CHAPTER TWENTY – Present Day, human world, village of Konohagakure

[A/N: I know the name of the yondaime was revealed in the latest chapters of Naruto, but this is an AU. The name isn't changing.

(several edges of the page are slightly torn)

There exists a part of the village hidden in the leaf where no one spoke of. The private war room of Konoha managed to be one of those places never utilized until emergencies. Yondaime sat immediately in front of a dry erase board where his plan for striking the Akatsuki organization showed. Several of the most powerful warriors ever to come out of the program sat in chairs across from him. "Alright," he uttered, finally breaking the ice. "So, are we going to discuss this?"

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Sensei, we're attacking the Akatsuki organization, and hopefully, eliminating Kenzo." His primary concern seemed to echo through the area. "Do you really think we can do that?"

Yondaime shook his head. "Don't worry about Kenzo; he's mine. Soon our council will declare war on them."

"Is that a good idea?" Gai interjected. "I mean, if we formally declare war, we'll be recognizing them as a body, and if we do that, that'll reflect badly on us if we don't utterly crush them."

"We are the Village Hidden in the Leaf," Yondaime replied, "and I think we don't need to worry about that. Besides; if we don't declare war on them, it won't have the same psychological effect."

Kyuubi scratched her head a moment. "Please, Yondaime, I think we should think about this; I know you want to avoid the destruction of the village, but you haven't seen Kenzo at maximum power." She knew her words were fruitless. She knew the Uzumaki bloodline too well; once a member of their family decided something, they were dead set on it. Still, she couldn't forgive herself if she didn't try. "My former mate should be my concern."

Yondaime solemnly looked downward. "No. You're going to stay here; if I die, this village needs a Hokage." He folded his arms and leaned against the board. "You're the best qualified." He knew he couldn't allow her to continue to shoulder the burden of the past; it just wouldn't be honorable of him.

Kyuubi clenched her fist in frustration. "Arashi, please, you don't know the extent of what you're involving yourself in..."

"Dammit, Kyuubi!" he shouted, interrupting her. "I will not budge on this issue! You will stay here! Orochimaru thinks his 'higher allegiance' is going to terrorize the most powerful of the shinobi villages, he has obviously let arrogance get to him!"

Kakashi raised his hand. "Sir? May I make a statement?" He eagerly awaited his approval, which came in the form of a nod. "I think we should involve your son and your wife. After all, I really don't think short of your death, you could actually defeat Kenzo." He knew that by taking the unpopular opinion, he would be putting himself at odds with his sensei, but he saw that Yondaime wasn't listening to reason.

"That's what I've been saying!" she yelled.

"Trust me, I am not underestimating our opponent," he counter argued. "I have a secret technique that will guarantee the death of Kenzo. Now, let's go over the plan." It was just then that a messenger approached the Yondaime. "Huh?" The messenger handed a scroll to him, then left. He quickly read the scroll, the made his leave. "Keep going over the plan, people, I have business to go to."

Naruto, training with Sasuke, felt a whoosh of chakra pass by. No one else could do so, but he knew that it was his father, Yondaime, utilizing hiraishin to teleport out of the village. The question he asked himself, was why. He could simply leave the village whenever he felt like it. Still, he paid little attention to it and went on training.

Kyuubi paced around her office. She'd been effectively sidelined and reduced to being a figurehead. Dammit Arashi, she thought, why do you have to write me off? She knew his motives, but it pissed her off. She knew he was committing suicide by challenging her former mate. The demonic sealing jutsu, an art my mate had originated for the purpose of destroying unbeatable opponents. But dammit, Arashi! There's something you don't know! He can do the technique as well! She cursed herself for not bringing that point up at the meeting. No matter; she'd tell him when he came back.

Meanwhile, a good distance away from the village, two figures sat next to each other at the end of a large table. A muscular blonde figure and a pale-skinned shinobi, the two main forces in Akatsuki. Orochimaru made the meeting official. "So, everyone, shall we go over our strategy?" he announced. Several figures made their opinions known.

"My lord, even with your higher allegiance, can you assure us of our victory?" a high-ranking shinobi inquired.

The muscular blonde figure stood up. "I know that would be the first question on everyone's mind. I'll tell you now, there's nothing the village hidden in the leaf can send my way that'll stand a chance. My power will guarantee their slaughter, and once we get the two halves of the Aura, we'll be unstoppable. Conquest will be ours."

"As long as you know your places in the upcoming battle, we cannot possibly lose." Orochimaru silenced all the naysayers with one sentence. He then focused his attention on his subordinates. "Hidan, you will infiltrate their village and unite the two halves, then once we absorb its power we will annihilate their village and we will then have no competition."

So several days passed. The major jounin of Yondaime's squad each commanded a hundred shinobi. Akatsuki threw their entire force into the combat. Konohagakure stood uphill from the forces approaching. Hundreds of grunts from the evil organization invaded through the forested areas around the village, and still hundreds more from the desert sand to the north. One conspicuous absence was Kenzo himself, the "higher allegiance" Orochimaru had utilized.

"This is what we've trained for!" Yondaime's shout rallied the shinobi. "GO!"

Kakashi and his squadron spearheaded the onslaught, catching a massive battalion at the front of the forest. Blood spilled in such quantities that the air itself seemed a shade of red. Screams and bodies falling echoed through the air. Gai and his group comprised the second wave impacting the enemy forces immediately after Kakashi's group. Gai stood back to back with his rival, and together, they chopped down or fisted dozens of foes down. The two groups, led by Asuma and Kurenai, served as the northern wall which the enemies from that direction would have to penetrate. Serving as an unbreakable barrier seemed easy enough for their combined talents.

But, as Naruto, and then Kyuubi learned, the battle was merely a distraction. Orochimaru cared naught about his own men. Someone had served as a mole inside Konohagakure, for Hidan was able to sneak in quite a distance and no one caught him. In an area of the forest only a few hundred meters from the wall of the village, the Akatsuki operative set up his symbols on the rocks for the ceremony. He chanted his spell words, causing the circle in which the half of the artifact was set, to glow brightly.

"I don't think so," Kyuubi eloquently stated, holding a sword to Hidan's throat.

Hidan backed up. "So, you've learned of my actions." He sneered. "This'll be fun. Another sacrifice to Jashin!" He made a swing for her chest, knowing she would knock him backwards, which she did. Even on the ground, in pain, he knew what came next. She reached for the stone and got it.

The moment she got it out of the circle, a series of religious symbols burst forth from the ground, ensnaring Kyuubi. As she tried to rip herself from them, she saw blood symbols on them; specific symbols designed to prevent her from utilizing her demonic strength. "What the fuck? Why...why you!"

Hidan laughed. "So predictable! Didn't you know the symbol was only a distraction? I don't need a large circle of stones in the ground to unleash its power! I only need the words! I was leading you on!"

As he went to put the stone in his pocket, a flying kick came out of nowhere and nailed him in the chest. Out of reflex, he let go and clutched his chest, causing the artifact to fly. It began rolling across the ground. Naruto would've lunged for it, except a large boot stepped on it, stopping its motion. The blonde jounin froze where he stood. The boot hooked underneath the artifact and propelled it upward, into a very large hand. The hand belonged to an extremely muscular figure with blonde hair who cleared seven feet in height. He sneered.

"Looking for this?" Kenzo spoke, his booming voice striking fear into his son.

"You!" Hidan shouted, fearful since the appearance of the demon.

Kenzo shouted something in demonic language, and Hidan burst into flame, being reduced to ash in a matter of seconds. He then focused on his son. "So, you haven't answered my question: are you looking for this?"

"No," a voice cried out. "But I am." Yondaime leapt out from behind a tree and landed behind Naruto.

Naruto did not take his eyes off his biological father to look at his adoptive father. "Father! Look out! Kenzo is incredibly strong!"

Kenzo laughed. "Hahahahaha. Ah, Arashi! You're so arrogant. Raising Naruto to hate me and to call you 'father.' The irony of it astonishes me."

Yondaime did not back down. "Surrender the artifact NOW."

"Ever the actor, Arashi!" The king of foxes gritted his teeth angrily. "You still persist in putting on the 'good guy' act? You want your son not to know the truth, because it would ruin your image, eh, Arashi?" He turned his attention to his son. "Naruto! My son, do you not know the truth? The one who would destroy the world for ultimate power is not standing across from you, but rather, behind you!"

Naruto did not flinch. "Father, is he accusing you of being Orochimaru's higher allegiance?" He began laughing at the prospect.

"I heard there was some trouble with Akatsuki going on so I paid a visit. Took a little detour to get straight to the problem. This is the Akatsuki bastard sent behind to slow you down."

He thought of the chuunin exam. Yondaime had told him about having killed the operative sent to distract him. He realized that when the higher allegiance landed on Naruto's head, it had been heavy, but not as much as Kenzo appeared. Furthermore, a separate memory came to mind.

"Fancy meeting you here, son."

He thought of the land of the waves. All the pieces seemed to fit together.

"Father," he started to turn to look at Yondaime, when he found himself taken by the neck.

"Kenzo, surrender the artifact immediately, or your son dies."

Kenzo sneered. "So, you finally decided to drop the act."

This can't be happening, Naruto thought.