(Here's my next chapter you guys. Enjoy.)

The next day everyone in Konoha was doing there part to rebuild the village. Jerry had sent WOOHP agents as well as WOOHP robots to pitch in. At the administration building, Naruto, Connor, and the spy girls arrived to see Sarutobi at his desk, and gathered around him were Jiraiya and Jerry. Standing before them also were Sakura, Hinata, and Ino as well, "Good morning." The Hokage greeted them.

"Morning Jiji, so what's going on?" Naruto asked while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"We have important matters to discuss Naruto, but before we get into that I have something for the seven of you." Sarutobi said as he placed seven green flak jackets.

"Wait a minute, those are Chunin vests?" Naruto gasped with the girls.

"Yes Naruto," Sarutobi began, "We've all talked it over and because of your success in defeating Hinata Hyuga, the Suna ninja Gaara and his demonic powers, as well as rescuing me from Orochimaru I hereby grant you the title of Chunin." he handed Naruto the vest.

"Oh yes!" Naruto cheered as he put his new Chunin vest on, "Perfect fit."

"And for you girls as well, I hereby grant you all the title of Chunin." Sarutobi added.

"Us?" The six girls gasped.

"By why?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah Sakura and I didn't even advance to the final round." Ino reminded him.

"And none of us even fought in the finals due to the invasion." Alex added.

Sarutobi smiled, "Well girls you made quite an impression for the Daimyo's. They observed you and your skills as you defended the village from the threat of the Suna and the Oto ninja. They met with me and told me that ninja with that kind of skill and intellect deserve to be more than Genin. Even though I told them that Sakura and Ino didn't advance to the finals they were very talented kunoichi's. So they decided to bend the rules this time and allowed them to move up."

"All right!" Ino and Sakura cheered as they high fived.

"And they were more impressed by you ladies for not only being new ninja who never even went to the academy, but for knowing skills and combat moves the ninja land was never familiar with." Sarutobi told the spies.

"Yay!" they cheered.

"And you Hinata, for showing wonderful talent in the Gentle Fist art and just how a devoted Hyuga you are, especially how hard it must've been for you to admit defeat in the finals."

"Arigato Sandaime-sama." Hinata smiled.

The girls dawn their vests and stood proud, "This is so rad." Clover said.

"Well I'm glad you're happy because now we got business to discuss," Sarutobi said and everyone listens up, "Because Suna discovered Orochimaru had been using them since before the Chunin Exams began they ended their ties with Oto, so we won't be expecting anymore trouble from our allies."

"What a relief." Connor said.

"But I've also decided to step down from being Hokage," Sarutobi continued making Naruto and the girls surprised, "I've called you all here to join Jiraiya in locating my third student Tsunade to have her take up the mantle."

"Tsunade?" the girls gasped.

"Yes, and on this mission I've instructed Jiraiya to also oversee more training for you, Naruto." The Hokage continued.

"Sweet." Naruto smirked.

"But what about our work?" Sam asked as Jerry explained.

"I've talked it over with the Hokage. This shall be treated as a WOOHP mission as well."

"All right!" they cheered.

"But what about us?" Ino asked.

"Not too worry, Ino. I've already talked it over with all our parents and senseis and they agreed to allow you on this mission." The Hokage answered.

"Well girls it's us once again doing business." Naruto said putting an arm around Sakura and Ino's waists holding them close.

Sam turned to Jiraiya, "Well Jiraiya when do we get started?"

"Immediately. So you all head home and pack the essentials you'll need." Jiraiya instructed.

"If all's said and done, you may go." Sarutobi dismissed them.

Later that day Sam, Clover, and Alex were walking around wondering what they would do or bring, until they heard explosions, "What's going on?" Alex asked.

"Better check it out." Sam said as they rushed to find the source of the explosion and what they saw surprised them.

Standing by the river were Kurenai and Asuma holding Kakashi who looked knocked out, and Guy facing off against a large man wearing a black cloak with red cloud patterns on it. He had a blue face with blue hair, a Kiri headband with a gash in the symbol, and a large sword wrapped in white cloth.

"Whoa, who is that?" Clover gasped.

"I don't know, but we can tell who that is." Sam pointed to another person wearing the same outfit but appeared like an older Sasuke and had a Konoha headband with a gash in the leaf.

"Why does he look familiar?" Alex asked.

"That's because he's Sasuke's brother Itachi." Sam answered.

"So it's true, he has come back and that outfit he's wearing must be the dress code of the Akatsuki organization." Clover said recalling the entry in Itachi's journal.

"Has he come back to fight Sasuke?" Alex asked.

"We better find out." Sam said as the girls decided to separate Itachi from the big guy.

Sam used a sound amplifier and threw a sound further into the forest area by the river and Itachi turned, "Kisame keep them distracted I'll find out what that is." Itachi said as he took off.

Itachi appeared and looked around the area sensing people close by, until the spy girls appeared, "Itachi Uchiha we presume?" Clover asked.

"Who are you three?" Itachi frowned.

"We're Sam, Clover, and Alex," Sam started, "And we were hoping we'd one day run into you, Itachi."

"Were you now?" Itachi asked with a scowl on his face.

"That's right, and we know everything about you," Clover continued, "And by everything we mean everything."

Itachi's eyes looked a little tense as she said that, "What she means is you're not what the village thinks you are." Alex said.

Itachi dashed forward and threw a punch, but Sam dodged her head but realized his punch was slow enough for her to move. Itachi got close to them and whispered, "Keep talking, but we can't let my partner not hear any fighting going on. How did you girls find out?"

Clover used her own Taijutsu skills as Itachi played along as she whispered back, "We found your mother still asleep as well as your journal and the entries you wrote down in it including the part about Madara Uchiha."

Itachi gained some distance and fought Sam using a Katon Jutsu as she used her Fuuton element to maneuver and avoid it as she got close to him and whispered, "You're not really a murderer. You just carried out the word of your leader. And you said after you'd pursue Madara Uchiha and join the organization known as Akatsuki."

Itachi gained distance from Sam as he attacked her again and all three were close to hear him, "Yes, my partner Kisame and I are on a mission to retrieve the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi named Naruto."

"You want Naruto?" Alex gasped.

"So you know him too? Well the truth of the matter is the Sandaime knows I am here today, he should arrive soon. This will give us a reason to flee and Naruto will be safe." Itachi explained as they continued fighting with Itachi holding back not wanting to severely hurt them.

Sam launched a roundhouse kick to Itachi who blocked it, and she asked, "So what'll happen to you after?"

"I have to continue living out my life as a nukenin and find out more about the Akatsuki. Even after so many years of serving them there's still so much I don't know yet. You girls meanwhile see to it that Naruto gets stronger because the people in this organization are unlike anyone you've ever seen." Itachi said as they gained some distance from each other.

Suddenly a blast of water cleared some trees as the one known as Kisame appeared, "Well Itachi still in one piece."

"Kisame did you manage to escape without leaving a trail?" Itachi asked resuming his cold nature.

"Of course. They're not going to find me now," Kisame said, until he spotted the girls, "Ooh, now what do we have here?"

"Nothing you need to trouble yourself with, Kisame." Itachi answered, but Kisame still looked interested.

Meanwhile Naruto, Connor, Jiraiya, and the kunoichi were wondering where the spies were since they weren't back at the lair yet, "Man where'd those girls go?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hopefully not stocking up on makeup," Connor answered, until he froze, "Hold on I sense chakra signatures, unfamiliar ones, and one of them is on par with mine."

"Another Jinchuriki?" Sakura asked.

"No, it's something different," Connor said as he listened in hearing sounds coming from the forest area, "That way." He said as they followed the trail while arming themselves.

Back with the spies, Kisame was using Suiton Jutsu at them, while Alex had countered with a Raiton Jutsu but wasn't enough to injure Kisame, "Sorry girly but you're out of your league against me." He snickered.

"Kisame we don't have time for this we have to find Naruto." Itachi reminded him.

"You called?" Naruto asked as he appeared with the group, but Jiraiya and Connor gasped seeing the two.

"Jiraiya, are those really?" Connor asked.

"Yes the one with the black hair is Itachi Uchiha." Jiraiya answered.

"Uchiha?" Naruto and the kunoichi girls gasped.

"And the big one is Kisame Hoshigaki one of the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri." Jiraiya added.

"Seven Swordsmen?" Naruto gasped recalling Zabuza's old reputation.

The Spies joined the group, "Be careful, these guys are no joke." Sam warned them not telling them about what Itachi said.

Itachi and Kisame's gaze were focused on Naruto, "Naruto Uzumaki, you would be wise to come along quietly with my partner and I." Itachi beckoned Naruto to come.

"And if I refuse?" Naruto asked with a scowl.

"Then I can guarantee you an unpleasant experience." Kisame said ready to use his sword.

"Don't overdo it, Kisame. We need him alive." Itachi reminded him.

'It's not Naruto they're after, they're after me,' Kurama thought, 'But I can't just openly say who I am. Oh what do I do? At two tails I can't compete against these kind of ninja.'

As Itachi and Kisame were ready to attack a scream was heard, "Brother!"

Itachi and Kisame turned around seeing Sasuke seething with anger and his Sharingan activated. Behind him were Trish and his mother, "Well little brother it's been a long time," Itachi said and looked to his mom, "Hello mother I've come home."

"Itachi." Mikoto gasped trying hard not to cry seeing her eldest son after all this time.

"Brother, mother?" Kisame asked, "Oh so these are two of your family members. I thought you only spared your brother."

Mikoto gasped knowing she was forced to keep this from Sasuke about Itachi sparing her but wondered how Itachi will answer him, "It was a miscalculation on my part. She obviously was quick to save herself."

Sasuke was growling as Trish and Mikoto backed away, "I've waited a long time for this brother. I did what you told me all those years ago and now today's the day you die!" Sasuke bellowed as he charged a full Chidori in his hand.

"He knows Chidori?" Itachi asked not expecting this.

"Sasuke!" his ninja friends called.

"Now die!" Sasuke screamed as he ran for Itachi. As he thrusted his arm forward, Kisame jumped away, but Itachi caught the jutsu. Sasuke was in shock as his jutsu faded.

Itachi looked down at his brother, "Is that all you have to offer me after all these years? I expected much more from you, Sasuke. I guess I was foolish to expect this much from you." He tightened his grip on his bro's arm causing Sasuke to cry in pain.

The spies were in shock seeing this, but knew it pained him to do this to his own brother but had to keep his reputation up, "Leave my friend alone!" Naruto shouted ready to rush over but was halted.

"No Naruto!" Sasuke called out, "This is my fight! I don't want anyone else getting hurt!"

He was cut off as Itachi broke his arm.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called.

"Itachi, stop please!" Mikoto pleaded him not caring if he was putting on an act.

"Leave him alone you jerk!" Trish shouted.

Itachi looked back at them with no sign of regret, he approached his little brother and grabbed him up by the collar pinning him against a tree, "You don't interest me right now anyway, Sasuke. How about I give you another few years to gain more hatred and come back here?" he mocked him.

"So help me I'll kill you!" Sasuke shouted in his brothers face.

"Must I teach you the heard way?" Itachi sighed before his Sharingan eye shifted into another form, "Mangekyo Sharingan!"

Everyone watched as Sasuke started screaming in pain, which confused the spies because Itachi wasn't touching him, "What's going on?" Alex asked.

"Itachi's using Tsukuyomi to inflict severe mental pain on Sasuke's mind." Mikoto explained as she watched in horror as her eldest boy was using it on his younger brother.

Sasuke finally fell unconscious as Itachi dropped him and joined Kisame again, "Can we finally do what we came here for?" Kisame asked in annoyance.

"Yes, let's do it." Itachi said as the two got ready, until Anbu arrived with Sarutobi.

"Hold it right there!" Sarutobi ordered.

"Hokage-sama. Still alive?" Itachi asked.

"I don't die that easy." Sarutobi reminded the boy.

"This shouldn't be too hard against an old relic like the Hokage." Kisame chuckled as he stepped forward, only for Itachi to hold him back.

"Kisame we need to go now! Our presence has already been compromised!"

"Dammit!" Kisame grumbled.

Itachi activated his eyes again, "Amaterasu!" he projected a wall of black fire blocking the Anbu off, and the two escaped.

"They're gone." Hinata gasped.

Meanwhile, the two were running from the village, "Did we really have to run even with our presence known?" Kisame asked.

"Don't worry, we'll get Naruto when the time is right," Itachi answered, "Besides using my Sharingan abilities that much was enough to wear me out," he thought to himself, 'Sam, Clover, Alex keep Naruto strong so he will be ready one day. And Sasuke, I am sorry.'

Back with the guys, Mikoto rushed to her son and held him in her arms sobbing along with Trish, "Sasuke, my baby!" Mikoto cried.

The girls were in shock at the black flames as Jiraiya sealed it in a scroll, "Those guys were scary." Ino said.

Sarutobi turned to the Anbu "Take Sasuke to the hospital at once."

"Hai!" the Anbu agreed as they took Sasuke away as the old man comforted the Uchiha woman.

"What's gonna happen to Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"He'll remain in comatose unless we properly heal him," Jiraiya explained, "But the skill of the hospital staff won't be enough even if combined. Tsunade however has the real skill to heal something like that."

"Well come on we still got work to do!" Naruto ordered as they hurried to the lair to pack.

Meanwhile outside the lair, Kurama was pacing knowing Naruto's in deep trouble all because of him, "Care to talk about it?" Max's voice was heard as he walked out from behind a tree.

"Max, what happened back there with those goons nearly put Naruto and everyone else in turmoil. Even Sasuke didn't make it out in one piece. They're after my power and to acquire it they have to sever the link between me and Naruto," he started, "At our current level we won't stand a chance against them."

"Yes which is why Naruto must train harder than before, as for you. I think it's time you got more strength back." Max said approaching Kurama and put a hand on his chest and he felt his heart gain strength.

"What happened?" Kurama asked.

"For your efforts in protecting the village from Shukaku, the other watchers have decided to restore another few tails worth of power to you," Max explained, "Now you're up to six tails worth of strength."

"Six? That's perfect!" Kurama cheered, "And I'll work even harder to earn the remaining three back."

"See that you do," Max said as he left the area, only to appear by the spies, "Hello girls."

"Max, what's going on?" Alex asked.

"Yeah we're kind of planning on heading out on our mission." Clover added.

"I know, but I had to see you now about what you just witnessed awhile ago." Max began.

"Our conversation with Itachi." Sam could tell he knew.

"Yes. Even though he's not really a bad guy he still has to play the bad guy for the sake of his family, and Sasuke," Max explained, "But I know of a way to protect him should Sasuke manage to kill him and possibly find out the truth and hopefully not take it the wrong way."

"How can you protect him?" Clover asked.

"With this," Max said holding out his hand and an image appeared out of thin air. The image looked like a fish with an eel coiling around it, "This image will be converted into a tattoo and will make the wearer's spirit form a second body around it when it leaves the body that was just killed. When that happens the body it left will crumble into dust. The new body will even have a new body part formed in case something is cut off the original."

"Wow." Alex gasped.

"You girls are to hold onto it, and if by chance you run into Itachi again alone give this to him and explain its use. For when his time comes by Sasuke, he will have another chance to make things right again." Max explained as the image appeared on a sealing scroll and was given to Sam.

"You can count on us, Max." Sam assured him.

"Good, now then it's time we went our separate ways." Max said stepping into a closet and once again vanished into thin air.

Soon enough they all met outside the village gates, "All right we're all here and have all we need?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hai." They agreed.

"Then let's go." Jiraiya said as they were about to take off.

"Hold on," Jerry said as he rushed over with Fido who was carrying some metallic trailer with ease like he was a mule, "I have one last gift for you all."

"What's Fido pulling?" Naruto asked.

"I call it the WOOHP Travel Stage," Jerry explained, "It's a mini trailer that can also take the form of a stage as well. If you have free time from your searching feel free to practice. It also comes complete as a refreshment and souvenir stand, and a ticket booth with a robot ticket seller."

"Jerry I appreciate the trailer, but I highly doubt they'll have any chance to…" Jiraiya started until Naruto shot up.

"Oh don't give me that Ero-sennin, after all you'll probably do the thing mom said you're best at!"

Jiraiya clamped his mouth shut, "Ix nay!"

"Never mind that, at least we got something to ride in." Sam said.

"Can you handle it, Fido?" Sakura asked.

"You bet I can, I mean being like a pack mule will be kind of embarrassing but I'll live." Fido answered.

Later on Fido was towing the trailer along the road with ease, while inside the trailer Naruto, Jiraiya, Kurama, and the girls were pretty quiet, until Sakura spoke, "Jiraiya-sama what exactly did those goons want with Naruto anyway?"

"Yeah what'd I mean Naruto doesn't know them just like us." Ino added.

"It's not so much about Naruto, it's what he has." Jiraiya answered.

"Kurama?" Hinata asked as they looked at Kurama who nodded.

"Yes. Those two are part of an organization known as the Akatsuki," Jiraiya explained, "During my travels I've discovered they're a band of nukenin from all over the Ninja land. I also have come to discover they're targeting the bijuu and the Jinchuriki's who house them."

"But why?" Sakura asked.

"That I'm afraid I don't know." Jiraiya answered feeling ashamed.

"So that's why I need to get stronger, in case those guys come back." Naruto realized.

"And that's just what I'm here for." Jiraiya assured him.

"Well just wait until we get down to it. If those Akatsuki creeps come back, I'll put the hurt on them!" he rocked the trailer.

"Easy Naruto, don't rock the trailer." Sakura said calming him.

Fido found it hard to tow it with the rocking, "Hey keep it down in there!"

Meanwhile in Otogakure, inside an underground base, sat Orochimaru with his arms and hands wrapped in bandages. He sat brooding, until Kabuto came in, "We're all set my lord."

Orochimaru turned to his right hand man and spoke with a smirk, "Excellent. We leave for Tanzaku at once."

(And there's the chapter.)