Author's Note's: Anyone else pumped for Game of Thrones tonight?

Okay, I have a few things to say:

Firstly, yes, I've changed my name, yet again. I was once Dreaming of the Horizon, but that was honestly just a random, on the spot name change, so it had little to no meaning behind it. But, Dreaming of the Moon actually has a lot a meaning behind it, so I decided to change it. I promise, I won't be changing my name again, so don't worry (if for some reason you were).

Secondly, you should all go check out my new stories. One is a Naruto x Game of Thrones crossover titled The Last Son. It's getting quite a lot of attention, so go see if it's something you like. The other is a Harry Potter x Bleach crossover, and my try at a smut fic. (Don't look at me like that!) I just wanted to try something new out, so if you don't like that sort of stuff, don't read it. If you do, it's called Taming Hatred.

Thirdly, I do not have internet yet, but I do have better access to it now, so Dreamers is now officially starting. I hope we can make it prosper!

Now, about the chapter. This is actually the last chapter of Naruto. The next will start off Naruto Shippuden, and the second half of this fic. That's right; this is only the half-way mark. As this will be a time-skip, and a lot of things will be skipped over, I will be going into detail of what happened in future chapters. So if you are confused or upset that I didn't write out something you were waiting for, don't worry. I will be going into it all, so just be patient.

Special thanks to my beta, Dreaming of the Phoenix.

Hero or Monster

Chapter Twenty Five – Death of the War Hawk

Today, the War Hawk dies.

And today, Konoha weeps for losing a veteran. I do not hate Danzo any longer, I actually respect him. But he is now a threat to Konoha, and I cannot allow him to live any longer.

… This is one time I am loath to utter these words… the words that have left my tongue so many a time…

Death to all enemies of heaven…

Shimura Danzo sat on his knees, a content aura about him. He was old, too old to keep up with this shinobi world. He'd done his part in shaping his home, and he could face this threat without any doubts.

"I would like to know one thing before you start." The old war hawk's voice rang out in the forgotten Shimura hideout on the border of Hi no Kuni and the oceans that Mizu no Kuni sat on the other side of. The hideout itself was more like a fortress, and the room he was currently in could hold a few hundred people, as it was used as a "war room" in the past. This is where Danzo sat, and he was sure that this was where he would leave this world.

He was not an arrogant, pompous fool. He knew that he made mistakes, but he realized now that even his mistakes had some meaning. The Uchiha Massacre was one of those mistakes, but because of it, Konoha would soon have a powerful Uchiha to protect the great tree. One shinobi – a shinobi like Uzumaki – was worth a thousand deaths, and Danzo knew… he knew that the death of the entire Uchiha clan would surely forge an incredibly powerful ninja in Uchiha Sasuke. There was doubt at first, of course. Sasuke was just an average, ordinary child who aspired to kill a man far out of his league. But now, with the assistance of a shinobi that even Danzo himself feared, he could rest easy in Hell knowing that his home, his precious jewel would be safe. And he knew he was going to Hell. There was no place for men like him in Heaven. But that only put a smile on his face…

Because if a shinobi, a true shinobi, found himself in Heaven…

He didn't do his job right.

"How did you find me here?" He asked the question he already knew deep down.

"Isn't it obvious, Danzo?" A familiar voice rang out behind him. Usually, this voice would cause absolute fear and desperation, but now, at this very moment, this voice rang one thing in Danzo's weary ears.

Hope.

Uzumaki Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "You do know… don't you…" It wasn't a question. A humorless chuckle escaped the blond's lips. "You know… if you weren't such a fool, we could have been friends…" And he meant it. Uzumaki Naruto and Shimura Danzo only had one thing that made them different.

Understanding.

Danzo was a die-hard veteran, a man who would give his own life for his people and home. He would slit the throats of children if that was what it took to keep his home safe. He would bite off his own tongue to keep his home's secretes out of enemy hands. He would personally set the fire that would burn down entire countries if that's what it took.

Shimura Danzo was absolutely, without a doubt, a monster, the likes of which would make the devil himself proud.

Naruto was a die-hard loyal shinobi, a ninja who would die, come back from the dead, and die again if it meant he could protect his home and his people… and he could probably actually manage that… He would paint the land with red, and dance in the blood of Konoha's enemies if it kept the village safe. He would sacrifice his personal happiness for his home. He wouldn't just light the fire that would burn down entire countries, but he would be that fire.

Uzumaki Naruto was the very definition of a monster, the likes of which would make the devil stop and take notes.

These two men, these two shinobi… these two monsters where so similar it was scary, but they did have one difference, and that difference would take the life of one of them today.

Naruto understood. He could feel the very essence of people, and mastered emotions. Danzo thought emotions to be a hindrance, a weakness that only got in the way. That's where the latter was wrong. There is no weakness in emotions, but strength. If one takes so much time suppressing their emotions, they can't truly reach their full potential. One is at their strongest when they are fighting for what they believe in, and without emotions, that belief is an empty excuse.

Danzo spent so much time getting rid of his emotions that he forgot what was truly important. Everything that Naruto fought for, everything that Naruto ever did in the name of his home was not to put Konoha on top of the world as the superior shinobi village. What he fought for was actually simple.

Peace.

Naruto wished for nothing more than for his home to know peace. He wasn't going to lie and say that he didn't enjoy taking the lives of the sick and twisted, or that he wasn't excited for battle, but that was his tool, his sword, a way to focus his mind on what he truly wanted. Naruto was no idiot. He knew how the brain worked. And he knew that his mind told him that killing and slaughter was fun for the sole purpose of developing a coping mechanism. No one can possibly live the life he lived without doing so. Danzo's coping mechanism was to be rid of his emotions entirely, and in doing so, he lost sight in what really mattered.

And he would pay for this mistake with his life.

"Give me Shisui's eye, Danzo." Naruto ordered. His voice held no contempt, just absolute authority.

"What could you possibly need that man's eye for, Uzumaki?" Danzo asked curiously.

The ROOT leader recognized the smile that found its way on the Jinchuuriki's face. With a flick of his wrist, a figure Danzo thought he'd never see again appeared by the Bringer of Hope's side, his ever-stoic expression greeting him.

A deep chuckle sounded out throughout the dark, cold, empty room. Danzo actually found this humorous. "I see…" he started. "Then I will give you this eye and you only, Uchiha Itachi…" His amused expression faded, and a serious one took its place. "You are the only one who is worthy of it and the power it possesses…"

Danzo's aged hand reached up and removed the bandages from this head, exposing his hidden eye. There, in his socket, was Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. Without even flinching or showing any sign that it hurt at all, Danzo tore the crimson orb from his socket, and held it out for Itachi to take.

And he did.

Itachi took his cousin's eye, the eye of the man he considered a brother, and he did something most would not expect.

He bowed.

Shimura Danzo forced Itachi to do something unforgivable, but Itachi forgave him. But Itachi was always like that. He was always the kind of person who would grant his enemies forgiveness before he sent them to their maker. And Danzo was surely going to meet whatever created him, today.

"You served Konoha for more years than Itachi and I combined, and served them diligently." Naruto began. "But you have spent too much time in the darkness. It has consumed you, and now you are a threat to the great tree you helped safeguard." Naruto's gilded eyes stared into Danzo's dull black, an expression Danzo knew very well within them. "No one will know of your treachery. No one will curse your name. You will not be remembered, nor forgotten. You, Shimura Danzo, will die within the shadows you have lived in your whole life." Danzo didn't say a word. He just stared at the true shinobi that stood before him.

Danzo gave a small smile, his eyes closing shut. "In ROOT, you have no name." He began the creed of ROOT. "You have no feelings."

"You have no past." These words were said by both Danzo and a random ROOT operative who stepped out of the shadows.

"You have no future." A handful of operatives stepped out, reciting the words alongside their leader.

"There is only the mission." Danzo finished, this time with every ROOT agent who accompanied him. By now, the entire room was filled with them. "And this is the last mission you will ever receive from me." He started. He took in a deep breath. "Uzumaki Naruto is now your leader. You will follow him, and when he needs to see, you will be his eyes. When he needs to strike, you will be his fist. You are all now his shadow… and he will guide you to where the darkness is needed, for you are the unseen ones who support the great tree of Konoha from the depths of the earth."

As his eyes closed, he could see the back of one Uchiha Sasuke. So the brothers where reunited...

Good. Now, Konoha would have two watchful dragons.

With his eyes closed, and the darkness embracing him, the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared in his mind. It seemed that his old friend wouldn't let him die alone then.

'… You are the leaves bathing in the sun. I am the roots that grow in the dark… and now… be well, my friend.'

A cold blade ran across his throat, and he was gone before the first of the crimson hit the ground.

Shimura Danzo was dead.

"Sai." The wielder of the blade was at Naruto's side in an instant, his knee bent.

"Hai, shishou." Sai replied.

"Burn his body, Sharingan and all. Erase him from existence," Naruto ordered his secret student. Sai nodded. "When you're done, return to Konoha. Tell the rest of Ne that you are in charge of the division under my command. I want the Foundation ready."

"Ready for what, shishou?" He asked.

"War." Naruto answered. "ROOT is to stay the way it is, in the shadows and separate from the ANBU. I will be leaving soon, and while I'm gone, ROOT will defend Konoha from any kind of threat."

Sai saluted. "Hai, shishou, understood."

"Come Itachi, Sasuke, Gaara… We have a Hokage to report to." Naruto said. And with a golden flash, the four shinobi vanished.

The entire time, Naruto held the same expression in his eyes, never fading.

Respect.

"You were right. There is a lot of anger in the boy." Ibiki reported to Naruto, the two deep under Konoha beneath the ANBU headquarters.

"I thought so." Naruto responded. On the other side of a special mirror, the ROOT operative codenamed "Sai" sat strapped in a chair, which was the only thing inside the room he was being tortured in. "I want to talk to him." Naruto stated. Nodding, Ibiki gave him the key for the door, and began to walk away. "And Ibiki," Naruto began, stopping the T&I commander, "Thank you. I think you're the only person who could actually break one of Danzo's men." Ibiki merely nodded again, leaving Naruto alone.

He had just left the hospital, after having a conversation about privacy with Kurama. Sasuke was already heading for the location they would be training for the next month, and Naruto would join him soon.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto steeled his nerves, his expression slipping into cool stoicism. His mind and heart became an impenetrable fortress, the cold, uncaring shinobi side of him showing its face. He was Nezumi now, the embodiment of ANBU. He had used this side of himself since he woke up, not wanting to allow his emotions to weaken him. The words of the woman he called sister still stung his heart, and he loved two women who couldn't love him back because of his indecisiveness. He was almost as broken as the ROOT operative he was going to speak to.

He left the room he had observed Ibiki work from, and slid the key into the door that held Sai behind it. Opening the door, he slid into the room, closing the entrance behind him. Sai didn't even bother to look at him. There was no blood, no bruises; no sign at all that the Ne agent had been tortured. Nothing.

But that's why Ibiki's methods were so beautiful. He didn't have to physically harm someone to put them through hell, which was why he was given the position of Head of the T&I Division. Some speculated that Ibiki was actually an Uchiha, in possession of the Sharingan, which would be an easy way to explain how he was so good at torture genjutsu. But Naruto knew that to be a lie. Ibiki was just that good at the art of pain, be it physical or mental.

Naruto could feel Sai, and how broken he was. But most of all, he could feel something that pleased him a great deal. Anger. Sai was angry, incredibly so. All the anger he tried to suppress behind that fake smile of his was finally at the forefront of his mind, and there was nothing he could do to hide it. All Sai knew was anger, sheer, white-hot rage that flowed through him like a rampaging waterfall.

"Sai…" Naruto started. That's when Sai finally acknowledged his presence.

The Kamikage had never seen such a pissed off expression before from anyone.

He smiled.

"So you're angry, then." Naruto began. "Why? Why are you so angry? What did he do to you?" The emotions where enough to paint the picture he needed. "You can't say, huh? He's cursed you…"

Sai was silent for a moment, his rage-filled eyes falling to the ground. After a few moments of silence, he stuck his tongue out for Naruto to see, the Curse Mark Danzo used on his operatives greeting the blond.

"Hmm…" Naruto hummed. The emotions Sai began to feel were so strong, so fierce, so vivid, that Naruto could actually see what Sai saw. And what he saw angered him. "He made you kill him, right?" Sai's eyes widened. "He made you kill your closest friend, your brother… and then he made you forget… He made you forsake your own family for his own goals…" He chuckled. It was a humorless chuckle. "You hate him, don't you." It wasn't a question. "You despise him. He sickens you, doesn't he." Again, it wasn't a question.

Sai stayed silent, his rage never dimming.

"You know exactly who I am, and what I am about. We are both Konoha ANBU, no matter what Danzo tells you. We are brothers of the creed, Sai." Sai looked up into Naruto's eyes. "Brothers." He said again. "And as your brother, as all of ROOT's brother, I am promising you, by my blade as an ANBU operative of Konohagakure no Sato, that Danzo will die. Soon." Sai swallowed hard, his rage still there, but something else was beginning to blossom. "Uchiha Sasuke wants him dead. Uchiha Itachi wants him dead. I want him dead." Naruto smiled. "You, too, want him dead." His smile faded. "Sai, I want you to become my student." Sai widened his eyes in shock. "That hatred of yours… Danzo has taught you that it is a weakness. He has taught you that all emotion is weakness. I'm standing here before you, telling you now, that he was wrong. You want to avenge your brother, you want to be one of mine, then accept me as you sensei, and let me teach you how to tame your hatred."

"Yes." Sai whispered, not even loud enough for Naruto to hear.

But Naruto didn't need to hear his answer, because he felt it.

"That was a rather fast decision…" Naruto observed.

Sai was silent again, his eyes falling to the ground once more. For a moment, he didn't move. He didn't even breathe. For a moment, Sai was gone. Where he was, Naruto wasn't going to intrude. He was thinking of his brother, the boy who was taken from him, and the man who took him. Naruto knew this, but said nothing. These were the feelings of a man who had nothing else but his anger.

And his wrath.

"Okay then." Naruto whispered. "I understand." Sai's eyes locked onto the Kamikage's, and where fear once traced his orbs when looking at the monster, there was nothing but resolve. Naruto cut the restraints off of him, and Sai rose as something new. Something darker. "Welcome to the fold, Sai." He whispered.

Sai's rage, his resolve, his emotions, everything vanished in a second, all hidden behind that fake smile he always wore.

"Thank you, shishou." He spoke with a silky smooth voice, the old Sai completely back, as if nothing had happened at all. Except this time, it was a façade, and not his attempt to produce human emotion. He was one of them now.

Another. Naruto had another monster under his command.

The Bringer of Hope smiled.

"Are you sure we have that long?" Tsunade and Jiraiya were sitting in her office with multiple silencing seals littering the walls.

Jiraiya nodded with a serious expression. He was the legendary Sage of Mount Myoboku right now, not the perverted joker. "Yeah, I'm sure. The Akatsuki can't afford to move for at least three years now, thanks to Naruto. They need to recruit and prepare. They may be criminals, but they aren't stupid, the opposite, actually. They're organized, especially now that we know they work out of Ame. They have an entire hidden village backing them, and I'd put good money on them striking up an alliance with Iwa, and possibly Suna, if we don't push the peace treaties."

Tsunade sighed. As she rubbed her temples, she spoke. "Three years… that's not a long time to prepare for a war of this magnitude…" Jiraiya poured the two of them sake, and Tsunade drank her cup in one gulp. "And where the hell is your godson? What was so important that made him leave when he should be hear, strategizing?" She asked.

The Sennin chuckled, sipping from his sake as well. "If its Naruto, you can trust that whatever he's doing, it's to prepare for this war. He's probably got an army for you by now." He chuckled again.

Tsunade huffed. "That kid's something else, that's for sure." She had never met or even heard of anyone quite like him before. "He's so serious… so powerful. It's hard to see him as human."

Jiraiya nodded. "I know how you feel. When I first met him, he was four, and he could already kill seasoned jonin by then." He was silent for a moment, memories of the past flooding his mind. "He reminded me so much of Minato I almost thought he was. There's something in those Namikaze genes, hime, there has to be." He chuckled again.

"I wouldn't doubt it…" Tsunade said before pausing. "But… before we left Tanzaku-gai, when he was informing us on what was going to happen… there was a moment when… I don't know… he seemed like a regular person, like a thirteen year old kid." It had been on her mind for a while now. When she brought up the reasoning why he brought back his father, she saw his humanity for a split second. In that second, he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a monster, he wasn't the godslayer… he was just Naruto, just a kid.

Jiraiya sighed. He knew she noticed it, too. "You still have a keen eye, hime." He poured more sake, and drank before continuing. "Naruto is a powerful shinobi. He is the kind of person who gets excited at the thought of battle. But these things don't make him something different than human. He's a person, a young person, and even though he's still extremely mature, he's still only thirteen. He just doesn't show that side of himself. He doesn't like it."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Why not?"

Again, Jiraiya drank before answering. "He hates himself." He answered simply, surprising Tsunade.

"What?" the Hokage asked incredulously.

"My godson was born with his empathy gift. He was born with the ability to feel the emotions of everyone around him." His eyes met Tsunade's, and he could see the spark of understanding within them.

"He was the Jinchuuriki… so the village hated him…" Tsunade's hands clenched into fists, her anger visible on her pretty face.

"Yeah…" Jiraiya began. "Since his birth, he's felt the hatred of the villagers. Since birth he's felt the hatred of the Kyuubi." The Toad Sannin looked out the large window behind the woman he loved… the woman he loves. "So he hates himself. He feels like his happiness is a bad thing, and tried his hardest to limit that happiness."

"Tried?" Tsunade asked.

The perverted smile on Jiraiya's face made Tsunade narrow her eyes at him. "Two beautiful women managed to sway his opinion on the subject." He answered in a strange sense of pride and gusto.

The Godaime's narrow eyes never left her old teammate as she tried to determine whether or not he was being serious. After a long enough pause, she began. "Two women? Really?" she asked. "What the hell has that godson of yours been up to?"

Jiraiya laughed once again, the loud sound annoyingly contagious. "He took to my teachings, hime, that's what! His old man stopped after he hooked himself only one beauty, but Naruto, that glorious bastard didn't stop there!" The smile on his face really irritated Tsunade. "He's surpassed his father in every way! I couldn't be more proud!" After a few moments of laughter – and a death glare from Tsunade – Jiraiya continued, his serious expression back. "But all joking aside, those girls saved him from possibly the only thing that can actually harm him."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?" She asked.

"Himself." Jiraiya replied, his voice deep and his tone weary.

Before either of them could continue on about Naruto and his love life – and who was a part of said love life – a golden flash interrupted their conversation.

Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara were suddenly in the Hokage's office, their knee bent. "Hokage-sama." Naruto greeted as he stood.

"And what exactly have you been up to, godslayer?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto's expression was serious and hard, slightly unnerving both Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Shimura Danzo is dead." The Kamikage spoke, his voice holding multiple emotions that they couldn't determine.

"What?" Tsunade asked; her voice wary.

"Shimura Danzo is dead, and ROOT is gone." Naruto replied, adding the part about ROOT at the end.

The look on Tsunade's face was unnecessary. Naruto could feel the anger within Tsunade.

"You took the life of a Konoha-born shinobi without my permission!?" She yelled, standing from her seat and slamming her fists into her desk, cracking it. "I am your Hokage, Jonin Uzumaki! You cannot act on your own." Naruto was silent, his face a stoic mask. "I know what Danzo did, and that was wrong, but what you did was the same! You decided something on your own and acted without your Hokage's orders!" Jiraiya was silent, not sure what he should do. Tsunade was right; Naruto shouldn't have acted on his own. But on the other hand, Naruto and Hiruzen were almost of one mind. They ran the village together. Naruto knew what Hiruzen would allow without even asking, and the Sandaime gave his Second in Command permission to what he thought was right, since the two had synched, and Naruto knew how the Hokage thought about certain things. But Tsunade was much different than her former sensei. That, coupled with the fact that she was new to the position, made it seem like he was either disrespecting her or challenging her position. Either way, it was hard to earn the respect of all the shinobi if someone that everyone looked up to was doing their own thing by themselves.

"Hime…" Jiraiya started.

But Tsunade wasn't having any of it. "No, Jiraiya. You sought me out to take up this position. I am the Godaime Hokage now." Tsunade sighed. "Why didn't you ask me first, Naruto?"

"I didn't have to ask, Hokage-sama." Naruto began, surprising Tsunade with his blunt assumption. "Danzo needed to die." He continued. "You know this very well." Tsunade opened her mouth to speak, but Naruto started again. "No, I did not ask, but that's why I am here, Tsunade." He used her name instead of title, making sure she would understand. "Words do not have to be spoken between us. I am your very emotion. When you feel like something should be done, I act. When you want something to be done, it is done. I am your will, your thought given form. That is my role. I may not have my mask anymore, but I am ANBU for life."

Tsunade just stared at the blond, still not able to completely grasp what he was capable of.

Again, the new Hokage sighed, rubbing her temples. "You make it hard to stay mad at you, you know that?" Taking a sip from her sake that miraculously survived her wrath from before, Tsunade leaned back into her chair. "And ROOT is gone? The operatives are dead?"

Naruto's eyes met Tsunade's, and something was said. "Yes." He replied, but the Hokage wasn't convinced. But the look he gave her told her that whatever did happen was for the sake of the village.

Again, Tsunade sighed.

"We were just talking about how long we have before the Akatsuki become active." Jiraiya began. "Three years is what Itachi said. What do you think?" He asked.

Naruto turned to his godfather. "Three and a half, now that so many of their members are either dead or missing. Not to mention that Hoshigaki Kisame no longer has his sword."

Sasuke smiled, his eyes still clothed. Tsunade began to wonder when he'd remove the cloth. It had been quite a while now.

"What exactly are you planning on doing with that… sword?" The Godaime asked, reluctant to even call the thing a sword.

Naruto shrugged. "I'll probably hold onto it until I see the Mizukage again." He answered truthfully. "Mei will want it back in Kiri's possession, and I'll give it to her."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. The Naruto she knew was a die had Konoha shinobi, someone who would do absolutely anything to assure Konoha's safety. For him to give another village – even if said village was their "ally" – something so valuable as one of the great blades of Kiri… it confused the slug Sannin a great deal.

She was about to voice her opinion on the subject, but was interrupted when two ANBU operatives flickered into the office, kneeling.

Tsunade once again opened her mouth to address the ANBU, but like before, she was beat to it.

"Saru, Ushi," Naruto greeted the Nara and unstoppable bull.

Without saying a single word, Saru took out a long blue scarf, and raised it for Naruto to see. "Ushi found this on our way into the village this morning…" Ushi grunted. "It was around a tree just outside the walls." He finished, handing the scarf to his commander. "We sought you out the moment we found it, taicho."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, examining the familiar scarf. "This is Konohamaru's, there's no mistake." Naruto nodded.

Tsunade stood. "What would sensei's grandson be doing outside the village walls?" She asked. Konohamaru was like family to her and Jiraiya, and even though he wouldn't admit it, to Orochimaru, too. His mother had been… special to all of them, especially in the snake's case.

"I told him to leave it behind if there was ever a reason he had to leave the village." Naruto continued. "It means there's trouble, and Konohamaru is trying to let us know." He turned to Gaara, who nodded before disappearing in a sand Shunshin (Body Flicker). "He must be following someone who isn't supposed to be leaving." He took in a deep breath, his eyes closing.

"You mean someone defecting?" Tsunade asked. Jiraiya felt the Natural Energy seek Naruto out like a beacon, surrounding him in a powerful aura of nature.

"Maybe." The blond replied. He opened his eyes, greeting the Sannin in the room with slit, golden eyes. "We'll know in a moment." Concentrating his chakra, Naruto stretched his empathy to its limits, covering the entire village in his presence. He felt everyone… everything. He was everywhere at once, his will flowing through the village. At that moment, Naruto felt as if he was Konoha, as if he were the trees, the ground, the sky, the people. It was straining on him, but so very beautiful at the same time.

And then he noticed it. Someone was gone, missing.

Taken.

Naruto turned to Sasuke, the Uchiha turning with him. No one spoke. The office was silent.

And then, Sasuke spoke, his voice low. "Who?" he asked. "Who took her?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "Shall we find out?" He asked with a small smirk on his face.

Sasuke responded with a nod. Outwardly, he looked calm, relaxed, but on the inside, he was furious. Someone would dare walk into Konoha, into his home, and take his girl? No. They would soon know their folly. They made a mistake if they thought they'd get away with touching her, touching Sakura.

He'd show them all.

Whoever they were, he would show them his new eyes.

It was time.

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked. "Who was taken?" She was a little confused, and she always was when Naruto used his little empathy trick. What was it? Unity?

"Haruno Sakura is gone." Naruto explained. "Someone has taken her from the village. Konohamaru most likely witnessed the kidnapping, and followed." He chuckled. "Not even a shinobi yet, and he's already acting like one. I think I might need to start his training a little early…"

Tsunade's eyes widened. Naruto just let slip that he was going to personally train the Sandaime's grandson… that was actually a slightly terrifying idea. If the boy was anything like his grandfather, he'd be one scary shinobi if he was taught by the Kamikage.

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, smiling at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, we will return Sakura back before the day is over." He said confidently.

Tsunade blinked, confused. The way he was stating it, it was almost like he was asking for permission. That's when she realized it. Two ANBU agents, men who served under him for years, were present. He was showing who their leader was now, who their Hokage was. The Sandaime was a man respected by everyone in the village, and the ANBU only followed him and Naruto, which was going to make Tsunade's job a whole lot harder. But if Naruto showed that he respected Tsunade, and took his orders from her, then they would follow her orders without question.

That's how much Naruto was respected.

His word was greater than the Hokage's within ANBU.

"Hai. Return our genin back to us, Jonin Uzumaki, Chunin Uchiha." She turned to the ANBU. It was time to test her authority. "Dismissed." She ordered. To her relief, the operatives followed her orders, vanishing with a flicker.

Naruto smiled. Of course he knew what was bugging Tsunade. His empathy saw sure to that. He knew the moment he named her Hokage. Her doubts about the village and its shinobi were many, but Naruto was going to make sure everyone followed the last Senju before he left. It was a promise.

But right now, there was something more important. Because right now…

It was time to hunt.

Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke vanished in a golden flash, leaving behind the Godaime Hokage and Sennin of Mount Myoboku.

Tsunade sat down, passing another cup of sake to her former teammate, filling one up for herself as well. "I don't know if I can handle that guy, Jiraiya." She whispered. Sighing, she downed her cup in one gulp, before poring herself another.

"Sure you can, hime." Jiraiya assured her. "You're Senju Tsunade, the greatest kunoichi to walk the Elemental Nations. You can do anything." He took a sip of his sake. "Naruto will be gone for three years… that's more than enough time to establish yourself as the new Hokage." He waved his hand in the air. "And it's really only the ANBU you have to worry about. The other shinobi all welcome you with open arms. And if I know that kid, he'll most likely fix your problem for you before we leave."

It was true. Naruto would most likely talk with the ANBU, ordering them to follow their new Hokage like they followed him and the Sandaime. It was just the kind of person he was. He knew people's worries without even hearing them, and then fix them, getting rid of any problems before they even popped up. That's why he was the Second in Command, he made the Sandaime's life a lot easier.

"I sure hope so…" Tsunade replied.

The two were silent as they drank their sake, enjoying each other's company. It was going to be a long couple of years, that's for sure.

Konohamaru was startled when a golden light flashed right in front of him, knocking him off his feet.

"Oi, what's the big idea, Naruto-nii?" the Sarutobi boy asked. "I-" he stopped when he saw – or more accurately, felt – Sasuke. He didn't know why, but he was so scared of the Uchiha at that moment that he could hardly breathe. A dark aura that felt like it swallowed you whole would do that to you, especially if you were nine.

Naruto felt Konohamaru's panic, and placed a hand on his shoulder, instantly relaxing him. "It's okay Konohamaru, and I'm sorry for scaring you." Sasuke wasn't meaning to leak out major amounts of Killing Intent, he just couldn't help it. Someone had Sakura… she was probably terrified, and waiting for him to save her… it drove him crazy. But again, only on the inside, because on the outside, Sasuke was the picture of cool calmness.

"I-It's okay…" Konohamaru began. "I'm just glad you finally showed up! Did you find my scarf?" He asked in hope.

Naruto smiled, nodding. "Yes, we did." The blond handed the little monkey his scarf, chuckling at how excited he was to be reunited with it. "But we need to hurry, Konohamaru. Where did they take Sakura?"

Konohamaru instantly straightened, and Naruto found that interesting, very, very interesting.

"They made camp just over this hill, Naruto-nii. It's a good thing, too. I don't think I could follow them any longer…" Indeed, Naruto could see the exhaustion on the boy. It was actually impressive that he could follow these people so far, and without being detected. Yes, Naruto was now very interested in his jiji's grandson.

"I'm proud of you, Konohamaru." The Uzumaki said. "You'll make a fantastic ninja one day." He smiled at the boy's excitement. "But right now you need to stay here, okay. We are going to go get Sakura back, and then we'll all go back to the village." Again, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're a hero, Konohamaru. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

His words were emphasized when Sasuke placed his hand on the Sarutobi's other shoulder. "Thank you, Konohamaru." He said, before vanishing in a Shunshin (Body Flicker). Naruto smiled, nodding, before he too vanished in a swirl of leaves.

It was time for the Uchiha wrath to scar the earth once more.

"Damn it, we've been here too long, you know." A red-haired woman shouted, standing. "If you weren't such a fat ass, we could have been halfway to Oto by now, Jirobo!"

A man who was much bigger than the rest stood, a snarl marking his face. "Why don't you come over here and say that, Tayuya?" Jirobo mocked. The little bitch was all bark.

"Don't tempt me, fat boy." Tayuya retorted.

"Okay, children, that's enough of that." A man with grey hair and sickly features spoke, he too standing. "You know what will happen if we start to fight each other. Orochimaru-sama will have our heads, and that's only if we're lucky."

"Sakon is right; we don't have time for your shit, Tayuya, Jirobo." Another man with dark skin and beady eyes scolded. "We should get moving now. I don't know about all of you, but I'd rather get out of these forests before Konoha wises up and notices that one of their own is missing."

"Oh please, Kidomaru, do you really think that place is going to miss this little bitch? She's worthless, a little girl playing ninja. They'd probably thank us for our services." Tayuya laughed.

"Either way, we should get moving. I'm getting a bad feeling…" Kidomaru said. He didn't know what it was, but it felt eerily similar to when Orochimaru was upset and bloodthirsty. It was like a dark, ominous, malevolent feeling surrounded them, encasing them all around.

It felt like they were trapped.

That was why it was strange, because if there was anyone even in their vicinity, his spider webs would have told him….

Right?

Tayuya sighed dramatically. "You always have a bad feeling…" She then turned to her robust comrade, sneering. "Make yourself useful, fat ass." She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. "Carry the barrel with the girly in it."

Jirobo glared at the foul-mouthed red head before he walked over to the barrel which they had stuffed the pretty little Konoha genin. He really didn't like Tayuya, and if he knew just how terrible her personality was, he would have killed her the day they were chosen. She was bossy, snooty, and cursed worse than an old man. In his personal opinion, she was the worst kind of kunoichi; big bite, and even bigger bark.

Reaching out to pick up the barrel all seemed normal. The wind blew in the same direction as it had previously that day, the sun was still lounging in the sky, and the forest was just as thick with trees as ever. There wasn't a sound other than their voices for the longest time, that, and the wind, but the moment Jirobo was about to touch the barrel, another sound filled their camp.

A sickening, all too familiar sound of metal slicing flesh caught everyone's attention.

The rest of the Sound Four turned to look at Jirobo, who was strangely still. Only a few seconds past in that eerily silent stillness, but the moment it ended…

All hell broke loose.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" the sound of Jirobo screaming in absolute pain washed over the forest, actually managing to startle his comrades. The orange-haired man turned to the others, and their eyes immediately widened.

His hands… both of his hands were gone…

Cut from his arms with scary precision.

"Shit!" Tayuya shouted as she got into position, back to back with the others. "Who the fuck!? Who's out there, damn it!?" She had her flute in her hands, positioned to play her deathly melodies.

Her voice, however, was unheard, because Jirobo's screams were still mighty.

Before Tayuya, or her comrades, for that matter, could tell the man who could put an Akimichi to shame to be quiet, he suddenly stopped screaming, and slumped to the grass-covered ground. A kunai was pierced through his throat, the cold steel glinting in the small bead of sunlight finding its way through both the clouds and tree cover.

Dead.

In mere seconds, a man who could fight on equal ground with a highly ranked chunin, or low-ranked jonin, was taken out of this world with what looked like relative ease.

Childs play…

Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Sakon all gulped, readying their curse marks. Something was out there… in the forest… and it wasn't friendly.

"Did you really think Konoha would allow you to get away with one of our genin?" a voice asked. It belonged to someone young, but the point of origin was impossible to decipher. The voice rang out all around them, sounding calm, yet furious. "Did you really think we'd just let you take one of our own?" His voice seemed even angrier, and the feeling of absolute darkness was ten times thicker, threatening to suffocate them. This was more than Orochimaru… this was the definition of darkness…

Of evil…

"Fuck you!" Tayuya shouted. "Show yourself, fuck face!" She regretted her words the moment she said them, because the instant the last word left her tongue, the dark, malevolent feeling surged, and visions of her horrible, gruesome death filled her mind, and it felt like she was being engulfed by a giant, dark blue demon with the face of the devil himself.

It was colder, so much colder now. The wind felt like mini blades, slashing away at their skin, and the sun seemed to dim, like it was turning its gaze away from what was about to happen to them. For the first time in a long time, the Sound Four – what was left of it – shook with fear Orochimaru couldn't ever hope to install in them. It was a fear that something was coming, something worse than death, and far more painful.

It was sheer terror.

And then, the feeling vanished, but something else appeared.

Sasuke and Naruto were before them, what was left of the people who dared to touch the Uchiha's lover.

A harsh silence fell over them.

Naruto smiled, and brought his hand in front of Sasuke's face.

The sound of him snapping his fingers filled the forest.

The bandages around Sasuke's eyes began to burn away.

The Uchiha mirrored his shishou's smile.

"Gaze upon our enemies, Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto spoke.

Sasuke opened his eyes.

His crimson, looped eyes with a three pointed star sitting in the middle.

Their screams went unheard, lost in the ever-present forests of Hi no Kuni.

Author's Note's: Like I said, everything is going to be explained in future chapters.

This is kind of a crummy place to put the time-skip, right? Wrong. It's perfect. It will all make sense soon. Throughout this entire fic, I've never had anything planned (except the invasion), but from this point on, I have something that roughly resembles an outline. And everything is going to get even more epic, so brace yourselves, because daddy is coming back with a BANG!

I'm curious; did anyone see what I did with Sai coming? I really hated Sai at first. NO ONE could replace Sasuke! But after they stopped trying to make him a shitty Sasuke stand-in, I came to like the guy. Especially when I saw his pissed off face. That really made me excited. He's kind of like Itachi, in that he was this emotionless asshole, but then we find out that all is not as it seems. And he's actually a pretty good guy! So yes, Sai, and all of ROOT, is now under Naruto's command. Danzo wasn't an idiot when he thought ROOT was a necessity for Konoha. There are certain things, dark things, that need to happen for any nation to prosper, and who better to control the shadows of the Great Tree than the Sun himself?

Please review. Just think to yourselves… what would Jesus do? He'd review, damn it!

Question: What is your favorite Jutsu in the Narutoverse?

Fact: When I first watched the Walking Dead, I thought it was a boring, plain stupid show. But after my friends kicked my ass verbally, I sat down and watched the entire first season… and then the second… and then the third… yeah… I really like the Walking Dead now…