Twenty Three

The Object

"Enter."

Kakashi, Asuma and Yamato appeared before the Hokage's desk.

Tsunade made a dramatic lean as if looking for someone else.

"The two Akatsuki who were threatening the borders of Fire Country have been eliminated." Kakashi said.

"Excellent. Where is Shoko?" Tsunade said, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. The three shinobi were fully aware of that fact as well. Yamato spoke up.

"She was taken by another Akatsuki. We couldn't stop them, one moment they were there, the next-

"She's gone…" Tsunade interrupted with a glare.

"Oh, I wouldn't get upset just yet. We're not even to the worse part." Kakashi added.

"And that is?"

"Before she left she was hallucinating." Kakashi said. Asuma and Yamato turned to him.

"Why didn't you tell us that?" Asuma asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "I wasn't sure if I was going to mention it at all but after thinking about it…

"We could be in a very bad situation here." Tsunade finished. "If Madara is in fact associated with the Akatsuki then there is no doubt he will reveal himself to her. If she's losing it she may be swayed to the other side. If she is, then we're doomed. She knows more secrets about this village than even myself."

"What do you propose we do?" Asuma asked her.

Tsunade thought for a moment then sighed. "Nothing. You three won't be involved in this anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuma asked.

"Shoko is a threat. If she's given a chance to switch sides- we just can't chance that. We have shinobi trained for this. You three have done your jobs."

"You're going to send out hunters…" Kakashi trailed off.

"No!" Naruto yelled, sticking his head through the window.

Tsunade closed her eyes and breathed deep. "Naruto, you really need to stop picking up Kobayashi's bad habits. Use the door next time and stop eavesdropping."

It didn't go unnoted that no one in the room had even sensed his presence. All of that time spent sneaking up on Shoko really did him good.

Naruto stepped through the window, followed by a furry raccoon dog.

"Fujiki…" Tsunade said, surprised. Naruto grinned ear to ear.

"That's right, bachan. I signed the contract with em a few weeks ago. I've been tryin to summon him since we got back."

"So, what do you have to say?" Tsunade asked Fujiki.

"I can't convince you not to send hunters after her but I can tell you she hasn't lost her mind. She refused to help the Akatsuki leader in their goals which I will also tell you about. There's something I need to show you first."

"Oh?" Tsunade asked. "And what's that?"

Fujiki held out his paw. In it, was a small black okimono of a vicious looking tanuki guarding a ball of some sort.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, taking it into her hand and holding it up.

"It's extremely important. Don't drop it." Fujiki said, his eyes never leaving the okimono. "It needs to be hidden. Somewhere where no one can find it. It would be best if the minimal amount of people knew about its whereabouts. Perhaps the Sarutobi can find somewhere…" He shot Asuma a look.

Asuma knew what it was from the moment Fujiki told Tsunade not to drop it. He also knew exactly where to put it.

"Why can't we just hide it here in the village? We can keep it in here." Naruto suggested.

"Because, as bad as it sounds, if the village is attacked or Kami forbid, destroyed then that object has to be somewhere where it can't be harmed. In the very least it has to be in something that will keep it from being jostled. If it so much as cracks…" Fujiki trailed off, unable to even think about what would happen right now, but he was sure Asuma and Kakashi knew.

"Fine. Asuma, take it. Put it somewhere safe. I assume you know where Shoko would have wanted it placed, which is why he suggested you." Tsunade handed Asuma the okimono. "Don't leave yet. Fujiki, finish."

"Tsunade-hime…perhaps I should wait until everyone-

"Everyone in this office is involved in this mission. They also know that nothing is to leave this room."

Fujiki sighed, "I wasn't in the room with her while she talked to them but I do know that the Akatsuki base is located in Amegakure, Hanzō is dead and the Akatsuki leader seems to be the one running the village."

Tsunade stared in shock.

"That's not all. The leader…you know him." Fujiki said. "He's one of the three Ame brats Jiraiya trained. The one with the eyes."

"And the other two?"

"I can't say. The girl is a member but...the outspoken one with the obnoxious hair, he wasn't around…per say."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, his body was there but he wasn't. I don't understand it myself. The silent one is the leader and he seems to be using the other one's body."

"And the tailed beasts?"

"I don't know. They're definitely after them all. I wasn't able to hear but Shoko was yelling something about the end of the world. A weapon of some kind. He also offered her Uchiha Madara so it's confirmed that he is indeed alive and at least has some kind of affiliation with the Akatsuki. She refused though."

"I knew he was." She mumbled. "A weapon? That must be what the beasts are for. How did you get out?"

"She agreed to show him the jutsu and reveal to him the location of that." Fujiki said, pointing to the okimono in Asuma's hand.

"The immortality jutsu she uses? She can't! He'll be invincible."

"I don't think she plans on showing him. She was grasping at anything to get him to let me go."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples. "Are you going to tell me what that is?"

"Her soul."

"I thought so." She said.

"What?" Naruto said, looking back at the object with a new found curiosity. "Her soul is in that thing?"

"Yes." Fujiki answered simply.

"So it's not even a ninjutsu like everyone assumed."

"No. And it's her only weakness so keep it safe. As long as that remains whole, she'll be able to keep Madara at bay. I'm only showing you this because I want you to trust her. If she puts you in danger then the one who hides the object can destroy it."

"And if it gets broken?" Naruto asked.

"That depends. If it's cracked, depending on the size of it, her body will slowly disintegrate until the crack is sealed. Whatever damage is caused will never heal. It's part of her soul that would have escaped confinement. If it's broken…then she'll be reduced to what she would be if she hadn't created the jutsu. Bones and dust. That is the only way to kill her permanently. The Akatsuki leader knew this somehow and used me to get her to reveal its location. He let me go probably thinking that no one but Shoko could summon Tanuki since it's not been possible for some time. Luckily Naruto signed the contract weeks ago and was able to summon me. Once he did I retrieved the object as quickly as possible and now here I am." Then he added, "I don't believe Shoko will betray the village no matter the offer. Naruto is too important to her. More important even, than her brother. She believes, as do the Tanuki elders, that Naruto is one of the children of prophecy."

"One of them?"

"There are two. Naruto, Shoko believes, will save the world. The one who's leading the Akatsuki is the doppelganger. It's well known that when one meets their doppelganger-

"Then one will die…" Tsunade said, staring at Naruto who had remained quiet.

"Yes."

"There's no way I'm gonna die." Naruto said quietly with determination. "And there's no way I'm gonna let anyone else hurt my Godmother."