Damn it, guess this means I won't be able to get the next chapter out on the 25th. I know I could just wait a while, but then I'd break my 3 day max streak. Still waiting for the next manga chapter to come out... Been trying to figure out character designs, it's not easy to come up with somethign original that can't be placed under one of the many "sue" categories. Ah well, this idea literally came to me mid chapter, so it's more than a bit sudden. Plus, I learned what Deus EX Machina means, hopefully that won't apply to this.

Disclaimer: Riddle: I am Hidan in the morning, Kakuzu in the evening, Anko at night. But the next morning, I am no one.

Pushed by the wind

"The Jutsu I am about to show you is a basic Futon technique." Pein explained.

He and Naruto were stood at a balcony overlooking the water around Ame. It was at a place on the west end of the village, which held many tall and thick buildings, though there were few people around to occupy them. This building was the colour of sand, and the flat walls rose high above the two of them, reaching straight to the roof.

Perhaps balcony wasn't the right word. The place they were seemed like and oversized alcove, because there was no railing or overhang that was usually affiliated with the former description.

Naruto stood next to Pein holding kunai with explosive tags in each hand, as per the request of the orange haired Shinobi. He looked out into the openness, the sun was breaking through the distant clouds and brightening the plains off to the horizon. Small rainbows were cast here and there, as was the effect of having so much water with only beams of sunlight appearing through.

"It is a C-rank, and one of the first Jutsu I learned, apart from the standard of course." Pein continued, looking in the same direction as Naruto, "It's main purpose is as a support technique, though with the correct refinement it can also be used for either offensive or defensive purposes. A rather versatile technique then, don't you think?"

"Well, it sounds pretty useful." Naruto replied, without having the relaxed expression Pein wore.

"I see what you are saying." Pein replied, with a smirk, "In some cases, I suppose seeing is believing. Very well then, throw your kunai. Then count to three and detonate it."

Naruto blinked, before nodding. He pulled his arm around, and flung it forward as hard as he could, releasing the kunai at the right moment. He then counted, and once he reached three he formed his hand sign, igniting the tag. It exploded a moment later, sending its fiery light across the dull water below.

"Good, now when I clasp my hands, I want you to do that exact same thing, down to the pause before counting." Pein said, as he raised his hands.

"Uh…" Naruto muttered, but prepared himself anyway. He had his hand held back as he awaited Pein's signal. The moment it came, he did as ordered and threw the second kunai.

"Futon: Reppusho!" Pein called, thrusting his open palms forward. A sudden blast of wind burst from his hands, striking the kunai hard. Naruto nearly lost his place in shock, but remembered to detonate at the right time. He watched as the kunai was hurled forward at an even greater speed than Naruto had attained. When it set off, the explosion occurred at least twice the distance it had when Naruto had thrown it.

"Whoa…" Naruto breathed. Not only was the explosion at a greater distance, but it was much larger in size than the last one, at least double again.

"You're eloquence is astounding." Pein replied, as he watched the result of their joint effort, "That is only a C-rank. There are better things to be impressed by than that."

"You in a mood or something?" Naruto asked, looking at Pein with tired exasperation. Pein smiled, running his hand through his hair.

"No, it's just that there's something to be said about someone who appreciates the simple things." Pein replied, glancing to Naruto from the corner of his eye, "After all, all art reflects on the artist."

He then turned and walked through to the shadows, leaving Naruto to look confused.

"Hey wait a minute, aren't we training?" he asked, looking at Pein's back with slight annoyance. Pein glanced back with a raised brow.

"Of course, I apologise." he said, returning, "I forgot that you require more guidance than most."

"You know, there something to be said about someone who assumes as well." Naruto replied dryly. Pein let out a small chuckle, shaking his head.

"You have a point." he admitted, "Very well then, let us continue."

Once more he stood beside Naruto, and demonstrated again the sign for the Jutsu, namely clasping his hands. Naruto did the same, and Pein told him the steps needed to perform the Jutsu. It really wasn't very complicated, simply channelling Futon chakra to the clasped hands, containing it, then releasing it in a single blast. Yet when Naruto tried it, it was nowhere near the calibre Pein had achieved.

"Futon: Reppusho!" he called, trying again. But just like before, the wind he generated was little more than a breeze, and the distance was pathetic. In fact, it would have probably been more effective if he simply blew hard.

"Just remember, you must shut off all your chakra gates, then reactivate them in a sharp push." Pein said, severely confusing Naruto.

"What?!" he exclaimed, "You never said anything about that!"

Pein blinked, showing a more docile confusion. He then realised what Naruto was talking about, and shook his head.

"I apologise, it was an error." he explained, "That wasn't directed at you."

It was Naruto's turn to blink. Wasn't directed to him? There was no one else around, so who then?

"Anyway, let us continue." Pein said, "You may have finished your nature training quickly, but you need to use the next four days refining this Jutsu, so it can serve the purposes I spoke of."

He then seemed to get an idea, as he touched Naruto on the shoulder before taking a few steps closer to the edge. He dropped off, straight down to the water below. Naruto watched with a raised brow, before following.

He landed on the water, sending out a ripple across the calm surface, behind him, moss and mildew grew on the wall, a gross infection on the sickly looking building. Naruto ignored the eyesore, and looked up at Pein, who had a thoughtful look about him.

"By using your Kage Bunshin, you can gain experience much faster than normal." he said, before glancing down, "And with the water beneath us, you can better measure your progress by the effect the Jutsu has on it. Yes, I think this will be a more beneficial method."

Naruto stared with a raised brow, before realising that he'd just been given instructions. He formed the cross seal, ad looked straight ahead.

"Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called. On either side of him, ten clones appeared, making for a grand total of twenty one Naruto's.

"Good, now try it." Pein said, folding his arms.

* * * * *

"Good, now try it." Pein said, folding his arms.

Gaara raised his hands into a seal, and did as he was told. He stopped the flow of chakra through his body, a fairly simple task since his chakra control wasn't especially strong. He then sent chakra pulsing back out his tenketsu in a sharp burst. He then opened his eyes, and the illusion was gone.

The rooftop they stood on had returned to view, the village down below surrounding him. The unsteady surface of the dozens of rusting pipes forced him to redefine his balance before he could fall, he wouldn't allow himself to appear so foolish. The area was dark, due to the thick clouds above. It cast shadows upon the Naraka realm, who stood in front of him.

"Good." Pein said, "Because of your abilities, chakra control isn't completely necessary, but you would do to learn it anyway, since you have a weakness to water."

Gaara ignored the comment, folding his arms as he stared blankly back at Pein. He didn't have any interest in Pein's words, or his advice.

"It's a pity you don't know the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, it would be best for you to learn nature manipulation alongside using your sand." Pein continued, "But as it is, it would seem that you will have use of Naruto-san's abilities."

"If you are attempting to convince me to cooperate with him, then you're wasting your time." Gaara replied, "As long as he doesn't get in my way, I won't kill him."

"That will have to do then." Pein said, lowering his hands to his sides, "At least you know now how to cancel Genjutsu. That will do for now."

Gaara turned and left without a word, taking the door to his left. Pein waited until he disappeared, before glancing over his shoulder.

"How are the preparations coming?" he asked.

"We're not ready for this." replied Konan, who was seated on a ledge just below view, "We still need at least a month to properly prepare."

"You know how we work." Pein said, "Always assume your opponents know everything. In the case that Hanzo is fully aware of what we are doing, he will be preparing his own defences. He is not the kind to just rush into situations. He won't move unless he is certain of his own success. As you recall, it was his mistake last time that cost him the battle."

"Are you sure those two situations can really be compared?" Konan asked, with a bowed head, "There was no way he could have predicted you to be capable of what you did."

"Which is why we also work under the assumption that our enemies are stronger than they appear." Pein replied, "There is no need for me to tell you this, we will not fail."

Konan sat silently, not responding to Pein's words. He turned around and walked towards her, her blue hair coming into sight. He sat down, his arms resting on his knees as he looked down at her. She barely acknowledged that he was closer now, though it was clear that she knew.

"I know what you are thinking." Pein said, "But revenge is not my motive. Hanzo is a paranoid man, and that paranoia has cost us much. But even without interference, the outcome for him is inevitable. He will not be forgiven for what he has done, he will be judged at the moment of his death. The fact that it is he we must eradicate is only a twist of fate."

Konan still didn't react, she seldom did when speaking with Pein's other paths.

"That he should meet his end by me, it only strengthens the truth." Pein said, "I shall judge him and he shall be judged by god. It is that simple."

"… Understood." Konan said quietly. Pein continued to watch her, wondering what exactly she was thinking.

* * * * *

Naruto continued his training, even though Pein had left long ago. He had made great progress with the Jutsu, though it still wasn't as powerful as what Pein had shown him. Last time he checked he found he could manage either a short and decently strong blast, or a breeze that had pretty good range. He had just dissipated his third group of clones, and was fairly confident in his progress. He clasped his hands once more, and channelled his chakra.

"Futon: Reppusho!" he called, thrusting his palms forward.

The ensuing gust whirled out and spun through the air, visibly scattering the water beneath it into strong ripples that spread out in a radial pattern. It was the stronger blast, and Naruto did his best to push it further than before. It was a pity that Pein's idea of using the water to measure progress worked only to an extent, being that the ripples were hard to follow, or even see through the whirlwind for that matter. All the same, it felt like he was doing better this time, Naruto was sure he had managed to attain at least a few inches more than before.

"Not bad, you think you could use this Jutsu with me?"

Naruto sighed, looking back at Eko. For a katana, he was fairly self involved.

"You think you could let me get used to the Jutsu first?" Naruto asked, with half closed eyes. Eko didn't reply right away, but Naruto could feel the heat of embarrassment as the blade realised he was being looked down upon.

"Fine, whatever."

"Using it on my own is hard enough as it is." Naruto explained, trying to stop a mood before it could grow into something big, "It'll be a while before I can think about trying it in different ways."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Naruto nodded in appreciation, before turning back to the water. He raised his hands as he prepared to perform the Jutsu again, but hesitated. After a few moments consideration, he sighed and allowed his hands to drop back to his sides. He'd had his fill of training today, he was feeling pretty tired.

"I'm gonna call it a day." he muttered, turning around. He headed to the wall and placed his feet upon it, beginning his ascent back to ground level. He stepped back into the alcove and continued through without stopping, coming back out into an empty side street.

The sun had now set, and light was fading fast. Lampposts came to life as they lazily groaned into consciousness. The dim orange eyes looked down to the puddles that yelped as Naruto stepped on them, curiously scanning the surface as he left.

He walked out into a wider street, where there were a few people walking around. Naruto had come to notice something about the people of Ame. They usually had their heads bowed and walked with short steps. It was probably a result of the rain that so often fell, they were used to confiding themselves to their own bodies as they hurried on their way. It was a strange thing to notice, it wasn't something Naruto was particularly proud of. How bored was he that he was picking up small details about the general public when it wasn't even necessary?

"Man, I gotta find something…" he thought, though since he had just given up on the only pass time he had, he wasn't really sure if he had the right to think that.

But it was true, he really couldn't see what he could do to occupy himself. It looked like the majority of the people here either spent their time working, or looking for work. And the few that were exceptions to the rule were most likely drunk out of even the most basic awareness, regressing to infants with slurs and flails.

"What a dump."

"Yeah, but it's all they got." Naruto replied, looking down, "It's all there is."

* * * * *

Pein lay in the shadows, his eyes closed as he unnecessarily rested. He held his hands behind his head, his cloak floating upwards as he did nothing but listen to the peaceful sounds. He could hear the light rain falling, it echoed throughout the room in a rather melodic fashion. It was rather relaxing, knowing that no matter what happened, the rain wouldn't be disturbed.

He heard the door open, and the sound of steps joined the rain as a light person walked in. He opened his eyes and watched as Konan entered the room, spotting the paper rose before anything else. She looked around with a surprised expression, before raising her head. She spotted Pein, recognizing the face as the one she knew most personally.

"Why are you…?" she asked, leaving her question trailing. Pein simply shrugged, he didn't have a reason for his position.

"To lay down without succumbing to gravity is a peculiar sensation." he replied, "You should try it."

"Um, I think I'll pass." Konan said, closing the door behind her, "Was there something you needed?"

"Yes, I need your help with an important matter." Pein confirmed, straight faced.

Konan was surprised by his openness. While it was true that Pein wasn't so arrogant as to act that he could manage on his own, he was rarely so direct about his needs either.

"What is it?" she asked, taking a step back so she could relax her neck a little. Pein raised his head, looking down at the floor beneath him.

"I have a concern about Naruto-san." he explained, with a calm yet contemplative look on his face, "I fear that he may be… disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Konan repeated, as she thought about why, "Is this to do with Gaara-san?"

"I think he believed that just like the other Jinchuriki have the same situation as him, that they would also be like him." Pein said, "Gaara-san's beliefs have shaken him, he no longer has the motivation he once did."

"Well it's hardly a surprise." Konan replied, leaning against the wall, "This is why I thought it was a bad idea. He's too young to look to look at the big picture."

"Yes, I see that now." Pein muttered, "However, I still believe that the younger they are collected, the better. Look at Naruto-san, when compared to how Gaara-san reacted. Gaara-san had far too much experience as a Shinobi, and so bringing him in was made that much more difficult. But that's beside the point. Naruto-san is losing faith."

"And you want to find a way to motivate him?" Konan asked, with a slight frown.

"I'll admit, out of the two of us, you have a better understanding of this kind of situation."

Konan raised her hand to her chin, deciding against trying to figure out if that was a compliment.

"How do you motivate someone like him?" she wondered aloud, "He can train as much as he wants, and his free time is unrestricted… I think know what it is."

"And that is?"

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Konan asked, wondering if Pein was perhaps mocking her, "The reason he came to us was because he was alone. He had no one to relate to, to be close with. That hasn't changed in the slightest since he came here."

Pein nodded as he saw her point.

"Yes, though he has spent a good deal of time with Kisame-san, those two can hardly relate." he muttered, as his brow creased.

"He needs a friend, or at least someone he can be close with." Konan said, looking up at Pein, "But that's not something we can really offer him. he would need to find that on his own."

"Someone he meets on his own terms, or simply out of chance." Pein agreed, before sighing, "Though I don't like the prospect of him becoming involved with outsiders."

"It can't be helped." Konan replied, folding her arms, "Having complete control over his life won't exactly make him compliant."

"True enough." Pein said, before dropping from the ceiling and landing neatly on the floor, "So what can be done?"

"Naruto-san needs to meet someone on his own." Konan replied, "But the problem is, because of his situation he may not know exactly how to do that. In which case, it would be best if someone were to come to him. However, we can hardly ask someone to be his friend, that would defeat the purpose. It needs to be a mutual bond."

"Yes, you're right." Pein said, with a nod, "Very well then, I'll leave it to you."

"Wha- you want me to take care of it now?!" Konan exclaimed, straightening up, "Can we really afford a distraction like that now of all times?"

"Yes." Pein replied, turning away, "Be sure and give him something to fight for."

* * * * *

Naruto pulled his arm back, before throwing the stone in his hand. It flew through the air, reaching quite the distance, before it slowed down. It then did a complete reversal, returning to Naruto's waiting hand. He tossed it again, and the same thing happened.

He walked up the wall of the tower, idly throwing the pebble and catching it. He gripped it in his hand, this little game was made trickier by the rain, which was currently soaking him. But he didn't really mind, or rather, he didn't care. So he was a little wet, what did it matter?

"Man, I'm bored." Naruto muttered, as he threw the stone again.

"And you're annoying as well. Quit complaining, at least you got options."

Naruto chuckled, Eko had a point. Maybe it was a little unfair for him to say such things.

He reached the window to the hall that his room was on, but came to a stop. He couldn't see anything, but even he could feel the presence just behind the wall. It was strange how even in a relatively calm mood, Gaara still managed to cause that feeling.

Naruto put his foot on the sill and slipped in, sitting on the sill and glancing to the right. Against the wall by his door, Gaara stood, his arms folded and eyes on the blond in front of him.

"Something up?" Naruto asked, leaning forward. Gaara paused for a moment, before replying.

"No." he said, simplistically.

Naruto stared back at him for several moments, wondering why he had then decided to take position there.

"O…k." he muttered, before standing and leaving Gaara to his… whatever he was doing. He walked down the hall to his door, glancing out the corner of his eye. Gaara kept his own fixed on Naruto, though offered no reaction to his look. Sighing, Naruto opened his door and stepped in.

"Wha?!" he exclaimed, as his eyes widened in shock.

In front of him, just by his window, Naruto could see what looked like the bare back of a young girl.