A/N: I want to thank all the lovely people who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are the best! Thank you so much! :D

Hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

Journey of the Jinchuriki

Chapter 13 – A Difficult Decision

Naruto stood outside the Hokage's office, his blue eyes alert, his body visibly tensed. Gaara stood opposite him, perfectly calm, with his eyes trained on the wall in front of him. Neither had spoken ever since they'd arrived at the Hokage Tower.

Jiraiya had told them to wait outside while he spoke to the Hokage alone, mentioning it was best for him to explain everything before she saw them. The tension had kicked in as soon as the door had closed behind him.

He didn't trust any of them, not one little bit. He'd already made that clear not so long ago. It was why Minoru-sensei's body was being guarded by his shadow clone downstairs, instead of being entrusted to the people here.

The only reason why he'd gone to find Jiraiya in the first place was because he needed to get inside Konoha. Without him it wasn't possible. Even though this was the last place he wanted to be he wasn't too bothered. Right now, for him, his sensei's last wish held greater importance than anything else, even his own personal feelings.

Konoha meant nothing to him, never had. Ever since he'd discovered the truth about his past, he hadn't been able to hold back the pain and anger he felt.

How could they? How could they think of killing an innocent baby? Was this how Konoha repaid its Hokage after he'd sacrificed everything for them - by taking the life of his only child?

It wasn't easy to forget such things, not even for someone like him. How could he when because of them sensei had been forced to leave his home in order to save his life. Because of them they had to spend the last sixteen years running and hiding. It was all because of them.

Even now just thinking about it all made his blood boil. He wanted to lash out, make them pay for what they'd done. He wanted to cause them pain, make them suffer and give them a taste of what he felt

But he couldn't. Even though he felt the urge he just couldn't.

Minoru-sensei wouldn't have wanted him to follow such a path. He wouldn't have wanted him to throw away his life to such emotions. Ever since he was a child his sensei had taught him to always follow the right path and to avoid the wrong one. To even consider revenge would be an insult to his teachings.

He'd witnessed firsthand what revenge could do to a person. The amount of pain and suffering it caused. He couldn't imagine losing his soul to hatred, only to live a life worse than death.

Even though Konoha had made them suffer sensei never expressed any hatred towards his old home, not even once. Whenever he'd mentioned his village sensei would get that distant look in his eyes, a look he eventually decrypted. It was a pained look, filled with longing. It became clear to him a long time ago how much Minoru-sensei had cared about Konoha. How much he'd treasured it, just like his father had done.

He couldn't destroy what they'd loved so much, and what meant so much to them.

That didn't mean he could forgive them, or even think of trusting them. This wasn't his home, never had been. Konoha wasn't something he loved or cherished. It wasn't part of him and probably never would be…

"Naruto…?"

Startled, he looked up to see Gaara standing before him, frowning. "Uh…sorry about that," he answered, quickly realising it probably wasn't the first time his new friend had called out to him. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."

Gaara continued to observe him silently, his gaze so probing it felt like he could see right through him. "Over thinking never helps," he finally said. "You'll only give yourself a headache."

"True," Naruto agreed ironically...

Tsunade had quickly gotten over her surprise at seeing Jiraiya when she noticed the grim look on his face. It only lasted until he announced why he was here and who he'd brought with him.

While she looked on astounded he quickly went about explaining everything. Before he'd even finished she felt her earlier headache resurfacing. Today was turning out to quite eventful, she mused tiredly. Her brain felt like it was going to explode with all the thinking she'd been doing lately.

Ignoring the pounding in her head she decided on the next course of action. It would be best to get Kakashi here, considering he'd already met the boy. He was, after all, one of the selected few who could be trusted with this situation. After meeting Naruto, she was going to have to confront the council. There was no way she could keep something so important from them. It was a meeting she wasnot looking forward to. They were going to make this a big issue, without a doubt.

"Shizune," she looked towards her assistant, who was looking very much tensed. It would seem she'd already guessed how complicated things were going to get from here on. "Get Kakashi here immediately."

Shizune nodded quickly and left without another word.

"Where is he?" she asked, her eyes shifting towards Jiraiya.

"He's waiting outside with Gaara," he answered, giving her a concerned look.

She leaned forward in her chair, looking thoughtful. "I need to speak to him," she said.

He nodded and turned to leave.

She watched him as he opened the door and paused in the doorway.

"She's ready to see you now," she heard him say. Her body leaned forward slightly, her eyes waiting keenly to get a glimpse of the boy. Jiraiya stood to one side, letting him through.

The first thing she noticed when he walked in was the mask covering his head. Familiar blue eyes locked with hers. Minato's eyes to be exact, she noted numbly. Kakashi had been right, after all…

It was silent around him, a peaceful silence. One only disturbed by the frequent sounds of nature making themselves known. The gentle wind making the leaves flutter as they danced in the air. The occasional bird tweeting randomly, with the constant chirping of crickets as they wandered aimlessly. The usual sounds you'd hear at this time of the evening, he noted quietly.

These particular sounds were like music to his ears, accompanying him as he strolled through Konoha's graveyard. His feet led him down the all too familiar path which had grown accustomed to his presence, almost like it waited expectedly for him, giving him the company it sensed he needed. It greeted him like an old friend, smiling, happy to see him once more. He couldn't help but smile back, even though it was hidden from view beneath his mask.

Once he'd reached his destination, he stopped. He stood in front of the monument, acknowledging it like another old friend. A lone, dark eye began its usual task of pinpointing the names it was used to gazing at, as if by some miracle they'd vanish, bringing his precious people back to life. He knew it was wishful thinking, yet he was unable to help himself.

"Obito… Rin… sensei…" He greeted them, just like he did on a daily basis.

There was no answer, of course.

Still, what he wouldn't do to hear their voices again. To hear Obito's stupid excuses as to why he was late to yet another group meeting, to hear Rin soft voice attempting to pacify their daily arguments and to hear sensei's words of wisdom…

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Even now, after so many years, the pain of loss was still fresh, as if it'd happened only yesterday, tearing into him, bringing back all the raw memories and emotions he'd failed to forget. It reminded him of all his failures, which continued to haunt him day and night.

His body tensed on impulse, sensing the sudden flood of emotions. His visible eye lost its coolness, revealing the very depths of his soul. A display very few had seen.

And just as quickly as it'd happened the strain left his body and the composed look returned in his eye. He was back to his usual carefree, aloof self.

He didn't bother turning around, having sensed the presence before it'd fully appeared.

"Kakashi-san," the ANBU agent greeted him, "Hokage-sama has requested your attendance immediately. She said it was very urgent."

He turned to face the ANBU, giving him a brief nod. Satisfied that his message had been received, the ANBU quickly vanished. Looking up into the darkening sky, Kakashi narrowed his visible eye, silently wondering what could be so urgent this time…

Naruto observed the Hokage silently as she sat at her desk, studying him with vigilant, brown eyes. These particular eyes, he noted, didn't miss anything, not even the tiniest bit of information.

Ever since they'd walked into the office she hadn't been able to take her eyes off him. Her look appeared to be assessing, as if she was sizing him up.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto," she said before looking towards Gaara, "And you too, Gaara."

He answered with a curt nod, noticing Gaara copying his action from the corner of his eye.

"Jiraiya has already informed me about what's happened," she paused suddenly, her eyes looking sorrowful. "I'm sorry for your loss, Naruto."

He felt a muscle twitch in his jaw, but otherwise continued to appear calm on the outside. There was no point getting worked up. "I'm sure he's also told you about sensei's last wish," he said out loud, deciding it was best to get straight to the point.

She nodded, exchanging looks with Jiraiya who stood to one side over by the window.

There was suddenly a knock at the window. Everyone except for the Hokage, who expressed a loud sigh, looked towards the window. He was slightly surprised to see Kakashi standing there, his eye fixated on him. The surprise was evident in his gaze as he stepped inside the room.

"Why can't you use the door like everyone else, Kakashi?" Tsunade muttered in annoyance.

"You requested to see me immediately, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi answered cheerfully, his gaze still locked on him. "The window was the quickest option."

The Hokage muttered something which resembled closely to "Bullshit," before she introduced them, not that there was any need for it.

"So, now that we've covered the pleasantries, what are we waiting for?" he asked, his tone clearly expressing his irritation. "We can't leave sensei's body lying around much longer. He needs to be buried."

"I understand that, Naruto," she answered immediately, "but…it's not that simple."

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded sharply, his blue eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Naruto," Jiraiya spoke up. "This is why I needed to speak to Tsunade beforehand. The thing is allowing Minoru to be buried here in Konoha is not her decision alone. This is a decision which has to be approved by the council as well. When Minoru left Konoha and took you with him he was automatically listed as a rogue-ninja. No one knew why he left, so it was assumed he'd abandoned the village."

He couldn't believe this was happening. Even though he'd been expecting the questions - for it was perfectly understandable - he'd never considered there was a chance they'd refuse to allow sensei to be buried here.

"Jiraiya mentioned a conversation with Minoru before his death," the Hokage interrupted his thoughts. "He told him why he took you and left, which I'll assume you already know about?"

"Sensei told me what happened that night," he answered stonily, "He also told me why he did what he did."

There was suddenly an awkward silence in the room. It was caused more by the coldness in his voice than his actual words.

The Hokage sighed and looked away, a regretful look crossing her face. "Your anger is completely understandable, Naruto. I know it must have caused you great pain to learn such a truth, but," she looked up at him again, her eyes firm, "what happened could've been prevented. Minoru was quick to react when he overheard the Third Hokage and the Council talking. What he didn't stop to consider was this – the Third Hokage would've never allowed such a thing to happen."

"She's right, Naruto," Jiraiya spoke up before he could think of a reply. "The Third Hokage was a kind man. He always avoided bloodshed, choosing to do things peacefully. He cared greatly about everyone in Konoha and considered them as one of his own. He too sacrificed his life to save what he truly cared about, just like your father did. Ever since the day you were taken from Konoha, till the day he died, he lived with the regret of not being able to find you. He told me it was his biggest failure, that he'd let down your father by not protecting you."

He listened in silence, letting their words sink in. There was no hint of untruthfulness in what they said from what he could tell. But he couldn't think about all this right now. He was here to bury sensei, not hear explanations. "I don't want to hear your explanations," he answered eventually. "I'm only interested in fulfilling sensei's last wish. It's the reason why I came here in the first place. If I have to I'll talk to the Council as well. Just take me to them."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Hokage have the final say in every matter, regardless of what the Council want?" Gaara interrupted them unexpectedly.

Naruto looked towards him, surprised, before his gaze returned to the Hokage, waiting for an explanation.

"That's right, but this is a different matter," she answered grimly. "There's no way they'd allow something like this. I should know, since I have to deal with them on a regular basis."

"There's one way of convincing them," Kakashi announced out of the blue. Everyone's eyes shifted towards him, waiting for him to continue. His visible eye, on the other hand, remained locked on Naruto. "But it depends entirely on what you have planned."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Are you planning on staying in Konoha from now on?" Kakashi questioned him.

The question caught him off guard, since he hadn't been expecting it. Ever since they'd arrived here he hadn't really thought about what he was going to do afterwards. His mind had been too busy stressing over Minoru-sensei's last wish. That and the fact that he didn't trust them. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I haven't really thought about it."

"If you decided to stay here from now on it'd be enough to convince them," Kakashi told him. "Tsunade-sama could easily argue that it's the only way to keep you here. There's no way they'd allow it if you decided to leave."

"I have to say I totally agree with what Kakashi said," Jiraiya added with a smirk. "Those old fools won't have anything to say to that."

"So, what do you say, Naruto?" Tsunade looked expectant, a smile gracing her lips. "Will you stay in Konoha?"

There was no other choice; he was going to have to stay. If this was the only way to fulfil Minoru-sensei's wish then so be it. But there was one thing he had to ask before he announced his decision. "If I decide to stay, will Gaara be allowed to stay with me?" he asked, ignoring the surprise emitting from the red-head beside him.

"Has Gaara told you anything about himself?" Tsunade asked instead, shifting her gaze towards Gaara.

"No, I haven't," Gaara answered emotionlessly, "but I was planning on doing so."

"Well, now would be the best time, wouldn't you say?" she responded.

"He doesn't have to if he doesn't want to," Naruto put in firmly.

"But it's important that he does, since he's perfectly aware why I can't keep him here for too long," she replied seriously.

Naruto looked from one to the other, confusion evident in his eyes.

"I'm originally from Sunagakure," Gaara began, looking towards him, "but I left my village three years ago. I am a Jinchuriki, just like I suspect you are."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard the last sentence, wondering if he was hearing things. Did Gaara just say he was a Jinchuriki? Just like him? But how was that possible? "I don't understand," he muttered. "I didn't know there were others like me…"

"There are a total of nine Jinchurikis altogether," Jiraiya explained. "Sealed inside each of them is a Tailed Beast. Gaara has Shukaku - the One-Tail - inside him, while you have the Kyuubi - the Nine-Tails - inside you."

"What about the other seven?" he was curious to know.

"Let me explain from the beginning," Jiraiya continued. "It all started with the very first Jinchuriki - the Sage of the Six Paths, who sealed the Ten-Tails inside himself to save the world. However, knowing that his death would release the Ten-Tails back into the world, the Sage divided its chakra into the Nine Tailed Beasts before sealing its body away, which would later become the moon. By the time of the formation of the shinobi villages Hashirama Senju - the First Hokage - used his Wood Release techniques to capture and give several Tailed Beasts to the other shinobi villages as peace treaties, in order to stabilise the balance of power between them."

His hands clenched into fists when he heard the last sentence. "So that's the reason why we're used as sacrifices?" his tone dripped with sarcasm. "For the sake of balancing power between the villages." His words made everyone, except for Gaara, look away with discomfort.

"Did Minoru never tell you any of this?" Tsunade couldn't help but ask.

"No," he looked away. "He never told me exactly what was sealed inside me, though, I always had a feeling he knew. It was like he was protecting me from the truth."

It wasn't the whole truth, but they didn't need to know that. They didn't need to know about his regular interactions with the Beast inside him. They didn't need to know that Kyuubi had told him the truth about who he was many years ago, in hopes that he'd get revenge. This was before sensei had told him the truth about his parents and where he was from originally. Though, he'd been surprised the Beast hadn't told him that as well.

"If you decide to stay I'll let Gaara stay here," Tsunade spoke, "but only for a few days. I can't keep him here for much longer. He's listed as a rogue-ninja. If Sunagakure find out we're keeping him here it could mean a breach of the treaty between our villages, which I can't allow."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Naruto," Gaara assured him. "I wasn't planning on sticking around for long…"

"But…" He started to argue.

"I can't stay here," Gaara interrupted him. "Even if Tsunade-sama had allowed it I still wouldn't."

Troubled, Naruto quickly turned to the Hokage. "You can't let him leave! What if those guys come looking for him again?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. As much as I want to help you I can't," she turned to Gaara. "It'd be best for you to return to Sunagakure. They will be able to protect you. I don't know your reasons for leaving in the first place, but running from your troubles isn't the solution. I will have one of my best teams accompany you back to Sunagakure when you leave."

Gaara nodded. "Thank you for letting me stay here for a few days, Hokage-sama."

She smiled, before turning to Naruto. "So, have you decided yet?"

He wasn't happy with the current situation, but it was out of his hands. When Gaara wasn't planning on staying for no more than a few days what could he do? He sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of helplessness. As much as he wanted to help his friend, he couldn't. It wasn't fair. "I'll stay," he said out loud…

Sometime later, in Konoha's graveyard, Naruto stood over a recently placed grave, staring at the name arched on the gravestone with unblinking blue eyes.

Minoru Yasui.

His eyes felt like they were burning, but no tears would fall. He hadn't cried yet, not even once. They would make an appearance eventually, most likely when he was alone.

Sensei… I was able to fulfil your last wish.

The thought caused a sudden explosion of emotions so powerful it nearly brought him to his knees. No, not yet. He had to stay strong for just a bit longer. He couldn't fall weak. He couldn't allow his emotions to get the best of him. With a heavy heart he leant forward to place a single daffodil on the grave…

Gaara stood a respectable distance away, examining his new friend silently. He noted the obvious tension in his body, wondering how he could find the strength to hold his emotions in. It was hard, very hard.

He knew all about pain, having experienced it all his life. He knew how it felt when the heart felt like it was about to burst with sorrow. It was a feeling unlike any other, so powerful you could drown in it and keep on drowning until the ability to feel would be lost. Then there would be nothing, only a body without a soul. Complete emptiness.

It was almost funny how one simple interaction had been enough to make him feel again. How one simple friend request had filled his cold, bitter heart with warmth. How one look of trust and kindness from those blue eyes had been like a cure from a life-threatening disease.

Naruto genuinely cared about him. It was enough to make his heart pump with happiness.

"Gaara..?"

He snapped out of his thoughts, surprised to see Naruto standing in front of him.

"Let's go."

He nodded, following him out of the lighted graveyard…

"What do you mean I made a big mistake?" Tsunade almost yelled, resisting the urge to slam her fist in the table in front of her.

Homura, unfazed, gave her a look of disapproval. "You should've come to us sooner."

Koharu nodded in agreement, her lips thinned tightly. "How could you make such a big decision on your own, Tsunade?"

Tsunade took a deep breath, counting to ten slowly in her head. She couldn't let them get to her. Even though she felt like throwing the two of them head-first into the closest wall she couldn't. "I didn't have a choice," she answered after calming herself down. "If I hadn't given him an answer he would've left and I couldn't let that happen. You know the situation with the Akatsuki. You know how important it is to keep him here, out of danger. I don't care what happened all those years back. It has nothing to do with what's happening now. Naruto's here and that's all I care about."

"You allowed a traitor to be buried here, Tsunade," Homura narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "How could you?"

"Minoru was a good man," Tsunade answered coldly. "He did what he did because he thought it was right thing to do at the time. His intentions weren't bad. He wasn't trying to harm Konoha. He was just trying to save the life of his best friend's only child. I don't see anything treacherous about his actions."

"It was merely a suggestion from our side at the time," Koharu clarified stiffly. "We were only thinking about Konoha's welfare."

Tsunade resisted the urge to snort, knowing it wouldn't be appreciated. She was the Fifth Hokage, after all. Such behaviour wasn't accepted from her.

"I want to meet him," Homura announced suddenly, straightening his glasses.

"Fine," Tsunade answered, getting up. "He should be on his way back to my office by now."

She nodded at Jiraiya, who'd decided to accompany her to this meeting. It was a good thing he had done, since he was on good terms with the Elders. He'd been very helpful with the explanations. Like always she could rely on him to be there for her.

The meeting had gone down pretty much how she'd expected it to. They weren't too happy about Gaara's temporary stay, nor Minoru's burial here in Konoha. On the other hand they were ecstatic to hear about the Jinchuriki's return.

It'd always been a sensitive subject for them ever since Minoru had left the village. They were afraid the other villages would learn the truth and make plans to attack them. It was always about power for them, just like it was for Danzo.

She was expecting him to appear sooner or later. No doubt he'd find out what happened from the Elders once they'd met Naruto. She knew he was going to get involved somehow, just like he'd done when Sasuke returned. What exactly he was going to do, she'd no idea. There was one thing she was absolutely certain about though. Whatever he was going to plan she wasn't going to like. Not one little bit…

Kakashi stood outside Konoha's graveyard, waiting for Naruto and Gaara to finish. He didn't want to intrude on something so personal. He would go to pay his respects to Minoru later.

He still couldn't believe his sensei's son was here in Konoha. When he'd entered Tsunade-sama's office earlier he hadn't been able to hold back the surprise he felt. After their last encounter he hadn't been expecting to see Naruto so soon.

Minoru had done the right thing by telling Naruto to come here. He didn't care what anyone else thought about his sensei's best friend. The man had sacrificed everything for the sake of friendship, even his own life. In his opinion what Minoru did deserved the highest respect. In their world there were very few like him. Having a burial here in Konoha was something he deserved.

Naruto had been quiet ever since he'd announced he'd stay here. The boy intrigued him. As much as he wanted to see what lay underneath his mask, he was also curious to see what he was like. Was he like his father or his mother? There had to be some similarities.

So far, from what he'd seen, he hadn't been able to learn much about him, except for the fact he was an extremely talented Shinobi. He couldn't wait to see what else Minoru had taught him. Maybe they could have a spar session later?

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted both of them leaving the graveyard. Turning the page of his book he stepped away from the tree he was leaning against and started walking away. He felt them follow…

Naruto followed Kakashi back to the Hokage Tower with Gaara walking beside him. It was now completely dark outside, save for the bright moonlight and the occasional street lamp they walked past. Konoha's streets were mostly empty by now. There was no light coming from any of the houses around them. People liked to get an early night around here, his mind noted vaguely.

He was tired, so damn tired. He couldn't even recall the last time he'd slept, yet his eyes were wide open. His body felt like lead, yet he continued to walk. Everything that'd happened in the last twenty four hours was still very much fresh in his mind, keeping him awake. So much had happened. So much had changed. It was too much for his mind and heart to digest all at once.

He was going to stay here in Konoha - the very place that he'd been avoiding for so long. It was a disturbing thought. Never in a million years had he expected to land where he was now.

He didn't know what he was going to do now. With Gaara leaving in a few days the thought of being alone once again was worrying him. He didn't feel right about Gaara's decision, even though he couldn't think of any way to keep him close. He wanted to protect his friend. "Gaara...?" The red-head looked towards him enquiringly. He hesitated, not sure if he should voice his concern out loud. "Do you really have to leave?" he found himself muttering instead.

Silence followed. He waited for his friend to speak, keeping his head down, not wanting the display of emotions in his eyes to be seen.

"I can't keep running forever, Naruto," Gaara answered softly. "It was kind of Hokage-sama to let me stay for a few days, considering the situation. I wasn't expecting it."

"What's going to happen once you return?" Naruto asked quietly.

Gaara looked into the night sky, clearly thinking through his thoughts. "I don't know," he admitted. "Most likely they'll punish me for leaving in the first place."

Naruto turned his head to face him sharply. "Then why go back?" He struggled to hold back the anger he felt, even more so when he saw the distant look appear on Gaara's face.

"Our world is too cruel, Naruto," Gaara muttered emotionlessly. "I'm sure you've seen enough in your travels. No matter how much we run from it all we fail to escape from it. Until we don't learn to face it we can never truly be at peace. As Jinchurikis we have to be prepared to suffer the hatred and anger directed at us. You were lucky. Your sensei saved you from all of that. He must've known from the beginning."

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that. A lump had formed in his throat, threatening to escape. He swallowed it back painfully, blinking back the tears which were on the verge of spilling.

Gaara…

He wanted so badly to take away all the pain he felt, but he couldn't. The frustration ate at him, threatening to envelope him entirely. It wasn't fair! Gaara didn't deserve the life he'd led.

A life he'd have had to endure if sensei hadn't saved him. He suddenly felt guilty. Why did Gaara have to suffer and he didn't? Why?

Why, sensei? Why did you save me? Why did you sacrifice everything for my sake…?

Several feet away the silver-haired ninja closed his eyes, having heard the entire conversation. His book lay open in his hand, totally forgotten…

A/N: Please tell me you liked it! This chapter was very hard to write. I think I'm happy with the direction I've taken the story.

Please review… I seriously need some cheering up! ^_^