Chapter 13 – Tsunade's bet
Beta: Dreetje
Still unaware of Hana's diabolical plan, Naruto was wandering around the village for a while. He wanted to train, but the fox raised some valid point about him easing the strain of chakra, so he needed to occupy himself with something, but the keyword here is what? Suddenly, he looked back and saw that a person was smiling straight at him wearing a Jounin attire and a blue mask that would cover up to his nose, also carrying the infamous Icha Icha Paradise.
"I take it you're not going to be here long?" - Asked Kakashi, while continuing to walk before Naruto started to walk alongside him.
"Sometimes, it's nice to take your mind off the killing part of the job. It gets hard, after a while, you know?" - Stated Naruto to which Kakashi nodded as they remained walking towards nowhere; until Kakashi took his face out of the book and looked at his once time student.
"Rumors are spreading about a hunter-nin that is cleaning the bingo book, they're calling him 'hunter-fox' you wouldn't have anything to do with that, wouldn't you?" - Asked Kakashi.
"Well, one time this missing-nin called me like that before I cut his head off, I wouldn't imagine he had the time to spread information about me. At least, no one knows what the hunter-fox looks like, so my identity is safe for now. I was starting to worry there Kakashi, chances were the A ranked missing-nins would already be alerted of me and make preparations for an ambush" - Said Naruto, but Kakashi just settled for looking at his once student while placing the book in front of him. So they continued walking, while Naruto was wondering why they were going to one of Konoha's training grounds. After reaching a clearing, Naruto turned to see Kakashi who already kept his book inside his holster and remained with his hands inside his pockets.
"You know it's somewhat rude not to call me your sensei, I know I didn't train you much in the past, but at least I deserve as much" - Said Kakashi with no expression change whatsoever. But then again, Naruto wasn't interested in observing the man's behavior.
"It's just like the last time Kakashi. I cannot call you like that otherwise people will know who I am, but maybe I could use a 'sempai' for suffix, what do you say?" - Suggested Naruto, before seeing Kakashi holding his chin in a thinking pose, before smiling at the blond.
"I think that will suffice, now I'm sure you're wondering why I dragged you here to a training ground?" - Said Kakashi, to which Naruto nod and he continued. "I've been meaning to train more on Kenjutsu and I was looking for a sparring partner to hone my skills with. Would you be interested?"- Asked Kakashi as he unleashed his Anbu ninjato from within a scroll. Upon seeing this, Naruto smiled and unsheathed his newly reformed katana.
"You know you could've told me beforehand. You didn't need to keep the mystery going. So how do you want to do this, I was meaning to stop using chakra for a while, but if you want to, I can postpone for after this fight?" - Asked Naruto, though Kakashi only smiled.
"Just don't kill me and the rest is allowed. I trust that you have no issues with me using the Sharingan, Hein Naruto?" - Asked Kakashi to which Naruto negated with his head, before thrusting the sword on the ground and taking his mask off, before seeing Kakashi lifting an eyebrow as in questioning why the hell he did it.
As they took his sword from the ground, he spread his feet forward while keeping the other positioned backwards, while using his both hands to position the sword next to his left ear while watching Kakashi with a smile on his face.
"What good would be a Sharingan if my mask doesn't allow you to look at my eyes? At least this way, I can practice when I face either one of the Uchiha brothers" - Said Naruto, earning a nod from Kakashi as he also fell into standard Anbu position, before analyzing Naruto's posture for a while.
Kakashi couldn't help but pride himself of the blonde's skills. Because of the Sharingan, Kakashi would know Naruto's attack intent seconds before it happens. However, by not possessing the intent of attacking first, Kakashi wouldn't have a way of knowing what would happen, thus keeping his focus for sudden shifts in the blonde's behavior. It was fast, faster than Kakashi thought it would be and he very well knew that if he didn't have the experience he wouldn't be able to notice that Naruto was no longer looking at him, but rather Kakashi's feet. Kakashi didn't have time to wonder when Naruto suddenly charged with blinding speed, before maneuvering his sword for a fast and powerful horizontal slash at Kakashi's left side.
However, Kakashi managed to parry Naruto's heavy attack with his ninjato and twisted his body to land a reverse kick on Naruto, but the blond did a back-flip, thus escaping the attack and facing Kakashi once more. The silver haired Jounin was looking at the damage his ninjato sustained and had the decency to be surprised that his sword was broken in multiple pieces.
"I thought I said that you couldn't kill me, Naruto. That was a very brutal attack" - Said Kakashi, earning a nod from Naruto as he sheathed his sword back to the holster and grabbed his mask, before wearing it once more.
"My style focuses more on strength than speed, hence why I needed to increase my muscle structure. But I believe you need to buy a better sword or a new one. I saw signs of rust coming from your ninjato. If you want, I can take you to a friend of mine to see a new sword for you, sempai?" - Asked Naruto, earning a nod from Kakashi as he threw his away, since he wouldn't need it any longer and joined Naruto while walking straight to the weapon shop.
===At Akido's shop===
It was a rather ordinary day for Akido when he opened his store to the public. Not many customers arrived today and the ones that did only need a couple of shurikens and kunais. The man was on the verge of sleeping on the counter when he heard sound of the bell that rang every time the front door opened. Upon looking up, he saw Naruto there and smiled at his favorite customer.
"Naruto-san, it's great to see a loyal customer, so how is the Furiseirei coming along?" - Asked Akido, before Naruto unsheathed it to show to the man.
"It feels heavier than before..." - Said Naruto as he was looking at the sword, but he saw that Akido was smiling, so he got his answer. "Anyway, Akido-san, I brought a new customer for you. I'm sure you know Hatake Kakashi, he is my sensei and currently in search of a good sword" - Said Naruto, as Akido greeted the son of Sakumo.
"Ah, it's good that you're advertising my shop, now what type of sword are you looking for Kakashi-san?" - Asked Akido to which Kakashi smiled and went to look at the vast display of swords that hanged on the wall.
"I'm used to the ninjato and I rely on speed different from Naruto who relies on strength. The material would need to be resistant, since I don't want my student to chop my head off because my sword couldn't parry his. I was wondering, though, about the name you gave to Naruto's sword" - Asked Kakashi as he noticed that Naruto was already on the other side of the store, looking at some brandy new kunais.
"That sword was forged a long time ago, the history is lost though. Actually, it was Naruto who gave this name to the sword. I don't know why, though. So do you see any sword you like?" - Asked Akido, earning a nod from Kakashi as he grabbed one that was held on the far wall. Its holster was unique and the minute Kakashi laid eyes on it, he remembered his father Shiroi Kiba (White Fang). The holster was painted with a coloration of white that resembled the ice and a gray wolf was engraved in it.
"That's indeed a great sword you picked Kakashi-san. Its metal is light but very resistant; it will fit nicely to your sword style. Now would you like to test it or you're already satisfied?" - Asked Akido, before Kakashi said that he was satisfied, before they went to the counter to finish the purchase.
"If by chance, you're in need of repairing it, you can come here and I'll do it myself" - Said Akido as he took the money from Kakashi and placed it inside the register. After Kakashi strapped the sword on his back, he and Naruto left the store while Kakashi was taking a closer look at the sword. The silver haired Jounin couldn't help but marvel upon feeling how light the sword was.
"Kakashi-sempai, if you don't mind, I'll take my leave. There are some important things that need to be taken care of. Anytime you wish to test your new sword, you can call me. I'll be here for two weeks" - Said Naruto, before turning and walking aimlessly with hands on pocket, while Kakashi watched him from afar. He remembered the strength behind Naruto's technique to the point that his arm became slightly numb from the impact. Whether this was a result from his lack of skills in Kenjutsu or because of his old sword, he didn't know, but the fact remained that his student was coming along nicely and would no doubt, surpass him in no time.
Smiling for no reason, Kakashi sheathed his sword and went the other way.
===At the Hokage's office===
Tsunade was busy reading a report about a failed B mission near Earth Country when she heard a familiar voice.
"Here was I thinking you wouldn't be happy to see me, Tsu-hime?" - Asked Jiraiya, as he entered through the window and walked until he was in front of the blonde Hokage, who snorted.
"Well, if you managed to behave every once in a while, I wouldn't be pissed all the time. What is it that you want Jiraiya? As you can see, I'm kind of busy" - Said Tsunade while going back to her report, however while Jiraiya was smiling before, he suddenly became serious.
"Orochimaru is dead" - Said Jiraiya, dropping the nuclear bomb, before seeing the Hokage's eyes widen to the point he thought they were jumping out of their sockets. "One of my sources told me that he was dead and you will never guess who killed him" - Said Jiraiya, before Tsunade guessed right.
"Uchiha Sasuke" - Said Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded.
"Yesterday, Sasuke freed some prisoners from an isolated facility located in the middle of the ocean. I don't know if he asked to spread the word or not, but regardless of which..." - Said Jiraiya, until Tsunade nodded, since she didn't need more explanation.
"Am I correct to assume that he's not coming back to Konoha?" - Asked Tsunade, earning a smile and nod from Jiraiya.
"From what I know, he's gathered a group of individuals for his quest against his brother" - Said Jiraiya until he saw Tsunade get up from her chair and look outside her office towards the Hokage Monument where she knew Naruto would be.
"I wonder how will Sakura and Naruto take the news? Naruto is a wild card right now, I don't know what he thinks, but Sakura still has feelings for the Uchiha in more ways than I wish she did, but she has. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to go after him one more time, what do you think?" - Asked Tsunade.
"Hum, I could be wrong but I don't think that Naruto will have the same intentions regarding going to Sasuke. It won't matter anyway, as soon as he leaves once more, he'll meet Sasuke but with another purpose" - Said Jiraiya, but he saw Tsunade negate with her head and waited her explanation.
"Sasuke is not in the bingo book Jiraiya, Sakura requested me that of me and I ended up granting it. Also, a couple of people came in this morning with a proposition in order to restrain Naruto from continuing his hunter-nin job and I accepted. Naruto is strong, but he will be facing A ranked missing-nins now and they were composed of Konoha's elite. Plus, Akatsuki stopped falling for your counter-intelligence, what guarantee you give me that he will be safe?" - Asked Tsunade.
"He's not going to like it Tsu-hime; that I'm sure of it. I imagine who came to talk to you, since there are only a few of us who knows of his hunter-nin position. How do you plan on telling him?" - Asked Jiraiya, before seeing the serious look she was showing.
"I don't know yet, I'll think of something when we inform both him and Sakura about Orochimaru's death" - Said Tsunade, before Jiraiya nodded.
===With Naruto===
Still walking around Konoha, Naruto was suddenly in front of an abandoned two-story house, before entering. Once inside, he saw nothing, but a white seal engraved on the wall to the left. He, then, placed his hands on the seal, before channeling some chakra to it.
A hidden door suddenly took shape and Naruto entered before the door closed with him inside. Instantly, whereas darkness engulfed his path before, suddenly lamps went on, illuminating the long set of stairs. The place where Naruto was going, was close to fifty feet below ground so it took a while to reach the end of the stairs, only to see a person he thought he would never see again. Kira was arranging what appeared to be some documents before looking up and smiled.
"Naruto-kun, is that you? Oh my god, I missed you, where have you been?" - Said Kira as she hugged Naruto. The blond returned the hug, though he remained like that.
"Hello Kira, indeed it's been a while, I just returned to the village for some vacations. Is the boss here?" - Asked Naruto, earning a nod followed by a hand pointing the direction to his office. Naruto, then, walked towards where Kira pointed while admiring the new office. Gaeshi-sama was always a rather reserved individual, so Naruto would guess that the man wanted a place where he wouldn't be disturbed.
Upon opening the heavy blue door, he saw the Hunter-nin Commander and took off his mask, before kneeling on the ground.
"Greetings Gaeshi-sama" - Said Naruto as he bowed in respect.
"Ah Naruto, my favorite hunter, you don't need to kneel. I've seen you've been busy from the heads that we received. And I guess you wanted a new copy of the bingo book, am I right?" - Asked Gaeshi, but he saw Naruto negate with his head.
"No sir, I was hoping to see if you could provide world-wide bingo book, containing not only Konoha's, but also from the other villages" - Asked Naruto, earning a smile from Gaeshi. The man was turning to like Naruto even more now.
"Sure I do, although Konoha's will be smaller since the only ones left are A and S ranked ninjas. Somehow, your reputation is stopping people from betraying us and I believe that's a good thing. Don't get me wrong, Sandaime, Yondaime and the Godaime are honorable leaders, but they happened to be too lenient on those who wished to betray us. I'll ask Kira to make a copy of my bingo book and give it to you. I trust that you will now hunt for the A ranked ones" - Said Gaeshi to which Naruto nodded.
"Also, I happen to know that some A ranked missing-nins may be associated with missing-nins from other villages, hence why I want to be prepared in case this happens" - Said Naruto, earning a smile from Gaeshi as he buzzed for Kira to make a copy of his bingo book, before Naruto heard her voice on the radio, acknowledging the order.
"Kira is on vacation from the hospital and I asked her to help move some papers around" - Said Gaeshi, earning a nod from Naruto as minutes after, the girl handed him an extended version of the bingo book.
"I appreciate it Gaeshi-sama, I must take my leave now" - Said Naruto, earning a nod from Gaeshi as Naruto returned to the same place he entered the hideout and left from the other side of the abandoned house, before heading to his new home.
===At the Inuzuka Residence===
After Naruto left the Hunter-nin commander, he went straight for his girlfriend's house, seeing as Tsume invited him for dinner. The blond did protest to the fact that Kiba may know his identity, but both Tsume and Hana assured him that Kiba belonged to the most trustworthy clan in Konoha and even if he knew, he wouldn't tell a soul.
Nevertheless, Naruto wasn't prepared when the youngest member of the family saw him without the mask. Akamaru was already being petted by Naruto, but Kiba just stayed there with his mouth open, as in wondering what the hell is going on. Ever since his promotion to Jounin, Kiba changed his appearance and lost that black leather jacket, going, instead, for a fishnet t-shirt and the standard Jounin vest. After a while, Kiba slapped himself in the face and finally decided to send a barrage of questions to the hunter-nin, like where he was and why he decided to become a hunter-nin.
Naruto, for some unfathomable reason, thanked the heavens that Kiba didn't think to ask the reason he was inside his house, because then he would have to explain that he was dating his sister for some time now and it could get ugly, if boy becomes too overprotective of his big sister.
Right now, both Kiba and Naruto were discussing in the living-room about what happened with the Konoha 9 since Naruto was gone, while Akamaru was taking a nap right next to them.
"So, Kiba I take it from the vest, that you managed to become a Jounin. I'd say congratulations are in order. Who else, besides Neji and Shikamaru?" - Asked Naruto, before seeing the male Inuzuka smile at the appraisal.
"Actually Naruto, the only one who haven't progressed yet is you. Hinata was the last one who achieved the rank of Jounin and Neji's team was drafted by Anbu just recently. How about you, though?" - Asked Kiba, before Naruto snorted.
"I don't have any interest in rising in rank right now Kiba. During my travels, I faced a lot of tough missing-nins whom I believe were Jounin level shinobi. I guess ranks don't mean that much to me nowadays" - Explained Naruto, but Kiba didn't agree with the blond.
"Are you kidding? Being a Jounin has its perks, you have a bigger salary, access to high level Jutsus, not to mention the respect that comes along with the job. Weren't you the one who kept shouting about being Hokage? You won't be able to unless you reach the rank of Jounin" - Asked Kiba, before seeing Naruto shrugging with his shoulder.
When he was about to speak, though, he stopped dead in his tracks, upon hearing Hana calling for him in a rather intimate tone of voice.
"Naru-kun, where are you? Oh there you are. I was wondering if you'd care for a little walk after dinner" - Asked Hana, to which Naruto nodded, while looking for Kiba, before frowning in dismay once he saw the enraged look on Kiba's face.
"NARRRUTO, are you dating my sister?" - Snarled Kiba on the verge of exploding with anger, but instead of trying to run, Naruto just stood there unfazed by the boy's pathetic excuse of a killing intent. Hana, however, chose to speak on her boyfriend's behalf.
"Yes, we are Kiba. I was meaning to tell you soon. Actually, we've dating for several months now" - Explained Hana as she embraced Naruto from behind with a clear intent of teasing her little brother and using Naruto for the show. The blond did acknowledge his girlfriend's attempt at teasing and got up to walk alongside Hana outside, leaving a red Kiba in anger.
Naruto didn't have to count to three until he had to dodge a tackle from Kiba, while Hana did as well, since the boy would hit her as well. Now, since Hana stepped out, Kiba focused straight on Naruto.
"How dare you Naruto, she is my sister and you're my friend. How dare you!!" - Shouted Kiba, before began spinning in a Tsuuga attack straight at the blond who in turn cursed Kiba for attacking him when he couldn't use his chakra. Actually, he could use but he had a compromise with Kyuubi not to use it until the flow returned to normal.
Inches only separating them, Naruto dodged the incoming vortex, before seeing Kiba making a left turn while still spinning, before attacking him once more. Deciding to use other shinobi abilities that do not require chakra, Naruto took a couple of smoke bombs and threw them on the ground, before a large black smoke appeared, thus confusing Kiba who in turn stopped spinning and landed inside the fog.
Just as Naruto was about to approach Kiba, however, Kiba sensed his arrival and jumped out of the way in time, before the fog dissipated.
"Why are you attacking me Kiba?" - Asked Naruto as he saw Kiba was still snarling at the blond.
"You took advantage of my sister Naruto, I don't need more explanations" - Said Kiba, before charging once more at Naruto who sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He hadn't use Taijutsu in a long time, but he just couldn't attack Kiba with his sword, unless he wanted to kill him. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that Kiba was mere inches from impaling him with his claws, before Naruto dodged to the right at the last minute, confusing Kiba because he thought he reached the blond, however his confusion cost him dearly as Naruto managed to land a precise punch right below Kiba's right shoulder, which was in fact one of the known pressure points of the human anatomy.
Kiba simply closed his eyes and fell asleep instantly as Hana appeared with Tsume in tow.
"What happened here, Naruto and why is my son on the ground?" - Asked Tsume, before seeing Naruto sigh in dismay.
"Kiba found out about me and Hana-chan and went ballistic on me. Don't worry, though, I aimed my punch at a pressure point that is linked to the spinal cord. He was asleep before he fell on the ground. He will wake up in an hour the most" - Explained Naruto, earning a nod from Tsume as Akamaru came and placed his master on his back before taking him back to his room.
After seeing the big white dog vanish inside the compound, Tsume decided to go with the couple for a little walk as they discussed some things.
"Naruto, while I appreciate you taking care of my hot-headed son while not endangering him, I was wondering about something" - Said Tsume as Naruto looking at her before she continued. "Why didn't you use chakra? I mean, Kiba is a Jounin and facing a ninja of that level without the use of chakra, requires skills. I would like to assume that you weren't showing off, right?" - Asked Tsume, before seeing the hunter-nin negate with his head.
"The reason why I didn't use chakra is because I need to ease the flow of it before I return to the hunting. Right now, any technique I use will strain my chakra coils to dangerous levels. After all, I ended up using chakra for a whole year, non-stop, this was bound to happen sooner or later. I wonder, now, what will happen now Kiba knows about my relationship with Hana; facing him all the time isn't in my plans right now" - Asked Naruto, earning a snicker from Hana and Tsume to nod.
"Kiba is too hot-headed, indeed. But once he's beaten to the ground, he will subside. Not to mention the fact that it's the second time you beat my son by using....'alternative' methods" - Smiled Tsume, before seeing the ashamed look on Naruto's face upon remembering what he used to beat Kiba in the past.
"I still wished that wouldn't happen. At the time, my chakra control was lousy because of a seal Orochimaru placed on me, hence why I, at the time, focused too much chakra and well, you all know the outcome" - Explained Naruto, earning a dismissive nod from Tsume who smile and then offered them to return for the compound.
===in a desert area – unknown location===
After gathering the last member of the team that will be responsible for aiding him in achieving his goal, the Uchiha was heading towards a place where his clan used for weapon and medicine supplies. Although on the outside, Sasuke remained cool and distant, inside, he was cursing his companions Karin and Suigetsu who were busy screaming bad remarks to each other.
As he walked, though, something kept playing on his mind about information he overheard Kabuto and Orochimaru talking. Sasuke remembered that Kabuto was on edge because of a new hunter-nin from Konoha who was responsible for killing the entire B ranked section of the bingo book, namely Jounin level shinobi. Upon hearing the name, Sasuke's mind processed and began to associate the name hunter-fox with a certain blond nuisance.
Even though Sasuke was considered A ranked, because of the Sharingan and the fact that he was training under Orochimaru's tutelage, he couldn't help but wonder if this hunter-fox would be after him as well. Frowning in dismay at having someone hot on his trail, Sasuke considered relying on his team to take care of him. Juugo was a nutcase, but a chakra powerhouse and Suigetsu was almost indestructible because of his water-like constitution. Only Sasuke knew how to beat Suigetsu and that was either using lightning attacks which would flow throughout his body and shock him to death or use a potent fire technique that would evaporate every water cells from his body.
Going through Naruto's known abilities, Sasuke could not detect one skill that would be able to beat Suigetsu. The Rasengan, though strong, would just hit water and Shadow clones attacking wouldn't be different. Now, it has been a long time since he met with the dobe and there is a possibility that he already learned elemental attacks, which would prove to be troublesome, since he could use any of the most taxing chakra techniques without even sweating and that was indeed troublesome.
Sasuke didn't even count Sakura into the mix, because she didn't even deserve his attention. He very well knew that the girl was apprenticed to the Sannin Tsunade, but her abilities bends towards medical Ninjutsu which is useless in the field.
Just as he was about to ponder more about the subject, he felt the need to sigh in dismay as he heard yet another bickering courtesy of both Karin and Suigetsu.
"Move your ass, Suigetsu or we'll leave you behind" - Shouted Karin as she saw him drinking water like crazy because of the desert's hot temperature. Glaring at the infuriating girl for a while, he suddenly remembered that the girl always said she had to go somewhere before.
"Don't you have somewhere to go Karin? Stop bugging me and keep walking, I'll reach you guys in the end" - Said Suigetsu, before seeing Karin begin to tremble in rage as he passed through her and Juugo who in turn found the discussion quite amusing.
Suddenly, though, Sasuke stopped and looked at what appeared to be an abandoned city, before issuing his team to follow suit.
===Inside a cave – unknown location===
There was a reason why no one ever found where Akatsuki's hideout was, simply because they kept on the move. Right now, the remnants of the group gathered their astral projections around a lamp as they debated on the next course of action.
"Itachi, Kisame, report your findings about the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? - Said Pein to which Itachi nodded.
"We spotted Naruto inside a hotel in Fire Country and moved to subdue him, however we didn't count for him to trick us by using the mass shadow clone technique as a distraction before escaping" - Began Itachi, until he heard the new member Tobi speaking in a child tone.
"Tricked by a teenager Itachi-sempai? I'd imagine that the almighty Uchiha clan wouldn't be fooled so easily, ne?" - Said Tobi, before seeing Kisame snarl because he was also tricked by the Jinchuuriki, but Itachi was unfazed as he proceeded with his report.
"We have reasons to believe that Uzumaki Naruto is not the same goofy, hot-headed shinobi from before as I detected a level of confidence particular to someone of our level. I have yet to determine his new skills, because so far he didn't use anything apart from the two techniques he's known for. However, records from Konoha indicated that he is still a Genin, since he didn't apply for any Chuunin exams after the one before the Sand-Sound invasion" - Reported Itachi, earning a nod from Pein.
"Do you have his position now, Itachi, Kisame?" - Asked the leader, before he saw both negating with their head until Kisame chose to elaborate further.
"The brat is slippery, until now, we had no luck tracking his lead, even after we stopped following the Sannin Jiraiya's traces, but they did managed to kill the Zombie Combo because of it; whether he returned to Konoha or not, we don't have a clue" - Explained Kisame, earning a nod from the leader, before he began to think.
"Itachi, Kisame, I'll be tracking the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki personally. First, however, we must eliminate our spy in Konoha before they discover anything. He knows of the Doujutsu secret and as such, became too high of a liability. Zetsu will be hunting Danzou and kill him. For now, you two will focus on tracking the eight-tailed Jinchuuriki" - Explained Pein, earning a nod from the others, before their astral projections faded, leaving only Pein and Tobi to discuss.
Turning to the orange mask, Pein asked what his thoughts were on this manner to which the man responded, this time with a normal voice.
"The rinnegan is still a secret to everyone, hence why you have the advantage in case of a confrontation. However, the chances of you running into the Sannin Jiraiya are too high and he will be tough to beat. Not to mention Hatake Kakashi and some of that village's elite shinobi. Should you go alone, you'll end up facing multiple foes and I can't just sacrifice you needlessly. After all, you're a key part to my plan. For now, focus on tracking him, using Konan. Once you do, try luring him to a trap and capture him. According to Itachi, the kid is a goof and will fall for it pretty easily" - Explained Tobi, before a sudden Sharingan eye appeared on the mask hole.
===With Naruto===
The next day, Naruto was peaceful inside his new home, sleeping when he heard someone knocking on his door. Immediately, he tensed. No one knew he was there and he doubted Hana would be here so early in the morning. Sleeping in late was one of the perks of having a job in the village. Grabbing his sword, Naruto began to walk towards the door like a trained assassin, focusing on lessening his steps so as not make any noises that would alert his presence.
Close to the door, was a window that Naruto could see and when he lifted the drapes slightly, the blond had the decency to sigh upon seeing his ex-sensei Kakashi with his arms crossed. Leave it to ex-Anbu Captain Sharingan no Kakashi to find out where Naruto now lived. Upon opening the door, he saw his sensei greet with his hand up and a smile.
"YO Naruto" - Greeted Kakashi, before he saw the look of pure murder coming from the one who was beginning to wonder how hard it will be to maintain his identity a secret with people like Kakashi shouting his name to the crowd.
"Kakashi-senpai, would you please not call me by my name, I'm trying to keep my presence here a secret. And how the hell did you find me?" - Asked Naruto, before seeing a smirk on the Jounin's face.
"Sorry about the name calling, I'll stop. Also, I went to your old apartment but it was empty. Pretty clever of you placing the name hunter-fox as the owner of this place. I've had to call favors with a friend of mine to get this information" - Said Kakashi, before seeing Naruto sigh and open the door for Kakashi to enter.
Once inside, Kakashi was looking at the decoration and found it strange to see pictures of the sea and some landscapes of Sea Country, before he listened to Naruto as he was going for the kitchen.
"I recently acquired this place from a businessman from Sea Country. I didn't bother taking those pictures off, since I won't be in the village for long. So, you are still due to explain what is it do you need Kakashi-senpai" - Said Naruto, earning the silver haired Jounin's attention.
"Tsunade-sama wants to talk to us about something important that came up. She is expecting us in half an hour" - Stated Kakashi, earning a snort from Naruto, who in turn couldn't figure what the old hag wanted with him and Kakashi, seeing as hunter-nins travels alone.
It didn't take long for Naruto to dress up his hunter-nin attire and leave the apartment with Kakashi straight for the Hokage's office where he saw the old hag sleeping.
===At the Hokage's office===
After entering the office, Naruto and Kakashi sighed seeing that the Hokage was snoring. To Naruto, this was new, since he did spend the last year outside the village, but Kakashi was accustomed to it, so he shrugged and grabbed a book to read, while hanging close to the far wall of the room.
Naruto saw the man and went to the Hokage's Shelf of books for something interesting to read. Upon looking at the titles, he recognized one regarding advanced human anatomy that perked his interest. So, he picked it and went near Kakashi to mimic him but with a different book, however his book choice wasn't missed by his sensei who in turn wondered why Naruto would interest in knowing about the human body.
Naruto noticed the look of question from his sensei.
"Weird huh? Ever since I learned how to hit pressure points, I've became more interested in advanced anatomy lessons. There are several key areas in the body that upon receiving pressure, sends an specific information to the brain. You do remember the episode with Zabuza, right? Well, it's the same thing." - Said Naruto, before returning to his rather large book.
Kakashi nodded, before returning to his book as well. Suddenly, though, both of them sensed someone entering through the window, but returned to their affairs once they realized who was it.
Jiraiya was expecting to be scowled by Tsunade for him entering through the window, but sadly for him, the woman was asleep in his office. Looking around, the pervert noticed Kakashi reading his icha icha book and another person wearing a leather jacket and the hunternin mask reading what appeared to be one of Tsunade's boring medical books. He took a while, but realized that the man was his student Naruto.
Actually, the scene was quite comical, Jiraiya smiled. He could see the resemblance from their posture and the fact that Tsunade was fast asleep gave him a funny idea. Immediately grabbing a book of his own, Jiraiya went to the wall and stood next to Naruto while maintaining the same reading position as Kakashi and Naruto.
And this was the scene that first greeted Tsunade upon waking up as a water drop could be seen on the back of her head. She could see that neither of them realized she was already up.
"May I ask why you three are standing like this?" - Asked Tsunade, before seeing all three of them look at them in much the same time and same movement, but the interesting and most comical part of it all was the same timed answer.
"You said something Tsunade-sama?"- Said all three of them at the same time, earning this time a enraged look on the Hokage's face, before she focused on the book the hunternin was reading and smiled.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were interested in learning medical jutsus, Shi (Naruto's hunternin codename)" - Said Tsunade before looking at Naruto to see his reaction to her question.
"Actually, I'm just learning on specific points to hit my enemies, sometimes it's good to improvise in the field Tsunade-sama. I appreciate the book, I didn't know that one straight hit on a specific part of the neck and the enemy's neck is broken. Most interesting, what else can I use here, let's see..." - Said Naruto as he returned to the book, not bothering to see Tsunade's irritated face upon seeing the knowledge of medical jutsu used to kill people. However, she didn't fault Naruto for thinking like this, since he was a hunter-nin after all.
"Well, Sakura would have to be here as well for what I'm about to tell, but since your presence here is to remain a secret, I'll talk to her later. Yesterday, Jiraiya brought information on Uchiha Sasuke's whereabouts" - Said Tsunade, stopping for a while in order to gauge some reaction from the blond to the news, but found nothing. "Uchiha Sasuke killed Orochimaru" - Concluded Tsunade, before seeing Kakashi show a momentary face of surprise before going back to his lazy display.
"Ok, then I guess it's one less S ranked missing-nin in the list to hunt in the future, so what's next? Considering that he's still due to go after Itachi" - Asked Naruto, earning a nod from Tsunade, who in turn looked at Jiraiya to see that he was smiling at her as in saying that he was right, Naruto didn't give a shit about the Uchiha.
"Given your response, am I wrong to assume you don't want to bring him back? I know for a fact, that Sakura will ask for a mission like this. What are your thoughts on this?" - Asked Tsunade.
"Sasuke is considered an A ranked missing-nin, hence why he'll be on my list as soon as I set foot out of the village, so it doesn't really matter assigning a mission" - Said Naruto, earning a nod from Tsunade, until he continued. "Unless, of course, you didn't declare him a missing-nin, I've checked an updated version of the bingo book and he wasn't there?" - Asked Naruto, but the silence that soon followed served as a better answer. "I see...Well Sakura will demand a rescue mission, then. I don't know if she changed at all during the time I was gone, but the fact remains that the only person in Konoha who still worships him is her. In the end, though, it's not my problem" - Concluded Naruto, dismissing the issue as if nothing happened.
Seeing the silence in the conversation, Kakashi decided to add another item to the discussion.
"Do you have more info about him, Jiraiya-sama? I know that Naruto is not interested in him, but as his sensei, I want to know everything about my students" - Asked Kakashi, earning a nod from Jiraiya.
"He gathered three allies to aid him in his quest for vengeance. One of them was next in line to take Momochi Zabuza's place at the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and the other was the man that allowed Orochimaru to create the cursed seal. The last member of the team is a girl that can sense chakra from a distance. Only Suigetsu has affiliation with the mist hidden village. Their skills, though, remain unknown for now" - Reported Jiraiya, before Kakashi nodded. Naruto, though, felt that his presence was no longer needed.
"Well, since you don't need me here, I'll take my leave" - Said Naruto, before turning for the door, but was stopped by Tsunade who shouted his real name this time.
"Naruto, wait a minute...." - Said Tsunade, earning the hunter-nin's attention, before she continued. "There is another manner that I wish to speak with you."
"What is it, Hokage-sama?" - Asked Naruto as he turned to face the Hokage with suspicion. Normally, a Hokage wouldn't need to discuss much with a hunter-nin, rather his next target. Also, the fact that Kyuubi was going haywire inside his head was any indication that what he won't like what Tsunade have to say.
Also, the conversation relating Sasuke was over so both Jiraiya and Kakashi looked at him as in only waiting for Tsunade to open her mouth, before they could gauge his reaction.
"Naruto, I want to talk about your position as a hunter-nin, if I may. You see, just as the requirements necessary for joining Anbu which is obtain the rank of Chuunin or higher, in order to join the hunter-nin division, you would have to obtain the rank of Chuunin or higher as well" - Said Tsunade, before waiting for any sort of retort coming from Naruto, but none came, so she continued. "I know you did well on the job, in fact the Hunter-nin chief spoke highly of you, however being just a Genin, you just don't have the set of mind necessary to cope with this job. On several occasions, I heard Gamakichi say that you changed ever since you left, hence why it's imperial that you at least upgrade in rank, before thinking on going against the A ranked missing-nins" - Explained Tsunade.
Naruto, while hearing, didn't want to interrupt the Hokage until she was finished, but the fact remained that this 'rank requirement' didn't bode well with the blond, simply because he didn't have to convince anyone in the past to let him go, other than the Hokage trying to reason with him as a friend, rather because of the position. Also, the fact that Tsunade waited until now to tell, was clear to Naruto, that something or someone asked her to do this and Naruto didn't need to think hard to know that only those who knew about his hunter-nin position would come to ask such a thing.
My guess is that Hana came in requesting this to the Hokage, what you think?" - Asked the blond to the other mind inside his body.
"Indeed, you're correct. I'm impressed, though, you'd suspect her. What will you do now?" - Asked the fox, before he saw Naruto sigh in dismay.
I believe my options here are reduced to obeying the Hokage's orders. I don't believe this!!! She is actually willing to risk the wellbeing of the village just because for me. It'll be even harder to keep my identity a secret this way, I'll have to negotiate the mask" - Said Naruto, before he blinked only to see that Tsunade was waiting for a response.
"Seeing as this is a requirement in order to become a hunter-nin, which I doubt it, but I'll do as the Hokage commands. After all, if I counted right, the next Chuunin exams will be held at Iwa in a month" - Said Naruto while seeing shocked looks from those in the room, before he crossed his arms and focused his glare on Tsunade. "Let me ask you a question, though, Hokage-sama and I want you to answer as this village's leader" - Asked Naruto, before seeing Tsunade frown, but nodded.
"What will happen once Akatsuki realizes who I am and comes here to get me? Seeing as they're a known and feared enemy, you'll place your entire ninja force against S ranked missing-nin who could destroy the entire village landscape with one single technique and kill a lot of people before being subdued by our forces, if such a thing happens. Would you bare the guilt of knowing that you could've avoided all this by simply letting me do my job?" - Asked Naruto, before Tsunade realized just what the boy feared.
"The welfare of a hidden village cannot fall on just one ninja, Naruto. That's a burden not even a Hokage can bare and what happened to Asuma isn't in any way related to your presence in Konoha or not. Asuma was a shinobi and as such, he was ready to face the consequences" - Explained Tsunade, but Naruto was lost the moment that name was mentioned.
He, then, turned so that the tears that was now falling wouldn't be seen by anyone, but himself. They were tears upon imagining what would happen in case his precious people were killed.
"I...just don't know if I could bear the burden of being the one responsible for the deaths of those I hold precious to my heart" - Said Naruto before he left, while hoping beyond hope that no one would see him crying, but to the trained eye, Jiraiya, Kakashi and Tsunade could very well see a single tear falling and sighed in sadness.
After he closed the door, the heavy air that filled the Hokage's office dissipated and the Hokage let out her breath she didn't know she was holding and looked at Jiraiya and Kakashi for a moment, before Jiraiya spoke.
"So hard it's the path of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki" - Said Jiraiya to no one, before he turned to Tsunade. "Since the Chuunin exams in Iwa does not require a team of Genins, I believe you'll send only him to represent Konoha" - Said Jiraiya, before he saw Tsunade nod, before he continued. "Then I wish to be the one to act as his Jounin-sensei, no offense Kakashi, but I believe that Naruto is ready for the same training his father went through and only I can teach him" - Said Jiraiya, before seeing Kakashi nod and leave in a Shunshin away.
"So you're planning on taking him to train with the toads?" - Asked Tsunade, serving rather as an statement as she saw Jiraiya smiling to her.
"I'm going to prepare him to be the strongest possible against Akatsuki" - Said Jiraiya, to which Tsunade nodded, before issuing the pervert to leave her alone for a moment, to which he understood and left through the door with the intent of finding his next prodigy.