Welcome back everyone to the next chapter of It's Better to Share the Pain. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, but I was sick most of December. Anyway, now that the Kazekage Rescue Arc has been concluded, we're going to start entering somewhat uncharted waters. For instance, with Sasuke being out of the picture in this story, the Tenchi Bridge Arc will never take place. In my timeline of events, we will instead see Naruto and company heading to Lightning Country next.
I tried my best to maintain a good balance of advancing the plot, while also having some lighthearted moments as well, including a small tease of addressing Hinata's feelings for Naruto and Sakura feeling a bit insecure/territorial as a result. Some of the decisions/changes I made in this chapter may or may not go over to well with you guys, but I hope you can respect why I chose to go the route I did.
With my brief rant/rambling now out of the way, I'd like to briefly respond to one or two reviews. Once that is done, I'll mention the usual disclaimer and then let you guys dig in to this chapter. Enjoy!
Diclonius13: Orochimaru will appear at some point in a future chapter, but I don't have any plans to have him reanimate Sasuke. I feel that is far too predictable and would rather do something that people won't see coming.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, any of its characters, original plot, etc. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 13:
(In an underground bunker beneath Konoha)
A Root agent was quickly running in search of his leader.
"Excuse me, Danzo-sama." The Root agent panted as he kneeled before the Foundation's leader.
"What is it?" The one-eyed Warhawk asked his subordinate.
"Sir, one of our agents stationed near the front gate reported seeing a lone Akatsuki member enter the village just a little while ago." The Root agent began to explain.
"Go on," Danzo said.
"The Toad Sage Jiraiya was there to greet him. They were last seen heading over the rooftops in the direction of Anbu HQ." The Root agent continued.
"Did our agent happen to catch a glimpse of what this individual looks like?" Danzo inquired.
"Yes. He had long black hair tied back into a loose ponytail and possessed unmistakable onyx eyes. Based on just those features alone, we believe the individual in question to be none other than Itachi Uchiha himself."
Danzo almost choked on air when he heard Itachi's name.
"I forgot to mention sir that the Godaime Hokage was also spotted leaving her office in a hurry. No doubt she was going to the same destination." The Root agent added.
Danzo knew that there had to be something more going on, especially if both members of the Sannin were seen going to the same destination. That led Danzo to one conclusion. Itachi's desertion of the village after the Uchiha Massacre and joining the ranks of the Akatsuki was nothing more than a cover story.
The Old Warhawk began to internally curse his own ignorance for underestimating Hiruzen.
With Itachi now back in the village and no doubt making his report directly to the Godaime Hokage, Danzo surmised it would only be a matter of time before the real timeline of events was made public knowledge. That and the fact that he had stolen one of Shisui Uchiha's eyes before The Teleporter could use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku Uchiha to stop the Uchiha Coup from ever taking place.
Rather than face punishment for what the opposition called treasonous acts, Danzo decided he would instead leave the village with the majority of his followers in tow and seek refuge in the Hidden Sound. There, he would carefully bide his time until he had enough incriminating proof that Tsunade Senju was leading the Hidden Leaf into a path of despair. Only then, the Old Warhawk rationalized, could he return and overthrow the current government to turn Konoha into a militaristic powerhouse.
But before he could do any of that, Danzo knew he needed to have eyes and ears placed throughout the village to funnel him information. If he could place someone close enough to figure out just what Itachi's role or purpose was while in the Akatsuki for the last eight years, that might give him the proof he needed that the rogue Uchiha was looking to set them up and capture the Nine-Tails jinchuriki.
"Begin making preparations to depart for the Hidden Sound at once! I want all important documentation destroyed as well. Do not leave a single trace of what the Foundation has been doing to protect the Leaf!" Danzo began.
"Yes Danza-sama! I shall make the necessary preparations at once!"
"Hold a moment." Danzo called, stopping the Root agent. "Leave a small group of our members to serve as double agents. In addition, have one of the more promising young recruits report to me at once. I have a special assignment for them."
The Root agent bowed once again and quickly disappeared to begin carrying out his orders.
All the while, Danzo wasn't showing the slightest bit of concern. The conniving Old Warhawk knew if Tsunade was anything like her former sensei, it would only be a matter of time before he could finally ascertain the mantle of Hokage as he had been patiently planning for years.
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(Meanwhile at Anbu HQ…)
Having just finished their debrief with Itachi, Tsunade and Jiraiya were now left pondering what their next move was going to be.
Tsunade was overwhelmed by the huge bombshell of information Itachi had just shared with her. She took a deep breath to help relax a bit as she turned to Jiraiya and said, "I certainly wasn't expecting this to happen."
"I told you that he seems to have that kind of effect on people." Jiraiya retorted.
Still on guard duty just outside of Itachi's room, Yugao Uzuki couldn't help but stifle a small chuckle from the busty Hokage's reaction. She looked at the Toad Sage and said, "I did warn you that Lady Tsunade wasn't going to take the news of your informant's return too well."
"Jiraiya's still in the dog house with me as it is for his perverted behavior that he apparently displayed while away from the village." Tsunade grinned deviously, causing the Frog Hermit's shoulders to slump while he sulking a bit.
"Oh lighten up you old perv. I was just kidding around." Tsunade laughed joyfully before returning her attention to the important matters she still needed to discuss with her old teammate.
"Neko, do you have a room where Jiraiya and I can talk in privacy without any prying ears?"
"Yes ma'am." Yugao replied, "Boar, could you please show Lady Hokage and Lord Jiraiya to the empty room just down the hall?"
Boar nodded and said, "If you two will follow me, it's right this way."
Boar led the two legendary Sannin to a vacant room at the other end of the narrow corridor. When they reached their destination, the mask-wearing Anbu member opened the door and motioned for Jiraiya and Tsunade to enter. Once the two were both comfortably situated at a small table in the corner of the room, Boar closed the door behind him without saying a word.
"So do you want to be the one to go first or should I?" Jiraiya asked in an effort to break the ice.
"Seeing you're the one who's been secretly corresponding with Itachi over the years while he was gathering information on the Akatsuki, you have a bit more insight and knowledge to offer than I do. Therefore, I think it's only fair that you start us off." Tsunade reasoned.
"Well, the information Itachi shared about the Akatsuki leadership is very troubling, particularly the part when he mentioned that this Pain character has the Rinnegan. In all of my time traveling throughout the elemental nations, there's only one individual that I know who possessed those eyes. You remember the three orphans I took under my wing and trained all those years ago during the Second Great War?" Jiraiya asked.
"Of course. How could I forget the sad expression on their faces, especially when that sadistic teammate of ours asked if he should put them out of their misery. Which one was it?" Tsunade inquired.
"Nagato, the boy with the red hair who didn't say much. The reason we never saw his eyes during our first encounter was due to the long red bangs that always hung over the front of his face, keeping the Rinnegan concealed. Nevertheless, I fear that Nagato and this Pain character Itachi spoke of are one in the same."
Her eyes widening slightly, Tsunade was curious to find out why her teammate was so certain of Pain's identity. She proceeded to ask, "How can you be so sure that it's him?"
Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Jiraiya replied, "I don't know. I just have this gut feeling that it's Nagato. The only way I can find out for certain if he is somehow involved in this whole ordeal is by talking with Itachi again. He's the only one that can help shed some light on this mystery."
"That's a good starting point. The one thing that's still rubbing me the wrong way, however, was when Itachi mentioned that bastard Madara Uchiha. How is it possible that he somehow managed to cheat death when my grandfather swore that he witnessed Madara fall to his knees at death's doorstep after they fought at the Valley of the End? Immortality, at least to my knowledge, is something that's practically unheard of."
"I can't honestly say, Tsunade. But it doesn't change the fact that we're dealing with two very powerful adversaries Pain and this masked-man claiming to be Madara." Jiraiya concluded, earning a nod in agreement from his former teammate.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she took a moment to let everything sink in. The busty Hokage knew that Jiraiya was right in his assessment about the leaders of the Akatsuki being a serious threat. If her teammate's suspicion about Pain being one of the Ame orphans he had stayed behind to train all those years ago proved to be correct, it would give them slight upper-leg against their foes.
What still bothered the Godaime greatly, however, was the man claiming to be her grandfather's greatest adversary that lurked in the shadows. Though Tsunade wasn't entirely convinced that this individual could very well be the genuine article, she couldn't afford to take any chances. Madara Uchiha was still revered through the Shinobi world to this very day as the most powerful member of the Uchiha Clan. So regardless of who the mystery man may be, Tsunade was determined to find out his true identity. And the key to revealing the truth now rested in the hands of Naruto and Itachi.
But before any further decisions could be made on matters such as telling Naruto of his lineage or reinstating Itachi as a Leaf Shinobi, Tsunade rationalized in her mind that she needed to first take precautionary measures to protect the source of their information from the elders, Danzo Shimura in particular. The only way she could do that was if all three of them were stripped of their power. Additional steps would need to be taken for Danzo though, arresting him and possibly going so far as to call for the Old Warhawk's execution.
Weighing her options carefully, Tsunade had finally come to a decision.
"You alright Tsunade?" Jiraiya inquired out of genuine concern.
"I'm fine Jiraiya. I was just taking a moment to contemplate what our next move should be."
"Any ideas?" Jiraiya pressed for further details.
"As a matter of fact, I did. I'm planning to reinstate Itachi as a Leaf Shinobi and assign him as a liaison to Team Kakashi. Before that can be done, however, we need to remove the elders from power. While Koharu and Homura didn't have a direct hand in Danzo's shady dealings, they still had a hand in pressuring Sarutobi-sensei to go through with the Massacre. And if those old geezers try to contest it, we have all the proof we need with Itachi."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Jiraiya asked in hopes for a more detailed explanation.
"Once we're finished here, I'm gonna head back to the office. Shizune is no doubt going to nag my ear off for leaving without telling her where I was going." Tsunade chuckled slightly from the thought of her apprentice.
"In any case though, I will have her begin to make the necessary preparations for a trial first thing tomorrow morning. Furthermore, I'm also going to send a messenger over to T&I to request Inoichi's presence at my office before he performs a mind walk of Itachi memories. I want to make sure we have official documentation of Itachi's memories on hand to dispute any bullshit claims or tales those three might try to spin to make themselves look innocent." Tsunade explained.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jiraiya quickly followed up.
"Yes, there is. Go back down the hall and talk with Itachi one more time. Aside from trying to ascertain the true identity of Pain, find out as much information as you can from Itachi about the Akatsuki. I don't care whether it's names of their remaining members, how many tailed-beasts they've captured, etc. Just get me something that gives us an upper-leg over them."
"I'll get right on it." Jiraiya replied as he started to get up from his chair. "But what are we going to do about Naruto? He needs to be told of his lineage."
This was the one thing that Tsunade had dreaded discussing most.
"Dammit Jiraiya! I'm already being put in a difficult position right now as it is. And you certainly aren't helping matters any by restating the obvious."
"I don't care Tsunade. This isn't the time to be bull-headed anymore. Didn't you hear what Itachi said about the individual masquerading as Madara Uchiha?" Jiraiya shouted at his former teammate out of sheer frustration.
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock from hearing Jiraiya speak with such fire. It was a side she rarely saw come out of him. The Godaime said nothing as her former teammate continued to speak.
"Because in case you might have forgotten, he has the Hiraishin marking on his back. There are only two men in the history of the Hidden Leaf who have been able to use the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Your Uncle Tobirama may have invented the jutsu, but Minato was the one who perfected it and used it extensively over the course of his Shinobi career to the point where it earned him the distinction as Konoha's Yellow Flash. If Naruto is to learn the same jutsu that made his father famous and use it to defeat Madara, he will need access to the scrolls that were left behind. And the only way he can do that is if he learns the truth of his lineage."
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk with Itachi just as you requested. I'll swing by your office once I'm finished to report whatever findings I may have, but don't think for one second that our discussion about telling Naruto truth is over. I expect that the next time I see you, you'll be ready to make the right decision. This isn't an easy decision for me to make either, but the arguments I have made thus far are in the best interest of my godson." Jiraiya finished, giving Tsunade a very disheartened look before walking out the door and slammed it behind him, leaving an already emotional Tsunade speechless and in tears.
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(Just down the hall…)
Itachi was still lying down on the small bed that occupied his room within Anbu HQ. The Uchiha shot up when he heard the door click, slowly creaking open. His Sharingan flared to life, ready to dispose of the intruder in the event it was one of Danzo's Foundation.
As Jiraiya poked his head around the corner of the door, his hands quickly shot up to signify that he came in peace.
"Woah, easy there Itachi." Jiraiya reassured in an effort to calm his informant down.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Itachi's eyes turned back to their normal black color. He looked at the Toad Sage and began to apologize, "I'm sorry, Master Jiraiya. It was not my intention to scare you. One can't ever be too sure when member's of Danzo's Foundation are lurking throughout the village."
"I'm well aware of that Itachi, but Danzo's and the other elder's past misdoings should soon be a thing of the past." Jiraiya replied.
"How so?" Itachi asked while arching an eyebrow.
Pulling up a nearby chair, the Toad Sage plopped down and said, "Well I just got through talking with Tsunade and needless to say, she's starting to put some plans into motion as we speak. Among those is dealing with the elder council, including Danzo."
Itachi was genuinely surprised by this sudden development.
"I must say Master Jiraiya, I wasn't expecting Lady Hokage to act so quickly." Itachi said.
"Well the information you presented regarding the Akatsuki is deeply concerning and warrants swift action. It also just so happens to be the reason why I'm stopping by to talk with you further. I was hoping that you'd be able to help me shed some light on the leader of said organization."
"Of course. I'll help you in any way I can. What would you like to know?" Itachi asked.
Rubbing his chin a bit as he tried to figure out a good starting point, a question finally popped into the Toad Hermit's mind that he hoped would create a mental picture of what the Akatsuki leader looked like, "Why don't you start by describing to me what he looks like?"
Without hesitation, Itachi quickly replied, "Pain has orange hair. He also has numerous small black rods that are pierced through his nose and ears."
"Hm." Jiraiya hummed in response as he took a second to process the features that Itachi had just described.
Based on what he had heard so far, it wasn't enough to confirm his suspicions. Jiraiya decided to try a different approach instead, wondering if he could get his answer by asking Itachi who Pain kept close at his side.
"What about companions? Does he keep anyone close in his stead?" Jiraiya relented.
"Yes. Whenever Pain is present at meetings, there is a woman named Konan always standing by his side. She has blue hair and amber-colored eyes." Itachi answered.
"So it is them." Jiraiya sighed deeply.
Left a bit baffled by the Toad Sage's response, Itachi asked, "Are you acquainted with them?"
"Yes. Konan was a former student of mine. The other you described sounds more Yahiko. Something doesn't add up though because Nagato was a redhead and he possessed the Rinnegan. Yahiko on the other hand had orange hair. This mystery just continues to deepen." A stumped Jiraiya finished.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't have been of more help to you, Master Jiraiya. What do you plan to do with this information, especially now that you know one of your former students is somehow involved?"
"I'll have to give it some thought. If I were to guess, this will likely require further investigation to see what Yahiko and Nagato's roles are in the Akatsuki. In the meantime, why don't we discuss any other important information you might have withheld. Perhaps you could start by telling me how many tailed-beasts the Akatsuki has captured up until now." Jiraiya suggested in an effort to change the subject.
"The Akatsuki has already captured and extracted two Tailed-Beasts so far, those being the Five-Tails from Iwagakure and Seven-Tails of the Hidden Waterfall. As I explained to you and Lady Tsunade earlier, Pain intends to capture and extract all nine of the Tailed-Beasts and use them to create a weapon to bring all five elemental nation."
"What about the Akatsuki's next targets?" Jiraiya asked.
"While my former partner and I had been chasing down leads on the Four-Tails, another team had been dispatched by Pain to capture the Two-Tails jinchuriki somewhere in or near the borders of Lightning Country."
"That's a valuable piece of information to have. Too bad we don't have better diplomatic ties with Kumo." Jiraiya thought aloud.
"It might be in Naruto's best interest if we try to contact Kumo and share the information with them." Itachi suggested.
"Why?" Jiraiya asked.
"Based on the intelligence I was able to gather, there is another jinchuriki that is kept within the confines of the Hidden Cloud. This individual holds the Gyuki and has mastered its chakra, enabling him to work side-by-side with the beast. The only problem, however, is that the Gyuki's jinchuriki is very close to the Raikage." Itachi explained.
"Ah yes, Unruly A. It's been quite some time since I last had the pleasure of dealing with that overgrown ape. Can't say I'm too fond of the man.."
"If what you say is true though about the Gyuki's jinchuriki having befriended the beast and gained control over its power in the process, then this may be just the thing we need to help Naruto push his own training with the Nine-Tails to a point where he can do the same. The best chance we have to get our foot in the door would be if we can provide assistance in tracking down the jinchuriki that your former cohorts have in their crosshairs right now. I think Naruto's next destination should be the Hidden Cloud." Jiraiya reasoned.
"I agree. Now if you don't mind me asking Master Jiraiya, were you able to convince Lady Hokage to tell Naruto about his parents?"
"Unfortunately, no. Tsunade is being a stubborn mule herself right now and doesn't want to budge, so I'm letting her cool off a bit before I bring the matter up again." Jiraiya replied.
What didn't make sense to the Toad Sage, however was Itachi's sudden curiosity about Naruto. "You seem awfully interested in the brat. Care to explain why?"
"When I met up with Naruto during the Kazekage retrieval mission as you had requested, he was skeptical of where my allegiances truly lie. To convince him that I was on his side, I granted his request to know the truth of what really happened during the Massacre as soon as he returned to the village. That is why I had asked you and Lady Tsunade about when he was due back."
Not fully convinced just yet, Jiraiya cautiously inquired, "Are you sure that's wise a decision?"
"With all due respect Master Jiraiya, we've been working together long enough to the point where I thought you knew that I'm a man of my word. Don't forget that my story contains information that will give Naruto a better understanding of what he may face. So regardless of whether or not you want me tell Naruto the truth concerning those events, I intend to hold up my end of the bargain."
"Alright. I suppose it's only fair considering how much you've done to protect this village over the last seven years. As soon as Naruto returns, I'll tell him to come meet with you. When he does though, omit any details pertaining to Minato and Kushina. I'll see if Tsunade and I can come to some sort of an agreement when I go to see her after this."
"Understood Master Jiraiya." Itachi said.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other business to tend to." The Frog Hermit said as he got up and began to walk towards the door, but not before stopping to say one last thing to Itachi .
"Oh, and one more thing Itachi. Be ready for a trial first thing tomorrow morning. The Village Advisors and Danzo's days in power are about to come to an end."
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The village was abuzz in the days that followed after Itachi's trial. Tsunade had wasted little time in preparing a public announcement, pardoning Itachi and also announcing his immediate reinstatement as a shinobi.
What really came as more of a shock to the villagers and shinobi alike was the sudden shake up in leadership. News quickly spread that the Fifth had stripped the Village Advisors of their power and kicked them out of the Hokage Mansion.
As for Danzo, the search for him and the members of his Foundation that followed proved to be unfruitful. Tsunade decided that any remaining members of Root would form their own special unit in the Leaf Shinobi Corps, overseen by a former member of Danzo's organization named Tenzo. Tsunade didn't trust the Old Warhawk one bit and knew he likely left some of his people behind, looking for the slightest weakness to exploit.
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(With Itachi…)
After being declared a free man, Itachi's first order of business was paying a visit to the old Uchiha district at the edge of the village.
In the years since the massacre, his clan's old grounds had gone from a place that was once filled with so much life to nothing more than a soulless collection of rotting buildings covered by weeds growing on the exterior.
Slowly trudging through different parts of the Uchiha district, Itachi couldn't help but be reminded of the painful images and sounds that were forever burned into his mind. He could still hear the screams of men, women and children alike reverberating in the back of his mind, playing on an endless loop.
When he finally reached the compound that he had once called home, Itachi fell to his hands and knees. Fresh droplets began to stream from his tear-stained eyes, covering the ground like a gentle August rain. This was the place that Itachi had dreaded returning to most, as it represented where he had been forced to make the hardest choice of all that fateful night; killing his own parents.
Unlike their pain which had faded in an instant, Itachi would forever be haunted by the actions he undertook to preserve the peace of the Hidden Leaf.
It was for that very same reason why Itachi had selected Sasuke to be the one to punish him. Everything he had done over the years since the massacre, playing the role of the villain to make Sasuke hate him, had ultimately failed.
Now as the last true loyal member of the Uchiha clan, Itachi wanted to make good on his promise to the Fifth Hokage that he truly meant it when he stated his intention to rebuild the credibility of the Uchiha name. The only problem was, Itachi didn't know how he was going to do that just yet. In his struggle to find an answer, Itachi went to the Leaf's cemetery.
As he stood before his best friends grave, only one thought was flowing through Itachi's mind, 'What would you do Shisui?'
Itachi finally got his answer later that day when the Godaime requested his presence at the Hokage Mansion, where he was briefed of the upcoming mission he'd soon partake in.
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(A Few Days Later…)
Team Kakashi and Team Guy were relieved to see the sight of Konoha's main gate finally coming into view following their long journey back from the Hidden Sand.
Izumo and Kotetsu stopped both teams on the way in, wanting to pass along a message to Kakashi and Guy about orders from the Godaime.
While they were doing that, Naruto took this as an opportunity to thank and also apologize to his friends, "Before you guys go, I just want to say thank you for coming to assist us. Sorry about being so distant after we managed to rescue Gaara, but I needed some time to wrap my head around everything that's gone on."
"There's no need to apologize, Naruto. We understand that you're going through a difficult time right now." Neji said.
"Yeah, Neji's right. And don't worry about the whole Nine-Tails thing either. Your secret is safe with us, whether you decide to tell the rest of the Rookie Nine or not." Tenten added.
"Even in dampened spirits, your heart burns brightly with the flames of youth!" Lee exclaimed with his usual sense of enthusiasm.
"What did I tell you about doing things like that?" Tenten scolded, whacking Lee lightly on the back of his head.
"Sorry about that guys." Tenten quickly apologized before she offered up a suggestion that might help lighten Naruto's mood. "If you and Naruto are up for it Sakura, maybe we could do a little get together with the other members of your class from the academy."
"You know, it's funny that you mention it Tenten. I was just talking about doing something like that with Ino-Pig before we left for Suna. Once we know where things stand after turning in our report to Lady Tsunade, I'll see if I can touch base with Ino and plan a small welcome back party for this baka."
"Sounds good. We'll see you guys later!" Tenten shouted as she disappeared into the busy streets with Neji and Lee right behind her.
"I guess I'll be taking my leave as well, Kaksahi." Guy said.
"Thanks for your help Guy." Kakashi replied as he turned to his students, "Alright you two, let's go make our report to Lady Tsunade."
"Actually sensei, could we take a little break before we go see Granny? There's someone I've been meaning to visit and I feel a bit bad about not going to see him as soon as I returned with Pervy Sage." Naruto requested.
"Let me guess. Iruka?" Kakashi asked, getting an eager nod from his student.
Kakashi gave Naruto an eye-smile as he said, "Sure, I don't see why not. I'll meet you two in front of the Hokage Mansion in about an hour."
And with that, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.
With their sensei no doubt going somewhere so he could continue reading his Icha Icha book, Sakura figured she probably should take care of a few loose ends herself before they had to meet up with the Godaime.
"I'm gonna swing by my house to drop off my things and let my parents know that we're back from our mission. Seeing that I'm back on active duty now, I doubt that I'll be spending as much time around the hospital. I probably should pay Ino-pig a visit too and start getting some plans going for that party."
"I can only imagine how that's gonna go. Ino will probably be more focused on trying to extract as much juicy gossip as she can about you and me rather than actually trying to plan a party." Naruto chuckled.
Sakura paled at the thought but knew her boyfriend wasn't wrong. The pinkette vaguely remembered the Yamanaka heiress had explicitly stated in so many words during their last encounter that she would be pressing for every minute detail down to the letter about her intimate time with Naruto. It would be a wonder if Ino had managed to keep her mouth shut for once. Sakura wouldn't put it past her though considering Konoha's self-proclaimed gossip queen couldn't go for one second without trying to stick her nose into someone else's business, especially when it just so happened to pertain to their personal lives.
Making a mental note to herself to kill Ino if she had even once flapped her gums to the wrong person about the fact that she was dating Naruto, Sakura quickly composed herself as she knew that they only had a short time to accomplish whatever they needed to do before meeting with the Godaime.
"If Ino so much as uttered one word about it when I specifically told her not to, she's going to be dead meat." Sakura spat with a small hint of anger as she talked of her best friend.
Trying to maintain a calm outward facade, Naruto felt a small shiver go down his spine. The jinchuriki still had yet to figure out how he had managed to do everything right thus far since entering his new relationship with Sakura. A small part of him wanted to believe his success stemmed from the fact that he had paid close attention while observing the habits of his perverted sensei, making careful notes on what to avoid doing that would earn his mentor a powerful right-hook to the jaw. If Naruto had to guess though, the reason things were going so well with the pinkette was because he could trust in the fact that what they had was genuine and real.
Coming back to reality, Naruto noticed that Sakura's brief stint of anger had quickly vanished. Her beautiful emerald irises gazed at him with nothing but a look of love and devotion embedded in them.
Sakura couldn't help but giggle as she watched her loveable idiot finally snap out of his stupor. That's when she finally spoke up, "Once I'm finished dealing with Ino-pig, I'll wait for you outside the academy. Be sure to tell Iruka-sensei I said hello."
"Will do. See you in a bit Sakura-chan."
Sakura gave Naruto a peck on the lips, flashing a loving smile at him as she left.
Taking a moment to ponder how he had gotten so lucky to be with Sakura, Naruto began to head off in the direction of the academy to visit an old friend.
XXXX
Naruto came to an abrupt stop as he finally reached the door to his old classroom. As a courtesy, the blonde decided to be polite and knock before entering. It was the least he could do after being such a troublemaker in his academy days.
Giving a gentle rap on the door a few times, Naruto patiently waited for a response until he heard an older man's voice from the other side hollar, "Come in!"
Gently sliding the door open, Naruto found his former instructor busy at work, grading what he guessed to be a pop quiz.
"Your textbook is right where you left Akira. Please try not to leave it behind again. I'd hate for you to become as careless as one of my former students who used to cause me nothing but headaches with his pranks such as painting the Hokage Monument in broad daylight." Iruka briefly ranted without looking up once as he continued with his task.
"Gee Iruka-sensei, I didn't think you would still hold that prank against me after all these years. In my defense, it did give the faces on the Hokage Monument a much-needed makeover." Naruto replied in a mock hurt tone.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Iruka's head shot up, his eyes quickly traveling over to gaze at the figure standing in the doorway. A smile began to form as the Chunin Instructor dropped what he was doing and swiftly ran to embrace the blonde-haired jinchuriki in a hug.
Releasing his grip on the blonde, Iruka took a moment to admire how much Naruto had changed.
"It's so good to see you Naruto. How have you been?" The
"It's nice to see you too Iruka-sensei. I'm a bit exhausted, but two to three days of traveling through nothing but sand and forests will do that to you. Sorry I didn't come to visit you sooner but the day after I returned from my training trip, Grandma Tsunade deployed my team to assist in the rescue of Gaara."
"No need to apologise Naruto. I heard you were back from Shizune when I ran into her in town the other day and she mentioned something about the Kazekage being kidnapped. Anyway, would you like to come have a seat? I am eager to hear more about your exploits while away with Lord Jiraiya."
"Uh, sure. I've got a little time before I need to see Granny."
"Excellent." Iruka said as he observed something was a little different with his former troublemaker of a student, "Before we talk about your training trip, I couldn't help but notice you have an extra spring in your step. Do you have a special lady in your life?"
"Hai. I'm seeing Sakura-chan now." Naruto chirped happily.
"Sakura Haruno eh? You sure picked a feisty one. I shouldn't be one to judge though seeing I'm attracted to the same quality in a woman. Keep this between you and me Naruto, but I've been seeing Anko Mitarashi for a few months now." Iruka grinned a bit.
Though he was a bit surprised at first by the scarred Chunin's choice of women, Naruto was genuinely happy for his former academy instructor. The two then went on to discuss Naruto's many adventures during his training trip with Jiraiya.
XXXX
(Around the same time with Sakura…)
After leaving her boyfriend so he could pay a visit to their old academy teacher, Sakura stopped by briefly at her home to drop off her gear. Her mother was the only one home, as her father was apparently out running some errands for their shop. Promising to fill her in on more of the details about Team Kakashi's recent mission to rescue Gaara when she got home later, Sakura ran out the door in search of the Yamanaka heiress.
When she reached the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Sakura took a moment to mentally prepare herself for the round of twenty questions that Ino would likely subject her to as soon as she set foot within the store.
Sitting behind the counter, casually flipping through the pages of a magazine stood one Ino Yamanaka. The platinum blonde was bored out of her mind at present, as it was proving to be a very slow day for business. Upon hearing the door chime as a customer walked through the entrance, Ino began to murmur the customary greeting that had been drilled into her skull from a young age by her parents, "Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. How can I help you?"
"Wow, you sure seem real enthusiastic, Ino-pig." A familiar voice jokingly jabbed.
Upon hearing her infamous nickname that her pink-haired friend had given her years ago, Ino perked her head up ever so slightly to see Sakura standing in front of her with a smirk on her face.
"Forehead? Where've you been? I know you said that you had a mission with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, but I didn't think you'd be gone this long."
"It's a long story piggy, so I'll give you the abridged version for now. An urgent dispatch came in from Suna the day after Naruto got back, requesting assistance to rescue Gaara."
"How is he? Are his brother and Temari okay?"
"Kankuro and Temari are fine. We also managed to save Gaara just in time before his tailed-beast was extracted by the Akatsuki."
"That's great! So where is your boyfriend?" Ino inquired, eager to get into the juicy gossip.
'And here it comes…' Sakura groaned internally.
"He's visiting Iruka-sensei at the academy right now." Sakura quickly responded, hoping that an honest answer would be the end of the platinum-blonde's questioning.
"Oh that's too bad. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of just how much of a stud he's become." Ino teased, a devilish smile starting to form in the corners of her lips.
A vein began to throb on Sakura's forehead. Much as she would love to give Ino a piece of her mind right about now, Sakura knew that her friend was trying to push her buttons. Taking a deep breath, Sakura let her pent-up anger just melt away.
"Wow forehead, I'm impressed. Normally you would've blown up at that. So what brings you by?" The Yamanaka heiress questioned.
"Well you remember we were talking about having a little get-together right with the rest of our friends?" Sakura replied.
"Yeah. What about it?" Ino asked.
"I was thinking you and I could put something casual and fun together for tomorrow night. Naruto has really been itching to catch up with everyone." Sakura said.
"I don't see why not. Where were you thinking of holding it?"
Struggling to come up with ideas at first, a venue that the pinkette and her friends finally came to mind, "Maybe at the grill Choji's dad owns."
"I think that might be doable, but let me double check with Choji first. I'll get back to you tomorrow morning with a definitive answer." Ino said.
"Thanks Ino!" Sakura cheerfully replied. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to meet up with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei to give our report to Lady Tsunade."
"Not so fast, Billboard Brow. You promised me a run-down of what you and Naruto did while you were away. Now spill."
"I know I did Ino, but it'll have to wait for another time." The pinkette replied.
"Oh come on Forehead. What is so important that you can't even stop to tell me, you're best friend, about?" Ino whined.
"Pig! I'm not going to say it again. There are bigger things in play right now with the Akatsuki and my boyfriend just so happens to be affected by it." Sakura briefly elaborated as she tried to come up with another way to reassure Ino that she'd tell her the truth when the time was right, "Now I promise I'll tell you everything, but only when either Shishou or Naruto himself gives me permission to do so."
Sighing in defeat, Ino finally said, "Alright Forehead, fine. But I'm holding you to that."
"You have my word. Now I really do need to get going though Ino." Sakura said, waving to say goodbye as she ran off to meet Naruto.
The Yamanaka heiress on the other hand was left with more questions than answers. Just what had her best friend been talking about when she said that Naruto was somehow affected by the Akatsuki? What secret did Naruto carry that only a select group of people knew?
These were all questions that Ino was determined to get. But for now, she would respect Sakura's request and wait to be told the truth like everyone else.
XXXX
(Back with Naruto at the academy…)
With his long-overdue visit to Iruka now complete, Naruto was making his way to the exit of the academy. As soon as he opened the door, Naruto was greeted by the sight of his girlfriend, eagerly waiting for him just as she had promised she would.
Giving her boyfriend a quick kiss on the lips, Sakura was the first to speak, "So how did it go with Iruka-sensei?"
"It was nice being able to catch up with him. He mainly wanted to know what I was up to while out training with Pervy Sage. Girls also came up some point during our conversation too. I told him about us being together. I hope you don't mind." Naruto nervously asked.
"Of course not. Iruka-sensei has always been like a father figure for you." Sakura beamed with happiness. "We better get going. Shishou is no doubt waiting for us."
"Yeah. Granny's probably not gonna be too happy that I was the one keeping her waiting." Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
The couple linked their hands and began to walk through the academy entrance to get back on the main road. Naruto and Sakura came to an abrupt halt when they noticed a large white dog was coming their way with its owner riding on back. Sakura immediately knew who it was and began to prepare herself in the event a certain shy Hyuga might be accompanying him.
Up until now, Sakura hadn't once felt the need to be insecure about her relationship with Naruto. Hinata represented the one major obstacle still standing in her way. She had to mark her territory while also being considerate of Hinata's feelings for Naruto at the same time. The pinkette felt the best way to start sending a message that the blonde jinchuriki was off the market was by doing simple gestures of intimacy, such as what they were doing right now in the form of holding hands.
"Woah! Slow down Akamaru." Kiba ordered his trusty companion. "Hey Sakura. Who's your new friend?"
"Ha ha ha. You're so funny, Kiba." Naruto sarcastically replied.
Picking up the familiar scent of his old friend, Kiba's eyes lit up, "Yo, Naruto! It's good to see you man! When did you get back from your trip with Lord Jiraiya?"
"Good to see you too Kiba." Naruto greeted the ninja hound user. "I got back with Pervy Sage just over a week ago, but I haven't really been in the village too much per say. Granny sent Sakura-chan and I on a mission with Kakashi-sensei to assist Suna. We just returned from that a little while ago."
"Oh, nice. So what are you guys up to now?" Kiba inquired.
"We're going to see Lady Tsunade for a debrief." Sakura cut in, hoping to keep their conversation short so she wouldn't have to run into Hinata. Unfortunately, the Hyuga heiress was quickly approaching alongside Shino.
"Kiba, please don't go running off like that. Kurenai-sensei is waiting for us at the training field." Hinata cut herself off as her pale eyes took notice of a familiar sight.
"H-hello, Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted her crush, beginning to twiddle her thumbs as she tried her best not to stutter and pass out.
"Hey Hinata." The oblivious idiot cheerfully replied. "Nice to see you as well Shino."
Shino gave Naruto a small nod in acknowledgement.
Grateful to finally see some of his other friends again, Naruto wanted to take a little time to catch up. It was not a sentiment that the pinkette standing next to seemed willing to share.
Sakura's jealous streak had already begun to burn inside from the moment Hinata greeted her boyfriend with the same honorific she too now used. Scrambling to come up with a way to remove herself and Naruto from their current predicament, Sakura tightened her grip on Naruto's hand.
The blonde yelped loudly and said, "Ow! Why are you squeezing my hand so hard, Sakura-chan?"
Giving him an innocent smile, Sakura tried to deflect Naruto's question by reminding the jinchuriki that they had somewhere else to be, "Come on baka. We still need to go see Lady Tsunade."
Watching as Sakura dragged Naruto off towards the Hokage Mansion, Kiba couldn't help but notice that something was off with the two, Sakura in particular.
"Is it me or was Sakura acting really weird with Naruto just now." Kiba stated objectively.
"I think your assessment is accurate, Kiba. Sakura and Naruto's fingers were linked. That typically represents a sign of intimacy." Shino added.
"Intimacy huh? So that means Naruto and Sakura could be dating. Looks like you missed out on your chance Hinata."
Upon hearing Kiba insinuate that there was a chance her crush was now off the market, Hinata began to feel lightheaded and passed out.
Acting on instinct, Kiba quickly moved to support the now passed out Hyuga and carefully lifted her onto Akamaru's back.
"Ah well, we better go meet up with Kurenai-sensei." Kiba said.
Shino nodded in agreement.
XXXX
After being dragged halfway across the village by his girlfriend, the young couple found themselves standing in front of the Hokage Mansion, waiting for the masked pervert to show up.
Naruto was a bit baffled by Sakura's unusual behavior. In an effort to find what the cause might be, Naruto decided to ask her what was wrong, "Sakura-chan, you're acting really weird. Is everything okay?"
"O-of course." The pinkette stuttered a bit. "I didn't want to be late. That's all."
"Please don't lie to me, Sakura-chan. There's clearly something else bothering you. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Naruto asked.
Sakura said nothing as stared down at the ground.
"Would it have something to do with Hinata?" Naruto questioned.
Shocked that her boyfriend was able to discover what had been bothering her so easily, Sakura asked, "How did you know?"
"I could tell because you weren't acting like your usual self. Plus, you've only squeezed my hand with your strong grip twice since we started dating. And in both instances, you did it when there was something serious on your mind. Now, please tell me what's wrong so I can make it better." Naruto repeated with genuine sincerity once more, which is all it took for Sakura to finally cave.
Sighing in defeat, Sakura finally replied, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but I was really nervous."
"Why did you feel nervous? It was just Hinata." Naruto said.
"That's the problem Naruto. Hinata has feelings for you. Much longer than I have." Sakura explained, only to get a clueless look from the blonde.
"Haven't you noticed the way her cheeks turn red, twiddles her thumbs, stutters whenever she tries to talk, or even that she faints if you even lay the slightest finger on her?" Sakura asked, but Naruto still had no idea what she was talking about.
Her patience wearing thin, Sakura decided to take a more direct approach in hopes that her idiot boyfriend would finally understand what she meant, "Damnit Naruto! The reason I was so nervous is because I felt insecure while in Hinata's presence. I thought that you might change your mind about being with me when you saw what she really looked like instead of just taking my word for it. I… mmph"
The pinkette was cut off as Naruto passionately pressed his lips against hers.
Breaking off the kiss, Naruto put his hands on both of Sakura's shoulders to reassure her, earning the pink-haired medic's full attention.
"Sakura-chan, I thought I made it clear that I don't care what any other girl looks like. You are the most beautiful kunoichi in this village, hell probably the entire world." Naruto reassured, causing some tears of joy to glaze over Sakura's beautiful emerald eyes.
"So please believe me when I say that you are the only girl for me. Hinata is just a friend to me and nothing is going to change that." Naruto finished as he locked his lips with his pink-haired lover once more.
Sakura wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, deepening the kiss briefly until the two finally pulled away.
Wiping the remaining stray tears from her eyes, Sakura looked at Naruto and could say nothing more than, "I love you, Naruto."
"I love you too." Naruto smiled.
Just then, a puff of smoke appeared next to them, revealing their sensei Kakashi Hatake with his face indeed still buried in Jiraiya's newest Icha Icha book. Turning to look at his students, Kakashi gave them a lazy wave and said, "I think we've kept the Godaime waiting long enough. Let's get this over with."
His students nodded and followed him inside the Hokage Mansion.
XXXX
When Team Kakashi arrived at the Godaime's office, the busty Hokage looked up from her current task and said, "I was wondering when you three were planning on showing up."
"Sorry to keep you waiting Granny. I wanted to go visit Iruka-sensei." Naruto replied.
Giving the blonde-haired knucklehead a reassuring smile, Tsunade got up and walked around her desk to wrap Naruto in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry about Gaara. How you holding up brat?"
"I'm hanging in there, Granny. I wish there was something more I could have done for Gaara, but I suppose the best thing I can do is hold out hope that he'll wake up from his coma one day."
"Well if he's anything like you brat, I'm sure he'll pull through just fine. Now, why don't you begin filling me in on the Akatsuki." Tsunade said as she took her seat once more.
"We were successful in defeating at least one member of the Akatsuki. Naruto and Sakura took down Sasori of the Red Sand with the assistance of his grandmother, Lady Chiyo within the group's hideout. While my students were engaged in their fight, I gave chase to Sasori's partner, Deidara of Iwagakure. Thanks to Naruto's quick thinking of sending a Chakra-enhanced Shadow Clone to assist me, we managed to rescue Gaara from Deidara's clutches. Sadly, I can't say for certain whether he is dead or alive. I had to use my Sharingan to teleport Deidara away before he could commit suicide and inflict damage upon myself or Guy's team. In conclusion though, the mission to rescue Gaara was a success." Kakashi finished.
Satisfied with Team Kakashi's results, Tsunade smiled and said, "You three did well. I'm giving you all a few days off before I assign you your next mission. And while we're on the topic, there's a few things you should know. The first is that you'll be going to the Hidden Cloud." The busty Hokage began to explain.
"Excuse me Shishou, but why Kumogakure?" Sakura interjected.
"It comes at the suggestion of Jiraiya's informant, who was able to discover that one of Kumo's two jinchuriki has managed to tame the beast they hold and now works alongside it as a two-man team. I believe this is something that Naruto has started to work towards as well according to the old perv." Tsunade smiled a bit at the blonde jinchuriki, who gave her a fox-like grin in response.
"In addition, we've learned that a two-man team is currently trying to hunt down their other jinchuriki as we speak. That's why I plan to send you three to Lightning Country in hopes that we can assist in tracking down the Two-Tails' jinchuriki before the Akatsuki can capture her."
"I think I understand where you are going with this Lady Tsunade. By doing so, this would give us a possible chance for Naruto to learn from their other jinchuriki so he can work alongside the Nine-Tails." Kakashi said.
"You're right on the money Kakashi. And you won't be carrying out this mission alone. I have decided to assign Jiraiya's informant as a liaison to Team Kakashi. His extensive knowledge of the Akatsuki will prove to be a valuable asset. I assume you are all familiar with the identity of the man I'm speaking of?" The Godaime inquired.
"It's Itachi right?" Naruto blurted out.
"That's correct brat. Itachi's has already been briefed on the details." Tsunade said.
"He's also waiting to see you." Jiraiya said as he hopped in through the open window.
"Pervy sage? What the heck are you doing here?" Naruto asked the Frog Hermit.
"Itachi Uchiha is back in the village and is waiting to see you. Once you're done here, go see him at his new apartment just off the Market District." The Toad Sannin replied as he handed Naruto a piece of paper with directions to Itachi's new residence on it.
"Can't you ever use the door you damn perv?" Tsunade chastised.
"Where would the fun it that be Tsunade? You know just as well as Sarutobi-sensei did that I hate to stay in one place for too long." Jiraiya joked.
"Whatever." Tsunade groaned in annoyance, turning her attention instead to her apprentice and Naruto, "Sakura, I want you to accompany Naruto. I think it's best you both knew the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre, as one of the people involved in that whole fiasco is also a powerful member of the Akatsuki. When you're done talking with Itachi, come back and see me. There's something else we need to discuss, particularly pertaining to you brat."
Left a bit baffled by the Godaime's remark, Naruto turned to look at his girlfriend, who didn't even know what to make of it herself.
Shrugging it off for now, Naruto and Sakura took their leave and went in search of Itachi.
Once they were gone, Kakashi briefly looked up from his book again and said, "If you won't be needing me for anything Lady Tsunade, then I'll take my leave as well."
"Not so fast Kakashi. I want you to stay put right where you are. There's something that Jiraiya and I wish to discuss with you. It involves telling Naruto about your former sensei."
Kakashi's lone uncovered eye widened in shock.
"Are you serious?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes. Itachi gave us a rundown of what Naruto might face down the road and it isn't pretty." Jiraiya replied.
"Though I was reluctant at first, Jiraiya and I agreed that the need to tell Naruto prematurely has arisen. I think it's best if you took a seat Kakashi so we can fill you in on the details." Tsunade said, motioning for the silver-haired Jonin to take a seat.
XXXX
(With Naruto & Sakura…)
"Well this must be the place." Naruto said as he stood in front of a small apartment complex located in a more secluded and peaceful part of the village.
With Sakura close by his side, the young couple made their way to the top floor of the building, finally stopping when they reached the door to Itachi's residence. Naruto knocked gently a few times.
As they waited for Itachi to come to the door, words couldn't even begin to describe how nervous they were. The reason for this was simple. Itachi Uchiha represented one of the biggest mysteries in the Hidden Leaf to the younger generations. Sure, everyone knew what he did the night of the Uchiha Massacre, slaughtering his entire clan. But based on what the Godaime had told them, Itachi had a story that vastly differed from what the village was originally led to believe by the higher ups.
Footsteps could be heard slowly coming towards the door until it slowly opened to reveal one Itachi Uchiha.
"It's good to see you again Naruto." Itachi greeted.
The blonde knucklehead tried his best to put on a fake smile to mask his nervousness.
"And you must be Sakura. You're Naruto's teammate right?" Itachi asked, extending his hand out of courtesy to shake with Sakura.
"Hai. I'm also his girlfriend." Sakura whispered shyly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura. Please come in. We have a lot to talk about." Itachi stepped to the side to allow Naruto and Sakura to enter.
Once everyone was comfortably situated, Itachi was the first to speak up, "So Naruto, Master Jiraiya tells me that your mission to save the Kazekage was a success."
"Yeah. I can't begin to thank you enough for that Itachi. Had Pervy Sage not requested that you meet up with me, Gaara could have ended up in a far worse scenario. But enough about that, Granny Tsunade said you were waiting to talk to me about the Akatsuki." Naruto replied.
"Yes. The foes that you are going to face at some point in the not so distant future are very powerful. But before I get to that, I do have a promise to fulfill. You wanted me to tell you the truth of what really happened before, during and after the Uchiha Massacre took place. So let's begin." Itachi said as he started to tell Naruto and Sakura the true story behind the Uchiha Clan's downfall.
(A few hours later…)
"And so you see Naruto and Sakura, I didn't know who this man's identity until we began to close in on the Akatsuki lair. It was at that moment he revealed himself to be Madara Uchiha." Itachi finished, leaving Naruto and Sakura speechless.
Unbeknownst to Naruto, the Nine-Tails had been listening the entire time. The Demon Fox began to growl in anger when he heard Itachi mention that man's name.
'Hey Kyuubi. Is everything okay?' Naruto asked the Nine-Tails.
'No. I was listening to Itachi's story. The Madara he spoke of is the same one who took control of me the night of your birth sixteen years ago.' The Demon Fox replied.
'Are you sure?' Naruto inquired.
'Without question. I met him many years ago before he went into battle against the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.' The Kyuubi began to explain.
'How…' Naruto began ask, only for the Nine-Tails to quickly silence him.
'Save your questions for later. Come within your subconscious as soon as you can. There is much we need to discuss.' The Nine-Tails instructed, severing their connection.
Naruto spaced out for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around what the Nine-Tails had just told him.
"You okay Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked.
"I'm not sure. I just spoke with the Nine-Tails. He said that Madara Uchiha was present the night I was born."
"So my suspicions were correct. The same man who helped me wipe out the Uchiha was also the one who fought the Fourth."
"What are you talking about Itachi?" The pink-haired medic inquired.
"The man claiming to be Madara must have faced the Fourth. During their battle, he placed a seal on Madara; the formula for the Flying Raijin." Itachi answered, turning his attention back to the blonde jinchuriki, "Naruto, how much progress have you made in working with the Nine-Tails?"
"I can control up to three tails of its power. The Kyuubi and I started to communicate more openly after an incident in the Hidden Mist when Pervy Sage and I were assisting the rebels."
"I see. Did the Nine-Tails say anything else?"
"Apparently there is something else he wants to talk about. If you guys don't mind, I'd like to meditate so I can communicate with him." Naruto said.
"Of course." Itachi replied as he turned his attention to the pinkette, "Sakura, would you care to join me for some tea in the kitchen? I think we should give Naruto some time alone so he can see what the Nine-Tails has to say."
"Uh, sure." Sakura reluctantly agreed.
Slowly standing up to follow Itachi, Sakura looked at Naruto and said, "I'll be in the next room if you need me."
"Okay, Sakura-chan." The jinchuriki smiled in response.
Naruto sat down in a cross-legged position and closed his eyes as he began to meditate. Within a few minutes, he was standing in front of the Nine-Tails' cage in his subconscious.
'Hey Kyuubi. I'm here as you requested.' Naruto greeted the large Demon Fox.
Slowly awakening from his nap, the Nine-Tails looked upon his host and said, 'You're punctual as always, brat. Now where was I?'
'You were starting to tell me about the first time you encountered Madara Uchiha before he fought against the First Hokage.' Naruto reminded.
'That's right. I still remember the day I met that bastard for the first time." The Nine-Tails reminisced as he began to share his tale with Naruto.
Flashback
The Nine-Tailed fox stood in an unknown location, gritting his teeth in anger as he looked down upon Madara, waiting for him to speak.
"I have been looking for you, Nine-Tails. What a pity it is to see you at only a fraction of your former strength. Madara insinuated.
"Shut up." The Kyuubi warned.
"You are just an ignorant, unstable power…" Madara continued to belittle the Tailed Beast.
"Shut up." The Nine-Tails reiterated once more, his eyes narrowing as his anger only began to culminate further.
"Those who shall guide you are the Uchiha. You Tailed Beasts are simply servants of those with Visual Prowess!" Madara boldly stated.
"Shut the hell up!" The Demon-Fox roared in anger.
Madara made a hand sign with two fingers, his eyes widening as the Sharingan flared to life.
"Obey!" Madara said, placing the Demon Fox under a Genjutsu.
Flashback End
'I don't remember what happened after that bastard took control of me with his Sharingan. At some point during their fight, Hashirama used his Mokuton Jutsu to sever Madara's control over me. When it was all over, Hashirama deemed me too powerful to be allowed to walk free, so his wife took matters into her own hands and sealed me inside of her, becoming the Leaf's first jinchuriki. Her name was Mito Uzumaki.' The Nine-Tails finished.
'So that's why you hate humans so much.' Naruto stated objectively.
'What?' A puzzled Nine-Tails looked at his host.
'It all makes sense why you have such a deep resentment towards humans. That one encounter with Madara Uchiha is what started it all, wasn't it?' Naruto asked.
'You aren't as dumb as a lot of people make you out to be.' The Nine-Tailed Fox jabbed, 'But yes, you're correct. It is because of Madara Uchiha that I have harbored such a distaste for humans all these years. His narrow-minded perception of viewing me as nothing more than a weapon is no different than most other beings that I've encountered. It is because of humans like him that I've always been labeled me as a monster with no emotions and therefore deserved none in return. But you have proven to be quite an unusual exception to that ideology. You may find this hard to believe brat, but you are the first host that I have willingly talked to since being sealed away.'
'You know Kyuubi, I always wondered why you chose to communicate with me more openly considering that you were once plotting ways to incite my anger enough to the point where the seal would break and you could become free. What made you change your mind?' Naruto asked.
'I tolerate you because you're the first human that has had the common decency to treat me with a modicum of respect. Or perhaps what I should say, the first being that is since the Sage of Six Paths.' The Nine-Tails corrected himself.
'That's the person Pervy Sage was telling me about. He said Sage of Six Paths was the one who supposedly invented all known ninjutsu or something along those lines.' Naruto added.
'I suppose that's a fair description of the Old Man.' The Fox laughed a bit before returning to the topic at hand, 'Something you should know about each Tailed Beast, Naruto, is that we hate being treated as weapons. We too want to be treated as beings that feel the same emotions you humans do. That is the other reason why I have been a bit more willing to work alongside you. You have been showing me through your actions and words alone that perhaps not all humans are bad.'
'Well let's not forget about that incident in the Hidden Mist during the training trip with Pervy Sage that initiated our unusual pact.' Naruto chuckled.
'Indeed.' The Nine-Tails snorted from the faint recollection of past incident his host was speaking of.
Taking a moment to regain his composure, Naruto still had a burning question in his mind, 'Hey Nine-Tails, can I ask you something?'
Arching an eyebrow, the Demon Fox replied, 'What is it you wish to know?'
'How many other jinchuriki have there been in the history of the Hidden Leaf?' Naruto inquisitively asked.
'Only two. As I stated earlier, Mito Uzumaki was the first. When her health began to deteriorate, a girl from the same village was brought to the Leaf to become my next container.' The Nine-Tails began to elaborate.
'What was her name?' Naruto quickly followed up.
'Kushina Uzumaki.'
'Another Uzumaki? Why did the village select two people from the same clan?'
'Though the Uzumaki clan is now largely non-existent, they were renowned for their sealing Justu, large reserves of Chakra and strong longevity.' The Nine-Tails answered.
'Well what happened to Kushina?' Naruto pressed the Tailed Beast once more for further information.
The Nine-Tails paused as he carefully considered what he was about to tell his host. Tired of waiting for the pervert and the old bag to tell Naruto the truth, the Kyuubi decided to take matters into his own hands.
'She died the night you were born. Both herself and her husband gave their lives to save their son and the village in the process.'
'Woah, slow down a sec there Kyuubi. The fate of Kushina Uzumaki is beginning to sound a bit like the story that Iruka-seansei taught us in the academy all those years ago. If memory serves me right, it's the same one in which the Fourth Hokage was killed sealing you inside of me not long after I was born.' Naruto analyzed.
'A keen observation brat, but that's only one part of the story. The Yondaime took the Yin Half of me with him to his grave using the Reaper Death Seal. He sealed the Yang Half in his son to protect the village should the same masked man try to attack again in the future.' The Nine-Tails explained, watching with curiosity as his host tried to put two and two together.
'If Kushina Uzumaki died the same night I was born… and the Fourth Hokage sealed half of the Nine-Tails in his own son… then that must mean…' Naruto stopped abruptly as the realization finally hit him. 'I'm the son of Kushina Uzumaki and the Fourth Hokage, aren't I?'
Still surprised that Naruto had been able to figure it out, the Kyuubi hesitantly replied, 'Yes. You are the legacy of the Fourth Hokage.'
Naruto was at a loss for words right now. Every time he asked Lord Third about who his parents were, he got the same answer.
'There's no use asking that. It won't bring the dead back.' The Third's words echoed in his mind.
Recalling that the busty Hokage had previously stated there was something important she wanted to tell him, Naruto figured that the truth of his lineage was the very secret she'd been alluding to.
'I can't believe it! All this time, I was told that my parents were nothing more than ordinary people. And now they just decide to suddenly change course, knowing that I was the son of two great heroes right along!?' Naruto shouted angrily, tears beginning to run down either side of his face.
The Nine-Tails, known to be the embodiment of evil and hatred, couldn't help but look on in sadness to some small degree as his host tried to process this shocking revelation.
'How could they!' Naruto choked out through his sobs. 'I trusted Jiji, Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage. And this is how they repay it!?'
Having remained silent, the Nine-Tails decided to offer some reassuring words in hopes that it would help Naruto ease his pain, "I will leave you to address this as you see fit. And for what little it's worth, I'm sorry Naruto.'
'A part of me wants to hate your guts for keeping me in the dark for all these years. But another part is grateful that you at least came clean and told me the truth. Thank you Kyuubi.' Naruto said.
'Kurama.' The large Demon Fox corrected.
'What?' A confused Naruto asked the Tailed Beast.
'Idiot. You're the one who said that you wanted to know what my name is. You may call me Kurama.' The Nine-Tails repeated once more.
'Oh, uh… thank you, Kurama.' Naruto stuttered briefly, his attention now set on going to pick a bone with the two legendary Sannin, "Now if you'll excuse, I need to go confront Granny and Pervy Sage. They have a lot of explaining to do."
'Good luck, brat.' Kurama thought to himself as he settled back down in his cage, closing his eyes to rest once more.
Coming back to the real world, Naruto wasted no time as he stood up and began to bolt for the door.
Sakura and Itachi, who were just coming back into the room, had no idea what Naruto was doing.
"Is everything alright, Naruto?" Itachi asked.
"I'm sorry to cut this short Itachi, but I need to go see Granny and Pervy Sage. They've been hiding something from me and it's about damn time that I confront them over it." Naruto replied without looking back once as he ran out the door.
"Naruto wait!" Sakura shouted as she began to chase after him, but stopped when Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sakura, what Naruto is about to learn from Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya is something that will dramatically change everything for him. He is going to need someone like you to lean on more than ever."
"What are you talking about Itachi?" Sakura asked.
"If I were to guess, the Nine-Tails must have told Naruto who his parents were." Itachi surmised.
"Parents? But I thought that he was the orphan of ordinary civilians?" The medic-nin questioned.
"No. Naruto is the child of a woman named Kushina Uzumaki and her husband, the Fourth Hokage." Itachi replied.
Sakura was in pure shock right now, especially the part when Itachi stated Naruto's father was none other than the Yondaime himself. The pink-haired kunoichi wanted to smack herself in the head for not noticing the resemblance sooner.
"Did you know about this?" Sakura asked.
"Yes. I was the one who convinced Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya to tell him the truth about his parents because he will need access to the scrolls his father left behind if he is to defeat Madara." Itachi explained. "Now, go. You should be present to help him through this. "
Still a bit shaken by the bombshell revelation, Sakura gave Itachi a reluctant nod and sprinted out the door in the direction of the Hokage tower.
Closing the door behind her, Itachi could only hope that he had made the right choice in pushing for the truth to come out.
XXXX
(At the Hokage Mansion…)
Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi were still in the middle of discussing Itachi's return and the parameters of Team Seven's upcoming mission, when Naruto suddenly barged in through the door with a serious look on his face.
"You two have some explaining to do." Naruto spat angrily at the two Legendary Sannin.
"Explain what?" The two Sannin replied.
"My parents. I want to know what happened to them the night they died sixteen years ago! And don't you dare think about lying to me! Kurama told me who they were."
Unsure of who Kurama was, Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at one another, both wondering how Naruto had been able to figure out the truth on his own before they could break the news to him.
Growing impatient with their lack of response, Naruto yelled, "I'm only going to ask one more time! Am I the son of the Fourth Hokage or not!?"
End Chapter 13
A/N: And there we go guys! I hope you don't hate me for leaving you hanging to find out what happens next.
This was a long chapter and took me quite a while to finish, mainly due to how much stuff I had to setup and cover all at the same time. The next chapter shouldn't take quite as long to do (I hope lol).
Feel free to let me know what you guys thought! As always, thank you for your continued support and I'll see you guys next time!