Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just watched the Last Naruto Movie. Japanese dub with English sub of course. They really milked that NaruHina didn't they?

After their encounter with the Akatsuki, the duo had put their main mission on hiatus. Minato spent the next day hunting down the rest of their assailants while Jiraiya waited near the border between the lands of Rain and Fire.

Jiraiya sat around a small, smokeless fire as his student returned from his excursion. The sun had set an hour ago. He gave the bloody-looking blonde a small wave. "Yo. Did you get all of them?"

Minato moved to sit next to his Sensei. "Probably not."

Jiraiya sighed.

Minato threw a twig into the fire. "I need to go back. I need to protect my son."

"And abandon the mission?"

Minato glared into the flames. "I don't need to hear this talk. Jiraiya-sensei."

"Then you should know to trust the village to protect him in your stead."
Minato scoffed. "Just like I trusted them to treat him with respect?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "That was different. Tsunade knows about Iwa's assassins, and the village has already taken some countermeasures. That old Tsuchikage should also get word soon about the.. political implications of their recent maneuver, which should put a stop to this whole situation."

Minato hung his head in silent thought.

"You can't hover over him forever you know. What're you gonna do, watch him every second of his life for the rest of his life?" -Jiraiya put a hand on his student's shoulder- "Naruto's grown while you've been away. He has many who would do everything to protect him, including the Fifth Hokage herself. That Tsunade loves your kid fiercely.. probably more than she'll ever love me." Which is really a shame.

"I know." Minato said quietly.

"Then you have nothing to worry about." The Sage ignored the uncomfortable feeling in his chest and stood to stretch. "We're crossing the border tomorrow. Get some rest."

-Intermission-

Zetsu melded out of the ground into the tower room. "Deidara blew himself up and took Sasori with him."

The orange-haired man in the middle of the room stared out at the heavy wall of rain through rippling purple eyes. "A setback, but not something from which we cannot recover. Anything else?"

"It appears the Yellow Flash and the Sannin, Jiraiya, are both heading into the nation of Rain."

Jiraiya-sensei. The blue haired woman that'd been standing nearby spoke up. "They're coming here?!"

"It appears so." Zetsu confirmed.

The man's countenance remained unchanged. "If that is all, then you may leave."

"As you wish.. Pein." Zetsu replied submissively and vanished back into the floor.

After a moment's silence, the blue-haired woman spoke first. "Nagato. It's Jiraiya. He's coming here."

The man turned his eyes to face his longstanding partner. "I am aware."

"What do you plan to do?"

The man paused for the briefest second. "This changes nothing. His mode of thinking is nothing more than an impossible ideal.. merely human. Even if he was once our teacher, if the man threatens our goals.. we eliminate him."

The blue-haired woman - Konan - sighed inwardly. Although she didn't exactly approve of Nagato's destructive plans and his self-styled God-status, he was all she had left after Yahiko's death. She'd follow him until the end, even if it meant opposing the man to whom they were deeply indebted. Reaffirming her resolve, Konan inclined her head. "Then eliminate him we shall."

-Forests of Konoha-

Tobi was happy. He was back together with his partner and best friend in the whole wide world, and they were going on an adventure to the hidden Leaf village. "We're on an adventure!" he cheered.
Up ahead, the most boring man in the world continued leaping through the trees, ignoring the beauty and the thrill of it all.

Tobi would fix that. He raised his voice. "Hey!"

The man ignored him. Maybe he didn't know that he was the one being talked to. Tobi tried again. "Itachi-san!" -Itachi turned his head slightly to the side. Tobi cheered inwardly.- "We're on an adventure!"

Itachi's voice drifted back quiet but distinct. "Uchiha Madara. We are alone with no other company. There is no need for you to maintain your act in my presence."

Oh shoot. Tobi balked. He doesn't know that Obito and I aren't really Madara. Under the mask, Tobi whispered almost inaudibly to his partner. 'Oy. You're supposed to be Madara. You talk.'

Obito raised his voice. "Very well. It shall be a long and silent journey then." -he paused to dip his voice with venom- "But do not forget your place, Uchiha."

Itachi said nothing, and they carried on without any further exchange.

'Damnit Tobi.' Obito chided imperceptibly.

Tobi's spirits dropped to his toes. 'Sorry.'

-Intermission-

Omaeda called his squad to a halt. "We're within patrolling distance. Remember the plan. We're to spread on a thin line twenty meters apart from each other and we're going to destroy everything and kill everyone in our path. Those Iwa people should be doing the same thing on the other sides. YOU READY?!"
The squad let their silence voice their assent.

"SPREAD OUT!"

Sasuke immediately made his way toward the Leaf.

-Intermission-

The Nine-tailed Fox was the most powerful of the nine Bijuu, a beast of legend and an unparalleled force of nature. It is known to be able to send the skies thundering with wind and level mountains with a flick of its tails. This indomitable beast was held within the body of a thirteen year old boy. Their objective was to snatch this boy from right under the hands of the hidden Leaf. In order to do so, they needed to both get past the Leaf's Shinobi and to avoid unleashing the Nine-tails' power.

This is where Uchiha Itachi came in. With his Sharingan, his knowledge of the Nine-tails' Jinchuuriki's seal and his superior Chakra control, the man was the only member of the Akatsuki they could reliably trust to both shut down the Bijuu either with a physical manipulation of the seal or with his powerful ocular abilities.

"He's here." Kakuzu snapped his eyes open from his musings and stood. "Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi landed beside Akatsuki's treasurer. "Kakuzu."

Nearby, Hidan examined the man with the orange swirl-patterned mask on the branch twenty feet behind the newly-arrived Uchiha. "That's your new partner? Never seen him before."

"His name is Tobi." Itachi replied.

Tobi waved cheerily. "Yo! I'm Tobi! I'll do my best! Kakuzu-senpai! Hidan-senpai!"

Kakuzu nodded. "You got here right on time. The diversion starts in.." -he paused in thought- "..ten minutes." And your brother is among them. "Most of them will be killed, but that is not a concern to us. We get in, get the Nine-tails, get out."

"Understood." Itachi replied. "You will move through the entrance I've detailed for you, and draw away the rest of the village's defenses that hasn't been sent to engage our diversionary forces. While they do so, Tobi and I will enter from the eastern side of the village to locate and procure the Nine-tails. Once the objective has been achieved, we will send the signal for retreat."

"As we've had planned." Kakuzu remarked with satisfaction. It was always nice when members of a task-force understood how to plan and carry out tactical maneuvers, and Uchiha Itachi was one of the few that could be relied on for efficiency in both areas. Unlike my own partner. Kakuzu thought with more than a little scorn.

Hidan glared at his partner as if he knew what the man was thinking. "So uh.. since we're about to engage the enemy, would you just stop being a fucking asshole and put my head back onto my neck?"

Kakuzu spared the immortal a disparaging look. "You will do well to remember not to cross me again."

"Yeah, whatever." Hidan replied dismissively. "You don't really expect me to fight with my head in my ass do you?"

"That would be interesting to see."

Hidan sneered as his head was being fixed back into place. "You sick fucker."

-Intermission-

Tsunade scanned the report and smiled. Naruto was running his client ragged. She didn't have Shinobi stamina like he did and yet they were traipsing about the village at a pace no civilian should have to match. At this rate, the poor girl was going to collapse, and Naruto was going to have quite a time explaining why Ogino Chihiro was being treated at the hospital for sheer, physical exhaustion. She was going to have some words with the energetic little brat.

Konoha's Fifth Hokage sat back. Uzumaki Naruto, this child of Jiraiya's greatest student, was filling a place in her heart left empty by the death of the two people who'd meant everything to her life. Naruto had left her with no say on the matter. He was outgoing, adorable, friendly, fearless, loving, strong-willed, straightforward.. in short, he was almost a carbon copy of her little brother, Senju Nawaki, and he brought out all of the protective, maternal instincts that slept within her. Jiraiya you conniving bastard. You knew this would happen.

The sudden appearance of a Leaf Shinobi tugged her out of her thoughts. The Shinobi knelt, his voice set in a panic. "Tsunade-sama. We're under attack!"

The Kage slammed a fist onto the sturdy desk and stood. "Who? How many?"

"We're not sure." The messenger replied quickly. "But there are at least two hundred of them."

Two hundred?! Tsunade's eyes widened in horror. An army of two hundred shinobi was nothing to laugh at. So soon after Orochimaru too. Tsunade smirked. If they thought that the recent move by Orochimaru and Suna had left the Leaf too weak to fight back another invasion, they were in for a surprise.

-Intermission-

Chihiro put one foot on the bark. A second foot. She fell with a crash, grimacing in pain as her back hit the forest floor of the Training Ground. "I thought I had it."

Naruto helped her stand. "That's ok. Nee-chan. Keep trying. It took me like two entire days to learn how to stand without falling. I think you should try with a running start?"

Chihiro nodded and was about to make another attempt when a rat-masked Shinobi appeared out of nowhere. The man spoke in hurried tones. "Uzumaki Naruto. The village is under attack. Take your client to the shelters."

Under attack?! Naruto frowned. "But-"

"This is a direct order from the Hokage herself. We-"

The man was cut off with a gurgle, and he fell to the floor with a clunk.

Chihiro stared wide-eyed and swallowed. Standing in front of them was none other than the red-eyed demon that'd left her collapsed on the desk back at the Hotel. Naruto squeezed his client's hand before pulling out a kunai. "Don't worry Nee-chan. I'll protect you."

Itachi stared impassively. The ANBU guards had been taken care of. There was only one more obstacle between him and his objective. "Kyuubi."

A sudden voice sounded in Naruto's head. 'Brat. Don't look in his eyes.'

The genin nearly reeled surprise. Ever since his dad had gotten back and fixed up his seal, the Fox had refused to give him any more Chakra or even talk to him. Shaking himself of his thoughts, Naruto made an attempt to take stock of the situation.

Uchiha Itachi. Naruto clenched his fists as hatred and rage boiled in his guts. "You! You're Sasuke's brother." -he spat the last word with as much venom as he could muster- "What you did to him.. I can't forgive you. You fucking monster."

A coat of red Chakra began to cover every inch of his body. In his mindscape, he stared into the cage in which the massive Nine-tailed Fox was being held. "Why? Why now?!"
Kurama glared at his jailer. He'd rather die and be revived elsewhere than be yoked under the control of the Sharingan again like some puppy on a leash. "It doesn't matter. Just remember what he did to your 'Sasuke' and what he's going to do to your 'Hotel-neechan' if you don't stop him."

Itachi's voice carried softly toward the irate blonde. "What relations do you have with my little brother?"
Naruto's knuckles whitened as the semblance of two red tails of Chakra sprouted from his back, his voice scratched and feral as he snarled his response. "Don't you dare call him brother. You don't deserve to be his brother. I'm more of a brother to him than you will ever be."

"I see." Itachi replied.

Naruto felt a third tail waver into existence, and the feeling of hatred in his guts very nearly overwhelmed him. That man, that traitor of his clan and the one who ruined Sasuke's life.. the man was pissing him off. He wanted to tear that smug expression off the man's face. He wanted the man to scream and suffer and pay for his crimes.

Inside his mind, Kurama smirked. This is almost too easy.

Succumbing to his rage, Naruto vanished, the Nine-tails' Chakra propelling him at speeds nearly impossible to follow by the naked eye.. unless that eye contained fully matured Sharingan.

With a flare of Chakra of his own, Itachi easily sidestepped the Jinchuuriki's rabid assault. Naruto threw a few more punches, each one with enough force to break walls and shatter bone. Itachi neatly dodged every single one, and Naruto jumped back, his hands positioned in a seal. "'Tajuu: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'"

Nearby, Chihiro was making herself appear as small as possible as she hugged against the tree that she'd been trying to walk up earlier. Her guide's anger frightened her. She'd only ever seen him give her expressions of cheer, determination and encouragement. What frightened her even more was the way which the masked Ninja had been so easily dispatched. To be constantly dancing a thin line between life and death.. this is what it means to be a Shinobi. She suddenly felt a deep and newfound respect for the old pervert that her family had so lightly and easily befriended. With the respect came a certainty. She would never be a Shinobi. She should've just stayed back at the Hotel. All of this was completely out of her depths. The aura of malice and killing intent that was in the air was suffocating. Chihiro whimpered as she tried to disappear into the ground. (1)

About a kilometer on the other side of the village, Sasuke's Sharingan eyes zeroed in on the massive blob of orange that bloomed into existence on a distant training ground.. Team Seven's training ground. Pumping Chakra into his legs he raced toward his friend. Please let me make it in time.. Naruto!

-Footnote-

(1) If only she were a Zetsu.. amirite?

Samus: Fixed. Thanks! ^-^