Author's Note: Okay, a lot of people have been asking for quite a long time, so here it is. With this chapter, Naruto's training to master Kurama's power finally begins. I know a lot of you wanted this to happen much sooner, but I don't want to make Naruto so powerful I have trouble coming up with conflicts he can't solve instantly. I already regretted giving him Sage Mode so soon, and I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Enjoy:


Chapter 96:

Genbu the Turtle Island

or

Not really a vacation

Hyuga Estate

"Okay, here we go. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's get on with it."

"I should warn you that this might hurt. Like... a lot."

"I know, I know! Come on, let's start already."

"If the pain becomes too much, tell me and I-"

"Goddamit girl, do you ever shut up!?"

"R-Right, sorry. I'll get started immediately. Truth Seeking Ball!"

Inside a room of the Hyuga Compound were two women: Anko Mitarashi, lying on her belly on a bed, wearing nothing from her waist up, and Hinata Hyuga, sitting besides her, having just created a Truth Seeking Ball.

After word that Hinata had used her new powers to remove the what most people thought unremovable Caged Bird Seal, the Hyuga Clan head got a visit from Anko, who asked if she could do whatever she did to the Branch House members in order to remove the cursed seal Orochimaru marked her with so many years ago. While Hinata was a busy woman, she was able to make some time for such an important request.

"Okay, here we go," Hinata said.

The blue haired girl slowly lowered the Truth Seeking Ball towards the cursed seal on the base of Anko's neck. Even if it was in a less dangerous zone than the Caged Bird Seal, and it wasn't linked to the brain, the neck was a delicate zone as well. Finally, the Truth Seeking Ball made contact with Anko's skin, and the orb started to erase the seal. There was a hissing sound that was quickly silenced by Anko's screams.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!"

On top of the screams, Anko started to trash wildly in place. Hinata was startled, almost fell from her chair as she quickly removed the black orb from Anko's body.

"Sorry, sorry!" Hinata quickly apologized.

"Why... why did you stop, girl?" Anko asked, as she tried to regain her bearings.

"You... you looked to be in a lot of pain... and you started to move a lot..." Hinata replied.

"Yes, I admit it hurt like hell," Anko said, rubbing the marked spot. "Did it hurt that much with the other seal?"

"A little, but not as much as you say," Hinata said. "Though, I can see that this seal is different. The Caged Bird Seal felt inert, and this one... it feels like it's alive. Like it was trying to fight me, and wanted to preserve its existence at all costs. Like a cornered animal."

"Yeah, that's because this seal has a portion of Orochimaru's chakra and will," Anko explained. "As long as this seal exists, I'm linked to him. It has a mind of its own, and if I drop my guard, it will try to take over me."

"That's... horrible," Hinata said, covering her mouth with her hands. "Why didn't you come to me sooner, so I could take it away?"

"I DID come sooner!" Anko replied. "But you were always busy! Enough talking, come on, let's do it again!"

"Alright. But first, let me take some precautions. Lay still," Hinata said. When Anko was completely immobile, Hinata deilvered a series of finger strikes at several points of Anko's body, near the arms and the legs.

"OW! What the hell was that for!?" an indignant Anko asked. "Hey, what the fuck? I can't move!"

"Sorry, but I needed to make sure you don't trash again like before. Not even unwittingly," Hinata then placed a pillow under Anko's head. "If the pain becomes too unbearable, bite this."

Once again, Hinata lowered the Truth Seeking Ball, and the moment it touched the seal, it began all over again. Anko started to scream, though this time she bit into the pillow. Hinata continued to work on the seal, who was fighting to stay alive. Black markings started to spread around Anko as it tried to use her own chakra to sustain itself. However, the speed Hinata erased it was faster than the speed it regenerated itself. Eventually, the original mark disappeared, and with it, the black markings around Anko's body.

Despite only taking a couple minutes, it felt like much longer, especially for Anko, who in her twenty seven years of life never underwent such an intense physical pain. Not even when she was training for Torture & Interrogation. There was a reddened spot of burnt skin where the seal once was, a spot that Hinata quickly healed with the Mystic Palm Jutsu. She also removed the pillow from under Anko's face, which had been tattered to shreds. Lastly, Anko felt four more quick stabs of pain, before she regained the mobility on her arms and legs.

"It is done," Hinata announced. "How do you feel?"

"Oh my god, it's gone... it's really gone!" Anko said, as she sat up, and instinctively touched her neck. "I can't sense his presence anymore!"

"I'm glad I could be of help- EEP!"

"You're my hero, girl!" Anko shouted, as she pulled Hinata into a bone crushing hug. "Whatever you want in return, you only need to ask!"

That moment, the door of the room opened, revealing a Hyuga man with a look between worried and ready to fight.

"I heard screams! Hinata-sama, are you-WHOA!" the Hyuga said, blushing furiously.

Because when Anko hugged Hinata, she was still naked from the waist up, making the scene look far more suggestive than it was in reality.

"Get lost, dumbass! Don't you guys ever knock!?" the snake mistress hissed.

The Hyuga silently left before closing the door, while Hinata, still blushing, wordlessly handed Anko her mesh shirt, which the Snake Mistress took and put it on, much to the bluenette's relief.

"It was a pleasure helping you, Anko. I wish I could have done it earlier," Hinata said again. "If you want anything else, you only need to ask."

Anko was about to say that it's okay and what she did was more than enough for a single lifetime, but that was before an idea dawned upon her.

"Um, I feel kind of bad asking you something so soon, but you could also help me with something else," Anko said, sounding a little unease.

"If it's within my power, I shall do my best," Hinata said, smiling reassuringly.

"Well, you see..."

Sea to the west of the Continent

"Land ho!" one of the ninjas yelled.

Naruto and Fu, who were casually chatting with each other at the ship's deck, quickly rushed to the handrail at the edge of the ship in order to check if it was true. And, indeed, they could see the small shape of an island in the horizon, slowly growing as the ship approached.

"Man, finally!" Naruto said in exhasperation. "We've been on this ship for weeks! I want to start my training already!"

"Yeah, me too!" Fu agreed. "Especially since they didn't even let us train in the ship. What a bunch of party poopers."

"We didn't let you train in the ship, because if you did there would be no ship," a third voice said. Naruto and Fu turned their heads towards the newcomer, the Third Hokage, who walked towards them. Hiruzen was wearing a black and grey battle gear, helmet included. It was quite an odd sight, given that, like most people, Naruto and Fu were used seeing him wearing his usual loose white robes. "And weeks? We've only been at sea for three days."

"Just three? They felt like months to me," Naruto groaned. However, he smiled once the island started to become more visible.

Even if the journey wasn't that long, there wasn't many things to do aboard. The only training they could do was Senjutsu, and even that became old really fast. And even if they did have each other to make themselves company, they did miss their other friends and significant others.

Fu deployed her wings as she hopped onto the railway. "I want to see the island now!"

However, Hiruzen grabbed her by the arm, and forced her to step down –the old Hokage also thanked the gods above for not making the girl fly with him grabbing her–. "Don't get separated from the group, young Fu. Stay with each other at all times."

This time, it was Fu who groaned and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, gramps. Of the bunch we got saddled with, you're the least fun of all."

Hiruzen sighed in return. "So I wouldn't be a glorified babysitter, would I, Jiraiya?" the old Hokage thought in exasperation. "Might as well stayed of Konoha. If I had to take care of a couple of impatient kids, at least they could be my grandkids. And my grandkids don't have the power of a Kage."

Hiruzen gathered the rest of the escort team, Yugao, Hayate, Choza and Tenzo, just as the ship docked at a small port, where they were greeted by a group of Kumo ninjas. Their apparent leader was a man with spiky brown hair, small eyes, and a green mark running down the bridge of his nose.

"Welcome, Konoha ninjas, to Genbu island!" the Kumo ninja said. "My name is Motoi, and I'm in charge of the ninjas that protect and take care of this place."

Being the group leader, Sarutobi took a step forward. "Greeting, Motoi-san. My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi. My companions are Hayate Gekko, Yugao Uzuki, Choza Akimichi, and Tenzo," he then motioned to Naruto and Fu. "And these two youngsters are Naruto Uzumaki and Fu. They're the jinchuriki that came here for training."

"I see. Yeah, we received a message from Raikage-sama. Fortunately, Killer B-san arrived the day before you did, meaning that you can start your training immediately."

"Awesome!" both Naruto and Fu cheered in unison, as they shared a high five (which caused Naruto to nurse his hand in pain, since Fu didn't measure her strength).

"This island is the home to many large and potentially dangerous animals. But if you follow the established paths and don't bother them, they should leave you in peace," Motoi warned them.

The next moment, Fu felt a lot of eyes staring at her. "What? Why are you looking at me? It's not that-" Fu was interrupted when several massive butterflies flew above her. "OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE BUTTERFLIES! I have to see them closer!"

Even if she had deployed her wings, both Choza and Hayate grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to remain groundbound.

"Come on girl! What did Hokage-sama told you about not flying on your own?" Choza asked, as he struggled against the muscular girl.

Eventually, Fu gave up, and crossed her arms in annoyance. "Party pooper..."

"That girl is quite an excitable one, isn't she?" Motoi said with a chuckle.

"You have no idea," Tenzo said, letting out a weary sigh.

"I think she drove the ship's entire crew crazy.," Yugao added.

"Don't worry. She will put all that young energy to good use once the training begins. Anyway, let's get going, time is of essence, or so I was told," Motoi said, as he turned around, and started to walk into the jungle. The Konoha and Kumo ninjas started to follow his lead as well. "Killer B-san is now resting at his house on the island. We'll take you to him."

The large group trekked through the lush jungle that covered most of the island. Fortunately, there were clear pathways that could be use for easy traversing, no doubt man made. On top of the large trees and mushrooms –that reminded Naruto of Mount Myoboku– there were also extremely large animals. The butterflies that they saw before it was only a prelude of what they would see, as there were many giant lizards, frogs, parrots, toucans, sloths, and even tigers and gorillas.

"Wth animals of that size, at least we won't risk dying of starvation if we have to stay here for long, hehe," Choza quipped.

However, the fact that none of the animals seemed perturbed by the newcomers must mean that they must be used to the humans' presence.

"So," Tenzo began, as he walked besides Motoi. "Is this place safe for Naruto and Fu? I'm talking about external threats."

"Trust me, there's no way Akatsuki will find this place," Motoi confidently assured the Wood Release user. "This is Kumo's safest place so far."

"How can you be so sure?" Hiruzen interjected, catching wind of the conversation. "Akatsuki has proved in the past to be extremely effective at finding jinchuriki."

"Because Genbu isn't a normal island, but a massive turtle," Motoi said, much to the two Konoha ninjas' shock. "Every day we move Genbu to a different location to avoid detection. And that before considering that the enemy doesn't even know such creature exists."

"If you guys had such a safe place from the very beginning, why didn't you send your jinchuriki here?" Hiruzen asked.

"Well, Killer B doesn't take kindly to being confined to a single place, so we need to watch him constantly," Motoi explained. "This place has plenty of spots that Killer B could use to fool us, and then escape into the mainland. That's why the Valley of Cloud and Lightning was deemed a better place to keep B there."

"And aren't you afraid that B might try to leave again?" Hiruzen asked.

"I find that unlikely, not after the massive dressing down Raikage-sama gave him," Motou said, chuckling a little. "Ah, I wish I was there to see it."

As the Third Hokage and Tenzo talked with Motoi, Naruto and Fu admired the massive and untamed fauna and flora surrounding them. More specifically, Fu was watching the gigatic ladybugs, bettles, dragonflies and other large insects that flew around them.

"Boy, Shino would love this place," Fu stated, as he triedto imagine her boyfriend's reaction to seeing such huge insects. "When this is over, I think I'm going to bring him here."

"I don't think they'll let you," Hayate interceded, before coughing a couple times. "From what we've been told, this is some sort of super secret base, and the fact that they let us in is due exceptional circumstances."

"Aw, poop. Why is that when I find such an amazing place, I won't be able to return or show it to my friends?" Fu childishly whined.

"We do have places like this in Konoha," Yugao, who had been listening to the conversation, decided to chime in. "The Forest of Death, for example."

"The Forest of Death?" Naruto asked, joining the conversation as well. "Where is that?"

"You've never been in the Forest of Death?" Hayate asked. "Not even during the Chunin Exams?"

"Honey, they didn't use the Forest of Death for the exams the year Haku-kun's team took the exam here, remember?" Yugao reminded her husband. "Since Zabuza was the proctor, he choose the Ship Graveyard for the second task."

"Ah, yes, I do remember now. It was quite the deviation from the usual," Hayate said, before coughing again. He then turned at Naruto and Fu. "Anyway, to answer your question, the Forest of Death is Konoha's most dangerous training ground. Is a large and lush forest isolated by metallic fences. The forest's fauna include many giant animals, such as insects, leeches, bears, wolves, snakes, and other predatory beasts," Hayate had to stop due another coughing fit.

Her wife noticed that, while he listed the animals living there, Naruto seemed to grow more and more uneasy, while Fu's eyes and smile grew each second. The purplette decided to continue the explaination. "It's only safe haven is a single stone tower in the middle. Usually, ANBU and Jonin use that place to train for dangerous missions and hone their survivalist skills, though there are many times when it's used as the staging grounds of the second stage of the Chunin Exams."

"Now I wish our Chunin Exams took place there," Fu said, as she beamed when an idea dawned upon her. "Oh! Oh! I know where I'm going to take Shino for our next date!"

"The Chunin Exams? Isn't that too dangerous for mere Genin?" Naruto asked. "I mean, you yourself said it's a training ground for ANBU and Jonin."

"Perhaps, but it's a good way to show who's ready for the rank and who isn't," Yugao replied. "The fact that there are Genin able to overcome the trials the forest throws at them is enough proof of it."

"And even then, we have many experienced ninjas watching the zone when there are Genin to make sure that none of them die to the training ground," Hayate assured Naruto. "The only deaths are those caused by ninjas fighting each other."

Naruto felt thankful that, as far as he knew, nobody died during his Chunin Exams. He was aware that being a ninja meant killing and seeing your friends die –and while Naruto hadn't killed anybody yet, he had seen quite some people dying, or being sent to their deaths– , but felt that that was going to far for a mere exam. Still, his thoughts were snapped when he heard Motoi say something that drew his interest.

"Oh, look at that, we're almost there," the Kumo jonin stated.

The large group found themselves in front of a very strange looking house. It was made of what appeared to be dark red dried mud, and was split in three sections, the middle one being half as tall as the two towers to the sides. On top of the front door was the head of an ox with one of its horns severed.

Motoi took step forward, and knocked the door a few times.

"Killer B-san, come out! The other jinchuriki are here!" Motoi said.

They didn't have to wait much before the door opened, revealed the famed jinchuriki of the Eight Tails, Killer B himself. The moment he did, Naruto and Fu felt something inside them shift. The kind of feeling they experienced when another jinchuriki was near them.

Needless to say, Killer B also sensed the other two Tailed Beasts inside the two youths. Without needing to ask, the Kumo jinchuriki walked towards the blond and the green haired girl, and scanned them with a critical eye. Or they thought it was critical, it was hard to tell with him wearing those shades all the time.

"So, you guys are the last two jinchuriki? Can't say I'm impressed. I don't think you can withstand the training, you might end up stressed," Killer B rapped, even if his tone was surprisngly solemn. "Now, you know you're in front of the great Killer B, but I don't know who you are, so start with introductions, don't you agree?"

"Uh yeah," Naruto uneasily said. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'd be honored if you trained me, oh great Killer B-sensei?"

Killer B looked at Naruto with a disapproving look, shaking his head. "Wow kid, that was so boring! It's a miracle I'm not snoring! I liked the flattering, you know, but that's not good enough, you're too slow!"

"W... what?" Naruto asked, flabbergasted. "What the hell was that? Are you going to train me or-"

"Quiet!" the eccentric Kumo ninja said, before turning at Fu. It was weird for the Taki ninja to be near somebody she didn't tower over. "Now let's hear you, girly, let's hope you don't make me anymore surly."

Fu cleared her throat, before adopting what appeared to be a dancing stance. "My name is Fu, old man, try to keep up with me if you can! Taki was my home, but it got wrecked, yet I have many friends I seek to protect! So you better teach me how to tame my beast, or next time instead of my mouth I'll convince you with my fists!"

There was a moment of deafening silence after she finished her impromptu rap session. Naruto leaned towards her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he whispered into her ear.

"I'm trying to communicate in his native dialect," Fu whispered back. "It's a bit hard to understand him, but I believe this is some kind of test."

Then, much to everybody's surprise, Killer B nodded and smiled. "You get it, girl, you're on a roll! Your rhymes may need some work, but they do have soul!"

"Yay!" Fu cheered, pumping her fist.

"However, you also need to learn how to properly greet. Extend your fist, let our thoughts meet," Killer B said, extending his fist at Fu.

Fu did so, and suddenly, a wave of foreign emotions washed upon her, as if their chakra had been connected. She deduced the link of the Tailed Beasts had to do with it.

"Just like I guessed, you're a pretty swell girl, your chakra and your heart shine like pearls!" B finally broke contact, and extended his fist at Naruto. "Now you, boy."

Unsure, Naruto did so, and once again, he experienced a brief but intense conntection to the bizarre jinchuriki, and for that moment, he didn't look so bizarre anymore. Unlike the previous assessment, Killer B nodded and smiled. "Alright boy, your greetings may suck, but your heart doesn't lie! You will reach high, today's your day of luck!"

"So... does that mean that you'll train us?" Naruto asked.

"Indeed. Alright, enough chitchat, time to train, let's head to the waterfalls, don't make me say it again!"

Meanwhile, the stunnded Konoha ninjas watched the display, not understanding what was going on.

"Uh... what did just happen?" Hayate asked.

"Don't worry, Killer B-san has agreed to train the jinchuriki," Motoi reassured them. "Now, we need to go where all jinchuriki begin their training: at the Waterfall of Truth."

Konoha

Meanwhile, back at the village, while the Hokage and the rest of the higher echelons prepared for war, the lower ranked ninjas decided to spend the few days they would have before all hell let loose and the Fourth Ninja War began. Some of those ninjas were the kunoichi of the group unofficially known as the "Konoha 15", formed by the teams that graduated from Naruto and Hinata's class, plus Gai's Close Combat Squad. Later additions to that group were Rin Nohara and Fu, though the latter wasn't there at the moment. And then, another addition in the form of Yakumo Kurama, whom, per Kurenai's request, was introduced to the group by Hinata.

Yakumo already got used to Hinata during the time they spent in the hot spirngs –Hinata was a very approachable person after all–, but it would take some time for the rest of the girls to warm up to her. Rin and Ino were the most receptive –especially the latter, given that she's also close to an ex-Root agent– though sadly the same couldn't be said of Sakura, Karin, Tenten and Tamaki.

So far, seven of the eight kunoichi had been gathered, with only one missing.

"Where is Hinata?" Sakura asked, looking around. "She's usually the first one to arrive."

"Yeah, it's not normal for her to be late," Karin agreed.

"Hey, cut her some slack," Ino defended her absent friend. "Maybe she got caught up with some clan stuff. I became Clan Head myself recently, and trust me, you have no idea of how much extra work you need to do in order to manage the clan."

"You don't need to rub in our faces how important you and Hinata are now, Ino," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "Should we be thankful that you find time to spend with us lowly clanless girls?"

"Come on, don't twist my words like that," Ino protested. "You know I don't mean-"

"Hey, look, Hinata is here," Rin said, interrupting the nascent discussion before it could become more heated. "And she isn't alone?"

"What?" Sakura asked. "Did she bring somebody else?"

The "so soon after Yakumo" was left unsaid, but everybody could hear it.

And, indeed, Hinata wasn't alone. Walking besides her was a pale skinned girl with long black hair, tied at the end with a pink ribbon, wearing a dark green tanktop and loose blue cargo pants.

"Who's that girl?" Sakura asked, narrowing her eyes in order to see the approaching figure better.

"Hey, I think I know her," Tamaki said. "Isn't she part of Anko-sensei's squad? You know, the one made by former Otogakure ninjas? They were with us at the hot springs."

"Really? I didn't notice them?" Tenten pointed out.

"Maybe because there were so much people, and they didn't stand out much," Tamaki said with a shrug. "But that's definitely her."

"I believe so," Karin said. And frowned. "And why did Hinata is bringing her here? Without asking us first?"

"These Clan Heads think they can do whatever they want..." Tenten said.

"Don't begin again!" Ino protested. "Maybe she wants her to have some friends. Honestly, I find that commendable. Besides, from what I heard, they've been helping a lot with the Akatsuki threat, so the least we could do is giving them a chance, don't you think?"

"Heh, that means I'm no longer the only new one to this group. Nice," Yakumo said, smiling a little.

Just that moment, Hinata arrived.

"Hello, girls," Hinata greeted. She decided it was better to address the elephant in the room as far as possible. "I'm sure you know her already, but this is Kin Tsuchi, one of Anko-sensei's students."

"Hi," the former Oto kunoichi said, not daring to make eye contact with any of the Konoha girls.

"I ran into her on my way here, and asked her to join us," Hinata explained, even if she knew it was a lie. It would be too humiliating for the black haired girl to learn that her sensei arranged such a meeting for her to have more friends. With Yakumo it was different, given her trauma, but in Kin's case, it would feel like too much. "I'm sorry for not telling you before, but I thought it would be a good experience for both her and us."

"No worries. Guess that what's done is done," Sakura said, as she and the rest of the girls started to walk towards the village downtown. "Anyway, today's Karin's choice of restaurant, meaning that we'll be eating at that Okonomiyaki place again, right?"

"You got a problem with that?" Karin defensively fired back. "At least it's more refined that your dumplings!"

"Ugh, no more dumplings!" Kin suddenly said.

Karin looked at her a little startled, before she smiled.

"See? She knows what I'm talking about," Karin said with a nod.

"You don't like dumplings, Kin-san?" Hinata asked.

"I used to, but after Anko-sensei took us to eat dumplings so many times..." Kin said, shuddering a little. "In the end we got sick of them. Of course, none of us had the courage to tell her, so we have to endure and pretend it's our favorite food as well."

"Anko-san sounds like a though teacher," Rin said. "Then again, it shouldn't be surprising. That girl always had a lot of energy and spunk."

"Eh, I'm sure that, regardless of her reputation, she can't be any worse than Gai-sensei," Tenten interjected. "If you knew the kind of insane training exercises he makes us to do..."

"Does he send giant snakes after you?" Kin asked, narrowing her eyes at the brown haired girl, who flinched. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Giant snakes? Like, seriously?" Tamaki asked, just as surprised.

"And the Forest of Death is her favorite training ground," Kin continued. "A month before the Chunin Exams at Suna, she dropped us in the middle of the Forest of Death, and told us that we needed to survive for two weeks there, and that if we did, we would be ready for the exams."

"Yikes," Ino replied. "I don't think I'm going to complain about Asuma-sensei's training again..."

"I can relate to that," Yakumo intervened. "Danzo's training was also brutal. Though even if he helped me control my Bloodline Limit, I can tell he wasn't doing it out of the goodness of his heart."

"Danzo... I remember that name mentioned quite a few times when I was in Oto," Kin said, recalling past events. "So, he was your sensei?"

"I wouldn't call him that," Yakumo corrected. "Let's say he was a man who wanted to have his own army of drones loyal to him rather than to the Hokage"

"He couldn't be a decent person if Orochimaru was allied with him," Kin concluded.

"And what happened then? Did you pass the Chunin Exams?" Rin asked, putting the conversation back in track.

"...yes," Kin admitted, almost reluctant to give her sadistic teacher credit. "We had such a hard time there, that the exam in comparison felt easy. We breezed through all the tests like they were nothing, and the three of us got a promotion."

"Anko-sensei might be a harsh teacher, but given your testimony, it's obvious that her methods do work," Hinata conceded. "I remember that you used to work under Mizuki when you were Oto ninjas. Is Anko-sensei better than him?"

"As rare as it sounds... she is," Kin admitted once again. "Anko-sensei is like, super-sadistic. She will sic several giant snakes at us while laughing and cracking jokes about how we're going to be eaten... yet at the same time she seems to care about us. Every day we always learn something new with her, and over the months her training didn't feel so rough."

"Because you got used to it," Tenten pointed out. "It was the same with Gai-sensei. Running several laps around the village with weighs was like torture at first," Sakura and Hinata, going through the same training even if only temporarily, nodded empathically. "Yet it becomes a little easier every day, and in the end you're surprised that you used to struggle to begin with."

"That signifies that you're getting stronger," Ino added.

"Exactly," Kin admitted once again. "Mizuki was nowhere near as harsh as Anko yet... I don't think we got very strong under him. I didn't see it at the time, but now I realize that he treated us more like his minions rather than his students."

"Had he given you proper training, I wouldn't have been able to beat all three of you by myself," Hinata added.

"Lee told me about how he defeated Mizuki," Tenten stated. "He confessed that the reason behind his defection from Konoha and theft of the Forbidden Scroll was that he felt that he wasn't becoming as strong as he wished and blamed the village for keeping him down. Given his ego, I believe the guy was afraid that you would end up surpassing him."

"There's one thing clear: the fact that Mizuki got beaten by a Genin that couldn't even use ninjutsu shows that he didn't become much stronger under Orochimaru either, even with a cursed seal," Kin said, before looking at Tenten. "No offense to your teammate."

"None taken. And to be fair, Mizuki wouldn't be the first one to underestimate Lee," Tenten replied. "It's amazing how far one can go with taijutsu alone."

The conversation continued until they reached the restaurant in question. Karin's favorite, where she and Neji had their first date.

"Hey, I was thinking," Ino began, as she looked at Kin. "Given that Yakumo and Kin are new, they should treat all of us today. You know, as her 'initiation' into the group."

"WHAT?" Kin asked, outraged. "You're only going to let me hang out with you if I pay for your food!?"

"Uh..." Yakumo uneasily checked her coin purse. "I don't think I have enough money to-"

"Come on Ino, don't be so cruel!" Sakura shouted, interrupting Yakumo, who was a little startled.

"Yes, that's not a very nice thing to do," Hinata added, nodding as well.

"Plus, we didn't even make anybody else do that either!" Tamaki said.

"Kidding, kidding!" Ino said, raising her hands defensively. "It was just a joke, don't kill me! I know we're a lot of people for just two girls to treat all of us. In fact, I was thinking that we could be the ones treating Kin and Yakumo to something nice. You know, as a way to welcome them into the group?"

"That sounds like a better idea," Rin agreed.

"Plus with how many of us are, we won't have to pay much each!" Ino happily chimed, which earned her a few unamused glares, but nobody said anything.

Eventually, the girls sat on a large table, ordered their food, and started to eat. In silence at first, but it didn't take long until somebody struck up a conversation.

"Say, Hinata, Ino," Sakura began. "You were in thet meeting with the Hokage and the other Clan Heads. What did you talk about?"

"Or is it something you can't tell us without killing us later?" Karin added.

"Oh, it's nothing you should be too worried about," Ino told them. "Hokage-sama told us about the agreement with the other villages, the war, and preparations."

"The army is going to be split on multiple divisions, some of support and the others being battalions. We spent most of the meeting discussing which ninjas should be on which divisions," Hinata explained. Her eyes rested on Sakura and Karin. "For example, you two, as well as Rin-san, will be in the Support Medical Division."

"Kind of expected," Sakura admitted.

"Though, you might be temporarily assigned to one of the five battalions if need arises," Hinata punctualized. "Hokage-sama needs to discuss with the other Kages who are going to be the commanders of each division, but the Medical Division will more than likely be under Tsunade-sama's lead."

"What about the rest of us?" Tamaki asked, visibly interested.

"You and the rest of your team have been placed on the Fifth Division," Hinata told the cat kunoichi. She then looked at Tenten. "And your team is on the Second Division."

"Hinata will be in the Third Division, while I'll be in the First," Ino continued. "Yakumo is going to be part of the Fourth Division."

"Wait, Yakumo is going to fight as well?" Karin asked, before looking at the brown haired girl. "No offense. It's not that I think you're weak or anything. But after the whole ordeal with Danzo..."

"That's precisely why I need to fight this war," Yakumo interceded. "If it wasn't for me, Danzo would have never been able to steal the Rinnegan. And if that didn't happen, Obito wouldn't have gotten his hands on it. I can't just stay here and not help fix a mess I helped to create."

"Nobody blames you for that, Yakumo-san," Hinata replied. "We're aware you didn't have a choice in your role as Danzo's agent."

"Even if that wasn't the case, the stakes are way too high for me not to help in any way I can," Yakumo insisted.

"What about me?" Kin asked. "Where I'm going to be assigned?"

"Ah, yeah. Sorry, I forgot about you," Ino said, half aplogizing. "I don't remember your name-"

"Kin," the former Oto kunoichi said, almost in a growl.

"-but I do remember Anko being assigned to the Third Division, so you and your teammates will accompany her."

"That means that we'll fight together, Kin-san," Hinata said with a friendly smile.

"If anything, I know I'll be safe as long as I stick close to you," Kin deadpanned, as she continued eating her food.

"Man, I'm the only one here on the Fifth Division," Tamaki complained, as she chew her food slowly. "I wish I got to be with any of you guys."

"Sorry. The consensus between the Kages was to make all divisions as balanced as possible, so all of them could stand on their feet," Hinata explained Tamaki. "At the very least, you will be with your sensei and teammates."

"Where is Sasuke-kun assigned?" Sakura asked. She noticed that she and Karin were on the Medical Divison, but there was no mention of the Medical Squad's only male member.

"Sasuke-san is on the Second Divison, alongside his older brother," Hinata answered.

Sakura looked visibly dejected. "Guess we'll have to trust ninjas from foreign villages to cover our backs. We're allies with Suna and Kiri, but even if I have worked with Kumo ninjas, I still can't bring myself to trust them immediately. And that goes double for Iwa ninjas."

The rest of the girls agreed energically. The rest except Kin.

"Well, now you'll understand a little of what I felt during my first months in Konoha," Kin interjected.

Six pair of eyes turned at her, with varying shades of incredulity.

"Sure, I know getting used to another village is a bit hard at first, but it couldn't be that bad, right?" Ino asked, a bit incredulous. "Konoha is a very welcoming place."

"Eventually, I did learn to see it that way," Kin said, as a scowl developed on her face. "But it took me some time to reach there."

"Come on, it couldn't have been THAT bad," Tamaki interceded. "Fu also came to live here from Taki, and while she misses her home, she adapted to us almost perfectly."

"In that case, let me share with you something about myself so you can understand my point of view better," Kin began, her tone cold as ice. "Imagine that you're a girl who is born in the slums of the capital of the Land of Fire. Your family doesn't earn much, but you get by. Then, one day your father gets murdered on his way back home from work for a few bills. This forces your mom to take a second job, since her actual job just doesn't cut it, and she has a little girl to feed. Then, your mom is so overworked, she literally dies of exhaustion, leaving you alone."

The mood turned much darker. Nobody dared to say a word. Some of the girls, like Ino or Rin, placed their hands over their mouths in horror. Still, nobody dares to interrupt the story.

"For many months, you're forced to steal and dig in the trash just to have something to eat," Kin continued. "But you aren't a very good thief, so you're caught many times, and find yourself at the receiving end of many beatings from uncaring adults. You even start to wonder doing prostitution for a living."

This drew a collective gasp from the rest of the group. Still, Kin wasn't done.

"Then, one day, after stealing a loaf of bread and evading pursuers, you're found by a man. A creepy looking man with unnerving eyes, but he doesn't look at you as if you were the scum of the earth. 'You have a lot of talent, girl. Have you ever thought in being a ninja? Join me, and I'll train you to bring out your potential. All I ask is for your loyaltly', he says.

"With nothing to lose, you follow that man, and your training begins. It's rough and harsh, and the drill sergeant is merciless and prone to use physical violence, but you eat three times a day and sleep on a bed. During your stay there, you also learn who are your enemies you must beat. You heard a name more than any others: 'Konoha'. This is the place where the enemy lives. If a ninja from Konoha sees you, they will try to kill you without question. Konoha is an elitist village ruled by old aristocratic clans that don't give a damn about the common man, and want to expand their wealth and power at the expense of everybody else."

"Hey, that's not true!" Ino protested. "I know Konoha isn't perfect, but-"

"I know that," Kin replied, glaring at the blonde. "Now I know that Orochimaru didn't care about me in the slightest and would discard me and the others the moment I was no longer useful. But Orochimaru gave me a chance when nobody else did. He saved me from a fate worse than death. And then, after failing him, I'm captured, brought to the village I was taught was the enemy, and told me that I either join their ranks or rot in a cell. Dosu convinced us to take the Hokage's offer, and I'll always thank him for doing so.

"But just for a moment, try to imagine being kidnapped by a foreign enemy village, and forced to work there. Would you feel safe there, being surrounded by people you were told wanted nothing but kill you? People you actually fought against?"

"Yikes..." Tamaki winced. "I'm... I'm sorry to hear that. I had no idea your life had been so rough..."

"Not even my time at Root was so bad," Yakumo admitted.

"Anko-sensei hates when we speak of Orochimaru with reverence. She even forced us to stop addresing him as 'Orochimaru-sama'. And given what he did to her, I can understand why," Kin began. "But she has never been in our place, so she can't understand why deep down, we will be grateful to Orochimaru for rescuing us from the streets, even if he did so for his own interests."

There was a moment of deafening silence, as everybody processed Kin's words. Until that point, many of them saw the world in black and white, Konoha, and its enemies who wanted to see it destroyed, like Orochimaru. But while Orochimaru's evil was undeniable, it made them question about the ninjas that served him. Did they have an awful life, and joined the Sannin in order to escape that living hell? In that case, they found themselves unable to blame them for taking such decision.

"Well, I want you to know, that you're among friends here," Hinata said, as she subtly and quickly shot a glare at the girls who were clearly unhappy with her bringing new girls. "If you ever need something, we will help you without question, and without asking you anything back."

"Yeah, we people of Konoha take care of each other," Ino added.

Then, for the first time in the afternoon, Kin cracked a smile.

"I... thank you," she said, before blushing a little and averting her gaze.

"Well, this is it. What do you think?"

Far from where the girls were having lunch, the entire Uchiha Clan, Shizune included, were standing in front of a large cluster of buildings, a compound, mostly made of wood, but with some stone and concrete on it as well. The windows lacked any glass, and it didn't have any plumbing or electricity yet, but it looked both solid and cozy.

"It looks pretty nice," Shizune said. "When will we be able to move in?"

"The additional reforms may take from a few weeks to a few months, but it should habitable before that," Shisui explained.

"Good, because that apartment isn't big enough for that many people," Sasuke complained, as he crossed his arms.

Unfortunately for Shisui and Shizune, their apartment had been destroyed during the battle against Akatsuki. And thus, they were forced to move back to Itachi and Sasuke's place. And while it was big enough for three and even four people, it was to small for four adults and two babies, and they were in need of a new place.

Though, rather than moving to another house, Shisui decided that it was time for the Uchiha Clan to live together again under the same roof, like they had been in the past. All of them were eager to do so, but it would take some time before they could move for good.

"But once the war ends, this will be our home," Shisui announced, as he placed an arm around Shizune's shoulders. "Together, we will bring the Uchiha Clan to new heights!"

That Night, somewhere dark

Hinata opened her eyes, and found herself inside a vast, open palace of dark lavender stone. It was a familiar place, as he had been there once, even if not physically. Besides her was the figure of an old man, somebody she already met before. She realized that this had to be some kind of dream, yet she didn't wake up.

"Hamura-sama," Hinata greeted the Otsutsuki elder.

"Hello, Byakugan Princess," the man replied. His voice lacked the warm it had the last time they spoke. "As you can imagine, this is not a visit of courtesy."

"Yes, I know," Hinata said. "Is this because of the war?"

"In a way, yes," Hamura said. "Though you won't be part of it. At least not now. There's another place that requires your presence."

"What? But I can't do that," Hinata said, shaking her head. "It's not right for me to say it but... but I'm among the strongest Konoha ninja. Both my and Hanabi-chan's power will be needed to end this as fast as possible."

"Your power is needed, indeed. But in order to save this world, you need to travel somwhere else," Hamura explained. "To the Moon."

"...what?"

"Do you remember the Otsutsuki civil war, and how the Branch House won it, driving the Main House close to extinction?" Hamura asked.

"They... they built a weapon of untold power," Hinata said, trying to remember. "Is that weapon in the Moon?"

Hamura nodded. "Yes. And Toneri plans to use it for this war. You need to travel to the Moon, and destroy it before he gets the chance. Only one that carries my chakra will be able to destroy it for good."

"But... how I'm going to go to the Moon?" Hinata asked. She doubted her flight would cut it.

"The same way I went there for the first time, and how Toneri travels between the Moon and the Earth: through a portal," Hamura explained. "Talk with the Moon Acolytes, they should have the same portal I created to travel to the Moon."

Hinata nodded. "It shall be done, Hamura-sama."

And everything turned to black.

Next Day, Hokage's Office

Jiraiya and Tsunade were working tiredlessly in order to make sure that the village would be in top condition before most of the ninjas left. Missions already approved needed to be complete as far as possible, and they had to organize a defense force with the ninjas that would stay in the village in order to defend it before the bulk of the army would left.

"This the list of the Suna ninjas and the division they have been assigned to," Tsunade said, as he placed a folder with many files inside in front of Jiraiya.

"Rasa worked fast," Jiraiya said, as he began to glance at the list. "What about the others?"

"We can expect Mei's list to be here soon. I can't tell about Kumo and Iwa, thought," Tsunade said. "Though for everybody's sake, I hope they don't take much time with them. Akatsuki could strike at any moment."

"Still, we didn't have any news of their movements. If they make a move, we will know in no time" Jiraiya reassured Tsunade.

"I wouldn't be so sure. During their last attack, they moved a force of thousand Zetsus and Moon Puppets through the Land of Fire, and we were none the wiser until they attacked. We can't let that happen again."

"This time they won't attack the villages," Jiraiya replied. "First, they need to locate the jinchuriki, and I doubt they will-"

There was a knock in the door. Weird, since Jiraiya wasn't expecting any visits today. Still, if somebofy required his attention, then it must be important.

"Come in!"

The door opened, and much to their surprise, Hinata entered the office. The Sannin could tell that she was very worried. Whatever she was going to tell them, they had a feeling they wouldn't like it.

"Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama," Hinata said, making a polite bow to both of them. "I have something to tell you. Yesternight, Hamura-sama appeared to me in a dream, and tasked me with a mission of utmost importance. I'm afraid I won't be able to take part in the war."

Their feeling turned out to be accurate. The war hadn't started yet, and they had lost one of their most valuable assets.

Turtle Island

The day before Hinata had that fateful dream, Naruto and Fu were about to begin their training in order to master their jinchuriki powers. Killer B and Motio led the group of Konoha and Kumo ninjas towards an impressive waterfall that poured water into a lake.

"Here we are," Motoi announced. "The Falls of Truth. On this place, you will take your first step of your training."

"I can't wait to begin. What are we supposed to do?" Naruto asked.

"In order to tame the beasts inside, you must purifiy your heart," Killer B began to rap. "If you fail to do so, they will tear you apart. Sit in front of the falls and close your eyes. You will find yourselves in a strange place, your inner darkness will be waiting for you to face. But power won't suffice, you will need to be wise. Understood, ya fools?"

"Sit down and meditate, the waterfall will take us to another world," Fu began.

"There, our dark selves will be waiting for us. Beat them down, and return. Is that it?" Naruto finished.

Killer B gave them a thumbs up. "You got it, pals, you're pretty quick! Now let's begin, and try to be slick!"

Naruto and Fu nodded. Wordlessly, they walkeld towards a small isle in the middle of the lake. The two jinchuriki sat down, adopted the lotus position, and crossed their eyes. After a few seconds, the small island they were sitting onto disappeared, and they pummeled down to the abyss that appeared below them.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Naruto screamed. Opening his eyes, he realized he was no longer on Turtle Island, but on some sort of endless black void. Fu was nowhere to be seen, but he couldn't care about the whereabouts of his fellow jinchuriki. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH...!"

"Naruto, wake up!" a franctic female voice shouted. A voice he knew really well.

Suddenly, Naruto was no longer falling down an endless abyss, but back in his home. More specifically, on his bed. He felt both tired and disoriented.

"What the...?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, it's okay!" Tsunade's voice said in a reassuring tone. "It was just a nightmare!"

"A nightmare...?" Naruto repeated, as his eyes rested on Tsunade. For some reason, his adoptive mother felt alien, strange. There was something about her that unnerved him, something that wasn't right. Once he calmed down, he was able to see where was the problem. "Mom! Why are your breasts so small? And why are you wearing glasses?"

Because this Tsunade wasn't the busty woman Naruto was used to see. She had a much smaller bust, and for some reason she was wearing glasses. Said woman frowned, and crossed her arms.

"First of all, they aren't small, they're average! And your dad loves them!" not-Tsunade protested. "And I always wore glasses! Just what's wrong with you?" she shook her head. "This is the last time I let you eat that much ramen for dinner. You have nightmares that mess with your head. Anyway, now that you're awake, come down and have some breakfast. You don't want to be late for your team meeting, don't you?"

And not-Tsunade turned around and left the room.

"Just... what the hell is this place?" Naruto asked.


Author's Note: So, amny things to unpack.

Yeah, that was alternate Tsunade from the Road to Ninja movie. And yes, Naruto is now trapped in a version of that world. You see, at first I was planning to have the confrontation with Dark Naruto the same as in canon (but very summarized for obvious reasons), until one day I decided to watch the Road to Ninja movie out of curiosity. The movie itself was pretty mediocre, but boy, I LOVED the alternate version of the Konoha 11 (well, most of them), and think the movie would have been much better if they were given more focus. It was then when I had the idea of using that movie's initial premise and adapt it for the confrontation with Dark Naruto, instead of having Naruto beat an evil version of himself through self relfection like in canon.

I'm really hoping you'll find my version of Road to Ninja more enjoyable than the mess that it was that movie. Though, if you're afraid that this chapter and the next are going to be filler, fear not. It's certainly going to be a little more relaxed than usual, but there are going to be cool action scenes and Naruto is going to learn a few valuable lessons that are going to be very important down the road.

Though, you DON'T NEED TO WATCH THE MOVIE to understand the next arc. The arc itself will provide all the information you need in order to get everything

So, all in all, the "main" training is going to last until chapter 99. The war will begin on chapter 100. Unlike canon, which only lasted a day and a half, this War Arc will have its battles spread over a period of several weeks, instead of happening all at once. That way, I can give Naruto enough time to train and master his new powers.

And as you can see, not only Naruto is going to be absent, as Hinata is leaving for the Moon. It is time for her to end Toneri's threat for good, though that confrontation won't happen until much later. So yeah, I'm going to warn you now, while Naruto and Hinata may continue to appear, their presence is going to be very diminished once the war begins. That's because I want to give the other characters some focus as well, and once Naruto and Hinata make their grand return, they will grab the spotlight with both arms and legs and won't let it go.

Thanks to Ookami88 for betareading this chapter.

So, how did you find this chapter? And what do you think about me making a hopefully better version of Road to Ninja? Leave your thoughts in a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!