The Harsh Truth

by Shadenight123

There are truths and lies scattered in the shadows of the leaf. Conspiracies and secret meetings, decisions and backstabbings. The plot twists until the point where there is no ally, and no enemy. Only yourself, and your trust. Face the harsh truth: in the midst of the shinobi world, nothing is what it seems. Naruto is born five years prior to canon, and from there...!NidaimeNaruto

26. SH: Meeting

Chapter Twenty-sixth

The small platters of the rain drops were keeping him awake. His eyes were restless, looking at the ceiling of his room, where the shallow breathing of another living body interrupted, every now and then, the monotonous downpour's rhythm. The morning had yet to fully bloom, and he stood there, in the bed, with a steady and slow breath. He didn't want to wake up or startle the other occupant of the mattress. The purple hair was cascading downwards, gently tickling his bare chest. He could feel the small gusts of air that were produced from Anko's nose on his skin, as the woman lay with her face nuzzled against the spot that was perpendicular to his heart.

There was little to nothing that he could do to move without waking her up and he actually didn't want to. It was a dull morning. Probably he'd go downstairs, have a light breakfast, then train for a bit and finally head off to the Hokage's tower to do some paperwork. At least, the normal routine would be something like that.

Yet he knew that it wasn't going to be like that at all. Any moment, one of his Anbus would report the missing of Hinata Hyuga from the cells, another would spring up the search parties, while a third would head straight towards Orochimaru's apartment, and query the snake sannin on possible directions the girl could have taken.

Still, for the moment, he was fine being in bed. It was warm, at least, but not much else. Anko was something that, to Naruto's eyes, was a sort of mixture between a furniture item, a happy puppy, a fierce shield and probably a future martyr for his cause. She just wanted to please. Was this how Orochimaru felt when she was his student? He had a lot of things to do, yet he also felt the need to keep up a façade of normality. He wouldn't actually kill Anko now: she was loyal without fault, without question, without doubt. She had proven herself, and just like Itachi, he knew she would never betray him…again.

Such persons were rare indeed to come by, and he wouldn't toss them in the pits of hell, if he could avoid it.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing a figure clad in an utterly obscene and see-through pink satin nightgown, with black lingerie and a bright white smile on her face. Slowly, she began to creep to the other side of the bed. Naruto said nothing, remaining quietly in a mock sleep, conscious that Anko too had probably already woken up, since a Tokubetsu Jounin was more than apt in hearing the light movements of a mere chuunin.

Moments later, he could feel Karin's arm wrap itself around him, passing by his stomach. Just at the same time, Anko's own free arm did the same, but on the upper chest, while her breasts compacted against one of Naruto's sides. Karin did the same, and in the quiet and dull morning, two red eyes stared into two light hazel ones, electricity sparking from one side to the other.

The Senju's head knew perfectly well that the two women were mouth talking to one another, but opening his eyes would clearly mark him as awake. Anko would probably sense his heartbeat increasing, even if he just so casually half-opened his eyelids, while Karin would probably find out by reading his aura, if he thought faster than a sleeping sloth.

He could feel Anko tensing, and then Karin doing the same moments later. The purple haired kunoichi was now moving her head closer and closer to Naruto's own, and as quietly as possible, going as far as stopping her breathing, before giving him a light kiss on the lips.

That was the moment when he felt Karin start to do the same, slowly moving her own face closer, and then stopping midway. Naruto had the tingling sensation that Anko was actually watching her, daring her to go forward and smirking. Maybe the kunoichi suspected she would die of embarrassment, rather than actually go all the way through with it.

The Senju's head actually heard Karin gulp down in nervousness, before moving closer and closer once more. Mere centimeters separated her lips from his…and that was when Anko decided to pinch Naruto on the side. The Godaime Hokage would have actually rolled his eyes, if, instead, he hadn't decided to simply open them and stare straight ahead at the two red orbs of his daughter.

Said daughter actually looked back at him, and if possible, her face became an even more fierce red than her hair and eyes combined.

"O…Otou-san," Karin stuttered, before quickly letting her head fall down on his chest, "I'm sorry I woke you up! I…I just…I had a bad dream," she blurted.

"Aw…Karin-chan, don't worry about it! I'll help you out: I'm your mother after all!" Anko's playful banter came at the same time the door of the bedroom opened again, to reveal a half sleeping Yumi, who simply jumped straight ahead in the bed, between her mother and her father. Luckily, his young six years old daughter was wearing a cute and fluffy bunny-like pajama.

"It's raining outside," the little girl whined, before creating her own alcove made of the bed sheets and of both of Anko's arms, plus the addition of her father's left arm as a cushion. She closed her eyes moments later, nudging with her cheek on her father's side, before making a small cute yawn and falling asleep once more.

Karin was mentally sighing. Well, there went the plan of seducing her father with mature, sensual and incredibly sexy moves…never mind the fact that she was still a bright ripe crimson color. Yumi's light snore kept going on a bit more forced than usual, before Naruto decided to stop the embarrassing silence in the room with a light chuckle.

"What's so funny, Koi?" Anko queried, as Karin merely watched the exchange of words. It seemed so like the past, but yet the truth was completely different.

Her father's aura wasn't the integral blue of an ocean, and her 'mother's' wasn't in a different situation. Both had tatters, meaning they both had scars running deeply through their souls. Some closed with time, others with some work and help. Some never healed at all. Anko had hope, a small golden pool of said emotion, coupled with deep pink tinges, a small crystal blue of satisfaction, and a general light green aura, like grass.

Yet she also had a creeping scar of fear, intertwining with the dark golden of the lies. She was lying to herself, and yet it was more than set in stone…it was within her very own core. Karin actually felt pity watching Anko's aura. In that moment, looking at her mother asking the question with a warm smile, and waiting for her father's answer, she felt pity for the woman. Even if her father were to stick a sword through the Kunoichi's guts…she still would believe Naruto to love her.

"Nothing…just enjoying the moment," the grey haired man replied with a strangely tired voice, as he shook his head, before using his 'cushion' arm's hand to lightly brush Yumi's hair.

"We could take a day off Koi, have a family day? It's raining, there's not much to do, and…" Anko's words trailed off, as Naruto merely closed his eyes for a moment, before replying with a heartfelt sigh.

"Can't: the duty to the village must come first and foremost," Karin closed her eyes with a slightly smug look, happy in her knowledge that her father wasn't actually taking his words seriously. He would have gladly stayed there with them: he just needed a bit of convincing, but she wouldn't. She could feel that her father was indeed torn between going or not, but it was more than duty: something important was going to happen soon, as a mixture of anxiety and stress were tightly knotted one to another in his aura, forming a braid that seemed to connect to a light golden hope-cloud over the ravished ocean.

"Neh, Otou-san…" Karin's eyes blinked as they began to show the start of the puppy eyes, "Can we eat out tonight?"

"I suppose…is there a reason?" Naruto's question was met with a frown from Karin.

"I never actually celebrated my birthday Otou-san!" she hissed, keeping her voice low as Yumi had begun to stir.

"Oh right…I'm sorry I forgot…really," had it been the normal apologetic tone, the red haired girl would have been satisfied, as so would have the purple haired Anko. The tone however was a mixture of a broken voice and pure sadness that seemed to be coming off in waves from the man's aura. Obviously he'd beat himself up for what he had done, and now that her father was grieving, because of her words, Karin just wanted to bash her head against a wall and keep doing it until she passed out.

"It doesn't matter!" she quickly exclaimed, "It's fine if you can't tonight, tomorrow, after tomorrow, in a week or two, really, it's fine! No need to be sorry, it's fine, I understand!" the quick spewed out words elicited a groan from Yumi, who finally woke up completely.

"Oneesan…let me sleep!"

"There's academy today, Yumi-chan," Anko pointed out, gently pinching her youngest daughter's cheek, "you aren't skipping."

"But there's history today…" the girl groaned, "It's boring!"

"History is important, Imouto!" Karin retorted, just so casually rolling on top of Naruto, to better watch her youngest sister's actions and pinch the six years old cheek too: they were soft! The fact that she could press her body against that of her father at the same time was of secondary importance.

Naruto groaned mentally: his daughter needed desperately a boyfriend. Maybe he could bargain with Shikamaru to find someone good enough for her? He knew the Nara would quickly find the best way and the best possible candidate for his daughter's hand…specifically, someone who could last more than three minute from him going on a murderous jealous rampage over whoever dared to touch his cute little daughter.

It was hypocrisy to its finest point. Yet it was something every father actually had encoded in their genetic sequences, when it came to their young daughters…the fact that their daughters kept being children even after they had passed their fifties meant nothing.

A light knocking sound came from outside the door, as a voice spoke quietly, being that of Junko, the housekeeper.

"Naruto-sama, there are Anbus waiting for you downstairs," the ex-Hyuga woman spoke in a low whisper; Karin could sense her being embarrassed and a bit downtrodden, for having interrupted a family moment. Naruto merely sighed, before moving to stand up, pushing gently Karin in his place, and then beginning to dress up.

"I'll be there in a moment," the voice was stern and cold once more, as the business mode of Naruto took precedence, leaving behind a cold and unforgiving aura. Moments later, the Godaime Hokage left the room, to head downstairs.

Karin trembled slightly, instinctively hugging Yumi who was closer to her, for warmth. The six years old didn't actually have anything against said motion: after all it was raining outside, and if she could get enough 'cover' she might actually manage to convince her mother to let her sleep.

She didn't know why her mother hadn't been in the house for years, nobody told her. All she knew was that she had work reasons and missions, and no amount of fussing would work…yet, since two days, her mother was back. She had even taken a break from work, and had spent said time half bawling with emotional tears over photo albums, and the other half spoiling rotten her and, to a minor degree, Karin.

Not that she minded, obviously, but even she found it a bit strange. She remembered a strong armed Kaa-san who would smile, tease and chuckle, not one who would emotionally cry and bow her head. Still, she had her mother back, and that was enough.

"We need to talk," Karin whispered, looking at Anko with a serious gaze.

"Maybe now's not the time…after Yumi-chan goes to school?" the purple haired kunoichi hesitantly asked, sporting a small awry smile. This simply made Yumi more suspicious: her mother never smiled like that…was she an impostor?

"No. She should listen too," the red haired girl replied, biting her lower lip before looking down at her younger sister, "she's old enough."

Anko raised an eyebrow. The kunoichi didn't know what the girl wanted to talk about, but she knew she could easily shut her daughter's windpipe, if she tried anything outright cruel.

"Otou-san…has been hurt long enough," Karin began, quietly, "He's going through a really bad period, right now…I know it, I can…feel it," she added, "he'll need all the love and help we can give him, but…"

This seemed a normal sentence, even for Karin, but still the Tokubetsu Jounin kept her gaze fixed on Karin: she just knew that 'but' would add something she wouldn't like, at all.

"It might be too late for you to help him."

"Karin, I already told you I wouldn't…" Anko was furious, and hissing every word out of her mouth. Yumi was listening to the conversation, not understanding much of it, but mostly getting the general idea that she had to hug her father more.

"No, it's not that," the red haired girl added, hastily, "what I meant is he might never trust you again, and he's jumpy…Yumi needs to know it too: if any of us lie to him again…I think we'd lose him. No matter the lie, if big or small, even if it's something as innocent as not having done the laundry…he's that tense. So…when and if you realize he'll never lov…"

"Shut your mouth," Anko's eyes were promising Karin a slow and painful death, making the red haired girl grit her teeth.

"I'm just warning you, Kaa-san," Karin murmured, "I…I don't want you to get hurt."

"Reverse psychology, Karin? Really?" Anko's snappish remark came in a low hiss, as the kunoichi merely stood up, "Up and about Yumi, you have school! And don't you have the hospital shift, Karin!?"

The Jounin stormed off the room, not before having grabbed her clothes and having headed towards the bathroom to change.

"Oneesan…you shouldn't make Kaa-san angry!" Yumi exclaimed with a frown, "Now I've got school!"

The red haired girl closed her eyes for a moment, her teeth furiously gritting, as she finally stood up too.

"Fine! I tried to warn her, I won't do it again!"

*Katsumi*

The red haired girl was deathly pale, as she kept her eyes closed shut, in the small etched with seals cage. She had refused to eat or drink anything, knowing all too well the drugs that could be put to render her helpless. She felt kind of like a beast, trapped and with no way out. She shivered, but not because of the cold. No, the door was opening once more, and someone was walking inside. She recognized the faint smell of ramen, knowing it was probably her mother, coming with yet another takeout for her…another one she wouldn't eat.

"Katsumi-san," the voice startled her. It wasn't her mother; no…it was something worse. She looked up from her sitting position, with her arms around her knees, and stared in shock at the man in front of her.

Wearing the typical red cloud pattern of the Akatsuki, Itachi Uchiha was currently holding the ramen in one hand. The clothes weren't the only thing that was making Katsumi scared. No, it was the fact that he didn't at all seem happy to see her. Sure, she knew of Itachi's action in killing her father, but that had been a clan affair, of a long time ago and…she had, if not forgiven him, at least understood him. The man had lost his entire clan to her father's actions, and that was more than enough justification.

"What…What are you doing here!?" she exclaimed, "Are you here to rescue me? How did you get in here? Where's Oniisan?"

Itachi merely shook his head, letting the takeout box drop gently on the ground, and then pushing it through the bars of the cage. Said bars were actually neutral when something entered the cage, but reacted violently when something that was living tried to leave; meaning that Itachi used the tip of his foot to let the box through, and then stood in wait for Katsumi to take it.

"You…You're not going to free me?" Katsumi's question fell on deaf ears, as the Uchiha turned around, and left.

Maybe there was a secret message in the food? The red haired girl carefully opened the lid. Sure, it wasn't Ichiraku ramen, but she hadn't eaten in days…was it drugged? They didn't give her chopsticks, was she meant to use her hands to feed? Slowly, she sniffed the broth as her mouth watered. Would it be that bad, if she were to eat it?

What was the worst that could happen? She didn't know. She was hungry, famished, dirty, cold and shivering, and there was a warm cup of ramen in front of her, in her hands, warming her up. Itachi had brought it, so it was…to be trusted?

She began to whimper, as she placed her right hand inside, looking around the contents of the shrimp ramen for something, a message, a small bottle, a cap, a lock pick, anything…but there was nothing.

She flung the ramen out of the cage, letting it crash against the other side of the wall. Her hand was so warm… and as she began to tremble, in a corner of the cage, she just wanted it to stop. Why were they torturing her like that? What did they want with her?

"Just let me die," she muttered, "please…Oniisan…come and save me."

Outside the hallway, Kushina cringed. She wanted to go inside, but knew she would only worsen the situation. That man was a monster in human's skin, and yet her daughter wanted him to save her…when she, her mother, had already saved her from him!

She just had to explain it. She just had to tell her daughter that she had been exchanged for information. Oh yes, she just had to walk right in, in the middle of an Akatsuki and New Kirigakure base, and tell her daughter just how she had been exchanged for the knowledge of the strengths and weakness of the organization. That man had managed to pin her down on things like that. She hadn't been able to say anything to Katsumi, because Zetsu had appeared right away, and hadn't left their sides once.

Yakumo had died too. The poor child had a desperate need for the seal one to be fixed…and Kushina just knew who had tampered with it to begin with. It was difficult to repair a seal, but to creak it? To break it? It wasn't all that difficult… The red haired woman was sure that Naruto, of all people, had literally forced her hand with getting Yakumo, because if she didn't, then the girl wouldn't have survived at all. Revealing Yakumo as a spy had meant just that…she had lost another way to know what was going on in Konoha…she had only one last, feeble strand of hope, and even that, was based more on her husband's actions than hers.

She knew this was but the result of all their evil actions in the arc of the years they had lived. She knew she was not going to die of old age. Still, she wanted to at least save her daughter. As she finally moved from behind that prison door, heading 'outside', to where the main village was, she couldn't help but repress a shiver. It was cold beneath the ocean. Sure, there were seals to keep humidity away. Indeed, there were also seals to keep the air fresh and change it, and there were trees and insects and small animals…but there was nothing but the cold metal walls of the dome surrounding the village around them. The 'sun' was but an enormous light bulb, and the real one was too far upwards to reach them with his rays.

The streets were mostly deserted, only the occasional civilian walking through them, and mostly females. The wives of the Kiri shinobis and sometimes their children nervously waved at her. She was after all wearing the red clouds of the Akatsuki, meaning that to them she was as important as the swordsman of the mist. A minute of walking later and she had arrived to her destination.

The house was squared, and looked more like a barrack than like any sort of respectable housing complex, still, it was home for her. A cold home that she shared with some of the other women of the Akatsuki, one where there was no Katsumi waving at her, but it didn't matter. Eventually she'd get through Katsumi, and with Itachi around it would be even easier. She was sure that Naruto was actually still rampaging, knowing all too well how he had been tricked and used by the Uchiha heir.

A pity for Mikoto's death, but after all it just was very much like a monster, to kill even a housewife in his anger.

She fiddled with her keys for a moment, before opening the door and entering. Leaving her shoes on, since the hallway was always slippery, no matter what one did to clean or dry it. She reached for Haku's room after a moment of pondering.

The girl, because it was a girl, was the principal responsible for the everyday mess of the floor, and many times the plumbing busted because of her…bloodline. The death of Zabuza had actually broken the girl, but that had worsened considerably by the time the 'Amegakure' ambassador, Akatsuchi, had arrived to hand over the demon of the mist's sword as a peace offering.

Needless to say that doubt had become proof, and the fact that the man's name was so similar to their 'Akatsuki' had outright made it even worse. Haku had literally closed herself in her room, and had gone as far as generating permafrost, instead of mere ice. On one side, it was clear that the girl had improved considerably, on the other it just meant that she had outright reached a new level of psychosis.

"Haku-chan," Kushina tried from the hallway, "Could you please come out and eat?"

"I can't," the girl giggled from the other side, "Zabuza-sama needs his sword cleaned."

"Haku-chan, I'm sure you can clean it later, there's…"
"No! I'm Zabuza-sama's tool! I can't! I need to have his equipment ready! When he comes back he'll need it!" the Kunoichi's voice reached a new peak, as more and more waves of cold seeped through the door, making Kushina wince.

"Alright! It's alright Haku-chan! He'll be here soon, yeah! 'ttebane!" The cold aura lowered itself, as the Namikaze sighed deeply, letting a fog cloud escape her mouth.

There was simply no way to get her out without risking permanent damage, and frankly, had Haku not been a Yuki, she would have probably died from the cold exposure…if she hadn't already and Kushina was the one truly going mad.

The woman stepped away from the room, taking only a couple more of steps before the door a couple of meters further down opened, to reveal the slightly grumbling form of Yugito.

"What's the big deal?" she groaned, scratching the back of her head, "I was trying to sleep."

The Nibi Jinchuuriki's room had a good amount of aromas escaping the room, some strong, some weak, some seemed to be peppermint and a mixture of orange.

"Working on a new perfume, Yugito-san?"

"Hum…Spicy Habanero? Maybe I could add that," not realizing the nervous tick mark on Kushina's forehead, Yugito stumbled back in, closing the door behind her. At least the woman was doing something she loved and cherished, having decided to pull out from the shinobi work completely. She still trained to keep fit, but apart from that…and there were a pair of male shoes in the hallway.

"As always," Kushina rolled her eyes: sometimes Yugito did bring home a man or…two. Something about making a deal with Matatabi that kept both satisfied and happy. The problem was that there shouldn't be males allowed in the house. Not that it stopped anyone, of course, but the Nibi Jinchuuriki was the only one who…actually made the hook, the line and the sinker. Kushina had no interests, Haku was better to be forgotten, and Konan…the Uzumaki winced remembering how much paper cuts actually hurt, and still worked as good enough teaching material on 'questions not to ask Konan'.

It took a great deal of effort to reach the second floor, even more to ignore the dull pain at the back of her head, the symptoms of an incoming migraine. She carefully opened the door of her own room, and entered. She was tired and wanted to sleep, no matter that she should be up and going three hours later. She crashed against the small comfortable bed they had assigned her, and closed her eyes.

"Oh, how I knew I was right," the grim chuckle distracted her long enough for a kunai to be placed right next to her neck. Kushina didn't move an inch, still holding the brush and the ink in her hands, Yakumo tensing and standing still.

"Did you set this up?" Kushina's question was met with a mere hiss of reply.

"No, but I've got a proposal for you, Namikaze-san…You are after all a missing-nin, your daughter is still in Konoha and Yakumo-chan here has provided more than enough…of a help in pinning you down right here…a hand washes the other, understand?"

"No, I don't," the red haired reply came at the same time she threw the ink back at the grey haired man, swiftly expelling from one of her shoulder seal a thick cloud of smoke to conceal her disappearance from the area. At least, normally it would have worked like that.

A hand made of blue fur and thick claws pinned her on the ground, as Naruto's eyes flickered of a pale blue flame.

"No running away." Three words, and already Kushina could feel her own chakra being drained away, "I'm being incredibly lenient, but I won't be forever."

Yakumo was suddenly jerked from the ground, and a kunai brought to her neck, "Will you listen, or must I menace?"

"She's innocent! She just wanted her seal remade because…" Kushina's cry was met with a louder laughter, and this one…was even more chilling than the previous. The claw disappeared, as the Senju head merely grinned, showing his teeth before replying.

"Oh, I know…because it was starting to weaken, wasn't it? I didn't know if she was keeping tabs on Katsumi for you or for Akatsuki, but I knew she was acting as a spy. I set this up, Namikaze," for once, Kushina didn't actually wince at being called that. She would have actually threatened to kill Naruto, had he tried to use 'Kaa-san'.

"Why? What do you want?"

"I want only one thing from you, Namikaze…the Truth. You will hand over information and in exchange I will let you finish Yakumo-chan's problem with her seal. However she will remain with me, as hostage, until we will make another exchange. If you give me truthful information…you will get both Yakumo and Katsumi…if you lie…well, then they'll both die."

With that, Naruto's fangs, because those were fangs and clearly not the teeth of a human, pierced through Yakumo's neck, leaving behind nine blue nines in a circle pattern that, however, began to lower themselves.

"Make your choice, Namikaze…the timer is ticking…"

"Katsumi is your sister, Naruto! You can't be…"

"Tick Tock, Tick Tock…where is Akatsuki located?"

"Naruto, have you gone mad!? Please, she's innocent, you can't just…"

"Tick, Tock, Namikaze-san, I have many questions and little time…best start answering…"

And that moment…in that moment she had realized that the thing in front of her, holding Yakumo hostage, bargaining with the lives of his shinobi, one of which was his own sister…was a Hokage. A shadow who gambled with the lives of the men and women under his command, to obtain something, to strengthen the village, to protect the village…and that day, she had answered. Because even if it was tearing her apart inwardly…she was a mother, and she'd protect her only daughter from the monster that was wearing her brother's skin.

She opened her eyes, groaning as a soft knock at the door brought her up and about. It had seemed just a moment. Carefully, she reached for the door, and opened it to stare ahead. There stood Konan, eying her with a raised eyebrow.

Kushina groaned, before muttering.

"I'm late, am I?"

"No. I know of your chronic tardiness, that's why I came to get you with abundant time," the red haired woman nodded, before stretching for a second and finally following the blue haired Akatsuki member towards their destination: the Mizukage's office.

Mei Terumi was actually reviewing a thick stack of papers, when the two entered. Nagato stood in a corner of the room, or at least, one of his paths was there. The rinnegan looked without emotions to the two women entering, and for a second, Kushina felt a bit of guilt. She had sold out a lot for her daughter, and yet she hadn't managed to earn nothing.

"We have a problem," the four words came out of Mei's mouth with ease, as the beautiful woman's face became a frown, "Someone is toying with our supply lines. We managed to get reinforcements from Haido, and yet someone is effectively crippling our boats. We risk being forced to use land routes, and that would mean passing through the land of fire, of snow and of hot springs."

Kushina kept quiet. This at least wasn't in the amount of information she had delivered to Naruto. Whoever was doing this was a Kumogakure spy, clearly.

"There's another problem," Mei added, "I received a disturbing report of some of…'new' Amegakure shinobis having trespassed into the land of fire, and heading towards both Kumogakure and Kirigakure. They're probable Root survivors…"

"We should have eliminated them all years ago," Konan remarked, only for Nagato to tense.

"Konan, quiet."

"We couldn't pass on highly trained shinobis with sharingan," Mei retorted, "And having them on our side was better…furthermore, they were left in old Kirigakure, and have no idea of New Kirigakure's location."

"They're going to be our downfall," Konan's reply came in a low murmur this time, as the Mizukage merely slammed her fists on the desk.

"No. Our downfall is going to be Konoha. I'm sure it's that bastard's work!" As soon as Mei said that, Kushina winced slightly, before whispering.

"We need something to turn the tides…something he can't expect to happen."

"We can't open another front of war," Mei stood up, starting to walk towards the map of the elemental countries, "And our only ace is the position of the Akatsuki survivors of Ame…Sasori, Kisame and Gaara. Yet we can't use them. There's nothing we can do that would benefit us, and their methods of attack are too well known…"

"Normally, we would have tried turning Otogakure to our side," Nagato muttered, "But with Orochimaru, of all people, working for the Hokage…that's out of the window."

"He's choking us like this," Mei spoke again, "Kumo isn't falling, but he isn't making any move. He even lowered the troops from the border…it's just like he's washing his hands clean."

"We've got the three tails kept under check in old Kirigakure, but that's the least of our troubles…" Konan muttered, "If the news is true…then someone took down the Hachibi. That someone is not us, but Kumogakure won't believe it."

Nagato suddenly tensed, stopping his breathing for a moment, before sharply exhaling.

"Nagato?" the question was actually asked with worry from Kushina, who looked at her cousin moving towards the map, pointing at Sunagakure.

"It's gone."

"What?" Mei's question died upon leaving her lips, "You…you can't be serious…"

"The Deva path is there right now," Nagato whispered harshly, "And it's gone. Bombed to destruction, someone destroyed it using high yield explosives…"

"Just like…Deidara would?" Konan's eyes bulged.

"Someone wants Konoha to participate in the war, it seems," Mei muttered, biting her hand, "But with this…an alliance between them and Kumogakure is not so far-fetched."

"Worse," the rinnegan user received a harsh set of glares from the three females in the room.

"What could be worse than this!?"

"I got the specific information of what happened to the Hachibi with the Human Path…" the Uzumaki's words lowered themselves to a low grumbling tone, "they used an enhanced version of my chakra rods, laced with a powerful and unknown toxin and strengthened with a strange metallic alloy unknown…furthermore, they left the Jinchuuriki's body there…crucified with claims that 'Kirigakure' would win the day."

The Mizukage gritted her teeth, slamming her fist repeatedly against the desk.

"We thought we could win this, but we're getting the short end of the stick! We got halted by something…just what are those 'Zombie soldiers'? Kakuzu knows nothing of it?"

Nagato shook his head and that just served to make Mei even angrier.

"We know nothing! We got no reports! We're in the blind, getting choked…and I'm sure that man laughs at our predicament! If only…there's no choice then…we have to move to actually destroy Kumogakure."

Konan raised an eyebrow, turning to Nagato who closed his eyes for a moment.

"Even if we did that," the man retorted, "I think we'd need all of our members…and I'm not fine with mindless destruction."

"Let's shelve our plan until we get everyone back to base then," Mei replied, "How much longer will it take for everyone to reach New Kiri?"

"If they keep the current speed, Gaara, Kisame and Sasori could come back in less than three weeks. Kakuzu and Hidan could be here in less than one, and Fu could actually reach New Kiri in less than two days…" the leader of Akatsuki was eying his ring, as he said those words, before turning to stare at the Mizukage.

"But Gaara's group would have to pass straight through the more densely guarded border areas, and if they get caught…"

"Jinchuurikis can sense one another over a certain distance," Kushina retorted, "if they stir clear of Konoha, and take a 'scenic' route they should be fine."

"That's the problem," Nagato whispered, his fingers moving from a specific point in the land of fire, "They're here…just south of Grass country at the present."

"Shit." Kushina's comment was more than warranted.

To the south stood Konoha, to the east was Otogakure, and going through the borderline was plain suicide.

"How did they avoid Konoha's patrols going up?" Mei's question received a simple reply from Konan.

"Plain kami be damned luck."

"No," Nagato shook his head, "They kept low, and the Iwagakure side wasn't heavily patrolled. Konoha no longer fears anything from that area, but the 'protected' countries are a different matter."

"Racketed areas would be a better term," Mei's face turned thoughtful, before carefully tracing a hand towards Sunagakure…

"If we split the front…Send some ships to circumvent much of the land of wind…and have them go all the way up to Iwagakure…"

"It will take time," Konan pointed out, "And in three months, we might need those troops elsewhere, closer to us. Furthermore, we can't be sure whatever destroyed Sunagakure isn't still lingering around."

"It is clear that we will face both Konoha and Kumo in the near future," Mei replied, "At this point…all we can hope for is either a clear peace or hope for a higher death toll on the enemy's side."

Nobody thought, even for a second, that the Raikage would actually accept their word on not being responsible for their Hachibi Jinchuuriki's demise. Everyone in the room knew that they were brothers, and if that wasn't enough, nobody would believe an enemy.

"We should try and call for peace," Nagato whispered, suddenly coming to a realization, "And have…the land of iron broker it."

"A Kage summit?" Mei raised an eyebrow, before suddenly coming to the same realization of the Akatsuki's leader.

"You're a smart one…oh yes you are…" as the woman grinned, Kushina began sporting a tick mark on her forehead.

"Would someone explain!?" as the red haired woman exclaimed that, Konan mused over the map, before nodding.

"I see…"

"Hey, is anyone going to answer me 'ttebane!?"

"Kushina," Nagato spoke quietly, "during a peace meeting, using the land of iron and a Kage summit, there will be a brief period of hostility cessation…we can use that."

"How?"

"Are you really…never mind," the Akatsuki leader quickly added before getting smashed against the wall by one of his cousin's fists, "Well, it's because we can have our wayward members come through during the cease fire period, having them take on the role of our bodyguards for the Kage summit…then we can have them move out of Konoha's territory without a hitch, since we would be protected by the land of Iron's rules on diplomatic immunity."

"In the meantime," Mei added, "Our second warfront will get time to reach their destination…and our first front will lick its wounds."

"Then, as soon as the kage summit will be close to end, after being dragged on for as long as possible," Konan continued, "We can launch the attack without the Hokage being in Konoha…"

"There is a lot of 'what if' involved though," Mei took the word once more, "If whatever destroyed Sunagakure is still lingering…then we're going to lose them, probably…but we would acquire knowledge on the situation."

"And if that's not enough…the Raikage might just as well think in the same direction as us and try something," Nagato added, "I'll keep watch over New Kirigakure, and call back the paths."

"That would be appreciated, Nagato-kun," as Mei fluttered her eyelids, Konan felt a light stab in her guts…something telling her that maybe bashing the Mizukage's head against the wall would make her feel better.

Nagato merely raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, as Kushina, instead, took the word.

"Aren't we spreading ourselves too thin though? There's not only the Hokage of strong in Konoha…"

"The second front should probably have some reinforcements…Kakuzu and Hidan can move with them, right?" Mei's question received an affirmative nod from Nagato.

"Then we can work it that way…I doubt the Zombie duo can be defeated that easily, and maybe Fu could go together with them: that should guarantee a victory."

"No," Kushina whispered, shaking her head, "victory is never guaranteed…not with the Hokage. Never take him for granted…never."

The fact that he had a secret ace in the hole that she wasn't telling them, was a different matter altogether…

*Neji*

The shift would reach his room in five minutes, having passed by once, so it was time to initiate the plan. Carefully avoiding the dreaded enemies of freedom, the Senju made his way out of the room. He couldn't take the window because it was obviously rigged to warn the guards. Silently, he crawled on the ceiling of the corridor, holding a henge to appear as nothing more than a low flying bug.

He was half way towards freedom, when the nervous stomping of feet made him stop and freeze on the spot.

"Neji-Niisan!" Karin snapped at the white eyed teen looking at him with her red eyes, "Come down this instant, and go back to your room!"

The adopted Senju stilled his breathing. How did she always manage to catch him!? Did she have a secret Byakugan of sorts? Karin had started calling him Oniisan after she had made chuunin, something about her father claiming it was 'good' for family to be tightly knitted. Naruto always managed to get the red haired girl to do something, and, much to the ex-Hyuga displeasure, stick to it for life. Meaning he was 'Oniisan'…and that made him feel like an old man.

Grumbling, the teen dropped on the floor, crossing his arms and reappearing.

"I'm fine, Karin-chan," the Hyuga's reply was cut short, as the red haired girl simply grabbed him and started pulling him back towards his room.

"I can't believe it! It has to be some sort of twisted rule of mental health between teachers and students! Of all the stupid things you all do together! Always trying to run from a hospital! Why!? The rooms are pretty! The food is good! The nurses are sexy!" a couple of nurses, even slightly overweight, giggled at that, "And yet you all act like big scared babies!"

"I need to train and become stronger," Neji replied, as he let himself be carried back to his room and placed in bed.

"Bullshit, you're pretty strong as you are. You just want to open your stitches again, right!?"

"The Senju tried to escape again?" Sasuke's voice came from another side of the corridor, where the raven haired boy stood with an eye patch over his unusable eye. He was wearing his clothes, and seemed to have been discharged.

"You got discharged? See Neji-Niisan, you just had to stay put and…" and then Karin frowned, and gritted her teeth, "Oh, really mature Sasuke, truly the pinnacle of evil masterminds…"

Sasuke paled, before taking a step backwards.

"Oh no you don't run away! You faker! Get back here right now!" and so Karin chased after the escaping Uchiha, pulling behind her Neji, who however caught that moment to slip out of her grasp and leave a Kage Bunshin in his place. Inwardly, he was grimacing, thinking about what fate would befall the Uchiha, but he was already out of the hospital by then.

"Senju! Move it!" Sasuke hissed at him from behind the hospital's walls.

"Uchiha…you're a genius." Neji started to run following the raven haired teenager, "That… or you're still under pain meds?"

"Both!" Sasuke chuckled as the two made their way as far away from the hospital as possible.

The two reached for the Uchiha's apartment, since going straight towards the Senju's one would be nearly suicidal. Mostly because that would be the first spot Karin was going to be looking for them.

Actually, the red haired teenager knew where they were, and decided to let the chuunin guards of the hospital track the two down. A bit of a hopeless case since Neji was easily Jounin material as well as Sasuke, but they wouldn't resist capture. If they did, she'd move on her own. Till then she was contempt in keeping her eyes closed and giggling to herself, watching her father go through his usual office motions.

She was sitting in her office, after having dispersed the Kage bunshins of the two idiots, when something piqued her interest: a messenger reached for Konoha's gates, and she picked his aura up. He was a stern thing, a cold steel, an un-tattered soul. A samurai in Konoha?

Samurai messengers were honor bound never to speak of their destinations, of their location, and of many other things they might see or hear. That made them valuable, but it also made them the most sought after from everyone else. Cracking one open was near impossible, as they'd rather commit Seppuku than let words emerge from their mouths yet each held great secrets...and for shinobis, secrets were everything.

Curiosity peaked; Karin kept her inner eye concentrated on the samurai's aura that moved straight towards the Hokage's tower. The man was holding a flag with the iron lands' symbol, and seemed to suddenly bring concern and worry into his aura. It was normal, considering some shinobis were outright glaring at him, after a brief moment of understanding.

That could have been an official declaration of war from another country. It could have been an official request to move and act as intermediate to cease the hostilities between Kumo and Kiri…it could have been anything.

The Iron Lands were the point that connected the Daimyos bureaucratic and civilian nature to the hidden and silent shinobi one. The Daimyo of fire knew where the village hidden in the leaves was, but the other Daimyos had to pass through the land of iron. This meant that the messenger was probably carrying a message, one sent by another nation's Daimyo. Due to the hostilities to the east, it was clear it had to relate to that.

Worse, it could possibly mean that the slight glimmer of peace that lasted mere months was now already going to disappear in an instant. Karin chewed on her thumb's nail before deciding to head out. She wanted to know what was going on, and reaching for her father was the best solution.

She wasn't the only one on the road though, as many of the Konoha eleven stood side by side out of the Hokage's tower, where the messenger had gone in.

"Uchiha, you think…?"

"I hope not Senju."

Karin would have wanted to hit both males at the same time, but refrained from doing so. Instead she just so carefully walked right in the middle of them, and smiled sweetly.

"So…skipping huh?"

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Sasuke blurted out without thinking, earning himself a punch straight to the face. He could have dodged it, but that would have just made matters worse.

"I could say the same thing to both of you!"

"Quiet down, I'm trying to listen in," Ino muttered, next to them. She seemed to have a concentrated look on her face, and was frowning.

"You are not using a Yamanaka mind jutsu are you?" Sakura who was next to the blond haired kunoichi queried.

"Sort of. Half I'm here, half I'm in the mind of the Anbu in a corner of the Hokage's room."

"And he didn't notice?" Sakura deadpanned.

"The Anbu's my dad." Ino retorted.

"Isn't there a…non disclosing thing?" Sasuke's question received a sigh of reply from the blond teenager.

"Duh! Obviously if there's something I'm not meant to listen, my dad will close the connection!"

"So, what are they saying?" Someone asked in the crowd. It was kind of interesting seeing just how many shinobis had begun to 'casually' walk near the tower, or how many Anbu patrols had decided to 'stop' for a moment and watch the premises. That was because if a Hawk call came by, they'd be prone to answering, but mostly they were simply curious and trying to get something out of light peeking. Usually the Hyugas were in high demands for their Doujutsu, and sometimes a Yamanaka was there too. So it was perfectly normal that a crowd generated around Ino, since everything seemed perfectly legal and authorized.

"Okay…they finished the boring presentation crap," the blond girl stated, as Karin merely huffed and closed her own eyes. She was going to watch the whole thing, and lip read.

*Hokage's office*

"The…the land of water wishes for us to act as intermediary for a peaceful proposition between Kirigakure and Kumogakure?" The question hung in the air for a moment, before the messenger replied with a curt nod.

"Not Kirigakure, but the land of water, right?"

"Yes, Hokage-san."

"So it's the Daimyo of the land of water, right?"

"Yes, Hokage-san."

"There is meant to be a hostility cessation, right?"

"Yes, Hokage-san."

"And 'we', Konohagakure no Sato's Hokage, Naruto Senju, are going to be the middle man between Kirigakure and Kumogakure?"

"Yes, Hokage-san."

"So, basically…" Naruto closed his eyes taking a deep breath, "I'll have to guarantee the passage of Kumo and Kiri shinobis and Kages on land of fire soil, warn the entirety of my shinobis and patrols to cease fire except on missing nins and brigands…and head towards the land of Iron myself in two months' time?"

"It is all correct, Hokage-san."
"I…" His hand drummed on the desk, setting his gaze on the pictures on the wooden surface. He bit his lips for a moment, before narrowing his eyes and replying.

"I wish to bring my family to the land of iron for the duration of this so called 'peace meeting'."

The samurai messenger raised an eyebrow, before replying.

"You may bring two shinobi guards, but you may bring your civilian family members, if you so wish."

"That will do just fine." The Godaime Hokage nodded, before looking straight through the messenger.

"I want a list of names concerning the shinobis that will pass through the land of fire."

"That is acceptable."

"I also want you to relay a message to Mifune-san," Naruto murmured, before standing up, "I will personally avenge any and all backhanded trickery that will befall any Konoha shinobi during the 'cease fire' period. Thus, if he finds himself lacking on reports for some villages, cities, or even nations…he has been adequately warned in advance."

The cold air of the room made the Samurai, the one from the land of Iron, the one where 'cold' was summer and 'freezing' was common…shiver.

"I will relay the message, Hokage-san."

"You may leave."

"I will make haste to deliver the message to Mifune-sama." A salute later, and the door closed.

"Everyone barring Wolf, leave the premises of the room!" as Naruto snapped that, a fluttering of leaves latter left behind only the anbu with the Wolf mask, a familiar silver hair coming out upwards, defying gravity.

Naruto tapped on the desk in rhythm, activating a couple of familiar seals.

The next moment, a loud set of groans and sighs came from outside, where the crowd had gathered. Many dispersed, glad it wasn't about a war declaration, but some remained behind.

One in particular wasn't fazed about the seals' activation, because they couldn't bar her sight on the events.

"I'm leaving you to plan up a suitable safe route towards the land of Iron, the three wolves' mountain to be specific." The Hokage spoke quietly, closing his eyes once more, a sort of distressed expression marring his features. He wasn't more than twenty-two, and yet he had terribly eye bags, and looked quite older. The grey hair didn't help him in looking younger, and for a brief moment, Kakashi saw a flash of something deep within the man's twitching of muscles. It was something the copy-cat ninja had caught on quickly.

It was guilt.

The nerve wracking one type of guilt, the one that comes from having to make life or death decisions and coming to terms with the 'death' part of it, the one that left him staring at a funeral memorial with Obito's name on it.

That type of guilt that settled deep and never left, and that kept on worsening the more time passed. He knew that all too well.

"Understood," the wolf-masked Anbu replied, before waiting for dismissal.

"Dismissed," Naruto muttered, rolling his eyes. Now, he just had to wait. Spinning on the chair, looking out of the window at the streets below, he sighed. He was just…tired. Heck, being Hokage was a powerful position, a respected one. Without all those bullshit clan laws around that he had taken care in removing, he was the law. He actually ruled the lives and deaths of those below him, of those beneath them, of…

"I'm not going to make it," he whispered to himself, "I'm just…there's so much…why can't they stop? Why do they keep going on and on and on? Why can't they just…"

He turned quickly around, biting onto his right hand to repress the urge to scream to the world.

Two minutes later, and a soft knock came from the other side of his office's door. Naruto stood up, probably it was a rookie chuunin being given the 'tough' job of remembering to the Hokage that he still had to call the Anbu guards back in.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in?" The hesitant voice of his daughter came to his ear, forcing him to compose himself. Probably she had been eavesdropping too…he'd ask.

"Oh Karin-chan, yes of course you can come in."

Naruto was on his feet, in front of his desk by the time the red haired girl had entered and closed the door behind her. She was hesitantly looking around the office, biting her lower lip.

"So, is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Otou-san… Neji-Niisan and Sasuke keep trying to escape the hospital! Can't you talk to them!?" as the conversation was diverted, the Hokage merely chuckled.

"If they can escape then they can pretty much be discharged: they're grown up men now, I'm sure they know their limits."

Karin pouted, but said nothing. She did linger closer though, trying to find a way to broach the subject she actually wanted to ask her father.

"Otou-san…I…I wanted to know…" she took a deep breath, before finally finishing her sentence, "What's going to happen to Hinata?"

Albeit they had been 'rivals' in the past, Hinata had still been a fellow Kunoichi of the leaf, and her fate made the red head curious. Especially because to many, the reappearance of Hinata in Konoha hadn't been told…actually, she was the only one who knew more than the others. The simple fact that her father confided in her was what brought it forth…and she wouldn't betray her father ever.

"I'm putting her through one last test," Naruto replied, making an awry smile, "For the good of Konoha…she'll either get a life in probation period or death on the battlefield."

Karin sucked in air hard, before waiting for a while. Her father was joking, wasn't he? He wasn't actually thinking of going that way…no, he wasn't…he couldn't.

"Is that really for the best?" Karin queried, moving closer to Naruto, who raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, she was your student, right? Don't you…have that saying on abandoning comrades?"

"That's Kakashi," Naruto whispered, "And if one must look underneath the underneath, then answer me: who is my comrade? The people who share my symbol? The people who share my village? Those who share my ideals? Those who share my blood? Those who share my surname? Those who share my hair color, my eye color, my skin color? My comrades are those I choose to be such." The voice was cold, as it relayed the message. Yet Karin clenched her fists, before whispering back.

"You don't really believe this, do you?"

"Karin, if you're…"

"No, I'm not going to let the issue drop!" The girl hissed, "I'm your daughter! You said so, you made it so, and I love you far more than a father, but I'm fine with it! I'm fine with never getting anything more than paternal love from you, because at least it's still love! Yet…I'm not dropping this! You are closing yourself to the outside! You see shadows and spies everywhere! Kami be damned Otou-san! Hinata was your student!" Karin screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto, her breath ragged as she kept on ranting.

"Sure, she had personality issues, but you should have helped her overcome them! You should have given her another chance! She was your student! She looked up to you! She wanted your words of encouragement, of trust, she wanted you to look at her, really look at her for what she was! Yet you didn't. The moment she betrayed you, the moment she let down on your expectations, the moment she showed a side of her that was human…you left her. You dropped her. The moment she no longer was the perfect kunoichi, the perfect tool made at your image and resemblance…you left her! You used her!"

"That was…"

"That was part of a test!? Come on! You had planned on selling her to Hiashi to free Neji! The moment she became worthless, you pawned her off! You weren't even sure Orochimaru would come back! I knew it!" Karin's voice came out from her gritted teeth, as she stared deeply with her red eyes at the pale blue of Naruto's, who was lost in his thoughts, his mouth open to retort, and yet no sound coming out from there.

"Tell me, father…are you going to use me too? You want me with you at the land of iron meeting, you want me to tell you what they will be lying about and you don't want me close to protect me, no…you already only think on a use or be used term…"

"That's…that's not true Karin," Naruto croaked out, moving closer to the red haired kunoichi, who stiffened. She was mentally cringing too, she hadn't wanted to yell at her father, but more than that, she hadn't thought he'd get that emotional. Her father wasn't a weak Genin or things like that, he was a Hokage, he was the most powerful shinobi in the village, the most cunning, devious, incredibly talented and beautiful too…the most kind hearted once upon a time too…but he was also human.

He was only human, and the amount of stress from the finished war, from everything piling up on his shoulders, from betrayals, backstabbing attempts, life threats and most importantly threats on his own family had taken its toll. Yet she had refused to see it. She had to be there, in front of him, looking at his ocean breaking completely into small whirlpools of pure icy darkness to finally come to terms that Naruto Senju, SSS-rank threat, evacuate on sight, master of the water and wind release, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, known in all of the elemental countries as the Nidaime no Sairai, the Ghost lance, the Frozen Wave, the Murasaki Hokage, the Blood stained Hokage, the slaughterer of Iwagakure was nothing more than that…human.

For a child there is something far worse than being hit, or punched, or generally suffering: it's seeing his beloved parents crumble. It's a sort of sharp pain that hits the child in the chest, it makes them wish to scream and cry because it's a feeling of…of powerlessness. It's the feeling that somewhere, they did something wrong that they could have avoided. Worst, is when the idol and the parent are the same person…yet it pales, when the idolized parent and most loved person crumbles because of one's own actions.

Karin didn't know what to do. One moment she was angry at her father, the next she was reeling in the shock as she grabbed the man into a hug. She had wanted to fix him, not break him into millions of pieces, and now she had a bigger problem on her hands.

The Hokage wasn't meant to break. He was meant to keep a stern attitude, a calm and collected line of thought and definitively not end up having to be reassured by his sixteen years old daughter that he was indeed the best father possible. Maybe there were some issues behind everything, but she just couldn't let someone else see this side of her father. If they saw him as weak, they might try something, and in his state…the state that she had brought forward…it might just worsen.

She needed help. She needed someone to help her help him. Someone whom she could trust with such a delicate issue…it was then that it hit her.

She needed that whore, of all people, to help. She wouldn't do it for her, and she wouldn't be able to work for him, but if she acted like the middle link…it could work.

She was ever thankful that no Anbu had yet returned to the office, and that the privacy seals were still going. Otherwise this would have circulated around Konoha by the next day.

It took her a good two minutes, embraced in Naruto's arms, before the red haired girl decided to take a step backwards.

"Otou-san…" this was the most important step: if she failed here, then her father was truly lost, and the fault would be only hers, "Do you trust me?"

Naruto seemed to be fighting his inner demons, trying to come up with something. His aura was spinning wildly, colors trashing around and the darkness creeping ever closer to the rest…finally, a small amount of resolve won the tie, and broke through.

It was a small puddle of blue, but it was there for her.

"I do." He whispered, nodding.

"You…you need help, Otou-san," Karin murmured back, looking at him with tears in her eyes. She was using every trick in her vocabulary, from the puppy eyes to the clasped hands and the bitten lip, "I want to help you."

"Help me? Well…it was just a moment of stress before, nerves…nothing much."

"No lies with me." Karin replied, snapping at Naruto who winced.

"I…I actually lied?"

The kunoichi merely gave her father an awry smile, before nodding slowly. Any shinobi worth his salt knew how to lie and how to misdirect, but Naruto…he had never used such a thing.

His thoughts were in disarray, he couldn't have failed his own family, could he? He couldn't have been…he had. He had used, and used, and used, and used again. He hadn't asked, he hadn't ordered. He had used his men, he had used his students. He had broken the ties that were weak and had leashed those that could still be useful.

He had refuted the possibility of being in the wrong, and had become the very same thing he had loathed for the vast majority of his life. He had become just like Danzo. He had become just like Minato. He had become just like the very same people he had sworn never to become.

He had plunged himself in the darkness, and the darkness had claimed him and made him his.

The darkness had swallowed him, and now…now he was going to have to fight his way out.

"S…So, I'll have to call Inoichi back, seems I might need counseling," as he chuckled that, Karin shot him a worried look, shaking her bright red hair.

"Otou-san, you don't really trust Inoichi-san, do you?"

No, he didn't. He was a risk. Reading people's mind made someone risky to have near. His mind had already been toyed for well enough time. He wouldn't…nobody would.

"So? Counseling doesn't need…" he bit his tongue hard. Counseling needed trust between patient and counselor to start, but if that was the requisite…there simply was no counselor for him then. He wasn't going to trust anyone with his so thought weakness.

He was the Hokage for Kami's sake: he was not one who went to a psychiatric!

"I can work on it!" Karin literally exclaimed, "I can help you! Really! We could have walks around the village and I could help you around! I…You need a better secretary, right? Or maybe another one…or we could speak at home, or in your office. It wouldn't be strange that you'd meet with your daughter in your office after all, right!?"

Except in steamy trashy second rate novel written by the deceased Jiraiya, obviously, and in those, Karin was pretty sure there were some points she definitively wanted to try.

"Karin, you're sixteen," Naruto pointed out, "And there are most certainly things you don't want to know about me. An adult would…"

"I was an adult the moment I got the forehead protector, Otou-san!" Karin retorted, "And I'm a fully trained medic-nin! Psychology is just a part of it, really…won't you trust me to help you?" She knew this was a low blow, especially with her father's conditions…but it was the only solution she had. The fact that it actually worked, judging by her father's aura, was a big plus.

"I…fine, but it's a thing that should be kept under wraps, and by that, I mean also from your mother." There was a moment in which Karin let go of her mask of concern to show a bit of anger at the mention of 'mother'. The fact that Anko hadn't believed her words hurt her more than she could have thought of, but now she had a chance to one-up her. She'd burn down all the bridges with 'mother' if she had to, but she'd get the final prize: Naruto.

*Tobirama*

"So, escaping from Iwagakure shinobis, who actually renamed themselves Amegakure shinobis, who actually attacked Ame, that was the center of Akatsuki, who was then destroyed by Akatsuki, while at the same time the Kyuubi is a spy playing the part of Kurotsuchi, the Iwagakure's Tsuchikage's granddaughter…and she made you drop your act? Well…No, I don't get half of it." Tobirama Senju was quite serious, as his hands went through a basic type of healing jutsu.

"My brother was the smart one with healing jutsus: No hand signs and bam! Broken bones healed in a split second. Somebody remind me, is Boar after Tiger or is Rat after Boar?" Yamato's face was ashen, as the deceased Nidaime chuckled, before patching up the same named kid.

"How's he?" The Mokuton user finally queried, receiving a curt reply with a small grin as a reply.

"He'll be fine." The Nidaime muttered something under his breath about 'cauliflowers' and 'Hashirama's vegetable passion', before adding, "Still, you're a long way from Konoha."

"And…so are you? We thought you were…travelling around the world?"

"Oh, I did that. Thrice, went over the mountains, past the oceans, and then came back. I had to really, since they got interested."

Yamato's expression showed perplexity: what was the Nidaime talking about?

"You know how fun it is to walk under the sea?" Tobirama queried, "Without the pressure damaging you that is, had I been alive I would have probably be reduced to paste, but immortal body wins! Yeah…so! Anyway, I got a good idea of what was going on, and I managed to get straight back from the south."

"The South?" Yamato's eyebrow stood up for a second, before the Nidaime replied with a quick nod.

"The South. Wonderful place, filled with devastation, dead people, destruction, more devastation, a pinch of ashes and a good dose of blood." There was sarcasm dripping through the tone, before the grey haired man shook his head.

"So, I heard some interesting things about my 'Sairai', would you tell me more?" The problem was the way the question was phrased. It was not something normal: it was the cold frozen anger that many history book described as 'the calm before the Nidaime storm'. It was the same type of anger some whispered the Nidaime used during the ambush with the Kinkaku force, that literally obliterated them both. Yet Yamato knew what the previous Hokage wanted to know and technically, he was cleared to know.

"He has submitted Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kusagakure, and the other smaller countries around Konoha: he's making Konoha grand and the land of fire prosperous."

Tobirama sighed, ruffling the hair of the sleeping kid that shared his name, before whispering back.

"I'm sure everything is as dark as the light that is cast in the eyes of those that seek the truth, right?"

"That's…"

"The oldest Anbu passcode to date? Hey, I created the Anbu system boy: I know all of the darkness hidden in plain sight. What's the real situation?" Tobirama sat down, his legs crossed and the younger version of him on his lap, a soft expression on his face as he gently played with the boy's grey locks.

Yamato took a deep breath, before murmuring back.

"Kumo and Kiri are at each other's throats, for some reason there are reports of advanced technologies and zombie shinobis. The news was spread through the villages like wildfire…sort of a fear campaign. Yet they're fighting each other to a standstill."

"And there's the risk they decide to bind themselves together against the 'overwhelming Konohagakure threat'," the Nidaime finished the Anbu's thoughts, before chuckling grimly, "The Kinkaku force thought the same thing…you know, in truth they were financed by Iwagakure, who wanted them to prevent peace between Konoha and Kumo, to weaken us."

"It was suspected, but never proven," Yamato answered back with a knowing nod, only for Tobirama to shrug.

"During the battle the shinobis felt the need to taunt me. They thought I would try and get the news back to Konoha, so they could go after my team. Unluckily for them, I didn't take the bait: killed a couple with the Raijin, the brothers went 'Kyuubi', and I had to force them down with a water dome while igniting the thunder sword. Needless to say, it was a pyrrhic victory...but I'd do it again."

"The fight devastated a good chunk of land. They call it 'the Nidaime's last stand'."

"Really? Good…something to be remembered for, take that Hashirama!" Tobirama chuckled, looking at the sky, "One last act, and then I'll be gone. The past mistakes must be fixed, after all."

Yamato didn't want to inquire on what Tobirama wanted to fix, but the Nidaime seemed intent on answering that question nevertheless.

"Uchiha Madara…I'm still here because he still is." The red eyes of the second Hokage flickered briefly with unquenchable determination, before returning softer, at the light groaning of the kid in his lap, who fluttered his eyes open for a moment.

"Otou-san?"

"Nah, I'm sort of your Jiji," ancestor, to be more precise. Some great-great grandfather probably.

"Oh…"

"Well, he's fine and stable now." Tobirama muttered, handing the kid's body over to Yamato, who was still winging himself around the idea that Uchiha Madara was actually, well, alive and well.

Still, he grabbed a hold of Tobirama junior: he had to get back to Konoha, to warn of the recent developments. Would he make it in time? He had to re-route himself to a safer direction, and yet manage to get there in time.

He could do it. He would do it.

The Hokage's son was within his arms…just like his own was within his.

*Shikamaru*

The Nara cursed once more. Cursing had become a frequent event in the past few weeks. It wasn't because they had to take frequent stops to rest and reroute, no. It was because they had been doing their best to avoid a potentially invisible tracker who still seemed to be on their toes. It was just a gut instinct, and yet Shikamaru had no idea where the tracer on their persons was.

If anything, the artillery platform wasn't on land, and it didn't move as fast as them. They usually had an hour of rest, before they were forced to start moving once more, to avoid artillery shots coming at them from only Kami knew where.

They were leaving behind a burned and charred ground, filled with artillery shells and craters, and yet they couldn't hide. They could just run, then rest and then run again. The first thought had been thus to the sky, but the Nara was sure there was nothing up above. How could there be? There were only clouds for as long as the sky went!

Not that he could give much thought about it: he didn't have eyes behind his back.

"The land of the sky was brought down during the second shinobi war," Shino buzzed, somehow lacking breath and yet talking nevertheless.

"How is…that relevant!?" Kiba exclaimed, jumping to the side to avoid the splinters of a recently impacted ball.

"I think…we need some time to think." Shikamaru mused, as the words that Shino actually wanted to say sounded more like: 'what was there during the second shinobi war that is on us even now?'

It couldn't be the radio sets, could…wait a moment.

The radio sets were invented during the second shinobi war.

They were invented for short communication distances. They were invented by shinobis, yet none claimed the merit on the academy books, nor on the library books.

"For having an IQ of over two-hundred…I'm damn stupid!" Shikamaru berated himself, "It's the radios!" He yelled out loud, "They're tracking their frequencies! Remove them!"

Three radio sets removed later, and the three were doing their best running away once more, this time keeping each other near in order to be able to hear orders on ducking, dodging, rolling, avoiding or sidestepping a potential incoming threat.

Yet, finally, after two more hours of running…no more shots came their way, and the three slowed their pace.

"We…we kind of…anf…made it," Kiba stuttered between heavy gasps for air, while Shikamaru was merely thanking Kami that he had trained far more seriously after Choji's death than before…he would have rather had Choji back though. Shino instead was without his jacket. He was sure he wouldn't freak out the other two members of the group, and he needed to get less weight on him. He was kind of wondering if falling down on the ground face first would be frowned upon by the other black ops.

"We don't know," Shikamaru hissed, sitting down and starting to massage his legs, "But we need to rest some more. Who's up for first watch?"

"Ghost can take it," Kiba suggested, pointing at Akamaru, which albeit panting hard was after all a four legged dog: he was trained to run for long distances.

This still didn't mean Akamaru would take it without whining for a while though. During that time, Shino had simply fallen into blessed oblivion of senses, leaving Kiba to actually spend first watch together with Akamaru.

"Neh boy…" Kiba whispered, "You think sensei's going to get Hinata back?"

Akamaru's eyes fell down, as he slowly shook his head.

"Yeah…I thought so too. You know, sensei kind of changed with the years. You know snake lady?" The dog actually growled a bit at that, recalling some 'training' done while Naruto was busy elsewhere, on a particular horrendous day worthy only of being forgotten.

"Well, she was also his teammate. He kind of kept on changing and changing and growing colder and colder with time. We got lucky to have him still in the 'lukewarm' zone. Dunno how he's now though: it's been a couple of years since I last stepped back in Konoha, and mission assignments can't help one know…" Kiba's low murmur was met with a muttered 'troublesome' from Shikamaru, who had been eavesdropping on the 'rant' from the Inuzuka…knowing fully well how that rookie mistake didn't belong to him. There was something that Shikamaru was meant to find out. The question was why? Why was he being tested? It was just like…

Oh no.

It couldn't be.

That would be…insane. It would mean…no, it was impossible. Yet it also seemed so true.

The Hokage was testing him, him out of all people…for the position of Rokudaime.

That thought in mind, the Nara simply couldn't fall asleep any longer, standing back up to a seated position, and glaring daggers at the Inuzuka.

"I'm going to refuse it."

Kiba merely grinned widely, before shrugging.

"Speak to sensei about it."

*Somewhere in the land of wind*

It was strange, all things considered, how easy it was to claim a life.

A pressing of a button, the metallic clinking of mechanisms, the wheezing of pumps, and then life ended.

The Gelel vein flowed freely with power, and it powered up nicely the weapons that would soon bring peace to this warring states. They had come to bring peace, after all. They were the good guys, the one who would bring an era of prosperity. It was only right that the enemies were to be destroyed. These 'shinobi' were but monsters wearing human skin, that much he had been told.

They were acting surprisingly well as prisoners. The few he had captured were meek, easy to subdue, like it had been their call.

There was no prideful individual among them. There was none strong enough to oppose them.

Yet, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was inherently wrong with such a level of meekness. Had they no pride? Did they not care about their country, or their selves?

Temujin sneered at the sight of a crying child. Normally, he wouldn't be this cruel, but such a lack of patriotism made him angry, even more, it made him furious: how could they not try and defend their homes!? Sure, many of them had surrendered the moment the city had been vaporized by the Gelel cannons, yet they should have tried something. Anything to prove they were actually angry at them…instead they hadn't.

Like cattle carried to the butcher's shop: they didn't rebel, they didn't scream, they didn't yell.

Haido had told him to keep an eye on the prisoner, to see if anything was amiss among them, and yet nothing appeared out of order, if not, precisely, their unnatural quietness.

A child began to cry in a corner, and that, maybe, was the first sign that the people were actually alive. The kid was quickly shushed, yet Temujin couldn't help but move closer to the cell, where a woman was looking, with cold dead eyes, at the bundle between her arms.

"Why aren't you putting up a fight?" Temujin had to ask, albeit he was sure he wouldn't get an answer straight out of the woman.

"Huh?"

"Why aren't you fighting?"

"Eh?"

"I'm asking you why you haven't been fighting!"

"What?"

The boy was outright furious, what did these people have as a brain, a goldfish!? Maybe a hamster rolling on the cage's wheel, considering how nobody actually answered him. At least a taunt would have proven that they were still alive, wouldn't it? It was like they had been drugged!

Drugged? Temujin turned quickly around, heading straight upstairs, to look for Kamira.

The woman was actually reading a book, being the overseer of this operation, and frowned when the boy moved closer to her.

"Kamira-san! I think they've been drugged!"

"Who?"

"The prisoners! I mean, they must have been drugged!"

"Well, we didn't." Kamira retorted, as she returned to her book.

"I know we didn't! Shouldn't we look out for how they did it!? It's an entire village, and…"

"Boring!" Kamira exclaimed, "I'm reading right now, go whine to someone else, okay?"

"But this is important!"

"No, it isn't," the reply sharply closed the conversation, as the blond boy grumbled slightly, before turning to leave.

"Fluoride," Kamira stated, as Temujin was about to leave, making the boy stop on his tracks, "High doses can turn the most active men in brain dead mush."

"Then…"

"Then nothing! Go back to your duties and stop bothering me!"

Without another word, Temujin left the 'library' within the walking castle's walls. Haido's castle was moving at a slow but steady pace towards the north. Soon, it would reach deep within the land of wind's capital, and there it would depose the Daimyo, to put the warlord as the sole leader of the land. From there, the land of fire would be next.

That was if Shinno hadn't already completed his assignment.

*Hinata*

She felt numb all over her body. She had been drugged, beaten up and then called for dead after only Kami knew how many days. Then she had been delivered to the hospital's morgue, where a medic-nin had all but claimed her dead and thrown her in the obituary.

If death was like that, then she didn't want to know what sort of hell awaited her afterwards. All that she felt was cold, her skin was pale and freezing, and there was nothing, within it, that gave her warmth. She wasn't going to be saved. She had known this for years, but the mere fact of knowing it now…the fact of knowing that Tayuya, of all people, was now the new body of Orochimaru. The girl had been a nuisance, and yet…now she missed the girl.

She missed the cuss words of the red head, she missed hearing her rant and at the same time pitifully whine in the night, afraid of her leaving her side. Now there was nothing but the dark of the morgue's cell she was in.

Yet she could hear the muffled steps moving closer and closer to her. She could hear the cell she was in opening, the black sack being torn apart, her stiff body being taken out, like a ragdoll. She was lifted on the shoulders of an Anbu, a female one. She was brought inside a coffin, of all things, and carried outside from the back. At least, she suspected it was the back. Dead people were brought out from there, right? The trip was uneventful, except for the simple fact that she distinctly felt she was getting buried.

She could feel the earth being dug near her, and she could feel the coffin being brought down.

Was she going to be buried alive? She couldn't die like that! It was…it was horrible.

Was this her last punishment? It…it just seemed too cruel, yet what did she know of her sensei? Was this how he actually rewarded betrayal? Was this how he paid back those who showed themselves lacking?

Yet as the ground was brought above her, covering her after being brought down in the hole, she couldn't help but stiffen at the sound coming from outside.

"So, this is the last one for the night?" The voice was male, and it was familiar.

"Yeah, we should grab a drink later on though."

"Definitively, still you never told me why you're covering up for Kito."

"We take turns for this stuff, Kashi-kun," the female voice retorted, with a light giggle in her voice.

"Yeah, that's why I'm pretty sure Kito told me it was his, and you took it from him."

"Well, he had a tired look on him, and I was sure you'd be late to our date, right?"

"Neh, Rin…there's not really a seventy years old man in that coffin, is there?"

"Kashi…you really want me to dig out the coffin, open it, and prove to you it's an old man in there? Really! Is this your idea of romantic?"

"No Rin…it's my idea that there's a Doton dug gallery beneath the cemetery, that Orochimaru used during his period of Missing-nin to gather the genetical data for his Edo Tensei Jutsu. A gallery that Orochimaru told Itachi, who in turn told Kushina…and she in turn told you, didn't she?"

"That's…that's preposterous! Kashi!"

"Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe sensei knew from the beginning of Orochimaru's experiments, because he sanctioned them, maybe he actually helped him in placing the laboratory, digging the galleries, hushing everything…and maybe Orochimaru needed an assistant, or a couple of them…isn't that right?"

"Kashi…you're starting to scare me."

"Rin…you are hereby sentenced for high treason in regards with Konohagakure, and in conjuring with enemies of the village and of the Hokage. Under the authority granted to me by the Godaime Hokage, Naruto Senju, I hereby place you under arrest."

There was a moment of silence, before the female voice spoke again, this time without hesitation in her voice.

"What gave me away?"

"During the battle against Orochimaru, Kushina said something that she wasn't meant to know…something that only you could have known."

"W…what?"

"The heredity, the fact that it was stolen, or better yet taken: it needed a medic nin, and I suggested you for a 'delicate' procedure of which I too knew nothing. You were the only one who could have known. You said too much."

"I knew the red hot habanero was a blabbermouth! Kami be damned Kashi! Please, you have to understand!"

"What is there to understand, Rin? You have gone against Konoha and the Hokage, you have betrayed the trust of your fellow shinobi, and mine too… was us a lie too?"

"NO! Kakashi-kun, please, you can't seriously still be on his side! You know what he is!"

"What? He's my student, he's my Hokage, he's my comrade, just like you were my teammate, my love, my light…"

"He's a demon Kakashi! He planned the fall of Minato-sensei!"

"Minato-sensei died because of Itachi, and he already paid his own deal."

"That 'clan business' stuff was a weak excuse!"

"Perhaps, but it solved a lot of problems: it stabilized the Hokage's hold on the village, lowered the clan's powers, and removed security risks all over Konoha."

"Was Minato a security risk, Kakashi?"

"Danzo was, Rin…"

"Minato-sensei wasn't Danzo!"

"Were they any different? Sensei was controlled beyond hope of salvation."

"That doesn't make sense! You're not going to catch me by surprise by spouting such nonsense, Kakashi."

"I don't need to, Rin…I don't need to lie."

"You know what, Kakashi?" The voice was cold as it spoke, "Obito is still alive."

"W…What!?"

"Too late." Loud set of explosions echoed all around her, Hinata could feel the ground tremble and shake, but by the time it was over…she heard nothing but silence.

"I told you there was no running away, Rin." The cold tone of Kakashi Hatake echoed through the air, and Hinata suddenly felt the very deep need to activate her Byakugan, to see what was going on outside…if only she could actually mold chakra!

"Another rat leaves the nest," the voice, the male voice so familiar to her came next. It was the Hokage's. It was Naruto's. The voice of her former teacher came straight through the wooden surface of her coffin, as she could feel the wood box being lifted and brought outside. She was dropped on the earth, and the lid flung open. There, she stared at a strangely silent and clearly grief-stricken Hatake Kakashi, watching over the bent figure of Naruto Senju, who was using some sort of medical jutsu on Hinata's body.

"Now, Hinata-chan," the Godaime spoke quietly, "You have a choice."

The Hyuga could still not talk, or move or do anything but blink, so she waited, waited for some sort of explanation of what was going on, of why it was going on too.

"You can come with us, tonight, and go back to being a Genin on probation for a variable amount of time, maybe a couple of years…you did nothing wrong with Orochimaru, albeit you did fail my test and tried to kill Neji as well as my other precious pupils…" the voice was incredibly cold, making the Hyuga inwardly shiver.

"Or…you can act as our spy, by keeping up the front of having escaped us, stay in the coffin, wait for the Kumogakure shinobis to come and get you, having paid 'Mask' for a life healthy Hyuga willing to turn table, and in exchange I will make sure you receive, at the end of your prolonged mission, full pardon, instauration to Jounin rank, the truth of the Hyuga's matter…and my forgiveness."

Hinata didn't care about rank or full pardon. She did care about the truth on her family's matter, and deep down, she also cared about the man's forgiveness. She had failed him once already…was this also a test? If it was…what was she to do?

"So…blink once for no, and blink twice for yes."

In that instant, Hinata blinked once. Then, after a second, a second in which she fought deeply within herself for reasons why not to and reasons why to do it, she blinked…once more.

"Good…your codename is Hime for the duration of the mission. Do not worry about contacting…" Naruto bared his fangs, his eyes glittering of a, in that moment, pretty blue flame. The next moment, she could feel her neck being bitten, before a strange sensation of warmth washed over her.

"Be a nice girl, okay Hime-chan?"

She actually blinked twice, before the lid closed once more, and she was lowered again in the ground, the earth dug falling back on her.

And there she stayed, in silence, with silence…until another type of digging came from down below.

Above ground, Naruto turned to stare at Kakashi, whispering quietly.

"Warn Anbu, they have to flush the tunnels afterwards."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"And…Kakashi?" The silver haired Jounin looked with his only eye at the fallen form of his once teammate, once lover, once trusted and precious person, and couldn't help but wish he could cry. Wish he could yell to the heavens about this injustice. Wish he could ask why, wish he could come to terms with the fact that, had he not suggested her then maybe Naruto would have never found out.

"Stop living in the past, Obito's dead. Whatever Rin said…it was only to distract you."

*Temari*

So she was stuck with the imbecile.

No, better yet, imbeciles: Akatsuchi and Tobi. The duo of dementia and idiocy, and yet incredibly annoying and powerful at the same time…just how could they both act like kids, and at the same time manage to avoid her most powerful futon jutsus? It had to be something to do with sheer stupidity.

At least at the end of the day Akatsuchi was no longer going to be a problem. She was, after all, overseeing the group of shinobi handing over chakra to the statue of the outer path. Tobi was standing right next to her, humming quietly.

"Neh Temari-chan?" The masked Akatsuki member sing-sung, "Are you free for a date later on?"

"There's war coming and you're thinking about dates?" Temari shot him a hard glare, before letting her mind drift to the situation at hand. The statue of the outer path could easily be moved, and the high amount of chakra it released made it an easy light house for Kumogakure's sensors. Yet in doing that it also helped in hiding off the extremely low emissions of New Kirigakure.

"Tobi just wants to see pretty Temari-chan smile!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." The Sunagakure missing-kunoichi would have preferred to simply smash her fan on the side of the man's head, but she knew it wouldn't have worked.

Tobi had some sort of technique that made him become incorporeal, meaning there was no way to actually hit him.

It took him a second to jump to the side of Akatsuchi's limp body, who fell on the ground the moment the technique was done, bringing down panting from exhaustion the shinobis that had helped in the extraction.

"So we got the Sanbi! Good, one less weapon of mass destruction around!" Tobi chuckled, before turning to Temari.

"You see, if it's done correctly, the target is then still alive afterwards!" True to his words, Akatsuchi stood up a second later, looking around wary and confused, before a Kunai struck him in the neck, courtesy of Tobi himself. The fat boy fell on the ground dead, in a puddle of his own blood, as Temari frowned but said nothing.

"I see…except exhaustion, there's nothing else, right?"

"Yes! And while it leaves the Jinchuuriki chakra exhausted for a while, it still lets them keep a blander version of their bijuus powers!"

"So we could put an end to wars by having all the Bijuus collected into the statue, and then destroy it?"

"Exactly!" Tobi clapped his hands, "You're really smart Temari-san!"

The Kunoichi sighed, looking at the village of Kirigakure, who was mostly now laying in ruins, covered in moss and a thicker than normal mist.

The Mizukage tower was the place holding the hidden statue, and its surrounding were inhabited by the view remaining Kiri shinobis who were either untrustworthy or possible spies, plus a good chunk of civilians. Truly, by keeping the enemies distracted and focused on reaching them there, they were keeping them off the bigger prize: New Kiri.

A loud moan echoed through the air, making the windows tremble and creak, forcing Tobi to still for a moment.

"Did your stomach do that, Temari-san?"

"NO!" The blond pig tailed girl screeched, before eying murderously the masked ninja. She hadn't done that!

Another strong moan, some sort of whale cry soon rattled and started to break the weakest ones.

"Are you sure Temari-san? Maybe you have some flatu…"

"Finish the word and I'm going to kill you slowly!" The girl menaced gritting her teeth, before turning her attention around.

The ten shinobis used had low chakra, and were out of the equation. The walls were strong and sturdy, and yet some appeared to have cracks they didn't possess minutes before.

Whatever this was, it didn't seem like a mere human being.

Another sharp shriek, the dull sound of explosions, and soon Temari found herself using her fan to protect herself from the scattering debris, as a figure emerged straight through a hole in the wall.

The man's feature were covered by deep black skin, and stood deformed with monstrous like appendages. His hair was orange, and he held the most murderous glint ever possible. Next to him stood a pale teen with light grey hair, holding some sort of bone sword in a hand.

The symbol on their forehead protector was clear.

Otogakure had joined the fray.

"There's a peace summit going on!" Temari screeched as the voice died in her mouth, her fan managing just in the nick of time to be moved in front of an upcoming fist from the deformed man.

"Juugo, remember: we leave no survivors."

"Hai, Kimimaro-san."

*Yomi*

Iwagakure was dead. Even with a tattered body that just so vaguely managed to resemble his past 'barely' fitting container, Moryo was most displeased to find out that there was nothing to corrupt of turn to his side there. It was dead. Everything was dead. The air, the earth, the plants and the ruins of the village itself… they were all dead. There was nothing there for him to corrupt or to conquer…this wasn't good.

"Was this a promise…a warning…a threat?" 'Yomi' mumbled to himself, as he took a step forward, and then another. He walked on the ruins of Iwagakure, his feet broke to dust the skeletons that lay on the ground, reducing them to white splinters. There wasn't a sound: nature itself had left the area. The ground was slowly cracking open, lowering itself and leaving some sort of hole behind. Where the Yin chakra had reached, the Yang had been sucked out. Probably, by the end of the process, there would be a giant hole in the place of Iwa.

He could feel the screams of the deceased still there and yet his stomach was churning, his guts were twisting, and he couldn't help but frown.

"Good…Good…He'll be there…yes…good…Well done…Shion."

*Kakuzu*

"Somebody get me an aspirin." The Takigakure missing Nin whined, as Fu frowned at the sight of her father suffering, before sprinting out in the middle of the forest.

Hidan stood quiet, trying to come down with writing something on the ground with a stick, but was growing more and more frustrated.

Gaara was silent in a corner, looking at Kisame and Sasori, who were in turn playing 'go shark' a variant of the 'go fish' game used only by the Kirigakure shinobis.

Still better than the variant 'Go sand'…and what about Kusa's 'Go Grass' one? That just seemed like a bad innuendo.

They had met up with 'relative' ease, considering Fu could scout ahead and avoid most of the patrols, both Kakuzu and Hidan had united with the others, and were now exchanging information on everything that had happened since their last meeting.

That was also the reason Hidan was trying to understand something out of it…and failing.

"I don't get it! Fuck Jashin-sama! Fuck!"

"And here he rants again." Kakuzu growled, rolling his eyes before shaking his head.

"Come on, it can't be that hard!" Kisame exclaimed, "We just have to make I act like the loving hubby of the Mizukage."

"Yeah, and he got it easy," Sasori muttered, "I'm playing his son's part. You understand?"

"Sucks to be you." Kisame grinned.

"I wouldn't be laughing that much…Kisa-chan," Hidan grinned at the shark man, "Think where you'll have to sleep if the meeting takes more than one day?"

Kisame growled a bit more, before shaking his head. He looked over to Gaara, who was overthinking.

"Gaara will come with you to the south," Sasori commented, "He'll be helpful and Fu can carry him."

"Yeah, something about him weighting less than us," Kakuzu remarked dryly.

"Are you saying I'm fat for the fuck of Jashin!?" Hidan's snarl was interrupted by Fu returning with some sort of herbal mixture.

"Here Otou-san! For the head-ache!" as she chirped that, Hidan bit his tongue before replying.

"Well done Fu-chan! Mind going to get some more for me too? Pretty please?"

The girl nodded, dashing off once more.

It was an unspoken, yet extremely clear rule: the first one to corrupt Kakuzu's 'daughter' would get death, plain and simple. No need to say anything more, no need to add threats or something like that. You messed with his daughter, you got death.

He'd take the time, even if time was money.

"So…tomorrow's going to be a fucked up day," Hidan hissed, closing his eyes.

"Really fucked up," Kisame added with a nod.

"Kind of wonder…what is going to happen next?" Gaara's question brought the clearing to silence, before the reply came from Kakuzu himself.

"Well…let me tell you this…" he began, slowly, "I don't know. The future is not ours to command, to move, to understand…what I know, is that doing nothing means failing always. We might die tomorrow. We might die in the assault. We might die at any time and any moment…but if we die while acting…at least it won't be a meaningless death."

"Kami…he's got such a big heart." Hidan's teasing remark made Kakuzu sprout a set of tick marks, before he flung a fist straight against the Jashin's cultist nose.

"Stop it, or you're going to give me another headache!" The last exclamation, and then the normal playful banter came once more.

It didn't even seem possible, and yet…there they were, S-rank missing Nin, Jinchuuriki, immortal monsters…all together, happy even.

Even if blood was all they would bring on the battlefield the next day, the next week, the next month...and the rest of their lives.

Author's notes

The pairing has been decided.

I'm not going to go with a pairing.

Naruto would never love again Anko like before, and he would never be able to bring himself to actually 'touch' Karin.

The scene you saw? There's no love between him and Anko, I hope it was made clear he's doing this for his daughters, and not for anything else.

Heredity is still going to be explained though.

(But you can lucky guess)

Oh, by the way: I am a sucker for good endings. Yeah, I know it's my weak point, but I always strive for a good ending.

This doesn't mean there aren't going to be character deaths.

So be warned, next chapters…heads will roll!