Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach.

Chapter 25: Konoha and Uzushio

Konoha

When Sakura came to, she found herself lying on the couch. She slowly sat up with a groan, catching everyone's attention.

Naruto, seated in front of Tsunade's desk, chuckled sheepishly while he scratched the back of his head. "Had a nice nap, Sakura-chan?"

Rubbing her forehead, she muttered, "I can't be dreaming that you are an SS-Rank shinobi on the Bingo Book or that you are the Uzuakage, can I?"

His awkward grin was her answer. "No dream can be that elaborate, Sakura-chan."

She grimaced. "How you managed to do all that in three years, I don't know."

"I'm just that good, Sakura-chan."

She couldn't help herself and she smiled at him. "Always so humble, Naruto," she joked, as she stood from the couch and moved over to them. She turned to her mentor. "So, did I miss anything while I was…well…out of it?"

Tsunade let out a snort. "Nothing important, Sakura, he just told us about some of this stories."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I can tell you about them later!"

A smile for his smile, she replied, "I'll hold you to that, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly before a cough from Tsunade interrupted them. "Ah, sorry about that, Baa-chan, I got carried away."

With another snort, she put her palms together and rested her chin on her hands. "You always get carried away, brat. So, before you do it again, we should finish up our discussion before I make up the draft to present to the council."

Sakura looked confused. "What were you discussing, Hokage-sama, that it needs a draft or the council?"

"Naruto and I were talking Uzushio allying with Konoha like in the old days before they were wiped out." Sakura's eyes widened. "As Naruto's village is now officially recognized by the Daimyo and has been restored, Naruto believes that allying together would be very beneficial. We were discussing the terms of the alliance before you woke up."

Despite what she had just learned, a part of Sakura was doubtful. "Naruto knows how about stuff like this?" She quickly noticed Temujin and Kuroma narrowing their eyes at her, making her raise her hands in defense. "Ah, I didn't mean anything bad by it! I just wasn't expecting it from Naruto!"

Naruto raised his hand and both his guards relaxed, even though they still kept their eyes on her. He grinned at her. "I learned a lot, Sakura-chan. I'm sure a lot of what you remember about me is a lot different!" He turned to Tsunade. "Now, where were we, Baa-chan?"

Looking down at the paper in her hands, she replied, "We've gotten most of the details finalized. We just have to talk about this other world Jiraiya told me about."

"Other world," Sakura asked, "What do you mean other world?"

"Oh," Naruto perked up, making Tsunade sigh, "I didn't tell you, Sakura-chan! In my time in Uzushio, I managed to study Jikukan Ninjutsu and stumbled upon another world. In this other world, there are no ninjas and no chakra. Aside from having regular civilians in this world, there are also souls, the spiritual aspect of people. These souls pass on to a place called Soul Society; some of these souls even become fighters for other souls called Shinigami."

Sakura furrowed her brows as she asked, "Shinigami? So, what does that make the Shinigami of our world?"

"The Shinigami that the Shiki Fujin summons is the Shinigami King, the ruler over all Shinigami over all worlds."

"What?"

"Yup. So the creator of that fuinjutsu is really powerful to be able to summon the greatest of the Shinigami. Also, in this world, there are monsters called Hollows that are souls who have been corrupted for one reason or another. More than that, some of these Hollows evolve by tearing off the masks that identify themselves and gain Shinigami powers called Arrancars. Leading these Arrancars is a Shinigami named Aizen Sousuke. Aizen had defected from the Shinigami ranks and officially declared himself as the enemy. But, the part that is truly interesting is that Aizen also knows about the Shinobi world and declared himself an…ally of Akatsuki."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Akatsuki knows about this other world too!?"

"Yeah…at this point," he started counting off, "Uzushio, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, Konoha, and Akatsuki know about the other world. On the other hand, the Shinigami, Aizen, and everyone serving under them also know about us too. So, expect them to cross over to our world soon." He turned to Tsunade. "You might have to tell your ANBU and ninja about them eventually."

"I know. But I want to talk about just what I can and cannot tell them."

He put a hand to his chin. "Hmm, honestly, just tell them everything I told you. There's no point in holding back information to your people. So far, the only thing that I shared is the basic gist of the other world, nothing about how to get there, any secrets, or anything too important."

"Alright, I'll do that after this meeting." She then narrowed his eyes. "No secrets or anything important," she commented, "If you're saying what I think you're saying…"

Naruto turned serious. "Given what I know, Baa-chan, and what I've discovered, it's best to not share too much with everyone…especially…"

With a sigh, she leaned back. "Don't worry, brat. I'll make sure nothing goes awry."

As soon as she finished saying it, the door to her office was opened and in walked the two elders, Koharu and Homura. Almost immediately, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Sasuke scowled. Sakura looked anxious when they arrived while Naruto narrowed his eyes, his guards tensing their shoulders.

"Tsunade," Koharu spoke up, "What is the Kyuubi jinchuuriki doing here? You know that he has been banished. You also know that if he should return that he is to be arrested." She then noticed Temujin and Kuroma readying battle stances. "And who are these two?"

Tsunade massaged her forehead. "Well, if that's the case, then I 'arrested' Naruto and his companions and had them brought here for questioning." She gave them a glare. "Is that better?"

"Hardly," she sniffed, "He shouldn't even be brought here. He should be in a cell and ready for his sentence." Glancing at Naruto, she continued, "Especially for impersonating a Kage with his robe, even if nonexistent or defunct." She then noticed both Temujin and Kuroma baring their teeth at her for her statement.

She withheld a growl as she took a deep breath. "Fine. You want to know why he's here, in my office?" She took the two scrolls on her desk and held it in front of her. "Naruto here is the officially-recognized Uzukage of the reborn Uzushiogakure no Sato." Their eyes widened. "He is recognized by the Daimyo of both Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni and, as such, his banishment is null and void. The reason for him being here is that he is here to negotiate and reform the alliance between Konoha and Uzushio." With a glare, she asked, "Do we have a problem now?"

After a few minutes of silence, Homura asked, "And why is it that we didn't know about the resurgence of Uzushio until the Uzumaki boy arrived here?"

"Personal request to both Daimyos and the other Kage," Naruto finally spoke up, "I'm not about to risk my village being discovered at its early stages." He narrowed his eyes as he continued, "Especially from the village that banished me, lest they decide to send forces to stop me from claiming the village my clan is from."

"Ah," Temujin suddenly spoke up, "you said that you being SS-Rank in the Bingo Book and travelling around the world would divert any and all attention from Uzushio, Naruto-sama."

Naruto snapped his fingers in recollection. "Oh, that's right! Thanks, Temujin!" The armored knight bowed at his thanks as he turned back to the elders. "Anyway, those are the reasons why no one has heard of Uzushio returning."

Both elders frowned before Homura spoke again. "And you expect us to believe that you have enough to reform the alliance between the two villages? What can your village offer us? We know you, Uzumaki-san; you are not Kage material. You couldn't possibly have brought back Uzushiogakure within 3 years."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as Temujin and Kuroma once again showed hostility towards the elders. The knight's eyes glowed with Gelel energy and the dragon's fangs were bared.

"Let me correct you right now," Naruto slowly responded, "You do not know me. All you know are biased points of view from people who also do not know me. The only one among you who know me is the Sandaime Hokage and that's because he actually spent time with me. He alone among you elders believed in me." He glanced at the Bingo Book on Tsunade's desk and he took it, flipping through its pages as he continued to speak. "You also underestimate me…very much so. First off, as you two know my mother and my father," their bodies stiffened in shock while he continued to flip through the book, "you two should know that I inherited their stubbornness and will; I will not let something like banishment stop me from getting stronger and better. In fact, it will only spur me more."

"Y-You know about-"

He ignored their shocked looks. "Second, you don't seem to understand what banishment did to me. I was a loyal Konoha shinobi and you banished me for a stupid reason. Something like that is not easily recovered from. I matured a lot in a short span of time because of you banishing me." He finally found what he was looking for and showed the two elders his page on the book. "Finally, you two clearly don't look at Bingo Books."

Their eyes widened even more, their jaws agape, as they comprehended what they read.

Naruto nodded, content with their reactions. "So, again, you two do not know me." He snapped the book shut and glared at them. "Do you two have any more questions or comments to make about me? Otherwise, I have to finish my discussion with the Hokage about the alliance Uzushio will make with Konoha and you two are disrupting our peace talks." He ignored the wide-eyed looks from Sakura and Tsunade, the smirk from Sasuke, and the frown from Jiraiya.

"Uzumaki-san," Koharu recovered and spoke again, "I know you have a propensity for pranks but-"

"Enough," Naruto suddenly said, "It's obvious you don't believe me. Unfortunately for you, I don't care whether you two believe me. Neither of you are the Hokage. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish talking with her." He turned back to Tsunade. "So, Baa-chan, shall we finish it?"

Tsunade, upon being addressed by Naruto, shook her head clear of shock. "Oh! Oh, yes, let's finish it before I bring this up to the council."

Homura stepped forward, "Tsunade, you can't possibly mean to accept this absurdity!"

She sighed exasperatedly. "Look, Naruto made his points and you rejected it. I trust his words so, yes, I will accept this 'absurdity.' Now, as your Hokage, I order you both to let me finish a discussion that will make Konoha stronger. Naruto, what's next to finish this up?"

"Sharing of information," Naruto replied, sitting back on the chair, "As close allies in the past and hopefully just as close in the future, it would be beneficial for both villages to share certain knowledge with each other. I won't ask for Hiden ninjutsu or village secrets and, in turn, Uzushio won't share village secrets or the more advanced fuinjutsu. Of course, there's bound to be more that both villages aren't willing to and shouldn't share. That will be for a future discussion. For now, it is enough to present to your council."

Tsunade nodded, fixing her paperwork. "And your council agrees with these terms?"

Naruto nodded. "They and I had discussed this before I went off to meet with Sasuke and Ero-Sennin. They told me their terms; there are some I compromised, rejected, and accepted. The end result is the document I gave you. All that's left is your council. I expect them to have some concerns as well and so you'll have to do the same things that I did: compromise, reject, and accept. This'll take a week or so before anything can be finalized; every other village I allied with took a week."

"Of course, I'd be surprised and suspicious if they took this too quickly." She stood from her seat and Naruto did the same as she held out a hand. "I look forward to have our ally return once more, Uzukage-dono."

Smirking, the blond took her hand with his. "And I am happy to have Konoha be our ally once more, Hokage-dono." Then, as he released her hand, he put his hands behind his head. "Damn, it's so good to be back!" He turned to the window and called out, "Oi, Kakashi-sensei, how long are you gonna stay out there and read your book?"

Everyone turned to the window, where a gloved hand waved from a corner. "Yo, Naruto," a lazy voice drawled, "I'm no longer your sensei so you shouldn't be calling me that, you know." The silver-haired form of Kakashi eventually showed from the window and sat on the sill. His face was still buried on his book but he lowered it slightly to show his lone eye curved to show his smile. "In fact, shouldn't I be calling you, what, Uzukage-sama now?" He chuckled. "It's as if it's only yesterday that you were an annoying loudmouth who shouts off to anyone and everyone that you'll become Hokage." He idly noted Temujin and Kuroma narrowing their eyes at him. "Look at you now, an Uzukage and an SS-Rank ninja to boot." He smiled again. "Sensei and Kushina-san would be so proud."

Naruto smirked, amused by his words. "I'm sure they would be, sensei."

"Hey, Naruto," Tsunade called his attention, "Why don't you catch up with your old team? For that matter, go talk to the others too. I'm sure they missed you a lot. I still need to call on the council for this and discuss it with them." She sat down on the seat. "Most likely, I'll need to call you later on but until then, you should enjoy Konoha again."

He gave her a grin and a thumbs-up. "You betcha, Baa-chan! There are a lot of people and places I need to go to anyway!"

"Go, brat, before I throw another thing at you," she grinned back at him, "And take this lot with you! I need to send out the ANBU."

As everyone but the elders and Tsunade left the room, the Hokage called for her ANBU, all of whom knelt in front of her desk. She stood tall as she said, "Call for the council." With her command, they all moved to obey, leaving Tsunade alone again with Homura and Koharu.

Koharu stepped forward, "Tsunade, you can't be serious! The boy is just pulling another of his stupid pranks to fool you!"

Leaning back in her chair, she narrowed her eyes at them. "So, you expect me to believe that Naruto managed to persuade the producer of the Bingo Book to put his name in it and put all these accolades in it, even one surrounding Kirigakure? That's even more absurd than him actually doing the things in the book."

Homura moved to defend Koharu. "Three years is an impossible amount of time to become the fourth shinobi to gain an SS-Rank, especially someone like him. Hashirama-sensei and Uchiha Madara obviously got that distinction in rank, even before they had that battle at the Valley but the Yondaime Hokage didn't even get in his lifetime; he got it posthumously. For his son to do what he couldn't-"

Scowling again, she interrupted him, "It took the Yondaime three years to even create the Rasengan; it took his son a week. The Yondaime couldn't finish combining any of his affinities to the Rasengan before he died; Jiraiya told me that Naruto combined all of his and managed to create derived versions of each affinity in the time he travelled with Naruto. So, forgive me," she sarcastically hissed, "if I believe him being able to become an SS-Rank ninja and Uzukage in three years."

"We've reached an impasse, Tsunade," Koharu scornfully stated, "It's plain to see that we won't see eye-to-eye about the Uzumaki boy."

You think? Tsunade couldn't help that snide thought slip through her mind.

"So, why don't we have that boy prove his strength to us? If the boy is as powerful as the Bingo Book 'claims' him to be, he won't have much trouble."

With a disdainful sniff, she replied, "I have no control over him. Or have you two forgotten that he's now the Uzukage? More than that, having him display his strength just to prove that Konoha can benefit from this alliance is insulting him and his village to his face. I'm not so foolish or distrustful to do that. If you two want that display, you two do it yourself; I will not be defending or sanctioning anything done against him. You'll be on your own. Now, get out of here. We have nothing more to discuss." They were about to speak up to their dismissal. "That's an order. I have to prepare for the council meeting. Whatever you want to nag to my ear, tell it there. Until then, get out."

Streets

"…and I pulled out my awesome ninjutsu skills and fought the Sanbi!" Naruto was highly animated as he recounted his fight with the Sanbi. "It almost got to the shores but thankfully both of us stopped before it got that far. So, after dealing with some other stuff with Mei-chan, she gave me the rights to Uzushiogakure! And that's when I started to build it back up!"

Sakura let out a soft laugh as she listened to Naruto's story. "You're as energetic as ever, Naruto. All that talk you did, I only caught a few snippets of your story."

He blushed and scratched his cheek. "Sorry about that, Sakura-chan. I just have so many stories to tell."

"So many stories and so much energy, Naruto," Sasuke replied, his hands in his packets, as he kept an ear open to Naruto, "I for one am more interested in that other world you talked about."

As Kakashi raised a brow in interest, Naruto smiled at the Uchiha. "When I am brought to the council, I'll bring you guys with me so I can tell you guys about it."

"I'll hold you to it, then."

"Until then, let's go to Ichiraku's!" He grinned wide. "I sure as hell miss their ramen! Come on!"

Both teammates sighed, with Sakura asking, "Even after all you've done, after all these years, you still eat ramen?"

Turning to them in mock horror, Naruto asked in return, "You're expecting me to stop eating ramen!? How dare you!?" They sighed again, making him glare childishly at them. "And here, I was going to treat you guys to ramen."

With a snort, Sasuke replied, "I'll pay for my own ramen, thanks."

As prideful as ever, Sakura thought to herself. "Well, I, for one, will take that treat."

Kakashi waved a hand, not looking up from his book, and said, "How gracious of you, Naruto."

Jiraiya guffawed, slapping Naruto's back. "Well, let's go, brat. One way or the other, you're treating us to ramen!"

With a confident gait, Naruto led them all the way to Ichiraku Ramen. Lifting up the flap of the stand, he announced loudly, heedless of the few customers inside, "Ayame-nee-chan, Teuchi-jii-chan! I want ramen!"

Almost immediately, both heads of the ramen family snapped over to him. The brunette daughter beamed brightly and greeted him. "Naruto, you're back! Did they finally lift that stupid banishment?"

"Because of me being the Uzukage now, the Daimyo nullified the banishment!"

The customers, Ayame, and Teuchi expressed their surprise at his words. Ayame was the first to give voice to the question. "There's an Uzukage?"

Turning around to present the back of his haori to them, he proudly said, "Yup, I'm the Shodai Uzukage of the rebuilt Uzushiogakure no Sato, officially recognized by the Daimyos of Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni!"

"Wow," she muttered with wide eyes, "Cong-congratulations."

"Hehe," he chuckled, facing her again and scratching the back of his head, "Thanks, Ayame-nee-chan." He walked forward and sat on a stool. "So, about that ramen…"

"Oh! Of course, they're coming right up!" She turned to her dad. "Dad, we have a lot of customers! Let's get to cooking!"

Shaking free of his shock, Teuchi shouted back, already starting on the broth, "I'm on it! Ayame, get the noodles and the toppings!"

As father and daughter rushed to meet their customers' food, the others took their seats on the stall; Kuroma and Temujin, however, were content with staying outside the stall, vigilantly guarding their leader.

His head still buried in his book, Kakashi asked, "So, what have you been up to, Naruto? How far have you gotten with rebuilding your clan's old village?"

Naruto smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, Uzushio is fully rebuilt. All that's left is improving on what it currently has."

"And what is there to improve? What might you guys be working on?"

With a smirk, he wagged his finger. "Ah, ah, Kakashi-sensei, that's treading into village secret territory."

Chuckling, the masked ninja replied, "Oh, those kinds of improvements. I see. Well, I won't pry, of course. You can't blame me for being very curious."

He grinned. "The most I can share would be information allowed to me by my people."

His eye curved to show his smile. "Of course, of course, I'll look forward to it."

Their ramen was eventually finished cooking and served to them by Ayame, finally ending by giving Naruto two bowls. Smiling, she said, "The second bowl is a 'welcome back' and a 'congratulations' in one. Enjoy, Naruto."

"You're the greatest, Ayame-nee-chan!" He shivered in excitement as he took his chopsticks in his hand, separated them, and then started to devour his bowl of noodles, much to Ayame's amusement. Everyone else laughed at his energetic eating before they too started to eat from their bowls.

After minutes of enjoying their ramen and chatting, an ANBU operative lifted the flap of the stall and looked at Naruto. A male voice came from the bird-like mask, "Uzumaki Naruto, you are requested to be brought before the council."

Naruto let out a sigh and pushed his empty bowl back to Ayame. "Alright," he said as he addressed the others, "Come on, guys, let's go. It's best not to keep the council waiting." Turning back to the ANBU, he raised a brow. "Would that be a problem?"

The ANBU promptly replied, "I've been instructed to bring you to the council. They spoke nothing of anyone who accompanies you."

He grinned, putting some money on the counter before standing and stretching. "Then, let's go."

Council Chamber

The door to the chamber opened and in walked Naruto, his guards, the rest of Team 7, and Jiraiya.

Tsunade, at the head of the table, smiled at him; Koharu, Homura, and Danzo from her sides scowled. At the sides of the room, the various clan and civilian heads reacted differently on his entrance.

Raising his hand in a salute, Naruto greeted, "Man, this is a sight of sore eyes! It's been so long since I've been in this room!"

"Don't patronize us, Uzumaki-san," Homura snidely replied, "You know exactly why you were in this room three years ago."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I never forgot. I was – what did you guys call me – a danger to Konoha. My fight with Sasuke years ago that caused my release of Kyuubi's power showed you that. Because you were all afraid of what I could do, you all banished me from the village, in the hopes that I die without Konoha's protection…or someone else picks me up and I become their problem." He cast a subtle and quick glance at Danzo's direction, amusement dancing behind his blue eyes, before looking back to Tsunade.

The war hawk's scowl deepened as he noticed Naruto's action, gripping his cane tighter.

Naruto spread his arms at his sides. "Well, here I am, your greatest fears realized. As an SS-Rank shinobi and the Uzukage, I have become one of the most powerful shinobi in the world." He smirked. "As an SS-Rank shinobi and the Uzukage, I have become a danger to my enemies. Now, doesn't that make you feel better that I am making an alliance between Uzushio and Konoha?"

Hiashi spoke up, "We still have some doubts, Uzumaki-san. The preliminary document is sound and obviously the details will need to be discussed by the council at length. But, given your past with Konoha, we find it difficult to believe that you have enough to offer Konoha compared to what Konoha can offer you."

He snorted as he pulled out a scroll. Unfurling it, he showed off one section labelled 'Seals' and summoned a bunch of tags. "What would an Uzumaki be without fuinjutsu?" He took out a paper tag with the inscription 'Vacuum.' He smirked as he read it. "Ah, this one," he said as he looked up to the council. "This is one of my more powerful seals." He smirked wider at the interested and somewhat fearful look in their eyes. The seal on the palm of one hand and the other raised in a hand seal, Naruto chanted, "Fuinjutsu: Shinku (Sealing Technique: Vacuum)."

Before their very eyes, the seal glowed before forming a small black hole in his hand. Chakra coated his hand and contained said black hole as he took out another tag, this time, an explosive tag. The tag sizzled as Naruto brought it close to the black hole before it exploded. However, before the explosion could expand, the black hole devoured the flame and gases. It attempted to devour more but, with another hand seal, Naruto deactivated it, the black hole getting smaller until it vanished from existence.

Lowering his hands and smirking at them, he said, "That's just one of many seals Uzushio can provide through this alliance. Of course, as it is a more powerful seal, this won't be until we have expanded our alliance in the future."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "I see."

"There's also this 'other world' issue that Hokage-sama included in this document. It says that we should be made known about this 'other world' as it is a matter of global importance." Danzo kept his cold gaze on Naruto, his interest reflecting on his eye.

Everyone but Naruto frowned at him. The Uzukage put his hands to his hips and sighed. "Of course you'd ask about that," he muttered under his breath, before he addressed them all. "Konoha Council," his eyes hardened, surprising most of the people inside the office, "During my time in Uzushiogakure, I studied the art of Jikukan Ninjutsu. After research after research, I invented a jutsu that enabled me to travel across worlds. The 'other world' I speak of, however, is the most important. To put it simply, this 'other world' has Shinigami, gods of death whose purpose is to ferry souls from the living world to their spiritual world."

It was plain to see that most didn't believe his words, some looked thoughtful but still had doubts, and very few actually believed him.

Nevertheless, he continued, "The leader of this Shinigami group is aptly named the Soul King. And this Soul King is the same Shinigami that is summoned by the Shiki Fujin." He took a deep breath. "And within this 'other world' are the shinobi who have died here."

Almost everyone straightened up. "You are clearly delusional, boy," Danzo concluded, "You expect us to believe your outlandish claims? I was willing to accept you being the Uzukage and an SS-Rank ninja but banishment did more than make you both, after all."

Naruto raised his hand to stop Kuroma and Temujin from reacting to the war hawk's statement. As he lowered it, he frowned at Danzo. "Considering that this village banished me, I will not be wrong to say that Konoha caused me to become 'delusional.' But, I am better than that; I can look past what was done to me in the past and look to what could be done in the future." He raised a brow in slight derision. "Can you?"

They all frowned or scowled at his disrespect but Naruto continued.

"Besides, I gain nothing from telling you this and you lose nothing from listening to me. More than that, this is more for the Hokage's ears than anyone else in this room. She has the ultimate power here and her response is the only one I accept."

Tsunade couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. But, as the council turned to her, the smile disappeared and she said, "Well, I would be a poor leader if I immediately took your words at face value, Naruto. Perhaps you could give us some proof about this other world, for the sake of everyone present?"

With a wide grin, Naruto rolled up his right sleeve. "I know just the right people to bring here! Stay back, everyone!" His right hand glowed before moving to thrust it into the empty space in front of him. To everyone's shock, his hand disappeared from their sight into some sort of dimensional tear. Naruto twisted his arm and pulled it back; the tear remained before turning to a swirling vortex, bending the space around it.

Everyone stood, enraptured by the sight, as Naruto stepped into and vanished through the vortex.

"What the hell," Inuzuka Tsume muttered in shock, "This is not normal at all."

Sasuke slowly raised his hand and moved to touch the vortex when Temujin's armored hand grabbed his. He narrowed his eyes at the knight. "What," he gruffly asked, "I'm just going to touch it; I'm not going through it or anything."

Glaring back just as intently, Temujin said, "Naruto-sama's orders are clear. Everyone is to stay back. Getting close to touch the portal is not 'staying back.'"

The Uchiha was about to retort when Jiraiya put a hand to his shoulder. "I'm sure Naruto will let you admire or investigate this portal if you asked him. For now, let it be." As Sasuke clicked his tongue, the Sage spread his arms wide to address the council. "Just the fact that Naruto has done this is proof enough of his claims of another world. Not even Minato, in his lifetime, was able to travel to, or even aware of the existence of, another world and he is one of the, if not the, best fuinjutsu and Jikukan ninjutsu users that ever lived."

"This opens up a lot of possibilities, opportunities, and problems for us and this other world," Hyuuga Hiashi sternly spoke up, "And the only one who has a working knowledge of both worlds is Uzumaki. By introducing us to the other world, and vice versa, and being the only person so far to be able to cross into one or the other, he puts himself at an advantageous position for the worlds."

"This is troublesome." Nara Shikaku grumbled as he caught onto his fellow clan head's thought process. "Most likely, he's shared the existence of other worlds with the other villages and lands he's allied with; probably, the same as what he's told us so far. He's bribing us with the information of another world and blackmailing us with the fact that we are not the only village to know of this other world; he's dangling the concept of another world to us and making it so that we won't know more unless we ally with him."

Before Temujin or Kuroma could react, Sakura was immediate in his defence. "Naruto is not the kind of person who will blackmail or bribe people!"

"I'm not saying he is. I'm sure that he has good intentions for sharing this with us. If we're looking at this another way, however, he might as well have good intentions while inadvertently showing himself as that kind of person." Sakura scrunched her face in discomfort. Shikaku sighed exasperatedly. "I hope that boy realizes what he is doing here. He's, for all intents and purposes, the most powerful and influential person in the world and, quite possibly, the other world."

Finally comprehending his statement, Sakura looked down, "Oh…"

Sasuke, to her side, scoffed as he taunted, "Makes you think that you shouldn't have banished him, huh?"

"Be silent, Uchiha Sasuke," Homura snapped back, "We still stand by our decision to stop him potentially endangering Konoha. With that said, Uzumaki is beyond our control now but you are not. Don't forget that."

Tsunade growled at him. "And don't forget that he is my shinobi, not yours. He is not under our or your control; he is under mine." She glared back in answer to their scowls just as the portal started to shimmer again.

Naruto stepped out of the portal and grinned as he spread his arms. "Tada!" Three people slowly emerged from the portal, two of which made Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura widen their eyes.

"…know why I agreed to this," a gruff male voice came from the portal, "I don't have anything left to do in this place."

A soft male voice answered, "Zabuza-sama, it's Naruto-san's request. At least, we can see the shinobi world again after being gone for so long."

Zabuza responded with a, "Hmph."

"Maaa, maaa, you two," a third, unknown male voice told the other two, incredibly cheerful, "Don't argue. Young Haku-san has a point, Momochi-san."

"Che, don't act as if this is a coincidence, Urahara. You just wanted to meet Naruto, regardless of who came along with him or you."

He sang, "Guilty as charged."

Zabuza, Haku, and Urahara stood in front of the council, still chatting with each other. That's when they noticed their audience and they all blinked as they looked around to register the sights.

"Huh, so this is what Konoha's council looks like," Zabuza quietly muttered, "It's just as stuffy as I expected it would be." Turning to Kakashi, he lazily raised a hand. "Yo, Kakashi, you look taller." The silver-haired jonin could only dumbly raise a hand in return.

Haku smiled and bowed at him. "It's good to see you and your team again, Kakashi-san."

Naruto grinned as he proudly said, "What did I tell you guys?" They were all speechless as they struggled to understand what they had seen. Naruto turned to Urahara and smirked. "Now, we've killed two birds with one stone. I showed the council proof of another world and you get to talk to me, Urahara-san."

Opening his fan, the shopkeeper chuckled softly. "And I also get to see this other world with my own eyes. That's three birds, Uzumaki-san."

He scratched the back of his head. "Yes, I suppose it is." He turned to the council. "Now, is there anything else to discuss, Hokage-dono?"

Looking to each member of the council, she shook her head. "I think we need a recess for now, Uzukage-dono, so that the council can come to terms with what they've seen and to discuss the terms of your alliance."

Smirking, Naruto gave a nod. "As you wish, Hokage-dono, I'll leave you and your council to your discussions. I shall await our next meeting."

Later

While they waited for the council's summons again, they had gathered at a training ground to chat with each other. Urahara and Naruto were away from the group, having an animated discussion.

"For the last fucking time, Kakashi, I am real!" Zabuza growled as Kakashi pulled back his prodding finger. "Didn't Naruto explain everything to you!?'

Looking affronted, the Hatake huffed. "There's a difference between hearing it and actually seeing it, Zabuza." He crossed his arms across his chest. "So you are a soul in this Soul Society that Naruto explained?"

With a grunt, he replied, "I would think that his explanations would be enough. Yeah, after Haku and I died, we were brought to Soul Society. As we were dead, we didn't have the luxury of having chakra. But, even if our bodies were dead, our souls still remained strong. So, the remaining chakra that we had when we died was converted to reiryoku, making it easy for us to become Shinigami."

"Reiryoku," an intrigued Sasuke asked, "Is that what the energy the Shinigami use? Is that different from the spiritual energy that we shinobi use?"

Haku smiled at him. "They are one and the same, Uchiha-san. Zabuza-sama and I, among other shinobi who joined Soul Society, have that advantage over other Shinigami. Essentially, shinobi who become Shinigami tend to be a lot stronger than non-shinobi Shinigami."

"You said that your chakra was converted to spiritual energy, Zabuza-san," Sakura asked, taking note in her notepad, "So, when a shinobi dies, the physical energy isn't immediately gone?"

It was Haku who answered, "No. Tobirama-sama told us that, when we die, a small amount of our chakra is still trying to keep us tethered to this world. He further explained that it's the same concept with a Bijuu whose jinchuuriki who died. A Bijuu's chakra lingers and keeps it in this world, not completely vanishing. However, unlike us shinobi, a Bijuu has more awareness, more will, and would be able to recollect its chakra and the natural energy of the world and reform its body after some time."

"Wait…Tobirama-sama, the Nidaime Hokage is also in there?" Sakura and Kakashi looked surprised at the revelation.

The young man blinked and tilted his head. "Well, yes. While there are the fair few shinobi who don't want to pass on and just stay here, the vast majority of fallen shinobi become Shinigami. Granted, half of the shinobi remain in Soul Society and half are in the Royal Palace mini-cities, the point still remained. I thought Naruto-san explained that earlier?"

Putting down her notepad, Sakura massaged the bridge of her nose. "Why didn't Naruto just bring any of the other Hokage as proof? Wouldn't that have a bigger impact?"

"I'm sure the thought is already in their heads that the Hokage are also alive in this other world the moment Naruto brought Zabuza and Haku here," Jiraiya answered, "But, think of it this way, if Naruto brought back, say, Sarutobi-sensei - for example - the council would not let him go back that easily." Sakura frowned. "They would have questions, requests, and all other nonsense for him. This way, if he brought back these two, the council won't care as much since they are not of this village."

"Oh…"

"More than that," Haku added, "Tobirama-sama, the other Kage, and a few other shinobi are all under the employ of the Shinigami King. Naruto-san bent the rules to bring me and Zabuza-sama here; he won't be able to do so with them, not without directly going to the King."

"And that is difficult or illegal," she concluded with a sigh, "That sucks."

"Haku," Kakashi softly muttered, "Every shinobi is there in Soul Society or in the King's cities." He struggled. "Are…are-"

Haku furrowed her brows in confusion before he realized what he wanted to ask. "Yes, they are," he replied with a smile, "Uchiha Obito-san and Nohara Rin-san both serve under the Shinigami King, under the command of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato-sama. During the time they spent in Soul Society, they spoke a lot of you, Kakashi-san, and they shared quite a bit about you."

Kakashi let out a shuddering breath and leaned against a dummy log. "I…I see…"

On the other hand, Naruto and Urahara were having their own discussion away from the group.

"I kept you waiting, huh," Naruto chuckled.

The older blond hid his face behind his fan as he replied, "Indeed, Uzumaki-san. I had already drawn up the prototype of a devise that will travel to you."

He grinned. "Would it work?"

Urahara pouted at him. "That's almost insulting, Uzumaki-san! Of course, it would work! I just need to retrofit my makeshift Senkaimon to tear through dimensions instead of space. I was going to ask your twin to provide some of your chakra so that I can have a destination point for the Senkaimon to target and voila!"

Smiling, Naruto replied, "That sounds great! You and I can share notes after; make it so that both of us can travel to each other's worlds."

"That's the idea, Uzumaki-san~"

Then, Naruto's disposition changed, his eyes glinting dangerously despite the smile on his face. "Of course, I have to ask that you don't share this information freely, only to people you absolutely trust. I'd rather not have random Shinigami invading our world on a whim. I don't trust the vast majority of the Shinigami forces and I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

Urahara chuckled nervously. "Um…Uzumaki-san," he questioned slowly.

"Needless to say, I trust Ichigo a lot. I would say that I trust the shinobi who became Shinigami and Royal Guard members but their loyalty is to their respective organization so I can't really say that I trust them as much as I do Ichigo, as much as I want to do otherwise."

He tilted his head, an almost innocent gesture if not for his narrowed eyes.

"As of right now, the only people with the knowledge of travelling between our worlds are you, me, Ichigo, Aizen, and Madara. I don't know if or with how many people the last two shared this knowledge but I can make an assumption that they won't easily share it with every member of their group. I have yet to share how to travel between our worlds with anyone and I trust Ichigo with keeping the knowledge a secret. That leaves you, Urahara-san. Can I trust you to share this information with only those you trust, those who won't misuse this information?"

The blond Shinigami couldn't supress the shiver that went down his spine. "O-Of course, Uzumaki-san, I am unsurpassed in keeping confidences!"

Just as quickly, the atmosphere lightened considerably and Naruto slung an arm around Urahara's shoulder with a grin. "Don't act so stiff, Urahara-san! We are all friends here!" He took out a notepad, with which he started perusing with the Shinigami. "Come on! I got a bunch of research projects that I know you'll be interested in!"

As Urahara started to listen and discuss some of Naruto's research, he idly wondered just what the hell was up with Naruto's quick changes in moods.

Tomorrow

"Uzukage-dono," the Godaime Hokage clearly called out to the Shodai Uzukage. The Konoha council returned once more to continue their discussion with the alliance with Uzushiogakure. Sitting back in their seats, they all gazed down at Naruto standing in front of them with his two guards flanking him, "We have finished discussing the terms of your alliance."

The serious-faced Naruto replied, "Very good. What decision have you all agreed upon?"

She took out a scroll and tossed it to Naruto, who caught it easily. He unfurled the scroll and read its contents, his facing an emotionless mask. After minutes of silence, he raised his head to the council, his eyes narrowed. "I'll take this back to Uzushio and my council and I will discuss these terms. However, expect two of these terms to change. First off, there is no equivalent exchange for my seals. As this scrolls states, Uzushio will trade 'Uzumaki seals' and Konoha will trade various ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu scrolls. Unless told otherwise, these seem to be common techniques; this is not worth a trade."

"Common," Homura asked, "Some of these jutsu are clan techniques; they are certainly worth the trade."

Without missing a beat, he replied, "So, the clans will share their Hiden ninjutsu to Uzushio? The Nara will share their Kage ninjutsu; the Yamanaka, their Shintenshin; the Akimichi, their Baika no Jutsu; the Hyuuga, their Juken?"

Koharu exclaimed, "Of course not!"

"Then, you are exchanging common jutsu with Uzumaki fuinjutsu. It doesn't matter how many jutsu Konoha will exchange with Uzushio; if they are common, they are no great loss. In comparison, you want 'Uzumaki' seals, a different kind of fuinjutsu above common fuinjutsu."

Narrowing her eyes, Tsunade asked, "Can you perhaps expand your thoughts, Uzukage-dono?"

"The fuinjutsu that is commonly used by the world pales in comparison to the fuinjutsu used by an Uzumaki. We Uzumaki have a special way of weaving seals that have abilities beyond that of common seals. The last time that an Uzumaki shared this knowledge with anyone was when Uzumaki Kushina married Namikaze Minato after they married. That's the official birth of the man known as the Kiroi Senko. Now with both of them gone from this world, I am the current and only inheritor of that knowledge. So, if you want to gain access to those kinds of seals, I expect equal exchange for it. Otherwise, common jutsu will beget a common fuinjutsu."

Tsunade raised her hand to stop the argument from continuing. "I see…continue with the other term that concerns you."

"Konoha wants me to share the knowledge of how to travel between worlds with a person of 'your' choice." He frowned. "This is advanced Jikukan ninjutsu and the subject matter involves another world. I will not share this with just anyone, especially someone I do not know or trust."

Homura spoke again, "Uzukage-dono, we just want to expand our knowledge of this other world, especially one that holds the souls of our deceased."

Naruto's lips curved upwards. "Do you want to know something? Those are the exact same words used by the councils of Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure when we were discussing the very same thing we are right now. They too wanted to know more about this other world," his face turned to an expression that was halfway between a sneer and a smirk, "especially one that holds the souls of their deceased. Word for word, they said that to me."

They all frowned at him.

"What do you think happened with that? I gave them suggestions as to who I can share this with. Up to this day, those three villages are still discussing with me on who I will share this information with."

Inoichi said, "Uzukage-dono, if you mean to imply that we will abuse this power, you are-"

Almost immediately, Naruto shut him and any other dissent with his next statement. "I am not so naïve that I will believe that any of the villages or its inhabitants won't misuse this power." He narrowed his eyes. "Just as I did not share the power of chakra with this other world except with those I trust, I will not share the knowledge of travelling worlds with this world except those I trust."

Tsunade could see that most of the council was getting angry at his comments so she asked, "You said that you made suggestions as to who you can share to. So, who do you suggest, Uzukage-dono?"

Crossing his arms, he replied, "The first and foremost I suggested would be the Kage themselves; there is no person more absolute in a village than the Kage. However, I added that I will need to ensure that the Kage themselves will not misuse it with seals and that is a cause for concern, so that is put away for now."

She nodded. That made sense; as he said, a Kage was the most powerful and absolute entity in a hidden village. For someone to put a seal on said Kage, for any reason whatsoever, was a potential danger to the village and a political nightmare.

"The second person I suggested was a village's jinchuuriki. But that runs into the same problem of me putting a seal on them to ensure they won't misuse it. There's also the issue that Suna's jinchuuriki is their Kazekage and Konoha has no jinchuuriki, so that suggestion is not valid here."

At the mention of Konoha not having a jinchuuriki, Tsunade noticed everyone scowling at him.

"The third person I will suggest is Jiraiya of the Sannin. Aside from the Hokage, he is the next person I trust a lot who won't misuse this power."

She was honestly about to suggest Jiraiya as well. Despite being a pervert, he was one of the most trustworthy shinobi she knew in the village. When Naruto spoke no more, she asked, "Were those the only people you can think of that you would be willing to share this knowledge with, Uzukage-dono?"

With a nod, Naruto replied, "Yes. Anyone else is someone I am not willing to share this power with."

"And what might be the reason," Danzo slowly asked.

Naruto's face remained passive as he calmly replied, "That is a matter for me and the Hokage to discuss, no one else."

"You are in the presence of the council. What you can tell the Hokage, you can tell the council."

He repeated, "This is a matter for me and the Hokage." He narrowed his eyes at the war hawk. "No one else," he emphasized, even as Danzo's face twitched subtly.

"Very well, Uzukage-dono," Tsunade said, letting out a sigh, "We will await the terms of your council to form our alliance. In the meantime, I will discuss with Jiraiya about you giving him the power to travel worlds."

Naruto smiled and nodded, rolling the scroll closed and putting it in his robe. "To expedite the process, Hokage-dono, I will henceforth send an updated document via messenger bird to you."

She nodded in return. "I'll look forward to your documents in the next few weeks then." She looked to the council and stood from her seat. She then announced, "Council dismissed."

Hokage Office

Collapsing in her seat, Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh. "I almost expected some of those crones to jump over the table and start strangling you for all your smartass comments."

Naruto let out a soft snort as he sat across Tsunade. "The smartass comments were necessary because I wanted to get it stuck in their heads that I am above them as the Uzukage. They are mere council members; they are not privy to every single discussion and decision made by and between the Hokage and Uzukage. If I kept skirting around the issue, they'll keep pushing and pressing me unless I put my foot down. Besides, don't tell me that they aren't getting too bigheaded."

Oh, how she knew about that but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"So, now, I expect them to try a lot of things to get back at me or get what I know."

"Now that it's just the two of us," she paused, glancing at the two people flanking Naruto, "well, four of us, I want to ask if that was truly the extent of your suggestions and you didn't want to speak of any other person openly."

Naruto gave a solemn nod, a sigh of his own leaving his lips. "Yeah, that was all I could think of. I thought of including a few more people but they are not as…protected. Kakashi-sensei, for example, may be a powerful shinobi but he is open to being manipulated by someone like Danzo through various means." She frowned, seeing his point. "On the other hand, you and Ero-Sennin won't be as…easily manipulated."

"Naruto," she trailed off as she contemplated something, "if I…allowed you to put a seal on me that will prevent me from sharing what I know, will you share with me this power?"

His eyes widened. "Baa-chan, are you serious? You know why I didn't do the same to the other three Kage."

"It's alright, Naruto. I trust you, Naruto." She smiled. "I know you won't put or do anything harmful to me. I'm sure Jiraiya does too."

"You're damn right I do." Speak of the devil. Jiraiya sat behind Tsunade's chair, lounging by the sill. "That ANBU of yours interrupted by research, Hime. I know that this is important but so is my research!"

Almost immediately, Tsunade turned around, a tick mark on her forehead, as she shouted, "You peep on women every single day of your life, you damn pervert! Your fanbase can wait!"

Chuckling sheepishly, the Sage replied, "You wound me so, Hime! You underestimate the followers of the Super Pervert!"

She gritted her teeth as she raised a fist towards him.

His face slacking, Jiraiya raised his hands and waved them in front of his face. "Now, now, Hime, let's not get too hasty! AH! NO! NOT THE FACE!"

Moments later found Naruto grinning widely as he watched Jiraiya nurse his swollen face, courtesy of Tsunade. "You should've known better, Ero-Sennin."

"Just because some people can't appreciate the way of the Super-Pervert," the white-haired shinobi muttered before turning inaudible. His quiet mutters were replaced by an exclamation of pain as Tsunade slammed a fist down his head. "OW! That hurt, Hime!"

Huffing, she said, "It should. Pain is part of your job description." She sat back down in her seat. "Now, before we got side-tracked by this pervert's antics, what do you say, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked at her before smiling. "I'll share with you two the ability to travel worlds as soon as the alliance between Uzushio and Konoha become official." He stood up and took out two paper seals. "Until then, however, take these seals. These are inventions of mine, the Instant Transmission seals. As the name suggests, these will instantly transmit objects from one end to the other with little to no delay. I give these two to you. For you, Baa-chan, it's to ensure that the updated draft of the alliance document actually gets to you if the messenger bird is ever compromised."

Both Sannin took the seals and pocketed them. "Thank you, Naruto," Tsunade thanked him, flashing him a smile, "You're already a man to be proud of. I know Jiraiya and I are and most likely you heard it from your parents in this Soul Society." Naruto blushed at the praise.

"Thanks, Naruto," Jiraiya grunted, already recovered from his pained state, as he gave Naruto a grin, "We're one step closer to actual peace."

"That we are, Ero-Sennin, that we are."

Jiraiya and Tsunade glanced at each other, silently communicating to one another. Naruto suppressed the smile on his face. It spoke to these two's camaraderie and experience that they were able to communicate without saying a word. Idly, Naruto remembered Sasuke's words three years ago. When two high class shinobi crosses fists, you can read each other's minds. He chuckled softly.

"Naruto," Jiraiya suddenly spoke, bringing Naruto out of his musings, "forgive an old man his requests."

He raised a blond brow.

"I ask from one strong shinobi to another." Jiraiya's face morphed into a wide, eager grin. "What say you to a friendly fight?"

Naruto's eyes widened before he too grinned wide. "It has been a while since you and I had a good spar!"

Tsunade leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk, joining her hands together, and putting her chin atop her joined hands. "This is an unofficial match between two friendly shinobi, not between a Sannin and the Uzukage." She smirked. "I really want to see how an SS-Rank shinobi fights in this day and age."

"Heh, well then, Baa-chan, prepare to be amazed!"

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