Tale of The Crimson Kitsune And The Silver Ookami
Chapter Twenty-Four: A Confrontation With Kumogakure, Next Destination - The Land Of Iron!
"Lady Tsunade transferred all of her chakra to Lady Katsuyu in order to heal and protect the villagers from Pein's attack. She's been unconscious ever since." Sakura says quietly, informing me, Kakashi and Naruto while she and Shizune sat beside Lady Hokage's unconscious form. "Because of this, we're not sure when she'll wake up."
"Sakura and I did all we could for her. Now, we can only wait and pray that she'll make a full recovery." Shizune adds. We simply nod our heads. "I just hope she wakes up soon." She mumbles to herself.
"Don't worry, Grandma Tsunade is tough. She'll pull through." Naruto assures her and Sakura.
"Well in the meantime, we should all continue helping out with the reconstruction of the village." Kakashi suggests.
"Right," Naruto and I answer together while Sakura simply nods in agreement.
Knowing that Lady Tsunade will be in good hands with Shizune, Sakura slowly returns to her feet and leaves the tent with me, Kakashi and Naruto. While walking down the dirt road, there was a somewhat uncomfortable silence surrounding us since we were all feeling a bit distraught about Lady Tsunade's condition. But like Shizune said, we could only pray and hope that Lady Tsunade will make a speedy recovery. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't just sit around in our depressed states, especially not while the village was in such a vulnerable state. It was obvious that everyone needs to be on guard because the last thing we need to happen was another surprise sneak attack.
As we continue to move, we suddenly hear our names being called, which quickly snap us all out of our own thoughts. Stopping in our tracks, we turn around to find Kiba riding on Akamaru's back as they make their way towards us. Noticing how fast Akamaru was running to catch up with us, I got the feeling that whatever Kiba had to tell us was no doubt of the upmost importance.
"Huh? Kiba, what's wrong?" Sakura asks as Akamaru skids to a stop, causing some dust to be thrown in the air around us.
"Sorry about that. Okay, you all need to stay calm and listen, alright." He says calmly. "Look, these may just be rumors but I just heard that Lady Tsunade has been relieved as the Hokage."
"What!?" Naruto, Sakura and I exclaim in shock.
"Yeah, I know. I was just as shocked when I heard it too. Also, it appears that someone by the name of Danzo has been named the Sixth Hokage, effective immediately." Kiba continues. "I don't know much about him, but I heard he's been active behind the scenes."
"Danzo?" Sakura and I say together.
"Wait a minute. Isn't Sai's boss named Danzo?" Naruto asks.
"Yeah, that's right." I answer, giving him a slight nod as well. "And like Captain Yamato told us, he's a hawkish man that opposed the Third Hokage once. In other words, he's a man that cannot be trusted whatsoever. Hokage or not."
"But that's not the worse of it." Kiba says, regaining our attention. "As his first order as the Sixth Hokage, he has declared Sasuke a missing-nin and has also given the approval to hunt him down."
"What!? No, this can't be right. Are you sure Kiba?" Naruto asks as his anger continues to increase.
"Like I said, they may only be rumors. I don't know much more than that." Kiba explains. "However, it does sound pretty legit to me."
With that, I hear Kakashi release a light sigh, "It appears they're not willing to sit around and wait for Lady Tsunade to recover. To be honest, it's not surprising that they would do something like this."
"But still, how could they make such a decision while Lady Tsunade is in the condition she's in?" Sakura asks as she turns to the silver-haired Jounin.
"It's true that Sasuke is a missing-nin and normally he would have been eliminated a long time ago." Kakashi explains. "However, it was because of Lady Tsunade that he's been allowed to live so we could handle the matter ourselves, personally."
"I'm going to go see this Danzo!" Sakura states firmly as she steps forward.
"No, Sakura." Kakashi says as he catches her by the shoulder, causing her to stop. "Storming into his office will only make matters worse."
"Still though, it just isn't right." The pinkette says sadly. "Lady Tsunade hasn't regained consciousness yet. And for them to make such a decision without her, how can you expect me to be quiet?"
"I'm coming with you." Naruto says.
"Everyone needs to calm down. Right now, you all must stay calm." Kakashi tells us sternly. "You'll be playing into Danzo's hand if you don't."
"How can we stay calm!?" Naruto growls. "I can't let them lay a hand on Sasuke!"
"I said to wait, Naruto." Kakashi says as he catches his arm. "Danzo knows how determined you all are about bringing Sasuke back. So he's using that to his advantage. If you go, he can order to keep you all in the village. And then you won't be able to do nothing."
"Naruto, unfortunately Kakashi is right." I tell him. "Now that Danzo is the Hokage now, he can easily get us all thrown in jail with just a single command. And if that happens, then we'll definitely be useless to do anything about him or Sasuke." Naruto just looks at me for a second before reluctantly agreeing.
"Look, I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, the three of you have to keep a level head." Kakashi says. And with that, he disappears.
"Listen you guys; even though Kakashi says we need to keep a level head, we need to find out as much information about Danzo as we can." I tell them. "And in order to do that, we need to find Sai first."
"Yeah, you're right." Sakura says. "Since Sai works under Danzo and reports directly to him, he'll have more information about the guy. And that will also include his agenda, especially about Sasuke."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Naruto asks as he suddenly takes off down the dirt road. "Let's hurry up and find him! There's no time to waste!" Sakura and I nod at each other and quickly take off to catch up with Naruto.
Using my sensory skills, I was able to find Sai's location in no time. Switching places with Naruto, we found ourselves running straight through construction sites, avoiding small ditches, large stacks of wood and piles of dirt in order to make our way over to Sai. Before long, we reached the small dirt path that ran beside a decent size pond. Moments later, we could see Sai walking down the same path, heading towards us.
"Sai!" Sakura says as we slow ourselves down to stop right in front of him. "Sai, we've been looking for you."
"We need to talk, it's really important." Naruto adds.
"Hmm? What is it?" Sai asks.
"Sai, we need you to tell us everything you know about Danzo." I tell him. Sai just stands there, remaining silent. "Sai, did you hear me?"
"Yes, I heard you." he answers.
"Then why don't you start talking?" Naruto asks. Sai just remains silent. "Look Sai, this is serious and we don't have time to fool around."
"I'm sorry, but that's impossible." Sai replies.
"What!? Why?" Naruto asks as he desperately attempts to keep his anger in check.
"Please don't tell us you're working with him again." Sakura says, hoping that it wasn't true.
"No… It's nothing like that at all." Sai assures us. "It's impossible for me to say a word about Lord Danzo. Due to this." Sai suddenly opens his mouth, revealing some type of black seal print on the back of his tongue.
"What the heck is that?" The three of us ask together while looking strangely at the black marking.
With that, Sai withdraws his tongue, "It's a curse mark." He answers. "It prevents me from relaying any information to anyone about Lord Danzo. It was placed by Danzo himself." He adds. "If I start to talk about Danzo, my entire body will go numb and I won't be able to move or talk."
"Damn it. He's a very cautious man." Sakura says.
"Indeed he is." I say, agreeing with her comment. "To put a curse mark on his subordinates, it's sickening. This also says that he doesn't want anyone to know anything about him or the organization for that matter."
"That's exactly right." Sai says with a slight nod of his head. "And even if I'm captured, I will not be able to speak a word. This is what has protected the Hidden Leaf Village from the bottom up. What the Foundation does is top secret. We do the dirty unhanded work in order to protect the village. You may not approve of his way of taking care of things, but he cares for the village just as much as you do."
"Then tell us why he would overturn Lady Tsunade's decision about Sasuke?" Sakura quickly asks. "Is he planning to dispatch a Tracking Ninja to go after him? Is that it?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Sai asks in a somewhat confused tone. "I haven't heard anything regarding Sasuke."
Before we could say another word, our senses quickly heighten when out of our peripheral; we spot a sword pointing straight at Sakura. Turning our heads, we find two individuals standing off to the side. The one grasping the sword was a dark-skinned, red-haired kunoich with amber colored eyes. Standing next to her was a young male who was also dark-skinned. He has white hair and dark colored eyes. I also noticed that the hitai-ate they were both donning has the Kumogakure emblem engraved into the metal.
"You can tell us all about this Sasuke fellow since it seems that you three are his friends." she states sternly while keeping a tight grip of her sword.
Acting quickly, Naruto takes a hold of Sai's tantō and deflects the sword of the dark-skinned kunoichi with long red hair. Seeing the opening that Naruto created, I flip myself over Sakura and was able to kick the kunoichi away from me, Sakura and the others. Her companion quickly comes to her aid but Naruto was able to successfully block his attempt. Pushing the Kumogakure nin back, we were able to create a decent amount of space between us and them.
"What the hell do you guys want?" Naruto asks as he continues to stare them down.
"And why the heck did you attack us?" I ask in a demanding tone, staring them down as well.
"You were just talking about Sasuke." The boy points out. "So tell us what you were saying."
"Hmpf, why should we? Our conversation about Uchiha has nothing to do with the likes of ninja from Kumogakure." I tell them sternly.
"It's got everything to do with us!" the boy snaps back in anger. "Sasuke Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf attacked our village!"
"?!"
"!"
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"!"
Ignoring the stunned looks on our faces, the red-haired kunoichi continues, spitting out fire as she does so, "Your rouge Ninja abducted our master! We don't even know if our master is dead or alive, you damn idiots!"
"T-That's a lie!" Sakura yells, not believing a single word they were saying. "Why? Why would Sasuke do such a thing?"
"Like we'd know what the Akatsuki's motives are!" the boy suddenly says.
"The Akatsuki!? What do you mean!?" Naruto asks.
"Huh? Don't kid around!" the girl snaps. "Sasuke Uchiha is a member of the Akatsuki." That little piece of information definitely caught us all off guard.
"You guys let your Rouge Ninja roam free, so Lord Raikage ordered us to come here." The boy explains. "And we've gotten your Hokage's permission to get rid of the Uchiha! We'll get our revenge!"
"The Uchiha is ours!" the girl adds. "Now then, you will tell us everything you know about Sasuke." She states as she holds her sword out. "Of course, his Ninjutsu style and powers, but also any data you have gathered about him, his partners, the Akatsuki and their past actions."
"No! No, you're wrong! Sasuke would never join the Akatsuki!" Sakura yells.
"Are you sure about this?" Naruto asks.
"Yes. The Uchiha family crest was verified." The boy answers. "And his facial composite matched the one listed within the bingo book."
"Congratulations Uchiha, your dumbass has successfully been labeled as a criminal and your profile is now listed within the infamous bingo book." I thought while shaking my head inwardly. "Just what the hell are you trying to accomplish? We all know that you've successfully defeated your brother. So what else could it be?"
"That… That's not poss…" Sakura starts to say, but ends up breaking down. No doubt the information we received was taking a toll on her emotions.
"Why are you crying?! We're the ones who want to cry!" the girl growls in anger. "Your tears won't bring back Lord Killer Bee or Lady Yugito! If you have time to cry, then start talking about Sasuke!"
"When was the authorization to eliminate Sasuke given?" Sai suddenly asks. "All Hidden Leaf data relating to him should have been passed on to you. So it's not necessary to press these three any farther."
"Oh, you're right!" the girl says, confirming what Sai said was true. "Our captain is now waiting for it. We were just trying to gather whatever other information was available."
"You can't expect us to stay still! We don't even know how our master is doing!" the boy yells. "You're not involved in this, so you wouldn't understand how we feel!"
"Damn it. I've had just about enough of these Kumogakure-nin." I thought as I continue to look at them, gripping the hilt of my sword even tighter.
Naruto lifts his head to look at them, Your master, is he a Jinchuriki?" He asks.
"Huh? How do you know?" the boy asks.
"Because… I'm a Jinchuriki too." Naruto replies in a quiet yet firm tone. "The Akatsuki is after every Jinchuriki, so I am involved."
"I see. So their Master must be the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki. Okay, let me see." I thought as I begin to clear my mind to concentrate on the task at hand. "Hmm, even though the signal is weak, I can still sense him. And as far as I can tell, they haven't extracted the Eight Tails from him. They haven't even begun the extraction process either. Well, not yet, anyway."
"We know for a fact that the Akatsuki will always capture a Jinchuriki alive." Naruto adds."So that means your master may not be dead."
"Are you sure?" the girl asks.
"Never mind about Sasuke, you two need to save your master first." Naruto tells them.
"Are you really sure about this?" the boy asks. "Are you really, really sure?"
"Listen, even though your master may not be dead, he is still in danger." I tell them. "So you both need to focus on rescuing him first. That should be your main priority."
"See. I told you that our master wouldn't be defeated so easily." The girl says happily.
"Hey, Kazumi..." Naruto says through our link. "Is there any way you and Kiyiya can sense out their master and check if he's still alive?" he asks.
"I already did." I tell him. "The signal's weak, but I can sense that the Eight-Tails chakra hasn't combined with the others. Also, it seems that the extraction process hasn't begun yet either. So there's probably still time to save him."
"That's great news, and not just for them." Naruto says with relief in his voice as he directs his attention back onto the Kumogakure-nin. "I will help you rescue your master." Naruto tells them. "And I'll give you whatever information we have on the Akatsuki."
"Hey Blondie, you're quick to understand." The girl says as she points towards Naruto. "You'll come with us and tell us about Sasuke."
"Naruto?" Sakura says quietly.
"Don't worry. Just leave it to me, Sakura." Naruto tells her.
"What's your name?" the girl asks.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto answers. And with that, Naruto leaves with the two Cloud Ninja, leaving me, Sakura and Sai standing there.
"Will Naruto really tell them what they want to know about Sasuke?" Sai asks.
"Heh, not a chance." I answer, causing Sai to look at me. "I know Naruto and that there's no way in hell he'll betray Sasuke. Even though that's very honorable of him, it, unfortunately, worries me."
"When you say that, you mean that you're worried about what they'll do to Naruto if they don't get the information they seek?" Sai asks.
"Precisely." I say with a nod. "That's why I'm going to follow them."
"Kazumi…" Sakura whispers.
"Sakura, head on back to the campsite." I tell her. "Sai and I will tail them and make sure everything goes alright between them."
After receiving a nod from Sakura, Sai and I take off and head in the same direction we saw Naruto and the Cloud ninja disappear. Sai and I moved quickly but stealthily through the thick trees, making sure we didn't alert them of our presence. In no time at all, we find the small group standing inside a small clearing where a small shed sat. As far as I could tell, nothing happened between them. Well, not yet at least.
"Now, start telling us what you know about Sasuke." The red-haired kunoichi says as she places her arm across Naruto's neck, pinning him against the wall of the shed. "Tell us what you know. Tell us everything about him."
"…"
"What's wrong? Start talking!" She snaps.
"I can't do it. I can't betray Sasuke." Naruto tells her. As a result, the kunoichi presses her arm tighter against his throat.
"Stop joking around, you bastard!" she yells. "What the fuck did you bring us out here for, then?! What the hell are you doing? Say something!"
"I understand that it's selfish, but I can't betray Sasuke." Naruto chokes out. "I also understand your need for revenge. But, if you let your hatred overcome you and kill Sasuke, then next time, one of my friends may want to take revenge on you! They'll go after you, and the cycle will repeat! And people who only wanted to protect someone will end up killing each other!"
"The one who started this cycle was your very own Sasuke!" She yells. "So why the hell should I care about anyone else? I'm going to kill Sasuke!"
"Then… how would you suggest we deal with our hatred?" the white-haired boy asks. "How would you suggest we find justice?"
"Take it out on me as much as you want." Naruto answers. "Hit me…"
Before Naruto could finish his sentence, the red-haired kunoichi punches him square in the face, sending him to the ground.
"Sounds good to me." the kunoichi says as she hovers over Naruto's down form. "But will it satisfy me? Guess we'll just have to find out first." And with that, she starts punching Naruto in the face over and over and over again.
As painful as it was, I reluctantly stand my ground and continue to hide behind a tree while Sai and I watch the beating continue. As quickly as the punches came, they began to slow down. Before long, the red-haired Kumogakure-nin finally stands up and backs away. Out of breath, she stands there, hunch over, as she tries to get her breathing back to normal. Meanwhile, Naruto was somehow able to get to the shed, and by using the wall for support, he successfully gets back to his feet. Blood was dripping down his face as it exits the cut above his eye, his nose and out the corner of his mouth.
"I told you. No matter how much I hit you, I won't be satisfied!" she yells out of breath. "I'll continue doing this forever, until you spill what you know about Sasuke!" She adds as she punches forward. But before she could punch Naruto once more, Sai and I jump out from our hiding spots and land in between her and Naruto. Sai was able to catch her fist with one hand in the process. "Don't get in the way. This is what the fucker wanted."
"Well unfortunately for you, we're in the way now and you've done enough." I reply in a firm tone with a slight growl within my voice. "It's like you said; no matter how much you hit him, you won't be satisfied."
"Why you little…." The kunoichi starts to say.
"Here's a warning. I'd watch what I say if I were you." I tell her while concentrating on keeping my own anger under control. "You're not the only one around here with a short fuse."
"Sai, Kazumi. She's right, so stay out of it." Naruto says quietly.
"Naruto, there's no reason for you to go through this for Sasuke." Sai tells him.
"Shut up. This is my choice." Naruto says sternly.
"I hate to say this Naruto, but your choice isn't helping anyone right now." I reply back, my tone just as serious as his. I turn my head slightly to look back at him. "And it's certainly not helping you either."
"Hasn't Sasuke only hurt you?" Sai asks. "If it were me…"
"If you insist on getting in the way, I'll just have to hit the two of you as well!" she yells as she aims to punch Sai first. Just before her fist could reach him, her partner appears and catches her wrist.
"Give it a rest already, Karui." He tells her. "Even if you beat these guys to death, you won't get any information. You understand that by now, don't you?" instead of answering his question, Karui just snatches her hands free. "He gave us his word that he'd help us find Lord Killer Bee."
"What the hell? Is this the same you that's always going on about something being real or not?" she asks as she points at him. "It's not like you to just take someone at their word like that."
As the two continue to talk to one another, Sai and I were able to catch Naruto before he could hit the ground. His face was badly bruised and was covered with trails of blood, so it was obvious that that kunoichi dealt some pretty bad damage onto him.
"He wouldn't sell out his friend even though you pushed him this far." The Kumogakure ninja tells her. "Even though he's an enemy, I kinda like the guy. Real men don't use words lightly. No matter what you do, he won't sell out Sasuke. He's not the type to go back on his word." Just as he finishes that sentence, a blonde-haired, busty woman appears from out of nowhere. "Captain Samui."
"Omoi, Karui." The woman says as she approaches the two. "Have you been able to discover anything?" She asks, her eyes quickly landing on a down Naruto. "You… haven't been causing trouble, have you?" Her question causes the kunoichi before her to look away in terror.
"Look, never mind that, we found out that Lord Killer Bee may still be alive." Omoi tells her. "Let's go rescue him! We should search the Akatsuki's hideouts first!"
"It would only be us, against the type of people that were able to capture Lord Killer Bee." She replies back. "Furthermore, there must be numerous hideouts that we have no knowledge of. First, we should analyze the data that we do have. That method would be more efficient. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Yugito. We should take the data we do have, and meet up with Lord Raikage at once. The amount we do have is too large to handle by ourselves."
"T-Take me with you…" Naruto suddenly says. "I said that I'd help you rescue your Jinchuriki."
"Naruto, take it easy first. You're in no shape to move around right now, let alone, help them." I whisper to him.
"Naruto, Kazumi's right. You need to take care of your injuries first." Sai adds.
"I'm fine." He says as he looks back at the Kumogakure nin. "Not only that, but I have something to discuss with the Raikage."
"With Lord Raikage? Stop messing around, you bastard!" Karui yells.
"Karui." Samui says as she looks down at Naruto. "There's no way that we can let you meet Lord Raikage when he's on the move with insufficient protection." She tells him. "Now, Karui, Omoi, let's go. We have permission to inspect the intelligence gathered on Sasuke and the Akatsuki. It'll take a while to transcribe them, so you'll have to help out as well." And with that, all three Kumogakure nin disappear.
"You guys." Naruto says, catching our attention. "Take me to where Kakashi Sensei and Captain Yamato are…"
"Hmm, alright." Sai says as we help Naruto up.
"Wait here; I'll go get a first aid kit. I'll be right back." Sai says as he leaves the tent. Once he was gone, I turn my attention onto Naruto.
"Okay, let me take a look." I tell him. I carefully untie his headband so I could get a better look at his bruised eye. "Hmpf, I really feel like going after that red-haired kunoichi just so I can punch her in the eye." I thought privately.
Shaking those thoughts from my head, I continue examining Naruto. Even though I knew Naruto could take a punch, or in this case a chain of punches, I was still a bit surprised to see him conscious and fully aware. A normal person would be unconscious, lying in a hospital bed at this very moment, but not Naruto. As long as I have known him, he was never a normal person to begin with. Sitting back on my legs, I pick up a clean rag and submerged it into a small tub of cool water that was sitting beside me. After ringing it out, I carefully begin to wipe away the trails of dried blood that covered Naruto's face. I was a little worried about his injuries, but I knew they would heal. However, I was still concerned of his mental health. I couldn't imagine what could be going through his mind at this very moment?
It's obvious to see that he's worried about Uchiha's wellbeing; we all are, especially since he's being hunted down by the Raikage and Kumogakure as we speak. And for all we know, countless others he may have encountered during his absence from the Hidden Leaf could be after him as well. And now that he's associated with the Akatsuki, there's no telling how worse the situation can become. I do care about Uchiha, just as much as Naruto and Sakura do, but I couldn't help but feel a bit indifferent about how he's acting, what he's doing. It's like he can't grasp the fact that his actions are not only hurting him, he's hurting us in the process.
"Naruto, I know for a fact that you would never betray Sasuke. Hell, you rather take a beating then give up any information about him." I thought as I continue to clean Naruto up. "But I can't help but wonder… how far are you willing to go for him?"
"Kazumi-chan?" I hear Naruto say.
"Hmm?" I hum quietly. Removing the cloth from his cheek, I glance up to make eye contact with him. "What is it?" I ask.
"Are you alright?" he asks.
"I'm fine." I assure him. "But I should be the one asking you that question." I tell him while I rinsing out the cloth in my hands.
"Well, you had this strange look in your eye a couple of seconds ago." He tells me. "What were you thinking about?"
"Oh, uh, it wasn't anything important. I just blanked out for a second, that's all." I tell him as I got rid of any remaining blood that was still staining his face.
"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't have been furrowing your eyebrows." He replies.
"Shoot, I really must've been deep inside my own thoughts if I didn't notice that." I thought to myself.
"So tell me. What were you thinking about?" he asks once more.
Looking away, I focus my attention on the floor while attempting to come up with an answer to his question. "Trust me, you don't want to know." I tell him.
"Huh? Come on, it can't be that bad, right?" he asks. Lifting my head, I look back over at Naruto, giving him a serious look.
"Okay, since you really want to know, I'll tell ya. I'm debating whether or not I should knock some sense into you for that stunt you pulled back there." I say in a quiet yet firm tone. In an instant, I noticed Naruto tensing up a bit. "However," I say as I sit back on my legs. Closing my eyes for a second, I cross my arms across my chest. "I think you've been punished enough today, so I'm not going to do such a thing."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that." He says.
"You know Naruto, your heart may be in the right place, but you can be such a reckless knucklehead sometimes." I tell him. "Just try to think things through before you go through with them, alright. The last thing I want to see is you looking like a mummy twenty-four seven."
"Sorry, but it was the only thing I could come up with at the time." he says. Lowering his head, he just stares at his hands. "I was hoping that if I let them beat me up as much as they wanted, it would take their mind off Sasuke and their wanting for revenge."
"Naruto, you knew it wouldn't be that simple." I tell him.
"Yeah, I did. But, I still had to try." He says. I simply nod my head in understanding. "It was better than just standing there doing nothing."
"Yeah, I see your point." I say quietly. After sitting there for a few more minutes, Sai finally returns with the first aid kit in hand. We notice that neither Kakashi nor Captain Yamato was with him.
"Sai. Where are Kakashi Sensei and Captain Yamato?" Naruto asks as Sai sits down beside me, placing the first aid kit in between us.
"Kakashi Sensei is getting Captain Yamato as we speak." Sai explains as he opens the box. "They'll be here shortly.
"Then until they get here, let's get you patched up." I tell Naruto as I grab a few cotton balls and the bottle of peroxide. "Now hold still." I tell him as I dab the cotton ball directly over the cut.
"Ouch!" Naruto exclaims, causing me to pull back.
"Sorry about that." I quickly tell him as I move to clean the cut a little more. "I know it stings but we have to clean the area so it doesn't get infected."
"Naruto, you really should let Sakura look over your injuries." Sai tells him.
"Nah, its fine." Naruto assures him. "Plus if she sees me like this, it will only cause more trouble, trust me. Besides, I heal fast. So I'll be okay in no time."
"He's right about that." I say while wrapping bandage wrap around Naruto's forehead and his injured right eye. "He'll probably end up with more injuries then what he started out with." After finishing wrapping Naruto's abdomen and right arm, Sai was bandaging his left when Kakashi and Yamato finally arrived.
"Sai. Kazumi." Naruto says, causing us both to look up at him. "What you guys did before. Thanks for helping me."
"Sure." Sai replies back.
"Don't mention it." I add.
"Boy, they really worked you over." Kakashi says, causing Naruto to chuckle a little. However, he suddenly scowls in pain when Sai accidently wraps the bandages around his arm a little too tightly.
"Sorry." Sai tells him.
"Look, you need to take it easy a little bit." Kakashi adds.
"No!" Naruto exclaims. "I'm going to see the Raikage."
Yamato gasps in shock, "Naruto, what are you saying?" he asks. "The Five Kage Submit starts soon. Every Hidden Village has agreed to travel restrictions and no unnecessary missions."
"What do you hope to achieve?" Kakashi asks him.
"I'm going to convince him to forgive Sasuke. No matter what." He answers.
"But you don't have the Hokage's necklace that seals the Nine Tails." Yamato points out. "As a Jinchuriki, you must not leave the Hidden Leaf. It's bad enough that you've sprouted eight tails during the last battle. We're lucky the sealing formula triggered and stopped the Nine Tails. But what about next time. Besides… I'm in charge of reconstructing the village. I can't stay close to you all the time."
"I met the Fourth Hokage." Naruto mutters, gaining surprised looks from Yamato, Sai and Kakashi. "The one who stopped me from becoming the Nine Tails was the Fourth Hokage."
"What does he mean?" Yamato asks as he turns to Kakashi. "The Fourth Hokage's dead."
"The sealing jutsu he used, the Reaper Death Seal, still holds many mysteries." Kakashi tells him. "He probably stored some of his own mental energy within the seal itself."
"And that's when, the Fourth Hokage, told me that the Nine Tails' incident sixteen years ago was caused by the Akatsuki guy that wears a mask. He's so strong that even the Fourth Hokage struggled against him."
"Lord Fourth also told us that this masked Akatsuki is the one that's been pulling the strings within the organization. And that's not all. There's also the possibility that he was probably using Pein the entire time."
"Not only that, but if Sasuke has joined the Akatsuki, that means that masked guy is probably using Sasuke too." Naruto adds.
"Wait, just a second. Kazumi, you've met Lord Fourth as well?" Captain Yamato asks.
I just nod my head, "Yes, I did."
"But how did you…?" he asks.
"When Naruto and I were pulled into Pein's jutsu, Naruto transformed into the Nine Tails' eight-tailed form. In order to stop the Nine Tails from escaping, I used the chakra of the Ten Tails to restrain the Nine Tails' physical form while linking my subconscious with Naruto's." I explain. "Once I was inside our subconscious realm, I found Naruto standing before Lord Fourth. They both were quite surprised to see me as I was to see them."
"That's… very interesting."Captain Yamato says to himself.
"It's just as Lord Jiraiya feared. I can't believe that man was behind the incident sixteen years ago." Kakashi says quietly. "He bares the Sharingan and has a grudge against the village. The only rouge Uchiha that's capable of summoning the Nine Tails is Madara."
"Without a doubt." Yamato mutters. "Anything's possible if Madara's involved. So he's actually still alive?"
Raising a eyebrow, I look towards Kakashi and Captain Yamato as I try to place where I heard that name, "Madara Uchiha?" I ask.
"Who is this guy? Madara?" Naruto asks.
"A former Hidden Leaf Shinobi, Uchiha Clan leader, who battled the First Hokage and lost." Kakashi explains. "He was never seen again. This Intel needs to be reported to the council. Sai."
"Yes." Sai says.
"You must report this to the Hokage at once." Kakashi tells him.
"Uh, right." Sai says, his tone sounding a little unsure.
"Naruto. What else did the Fourth Hokage say to you?" he asks.
"Huh?" Naruto gasps.
"Fathers tend to have a lot they want to tell their sons." He says as he sends Naruto his famous masked smile. Naruto suddenly starts tightening his grip around the sheets underneath him as a small smile graces his lips.
"There was one other thing he said. He believed in me." Naruto says happily.
"Good!" Kakashi says, giving him a thumbs up. "Naruto. You go to the Raikage. Yamato and I will tag along as your escorts."
"What?!" Yamato exclaims in shock. "No, no, no, no, no! This is a bad idea."
"What? Don't you want to hear what I have to say before you make up your mind, Tenzo?" Kakashi asks him.
"Hey! You are not supposed to call me by that name, remember." Yamato snaps.
"Now, now." Kakashi says.
"And by the way, did you not hear what I said earlier?" Yamato asks. "What if the Nine Tails goes berserk again? Without the necklace, I won't be able to suppress the Nine Tails' power like I have done in the past."
"The Fourth Hokage was able to repair the seal. So the chances of me sprouting eight tails again are pretty low." Naruto says as he places a hand over his stomach.
"But there's still the possibility of you losing control if there are four or more tails present." Yamato points out.
"I get what Captain Yamato is saying, but we can lower the possibility of that happening again if I tag along." I pipe up, causing them all to look at me. "By using my own chakra, I can suppress the Nine Tails' chakra back into the seal before Naruto has a chance to go berserk."
"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Naruto says. "I mean you were able to keep the Nine Tails under control before, so there's no doubt you can do it again." I nod in agreement.
"No way, I don't think so. There is no way we're doing this." Captain Yamato exclaims strongly. "Kakashi, say something would ya! There's no way you're be okay with this."
"Well then, we should all go prepare for the mission." Kakashi says. "We'll head out as soon as everyone's ready."
"Right!" Naruto and I state together.
"Did you even hear a word I said, Kakashi?!" Yamato asks.
"Calm down, I heard you loud and clear." Kakashi tells him calmly. "Now then, we should go get ready as well, okay, Tenzo."
"There you go again!" Yamato snaps. "How many times must I tell you not to use that name so causally, especially out in public."
"Come on, we're all friends here." Kakashi replies. The two continue their (oh so) interesting conversation while Naruto, Sai and I remain in our seats.
"Well, it's great to see those two are getting along." I thought with a laugh.
"Hey, Kazumi-chan…" Naruto says. "Uh, do you think we should tell Sakura about us going to the Land of Iron? She might come looking for us while we're gone."
I look up in thought, "Mm, maybe we shouldn't." I answer as I look back at hm. "With her time being preoccupied with tending to Lady Tsunade and those that are still injured, she has enough on her plate as it is. Plus I think the news we received about Sasuke is taking a toll on her as well."
"Yeah, you're right about that." He mutters quietly. "Sakura has enough to worry about. So I guess we can always tell her everything later."
I just release a soft sigh, "I know for a fact she won't like our decision, and there's no doubt we'll have to pay for it later. But still, this seems to be our best choice at the moment." I explain. Naruto just nods, agreeing with me.
"Well then, why are we still sitting around here for? Let's head out." Naruto says as he carefully gets back to his feet. In no time at all, Naruto quickly gets dressed, secures his headband and throws on a cloak. "Okay! I'm ready to go!"
"This whole thing is far from okay." Captain Yamato states as he crosses his arms against his chest. "Are you serious about going to see the Raikage?"
"Of course, I'm going to convince him to forgive Sasuke." Naruto says in a confident tone.
"With that being said, you don't know where the Raikage is." Captain Yamato informs him.
"You know," Kakashi says as he places a hand gently on Captain Yamato's shoulder. "Maybe you can help him out with that, Yamato."
"W-What?!" Captain Yamato gasps in shock.
"See ya." Kakashi says as he turns and exits the tent.
"Kakashi, you got to be kidding." Captain Yamato whines quietly. He soon turns towards me. "Kazumi, I swear, your brother can be difficult sometimes."
I just shrug my shoulders uninterestedly, "What can I say? That's Kakashi for ya." I tell him. "As long as you've known him, you should be use to this by now, Captain Yamato."
"I suppose you have a valid point there." Captain Yamato says as he scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I'm here to challenge you, Naruto-Nii-chan!" I familiar voice suddenly exclaims.
"Hmm, I wonder who that could be?" I ask in a playful tone as I return back to my full height.
"Huh? Wait, I know that voice." Naruto says to himself.
"Well, I guess I'll go get ready for our mission. Captain Yamato, Naruto, I'll see you two in a few. Sai, I'll catch you later." I tell them as I exit the tent. Once outside, I find Konohamaru standing before the entrance. "Hey there, Konohamaru."
"Oh, Kazumi-Nee-chan." Konohamaru greets happily. "Is Naruto-Nii-chan here?"
"Yep, he's inside talking to Captain Yamato. He'll be out in a minute." I tell him. "So, if I may ask, what sort of challenge are you and Naruto up to today."
"Oh, it's nothing too serious." Konohamaru assures me. "I've been working on a new Jutsu he taught me, and I think I may outdo him this time around."
"Well, I hope this new jutsu you're referring to has absolutely nothing to do with that perverted Ninjutsu Naruto taught you." I tell him, knowing full well that that's what his jutsu and this challenge he was issuing was really about.
"No, not at all." He says, but I could smell the lie as clear as day.
"Yeah, sure it isn't." I mumble quietly.
"Hey there, Konohamaru." Naruto greets as he emerges from the tent. Without wasting time, Konohamaru rushes pass me and heads over to Naruto.
"Naruto-Nii-chan, I challenge you!" Konohamaru exclaims as he points at finger at his rival. "And this time, I WON'T LOSE!"
"Okay, I'll leave you boys to your challenge." I tell them. I soon turn to look at Naruto. "And Naruto, for your sake and Konohamaru's, you better hope I don't find out what you two are really up to." With that, I quietly leave the two.
Normal Point of View:
"Uh, she's not going to find out, is she?" Konohamaru asked Naruto as soon as he was sure that Kazumi was out of earshot to hear him.
"Nah, I think we're safe." Naruto told him. "But just to be on the safe side, let's go somewhere that's a little more private."
"I guess that's a good idea. But what if she comes looking for you?" Konohamaru asked. "I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be caught by Kazumi-nee-chan. Please don't tell her I said this but; she's scarier than Sakura-nee-chan when she's angry." He whispered.
Naruto couldn't help but to chuckle lightly at that comment, "Heh, she's not that scary, Konohamaru. And don't worry so much, we'll be fine." Naruto told him in an assured tone. "Besides, if we are caught in the act, I'll be taking the heat anyway. So there's no way she's going to find out." He thought to himself. "Come on, let's get going." He told his student as he started to move.
"I'm right behind you." Konohamaru told him as he followed. "Heh, there's no way you'll beat me this time, Naruto-Nii-chan."
"Heh, don't count me out just yet, Konohamaru." Naruto told him. "After all, I'm the one who taught you everything you know about the Sexy Jutsu."
Unbeknownst to the sensei-gakusei (teacher-student) duo, a familiar silver-haired kunoichi was watching them from high above. As soon as they left the area, Kazumi quietly emerged from her hiding spot, which was behind the tree's massive trunk, and stood on top of a thick branch. She watched the two in silence as they continued to walk farther into the thick forest. Shaking her head lightly, Kazumi couldn't help but to chuckle softly at the two as she crossed her arms against her chest.
"Heh, they just love to underestimate me. They honestly believed I wouldn't figure out what they're up to." She thought to herself as she lightly shrugged her shoulders. "Hmm, oh well. What can you do?"
Knowing that Captain Yamato and Kakashi will be ready to head out soon, Kazumi turned around and jumped forward, heading in the opposite direction and back towards the campsites to prepare for the upcoming mission to the Land of Iron.