Good Evening and welcome back to the newest Chapter of 'Immortalized'! We're on to the 21st Installment! 21 Chapters guys! Holy fuckin shit! My story has more words in it than the first Harry Potter book, and while I know I'm no JK Rowling, it's still pretty cool to know. Just so you all know, I really appreciate the feedback and support you guys are giving me, I fuckin' love it all, good bad or ugly, it's great. I finally got around to do a little bit of editing, and the wall of text that was in Chap. 5 has now been broken and there have been some jutsu fixes/ grammar checks for the first 7 Chaps. Nothing that requires re-reading, but just figured I'd give you the heads up. Anyways…

Chapter 21

Consequence of Action

A young Naruto walked along the path with his Godfather, Jiraiya, the two now back in Fire Country on their journey across the Elemental Nations, though they wouldn't be stopping in Konoha, or even passing through the village in the Leaves. The blonde was currently in one of his moods, the nine year old not having full control of his emotions, yet. He was young, brash, and immature, but then again, what child wasn't at his age? It was to be expected really, even if Jiraiya was doing his best to change and reform his young charge's anger into something more positive and productive.

The two had just passed into Fire Country a few days ago, having passed through Wave Country on their return trip from Uzushiogakure, the ancestral home of the Uzumaki Clan, and the birthplace and true home of the blonde's mother, Kushina. The older man had told his Godson about his home a while ago, after telling him of his mother and father, and the boy had wanted to visit his home. Though the Toad Sage had been against it at first, he had eventually been worn down through the younger boys constant badgering, and had finally caved and taken him there.

The Village Hidden by Whirling Tides was the shinobi village of the Land of Whirlpools. Its ninja were renowned for their Fuuinjutsu to the point that it led to its destruction during the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War, in a joint attack from Kiri and Iwa. The Iwa forces had distracted the Konoha forces along the border, keeping the Whirlpool village's greatest allies occupied, when Kiri assaulted and annihilated the smaller village, wiping it from the map completely and utterly. Those who survived the village's destruction scattered across the globe to seek refuge, though they were few and far between, Naruto being the only known person to currently use the name of 'Uzumaki' or any of the other known clan names.

The people of Uzushiogakure were noted to have notoriously long lives, so much so it had gained the epithet "The Village of Longevity". In terms of appearance, the village seemed to have been composed of several high-rise buildings, though they now all stood in ruin. A wide river seemingly ran through the village and was gapped by large bridges, all once again having been destroyed in the attack from many years ago. The surrounding countryside was dominated by steep hills and rolling waves.

Uzushiogakure had close ties with Konohagakure, due to Uzushio's Uzumaki clan and Konoha's Senju clan being distant blood relatives, and now, in remembrance of the Leaf's failure to protect her ally, all flak jackets worn by the Chunin and Jounin-level shinobi of Konoha bore the crest of Uzushio, symbolizing the strong friendship between both villages, and as a symbol of repentance. The failure of Konoha to defend its small ally during the war resulted in the death of the hidden village, the whirlpools stained with the blood of its countrymen. Surprisingly, the blonde had taken the information that Jiraiya fed him rather well, but that was before he saw the village, and bore witness to the destruction of the place that would likely have been his home.

The blonde had become numb to his emotions during his time in the village with Jiraiya, often lying awake at night crying, wishing for his dead parents to resurface, hoping against hope and knowing that he'd never feel the loving embrace of his mother, knowing that he'd never hear his father tell him that he was proud of him, it was almost too much to bear for the young man. But it was after the two left the fallen and forgotten village that Naruto's attitude took a turn for the worse, his anger and rage coming back in a vengeance, worse than even the anger he had felt before when the two had been in Kumogakure.

Gone had been the happy go lucky kid who wanted to do nothing but train to protect those he loved, the one who loved the thrill of a challenge and the wind in his hair, and in his place was a young boy who was quite similar to a young and brooding Uchiha. He wanted the Kiri-Nin who destroyed his home, killed his ancestors, to pay and pay dearly. He wanted to choke the life out of Iwa himself, and bleed the ground red with the blood of the same men that destroyed his village, he wanted to do so much, his vengeance and drive for it was absolute, and this worried Jiraiya greatly, the man doing all he could to turn the young boy's thoughts, knowing the road that those thoughts led, and wanting anything else for his Godson.

The two had stopped in a small town near the western border of Hot Water, and Konoha, where Jiraiya had offered to treat the boy to some ramen, under the guise of rewarding him for all the good training he had been getting in, something to which the young shinobi-in-training had happily agreed, giving Jiraiya hope for the kid's happiness to return. They'd sat down, and while Naruto hungrily had dived into the noodles, slurping them noisily, the Toad Sage had taken a more reserved approach to the treat, speaking to his young charge in between bites, and forcing his trademark grin into his face as he spoke.

"When people get hurt, they learn to hate... when people hurt others, they become hated and racked with guilt. But knowing that pain allows people to be kind. Pain allows people to grow... and how you grow is up to you." Here the large man paused, noticing that the child next to him was intently listening, even if his eyes were still focused on the broth he was slurping. "Naruto, one person, one singular person is all everyone needs in this world. "It's said that whenever that someone is thinking of you, that place is truly your home, so it doesn't matter if the Uzushio was destroyed, because home is wherever you make it, Naruto."

Jiraiya paused briefly, loudly slurping up his own noodles and smiling inwardly as the child behind his giggled at his antics, before he placed the bowl back down on the counter, turning to face him, and looking in the azure eyes of his apprentice. "Even I can tell that hatred is spreading. I wanted to do something about it, but I don't know what! But I do believe that someday the day will come when people truly understand one another!" The Toad Sage grinned happily once more, reaching one of his large hands out to ruffle the blonde's hair as he talked. "If I can't find the answer, it'll be up to you to do it! Do you accept this mission, Naruto?!"

The white haired bulk of a man could barely contain his hearty chuckle as the boy jumped up from his seat, giving him a salute and standing as straight as his little frame allowed him, all but shouting out how he 'accepted the mission' from his mentor and last living shred of family. Jiraiya could no longer hold in the wide grin that split across his face as he looked down at the Legacy that Minato had left behind, knowing the older blonde would have been proud of his son in this moment, before he himself stood, once again ruffling the child's hair much to his bemusement as he talked once more, leading the kid out of the stand and back into the large and open world, that somehow seemed just a little bit more forgiving after their meal.

"Never go back on your word, and never give up, because that's your ninja way, right? And as your mentor, I have no business whining! Because the student's nindo should mirror their Master's too! Isn't that so, Naruto?"

End Flashback

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts as he felt a presence arrive at his side, the person not doing anything to hide their approach. He'd been standing on the roof of the building for a while now, this particular one being of the tallest in Kumo. The blonde had been woken from his sleep with his usual nightmares, and instead of going back to sleep as he knew he'd be unable, the expert shinobi had quickly ducked the Kumo nin that were still watching him and his team, leaving a Kage Bunshin in his place to feign his never leaving.

It had been three days since his battle with the Hachibi Jinchuriki Killer Bee, and minutes after the battle the Raikage had approached the barely standing blonde, a grin spread wide across his face as he had approached. He had let out a hearty laugh after making sure that his brother was fine, before Naruto had graciously accepted the offer to be treated for his wounds in one of Kumogakure's hospitals. Soon after he had recovered enough to continue his duties, he had begun meeting with the 'A' to discuss the terms of their alliance, and would be accepting the agreed upon terms the following morning, after which Team Seven would be leaving.

Speaking of Team Seven, they had bonded rather well with Team Samui over the last several days, as they worked alongside their counterparts. It was good, really, to see the bridges that had been burnt with the last generation showing the beginnings of being repaired, and Naruto was all the more glad for it. Omoi and Sasuke had taken to training with each other over the last couple of days, battling each other and constantly talking about the different techniques that could be used and countered, the two becoming fast friends as they fought and spent time together.

Karui had been spending a lot of time with Sakura, as the two were similar in their fiery nature, and she had been happy to show her fellow kunoichi around Kumo, to the area's she was allowed to enter, at least. But the strangest part was that Karui was pulling double duty, spending a large amount of her time with Sai, as well. Sai had been painting a lot, sitting on the roof of buildings, park benches, wherever he felt like and drawing and sketching upon his canvas since the modified Team Seven had been granted extra liberty by the Raikage, and Karui had really taken to spending time with the pale man, the two becoming nearly inseparable during their stay in Kumo, with Sai even giving the redhead one of his paintings as a parting gift, something that was unpresented. Naruto even thought he saw a true, genuine smile grace his lips.

And the Last Uzumaki himself had found his time being split, but that was fine, the benefits of the Kage Bunshin were endless, so he'd split himself into three, one hanging out with the briefly hospitalized Kirabi and keeping him company, the original with the Raikage, hammering out the details of the task force that was being organized to hunt the increasingly bold Akatsuki, and a final copy spending a day or two with his fellow blonde and team leader herself, Samui. His time with Kirabi was…interesting to say the least, and he'd be lying if he didn't find himself jealous of the older man. The way he was greeted and treated as he walked through the village was so drastically different from his own and other village's treatment of Jinchuriki that it was as clear as night and day.

In Kumo, Kirabi was treated as well as the Raikage himself, and Naruto bore witness to it all. Children would come up to him and ask for autographs, they'd climb onto the man's broad shoulders, hell some of them even attempted to rap, and he would always cringe when the bull of a man rapped back at the kids, talking in his crazy and eccentric fashion. But there was no denying it, the citizens of Kumogakure, both ninja and civilian alike, adored the Jinchuriki of the Hachibi, and treated him as something of a celebrity. Being the self-professed 'Guardian of the Clouds' had its perks, he supposed. The blonde man was jealous of his counterpart, but the feeling quickly passed. If not for his experiences and the life he lived, he wouldn't be the man he was today.

But the last Uzumaki had to admit he had the most fun with the cool headed Samui. The two had only spent a few hours together on each day, but they had been fun, and he had genuinely enjoyed himself and the time he spent with the busty woman. The two hadn't done much, merely walking the village in the late afternoon on the first day, making idle chatter and moving along the streets of the large industrialized village close to each other. The second day they had met earlier, grabbing a late breakfast together, before the two had found themselves in a park, the two adults taking a brief break from their busy lives to simply lay back and watch the clouds pass overhead, similar to the way that a certain Nara in Konoha was fond of doing.

Those two days were the reason that the woman didn't need to announce herself as she landed next to him on the large tower that overlooked the village, landing a few feet behind him before she walked up to him, taking a seat next to him on the edge of the building, the two sitting close enough to almost be touching, the body heat from both mixing with each other, keeping them somewhat warm in the night air. The two blondes sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one acknowledging the other for the longest time, before Naruto eventually poke, breaking the peace that blanketed the area, using nothing more than a simple question. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Nope. You?" As opposed to her talkative and impulsive teammates, Samui was the epitome of mature and calm. Often, she was generally silent, only speaking when needed around most until she truly opened up to someone. The blonde woman also had something of a verbal tick, her favorite word being 'cool', something she said often. Because of her calm personality that never left even during stressful missions, the Yondaime Raikage had on more than one occasion told her that he valued her as a capable kunoichi, completely trusting her. The woman looked over to her companion, watching as he did the same, dark cobalt eyes meeting the bright blue of her own, before she said and leaned back, her arms holding her up as she answered the blonde's unasked question. "Nightmares."

To her surprise, he didn't ask her what they were about, he didn't pry into her social life, or attempt to make her feel better, like others did. Naruto simply laid back on the roof top, his legs dangling over the side as he reached his arms behind his head to rest there, looking up into the night sky, watching the stars. It was a cold minute before he began talking, startling the woman who was sitting next to him briefly before she began listening intently to the man as he spoke, his voice a soft whisper that was gruff and manly in nature, yet at the same time, somehow vulnerable. It was odd to hear that tone come from the man that had beaten Killer Bee in a fight, but she wasn't one to judge.

"Believe it or not, I'm up here for the same reasons. I've lost a lot of people that were close to me over the last couple of years, and it's been rough." The man sighed softly, wiping once of his hands down his face briefly before continuing. "I've talked to people about it, of course. Everyone tells me that I need to move on, but I can't. If I do that, then I'll forget them, forget their memories, and I can't bring myself to let go of them. I know that I should, but…" He paused, closing his eyes as his face stared onward towards the sky, the man hiding the shiver that ran down his spine. "I have so few people left, I can't let them go or I'll be alone."

He chuckled softly to himself as he finished, briefly muttering to himself as he opened his eyes. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, I don't usually dump my problems onto other people, I'm sorry." Naruto wiped the small amount of precipitation that had gathered on his forehead in the night air, sitting up and moving to stand, fully intent on leaving the girl there alone, he truly didn't mean to drop his issues onto her shoulders, for some reason he had just started talking. Before he could fully stand though, a soft weight fell upon his shoulder, and before he could stop himself, the Jounin of Konoha looked over his shoulder to find Samui still seated next to him, looking up to him and holding onto his shoulder with her hand, pulling him gently back down to the ground to sit next to her.

Only, for a brief second as she looked up to him, Naruto didn't see the blonde hair and blue eyes of the Kumo Jounin. For a slit second until he blinked it away with a brief shake of his head, the woman that was looking back up to him was the redheaded and foul mouthed master of Genjutsu he had once loved, Tayuya. For that split second, his heart stopped, before he forced himself back to the here and now. He wasn't in his home in Konoha before the war, he was in Kumo negotiating an alliance. His heart pounding in his chest so loudly he was sure that the blue-eyed woman next to him could hear it, Naruto forced himself to calm as he sat back down on the roof next to her, the two being silent for a few moments before her voice permeated the darkness.

"A lot of people don't know this, but I used to have a brother. His name… his name was Atsui, and he was every bit as fiery as his name was, always coming up with catchphrases that had the word 'hot' in it or something. When we were younger, before I was a shinobi though, and before I moved to Kumo, there was a bandit raid in the small village where we lived." Samui paused, taking a breath and exhaling slowly before she continued. "Atsui didn't make it, I was young so I don't remember it very well, but I know that he died defending me. After that, I just kind of drifted for a bit, before I wound up in Kumo when I was twelve."

The blonde woman sighed softly as he head drooped, she could feel Naruto's eyes on her as she continued talking, very well aware of the comforting arm that he placed around her shoulders, her body unconsciously leaning into his in the motion. "When I first moved to the village, I didn't have a lot of friends, the first one I really made was Yugito. She and I were always together after that, she called me her sister, and I promised myself that I would always protect her like one, just like Atsui did for me." The usually composed woman's voice trailed off as she finished her story, not even needing to go into details about how she felt or had reacted over the death of Yugito, now revealed to be her pseudo-sister.

Naruto simply sat there and was quiet, there wasn't anything he knew to really say to the woman to comfort her, and it wouldn't be fair of him to tell her to move on when he himself couldn't even face his own demons. To an extent, the woman that was leaning into his side seemed to be in the same boat as he was, her own inability haunting her in her darkest moments while she slept, the same as he was. Neither person was able to let go of the one's they loved, for fear of neglecting them to the ravages of time or for otherwise, it didn't matter, the root of their pain was the same. Both shinobi and kunoichi knew this about the other, but in those few moments as they watched the first rays of the sun begin to rise over the peaks of the mountain range as the two broken souls held each other softly, it didn't really seem to matter.

As the two blondes of villages worlds apart from each other sat and began to watch the village come to life, Naruto unconsciously pulled Samui just a little bit closer to him, the woman happily complying in the early morning air, ready to huddle into whatever warmth that she could get. Neither of them moved for several minutes, both content to simply enjoy each other's company as they sat there on the cold metal that made up the building. They both still had a few hours before they had to report to the Raikage for Team Seven's departure, so it wasn't as if they were in a rush, besides, they'd spent the entire night in the company of each other talking and finally letting a small amount of their issues out, so a few more minutes spent in comfortable silence wouldn't hurt.

That was the excuse they made for themselves, anyways. In truth, they simply enjoyed each other's company more than they desired to move.

"…and in conclusion, the Cloud accepts the treaty from the Leaf, under the conditions set forth and agreed upon by both parties." The Raikage's secretary finished her sentence, the man himself still seated behind his desk as he finished signing and stamping his official on a scroll, before returning it to the blonde shinobi standing in front of him. Naruto couldn't help but grin, his endeavor having been a success with the new treaty that bonded the two villages of Kumogakure and Konohagakure for the first time in generations.

The assistant of the Raikage was named 'Mabui', if the Jounin of Konoha could remember properly, and he had to admit, from his brief meetings with her during his and 'A's negotiations, the kunoichi was very good at her job. The woman remained calm in stressful situations during the talks and had always immediately completed any tasks she was given. She had also been very respectful of the blonde and his team, as she referred to them all with honorifics despite being asked not to, and that they were all younger than her.

Mabui herself was a decent looking woman as well, and she and Sakura had even gotten along pretty well with their small interactions. She, like many others in Kumo, had dark skin, but coupled it with her bright green eyes. The personal assistant was professional even in her appearance, wearing very formal attire consisting of a long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt, along with a pair of long earrings and sandals. Her light grey hair was pulled back into a bun with two bangs that fell on either side of her curved face, her smile dancing across her face as she finished handing the blonde shinobi all of the papers and scrolls he needed from the Raikage.

Taking the scroll from the woman, Naruto turned and was almost out the door of the office when the gruff and overly masculine voice of the Raikage called out to him, stopping him in his tracks as the man all but yelled his name. The blonde stopped, his hand reaching for the door before he lowered it, turning his head to the left to slowly look over his shoulder at the large man that was seated behind his desk. The older man stroked his white beard for a brief, tense moment before he spoke, the man preferring to use his fists to talk, but in this moment, allowing words to convey his message. "Don't make me regret this."

To his credit, all the Last Uzumaki did was nod slightly, not giving the man any words, before he opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him as he went. In seconds, the man was outside of the large building, giving his late father a run for his money in speed as he moved through it, blasting out the door and back towards the gates of the large and heavily militarized village, spotting his team waiting around for him by the gates. In a moment of sheer happiness and excitement, the Jounin flashed to his team, reappearing from the seal he had placed on Sasuke, startling the group that was idly chatting with Team Samui and Kirabi, who had come to see the group off.

The members of the improved (in his humble opinion) Team Seven didn't even jump at his sudden appearance anymore, having grown somewhat used to his sudden appearances and disappearances, even if it did still annoy the hell out of them. He was going to keep doing it, whether they liked it or not, so after the hundredth or so time, they had all become relatively desensitized to the shock value of the technique. However, the same could not be said for Team Samui, how all noticeable jumped or were startled when he 'magically' appeared in front of them, the three having only gotten a brief glimpse of the techniques abilities when he had his fight with Kirabi.

"Hey there Mister Nine, I'm laughing watching you all the time! That shit you just used was pretty fancy, a trick like that must come in pretty handy!" The large man grinned, speaking in the typical rhyme that Naruto was quickly becoming used to. The older Jinchuriki hadn't been a bad sport about his battle with the blonde, having told him that it was the best fight he had had in a long time, not having had a real reason to cut loose in several years. The blonde shinobi had been happy to hear that there was no bad blood between them, as he hadn't been trying to hurt the man, but at the same time he had been wholly unwilling to lose the fight with the man and place the alliance in jeopardy.

As it was, the two would be parting on good terms, and Killer Bee had even given him his own little 'stamp of approval' in the form of one of his legendary fist bumps, something the shinobi had happily accepted with a grin of his own, slamming his fist into the large man's as he let out his trademark 'Wheee!'. The Jounin sighed softly through his grin, if he didn't know better he would honestly think that the man was completely insane. He finished his goodbye with his fellow Jinchuriki before he turned back to his team, watching them all briefly say their farewells to the members of Team Samui, and turning to the woman herself to give her his own parting words.

The two stood, face to face while the others idly chatted amongst each other, oceanic blue eyes looking into those of their azure counterparts on the woman before them. The two said nothing for a few moments, drinking in each other's forms, every little aspect of the one in front of them, knowing it would likely be awhile before they saw each other. Neither was willing to admit it to the other, or even to themselves, but they both had become somewhat fond of each other and the talks they had had. Naruto, as usual, was the first to break their little silence. "So, I guess this is it."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Samui nodded briefly in turn, looking down briefly before her usual smirk appeared on her face, her gaze returning to her fellow blonde as she placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward ever so slightly as she jutted her right hip out just a small amount to the side. "Stay in touch, Naruto. And if you ever find yourself in Kumo, well….it'd be pretty cool if you looked me up." As the busty woman finished her sentence, she was happy to notice the small blush that was creeping across the man's face. Deciding to mess with him a little bit more, she gave him a small wink with her left eye, before standing back up and turning around to walk away, her team already hot on her heels as she raised a hand over her shoulder in farewell, not looking back.

The Last Uzumaki was dumbfounded, to say the least. The woman had caught him completely off guard, and then left before he could even recover. He had to admit, it was pretty cool, and he would definitely think on taking her up on her offer if he ever found himself back in Kumogakure. The man quickly tore his eyes away from the retreating girl that surprised him, before he turned back to his team, nodding at the three of them, and after verifying that everyone was ready to leave, he gave the order and as one Team Naruto forced chakra to their legs, launching themselves down into the unforgiving ranges of rolling hills and valleys, down the range of mountains.

No one, neither the Kumogakure Ninja nor those from Konoha noticed the odd plant like man than had watched the entire endeavor, melting back into the ground before disappearing completely.

It had only taken the group a short six days to return to Konohagakure no Sato, a day faster than their original trip to Kumogakure. Team Naruto had had a nice an uneventful return journey, aside from a small spat with a group of bandits that had quickly been taken care of. Honestly, with the literal monster in combat that was the Last Uzumaki, the Ninjutsu master that was Sasuke, the support specialist named Sai, and the absurdly strong Sakura, the 'battle' if one could call it that, had been over before it even began. It was silly, really. A trivial matter, but the team had dealt with their setback, and then redoubled their efforts to make it home.

It wasn't long into the morning when the four-man cell arrived at the gates, quickly passing through them and into the village they hailed from, well three of the members at least, Naruto himself had hung back at the gatehouse itself, having a brief conversation with the two men, Izumo and Kotetsu, jokingly asking them if they had any relatives in other countries, seeing as how all the gate guards he had met bore a striking resemblance to the two men. The blonde turned to leave, before he doubled back, quickly placing a small envelope onto the desk the two men were behind, giving a small wink to Izumo, sliding it to him with a snicker before walking off, hurrying to rejoin his teammates.

The man looked to his partner and best friend briefly, Kotetsu only shrugging before the other man picked up the envelope, tearing it open and pulling out the contents inside, what he saw making his eyes widen and his hands begin to slightly tremble. He gently reached inside the now open envelope, softly grabbing the item inside and removing it, his mouth opening slightly as he revealed it to be a picture. But not just any picture, it was the one and only picture that he had ever gotten of Konoha's Sword Mistress, Uzuki Yugao, when she had been enjoying a day off at the springs, naked as the day she was born. It was the same picture that he had lost to Kotetsu years before in a high stakes game of 'Go-Fish', and the man couldn't help but let out a yell of triumph as he held it over his head in victory.

The man's moment was short lived though, as his partner was now intrigued by his friend dancing around in the booth, holding what appeared to be a photo over his head… It then it hit him. He didn't even need to look, he knew exactly what the picture was of, but that wasn't what bothered him. No, the fact that cause his eyes to narrow and made him rise from his seat was the small detail that the picture belonged to him. He had won it in the game, so it was his, and he wanted it back. Kotetsu hadn't even gotten to take the picture home with him for some fun, some much deserved fun, but that was all about to change. He drew himself up, and lunged, his hands clasping around Izumo's throat as the two fell to the ground in the booth, their gate duty forgotten as they dropped.

Meanwhile, Naruto and company heard the resounding yell of triumph, followed almost immediately by a scream of anger and then the sound of fighting. Sakura, Sasuke and Sai were immediately on guard, their training overtaking their instincts, as the three immediately reaching for their respective weapons as they turned to face the unknown threat, prepared to defend their home before their blonde leader was quick to flash in front of them, reassuring them that it was just a friendly scuffle and that they shouldn't worry about it.

After a few minutes and some brief questioning, Naruto had managed to convince his team that it really wasn't worth their time, and the group continued on to their briefing that they would soon be giving to the Godaime Hokage, ever so suspicious of the manically laughing blonde that was in their company. Something was definitely up with the man, but they had learned that sometimes, the crazed Uzumaki was best left to his own devices. All three members noted though, that it was definitely nice to see the man going back to his old, laughing self, instead of being depressed and serious like he now usually was, becoming something of a smaller Kakashi.

Yeah, sometimes it was best to not question certain things.

The briefing that the modified Team Seven had given their Hokage had gone like all the other ones they had ever given the man following their successful missions, clear, concise, and in depth, while still being short enough to not drag on over time. Naruto had conducted the meeting, the Godaime listening in silence with only small input from his team from time to time, before the Chunin, Tokubetsu Jounin and Jounin had been relieved and exited, the Last Uzumaki staying behind to talk with his leader, giving whatever information he deemed unnecessary to his report, but it also had a double meaning.

It was during these meetings that Kakashi was attempting to gauge the mental state of easily his most powerful asset. Whether the blonde knew it and recognized it or not, he was the strongest shinobi in the village, and by a pretty decent margin. There weren't many people in the village he couldn't beat without going into the famed 'Sage Mode', and once he did there was no contest. The man was simply unmatched in terms of combat prowess, but all that power was useless if he wasn't in a proper state of mind and allowed his emotions to rule over his judgement. So periodically, Naruto would talk with his leader, and the Hokage would do his best to judge if the man was fit for duty.

He wasn't picking favorites, though. This was something that he did with all of his higher level ninja, the lower levels having their own psych-teams that would deal with them. The higher echelon ninja though, were of personal responsibility to the village's leader, or at least, that was how he felt about it. Kakashi refused to allow unfit ninja into the field, and no matter how powerful Naruto was or how much of an asset he would be to the battlefield, if the man wasn't mentally fit for duty, then he was not authorized to leave. That was how he led his village, mental and physical stability being the standard.

And so far, it seemed to be working. Mission success was at an all-time high for the village of Konohagakure no Sato, and morale seemed to be raising at an astonishing rate ever since the end of the war with the Kusa/Oto/Taki alliance and the death of Orochimaru. However, the morale of the village as a whole didn't always reflect the morale of the individual ninja, and this was often the case with the blonde shinobi. The man had been seen as the hero of the war, slaying enemy after enemy and fighting on every front, defending everyone he met to the best of his ability, but the Last Uzumaki was only able to see the blood he had spilt, not the lives he had saved. It was self-depreciating, and it was a very unhealthy attitude.

But as a whole, the man had seemed to be improving, especially with this recent trip to Kumogakure, the blonde seemed to be coming around and returning to his old self. It was true that the man would never be the same after all he had seen and done, that was simply too much to ask, but it was in a positive light that Kakashi looked upon the son of his Sensei and noted that he seemed to be coming around, and began to pull himself from whatever slump he had been in, at least on the outside. The life of a shinobi was never easy, and that only grew with the more that one did, the more missions they took, the more lives they both ended and saved. It wasn't glamorous, but it was a way of life.

The life of a soldier was a rough and hardy one, never easy and a challenge every step of the way. The burden of leadership only added to the weight upon every warriors shoulders, and there wasn't much to lift the crushing pressure that fell upon every warfighters back, even in times of peace it was strenuous. The battlefield was the great equalizer among men, it didn't care if the people that shed blood underneath its harsh summit were black or white, male or female, rich or poor, alone from birth or raised with love, war was hell for everyone and everyone, from the lowest Private to the highest General. Though the current 'war' was over and won, there would eventually be another. There was always another. Even in times of 'peace', there was conflict among nations.

There were three great ironies of the lifestyle of the common Shinobi: The first was that they sought to promote peace, but did this through mastery of techniques bred for war as their means. The second was that enlightened men wanted to open the minds of men, but required absolute obedience to a leader and set of rules. And the final ironic philosophy was that the way of the shinobi sought to reveal the danger of blind faith, yet were are practitioners of it themselves. Kakashi had no satisfactory answer to these charges, only possibilities.

Was he supposed to bend the rules in service to a greater good? And if he did that, what did it say of him, and at what line would he stop? Would it be written that he and his shinobi were liars, devoid of all sense of honor? That they were frauds? That they were weak? Long days and nights were spent wrestling with these contradictions and in spite of all the years he'd had to reflect, still the silver haired man can find no suitable answer, and feared that one may not even exist. They of noble intentions, possessed of barbaric means, who celebrate the sanctity of life and then promptly take it from those they deemed their enemies, life in itself was a contradiction. It was in these moments that the former-Jounin knew why the Sandaime had always seemed so tired and aged, even in the beginning of his term.

The War is the world, and the World is the war. But behind every blade is a human being. We are those people. We are the Jaded and the Naive. We are the Honorable, and the Criminal. We are the bound for Legend, and the Lost to History. We are the Knights of the Sky, the Ghosts in the Desert, and the Rats in the Mud. They push, and in turn we push back. But every once in a while, we push hard enough that the light breaks through the clouds, so the world beyond the constant battle glimmers...

Just out of reach.

Drowning.

He was drowning in the river he had been swimming in. It was odd, he didn't remember coming to the river, but he definitely remembered swimming briefly in the murky waters, before he felt something grab his ankle and pull him under the dark waves, yet when he tried to break free of its grasp, there was nothing there, though he was still being forced under the waves by something. And then, just as the blonde was gasping under the rough waters for breath, the liquid of the river filling his throat against his will, he was on land, broken through onto the other side. But as he opened his eyes, the battle hardened shinobi wished he had remained in the waves, suffocating on the water that forced itself upon him.

He was on the battlefield of Sheriku- the bloodiest fight he had been a part of during Konoha's push into Otogakure. The Last Uzumaki wasn't even supposed to be there. He had been on his way from a separate mission, when the distress flare had gone up. In that moment, it didn't matter that he was exhausted from a previous fight, it didn't matter that he had already done his part as far as anyone else was concerned. When the blonde Jounin of Konoha saw the red flare in the night sky, his direction changed and his speed increased unconsciously as his course was modified. It was his duty to protect his men. That was the promise he had made to them.

But he had arrived too late. Naruto could still feel the despair in his heart, the lump in his stomach, as he landed briefly on the tree and took in the battlefield. The sneak attack from the Oto forces had come from nowhere, and with the element of surprise, they had decimated the Leaf camp, taking no prisoners. Men, women, children that shouldn't have been there, but fuck it they were Genin so they could fight, all of them were lying on the cold and unforgiving ground, the blood from their wounds still fresh and wet, the attack having only concluded moments ago. The Heir to the Uzumaki was moving before he even registered what was happening, his signature tri-pronged kunai falling into his hands with practiced ease as he dropped to the ground.

The first three Chunin he fell upon didn't even have time to blink, their throats were cut and they were dead before their bodies even hit the ground, the shadow that passed them by moving so quickly the blood splatter from their wounds not gracing his body, his blades moving so quickly and with surgical precision that the liquid never made it to them. He made no clones, this was his job. There were no high level jutsu that were thrown around, even the Hiraishin was not being used for this, the man relying on nothing but his own intense speed.

Ninja after ninja fell under him, and by the time Naruto had forced his way through the first twenty, a small platoon at most, the enemy began to take notice of him, calling out warnings to their friends and teammates, their hands flashing through their own hand seals to launch their jutsu. It would all be for naught as the blonde menace slashed, hacked, and sliced with practiced and eased precision that was worthy of the most expert surgeon. In the end, only two men actually got off their techniques, and the Jounin of Konoha made no effort to dodge them, the fireball from the first crashing into his body, the slicing wind blades from the second impacting shortly after.

Yet onward he trudged, burnt clothes and cut skin already healing over, his gaze hard and unforgiving as he walked towards the men, the two petrified under his steely blue gaze as the realization hit them that they stood no chance of survival. Before them stood the nemesis of the Sound, the 'Konoha no Kurimuzon Chiratsuki (Crimson Flicker of Konoha)', named not after the color of his flashes like his father, but the spilt blood left behind from the technique. The two men who had been lucky enough to get off their jutsu, their lives not even having time to flash before their eyes, fell to the ground, an immaculate, tri-pronged kunai knife piercing the forehead of each, dead center and split between their eyes.

The blonde Jounin stood in the destroyed field that had been the town of Sheriku, and only then did he realize that there were no survivors from either side. He looked about him in the moonlight, unable to stop his eyes from lingering for a moment of the body of the Konoha shinobi he had let down, lingering on them, recognizing a few here and there, having spent time with all of them at some point during his life. This was truly terrible. The fog wasn't lifting, the moon's light shined down on him like a spotlight, almost as if he was the star of a show, the battlefield his stage in his performance of tragedy.

Naruto was unable to force himself to not look down at his hands, and though they were pristine, immaculate, and clean, he was unable to look past the blood that stained them. And once again, just like it had with the river, the scene changed. He was no longer at the field of broken men in Sheriku, but now he was in Konoha, at a funeral. But the odd thing was, it wasn't just one pyre, no that would have been too easy. As far as he could see, there were lit fires, every direction he turned another one gracing his sight with the majestic flames that burned the oil soaked wood of the body atop it. He didn't need to see the names above the plaques on each one, he knew them, knew them all. For many, he had spoken at their send off, but for all he had led, had inspired, and ultimately, had failed.

It started off small, quiet, barely perceptible on the wind that carried as the only live man in the area tried desperately to ignore it, forcing his hands over his ears and slamming his eyes shut in desperation. But the noise grew, starting from one voice whispering his name, to two voices, three, four, five… Soon they weren't whispering under their breath in a hushed tone, now the unison of voices was talking in a normal tone, more and more joining in as the sounds traveled around the valley, the sound bouncing around and assaulting him from all ends.

And then the voices began yelling, calling out his name in anger, hatred, confusion, hope, sadness, all emotions crossing the entire spectrum, before they began screaming his name. 'Naruto!' yelled out in a thousand different voices, in a thousand different tones, a thousand different meanings all attacking his ears and mind in a relentless assault that he couldn't fight off no matter how much he begged them, pleaded with them to stop, that he was sorry, that he'd do anything to make it up to them, hoping and praying to any god that would listen to him.

'Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!'

The Last Uzumaki shot out of his bed in a cold sweat, like he had become nearly accustomed to over the last several months, going on over a year now. However, that never made it any easier though, and every time he found himself awake in an angry and apologetic and yet, fearful haze, he knew that that was the extent of sleep he was going to be getting for the night. It took him a few minutes to calm himself, and he idly noted that it was getting easier for him to do that when he awoke, and also that he wasn't waking up screaming anymore, merely grunting and breathing heavily.

The man glanced absentmindedly over to the clock near his bed, noting that it was just after two in the morning, good. He'd managed to get about six hours of sleep this time, which was about an hour and a half more than he usually averaged on the all too often nights like these. He was dressed and out of the door into the cool night air in a matter of minutes, heading out to the one spot in the world where he felt he was able to repent for his actions, however little good it actually did in the long run. Naruto trudged along the streets of Konoha, his head low, yet his shoulders squared, the evidence of the burden he willfully carried evident as it metaphorically weighed upon his shoulders. The man wasn't far from the memorial stone when he was joined by another person.

The ANBU Agent landed next to him in near silence and complete grace, both befitting of the 'Panther' mask that the woman wore. Her voice was the terse and metallic one that was derived of every Agent in the Leaf's Black Op Corps. "Jounin Uzumaki. You presence is urgently requested in the Hokage's Office. Acknowledge." There was no need for words, his personal feelings came second to his duty, that was one of the tenants that he as a ninja lived by. The mission came first, and if the Hokage was 'requesting' him now, in the dead of night, who was he to deny it? He gave Panther a slight nod, and before the woman was able to shunshin away the man vanished in a flash of cobalt.

Seconds later the man reappeared in the office of his absolute leader, his eyes quickly adjusting as he took in his surroundings, his left eyebrow raising slightly at the odd company of the room, before he addressed the Godaime with a quick and respectful 'Hokage-Sama', moving to the side of the man's desk. Kakashi himself looked as if he had just been roused from his sleep, his visible eye drooping slightly, and missing his usually present flak jacket, but otherwise unchanged. But that wasn't the odd part, that right being reserved to the two toads that were sitting on the large oak desk in the center of the room.

Naruto would have recognized the two great Toad Sages Fukusaku and Shima anywhere, but then again there weren't really that many amphibians on this place on existence that could talk and form coherent sentences, so it wasn't all that hard. Plus, the blonde had spent six months with the two of them and Jiraiya, training to master Senjutsu in the Toads home, the summon mountain of Mt. Myōboku, so it wasn't as if the man was a stranger to them. But the odd thing was that the two old toads looked exhausted, battered, even, and Fukusaku was clutching a cloak around his body, something that the much younger blonde man had never seen him do before.

But there were two things that worried the blonde, the first being the sad and defeated looks that was written across the two Toad's faces, their eyes down cast as they refused to meet his eyes, the mask on Kakashi's face giving the Jounin nothing to work with. The second thing, and the much more alarming, was that Jiraiya was nowhere in sight, and that was unlike him. He had always made it a point to be the first to greet him when he was in the village, and when the two were training he never left Fukusaku's side, yet now the man simply wasn't there, and that was alarmingly out of character for the large one-armed man.

Kakashi was the first one to break the silence, tearing his eye from the Toads on his desk, the two already briefing him on everything before he had called Naruto in to break the news to the blonde shinobi, he had a right to be the first to know. "Naruto… please take a seat." The man paused briefly, motioning to one of the chairs that was in front of his desk, the blonde hesitating for a brief moment in the early morning light, before he cautiously stepped forward, pulled the chair out, and sat down, his back straight and erect, his shoulders squared as he gave his Hokage his full attention, already knowing deep within himself where this conversation was going, there was only ever two reasons people were asked to take a seat for, and he knew he wasn't the father of a child.

Steeling himself, the Last Hatake began to speak, his voice solemn and apologetic, not failing to notice the blonde's fists tightening in his lap with the finish of every sentence. "Two weeks ago, while you were still in Kumogakure, Jiraiya came to me with a piece of invaluable information- the location and name of the supposed 'Leader' of the Akatsuki. Through his spy network, he discovered that the man himself was somebody who went by the name of 'Pain', and deferred to themselves as a sovereign God. Against my better judgement, I allowed him to go the village he was believed to be located at to conduct espionage operations, with strict orders to not engage the enemy unless absolutely necessary."

The Hokage paused, it was never easy, breaking the news to the loved ones of others, this time proving no exception, especially considering his own relationships with the Toad Sage and the Kurimuzon Chiratsuki (Crimson Flicker), but he continued on nonetheless. "About a week into his operations, he was discovered, and he was unable to escape the area, forced to engage in combat with this 'Pain'. During the fight, he summoned Fukusaku and Shima to aid him." At this, the silver-haired Kage turned his head slightly to the two toads sitting on his desk, both watching the blonde with saddened eyes as Fukusaku began to speak, taking over for the Godaime.

"I'm not going to mince words with ya, Naruto-boy. We fought with Jiraiya-boy in Sage Mode, an' we lost. He…" Fukusaku's shrill and throaty voice broke off here, it was harder for him to say than he wanted to admit, and looking at the kid that was Jiraiya's pride and joy, his protégé and Godson, the old Toad almost couldn't get it out. Hell, Shima still was in a slight amount of shock over the situation, Jiraiya having become akin to family to the elder toads and all the denizens of Mt. Myōboku, it was as if one of her sons had passed on before her eyes. "Jiraiya didn't make it, Naruto. He fought and gave the bastard hell, but he didn't make it out."

All eyes were on the Last Uzumaki as he sat in the chair in the room, abruptly standing before he leaned forward quickly, slamming his hands on the table, small tears streaking down his face and dripping softly onto the desk below him, staining the wood. His voice came out hard and shaky, permeating slowly from under his bowed head, his hair covering his usually vibrant eyes, bathing them in shadow. Naruto's question was directed at anyone in the room in particular, but rather for all of them. They'd told him everything he needed to know, everything but the one important thing he truly needed to know right now. "Where is he?"

If the entities in the room where taken aback by the dangerous tone in the man's voice, they didn't show it. Kakashi began to speak quietly, attempting to calm the man, and run damage control. Naruto wasn't in control right now, his emotions were ruling him, and in the world of shinobi that was a very dangerous and dark road to follow. Emotions could be used to fuel your attacks and to drive yourself forward true, but if one were to allow themselves to be fully taken over by them, they could lose themselves in the process, walking down a road that others couldn't follow. Naruto was dangerously close to this. However, before he could begin to talk the blonde down, Shima let out a small croak, giving the man all he needed.

"Amegakure." There was a quick course of events that took course within seconds. The first was Fukusaku's astonished look to his wife, wide eyed and half fearful that in one night not only would they lose Jiraiya but Naruto as well. Shima herself looked down, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Kakashi yelled out the blonde's name, using the authoritative voice that was reserved for punishing others, a vain attempt to stop the man from rushing off to do whatever it was he thought he needed to do, though by the time his voice exited his lips the Jounin was already gone, vanishing in a blinding flash of cobalt.

The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant had reached its end.

"I no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu. (A frog in a well does not know the great ocean.)"

Author's Note:

And that's all I got for this chapter, guys. We've reached over 100 reviews, in other news, and that shit is awesome, you guys are the best. I'm really glad that I'm managing to keep the majority of you all hooked with the story so far, and am looking forward to continuing to do so in the future. Anyways…

That's all I got. Out.