DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, FAIRY TAIL, OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS

Chapter 28

"Sage training?" Naruto asked, scrunching his face up in a clear aversion to it. "I don't want to turn into some old pervert like you, pervy sage!"

Jiraiya facepalmed with the one hand that wasn't in a sling. "No, you fool. Sage jutsu doesn't make you a pervert. Not that I am one. I simply enjoy the finer things in life."

The scene looked relatively the same as two days earlier, when Jiraiya had first returned from his mission. Tsunade had given the Toad Sage a day to rest, but had called everyone back into her office. Kakashi leaned against the door in the back just as before, with Jiraiya and Shizune standing on either side of Tsunade's desk. The two elder toads were also present, perched on top of the wooden surface.

The three wizards were noticeably absent, but Tsunade had been assured that they wouldn't be staring any wars anytime soon. Also absent was Itachi Uchiha. Tsunade had interrogated him personally, lasting well into the small hours of the morning. He'd been irritatingly compliant, which angered Tsunade because she wanted to take out her frustrations on something. Given that he had been deemed medically fit to be released from the hospital, she'd promptly thrown him in a cell in the Torture and Interrogation Unit just to make herself feel better.

Overall, she was satisfied with Itachi's testimony. The Uchiha had given them considerable amounts of information on the remaining Akatsuki members. So much so, that Tsunade was now in the process of building teams suited specifically for taking down each member.

When she'd been able to tear herself away from that, she called Naruto in with Jiraiya and the two elder toads. Fukasaku had long wished to speak with the student of Jiraiya, and he'd finally gotten the opportunity.

"So whaddya say, Naruto-boy? Do you want to come with us to Mount Myoboku and train to be a Sage?"

Naruto grinned. "I'm always looking to get stronger, so sign me up, geezer sage!"

"Meet us at the main gate. You leave in one hour," Tsunade ordered.

Naruto practically sprinted out of the room while Jiraiya chuckled. "You have to admire his enthusiasm."

"We'll use the Reverse Summoning in an hour, Jiraiya-boy. Make sure you're ready," Fukasaku said before he and Shima disappeared in small puffs of smoke.

The mood quickly turned more serious as Kakashi pushed off of the door and moved to stand in front of the desk. "What is it?" Tsunade asked.

"I've received disturbing reports from my spy network," Jiraiya said.

"Oh?"

"It appears that Sasuke Uchiha defeated Orochimaru, then absorbed him," Jiraiya said.

Tsunade sat back with a surprised expression. "Just like that? The biggest thorn we've had in our side just finally disappears because of one of our own rogue ninja?"

Kakashi nodded. "It appears that way, My Lady. But I wouldn't say that's the end of our troubles with those two. If Sasuke is indeed as far gone as he seems, he'll no doubt he heading this way."

"Why's that?"

"The whole reason that Sasuke left the village in the first place was to get stronger, so that he would be able to kill his brother, Itachi," Kakashi explained. "And for Sasuke to now be strong enough to kill Orochimaru, he no doubt believes that he's strong enough to kill Itachi. I'm sure that he'll try to infiltrate the village at some point."

Tsunade sighed. "One problem ends, another begins. I'll double the guards on Itachi until Sasuke shows himself."

"That's not all," Jiraiya interjected. "It stands to reason that the Akatsuki will now come for Naruto. I've also received word that the Seven Tails has disappeared from the Hidden Waterfall village. That only leaves the Eight Tails of the Cloud, and Naruto. No doubt the Akatsuki is already moving against the Eight Tails."

"It's a good thing that you're taking him to Mount Myoboku, then," Tsunade surmised.

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah. I'll train him as best I can, but I can't promise any degree of speed. Remember, it took me almost ten years to master the incomplete form. Naruto has more chakra than I do, so he should have it easier than me, but it'll take some time."

Tsunade spread her hands in a compromising manner. "As long as he's out of the clutches of the Akatsuki, that's all that matters."

The eyes of the Rinnegan scanned over the assembled holograms. Pain had called, and they had answered. All of the Akatsuki was in attendance, eight members total. The visage of Kisame with his stark white eyes and sharp features grinned.

"It's been some since we've all gathered like this."

"Hey! Long time no see, Mister Kisame!" the one-eyed, masked form of Tobi greeted in his high-pitched voice.

The one-armed shinobi next to him shot him a glare. "Shut up, Tobi!"

"Oh, s-s-sorry, Mister Deidara," the masked fool stuttered.

"Hey, Kisame," the hologram with the menacing scythe called. "You must be getting lonely without your buddy Itachi."

Kisame bared his sharp teeth in an amused grin. "Not as much as you'll be missing your body when I cut off your head, Hidan."

In truth, though, Hidan had struck a nerve. Kisame did in fact miss Itachi. He never realized how close the two had become until the Uchiha was gone. It was unnerving to say the least, as Kisame hadn't felt this conflicted since his comrade-killing days in the Hidden Mist village.

"Enough," Pain boomed. "We are not here to argue amongst ourselves."

"Why are we here?" Kakuzu asked. "We've been laying low for months. Why now?"

"Because the Hidden Leaf village has discovered my location, and one of them escaped alive. We must capture the Nine Tails before they get the chance to counter us," Pain revealed.

"Finally," Hidan celebrated, cracking his neck. "I haven't killed anything in so long, Jashin might have abandoned me by now."

Kakuzu growled low in his throat. "Will you shut up about that ridiculous religion?"

"Hey!" Hidan protested. "I never call you out for only caring about money!"

"Enough!" Pain said with more force than before, forcing all eyes to meet his. "We will commence the attack on the Leaf village. Hidan, Kakuzu, and Deidara will take part."

"What about me?" Kisame asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have another task for you, Kisame," Pain stated. "The Eight Tails must be captured before we can seal the Nine Tails. Find him and capture him."

Kisame chuckled. "Guess I am the best choice for this. Alright, I'll get him."

"Good. The attack commences in three days. Converge at these coordinates. The Nine Tails will be ours."

Naruto and Jiraiya appeared before Lord Fukasaku in a puff of smoke. The elder toad rode in some sort of carriage that was lashed to the back of another toad. Next to him was a larger, orange toad that wore a dark blue vest.

"Yo, Naruto!" the orange toad greeted.

"Ga-Gamakichi?!" Naruto exclaimed. "When did you get so big?"

"Toads grow faster than we do, Naruto," Jiraiya explained.

Gamakichi nodded. "Yep, you humans just grow super slow. In a few months, I'll be as big as Pop."

Naruto visibly brightened at that. "Wait, you mean you'll be useful like Chief Toad now?"

"Hey! I already am useful, Naruto!"

"Alright, alright, settle down," Fukasaku said. "Let's get you settled in, Naruto-boy. Then we'll start your training."

Fukasaku led his two students through the strange forest. It was filled with vibrant colors, and plants that Naruto had never seen. Before long, they came to a rather large tree, in which windows had been carved out, and light could be seen from within.

"Ma came home early and prepared dinner for us," Fukasaku announced with affection as they walked through the door.

The color that drained from Jiraiya's face didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. The blonde leaned over to his master, covering his mouth with his hand. "Something wrong?"

"Eat it. Don't complain. She'll cry," was all that Jiraiya was able to manage.

Naruto blanched, not sure what the pervy sage was talking about until he saw what was on the table. Worms of unnatural colors, beetles, and caterpillars occupied the table. Crammed into wooden bowls, they'd been laid about in no particular order as Naruto and Jiraiya lowered themselves to the cushions below.

"Don't be shy! Dig in!" Shima said as she and Fukasaku eagerly set about stuffing themselves.

Naruto picked up his chopsticks with some hesitation, plunging them into the bowl and producing a small amount of the multi-colored worms. He quickly placed them back in the bowl when he saw one wriggle and looked back to Shima.

"I think my stomach is upset from what I had for breakfast, so I'll be back in a few minutes," Naruto announced as he got up to leave. He stopped next to Jiraiya, who looked as if he were threatening to reveal the boy's secret, but Naruto leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Meet me outside in five minutes."

The door swung closed behind the blonde as Jiraiya wondered what the kid was up to. A few minutes later, after forcing down a mouthful of the worms, Jiraiya abruptly stood. "I should probably go check on the kid."

The Toad Sage swiftly turned and closed the door behind him before hurling his guts out to the side. Steadying himself against the bark of the tree, he shook his body and walked in the direction that he felt Naruto's chakra.

A minute later, he found the blonde sitting on a tree stump, rubbing his own shoulders, as if comforting himself after the traumatic memory of eating such things. Behind him was a small hot spring that always had boiling water, if Jiraiya remembered correctly. Naruto's face turned into a wry grin when he saw Jiraiya approaching.

"About time, pervy sage, I'm starving!"

"Well there are plenty of bugs inside if you're that hungry," Jiraiya joked dryly, sitting himself next to the kid.

Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "I'm never eating that stuff again."

The blonde reached into his tool pouch on his back and produced a small scroll. Unfurling it, he made a hand sign, and a stack of instant ramen cups appeared, arranged in a neat pyramid. Jiraiya's eyes widened at the same time his mouth watered, tongue hanging out the side. Naruto then produced two small wooden bowls and filled them with the boiling water before dumping two of the instant ramen cups inside.

Jiraiya sighed with relief. "Kid, you're a genius!"

"Alright, Naruto-boy, listen closely. This is the first stage of your Sage training!" Fukasaku announced.

Naruto nodded and saluted. "Yes sir, geezer sage, sir!"

Naruto's training had finally begun. Fukasaku had escorted them with Gamakichi to a flat area next to a waterfall. A ring of large stone toad statues surrounded the place, making Naruto feel like he was boxed in.

"In order to use Sage jutsu, you must first be able to sense and absorb Sage jutsu chakra. It also has another name: nature energy. It's the energy in nature itself that surrounds us at all times. In order to use Sage jutsu, you have to take in and properly mix the nature energy with your own chakra. This process is easier the more chakra that you have."

Naruto grinned. "So I'm perfect for Sage jutsu!"

"Not quite, Naruto-boy. In order to take in nature energy, you have to remain completely still at all times. Even the slightest movement, and you're not going to be able to take in any nature energy," Fukasaku warned.

Naruto was crestfallen immediately. "My hopes are shattered. I can't stay still to save my life. Let's just go home, pervy sage."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Kid, if someone like me can do this, then you should have no problem!"

Naruto turned his attention back to Fukasaku. "Ahem. Anyways, Naruto-boy, once you absorb enough Sage jutsu chakra, you'll be able to enter Sage Mode. This mode will increase your physical attributes, as well as amplify the power of your jutsu."

"Increase my physical attributes? What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, scratching his head.

Jiraiya glanced at his student with a bemused smirk before nodding to Fukasaku. The elder toad turned and hopped over to one of the large stone statues. He reached underneath it, and slowly but surely, the entire statue began to rise off of the ground. The little toad was supporting its entire weight. As if to reassure Naruto of its heaviness, he dropped it back to the ground, which vibrated beneath Naruto's feet.

"That was so cool!"

"You see, Naruto-boy? Sage Mode increases your physical attributes, as well as your jutsu. But enough talk, let's begin. In order for you to be able to sense nature energy, we need to first let some of it enter your body. The way we do that is this oil," Fukasaku said, hopping over to the waterfall. Reaching in, he let some of it wash over his fingers before he hopped back over to Naruto and smeared it on his arm.

Instantly, Naruto felt a sensation like no other, like his body was suddenly becoming warm. If that wasn't enough, he could sense the nature around him, not just regular chakra as he could before. It was almost overwhelming.

Jiraiya laughed loudly. "It's a different feeling, isn't it, kid?" Naruto could only nod dumbly as he felt things around him that he'd ever been aware of.

Fukasaku smirked with satisfaction at Naruto before producing a small black rod from behind him. "Alright, Naruto-boy. It's time for you to try and take in some nature energy. The key is absolute stillness. But be warned, if you take in too much, you'll take on the features of a toad, and eventually, you'll turn to stone."

Naruto blinked one, then twice, turning his head to observe all of the statues surrounding them. "You-you mean….All of these are…?"

Fukasaku nodded. "But don't worry, Naruto-boy. This here staff will knock all of the nature energy out of you with one quick smack. I'll watch over you the whole time. Jiraiya-boy, why don't you show him how it's done?"

Jiraiya nodded. "You got it, Boss."

The Sannin removed the scroll from his back and sat down on the ground, crossing his legs underneath him as he did so. He closed his eyes and formed a simple circle with his hands in his lap. For a few seconds, nothing happened, until Jiraiya's nose shifted. It grew substantially and developed warts. The red markings that ran down his cheeks also began to expand, along with a white beard beginning to form around his chin.

"No! Look out, pervy sage, you'll turn into a statue!" Naruto exclaimed, wrenching the stick from Fukasaku's grasp and slamming it down on Jiraiya's head.

The Sannin's transformation instantly disappeared as he fell backwards, rubbing his head. "Ow, what the hell was that for, kid?"

"You-you were turning into a toad!" Naruto reasoned.

Jiraiya sighed loudly as he stood to his feet. "Boss, I think you should explain the difference between perfect and imperfect Sage Mode."

Fukasaku nodded, taking back the staff from Naruto. "I think you're right, Jiraiya-boy. Alright, listen up Naruto-boy. When you take in Sage jutsu chakra, you body may take on some of the toad's qualities. This is called imperfect Sage Mode, which Jiraiya-boy is a Master of. On the other hand, perfect Sage Mode only transforms your pupils and eyes a little bit."

"So you can't do perfect Sage Mode, pervy sage?" Naruto asked. "Has anyone been able to?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The Fourth Hokage achieved perfect Sage Mode. Boss and Ma'am are also perfect Sages."

Naruto cackled maniacally. "Well I already perfected the Fourth's jutsu, now all I have to do is get to perfect Sage Mode and I'll be better than him!"

"That's what you got out of that?" Jiraiya asked, facepalming. "Oh well, as long as you're motivated."

Naruto stripped off his jumpsuit and shirt, planting himself on the dirt with his legs crossed just like Jiraiya's. The rest of his afternoon would be filled with smacks and cries of pain, much to Jiraiya's amusement.

Cold. Cold was the first thing hat he felt. He didn't know where he was, but he could feel the chilly air around him. He pulled his knees to his chest to try and conserve body heat. When gajeel's eyes finally fluttered open, he registered one of the strangest sights that he'd ever laid eyes upon.

His surroundings were dominated by cubic and rectangular structures. Some stretched far into the air, while others fell below. Gajeel's was at a middle height, providing a substantial view, at the cost of a sharp dropoff. The color scheme was unchanging, only a series of grays, blacks, and blues.

The last thing he remembered was being knocked unconscious by five orange-haired Pains. Two thoughts ran through Gajeel's head. Either he was dead, and this was the afterlife, or he was a prisoner. But if the latter was the case, then he couldn't fathom why he wasn't secured in some sort of chains.

Rising to his feet, Gajeel inhaled, then blasted a roar into the dark void. It seemed that his powers still worked, so he had no idea why his so called captors would leave him here unbound. It seemed that he was fixing to get some answers, because a sound behind him alerted him to the arrival of another.

Just as he turned around, Gajeel saw a strange figure emerge from a spiraling void. The pattern disappeared, leaving the two of them alone in the space. "Where the hell am I? Who are you?"

Gajeel could at least see that the man was Akatsuki, judging from the robe that he wore. Other than that, no distinguishing features were visible. His face was covered by a red mask that seemed to spiral in the same manner as his teleportation void ability.

"You are in an alternate dimension. Only those with my abilities may travel back and forth from here, so you can forget about leaving unless I specifically want you to," the figure said, sitting down and stretching his legs in front of him.

"As for who I am, my name is Madara Uchiha."