Me: Glad you all liked that last short chapter. I always thought that Anko and Kakashi would make a good pair, both of them having rough pasts and all, and Anko's past would definitely effect her, even if she tried to forget it.

Also, to thor94's comment about an implanted Doujutsu not changing the DNA of the implantee, I know this. But, this was something I added in, but with a very low chance of it happening. Besides that, I hated that Kakashi lost his Sharingan at the end of the story. So much for the copy-cat ninja. So, in this story, anyone with an implanted Doujutsu, as it is a part of them, and there for, sharing their DNA, has a very slight chance to pass it on to a child.

36: Reunion

"What's taking them so long?" Shion demanded, tapping her foot impatiently, "My vision of Moryo waking is getting stronger by the day, and now we have to wait on one of your teammates because she - "

Neji cut in with a swipe of his hand, "Shion-sama, while I share your need for urgency, Tayuya-san is not one to take idly, and neither is the person she is bringing with her." Neji said, having come up with a cover story for why Tayuya had gone missing the previous evening. He couldn't very likely say that she'd gone off to procreate could he?

Sora was much the same as Shion as he waited angrily clenching his fists, "Man, when I get my hands on that moron for making all of us worry, I'll ring his neck!"

Sasame put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Sora-kun, please, there must be a good reason he never told us?"

Sora shook hi head, "There's never a good reason for something like this!" He snapped at the girl, bringing a hurt look to her face which he immediately regretted, "I-I'm sorry, Sasame-chan, I -"

"No," the girl said, shaking her head, "You're right...I'm just glad he's alive and well is all." She looked over to where Ranmaru was sitting, his knees drawn up to his chest, watching for any signs of his two 'family members'. "But Ranmaru-kun is the one we need to worry about...you know how close the three of them were."

Sora snickered, "Why worry about him? Sakura-san is the one we really need to worry about!" He jerked his thumb to were the rosette was standing, tapping her foot just as Shion was, and looking royally pissed.

Suddenly the air around the camp shifted, and Tayuya appeared alongside a certain, tall blond. "Naruto!" Sora roared, stalking toward the young man, but not before a little blur raced by him.

"Onii-san~!" Ranmaru bowled right into the blond and knocked him to the ground. Naruto laughed as the boy hugged him around the waist and tried to squeeze the life out of him.

Naruto patted the dark-haired boy on the head, "Hey there, Ran-chan. Good to see you again."

Shion watched the exchange in interest. This was the blond man that had appeared in her vision alongside the gigantic fox and Moryo as he rose! And he also had the same imposing presence as the man that had fought off the Oni-nin that had attacked her at the temple, and Taruho later in the forest.

Naruto picked himself up as Ranmaru stepped back, sniffling. Naruto grinned and took the boy in, "You've really grown, Ranmaru-kun." He said, gently wiping the boy's tears away. "Not bad for someone your age."

"Well," Ranmaru sniffed, "I'm only seven...or twelve...technically." The boy laughed. Naruto shook his head and hugged the boy once again. "I missed you, Onii-san."

Meanwhile, Sora's eyebrow was twitching madly, "J-just how the hell am I supposed to be mad at him after that?!" Beside him, Sasame giggled and patted his shoulder.

"Oh, I think you'll get over - "

"NA-RU-TO~!"

The blond paled, "Oh, shit!" He backed away when he saw the angered rosette coming his way, "N-n-now, Sakura-chan, we-uh-we can talk about this!" He whimpered when she drew back her fist, "J-just let me explain, and - "

WHAM

Shion and Taruho winced as the blond sailed across the clearing, slamming through a tree before he ground to a stop, leaving a gauge in the soil a few yards long. Any other person, shinobi or civilian, would have thought that such strength from one, petite girl like the pink-haired kunoichi impossible, but anyone that knew Haruno Sakura knew better than that. Especially when she was trained by the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade.

"You can explain all you want," Sakura smiled, pulling on a pair of black gloves, "Just as soon as I vent off two years of worry you put me through!" She roared, but was stopped from beating the blond senseless by the red-head he had arrived with.

"Knock it off, Pinky." Tayuya sighed, grabbing her shoulder, "Believe it or not, it's not entirely his fault."

Sakura looked back at her friend, "Not entirely his fault?!" She asked as Naruto picked himself up, surprisingly unharmed. "How is this not his fault, period?!"

"Jiji made him do it," Tayuya said simply,

Naruto groaned as he made his way back over to the group, "Man, Sakura-chan, you pack a serious punch!" He said, looking at his fiance, "Couldn't you have stopped her before she slugged me?"

Tayuya just turned to him and smiled sweetly, "Nope."

Sakura huffed and crossed her arms, "It's not more than you deserve for making us think you were dead for two years, you brat!"

"Sakura-san, please don't be mean to Naruto-niisan," Ranmaru pleaded.

Naruto smirked and patted his head, "At least I've got someone on my side," he smiled.

"Kiss-ass," Sora muttered, earning a sharp elbow from Sasame.

"NARUTO-SAN!"

"Oh, no!" Naruto yelped just as Lee made his excitement at seeing him again known, grabbing the blond in a titanic embrace that even Sakura had to wince at. "IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MY LONG-TIME RIVAL! I KNEW THAT YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH COULD NOT BE EXTINGUISHED SO EASILY, AND LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED!" Lee shouted loudly, "YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN AFTER SO LONG - "

"LEE!" Everyone shouted.

"I can't breathe!" Naruto gasped. Lee grinned sheepishly and let him go, allowing him to get some much needed air into his lungs.

Sakura clapped him on the shoulder, "Alright, Baka, start talking. Why did you leave?"

Naruto groaned. This was going to be a long morning.

"Before that," Sasame put in, grinning at the red-head, "Tayuya-san, why are you limping?"

Tayuya blushed as red as her hair, promptly followed by Naruto. Sora grinned at the pair, "Looks like someone had a little fun!" He laughed, "Man, oh, man, I never thought I'd see - " SMACK

In Tayuya's defense, Sora really should have kept his mouth shut. Naruto then sighed as he started to explain his "death". Fifteen minutes passed as he spoke of his training under the Toads of Myoboku, his becoming a sage, and his training of the sub elements. Sakura listened with a frown on her face, thinking back on the last two years. She had undergone something similar with Tsunade, evening going so far as to sign the Slug contract, but to become a sage? What could possibly be needed for that?

"I had to become one with nature," Naruto explained when she put the question to him, "First I had to learn how to sit still for long periods of time, and sense the natural energies around me, that was the worst part." He said, shivering at the memories of falling from those pointed spires. "Then I had to learn how to draw it to me, without turning to stone, or going berserk."

"Berserk?" Sora asked.

Naruto nodded, "Remember how Sasuke would use his curse mark, and change his form?" Sora and the rest nodded, "Well, apparently that seal used natural energies, and changed the host to something that matched the chosen's personality. In Sasuke's case, a bat-like form, and in Tayuya's case, an Oni, which explained why her Doki let her live as long as they did."

Sasame raised her hand, "Then, you mastered it?"

"I did," Naruto nodded before sighing, "But that wasn't enough. Jiraiya and I fought constantly in Sage Mode, but his strength always out matched me. And I wouldn't dare use my Dark Release on him since its so dangerous to me, and the person I'm aiming at." He said, "So I developed my Light Release to counter act the effects, and worked on recreating the Shodia's Wood Release." Naruto said, shaking his head, "He still got the best of me."

"How?" Neji asked incredulously, "Your techniques should have been more than enough to overpower even Tsunade-sama."

Naruto shrugged, "He's got years of experience on me, Neji." He said, "Power behind a punch is good, but it's useless if you don't know how to punch." He said, making sense, "He's fought in a war, and even kept himself in service long after he retired from shinobi life. He thrashed me each and every time we fought." Naruto said, "It kind of drove a hard fact home."

Sora snorted, "What? No matter how strong you get, there's always someone stronger?"

"That," Naruto nodded, "And that field experience makes a dangerous shinobi."

Tayuya nodded in agreement, "The longer a shinobi stays alive, the more dangerous they become."

"Right," Naruto said, smiling, "No matter how often we fought, I was still a green cut rookie, and always will be compared to him." He flexed his arm for a moment, "But I can't argue with the results. It almost made these last two years worth it...almost." He said, looking around at all of his friends, "It's like I told Tayuya-chan, I missed you all every day since I found out about Jiraiya-sensei's plan. And from what I heard from Iwa and Kumo? I'm almost glad that they think I'm still dead. The Tsuchikage aside, the people of Iwa hated Tou-chan with a vengeance. And Kumo still hates me for what I did after we got Ranmaru back from them."

"Kiri came looking for the Kiba after learning of your death," Neji put in, frowning, "Though they only have possession of one of the swords, they still claim ownership of all of the seven blades. They were outraged when they learned that you had taken the blades with you after...after your disappearance."

Naruto chuckled, holding out his hands, two seals visible on his palms. A moment later the Kiba popped into his hands, sparking with recognition as he gripped them, "Funny you should mention that, Neji. These swords are actually more the property of the Uzumaki clan than anyone else. We forged them."

He resealed the swords with a grin as a secondary seal appeared on his wrist, "So, since I knew the location of another one of the seven," a massive puff of smoke appeared, "I thought I'd make better use of it than a grave marker."

Sakura gasped, her hands flying to her lips as the massive form of Kubikiribocho appeared in Naruto's outstretched hands. "Naruto-kun, that -!"

"Yup," Naruto hefted the blade up and onto his back, "Polished, sharpened, and ready for use."

"GOOD!" Shoin shouted, making her presence known as she barged into the center of the shinobi, "Listen, I'm happy for the extra support, and for what you did for Taruho-san, but we have to get moving! Moryo is getting stronger with every second!"

Naruto nodded to the young priestess, "You're right, we do need to go...So how long are you going to keep hiding, Teme!" Naruto shouted loudly, raising his eyes up to the canopy.

Shion looked at the man like he was crazy for a moment, that is until two black blurs appeared in the middle of the group. Two dark-haired males, one with his hair tied back in a ponytail, and bangs handing over his eyes, and the other with wild unkept hair. Both of them were pale, and had a gaze so cold that it froze the girl in place.

Sasuke and Itachi smirked at the blond, "How long have you know we were here, Dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"We thought we'd hidden our presence completely," Itachi put in.

"I knew you were following us from the beginning," Naruto said, tapping his head, "You can't hide from a sage. I take it Kakashi-sensei sent you along as extra insurance?"

"Hn," Sasuke muttered, "It's his idea of getting me back into the good graces of the village."

"We were to follow Teams Gai, and Eleven, keeping out of sight until absolutely necessary." Itachi explained.

Naruto nodded, "A good plan, but not enough to avoid jail time, or a death sentence."

"Hold on," Sora interrupted, "Does someone want to explain why Sasuke is here, and Sakura isn't going ape shit over it?!"

Sasuke turned a withering glare on him, his Sharingan flaring to life, "That is none of your business, monk."

Itachi snickered at his younger brother, "Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun, it's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"Shut up, Aniki!" Sasuke snapped.

"Alright!" Naruto roared, cutting off anymore arguing before it could happen, "Sasuke, Itachi-san, what did you find out?"

"About the enemy shinobi?" Itachi asked, "Quite a bit. Their leader is Yomi, a member of the Akatsuki." This made thr blond growl, "His second in commant, the one you fought, is called Kusuna, and he has an ability that allows him to gift his other teammates with different chakra natures."

"That explains why the one that used fire was able to use such a massive water technique," Neji said, deep in thought. "So he's the one we need to take care of if we're to have a chance to beat the others."

Sasuke nodded, "It doesn't last long, about thirty minutes, depending on how much chakra they use in that amount of time. Once they run out, they retreat to recharge. That's when Kusuna usually comes out of hiding and presents a target."

"He's a weak fighter, then," Sakura surmised, smiling at Sasuke, "What about this Yomi?"

Both Uchiha brothers shrugged, "We've barely seen him." Itachi said, "He keeps himself hidden, and I believe it's to keep himself safe until he reaches the sealing shrine. We visited the shrine where Moryro's spirit was sealed, and found it empty, which leads me to believe that he has already possessed a host body; Yomi."

"Would taking him out destroy Moryo, too?" Naruto asked of the priestess.

Shion shook her head, "I don't know. No one's ever been possessed by him before, but I do know that if he did do something like that, the host wouldn't be able to survive his toxic chakra."

Taruho nodded, "Shion-sama is correct. Moryo's chakra is so deadly that a host would only last about a week at best. If Yomi has become his host, then he is living on borrowed time. Though Moryo will do everything in his power to prolong his life, Yomi's death is inevitable."

"Which is why we have to get to the shrine," Shion said, "Once I erect the barrier, Moryo won't be able to stop me, and I can seal him away for good."

Sasuke nodded, "Then we should get moving." He said, "Itachi-nii and I can handle the ghost army. You just keep the priestess alive, Dobe."

"They can handle it," Naruto said, jerking his thumb at the rest of his team, "I'm going after Yomi's goons. I owe that pink-eyed puppet master for giving me the slip earlier." He slammed his fist into his palm.

"No!" Shion snapped, "I need you there! I keep seeing Moryo rising, and you're there astride a gigantic fox in front of a giant tree in the middle of a lava field!"

Naruto looked at her for a moment, "Sounds like my old tenant gets to play."

"Be serious!" She grabbed him by the shoulder. And her eyes went wide for a moment, her bell chiming.

Taruho stepped forward to steady her as the priestess staggered back, her body trembling. "Shion-sama! Have you had another vision?"

Shion nodded looking at the blond. "You...you will know Pein..."

Itachi's eyes widened, "That...doesn't bode well."

Naruto stared at the man, "Why? I've felt pain before."

Itachi shook his head dismissively, "Pein is the name of Akatsuki's leader...a Rinnegan bearer."

=x=

"We are sure that the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki will be at the shrine?" The ripple-eyed man asked of his blue-hair companion. "If Danzo has lied to us, then his head will be a trophy on Hidan's wall."

The woman shook her head, "Konoha sent two teams out to aid the priestess against Yomi-san's forces, and one of them was indeed Uzumaki Naruto's former Team Eleven."

"That is good," he said, his eyes scanning the area below. "All we need do is await our quarry then."

"Yes," the woman said, "It's a shame that the other one is dead...with the Yin half of the Kyuubi, our plan would have been a total success."

Pein shook his head, "It matters little," he said as he gazed down into the valley, "Even with half of the original Bijuu, the world will know Pein."

Konan sighed, "And what about the rest of the team? From what I've heard, the leader of Team Eleven is quite a powerful kunoichi."

"Yes, the Konoha no Akaishi," he said, "An interesting choice, seeing as she was once one of Orochimaru's experiments."

"She was also one of the shinobi that helped bring him down," Konan reminded him, "and the boy, Ranmaru, has the Tenseigan. I've heard its power rivals that of the Rinnegan."

"He is but a child with dreams of fighting a god." Pein said, "He, like all of those that came before him, will fall, and he shall know Pein."

=x=

Naruto pulled on his vest once more after storing his cloak, and donned his horned hitai-ate, tying his leaf band to his right shoulder. Strapped to his hips for all the world to see were the twin Kiba blades. On his back was Kubikiribocho. Naruto looked every bit the leaf shinobi in black pants with orange strips along the sides, and his Jonin vest.

"Do we all know our jobs?" The blond Jonin asked.

Neji nodded to his team, and Tayuya's, "Keep Shion-sama safe, and make sure she gets to the shrine. We won't leave her side for a moment."

"We're taking care of the stone soldiers," Sasuke smirked, "this should be good target practice."

"Good," Naruto nodded, smiling at his old friend, and knocked him on the shoulder, "Be sure to high-tail if things get too hairy. I'll take care of Kusuna and his team as fast as I can and meet up with all of you at the shrine."

Itachi nodded to the blond, "You just be careful. If Shion's vision was anything to go on, then the leader of the Akatsuki may make an appearance."

Lee stepped up to the blond, "Naruto-san, perhaps I should accompany you? If what Itachi-san says is indeed true, then you will need all the support you can get."

Naruto smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder, "Don't worry about me, Bushy Brow, I'll be fine." He grinned, "Tayuya-chan would bring me back to life and kill me all over again if I lost - GAH!" He felt a sharp blow at the back of his head.

"Damned right I would, Shithead-kun!" Tayuya snapped. "I ain't losing you again, so you better keep safe, or I will kill you!"

Naruto chuckled, "Yes, ma'am," he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close, "I'm not leaving you again, either, so no need to worry about that."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Ugh, get a room you two."

Sakura looked at Sasuke for a moment, "Will you and Itachi-san be able to handle the ghost army on your own?"

Sasuke smirked, "Who said we were alone?" He asked, confusing the girl, "I took the liberty of...pursuing Orochimaru's old bases for anyone that wanted a second chance, and let's just say I found a few good ones."

"A few crazy ones," Itachi chuckled, "Karin-chan is quite the character."

Sasuke shivered, "Don't remind me." He said as Sakura glared between the two.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, crossing her arms, "Who is Karin?"

Me: Oh, brother, this is gonna be fun!

Kurama: When do I get to eat someone!? WHENWHENWHENWHEEEEEN!

Me: Kurama, knock it off! The face off is just one more chapter!

Kurama: I can't help it! I wanna bite someone!

Preview

Naruto glared across the field at the black mass that was Moryo. "Oi, Kyuubi, you ready?"

Always, Cub, the Kyuubi said, smiling at the prospect of a battle. There's just one thing you need to know. My name is -

Next time: Name!