Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Star Wars.


The Yondaime seemed just as confused as Naruto was about the situation. Both of them stared at Hagoromo questioningly, trying to see what he meant by that. There was almost no tell to his face, giving Naruto a slight twitch to his eye in irritation.

"…what?"

"Exactly what I said." Hagoromo replied, his lip twitching slightly in what could only be mild amusement. "I want you to take this man with you."

"Hold on." The Yondaime said, holding up his hands as he looked between everyone present. "What is going on here? Last thing I remember is the Kyuubi attacking, and…" His eyes slid to Kurama, a small frown on his face. "Setting up my fail safes."

"Which seem to have failed." Naruto mused, getting a concerned look from the Yondaime. "What?"

"Things have changed far more drastically than you know." Hagoromo said, crossing his arms. "However, before we can explain anything, I need Naruto's answer. Otherwise, you will fade away and we'll have lost our only opportunity."

"Fade away? Opportunity?" Naruto blinked, trying to understand. "What do you mean?"

"This man," Hagoromo motioned to the Yondaime. "Has the other half of Kurama sealed with him in the belly of the Shinigami. If we leave it here, there is a possibility, slight as it may be, that someone will attempt to revive the Jyuubi using just that half of Kurama."

Naruto frowned, nodding at that. It made sense. However, "What does that have to do with this Yondaime guy?"

"In order to get it from him, I'd have to pull him from the Shinigami for a short time. The Shinigami is understanding, but when I spoke with him e was less than happy with the idea that I'd be going through the souls he had just to attempt to untangle the other half on its own. Finding his soul however would be quicker and simpler in the long run." Hagoromo glance at the man consideringly. "I'd say that to reclaim his full chakra it would take two…maybe three years at the longest. That…and I figured that he deserved a chance. But, only if you allow it."

"A chance?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. "A chance for what?"

The Yondaime's eyes narrowed at Hagoromo, slowly widening as he saw the man's eyes. "Who…are you?"

Hagoromo sighed, reminded that Naruto had much of this world he didn't know. "A chance to teach you that which you never learnt here, and to be the father he could've been. I've had children of my own, and he showed himself to be a good man. I can only hope that he proves an understanding one as well."

"Father?" Naruto turned back to the Yondaime, looking him over for a second before snorting. "Oh. Well, I guess can see it."

The reaction seemed to be not what the Yondaime expected. For a second he was hurt, then his face fell as he turned back to Hagoromo. He didn't say a word, though his face said everything. It silently pleaded for the offered time, to have an opportunity to get an explanation about what was going on here. However, Hagoromo was true to his word and waited on Naruto to speak.

Naruto, for his part, was silent. He wanted to say no, if he were honest. He'd gotten angry upon hearing that this man was his father, remembering how the Hokage had referred to him as 'not living up to his legacy'. But the Jedi in him told him to be reasonable. He was emotional, but he couldn't let anger get ahold of him. Staring at the man silently, he slowly took a deep breath before letting himself deflate.

How much anger had he been holding in recently? With everything going on, the Jedi would almost certainly berate him when he got back to the Jedi Temple about how he had too much anger and falling to the dark side, but he knew that. He knew that if he acted on those emotions he could fall. And, as he watched the Yondaime, he found that he couldn't blame him. If it were him, wouldn't he want more time to spend with someone he cared for, even if he hadn't seen them in years?

"If he's willing to, I guess he can come along." Naruto finally muttered, idly noticing he felt further relaxed to see the look of relief in his eyes.

"Thank you Naruto." The Yondaime said, clearly grateful. Turning to look around, he frowned as he returned his gaze to Hagoromo. "What…what about Kushina?"

Naruto felt his eye twitch slightly at that, a small flash of annoyance creeping back into him. "…oh sure why not make this a party? Everyone's invited to the party in the seal."

Ignoring Naruto's idly muttered words, the Yondaime persisted. "I sealed a part of Kushina in here as well, just in case…well, in case the second seal began breaking. Can you –"

"Wait, second seal?" Naruto asked, turning to look around in confusion. "What?"

"Of course." The Yondaime motioned towards Kurama. "I didn't want to take chances, since it was sealed in you when you were just a baby, so I used two four symbols seals to seal the Kyuubi. There was room between the seals, as it was supposed to allow some of the Kyuubi's chakra to leak from between the seals into you over time. The first part is to seal the Kyuubi here, the second is to seal the Kyuubi within you, though it's easier to break if the first is removed. So, in a way, you could think of it as essentially a gate and the entrance; one to the jail, and one for the cell."

"Oh." Naruto blinked, idly thinking that over. A gate and an entrance? The jail and cell? He hadn't thought of that when he'd ripped off the seal. He'd imagined the seal – it looked like a strip of paper – had somehow been the only thing keeping Kurama form leaving, though from how the Yondaime described it, it really had been. Still, it was more freedom than Kurama had before, and as long as it didn't shove its way out of the other seal it'd have a place to be within him. Not that he wanted Kurama to remain here as a prisoner, but the idea of it running around at the moment was a rather poor plan.

Hagoromo watched, idly seeming to be counting something as he tapped his finger against his arm. Stepping forward, he placed his hand against the Yondaime's chest. After a few seconds, an ethereal glow surrounded the Yondaime and an odd pattern revealed itself on his stomach. Ignoring the strange phenomena, Hagoromo turned to Kurma. "Kurama?"

Kurama stared at Hagoromo, blinking as it realized there was an expectant look in his eyes. "…what?"

"Would you be willing to give her some time?" Hagoromo said, looking down towards the floor. Or, something within the floor. There was a rippling effect that was occurring across it, and beneath it Naruto could vaguely make out…someone. A woman maybe? "She was connected with you at one point, so it wouldn't be impossible to made a temporary link to maintain her for a short time."

Hearing that, Kurama stared at the floor as well, eyes narrowing in outrage. "Kushina…" Letting his eyes turn to the Yondaime, it sneered as it turned away. "No. I won't."

"What?!" The Yondaime shouted, glaring at the Kyuubi defiantly. "Why not? She never did anything to you!"

"No?" Kurama didn't even bother turning back to him; instead, it lay down, staring at the far wall with a disgusted expression. "I was sealed into her, moved like a package from one to another. And all she ever believed was that she had to keep me in, that I should stay quiet and leave well enough alone." Kurama's eye drifted slightly, locking with Naruto's for a second. "…at least now I have a chance."

The Yondaime's fists clenched angrily, but Hagoromo stopped him with a stern hand on his shoulder. "You cannot force him. He is strong willed and stubborn, but it is within his rights to deny you your request." Seeing the hurt on the man's face, he nodded slowly. "I remember when my wife passed. It was painful, and the knowledge that I continue to exist even after all this time is something I bear begrudgingly. However, I still had that time to know her. Do not forget that."

"I know…I just hoped…" He sighed softly, blinking as the glow faded. "Is it done?"

"Yes." Glancing to Kurama, Hagoromo noticed the idle twitch to its eyes. "You've received the other half of your consciousness?"

"…yes."

"Good. Then the chakra will begin filtering back into you." Hagoromo said with a small nod. Glancing to the floor, he turned to the Yondaime again. "You can have the time you gave her for your own if you'd like. However, Naruto still has much he needs to do before either of you are safe, and haste is needed."

The Yondaime nodded, eyes narrowing as he seemed to finally piece things together. "You're…the Sage of Six Paths, aren't you? But, aren't you're supposed to be dead?"

"I am. And yet, I am not. Similar to yourself, though I was able to chose this path." Hagoromo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's a rather confusing thought at times, but I am willing to accept what is before me and move forward. There is still much about these things that I do not know."

"I see." Turning to Naruto, the Yondaime raised a brow inquisitively. "So, what kind of trouble are you in?"

Naruto hummed, going over everything in his head. "Let's see…I'm probably in a cell, so I have to escape. I have to find my master and break her out. And then after we make a break for it, we have to escape the planet and the black holes to prevent something called the Shinju or the Jyuubi, from reforming."

The Yondaime considered that, seeming perplexed by Naruto's final statements in particular. However, he simply nodded at that; there was really nothing more he could do. "Alright. Where are you being held?"

"Um, Konoha, I think it's called?"

"Konoha? But why –" He shook his head, scowling to himself. "We'll have time for that later. You said we need to be quick about this, so…" He rubbed his head, clearly trying to think of something. "Damn, I wish I knew more about what's going on here."

"I'll fill you in as we go as best I can." Hagoromo said, turning to Naruto. "You should begin searching for your master Naruto. Do you think you'll be able to find her?"

Naruto frowned but nodded quickly. "She's the only Force user on the planet…and I can vaguely guess where she is. It's not a very good way to find her, but it could be worse."

"Very well." Hagoromo said, gently pushing on Naruto's chest. "You'd best awaken then."

=-x-=

Naruto's eyes snapped open, groaning as he slowly sat up. Wincing, he noticed that he was left unshackled and remarkably unharmed despite the roughness of his earlier treatment. Looking around, he blinked as he noticed a pair of guards in the corner. Realizing that neither of them bothered to so much as look at him, he took a better look at his surroundings.

He was in a cell, however it was a bit bigger and nicer than normal cells. More of a holding area then, to keep him until they moved him to whatever area they planned him to be placed. Knowing that wherever that was would be far more unpleasant, Naruto began to inspect the area and go over his options.

As soon as he awoke he brought the Force around him quickly in a Force Shroud. He didn't know if that would help prevent them from knowing where he was with chakra, but it was something of an old habit he'd developed when he didn't want to get caught. He'd managed to hide from masters at times with it, though his tendency to want to get caught usually meant they'd find him eventually. Squashing that particular desire, he tightened it further, making sure that he was as small and insignificant in the Force as he could make himself.

He didn't have his lightsaber, which was an obvious problem. That could be remedied though, as he could feel it's pull far more strongly due to the crystal having been imbued with his presence in the Force. Whether there were people guarding it or not however was a different matter entirely. Still, knowing where it was, gave him some small boost in confidence.

Staring at the two men guarding the cell, Naruto considered further his options. He could attempt to put them to sleep, but then he was absolutely terrible with manipulating a person's. Using something a little more indirect though…that could work. Especially if he moved quickly.

Glancing towards the doorway, Naruto slowly reached out and flicked a brief push of Force energy in the cell furthest from it. Hearing something click against the wall, the two turned to look towards it. Whether they investigated or not, Naruto didn't wait around to find out. Concentrating, Naruto felt the amazingly uncomfortable sensation of space warping around him as he teleported out of the cell and directly into the hallway.

Stumbling lightly, he pressed himself against the wall and listened. No sound, no alarm, no confusion. Good. They didn't know he was gone yet. Reaching out towards his lightsaber's location, Naruto rolled his eyes when he realized it was on the other side of the door and had to teleport across the entryway to help prevent them from seeing him.

Sneaking quietly down the hall, Naruto idly cursed to himself as he was reminded again of just how primitive the world was. There wasn't an elevator down to the lower or upper sections, meaning there was a large spiral staircase. This was good, as he couldn't be as easily surprised by someone getting on; it was bad as well though as he'd be completely exposed if anyone caught sight of him.

Rubbing his cheek, he scowled. Okay, so he needed a place to hide, but where he could also move forwards. Identifying where he needed to go, thankfully still on the same floor, he slunk forwards a bit more before pausing. Looking around, he eventually caught sight of a ventilation shaft and grinned. Now that he could work with.

Scuttling over to it, he idly debated removing the cover and trying to get it back on. It'd be a lot safer than trying to teleport in since it was an enclosed space, but he didn't know how much time he had left before someone raised an alarm. Gritting his teeth, he teleported into the vent, thankfully not losing any limbs in the process.

Staring ahead, Naruto idly grinned to himself. He finally had a few answers, and the feeling of calm that gave was one that helped quell the discontent and worry that had been building up within him over the last year. For the first time in a long time, he was himself again. Not the same self, but enough that he could let himself believe once again that he could do anything. So, with that in his mind, he began moving towards his lightsaber.

=-x-=

Kakashi had finished with his work and was finally finished dropping off the items that had been confiscated from Naruto. He hadn't had much, but then each piece was so odd and strange, that he couldn't help but examine them all before putting them away and leaving.

Whoever had made them had been an expert craftsman, capable of such tiny details that he could barely make out anything. It was unlike anything he'd ever imagine, but almost all of it was useless as far as he knew. No one was going to mess with it currently, as it needed to be cleared before it could be given to a Hyuuga to look over. Once any little traps or safety devices had been removed, then they could truly begin to dissect it and look it over.

He doubted there were traps in it though. Thinking over what the Genin had told the Hokage, and by proxy him, had begun to fill him with silent doubts about Naruto's purpose in coming here. He'd told them he was looking for something, but didn't know what. An'ya had been adamant though that it was Naruto who'd begged to come here; something that the Genin confirmed that Naruto himself had said. What was he expecting to find? What answers – no, what questions had filled his mind before coming here to drive him to return?

Then there was the other piece of information that had stood out to Kakashi; he had claimed to be from an impartial group. One that gathered information and acted as a go between to resolve conflicts. Such a group would be considerably notable throughout the Elemental Nations, as had been noted about his personal item/weapon.

He frowned at that, recalling what Hyuuga Neji had told him. It was some kind of mechanical device, but built with such things that Neji couldn't begin to understand or explain it. There was also a crystal in the center-top area of it, that glowed from within much in the same way Naruto had. Not simply circulating the chakra within, but letting it flow in and out of him/it.

Kakashi had considered keeping the item out of lockup, but knew better than to do that. It would be reported that it had been confiscated, and that it had been sent there. Had he moved it elsewhere, someone might find that suspicious and thought that he had something to do with its disappearance.

Slowly clenching his fist, he scowled behind his mask. There was a tension in Konoha, a tight string held taunt before the executioner's axe, simply waiting for someone to make one wrong move to set it off. Neither side held the advantage at the moment, and neither side was willing to give it to the other, causing a perpetual impasse. A cold civil war, of information, deceit, and double-dealing the likes of which probably hadn't been seen even during the Clan Wars.

Danzo hadn't held nearly this much sway in the beginning; if anything his power had swollen immensely since the fall of the Uchiha Clan during the Uchiha Massacre. With the power void, Danzo had stepped in and filled it so quickly that despite the Hokage and him having both worked on it, he'd been surprised. Once Danzo had rooted himself there, there was little in Konoha that they could do to stop him; outside however, the Hokage could get Danzo to waste resources looking into things that he might never act on, letting them risk Ne forces in the hopes that it would leave Danzo open.

And yet while the man had clearly never retaliated, he'd never left a visible opening that they could take advantage of. It was maddening.

Then, Naruto had returned. After all these years, all this searching, and he'd literally walked back into Konoha. Right into their laps. Which, while it normally could be a cause for celebration, was now a problem.

With their cold civil war, Danzo and the Hokage both now had a strong piece that they'd though had been removed sitting between them. It was like a game of Shogi, where both kings suddenly saw an opportunity to turn a pawn into a queen. And yet, both would likely need to move to remove the pawn from their opponents control as swiftly as possible to prevent such an occurrence. This meant Naruto's life was in danger; from both sides so far as Kakashi knew.

Hearing a soft scrape, Kakashi glanced upwards. At first, he was confused by the noise, as it seemed to have come from inside the room. However, as his nose caught something, his eyes drifted upwards toward the vents. There, not even fully visible, was Naruto.

Kakashi cursed in the back of his mind. Who was watching the cells these days, drunks? But…no. How had he escaped? And how had Kakashi not noticed until he'd almost been right on top of him? With a grimace, he spoke up quickly, mind racing as he tried to figure out what to do.

"I know you're there." He said, keeping his voice soft so that it didn't carry out of the room. "I'm surprised you got out so fast…I'd have thought you'd put up little resistance after how you handled the genin sent after you."

There was a long pause, as though Naruto was considering answering, or was trying to convince himself Kakashi didn't know he was there. Hearing a curse, Kakashi smiled when Naruto replied. "They were kids."

Kakashi raised a brow, idly thinking on pointing out that Naruto was still a kid, but thought better of it. "So long as they wear the hiate of Konoha, they are considered fully adults."

"…huh. Didn't know that." Naruto muttered. "That's kind of a stupid system if you ask me."

Kakashi shrugged. "I didn't come up with it." Glancing at the vent again, he raised a brow. "Why don't you come out of there?"

"No thanks. I'd like to keep as much distance between you and me as possible."

"Ouch." Kakashi thought, though he could understand. He'd scared Naruto upon first seeing him, to the point that the genin had told him that Naruto thought they were going to kill him. Him! Because releasing the Kyuubi was a good idea, obviously. Though, hopefully he didn't know about that. That, and he'd captured his sensei, which likely didn't help matters much. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"For what? Doing your job?" That wasn't the response he'd expected. "If I'd known how to enter without doing so like a thief in the night, none of this would have happened would it?"

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Would it? "Possibly. You would have needed papers though, seeing how even though people imagine our security is 'lax', we do require papers at the entrance. You'd have never even entered the village…which, might've been a good thing in all honesty."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Because then I wouldn't know you're alive…and I wouldn't be so disappointed that you're leaving again."

Kakashi wasn't blind, nor was he stupid. Naruto had broken out, and was looking to make his escape…and Kakashi wanted nothing more than to let it happen.

Was that wrong? Yes. But was it not a choice he was allowed to make? It broke so many rules; aiding a fugitive, conspiracy against the village, treason, etcetera. However, even when he'd been blinded by grief and become all but a mindless husk who searched night and day for Naruto, he'd followed a specific creed.

"Those who break the rules are trash…but those who betray their friends, are worse than trash."

"…what?"

"…just something I've been thinking about since we put you in here yesterday." Kakashi said, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I don't want you to leave, and I want to convince you to stay…but this place…" Kakashi clenched his hand into a fist, wincing as he pulled his hair. "Why can't things ever be simple?"

"…the correct answer isn't always the one the simplest." Naruto said, his voice soft as though in memory. "Sometimes…you have to make a choice and stick to it…and hope it was the right one."

"…Hokage-sama was wrong Naruto." Kakashi said, smiling despite himself. "You do live up to your father's legacy...in your own way."

"Um, thanks, I guess?"

Kakashi turned around, walking out of the room. He didn't put the items back into their slot, seeing how Naruto would want to take them with him. They were his after all. And despite himself, Kakashi found himself laughing.

Why did he choose this? To choose treason over maintaining the status quo? Because he'd once promised a man that he would follow that creed of his. And for this particular moment, that person he was doing his damndest to not betray was his sensei; the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

From what he'd seen, Naruto couldn't thrive here after wherever he'd been. If he'd grown up here, maybe things would've been different, and he'd have understood. However, since he'd been gone, what with Danzo and the Hokage's fighting and the village constantly in a state like being on a kunai's edge, Naruto would be cut apart. Whether by Danzo who would try to force Naruto to believe that controlling the Kyuubi was for the 'good of Konoha' or the Hokage who would try to get him to follow in the footsteps of a man Naruto didn't now or seem to care about.

While he didn't like the idea of Naruto trying to go off and save his sensei, or to go back to wherever he'd been, Kakashi felt that were he to stay here Naruto would rebel. He didn't know how, and he didn't know how bad the backlash would be, but he was almost certain that doing so would be as bad as Iwa must've been in whenever they saw the Yellow Flash arrive on the battlefield.

And so Kakashi allowed himself to be in pain again. Was it what he wanted? No. Was it what Konoha needed? Well…he certainly hoped so. Otherwise, he'd let Naruto leave again and would have to face the consequences when –

Hang on.

Kakashi let his mind's eye go over the 'shogi' board again, this time adding in the idea that he himself was the king-side bishop, moving in a way that Danzo wouldn't have seen. He, much like anyone, would expect Kakashi to keep Naruto here by any means necessary. However, that also meant that Kakashi had a few ways that he could cause Danzo further problems.

Heading down the hall, he peaked in on the guards and waved in greeting. "Hello!"

"Oh! Kakashi-san." They said, blinking and waving in return. "What brings you here?"

"Ah," Kakashi stepped in, giving them a curious look. "I was asked to check on Naruto's transfer."

"…transfer?"

"Of course. We need to move him to a more secured area after all. We don't know where he was, who he's dealt with, or…well anything really. Plus, he might be more willing to tell us than his teacher."

"Oh, uh, of course Kakashi-san. Let's –"

Both men froze, staring into the cell in a panic as they noticed for the first time it was empty. Kakashi, acting quite well in his own opinion, turned as well and raised his brow. "Oh, so they already came and picked him up?"

It was an out; one that, were these men more aware and less panicked, they should've seen as strange. "Y-yes! Clearly they must have. Although…I don't remember them signing him out..."

"Ah, then it must've been one of Danzo's squad." Kakashi said, waving of their questioning looks. "They'll likely return him in a few days and pretend that he was never gone."

"Oh, um…" The two looked at each other, unsure if they should be relieved or terrified that Danzo had somehow managed to get someone into and out of the cell room without their noticing.

Kakashi himself was rather curious to know how Naruto had done that, but then he'd never find out now. Sighing to himself, he reached back into his tool pouch and pulled out a pink book. Staring at it, feeling the familiarity of an old friend, he slowly opened it and listened to the crackle of the spine as it was opened for the first time in eight years while he was on duty.

Leaving the room, he giggled softly as he began where he'd once left off; at the beginning of an old familiar tale.

=-x-=

The sun had dropped low on the horizon just moments before as Kabuto stepped out into the cooling night's air with a woman bound and gagged over his shoulder. Breathing in the air, he smirked at how easy it had been to get her out. Granted, there were quite a few new corpses, but then that wasn't an issue he had to worry about.

Looking around, Kabuto was easily able to distinguish the four Oto shinobi who were making their way towards him. They were dressed in greys and blacks, most wearing a black cowl to hide their faces under a scarf with their village's symbol on it. They also wore grey shirts that fell down to their knees and were held by black cloth belts.

While they not elites, nor were they pushovers either. Had they not been informed of how exactly they were to get in, they'd have been caught in the barrier the moment they tried to step in. But between himself, Orochimaru, and Danzo, they had nothing to worry about.

He himself though had plenty to worry about. After the first exam he'd thankfully had a reprieve to go pack for the next test; not that he actually cared about it. He was beyond genin level in skill, and so becoming a Konoha chunin wasn't something he cared for in the least. No, his concerns were elsewhere. More specifically, with the woman his men now had.

It had been surprisingly difficult to get her out unharmed. Were it not that Orochimaru preferred his subjects alive to show their skills to him personally before dissecting them to determine how they ticked, he'd have killed her the moment he arrived outside her cell. It wasn't so much that she was an annoyance as she was trouble.

From what he could tell, she had some of the rumored abilities of the Sage of Six Paths in that she could change the attraction and repulsion of objects. He'd found this out when she'd tried to incapacitate him by slamming him against the cage when he'd entered. Regrettably for her, he was not so easily beaten, and when she'd tried to leave, he'd arisen and knocked her out…though that particular struggle had been another surprise. She appeared to be incredibly cognoscente of the world around her, and it had actually taken a moment before he'd landed a blow to knock her out.

Pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, he smirked. If she had some kind of connection to the Sage, then Danzo hadn't realized the gold mine of information Orochimaru would be getting from her. Looking to his subordinates, he handed them the second piece of his findings. Such an odd thing, covered with metal vine-like patterns. However, someone had kept it with the woman's other belongings, so it likely had some value as well. And, well, Danzo hadn't told him he couldn't take those things as well.

"Make certain that Orochimaru-sama gets these post haste." Kabuto said sharply, getting a nod from them as they carefully took their cargo. Turning to the leader of the squad, he handed him the object along with a roll of several syringes filled with a clear liquid he'd stolen from Konoha medical before coming. "She'll be waking around sunup, so it'd be best if you administer this before then to ensure she's sedated. I would advise you not allow her to awaken at all seeing how she…is quite the fighter."

"I doubt this old hag could put up that much of a fight." One of the other men said, getting a soft chuckle from his companions.

"Oh? So you doubt my word." Kabuto said, staring down the man with a displeased air about him.

The man froze, understanding suddenly in his eyes. "N-no Kabuto-san, I was simply –"

"Do not mistake age for weakness." Kabuto said, slowly smiling as he glanced towards the Hokage's tower. "Even Orochimaru knows better than to believe that the Hokage has grown so weak as to have allowed it to be possible to be attacked without preparation."

The Oto shinobi nodded, shifting in place uncomfortably. They knew that Danzo had given them a single shot way to get in and out of the village by sending the patrols in areas where they wouldn't intersect, but that when they reported would appear as though they covered everywhere. That way, much like the infamous Uzumaki Incident, they would vanish without a trace.

"Good. Now go." Kabuto paused before turning to leave, staring at the woman with a smirk. "When Orochimaru-sama hears of her, he will not want to be kept waiting."


AN: Aaaaaaaah dang Internet, why you no let me post this yesterday? Oh well, it's up now!

You know, I get the feeling people will complain that the ninja wouldn't have missed Naruto escaping...but canon ninja have me very disbelieving of that. And if anyone uses the phrase "deux ex machina", I'll just say this because I had the thought recently: I am the god in the machine.

...no seriously, I'm the "god" of this timeline, and I'm in your computer. *wiggles fingers mystically at people*

And if people are going to complain about Kakashi...you know what go ahead. At least now someone explained the idea behind what's going on in Konoha right now! And of those I thought of, he's been the only one who I could see who'd let Naruto go despite what anyone else might've said. And, again, reasons are listed above.

So, An'ya is seen again! ...drugged...and on her way to Otogakure...to be experimented on. RUN NARUTO RUN!

Haha, oh, but seriously, I'm basically bashing my way through this as carefully as I can because Ibonihs (shonen and awesome as it is) doesn't have many more things that will pertain to Naruto later.

Well, there is one more thing, but we'll see that soon in more of From Darkness!