn't look ordinary. He almost looked…unnatural in a sense. The way his face contorted and the way his body seemed to have irregular symmetry. Nothing about the man spoke of natural causes at all.

Naruto was surprised by the man's speed when he charged him. He grabbed Naruto by the throat and stuffed him into the frozen snow. "DON'T TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT, YOU MURDERER! YOU COULD HAVE FOUND ANOTHER WAY! YOU COULD HAVE BEATEN THEM WITHOUT KILLING OUR PEOPLE! Oh, but let me guess, they weren't your people so you didn't have to care that you were toying with lives. You used the people's passion for our village to drive us to our deaths!" He said.

Naruto found another thing that was odd. This man's strength was…even stronger than Jinpachi's. Given that Naruto had been…very up close with both Kushimaru and Jinpachi, he felt he had a pretty good estimation since he…quite literally got his face pounded into by Kushimaru. He felt no shame in admitting that. So…the fact that this man seemed to have the gripping strength of Jinpachi and Kushimaru…times ten was something Naruto was not dealing with very well.

"Y-Y-You're shinobi! I did what I had to!" Naruto explained. Yet, that only seemed to make the man angrier. He picked up the young jinchuuriki and threw him across the snow. The genin coughed as he dug the snow out of his mouth. Naruto couldn't resist a slight snarl of his own. Naruto made sure to inform everyone! Anyone who was willing to die back in Kirigakure was doing their part to keep the village running! It was what shinobi were supposed to do! Shinobi were supposed to die for their village. The same would have been expected of him if it was Konoha. These people were no different.

He leaned up and stared at the man who had just assaulted him. Naruto breathed out cold air. "I won't get to see my son anymore. I won't get to see him gather the hand of a wonderful woman and continue the line. I won't get to see my daughter grow into a fine woman like her mother. You! You robbed me of all of that! You robbed us of all of that! You…You…YOU SHOULD PAY FOR THIS!" He hollered. His voice forced the ice above them to crack and Naruto covered his head when massive bundles of snow and cracked ice.

"Why didn't you die with us? You made the plan! Why didn't you die with us to protect the village? Was I…just a pawn to you?" Naruto saw the snow under his feet begin to shift. He watched a female kunoichi come out of the blanket of white. He looked at her bruised body and he even saw the traces of blood upon her uniform. Her face was just as disjointed as the man's face. Most likely it had come from the fierce pressure of the waters when it had submerged Kirigakure.

"We're all pawns for our village. I did the best I could! What do you want from me?" Naruto asked. He had worked hard for Kirigakure. He had delivered Mei to them. He had carried her through a literal zone of civil war. He spent days running on less than three hours of sleep steering a ship to get his unorthodox team to Kirigakure. He had to come up with a plan to get them into a compromised Kirigakure and he STILL had to form a plan against the invasion itself. What…what more did he have to give?! Why did everyone have to look to a damn child like him to have the answers?! Why couldn't anyone think of anything on their own?! What Naruto had done wasn't anything special! It was just a damn tactic to keep the village standing!

"We want you to die with us! Die like a true hero!" Naruto quickly shifted into one of his learned taijutsu stances. He watched as countless other shinobi pulled themselves up from the snow. Each one of them seemed even more deformed than the last one. Naruto felt a bead of sweat fall down his face. The cold air smacked him in the face.

"Die with us! Die with us! Die with us! Die with us! Die with us JUST LIKE THE REST OF YOUR LINEAGE!" They cried as they charged him. Naruto found his body stunned, unwilling to move to his commands. It disobeyed his desires and his wishes. The platform he had once been on looked smaller and smaller as countless bodies clung to him smiling sickly and cruelly. Perhaps for once, Naruto was ashamed that…he didn't fight back. He could only feel the heavy bodies drag him from the mountain and into the darkness of the valleys which laid below. Cursing, Naruto closed his eyes.

He gasped and opened his eyes. It was no longer cold. It was very humid and hot. Hot trails of wind blew against his face. Naruto covered his eyes when sand blew into his eyes. He coughed and noticed a massive scan of sand dunes over his vision. "Where would your selfishness lead you?!" a voice asked him. Sweat poured from his face and he looked up at the blistering sun.

"I…do not know," he thought to himself, but he continued walking. Sand filled his shoes as trudged through the barren desert. Naruto was suddenly aware of how thirsty he felt when he walked. Miles and miles of desert laid in front of him. The sun beat against the back of his body. He took off his shirt, but he never stopped walking.

"Die with us! Die with us! DIE WITH US ACCURSED DRAGON!"

Voice after voice kept him moving. The sand shifted around him. It looked ready to devour him if he stopped in his steps. "I'm not going to die," Naruto replied. He slowly covered his eyes when another blast of wind hit his face, carrying grains of sand. Hot breath escaped his lips, but he didn't stop walking.

Naruto was not aware of time anymore. He wondered how many miles he walked. Yet, the sun did not set. Night did not offer relief for him with its coolness. All he could feel was the burning rage of the sun on his body, yet he did not bear the star any hatred. He couldn't help loving it. How could you love something only when it was good to you? That wasn't fair. "Orphan! Disgrace! Pathetic brat! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT THE SPAWN OF A WHORE AND A BASTARD! THE AIR YOU BREATHE IS AS TOXIC TO ALL LIFE AS IS YOUR WILL! BURN IN HELL WHERE YOU BELONG!"

The voices never stepped. For all that he walked, the voices never released him from torment. What…had Naruto done to deserve this? What was happening to him? He just didn't understand. He wished he had some answers, but he didn't know where to start looking. He just leaned his head up and huffed into the blasting wind and the burning sun.

More time passed, and Naruto cursed as he felt his legs twitch. His legs were starting to give on him. He could feel the muscles in his ankle slowly spraining. He could feel the muscles and bones in his tendons working just to not collapse. He wondered if he would actually fall here. However, he looked up and he tried to push the sweat out of his eyes when he saw a massive city. He gasped when he saw massive stone roads and monoliths leading to the city. A massive sun disk laid at the center of its core. Surrounding the disk were two pillars of lovely stone construction. Yet, it looked so empty and lifeless. He watched water flow to and from its canals giving life back to the desert which it had been birthed from.

Naruto trembled and walked to the city, but his legs gave out for a moment. He coughed as he rolled through the sand towards the city and planted his body firmly into the ground. He coughed the essence of the desert from his lips and stood up. He walked to the city. Nothing was there to deter him. It got bigger and bigger, its magnificent radiance and structured obelisks caught his attention.

He walked up to the large city gates. There were no guards. There were no people. There was…nothing. He walked inside. Houses littered the capital and lovely blankets floating from various clothes of silk, satin, and cotton filled the streets. Each building seemed to be molded in honor of the Great Desert which had either the power to drive men mad or grant people the treasures it had buried. Yet, he kept walking.

Not a soul was to be found in the capital. It was void of all life and meaning. Still, he kept walking. He could feel a force guiding him, pushing him, propelling him to its destination. "Why do you fight?! Why do you care?! The world doesn't need your kind anymore! When we asked for your help you were gone! PEOPLE SHED TEARS OF BLOOD AWAITING YOUR RETURN! WHY DO YOU COME BACK NOW?!" It screamed. The blonde's ears picked up on a massive crash. He turned around the young jinchuuriki watched as a massive sandstorm threatened to flood the city of sand and gold. However, he didn't find the strength to run. He could only walk. He was so tired. Who was waiting for him? He didn't know of anyone waiting for him. He…was just one person.

He turned corners and entered streets, but once he left the general populace area he noticed a massive temple home fit for an emperor. He walked inside, and Naruto bathed in its coolness. Yet, he didn't stop. He noticed a line of stairs and walked up them. Each step made his feet curse his name when he moved them, but his mind was too far gone. His breath was short, and his sweat stained the stairs. Yet, he kept moving.

He moved, and moved, and moved until he came outside once again. It was there that he noticed an altar of some kind. He didn't know its exact structural origin, but it was washed with what looked to be gold ore. He walked up to the altar and the blonde saw drawings and images of dragons roaming the desert, fire upon their lips as they crushed the landscape. He watched as another pair of dragons fought them thus creating the sand from heat and earth to allow humanity to live in its barren wastefulness. "Aren't you tired, young master? Aren't you ready to give up like the rest of your lineage has? After all, no one showed appreciation for what you did. Your name will be forgotten in the annals of history. Yet, what makes you keep going? What do you see in those eyes?" it asked.

He looked up and saw another flight of stairs. They led right to the sun disk. He pushed himself wearily off the altar and fell at the steps. He walked up them. No even his second step in and he felt his leg grabbed. He turned around and noticed a yellow-haired man looking at him, his eyes…eerily similar to his own. "Naruto, keep moving. I'm so sorry for all of this. It's my fault. Find me and I will give you all your answers, but you must endure. Keep enduring. Because…that is what will make you give hope to the hopeless, give strength to the weak, give courage to the frightened, and give love to the hated. Keep…moving," He said a smile on his face before he blew away in sand. Naruto swallowed his dry mouth and walked up the stairs.

"THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU HERE! LEAVE!" The voice screeched as Naruto watched the sandstorm cover the city. Yet, he…kept walking. He trudged up the stairs and the sun disk glowed with the power of the sun. Its light shined on him. So many steps and some many torments, but he finally made it and dropped at the final step. His mouth ragged from the pressure and the torment of this trial that the desert had tested of him. He watched the sand rise over the entire capital. It began to cover the steps. He groaned as he urged himself up.

"WHY DO YOU FIGHT?! WHY DO YOU DECIDE THE LIVES OF MORTAL MEN TO DIE OR TO LIVE?!"

Naruto raised his hand into the glowing sun and it shined over him in glorious divinity. The sands of the desert covered his body as his hand touched itself into the glowing essence of the sun disk. "Because…no one else will." Naruto replied as the sand covered his vision.

-x-

Naruto slowly opened his eyes. Sunlight beamed on his face and forced his pupils shut for a moment. He could hear the loud beeps of a monitor right next to him. Turning his head, Naruto grunted in a small satisfaction when he felt the sun's rays kiss his cheek. Funny, that bright star seemed to be fueling him more than it previously did. It felt wonderful on his features. He then turned his head around to the noise. He saw an IV strap next to him. Covering his mouth was an oxygen mask which constantly filled his lungs with air. His body was very sore and even moving his arm resulted in a stinging sensation.

Naruto turned his gaze downward and he saw his body adorned with bandages and gauzes. They wrapped his body like he was some kind of unearthed mummy from the ground. It was…slightly uncomfortable and itchy, but it wasn't like Naruto was in any position to do anything about it. He just rested his head on his pillow now aware of a certain weight that had been on his legs. The young blonde genin shifted his eyes downward. His eyes softened when he saw Mei Terumi resting at the foot of his bed. He gave a painful smile.

"You know, you should be in bed too. Stubborn lady," Naruto croaked out. He watched her body rise and fall over his legs. She still looked pale and she looked like she hadn't been eating a whole lot, but at this point, he was just happy that she was even breathing. Naruto shifted in his bed for a moment. This was how many times he had been on that mountain? He couldn't recall, but his features slowly mellowed out. Could he have done better? He knew he should have done better. In his perfect scenario, no one in Kiri died and all the rebel forces would have been dispelled. Again, that was the perfect scenario. Yet, Naruto obviously knew that no scenarios were perfect. He just…didn't know what he could have done better.

Naruto heard the door slowly open. He turned his eyes to the corner of the room. He watched Kakashi, Yozora, and Ao come through the door. Their surprise was so evident that Naruto couldn't resist a small smirk. "Naruto-san, you're awake!" Yozora said excitedly, but softly. He just offered her a slight nod. Their relief was a tad foreign to him if only because he had not known too many people to show happiness over his existence. True, it wasn't like Naruto to dwell on these things previously, but…he was in a hospital room with limited mobility. It wasn't like he was going somewhere. He had things to think about.

"How long have I been out? And, how long has she been here?" Naruto asked gesturing towards the Godaime Mizukage. The others spared her sleeping body a glance and Ao placed a small blanket over her body. Yozora took a set in a chair while Kakashi moved over to the side. Naruto watched them surround him if only for a moment. Kakashi opened the window allowing for warm air to fill Naruto's nose. Everyone could still smell the sea in the air, but that was to be expected.

"Before we get to that, how are you feeling? The available medic nin in Kirigakure tended to you and Mizukage-sama first," Kakashi said. Naruto glanced at his Jonin sensei. It had been quite a while before he could gaze at his assigned teacher again. Kakashi seemed adequately…peaceful with what had transpired even though Naruto had not been very forthcoming with his plans for Kiri's survival.

"Well, I still feel sore if you're asking nicely. Though I don't know if I'll be leaving this bed anytime soon. I also feel very hungry, and thirsty," Naruto remarked. Yozora, feeling a request had been made, reached for a pitcher of water and poured Naruto a cup. She aided him in drinking since he was unable to do so. Ao told him that he would the young man something to eat once their business had been concluded. The genin was fine with that. Kakashi had promised him that they weren't going to take very long.

"Alright Naruto, it was a very…eye-opening battle that you fought in. You've been asleep for at least a week. You had multiple fractures and even some broken bones, but it seems that you're healing up as well as we could have imagined. They believe you will be able to walk by the middle of next week," Kakashi said to him. If Naruto were honest, he would have chuckled mirthlessly because his body sure didn't feel like it would be getting up by next week.

Naruto turned his head and looked up at the ceiling. "I see," Naruto said. He then decided to bring up his second question that he had asked prior to the answer and the young blond almost wished that he hadn't. He saw Yozora hold her head down. Kakashi seemed a tad troubled. Yet, Naruto noticed Ao was the most saddened, and the angriest. The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko watched the prideful man tear his skin with his nails.

"That…actually leads us into our next point, Naruto-san. It seems that Mei-san, under the jurisdiction of Kirigakure, will be executed at the end of next week," Yozora said. Kakashi lowered his gaze to the ground. Ao bit his lip hard enough to make it bleed, but everyone was surprised when they saw the look in Naruto's eyes. He was definitely not pleased. Ao, Yozora, and Kakashi felt a bead of sweat drop from their faces. It kept telling them that what they had seen was no accident. Naruto had truly done all of those miraculous things back in Kiri.

They saw the clouds darken in the sky. Naruto's eyes rapidly changed from blue to a bright silver color. His bedsheets flapped in the air from his unrestrained power. "Explain. Now!" Naruto ordered, a voice full of regality and authority escaping his lips. The others took one more glance outside and they saw a massive rainfall overcoming the remnants of what could be Kirigakure. Lightning flashed through the sky.

"Naruto-san, please calm down. You'll…wake Mei-san," Yozora pleaded. Everyone in the room knew what she was trying to do, even Naruto. He glanced down at the sleeping Mizukage. She had the most peaceful smile on her face. Soon enough, the lightning dispersed and the rain lessened, however, it didn't stop. The power which surrounded Naruto vanished away, but the majestic allure of his silver eyes never faded.

"Naruto-san, we all know what has likely happened to Mei-san. We can't even begin to imagine the cruelty that was inflicted on her. It made some of the medic-nin uneasy about the diagnosis being given to her. Insomnia, fatal chakra exhaustion, fits of rage, anxiety, malnourishment, unstable bouts of fears, and she's very…sensitive to anyone. Naruto-san, I don't think we need to tell you this, but Mei-san…broke," Yozora said. Naruto's eyes softened and he turned to Mei. He saw the bright smile she wore.

"Naruto," The young man in question glanced up and stared into his sensei's eyes. "She divulged Kirigakure's innermost secrets to the enemy. It was why the war lasted as long as it did. The rebels were almost fully in control of the situation. If it wasn't for them slipping and asking Konoha for aid then this land would already be in the rebel's hands. Naruto, do you know what it means when the nation's leader breaks?" Kakashi asked and Naruto didn't feel like answering. A thousand scenarios ran through his head and none of them were good.

The Kage was the symbol of the village. The Kage was the strongest shinobi that rested in the walls of the nation. If that symbol faded…then who could the people turn to? No one wanted to follow a leader who couldn't withstand adversity. Yes, they didn't blame her, but…they couldn't trust her. Truth be told, as harsh as it was, if Naruto didn't understand Mei, then he probably would have agreed with their decision and that made him angry. He wondered why this was happening. He did not have the answers to why he suddenly shifted perspectives, but…he would not allow this to stand. Still, that did not sate all of Naruto's curiosity.

"Why are you all telling me this? Is it so you think I will watch helplessly as she is taken away from me? Get to the point," Naruto ordered. None of the adults could retain their speech enough to correct him. Yozora, Kakashi, and Naruto watched Ao drop to his knees with his head to the floor. Naruto's gaze tightened. He only just continued to stare at Ao.

"Please take Mei-sama back with you to Konoha. I cannot, in good conscience, condemn her for what has happened. How…How many could not break under such circumstances? I do not know the answer to that question, but I will not watch the Godaime Mizukage, the one who was beloved by her people, killed in front of everyone. After what people have been through, I…do not want there to be more loss and hopelessness. I understand what I am asking you, but...Mei-sama trusts only you, Naruto-san. You are the only one I can ask. Please, grant Kirigakure this wish." Ao replied his head to the ground still.

Naruto stared at Ao for a very long time. He was thinking so much. One didn't just sneak a Kage into another village. A Kage was a nationwide icon. There was no way she wouldn't be unrecognizable if people saw her, but if she didn't leave then she would die and right now, Naruto was not fit enough to protect her. He then turned to Kakashi. "Where are Sakura and Sasuke?" he asked.

His sensei was a little thrown off by the question but cleared his throat. "They are outside assisting in the relief effort. Sakura's a little shaken up by what happened, but I suppose that's understandable. She's…holding up. Sasuke's…been training. I think he's coming to terms with his first war. I believe your friend, Isaribi-san, has been speaking with him about training. Why do you ask?" Kakashi said. Naruto closed his eyes and then he looked at Mei. He strangely found himself fond of her. She just slept so peacefully, and innocently. She was like his own child…that was older than him. Yeah, that.

"I don't think I can carry Mei like I did last time so I'll need some help. I'll have to speak with them later," Naruto said. Ao widened his eyes as did Kakashi and Yozora. They just watched and heard Naruto groan as he leaned up and forward. He brushed a bandaged hand through Mei's hair. Yes, he would make sure that she never lost that smile. If those Kiri shinobi who died for his plan were unhappy then that was their own problem. Naruto would not apologize for this. The others just settled for smiling. They didn't know why, but Naruto seemed so radiant at that point. The rain stopped and the clouds parted to allow the sun to come forth.

The long week had weighed on Naruto, but he had managed some movement that led to light walking at the start of the next week. It was a first time for Naruto to be outside. The remnants of Kirigakure had moved marginally away from the village, but Naruto could still see the aftereffects of the flooding. It would probably be another couple of weeks before all the water receded. In the meantime, Mei seemed to stick to Naruto like glue. Wherever he went, she went and Naruto found it rather adorable than irritating. He had managed to see Sakura, Sasuke, and Isaribi with Sakura being in a tearful, but delightful mood at seeing her teammate among the living. Sasuke just made some casual grunts, but Naruto could feel the Uchiha was pleased as well. Isaribi merely gave Naruto a knowing smirk. Naruto was sure Isaribi would be returning with him as well.

Still, throughout the week, Naruto could feel the air growing tenser and tenser among the remnant of Kiri. People look at Mei oddly and Naruto didn't like it. Some looked at her with pity, others with anger, and some select few with sorrow. Yet, she continued to smile to Naruto for reasons that he could not ascertain. Luckily, Naruto had Sasuke and Sakura with him. By their own words, Kakashi had literally pushed them into the ground after Naruto's apparent death so they were confident they could at least…disarm civilians of all things. Still, even as the week slowly drew to a close Naruto never forgot someone else. He never forgot the one he had called to. She had always been in his thoughts.

Naruto managed to find some time away from Kirigakure, Mei, and his team. He had wandered about a mile or two outside of where the settlement was. He moved between vibrant, green trees and mossy overgrowth. His eyes narrowed when he saw the body of a bandit on the ground. He walked over it and not long after that did he find the body of five other bandits. Two males and three females littered the ground. Yet, Naruto hardly paid them any mind. He knew they had long since passed into the realm of the Shinigami. Still, he wished she had been a little more…discreet about it. Then again, he wondered if he were thinking about the wrong person.

Naruto heard the trees above him shift. There was no wind today so there was no need for them to rustle. He glanced up. "I take it you had your fun with them?" Naruto asked. His answer was a light, feminine chuckle. He then heard a hard body drop behind him. He was hardly worried when he saw nine tails flow across his view. Blue eyes stared into Yellow ones as Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, the demon fox which nearly destroyed Konoha twelve years ago, stood before Ahri, the Nine-tailed fox or as her epithet described her. One might think this was a horrible twist to a story gone wrong.

He noticed how dirty and unkempt her clothes looked. No doubt she had been hiding out here from the villagers. Naruto had a feeling his team would be asking about her when they saw her, but he wasn't going to leave her out here. Truth be told, he didn't know why she preferred the…predatorial way of dealing with her targets. Perhaps it was because of her, how did they call it, Vastayan…heritage as a fox, but Naruto could hardly say it wasn't a natural occurrence. "You know, there is nothing keeping me from doing the same to you," she said, a voice of melody flew from her mouth. He merely raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you sure you have enough magic back to do that? Or is the essence you got from those bandits just enough to sustain that form of yours?" Naruto asked. Ahri continued to look at him and it wasn't long before her eyes softened and a playful smile began to spread across her lips. She turned around and Naruto watched her sensual body move. Her tails busied themselves floating in the air around her. If Naruto were honest, his eyes lingered on her more than they probably should have. She turned around and he didn't know why he took his eyes off her.

"I suppose you're right. How strange, I feel like I'm not getting all of my magic back. I would usually need just one person to last a month, but I wonder if it's the fact that your world doesn't have too many people with what I require within them. A lot of my power was used in that fight, but I suppose I can't bring myself to regret it. I did manage to meet someone interesting after all. He even managed to call out to me through the vastness of the cosmos. I can't say this has ever happened to me before. It's strange when I was near you before I felt a massive amount of magical energy fluctuating around you. Now, I barely feel anything. Why is that?" Ahri asked.

Naruto rose an eyebrow. She felt…the power of magic from Runeterra around him? Naruto had no idea why she felt that way. He had never been to Runeterra and he most certainly didn't know of the existence of magic before even meeting with the other handful of residents from that world. "Any guess you have would be as good as mine. I'm still trying to figure out why I acted that way. I'm not optimistic enough to think that was normal. I've been having weird dreams, voices in my head, and odd changes to my body. I couldn't begin to explain that. However, another question in my head is why you're all the way out here by yourself," Naruto said. Perhaps if he had thought about it, and the medicinal drugs not in his system, then the answer might have been obvious.

His question seemed to amuse Ahri for a moment. He watched her jump into one of the tree branches and swing herself up and down. Her beautiful, black hair swung with her body before she sailed through the air and landed in front of him. "On Runeterra, my appearance isn't all that unusual, but I'm sure we both know I wouldn't be accepted by any of the populace…," Ahri said, her voice trailing off when she looked at Naruto. He watched her trace a finger on his stomach right where his seal resided.

"…especially given the life that you have endured. Humans, how frail to discredit what is beyond their understanding, but I suppose that brings a certain…charm to them. Remember, I saw all of your life. I have been called many things, but 'demon' was not one of them. In addition, I'm not to keen to fully integrate myself into such a hostile society. That headband of yours marks your allegiance to your village. I don't understand why you would ally yourself with a place that has caused you suffering. It's not something I would do," she replied to him. Her eyes lingered on his form for a moment before she turned around. She began to walk off.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. Ahri gave pause. There was that magic again. She turned her head and she saw just the faintest glimpses of the power which had covered both her and the blonde in their battle for the future of Kirigakure. His eyes slowly opened and Ahri's face must have shown surprise because she couldn't hold her gaze with those amazing silver eyes of his that commanded attention. She couldn't believe she had broken her gaze to look at the ground. "You're right. I don't protect Konoha out of our philosophical…Will of Fire that my Hokage told me about. I don't have that many people I enjoy seeing in Konoha. However, the point still stands that I have people in Konoha who I like. They live there and I will protect the place where they live. I don't expect you to do the same. You've done enough for me as it is. However, I cannot in good conscience leave you out here. You still haven't received any help when you got injured," Naruto said.

It was at this point that the fox woman looked over her body. He wasn't wrong in that regard. She still felt very tired and she was sure that some of her wounds were still open. The bandits that she had captured were not as easy as she would like to have boasted. It was obvious that the natural skill level of this world was much higher than her previous one. She was sure she could survive her, but the aura was not something she was used to. She also didn't know whether to consider his offer of help an act of pity or an act of interest. She was not above using others' pity for her own needs, but interest would have thrown her for a loop if there was one. "I'll be your responsibility," she remarked.

"I'm sure I can handle it," Naruto returned to her. She rose an eyebrow at him and she turned to face him. The tall woman and the short…ish young man continued to stare at each other. Who knew how much time passed between the both of them. They just continued to look at each other. Her yellow eyes peered into him, but she could find no ounce of his will that would falter. She was actually surprised and she couldn't help finding a bit of intrigue in this. One of her tails swiped at the whisker marks on his cheek which reminded her so much of her own. "I assume I know the answer already, but say I did go with you, how would you like me?" She asked. Ahri didn't deny that she had a little bit of satisfaction at seeing Naruto's face contort in confusion for a moment. She couldn't hide her amusement at his features.

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked. Ahri decided to have some form of mercy on her young summoner. Still, she was sure that this was going to set up some interesting revelations down the line. She offered Naruto a light chuckle, something the blonde was a little cautious of, but he couldn't deny that there was something oddly…comforting about that laugh and smile. He just watched her straighten up.

"I assume no tails?" she asked, her tails dancing through the air like a handful of flowers brushing through the air and the wind. The jinchuuriki glanced at the tails for a moment and Ahri gave him a view of each one of them. He watched as the tails either brushed against the ground or wrapped themselves around the woman's body. He now understood the weight of her question and that he had just been messed with. Well, if Ashe could reply, then she would say that Naruto was no stranger to banter.

Walking forward, to Ahri's surprise, Naruto slowly picked up one of the tails from the ground. It felt even softer his bedsheets and pillow. The nine-tailed woman glanced at him and Naruto offered her a confident if knowing smile. Ahri was not used to be put on edge very often and only a couple of people had made her do that, but she might have had to count this as one of those times. She watched him lean over and plant a kiss on one of her tails. Now, what Ahri didn't believe to be common knowledge to most…non-Vastayans was that for some Vastayans who had…flexible appendages, that area could be particularly sensitive when receiving direct stimuli. To be more precise, it was akin to touching the skin of a person. So, forgive the nine-tailed fox of Runeterra if she felt a bit of her pride shatter when a light blush appeared on her cheek.

Naruto smirked before he started to walk away, taking his time over Ahri's handiwork of the bandits. "I'll leave that up to your sole discretion. Though, it would be a bit easier for you and me if you just came without the tails and the ears. We'll be leaving in two days so make sure you're ready to go. We'll be leaving at night," Naruto said. He walked off leaving Ahri without a response. It was perhaps the first time in a while she couldn't give a proper retort to the current situation. She just watched him leave before she turned around and resumed her own devices.

For Naruto, those two days seemed to pass by in a blur of inactivity. He hadn't seen Ahri in those two days and he supposed he was fine with that. He had been confined to bed rest for the remainder of the two days while he was within Kirigakure. Mei continued to stay with him. Sakura and Sasuke checked in on him every few hours giving him a general update on the village's status. Most of the shinobi who had water release techniques had been working tirelessly to funnel the ocean out of the flooded village. Naruto had received a report from Sasuke about a couple of council members, Sasuke wasn't aware of their names, that spoke with Ao outside Naruto's door while the blond had been sleeping. Apparently, they were trying to move Mei into a holding cell early. Ao had argued that Naruto had been the one to save Kiri and their Mizukage so that she might be brought to justice, and Mei, under stressful circumstances, had…formed a psychological bond with Naruto. He pleaded with them to not only see how much pain she likely could have been in but to also remember the Kage that she used to be. He had stated that there would be no harm in allowing her to live her life to the fullest for her last couple of days.

That seemed to appease the council and they left her alone for the coming days, but they had warned Ao that a shinobi guard would look for her the next morning after those two days. She would get her last meal, write out a last request of sorts and then she would die. The seas of Kirigakure would claim their Godaime Mizukage as it had done to the four previous Kage. In the eyes of Kirigakure, that was honorable enough for a traitor of a Kage. Ao had thanked them for their kindness. When he had heard this, Naruto merely lulled the Mei to sleep as she rested on his bruised lap. Yes, it hurt, but Naruto would accept that hurt if it meant she was happy.

The night quickly fell over Kirigakure. Naruto was slowly shaken awake and he opened his eyes to see Kakashi, Sakura, Yozora, and Sasuke waiting for him to open his eyes. "It's time to go, Naruto," Kakashi said. Naruto straightened up and pulled the sleep out of his eyes. He quickly nodded and gently awoke Mei. Her eyes opened and she saw the bright, blue eyes of Naruto upon her.

"Come on, Mei. It's time to go. Do you know where we're going, Mei?" Naruto asked. She shook her head at his question, still a little drowsy and disoriented. "Home, Mei. You're coming to live with me now. Do you know why?" Naruto then asked. Mei, for all that she couldn't speak, she still understood what Naruto was implying. Mei was hardly stupid. Far from it. Mei could see the signs as well and she was a Kage. She knew what was waiting for her if she didn't go with him. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised, but…she didn't want to die. She didn't want to be separated from him again. Even in death, she probably couldn't have taken it. An eternity of anguish would have awaited her soul. She…she wanted to be selfish. She wanted to live…just a while longer. She didn't want to leave his side just yet.

Everyone saw Mei nod to him. "I swore I would never forsake you, didn't I? Do you trust me, Mei?" Naruto asked. Mei nodded without even a second of thought. Of course, she trusted him. How could she not? After all he had done for her? How could she even think about him doing anything without her benefit in mind? She just continued to nod until tears fell from her eyes. She continued to nod until Naruto stopped her. Team Seven was silent as Mei cried. Mei cried for her weakness in divulging Kirigakure's secrets. Mei cried for her weakness not fight like a true shinobi. Mei cried for Naruto having to risk his life to save her. Mei cried for the people who died to keep her and Kirigakure standing. Mei cried for the happiness that she got while others lost so much in standing next to her Light. Naruto gently brushed a hand through her long hair and he held her as she released all of her frustration into the sheets of his hospital bed.

Naruto would like to have said that getting out of Kirigakure under the cover of night was difficult, but it really wasn't all that hard. Ao had stationed most of the guards and it was easy for Team Seven and Yozora to sign Naruto out of the hospital. That said, Sasuke had to hold Naruto to his feet for a couple of minutes because the drugs that were still in his body had quickly messed with his body. Naruto and Sasuke made a vow to never talk about it. Meanwhile, Kakashi was designated the guider of Mei while Sakura kept the lookout. Naruto had to say that whatever training Kakashi had beat into them, Sasuke and Sakura definitely had an air of trained genin. Well, Sasuke had that, but he had it even more right now.

It wasn't long before Team Seven made it to the shoreline. They were surprised to see Ao with a handful of shinobi. Naruto saw Isaribi on top of a large ship with a captain and crew waiting for them. "Ao told me you might come along," Naruto said. The girl glanced at him for a moment and she then smiled. She slowly nodded and jumped down to the sandy shores. She smiled at him.

"I don't have a reason to stay here anymore. I also don't really have anywhere else to go. I guess you'll just have to put up with me for a little longer," Isaribi said. Naruto smirked and gave her a full nod. Ao then walked up to the group along with a young boy with bright, light-blue hair. The handful of shinobi turned to face Mei. Each person seemed torn to see this happen, but Ao and they bowed to her.

"Mizukage-sama, this is our fault. We were supposed to protect you and we were supposed to help you. Not only have we let you down, but we have let our great nation down as well. You mustn't think yourself responsible for our errors. We will make Kirigakure as great as it once was. I beg of you, please live a great new life. You need not worry about Kirigakure. We're…we're so sorry for our utmost shameful failure!" Ao said. They all bowed on their knees and heads. Mei just closed her eyes and nodded. She…truly loved the citizens of Kirigakure.

Sakura and Isaribi slowly guided Mei into the ship. Yozora and Kakashi followed close behind them. Naruto seemed to be gaining his balance so Sasuke let him walk. Ao quickly walked up to him. "Naruto-san, thank you for all you've done. We cannot express our gratitude, but we hope that…this will let you know that while Kirigakure might not be Konoha's ally, we will forever hold you in immense regard for what you have done. Have a safe trip and do return someday," Ao said holding out a scroll in front of the blonde. Naruto blinked, but he took the scroll.

"I will do that. Thank you, Ao-san. I hope Kirigakure prospers well under your citizenship. Have no worries, I will make sure Mei never faces another terrible event like what has happened here," Naruto proclaimed. Ao closed his eye and he quickly agreed. That…was all they wanted. That…was all Mei Terumi deserved. They all bowed to Naruto one more time before they ushered Naruto onto the ship. Naruto glanced back at Kirigakure. His eyes narrowed for a moment before a smile appeared on his face.

A rustle came from the overgrowth and Naruto noticed Ahri come forward. Yet, he noticed a distinct lack of fox ears and foxtails. She gave a slight smile to him before she found a kunai in front of her face. Ahri frowned. "Who are you? And what are you doing out here?" Ao asked. Naruto sighed. He forgave the man. Emotions were rather high and tense at the moment.

"It's alright, Ao-san. She's with us," Naruto said. Ao glanced back and gave Ahri an apology explaining his reasons. Ahri waved them off and entered the ship. The doors closed behind them and the crew sounded the signal for them all to sail. Ao, and the faithful shinobi of Konoha loyal to Mei watched the ship get smaller and smaller until it was out of sight. Ao sighed with a nod of his head. Yes, everything was as it should have been. Pretty soon, there was nothing for them to see and they dispersed, the will of their Mizukage in their hearts and minds.

-x-

The morning came and Kakashi knocked on Naruto's door. "Come in," Naruto said. Kakashi opened the door allowing Sasuke, Yozora, and Sakura in. It was a surprise that they saw Isaribi and Ahri in the room with Naruto along with the sleeping Mizukage. Her head rested on his lap as the warm sun beamed into the blonde's room. They watched their blonde teammate's right hand run through her long auburn hair. She seemed very peaceful. The group seemed very cautious of the nine-tailed woman for obvious reasons, but Ahri hardly paid them a second glance. She merely looked out the window at the tides of this new land.

Naruto knew what they were in his room for and, honestly, he wished he had more time to prepare some answers, but…he wasn't going to deny his team because they had earned those answers. "Naruto, this might be a bad time, but…we have questions," Kakashi asked. Naruto nodded in agreement with his team leader. He released a tired breath and brushed a hand through his hair. Making sure to get himself into a comfortable position against the wall, he allowed the questions.

"Naruto, I have to know," Kakashi said, pointing towards Ahri. In all likelihood, Naruto supposed that question shouldn't have been a surprise. Everyone glanced towards Ahri. Her tails gently swayed through the air almost mocking their gazes. "Is…she the Kyuubi?" Kakashi continued. No one, but Naruto saw her roll her eyes at this supposed accusation. She seemed like she was now beginning to understand what her blonde summoner had been speaking about with this scrutiny if she just went out like how she was. Truly it was an odd world she had been summoned to. Granted, this didn't make her any less interested.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, gently brushing Mei's hair before he opened his eyes. "No, Kakashi-sensei, she's not the Kyuubi no Yoko. Her name is Ahri. She comes from the same world as Fiora-san. I summoned her during my battle with Kushimaru and Jinpachi," Naruto explained. The group gave her one last glance and to say that Kakashi felt relieved was taking it too lightly, but no one dropped their guard around her. Yozora seemed especially interested.

"How fascinating if you think about it. I don't know whether to call her appearance as Anthropomorphic or Zoomorphic. Plus, I don't sense any malicious chakra radiating from her. I bet she would make an exquisite study," Yozora said, but she watched Ahri glare at her for a moment. Yozora took a slight step back when Ahri gave the group her full attention.

"The 'she' you're referring to has a name, and I would suggest you use it. Also, Naruto, I would suggest you teach your team to not use the word 'experiment' so lightly. I have had enough," Ahri said and she stood to her feet. The others wordlessly watched in awe as her tails vanished and her ears faded with her use of magic. She then walked out of the door, a slam added for emphasis. Everyone was surprised when Mei did not waken. In response, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Amazing tact as always, Yozora-san," Naruto replied. Yozora blushed and glanced at the ground obviously disappointed in her wording. She hadn't meant…that experimenting, but she supposed these people were definitely a lot more sensitive than she had expected. She would have to apologize at a later time. Sometimes Yozora really needed someone to rein in her excitement with the unknown. Nevertheless, the group turned back to Naruto. He waited for their questions.

"How…How did you survive? We thought you were dead when you were taken by the sea chains. Where did you go? How did you get to Kirigakure?" Sakura asked. Seeing Naruto still had her a tad shaken and he doubted that the experience in Kirigakure had helped her out very much in that regard. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki moved his eyes from his team and stared out the window. The clean sea air blew across the room. From her place, Isaribi just watched the team interaction. It was definitely not what she was used to.

So, Naruto told them how he had survived. He told them about meeting Isaribi and Amachi. He told them about her unique powers which Yozora had been able to get an extensive look at. He told them about his time in his cell with Fiora and Mei. He told them how he had escaped and how he had sailed the sea for nearly a week in order to get to Kirigakure. He even told them how he had managed to get the group past Kirigakure security. It was very exhausting to recount those events and the group seemed to notice this on Naruto. Sakura had gotten the blonde something to drink to help him settle his thoughts which he had thanked her for. He then finished his tale with Fiora finding Sasuke and enlisting the Uchiha's help in the plan.

By the end of it, Kakashi was very tempted to go to the Hokage and ask that Naruto be promoted to Chunin just based off those accomplishments. He sailed a sea that he had never been on for nearly a week with less than five hours of rest and with little to no experience in nautical navigation. Plus, he managed to escape a stronghold of three A-rank missing-nin and their army of former Kiri shinobi. In addition to that, and perhaps the most startling one, was the plan he made to thwart the three shinobi and their overtake of Kirigakure. He had not only outthought them, but he had also beaten them in combat. What genin could boast that? Kakashi couldn't. Itachi couldn't. And not even Kakashi's deceased sensei could boast that. Kakashi truly had one hell of a story to tell the Sandaime once they returned.

"Where…did you get that power?" Sasuke asked. Everyone stiffened when they heard the Uchiha speak. Naruto rose an eyebrow. He didn't see frustration in Sasuke's eyes, but he saw an immense curiosity that refused to be sated by normal means. The blonde glanced down at his auburn-haired servant. She gave a warm-hearted smile against the feeling of the covers on his lap. He brushed through her long hair once more. It felt very soft and comforting.

He glanced up at his team. They all seemed to be very eager to listen to him. He was going to have to disappoint them. "I…don't know, Sasuke," Naruto answered honestly. Kakashi, Sakura, Yozora, and even Isaribi looked stunned while Sasuke started to get just a tad angry. Seeing this, Naruto held up his hand. "That is the truth, Sasuke. I really have no idea what I did," Naruto answered. Sasuke's anger quickly simmered.

Yozora sputtered. "You…Y-You don't know? Naruto-san, you were at the center of the most astronomical and environmental event anyone has ever bore witness to. I mean…look at all of this!" Yozora said taking out her notepad. She handed it to him, flipping through some pages. Naruto took the notepad and he glanced at the pictures. He could honestly say that Yozora was not an aspiring artist. He saw some clouds, the moon, the sun and these…circular looking rings in the sky. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a lone figure, he assumed was him, in the center of the drawing with a well of power flowing from him.

"Is this supposed to be me?" Naruto asked. Yozora nodded rather absently, still confused as to how he didn't know what he had done. Sakura leaned in front of him making him just a tad uncomfortable at her proximity. He was thankful that she didn't try to wake Mei up, but Naruto watched as she waved her hands around like an utter imbecile trying to describe what they had all seen.

"Are you kidding? The sun and moon shined at the same time! It was like the end of the world over there. There were several tornadoes around the whole village. We saw some massive rings of light in the sky and then the lights of the moon and sun covered you! How can't you remember that? Lightning was shooting from the sky like a hail of kunai and there were firestorms all over! There were even earthquakes. You destroyed the Kirigakure Monument! You breathed white fire from your mouth too! You were amazing!" Sakura said.

Okay, Naruto remembered those things. Or at least he remembered the fire-breathing thing. He distinctly remembered feeling powerful. He just didn't know why he felt that way or how he had gotten there. He had been so angry at Kushimaru and Jinpachi. He had just been angry with the situation in general. They dared to ruin all of his hard work as well as touch what was his! He just couldn't let it stand. Of course, it was stupid of him to assume that those three had any sense of honor, but…that was his fault. They were shinobi. There was no honor in their profession. Still, that did not excuse them. That did not justify those lesser beings from daring to encroach on his territory!

"Naruto? Are you okay?" Kakashi asked. Naruto released a breath and gently panted. What…were those thoughts? Naruto waved that he was alright and felt the sea air across his forehead. It was very refreshing. Thankfully, no one seemed to have any more question…

"Who is she?" Sasuke asked, pointing to Isaribi. Naruto's eyebrow twitched in annoyance for a moment, but he steadied himself. Suddenly, Isaribi was feeling just a bit self-conscious with everyone's gaze on her. Naruto hadn't mentioned her being a large part of the rebel forces for whatever reason and she was very grateful for that.

"She's Isaribi, the one I spoke to you guys about. She's the one who helped us escape from the island. I told her that I could offer her asylum in Konohagakure for her help. It's also thanks to her that Yozora-san, Ahri-san, and myself are even alive currently. That wave would have killed us all if it wasn't for her," Naruto answered. Isaribi took a lot of pride in that even if she had been partially responsible for some of his predicament in the first place. Yet, she received acknowledgments and thanks from his teammates and that was really all she wanted.

"Alright, I guess our interrogation is done. It's…really good to have you back, Naruto, but you're still not fully recovered even if we did sign you out of the hospital. I'm sure you'll be stuck in that bed for a while. Get some rest. I'll send someone to check on you every couple of hours. We'll…discuss the Godaime Mizukage later," Kakashi said. Naruto agreed to that. His teammates filed out of the room and left him alone. It wasn't long before sleep took Naruto and he leaned against his pillow.

It was a pretty long week, but finally, the ship settled onto land. Team Seven along with their newest additions settled on the land. They gave the captain and his crewmates a heartfelt goodbye. Isaribi helped Mei off the ship while Sasuke aided Naruto. Kakashi quickly took point in front of the group. They all then watched when Ahri made her appearance. Her ears and tails were still gone which Naruto was slightly thankful for. He didn't need his team to be on edge around her every time they looked at her.

Yet, Ahri was more than willing to ignore them, instead choosing to fascinate herself the world around her. Anything that moved on their path seemed to catch her eye. She did wander, but she never strayed too far from the group. Naruto couldn't help smiling. It was like watching a child explore the world for the first time. While he walked, Naruto wondered if he would be doing the same thing once he could get to Runeterra.

The group made about another week's worth trip back to Konohagakure. During those nights, no one saw hide nor hair of Ahri, but going off Naruto claimed that it was just best to leave her alone. He placated everyone by telling them that she wouldn't get herself into needless trouble…he hoped. Something that he had found out, unlike the others, he could get a general sense of where Ahri was. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, then he could see what she saw and felt what she felt. He wondered if the ability was reciprocated between them, but he had no way of knowing. He just knew that those days that she was away from the team she had constantly been looking at the moon. Given everything that had happened, Naruto stared at his two favorite planets in the sky as well over the course of the days. How he loved the sun and the moon.

The long week passed by and Team Seven, along with their associates, stood before Konohagakure no Sato. The smiles on everyone's faces was a delight to see. For her, Ahri merely looked down at the massive village from the hillside they all stood on. Such a wide array of structures to describe and ascertain the limits of mankind's creativity and ingenuity. Never could Ahri expect such a place to remain a smoldering pot of flame, death, and despair as Kirigakure had been. The images of the Village Hidden in the Mist still flashed through her eyes. Mankind…truly did like to kill itself, didn't it? No, perhaps that was wrong. All life desired to kill itself in one way or another.

Mei stood at Naruto's side. This…would be her home now. If honesty could be paramount here then, she was very scared. She wondered how Ao was doing. No doubt the rest of the shinobi were looking for her as quickly as they could and she couldn't help the weight of responsibility on her. She could have died like a true Kage and kunoichi, but…she had broken down. The worst of it was that no one blamed her. They still helped her. "It's okay, Mei," Naruto said, calling her attention. She watched him carefully look at her enough to stop the shivering she didn't know she had been doing.

"You swore to follow me anywhere. Leave everything to me," Naruto told her. Even though she couldn't physically do so, if she could speak she doubted that she would be able to. Even now, swells of happiness flurried inside of her. She had a young master to protect her, never abandon her, guide her, and use her. She merely nodded, a smile upon her face. No one said anything, but they all moved into the village.

Team Seven showed their identification while Naruto filled out some temporary passes for Ahri, Mei, and Isaribi. Though he wondered if Ahri even did need one, but he would rather have been safe than sorry. Yet, the task was finished without concern which allowed everyone into Konoha. Once this was done, Ahri took the time to observe the village. Her yellow eyes frowned for a moment. Honestly, if she had not seen through her blonde summoner's memories then she would have thought he was exaggerating about his treatment here. People seemed…very light-hearted here, yet she could see the side glances some people gave Naruto when they took notice of him. She watched the way his eyes pierced the crowd. It was odd, though there was hatred in their eyes and even fear in some of the others, there was no hatred to be found in his own gaze. There was only annoyance and indifference.

Perhaps, Ahri was wise to listen to him about his home. No doubt her tails and ears would have gotten her attacked, perhaps even before she set a foot into the village. From his memories, she could see that these people…were very much like the people in her own world. How much ridicule had her vastayan heritage caused her? Yet...she still desired to be amongst humanity. Perhaps that…made her hypocritical in some areas.

Kakashi paused for a moment and asked Naruto how he was feeling. For the past couple of days, Naruto had been walking without Sasuke's aide and, though his body still felt a tad uncomfortable, he moved with relative ease. Naruto decided that after the debriefing with the Hokage he would make a scheduled appointment to the hospital. Kakashi was pleased to hear that before they continued on their way towards the Hokage Mansion.

It wasn't long before the entire group stood before the Hokage. Hiruzen stared at them. There had definitely been some…extras that he didn't remember leaving with Team Seven. Never mind the fact that the Mizukage of Kirigakure was in front of him currently. He saw the way she seemed to shrink beneath his gaze, confiding in Naruto from behind. Hiruzen couldn't recall a time where he met a woman more frightened of him than right now.

However, a cough from Yozora signaled everything. "Hokage-sama, I would like to claim that special D-rank mission #578ZD12956 has been completed. Upon further review of qualifications, I believe it to be placed under review that this special D-rank mission be regarded with considerable weight and escalated to a special B-rank mission," Yozora said. Everyone found the air in the room grow cold. Hiruzen stared at the team with hard eyes. Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and Sasuke didn't fare much better. Isaribi, for once, was happy enough to be in the background along with Kakashi. Ahri merely seemed to be reevaluating the man in front of her. He was definitely a lot more than his age told her he was.

The only reason Hiruzen took a calming breath and lightened his gaze was that he saw Naruto slowly comforting Mei through the ordeal. He seemed hardly affected by the Hokage's powerful gaze, but the woman behind him seemed to be ready to crumble to pieces. He didn't want to see that in his office currently. However, one had to understand what Yozora was asking for. The special D-rank missions were a system that had been implemented by the Nidaime Hokage. They were D-rank missions that, if the Hokage felt the genin team showed remarkable growth or potential of growth, then these missions were made for cultivating those individuals to become a force for the greater Konoha populace. There was a reason most Anbu took at least a special D-C rank mission. For Yozora to ask for this mission to be elevated to a special B-rank mission meant that…this mission had to be put in the public file as an S-rank mission that even a team of elite Anbu would find difficulty in completing.

"Explain. Now," he ordered. All humor gone from Yozora's face, she did just that. Through the entire story, the aged Kage kept making sidelong glances at the blonde he considered to be very close to his own heart. Hiruzen felt his heart go out to the Godaime Mizukage. It sounded like she had definitely had a very trying time. Yet, throughout the story Hiruzen was captivated by Naruto's exploits. The young girl, Isaribi, even told the details of what had happened on the island while the young genin had been captured. No detail was left out and each team member had the opportunity to speak with Yozora finishing off the story.

"Fiora-san went back to her nation having defeated Ameyuri Ringo and Naruto-san passed out after saving Kirigakure by battling Jinpachi Munashi and Kushimaru Kuriarare," Yozora said. Hiruzen took a moment to collect all of this. A genin had fought two swordsmen of the Mist, and won, but this power they claimed he used, it didn't sound like the Kyuubi's chakra. It sounded like some, dare he say, even more phenomenal than that.

"I can't take all of the credit, Hokage-sama. Had it not been for Ahri, it is a good possibility that I still would have lost," Naruto said which surprised the woman for a moment. Soon all eyes were on her and the Hokage took a look at her. He could tell that she was not natural…in some way. There was an air about her that he couldn't ascertain. There was like a mysterious yet…enticing energy which floated about her. The Sandaime wouldn't lie. She was a very beautiful looking woman. However, her body showed a trained stance that she could take if she felt threatened. She might not look it, but she could be a very formidable opponent if the situation deemed it.

He watched her give Naruto a questioning look. Hiruzen then watched the blonde release a tired sigh. Naruto nodded and Ahri turned back to the Hokage. It took nearly all of the Sandaime's self-control, wisdom, and insight to not attempt to kill the young-looking woman when she showed the fox ears and nine tails which sprouted behind her. Each one of the tails swayed in the air and Hiruzen could tell that even his Anbu were on guard when they looked at her.

Despite this, Hiruzen kept his mind clear. There were a couple of things wrong here. First, Hiruzen could feel no chakra coming from the woman despite her transformation. If the Kyuubi had been freed, then there would be chakra saturated through the air like smoke filled the skies. Yet, she gave off not even a single trace. Second, Naruto was still alive. Going back Uzumaki standards, anyone having a bijuu extracted from them was to be dead or at least close to it. Perhaps it was Uzumaki vitality that kept him living. It was sometimes rumored that if an Uzumaki maintained a perfect diet and training, then they could live up to five or ten times longer than the average human being. Third, it should have been obvious, but…she didn't have red eyes. Hiruzen had gotten a very good look at all of the Kyuubi's features when it attacked Konoha. He could never forget those red eyes. Her eyes were a very pleasant yellow.

Taking in all of this, he released a puff of smoke. "I have not had too many situations in dealing with this, but continue your explanation. Slowly," he told them. The others quickly turned to Naruto and even took a step back from Ahri sans Isaribi and Mei. Ahri hardly paid them a portion of her time. Yet, confidently, Naruto took a step forward before the leader of the entire village.

"Hokage-sama, this is Ahri. Her epithet is the Nine-Tailed Fox. However, she is not the Kyuubi. She is one of the people I summoned from Runeterra that aided me in fighting Jinpachi and Kushimaru. Don't judge her appearance. I owe her many debts," Naruto claimed. Ahri remained silent, but an unknown feeling at those words of her defense soothed her. She couldn't stop the slight smile on her face. For as long as she lived her life, for as long as she felt guilt over the things she did just to keep this form, no one…ever defended her or claimed to owe her their life. There was a satisfaction to be had in that.

"So, I see. Well, Ahri-san, I suppose I should thank you for coming to the aid of my shinobi. You have my gratitude," Hiruzen said, a bow for emphasis. Ahri, in turn, offered a rather mysterious smile. She gave Naruto a second's glance before she turned back to his leader. She offered a light bow of her head and, despite the situation, one of her tails briefly brushed against Naruto's body.

"I do not mind. How could I ignore someone who called out to me in such earnest? It was actually very interesting to discover this current world. I have no responsibilities, so I wouldn't mind seeing more of it," Ahri said. Naruto's team flinched, but the blonde only seemed curious to her statement. The Hokage was a little on guard as well, but he only released a breath.

"Hai, well that is understandable Ahri-san, but under a current observation, you are not an individual entity. You are a summon of Naruto-kun, and thus under Konoha jurisdiction. I do not mean to sound harsh or rude, but please understand the predicament. Naturally, if Naruto is with you then you have your run of the village and as a summon I see no need to deter you from working with him on missions, however might I ask that you…remove the ears and tails again. It would throw the village into disarray if not otherwise," The Sandaime remarked. Ahri…took that request/order a lot better than Naruto thought she did. Truth be told, Ahri was kind of expecting this and she didn't necessarily mind. Countries had those types of rules no matter the location or the world. Plus, she wanted to observe her summoner more.

"I can agree to that. As long as my summoner agrees as well," she said quickly removing the ears and tails as per the arrangement. Hiruzen was more than pleased to see this and the rest of the group breathed an easy sigh of relief. However, this didn't stay long before the Sandaime turned to Mei and Isaribi. The two stood behind Naruto and the elderly Hokage breathed tiredly.

"Naruto-kun, while I do have sympathy for Mei-san as well as Isaribi-san. Konoha cannot take them. I'm sorry," Hiruzen said. The room was deadened to silence. Kakashi and Yozora stared at the ground sadly. They had hoped that wasn't the case. Sakura and Sasuke immediately wanted to say something, but no one spoke when they saw how…eerily calm Naruto looked. However, do not mistake his expression. He was no pleased.

"And why not? Mei, I do admit has some issues with her being a former Kage, but I don't understand how Isaribi falls into that category," Naruto said. The Hokage puffed some smoke from his pipe and stood to his feet. He turned and looked out of the window. His eyes glanced over the citizens of Konohagakure.

"Naruto-kun, despite what you might think and what other people believe, Konoha doesn't hold the highest opinion of kekkai genkai shinobi either. No village does as a matter of fact. There is a statistic that has shown that kekkai genkai shinobi are about thirty percent more likely to turn rogue than the average shinobi is. Admittedly, Konoha won't exactly say no to more kekkai genkai wielders, but those specifically experimented upon by Orochimaru and his subjects is easy to tell for a…," Hiruzen didn't need to finish because Naruto's eyes gleamed angrily.

"You and Konoha might think Isaribi's a mole," Naruto said. Isaribi widened her eyes. Truth be told, she hadn't exactly met Orochimaru even once. Amachi had always been the one to do the procedures for her. She would have gladly told them any and all information if they asked, but she doubted it would be very useful.

"I cannot put Konoha under that type of risk. I'm sorry, Naruto. They can stay in Konoha for a most a week, but they will both have to leave when that time is over," The Sandaime said. Naruto looked at the ground. His eyes had been shadowed by his long hair. He turned around and he saw the worried look on Mei's face. She shyly squeezed the edges of his clothes. Yozora glanced between him and the Hokage. Never had she felt so conflicted. As a shinobi, she knew this was the right call, but…as a human being this was utterly despicable. Yet, she couldn't open her mouth to say anything. Neither could Kakashi, Sakura or Sasuke.

"Gomen Naruto, but you can't have it your way every time. You did well. Sometimes, choosing not to fight is a victory as well. Learn to take your blessings where you can," Kakashi thought. In truth, Kakashi felt terrible because he doubted that the Mizukage would have lasted more than a month out in the world under her current condition with only Isaribi to protect her, but…it just wasn't worth the risk to the village if they stayed.

"I…see. I understand, Hokage-sama…," Naruto said. Isaribi seemed stunned for a moment and Mei gripped him even harder. Ahri narrowed her eyes if only for a second before a light smile filled her face. Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief. He just slowly nodded and thanked Naruto for understanding the village's situation. "We will be gone at the end of the week," Naruto said which made everyone pause. Hiruzen gave pause to consider Naruto's words, but the blonde wasn't so patient. He quickly turned around and headed for the door.

"You'll give me a week to pack my things, correct? That's fine then. Well, Ahri, it seems you'll get more of the world than you thought," Naruto said. Everyone heard Ahri's giggle when she turned to face him. No one could hold their surprise when Ahri turned after him. Sakura and Sasuke were stunned to silence. Yozora and Kakashi couldn't even form the sentences needed to say something to him and Hiruzen found it hard to say anything either. They could only watch as Naruto gently took Mei's hands into his own.

"I said I would never abandon you, Mei. If Konoha cannot escape you, then I don't need Konoha in order to fulfill my ambitions. I just need you, Isaribi, and Ahri at my side," Naruto replied. Mei felt short of breath. Tears threatened to fall from her face before Sakura finally found herself. She took a step forward.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Sakura asked. Naruto turned to her and he looked at her like she was the insane one. Naruto merely smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm leaving with Mei, Isaribi-san, and Ahri. Hokage-sama gave us a week so I'll take advantage of that and clear out my apartment. After all, I still find it hard to understand this 'Will of Fire.' That Konoha likes to preach about. After all I have done if you would believe that I would cast them aside for a nation that continuously casted me aside then I do believe you're speaking with the wrong blonde," Naruto returned. Everyone flinched under his voice and Naruto boldly stood before the Hokage. Hiruzen glared into his eyes, but Naruto stared right back at them.

He took off his headband and placed it on the table. "Are you satisfied with this then? You don't put your village at risk and I keep what's mine. Of course, if you're not satisfied with that…then I suppose I can come up with one more solution," Naruto said, and everyone chilled in horror when they saw the blonde pull out a kunai. Instantly, the Anbu were in front of Hiruzen, their blades at Naruto's throat. Ahri's eyes narrowed dangerously while Mei and Isaribi stilled. Team Seven and Yozora watched on silent.

Naruto looked at the surrounding army of white masks and black cloaks. "Are you sure you can afford to kill me? We all know there's someone who has even more frustration with this village than I do," He replied. The Anbu didn't move. Their hands were steady as the pointed their blade at him. However, Naruto faced them bravely and without a hint of worry or fear. He surprised them all by placing the kunai to his throat. Hiruzen clenched his fists together.

"Don't do this, Naruto-kun. You're meddling in forces beyond your understanding," Hiruzen said cautiously. This was a delicate matter now. Naruto eyed the Hokage for a brief period. All eyes were on him and he didn't mind. This was not some child's shinobi game that he was playing. Now was the time to make sure Sarutobi understood that.

"Wrong, Hokage-sama. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. You told me that I should keep looking for people to protect and once I found them to protect them with all of my strength. If Konoha won't keep them, then I will resign as a shinobi and sever all ties with Konoha. I'm sure you know that I know you won't let me leave easily so…here we are, Hokage-sama. I won't lie to you. I don't care about the sacrifices the people of this village made for the Kyuubi. I understand the pain more than anyone, but we all have our own lives to live. In my eyes, those sacrifices are nothing more a continuing cycle of hatred fueled by the never-ending flames of people's own ignorance. So…I have no qualms if the Kyuubi were to return. The real question is…do you?" Naruto asked. Hiruzen stared at Naruto angrily.

Off to the side, Sakura pulled Kakashi's arm. He glanced down at her. "Kakashi-sensei, why does Naruto keep talking about the Kyuubi? Wasn't it killed by the Yondaime Hokage?" Sakura asked. Kakashi's visible eye softened. He then closed it and breathed tiredly. Honestly, if it wasn't one thing then it was another one. He could see that Sasuke was intrigued as well, but wasn't nearly as vocal about wanting to know.

"No, Sakura. The Kyuubi wasn't killed by the Yondaime Hokage. This is a story we passed down to the children of the village in the hopes of them not finding out about the completely responsibility this has placed on Naruto. It is sealed in Naruto and every adult villager knew about it. This is why your generation hated him even though you were never told why. It was very hidden secret. His life was not the easiest one," Kakashi told her. Sakura placed a hand over her mouth while Sasuke snarled. The village shunned him for having one of the most powerful forces in the world against him? Sasuke didn't know whether to be angry at the village or at himself for not noticing.

On the other side, Naruto spoke. "I will protect them and if anyone has a problem with it then you can direct them to me, but I will not put Mei in anymore danger than I have seen. The final decision is yours, Hokage-sama." Naruto said, kunai still to his throat. Hiruzen said nothing. Ahri seemed ready to move at a moment's notice. Hiruzen looked at the scene around him and closed his eyes.

"If I hear any complaints about these two, it's on you Naruto-kun. If I see anything out of line from these two, I will hold you responsible, Naruto-kun. If I feel these two have threatened Konoha in anyway shape or form then no amount of threats or negotiations you make will persuade me in kicking them out. I try to be fair and if you feel you are up for this responsibility then put you headband back on. I will write a notification to have you three moved into a new apartment. These two will stay with you at all times. I don't care what you have them do as long as they follow strict Konoha protocol. They are your subordinates and you better act like they are. Any money they want comes out of your pockets. Do I make myself clear?" Hiruzen asked as he waved his Anbu away. They vanished without a trace. The two shinobi stared into each other's eyes for only a second before Naruto slowly withdrew the kunai from his neck and placed it away.

"I understand. Thank you, Hokage-sama," Naruto said. Sarutobi waved him off and Naruto placed his headband back on. The Hokage then dismissed the team which had them all filing out of the building. Unknown to anyone, despite the situation a well of pride flowed from the Sandaime when he noticed the slight drops of blood on his desk. Naruto…would have really gone through with it…just to keep them safe. How he had grown was such an astonishment.

"Remember Naruto-kun. In order to protect what is important to a man, he needs to learn what he values most above all, even his own life. The things you experienced with Mei-san and Isaribi-san have shown me just how much you have changed. I do believe you are on the right pathway. Don't lose that resolve because you will need it to keep them strong with you," The Sandaime thought before he went back to finishing his works.

Meanwhile, Naruto said his final goodbyes to Yozora and his team. Sasuke decided to go home as did Sakura. Kakashi told Naruto that despite the two-week break, they would be meeting in three days to discuss some things. Naruto agreed and walked off with Mei, Ahri and Isaribi. "Well, that was intense," she said. Naruto smiled at her statement with a nod of his head. He watched Ahri look at the various buildings in Konoha. He watched Isaribi laugh as she felt the warm sun hit her face. He then turned, and he noticed Mei. Though her steps were weak, she seemed to be radiating joy as Naruto took her hand.

"Just keep up, you three. I'll be taking you home now," he said as they walked off within the walls of Konohagakure.

---

KG: Okay, I'll stop there. Damn, I gotta mix sodas more often.

Wifey: That sounds gross!

KG: I wonder what Sprite and Mountain Dew taste like together!

Wifey: I liked it better when you were a cream soda addict!

KG: WE CAN ADD CREAM SODA TOO!

Wifey: Why do I talk?

KG: Anyway, that's all folks. Stay Breezy, protect what's important to you, review, and SEND ME SODA! ALSO…GIVE ME SODA DRINK COMBINATIONS!

Wifey: Please don't.