Turning the Tide

by NotMemorable

They say it's always darkest before dawn. But what would happen if that event wasn't to follow its recurrent script in a putrid and resentment filled shinobi world? Under the stomping and ill desires of powerful foes that little could many do to stop. Aware of many truths, the evils that lurk, see Naruto fight for that dawn to arrive, aid by new figures, never daring to give up.

10. First Contact

"What a fucking bizarre hierarchy. I swear to you that I have no clue about who's cues we are fucking following." A voice asserted, jumping along the forest at a steadfast pace. Striding fast enough to reach their target. Yet not incredibly so for it to not be draining, were they to face them worn out, with no remaining strength. Dying at the hands of their impatience and recklessness. "Who ordered to catch this girl again?"

The red clouds in his attire constricting the guessing of his persona to a shortlist. His long grey hair, his madness… The Yugakure protector on his neck. That weapon. A uniquely designed scythe with three curving blades that resembled most an agriculture tool than anything else. Its purpose disturbed, transformed from the mowing of grass to that of flesh and bone, not preventing life from growing but from existing at all.

All that distinctiveness amounted to be easily discerned and called out with undoubted certainty.

"Do you actually care?"

Alongside the previously described shinobi was a tall figure. Had you to define him upon first look, phrasing on a single premise, a defining characteristic of that first contact, and you could only point out how fathomless he seemed to be. Given what he showcased. Given how little, rather.

Undecipherable because you could see nothing beyond those unwonted eyes. Green irises deprived of pupils, surrounded by that light red sclerae. His attire covering everything else.

His village? Takigakure, as shown in his cut protector. Fū's and her two companions' village also.

"I do, actually," Hidan said, frustrated to no avail. Kakuzu looked at him in disbelief, as much disbelief as he could show, raising his eyebrow. "I already told you when you guys asked me to join, I don't care about this project of yours. You care about the money and all I care for is to please Jashin by obeying his primal wish, to kill. For as much as I hate your side jobs, at least I can kill in most of them. Fuck me! I was promised protection and freedom while I kept doing so till Konan said we were to take action," Hidan got out of bed on the wrong side, apparently "So I do wanna know under whose call I'm to disobey Jansin's commandments so suddenly."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes. Their assignment together obeyed various lines of reasoning. One blatant and obvious was their particular common condition. He was on the verge of regretting not calling for another partner.

Exempt Deidara, all seemed better options. "Again with your church and your belief? You can't fathom to understand how irksome you are." Wanting too to deviate Hidan from the answer he sought to find.

"Total slaughter is the motto of the church of Jansin. There's even an actual commandment that prohibits half-killing, I'm committing heresy here by leaving these jinchūrikis alive. Taking that to consideration, I think I'm not asking for too much." Hidan said as he tried to find his footing.

'Nutjob' Thought Kakuzu.

"And it ain't like you shut your trap about money either," Hidan said before mockingly adding. "Money this, money that..."

One side tracked minds could be their fitting motto.

"Money is something you can realistically have faith in, a universal language and desire," Kakuzu added. "With your faith, we can't even galvanize a single man to do as we please. They've never heard of your so-called God. And hearing about his killing demands won't help either." Hidan's rage upon the mockery of the true God in his eyes was blatant, clearly shown in his countenance. "Money meanwhile can speak to one's soul. With these bounties we are gathering, we could organize a cue somewhere, turn a village's focus to what we want upon an offer, and their poverty of chances. Hire assassins to hit strategic points."

Not that he lose sleep over achieving any of that. His care like pointed out being beyond Akatsuki's primary plan, beyond their wishes.

As long as Kakuzu kept a sizable chunk of all that money earned in this endeavour, he was a happy and loyal man.

"Why hire someone for doing something that I fervently want to do myself?" Hidan queried, baffled by the chance of paying for such atrocious service.

"Because you ain't omnipresent Hidan and our goals reach beyond the five grand villas. Surpassing the ground you can cover," Kakuzu hoped that the man child lunatic besides him at least could grasp that.

"Whatever, let's reach this girl and be done with this so we can go back into killing," Hidan directly added.

Kakuzu at least was complacent, giving the fact that he had deterred Hidan from furthering questions about Madara's orders.

They had long lost the clear track of footsteps of the party they were pursuing on the main road towards the Fire Country. Having to rely on the imprecise intuition and sporadic clues they encountered instead.

They departed a few hours after them, so they had catching up to do.

Their prey knew they were being followed. Both Kakuzu and Hidan understood that.

Furthermore, Kakuzu, being from the Village Hidden by a Waterfall himself, knew of some ineludible roads where they were bound to catch a trail or even face them, yet he wanted to confront them sooner rather than later.

The tree line cleared, free from the forest short-range visual reach, where only tree branches and occasional tracks mark the path to take; in the clearing, Kakuzu raised his hand in order for Hidan to stop.

Before them, three trails of footings deviated from the path carved in the middle.

"This was long in the making". Thought out loud Kakuzu. It was a basic shinobi strategy. He was expecting it. The decision matters given the wide space between each of the paths taken.

Now he was judging which route to follow. They were getting closer.

"Which one is it?" Hidan asked impatiently. When he saw Kakuzu march towards the left without uttering a word, he had to ask once again. "Are you guessing or you genuinely know?"

Kakuzu turned to him and pointed at each distinct trail.

"There aren't two routes that divert here." He pointed to the right. "Whatever that path leads to reroutes from the valley into the mountain formation there. It's a pointless delay. These tracks are single file, purposely done to hide their numbers." He got on one knee beside the steps. "But it's a futile effort. With the humidity, you can see the footsteps distinctly. Look at them."

Hidan obliged to Kakuzu's request and shortly after, once he had taken a peek, he raised his head and pointed the obvious. "They're different". Kakuzu nodded. Hidan, not pleased or convinced, looked at the other trail. They didn't separate from a common point, so he had to walk a few seconds to reach it. "These steps aren't the same either".

"A very meticulous and capable transformation jutsu," 'subtle,' Kakuzu added in the back of his mind. "They have let little traceable evidence through their path. Notwithstanding, had I to bet which one it is, 9 out of 10 times I will pick this one," Kakuzu claimed with certainty as he started following the single filed path.

"If you say so" Hidan had to relegate on this, it wasn't his area of expertise. "Couldn't it be from a civilian crew or another squad?"

"Don't think so. Come on," Kakuzu hurried as he walked into the vast forest again, gradually looking down so he could follow those footsteps. As soon as Hidan reached his side, Kakuzu briefed him on their imminent situation. "We should be able to find them regardless before the Odo lake. They are almost obliged to go through that part. There is a Konoha outpost nearby, so either we engage before it or after. Am I clear?"

Hidan didn't answer. Kakuzu was not the boss of him.

"You don't want the entire village in our pursuit, Hidan," He cleared, just in case. "It would be bothersome."

Hidan again remained silent, although one could imagine him saying that it was for the better if they were being pursued, more chances to kill.

They, shortly after, ventured into the lush vegetation of Suna's frontier forest. Here the light glimmers, dots of it rarely showcased in the floor as some nifty sunbeams dodge the upper branch leaves.

These sorts of environments are tricky, requiring those who venture in them to be adroit. Quick thinking and reflexes being key if you were to leave unharmed. Thankfully, both Hidan and Kakuzu were beyond the simple care of a wound.

Hidan trailed Kakuzu as he progressed, periodically stopping for clues to their path. The maniac was not known for his patience. They better had some action soon or he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He pleaded for something to happen amidst this present boredom.

If he was forced to hear once more the word money or any theme revolving around Akatsuki's prospective plans, he would perform his ritual with Kakuzu himself. He wanted nothing more than to spread the way of his deity with him.

Akatsuki had so far been truthful to their word. Not a week had gone by without someone not uttering a single further breath in Jashin's name. Killing under their protection, eluding the faith of being held in a cell for eternity…

His problem resembles that of Kakuzu, had Hidan not been paired with the ancient banker and he could confess feelings fully plead with this arrangement.

The man dared ridicule Jashin, characterizing him as weird and nonsensical, a sin that could not be forgiven. A sin that he relapsed time and time again. Continuing with his heresy.

Hidan himself committed the latest by not having already killed that unbeliever, by not eroding his existence in the spot.

Back to what he was promised. The prospect of war was tantalizing. Numbers while attractive in his mind were tedious in practice, doing the ritual and saying his prayers for each corpse… If he killed as many as he desired, he would do those nonstop.

Hidan senses, while not exactly enhanced, caught something. The melodic sound of a tree branch breaking under the presumption footing of his soon to be next offering.

He full-heartedly smiled.

Jashin didn't leave his prayers unheard. Once again proving the foolishness of the surrounding unfaithfulness.

"You heard that?" Hidan claimed with a smile. The anxiousness… Adrenaline rushing in.

Kakuzu had to be called twice. He was so obdurate in following the trail, that once he suddenly lost it, he couldn't but focus his senses in erasing the chance of becoming lost. This was his call, after all.

He didn't find any clues.

The one thing he did notice was a permanent whistle that didn't fade. Turning to Hidan, he suddenly realized that it was him trying to grab a hold of his attention.

"What?" Kakuzu asked. Hidan's previous words were indistinguishable.

His surprise rose when he saw Hidan suddenly crouching.

"What Hidan?" He asked more quietly, more carefully.

Hidan brought his hand to his ear, motioning Kakuzu to focus his efforts in becoming aware of the sound that reigned amidst the flapping of the branches to the winds' will and crave.

Two distinct sounds emanated from two separate places, the sound of a tree branch breaking permeated the atmosphere.

"Did you hear that?" Hidan said as he slowly unveiled his scythe, increasing his smile as each inch of the weapon was freed from the constriction of peace and tranquility.

Kakuzu nodded, shushing the impatient Hidan by raising his finger. To no avail, as his partner was just trying to steal a glance at his prey.

Silence prevailed anew. Looking down, in the undergrowth, movement.

The limbs of the vegetation below their position danced.

Kakuzu's chest rose as he took a big lump of air. Just as he was about to attack, a bunny came out, for Hidan's angst and lament and Kakuzu's rest.

Brief rest for he realized something. 'There are no giant rabbits outside Aokigahara's forest' in the Land of the Waterfall where he was born.

No afterthought could be constructed as a set of explosive kunais aimed at the branches they were resting upon, efficiently hit their target.

"Hidan, jump!" Kakuzu warned.

They both had to lunge forward with power, managing to put enough distance between the explosion and themselves for only some shrapnel to caress their coats.

Kakuzu tries to look back but just as he did he had to duck as one kunai went past him, inches away from his face. The reflexes of an old warrior.

He heard the cursing of his partner. As he gradually turned, after glimpsing some kunais on the floor, those that Hidan ought to have deflected, he caught sight of what he had to bitch about.

A sizable hole right below his clavicle.

The weapon has gone across his entire body.

Kakuzu stood up, ready to counterattack. Only catching small shadows, different tonalities that quickly flew by in his eyesight.

He would not play his enemy's game. Rather than going into the defensive and wondering about their numbers, he turned the tide with a simple move.

He and Hidan lack any semblance of rapport or chemistry, yet Hidan this time, preconceiving his move, jumped before him. Not strictly so, therefore eluding downgrading the impact of his technique.

'Don't rush Hidan' Kakuzu suggested silently.

Gathering air and expanding his lungs, compressing a high density of it...

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."

A powerful and concise storm occurred. Striking everything before Kakuzu, clearing their surrounding landscape with that blast. Sweeping even some trees off their roots.

Hidan ran, propelled by the gust of wind behind him. Upon hearing a cry when the technique hit, he thought whoever it was would be before him, hit and trembling. With the line of sight cleared, he or she ought to be visible by now.

No life was in his immediate zone. They couldn't have recovered that quickly or elude it, given its reach.

Turning after mowing the destroyed landscape in frustration, hitting the ground with his scythe, he saw that indistinguishable figure, that shadow, again running away.

Hidan went in pursuit.

"Hidan wait!" Kakuzu screamed, convinced that that course of action was unwise. It wasn't like Hidan was in danger of being killed, but he followed, not seeing anything from his current position.

Hidan ran after the figure as he seemed to be meandering, only quickly. In a zig-zag, appearing in his sight as he ran straight through a small path. He was getting closer.

The light didn't glimmer so much ahead, there seemed to be a clearing. Whoever was the poor fool to confront them had no escape now.

He lunged with increased speed, a blur appearing before him. Aiming and shouting, with bloodshot in his eyes.

"Argh!"

He didn't hit but air.

He was on the frontier with a small clearing amidst the forest. Kakuzu trailed him by a relative distance. Hidan couldn't hear his warning cry.

A kick found its way to the back of Hidan's head, throwing him far away, tumbling forcefully in the process. Reaching irksome postures. Like his bent head being the only thing in contact with the floor.

He was hit hard.

Kakuzu caught sight of their enemy, a small shinobi with glasses. More aware and precise, he approximated his target enough to have a dead aim when he extended unnaturally his entire arm, going through the soon to be corpse. Hurling him to the trunk behind him.

When he approached, rather later than expected, the body disappeared.

"A clone?" He wondered with doubt. Clones disappear sooner than that upon damage.

He scanned the area soon invaded by Hidan's cries.

"That hurt bastard, show yourself," Hidan uttered as he stood up.

'I'm not so easily surprised', Kakuzu confidently stated as he turned to hit whatever was incoming. He was sneaky, but not enough for him. Seeing the brown boy haired boy come head on towards him? A boy?... Head on? Kakuzu ready one of his jutsu, but before he could do any hand sign another clone appeared out of nowhere near his feet, with a kick forcing him to lose control, any semblance of balance.

The one who Kakuzu initially saw punched him in mid-air.

Hidan was about to rush once he saw the action, but running in the direction he found himself incapable of throwing his scythe, where he to hit Kakuzu and his weapon got stuck in his body.

The two clones jumped high enough to not be reachable by the mere extension of Hidan's weapon. One of the two grabbed the other and flipped in mid-air, throwing the other far beyond, to the point where the boy covered the sun itself.

He threw a bunch of kunais from his position, just above Hidan, before uttering.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu" Those weapons multiplied at a ridiculous rate.

No sunlight could be seen as the rain of steel hovering over Hidan eroded it. The immortal could do nothing more than to brace himself as no quick reaction could save him.

Kakuzu analytic mind went to work, having frankly no knowledge of Hidan's condition and how he could sustain that much damage, the fact that he could not be killed by it didn't mean that he could not be temporarily crippled or be impeded from moving, becoming a liability for the pursue.

He had to act. He performed the one jutsu that from this distance he quickly realized could help, one of the most commonly known.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough". From Kakuzu's mouth a gust of wind, a vortex, was formed, aimed above Hidan. Hitting all in the vicinity in front of him.

What he failed to grasp by the pressure to act in a hurry is that this technique was not accurate and that it would indeed end up hitting Hidan. Not only that, but he performed it late.

Few kunais struck Hidan. In a fraction of a second they punctured his bracing upward arms. Those who were in between him and Kakuzu, to Hidan's left, passing him by inaccurately, carried by the stream of wind of Kakuzu's technique, went right through Hidan with velocity, tearing flesh and muscle.

The fewer of both evils. While Kakuzu deflected those above Hidan, he propelled those to Hidan's right, helping them blast him.

Unbeknownst to Kakuzu, the same words were uttered behind him as someone performed the same technique.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough".

Kakuzu was not fast enough to throw a hand to grab a hold of something on the floor, being thrown in the air towards Hidan, passing him by.

Hitting him with the leg in the chest as Hidan somehow stood.

'How's he still moving' Wondered the attacker. 'He can't be truly immortal, can he?' He proceeds with his relentless and meticulous attack. They were in position. He just needed time.

Kakuzu was bruised, nothing he hadn't suffered before. This was not about to stop him. None of his hearts were destroyed.

As he lifted himself from the floor with his arms, he looked sideways to Hidan as he tried to do the same.

Hidan was in terrible shape. He had more cuts than he could count. The caudal of blood that streamed down the wounds was not fitting for one of his injuries. It was ephemeral. Near his eye a gruesome cut shows all the internal organic features from his eye to the back of his head, cutting his ear in half.

Kakuzu even caught glimpses of white in Hidan's body. The former shinobi of the Yugakure and last added member of the Akatsuki was deathless. Not that Kakuzu understood how it worked, but Hidan did indeed feel pain to his present dismay.

He secreted Substance P. He didn't suffer from congenital insensitivity.

Not even Kakuzu himself had experienced such amounts of pain.

Hidan screamed obstreperously, acutely, and severely. Rising with tears pouring down his eyes. He ought to have fallen unconscious by now from the pain. No thirst for blood should be able to keep him on his feet.

"I'm going to dismember you slowly as I kill you", Hidan said, in between his teeth. Even drooling in ire. He seemed to have rabies.

They didn't have time to do much more; they were moving too slow. Their confidence and lack of fear were proving to be their downfall.

From the ground, Kakuzu saw four copies of this brown-haired, white-dressed boy surrounding them. Performing the same hand signs ones again.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough" The four mentioned at the same time

As the wind technique impacted them, for a brief moment they had problems breathing. The simple act of standing up had to be postponed for the vitality of fighting to breathe in this decreased pressure, like in high altitudes.

You see, outside of the fact of not being accustomed to such phenom, to airs of that velocity to hit you, when you breathe you are opening your lungs and creating a lower pressure area within your body. An area that is quickly filled by the mentioned air. When the pressure outside is decreased, it doesn't hurry as much, making breathing feel excruciating, like a fight for a mere mouthful. The faster the air moves, the lower its pressure, and this technique was infused with enough chakra to make it unbearable.

Hidan looked down, trying to shield himself by hiding his face in between his shoulder and his knees, curled up in desperation and angst.

Soon enough, the circling of the winds as they converted formed a tornado. Then being in the eye, with the debris rising around them. The temperatures lowering.

They couldn't sustain much more here. The breathing problem persevered. Kakuzu was waterboard before, this didn't lack behind in the amount of fear that it caused to rise, to surge.

Kakuzu couldn't do more than try to free one of his masks, but found himself unable to. His brain was not in the set to be greatly clever.

In desperation he crawled next to Hidan and once again performed what he had tried before, hoping to do better this time.

Create shelter. His mind didn't go anywhere beyond that.

He silently utters his technique after his hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Refuge". Out of Kakuzu's mouth purred a stream of mud that expanded and quickly after risen and sheltered them by closing its two rising sides.

Giving them a break.

Soon enough, the small tornado disappeared as the technique faded. Kakuzu had spasms, a convulsion. The lack of oxygen and the damage led to one of his hearts to perish.

He coughed blood. He had still many left. It hadn't been since the "leader" of the Akatsuki beat him that he lost a single one.

"Up Hidan" Kakuzu urged, painting.

He didn't need to say that twice. The gruesome remaining figure that was Hidan got on one knee, waiting for Kakuzu to undo this unpleasant but useful thing.

A strange trace of light shone under the structure, and neither Hidan nor Kakuzu saw it.

"Ready?" Kakuzu said. They weren't allowed to be that slow again if they wanted to end this. As soon as he opens it they have to move.

Hidan didn't respond.

The blood-seeking figure's eyes opened and enlarged to a comical degree. His displease somehow increased after that beating...

"I can't", stressed a baffled Hidan.

Kakuzu felt it too. He couldn't rise either. 'What the hell is going on'. As soon as he didn't supply chakra to the mud structure, it crumbled, falling on them, going down their clothes. Covering them.

He could not move a muscle. Only his eyes. A seal shined on the floor with five deviations to each of the kneeling clones. All exhausted, panting themselves. Sweating.

Kakuzu could barely move his head to see clearly who was responsible for this attack. This planned attack. He would gather the honest avowal to call it masterful had he not suffered so much because of it. He didn't have a sense of the time that it all lasted.

Hidan meanwhile could see a clone perfectly. It couldn't be a child! It simply couldn't. His state of mind was… This seal could only hold him for so long.

Indeed. A minute in and Kakuzu could move his head up. Pride would not be his downfall, never cared for that stuff, yet something inside him cringed when he confirmed what he previously saw. He was 90 years old. He had seen some of the greatest shinobi level battlefields, installing fear in those they faced. He saw Hanzō of the Salamander in action; he saw the previous raikages and their armors, and faced Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.

But all of them were grown men, and he would have given them a run for their money. Of all the opponents he had, he never expected a weird-looking, google wearing child to even cause a scratch on him. Lay even a hand.

Shisui and Itachi Uchiha, Mū, Uburo Tamane, were feared names at the age this boy ought to be, but they were rare occurrences that he didn't face. To be, so far, outmatched by a fucking brat...

Hidan cursed out loud, time and time again for the headache of his partner. Any ill sounding word you could imagine was shouted out.

'That's the Uzumaki touch for you, fucking monsters', thought mentioned child.

---

This time it was Naruto, the one on his knees, tired and bruised.

"All right Naruto, do I have to ask you again what the principles of Fuinjutsu are?" Miwara asked with a teasing tone, a knowing smile.

Naruto shook his head, grinning, catching his breath.

"Good, it will be disgraceful this far in the training for you to have complete ignorance," Shoken mentioned as he stepped forward. "Now, what we are about to instruct you in is one of the more intricately simple techniques you will learn," Wait, what? "One of our basic, widely spread techniques. Few foes can escape its wrap, none immediately."

"Like a sealing barrier?" Naruto queried, he heard of those in the academy.

"It's exactly that. Only that with an Uzumaki's touch". Miwara remarked as she and Shoken arranged everything. Summoning out of scrolls weird... Rocks? Something of short. Five of them, each in a unique position. "One more potent you could say."

"It's one of many techniques of this type. Naruto." Shoken stated for the boy's knowledge.

"Why the rocks?" Asked Naruto.

"These are not rocks. These are tools just like the scrolls or some instruments could become if designed right. This is a helpful tool for you to learn and to make things simpler. Further in your training, you won't need them." Miwara gesticulated wildly as she explained. "I don't know how to explain it best."

"Leave it for later, how about we show you what it does?" Disrupted Shoken. Anxious to see the brat response to the first level of this technique. Laughing at the idea of whom they were gonna test it to.

"What is it called?"

"Kensho Seal: Pentagon Formation."

---

Kakuzu saw the clones trembling in tension, like every fiber in their body was in the break of tearing. The demand of this technique in a child's body… It was a matter of time. Wanting to speed up things, Kakuzu gathers chakra and tries to stand. Not only did he fail again, but in between this effort and the previous one to simply raise his head, he felt depleted.

A jailor's proper technique, that not only restricted movement but depleted the opposition chakra the most effort he made to free himself from it.

A technique bequeathed from an ancient time of war, designed to hold entire areas, levering the battlefield to the Uzumaki's exploit.

This was just a beginner's step. A small glimpse at this technique potential.

Kakuzu and Hidan seethe, months with no one so much as posing any kind of opposition to their killing and bounty hunting spree, and right now a sixth clone was walking towards them without a scratch on him. Be it a clone, be it whatever you want.

Inexcusable.

The only striding figure in the field took his time to approach. Kakuzu only looked at Hidan once, whispering to his companion to not get hasty.

He was 10 feet and counting down. Walking in a path carved by both Kakuzu's and Naruto's wind technique.

Kakuzu had to delay him.

Hidan had already attempted to stand, notwithstanding the fact that he had already felt the repercussions of doing so. He attempted it once again. There was an invisible line in his mind, marked by the point where this boy was within range of his scythe, as soon as Naruto crossed it, automatize, Hidan dared to hit him with it, holding with his left the bottom, double tucking the start of the leash as he was ready to lunge the rest of it.

His efforts were pointless, when moving his arms and his torso to gather the strength to reach the boy, by the draining effect of the sealing jutsu, the result was Hidan on the floor and his weapon barely reaching beyond the circle they were held in.

Naruto imposingly closed the distance. Height apart, there was an imposing factor to his presence. Drawing a kunai with an explosion tag from his holster, when close enough, he threw it infused with his wind affinity.

Neither Kakuzu nor Hidan dared closing their eyes, looking at Naruto's glasses. Not drawing back any longer.

They didn't have to, for the kunai's aim was not them. But the long metal cable that connected the blades of the weapon to the two spools on Hidan's hip.

Hidan was about to laugh maniacally, given how his cable was strong enough to deflect a simple kunai, he had to stifle it as the kunai parted it in too. Not even needing the explosion to be cut.

The rubble from the tag hit both of them straight in their overwhelmed faces. The mere movement as they braced themselves drained more chakra altogether.

"Bastard!" Claimed Hidan enraged.

'Say goodbye to your middle range', Claimed Naruto. He was not equated with predominantly Bukijutsu users, those who solely relied on weapons, but this seems like the course of action to follow, as soon as he saw the cable, the prospect of this specimen wielding it or throwing that thing to someone of the team, was one chance to erase.

Even more so taking in account the reports. He still couldn't believe that he was indeed immortal.

Did he regenerate? What were his weaknesses? Naruto didn't know the answers to the emerging question in his head.

Fuinjutsu was a bitch. The Hyuga could stop the chakra flow of somebody, a fuinjutsu designed piece of clothing could seal the Byakugan or the Sharingan. Naruto was miles away from being able to do things like that. Right now he couldn't hold this jutsu for a single minute more. Good thing that he had done more than he had planned beforehand, way beyond the simple goal of winning time.

"You really are immortal?" Naruto asked out loud. Kakuzu wondered if this boy was stupid. He was not trembling, his hands were steady and so was the tone in his voice. He would be wise to fear.

'What is that thing that popped out of his back?' Naruto wondered as he saw the broken clothes of Kakuzu after something bursted out.

Naruto took advantage of the fact that they couldn't move to circle them and look at Kakuzu's back.

"And you're just another clone," Kakuzu stated rather than queried. "So much effort and planning for so little".

Naruto didn't catch Hidan's eyes. His tone was menacing and crazy enough. He was more focused on a mask on the Akatsuki's member's back. He didn't have enough info of who neither were nor their abilities, chiefly Kakuzu's.

"When I reach you, I will enjoy killing you, showing you all the fear that Jashin can impose in your pathetic soul as you plead for someone to rescue as all that remains of you is your dismembered head and torso," Hidan threateningly proclaimed.

Naruto saw Kakuzu's insides move, threads in his left arm lurked. Naruto warned.

"I would not do that if I were you."

"You don't have long boy", Kakuzu said as one clone holding the seal fell to his ass, the seal losing its composure steadily. "You're time is dwindling"

Kakuzu managed for one of his arms to extend, lunging it at the clone.

"I've gained enough". Said Naruto. Out of his palmed shined chakra in an incredulous amount, spinning.

Kakuzu turned towards him, heading straight for him, Naruto was faster.

"Odama Rasengan".

The immediate area was destroyed, and both Kakuzu and Hidan were caught in the blast.

All the clones disappeared.

---

The persecuted had been moving non stop since Naruto's warning. When faced with the prospect of facing the Akatsuki, running and eluding them seem a better option.

They were in formation, with Fū in the center. Both her village's partners on each side. With the remaining Jonin, Shimogakure's, in the tail, covering their backs. Tadashi and Sora were leading and Naruto was just behind them, Fū having the misfortune or pleasure, we leave that to her personal taste and desires, of Naruto's ass being the predominant view for the last miles.

Their unyielding effort to put distance in between had to stop as Naruto didn't lunge with precision, suddenly losing consciousness. Falling to his death from that height.

"Naruto!" Shouted Yōrō.

Wuh-PSSSH! A whip resounded. Sora's tool.

He was nimble in his attempt to save Naruto. As the whip wraps around Naruto's leg, the blonde is left hanging. Sora was holding on for dear life in the tree.

"What..." Weakly mouthed Naruto as his eyes opened, becoming shocked as he looked down to the ground, to his fall. "Oh, fuck!"

His sudden reflexive movement didn't help Sora, who unfortunately didn't have room to operate. He was on the verge of falling himself.

"Tadashi!" Sora said as, his tonality rising with fear as one of his feet lost touch with the tree.

His partner responded to his call, grabbing him by the back of his attire.

"Got you!" Exclaimed Tadashi, relieved.

Just in case, their sensei was already on the ground, ready to catch the falling Naruto.

They all gave in to gravity and fell to the ground, although with controlled ability. They surrounded Naruto.

His transformation had faded.

Before them was the real him, physically. Pacing his breath, he took out the googles, having grown tired and uncomfortable with them.

"Thanks", Naruto honestly added, not feeling strong enough yet to raise his sight.

"What happened?" Asked Tadashi, it was the first time in the whole mission that he had seen Naruto like this.

Rather than answering, Naruto tries to get up. Fū's hand obstructing his effort for his sake. He had to rest.

"We have to move", Claimed Naruto with urgency. Repeating that claim three times more, each louder than the previous. His teammates were yet to obey or react accordingly.

"Naruto take a moment", advised Sora as he

"I'm fine, it's just the clones' dispersion that shock me a bit." Proving how stubborn and unflagging in his effort to move he was, he stood up. "Believe me. We have to move, now!"

"What happened?" They asked again.

"I've engaged them. I took them by surprise, gaining a few minutes. Come on!" As he said that, he jumped, taking the lead, hoping that by doing so they would be obliged to follow.

Naruto felt groggy, blinking repeatedly. Suddenly he was aching, making exaggerated movements. 'Have to keep moving...'

"I will brief you on the move, you're gonna have a hard time believing this," Naruto emphasized as he tried to regain his full self. He had to keep the eyes of the road. Without turning he exclaimed. "We have to hurry and find Jiraiya. Fū, Kegon, Yōrō, I have something to ask you."

---

Somewhere in the Land of Fire, in a little town near the Keiryū river, in a small stand, was an old man reading a letter from his beloved. Taking a break, sipping sake to alleviate stress.

Beloved chief in command rather than a meaningful other, his betrothed if you want. Not that he didn't hope for that to be, even after all these years.

Naruto asked him once about her. He recalled the conversation perfectly.

---

"What are you thinking?" Jiraiya asked the crestfallen Naruto? His demeanor seems that way. "Don't go quiet on me, I already trained your father, he was more the quiet and thinking type, not saying you don't have that side, but you are more fun. If you go into a silent, rather jackass than cool, moody mood we will get bored out of our minds. You have been like this since yesterday. Another unpleasant realization in one of your reads?"

"No," There was a long gap in between his words, something ought to happen. "I'm thinking of her, you know?" Oh.

Inadvertently, Naruto asked Jiraiya something he wanted to talk to him about for a long time. "Pervy-Sage, will you ever tell me the history between you and Tsunade?"

Jiraiya looked at the boy, confused.

"Why do you frame it like that? Like I was never gonna tell you of it?"

"Dunno, you seem to keep that inside, I guess," Naruto added before presuming, projecting, "Seems like something hard to talk about."

Jiraiya hummed. Looking back at their past. He didn't share it just because he thought there was not much to discuss in the matter. He responded because he knew where all was coming from. Having grown acquainted with how some things repeat in history, he could see Naruto wondering if his case with Sakura resembles that of his own with the current Hokage in any shape or form.

The case was that it didn't. Not nor needing to be. Not only were they both young, but the situation they were born into, while darkening, wasn't theirs.

Life ain't a recurrent script, an endless loop, that only has distinct faces, characters, yet similar stories and endings altogether.

The shinobi world may, but not necessarily the personal relations of those who inhabited it.

Jiraiya was upfront with Naruto. It was quite a plain story.

"It's not as complex as you might think. Boy, parentless since the age of 4, meets a girl at a very young age when they were put in the same team. Five minutes into their meeting and he was already punched miles away." Jiraiya said before crouching down and whispering to Naruto. "I will bulge and confess that I deserved that one."

Naruto smiled. Saddened by the fact he spoke of it in third person, like he was talking about a distant person, a distant set of emotions. Feeling like Jiraiya was hiding.

"At first such boy was amused by her, enticed to tease her. By misfortune, his recklessness transports him far away, distancing himself periodically from both his teammates, therefore her. Whatever crush he had developed in the brief time they shared only grew to a sense of attraction by the will of his imagination, for they didn't share much time to develop anything else. While partners, distance seems to be present during most of the time."

Naruto could bet that Jiraiya had written something about this, or at least lived a happy scenario of it through some of his characters' stories.

"The time they shared revolved around training, around war. He knew of her will and future desire, but not so much of her personal likes. Who she was. They fought together, bled together. They face things you could not fathom and survive them together. Amidst all that, be it his need for company, for someone… Be it what it may, those romantic sentiments turn to her. Unaccompanied by the guts to act upon them. Of presenting himself for what he really was. To be exposed. He likes to think it was because he was not sure if it was Tsunade with whom he wanted to take that step. I still don't know. There was fear of truly being rejected and complete ignorance of how to make it work if she accepted. For he only spent at most a week in the village every two months. What was he willing to give up in the name of that new frontier of possibilities?

I didn't have to face that, tough. Given that the hope for her having romantic feelings for me seemed hopeless and non-existent. Like I said, we didn't have time to search for such feelings. Or at least I didn't. With conflict after conflict, hard training and obligations, time flew by. When I bothered to look her way with the same eyes as I once did as a child, she was already fully in love with another man. I saw them talk and his ability to effortlessly make her smile, be at ease in a time where none of us were. I wanted to understand, wanted to feel happiness for her, yet couldn't. Like a child I marched towards him, ignorant of what I was going to say or do. Confronted him as if I had any right only for him to meet my stupidness with patience and a non judgmental kindness. At the end, I wanted to put distance between us so I could not feel the way I did and followed such an aim. By the time the war went by, she lost both. Him and her most precious person, his little brother, Nawaki.

Independently of my desire to remain by her side if needed, she just decided that this village had cost her too much and went as far from any imagery that could lead her to think of both of them as she was capable of. That was till you brought her back."

"This necklace, it was Nawaki's?" Naruto asked, fully aware of the answer.

"Yeah.. What you're wearing is not not economically priceless for being a chakra crystal, carved and made by the First Hokage; no, it's emotionally priceless because it rested upon the necks of the people she holds most dear. With it, you carry their dreams and aspirations. Both wanted to be Hokage, that's why she was reluctant to hear it once again. Why she call it..." Jiraiya couldn't end that sentence.

"A fool's dream," for his student did it for him.

"A fairy tale," Jiraiya said after taking a big breath. "She never wanted to be Hokage. She wanted that dream for Dan to live and lead. His ideals and his charisma were the position's requirement in her eyes. For her, the Senju had paid enough for the war. Her father didn't want that weight for himself, nor did her mother for her. Yet now she carries the position with courage at the verge of new and darker times."

No wonder Jiraiya could write with those everlasting stories happening all around him. As they continue with their route, Jiraiya looks up.

"At times I wonder if it's love. I know that while women have quite the effect on me, her… Either is different or I've convinced myself out of some emotional need that it is. I don't know," He paused. "I'm not a stationary guy. Always sleeping in the same place, laying next to the same person. Having shared habits and a regular schedule… It ain't me and probably ain't her either. I could hope that I made the effort for the chance of having something with her was the chance to occur." Was he to seek it out, rather. 'For some things the ship has already sailed, sadly.'

Naruto hoped for his sensei to make the effort. He deserved happiness. Be it that Tsunade felt somewhat the same and wanted to give it a try too. He liked that scenario.

---

'It's good that in that regard you're probably wiser than me' Thought the elder. Given their age difference, it was more pointed flaw about him than a compliment to the gaki.

Jiraiya was waiting for his student and the delegation he was guarding. To be precise he was two hours away from the meeting point. This stall where he was resting was nearby one of the many outposts that Konoha had in its southwest frontier.

This was the last one before the Odo lake. He was to meet Naruto as soon as he passed it.

He had time to spare. After the Shiraki debacle… It was the first time that his student didn't fill him in during these last months of reporting. It was very strange. One could point out the last chat they had as the motive, but Jiraiya knew better. Shiraki is not one to give up easily or turn unprofessional after being berated. Not that Jiraiya seeked for that last part to happen.

He couldn't do anything about it. Shiraki not showing up had left a hole in his schedule. One he to take advantage of to get up to speed with his unread letters. Starting with the most recent one, Tsunade's.

He swiftly devoured it. He was a quick reader. An occupational hazard. Being always on the fly, reading in order to get inspiration for his own writing.. All demanded for him to manage time.

'Talking about love, eh?' Jiraiya said with a smirk as he read the paragraph one more time, thinking what Naruto will think upon it. Life going by with no regards for those who are not present.

'I know it's impossible for you two knuckleheads to come home earlier, but I do want to ask if there can be an exception. Shizune and Iruka are getting married and you know how much both would love for him to appear. I wish you could make it.

Tell Naruto, and in case you can't, simply to send a letter.

…

Don't be a stranger.'

'At least someone seems to have found it' Claimed Jiraiya to himself, wishing the best for those two. It was definitely a surprise, he had no clue of this happening and neither did Naruto. He was used to the idea of life changing, not recognising Konoha after a year long trip, if not longer.

Naruto meanwhile… Wasn't. He was not that self absorbed, not that he needed to be to feel disoriented after having been away for so long.

"Jiraiya-sama! Jiraiya-sama!" A desperate cry permeated the till now pleasingly quiet environment. Jiraiya raised his head from the mail to see who to venture his ire into. Kidding.

Three louder and ever increasing shouts later, a small shinobi from the leaf came into the picture. Jiraiya recognised him from the post.

"Huh?"

Breathless he appeared before him, extending his hand with a scroll on it.

This smelled wrong.

"What's this?" Jiraiya questioned as he started to unravel it.

"I don't know sir, it was sent to the Odo post from Sunagakure with the explicit warning that it was only for you or the Hokage to read sir. It's from the Kazekage himself. When informed I search for you as quickly as I could." The speed with which this man talked. He would be handy in an auction.

"Good job,..." Jiraiya trailed. Trying to grasp his name.

"Onishi sir".

"Good job Onishi. Hold till I read it."

The leaf shinobi looked up at the Sannin as he gave him his back. He understood that it was for secrecy reasons. He could see his shoulders rise as his head lowered in angle, reaching the bottom of the letter, hearing him roll the message, he awaited for his instructions.

Without turning to him, and with a wary tone, Jiraiya spoke up. Commanding.

"I want you to enter the station, tell the garrison that they're with me. They have a minute to be ready for combat. I want you to send a letter, whatever outlet it's the fastest to the Odo post. Tell them to be ready and parole. To look out in the trails for the Akatsuki" The shock of the mentioned left Onishi cold, he was yet to move. Fortunately, someone could push. "Now!"

Onishi disappeared as Jiraiya

'Naruto ought to be hours away yet. This is too soon. That message should have arrived earlier,' Jiraiya thought. There was no way that the perpetrator of the attack on two bijūs, who gathered a bit of their chakra, disappeared, being kidnapped from his cell, and the Akatsuki weren't involved in it.

Only one thing reing in Jiraiya's mind. His godson.

---

A tad latter.

Jiraiya was leading a squad of 8 men, heading to their meeting point. They were minutes away. It was due time, he couldn't believe he had forgotten.

Quickly stopping he did the usual motions.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu" He summoned Gemoto. The messenger toad that he assigned to Naruto.

"Finally!" Utter the toad relieved, content that the delay didn't prolong.

"Gemoto, where is he?" Jiraiya asked urgingly. "What's happening?"

"Naruto-kun is in danger. They were being pursued by a two man squad," As soon as he said that Jiraiya took a massive leap, doubling the pace. Gemoto started saying word for word what Naruto had told him to. "They're still nowhere near past Suna's forest. They were three hours away from the meeting point. He said to warn you, he believes that one of them is Hidan".

Then that stated who was the other. The pairings had been the same in the last two years. Jiraiya found maddening how little he knew of this particular one besides the lunatic claims of his immortality.

He would test that.

"They were three hours away from the meeting point when?" Jiraiya asked, hoping that he didn't have to do so again seeing there was no immediate answer. "Gemoto..."

"Two hours ago".

Jiraiya cursed.

---

Back minutes after Naruto's stumble…

"The other one is a Takigakure shinobi," briefed Naruto to their inhabitants' surprise. "Do you know anything about a man called Kakuzu?"

Naruto should have used the previous encounter to test the enemy's abilities and gather more about their capacities.

He didn't grasp how perilous they were. The next time they faced them, he wouldn't have the element of surprise. Or a plan like that.

"Do you know of a man called Kakuzu?" He asked again.

Fū was far too young to know of him. Yōrō gasped while Kegon's eyes outrageously opened. Baffled, he wondered if he heard Naruto right?

"Sorry?"

"I said if you know any intel on Kakuzu?"

So he heard right then.

"I mean it can't be, he ought to be ancient by now," Yōrō said, looking at his partner. Who nodded in disbelief.

Naruto had no time for this.

"One of the men trailing us is immortal, and the other threw his arm at me. His body seeming made of threads like a fucking rag doll. Could we just accept that they don't obey any natural laws and get on with it?" Naruto asked next to Fū, now being the both of them in the center of the formation. Their partners surround them closely.

If Kakuzu's age surprised them, they were in for a wild ride. That being the least outlandish or surreal thing Naruto had seen or heard today.

"Kakuzu was a former elite ninja in the village," All eyes were on Yōrō as he revisited his village passage. "He took on the mission of assassinating the First Hokage, Hashirama. The mission was vital for the village's interest. He failed, and worst, survived. Having to come home to a awaiting village that shunned him out and punish him for failing. We all know of him for what he did in response, killing the village elders and taking their hearts and escaping with the village's primordial forbidden technique."

"Jeez", solely added Sora. That was hardcore.

"Their hearts?" Naruto asked. That was interesting. What were those masks? Turning to Yōrō, "Any knowledge of what that technique was?" Both Yōrō and Kegon shook their heads. "Affinities, abilities, anything?"

They couldn't add anything.

'Dammit' Thought Naruto. What kinjutsu were their enemies using?

As Naruto was about to brief them on what he had seen and the capacities the enemy had, he queried himself… He wanted to tell the Shimogakure shinobi to scatter, not dying needlessly. They weren't after them. They've done more than enough, fulfilling their end of the bargain. The question was if he should.

"All right here is what I saw," Naruto imposingly raised his head for everyone to listen. It was for their fucking lives. "They might not really be immortal but they're definitely not easily killed, so don't ever back down and think you have ended it..."

And he went on about Kakuzu's wind and earth affinities, warning them he didn't know if that was all there was about him. About Hidan's lack of ninjutsu and recklessness. The damage he sustained and how he could still move. His scythe… And Kakuzu's mask, the one that bursted out after being deprived of oxygen.

All went pale. Their fear increasing. Naruto could see it in his partner's faces. Only Fū seemed undaunted. She was focused and one could say for certain upon looking at her, ready.

As Naruto progressed with all his warning, a look didn't leave him, surprised with his abilities. 'Are all Konoha shinobi like this?' Asked Noguchi silently, a well known Shimogakure jonin, Sora's and Tadashi's sensei. He knew the answer was a no. This boy was no genin. After some abilities he showcased, he could hardly call him a chunin. 'Why do you seem so familiar?'

Noguchi's surprise emerged when Naruto turned to him. Slowing down after finalizing his speech to get to the back of the formation where he was. Tadashi with him.

"What is it, Naruto?" Asked Tadashi.

"I think you should leave," added Naruto, almost whispering so the front couldn't hear it.

Talk about shock. Tadashi and Noguchi didn't understand. That idea never crossed their minds. Sora's meanwhile…

"What?" Could only gather to utter Tadashi. Noguchi immediately understood where this was coming from, he felt insulted.

"You've done your part already, Tadashi. If you stay..." Noguchi didn't let Naruto end his sentence.

"Thank you for your worries but we are shinobi, Naruto, we know what we're in for," They did not need nurturing or overprotectiveness. Not with these stakes.

"Yeah, besides, I think we owe you one. We can't let those bastards get their hands in the lot of you, not with the consequences it entails," added Tadashi.

'What could you owe me if Jiraiya put you to this mission? You're only here cause of… Crap' Naruto trailed off. Looking at them, he understood that they were determined. 'If this is what you want' Naruto nodded, going back to his position.

Were all shinobi this driven? Unopened to the idea of eluding death? He wished to say it honored them if he didn't prefer for them to live. Naruto had his reasons, they had theirs; he acknowledged that they could be more worthy or sensible than his.

Not that much time passed, they were just at the border. The Odo post was still many miles away.

In their sight the ruins of a destroyed town.

"There has not been a sign of them catching up to us", said Kegon, somewhat relieved and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"Maybe Naruto has scared them off," Sora added too, somewhat at ease.

"Not a chance," That came out of Naruto himself. Having seen them in action, he could spend a lifetime citing more likely scenarios than their pursuers turning back.

Tadashi reckoned it was time.

"Naruto, why don't you do your thing again?" He advised. Naruto agreed.

Summoning a clone, Naruto was about to sit when amids the present quietness. Rocks were heard as they rain down from one of the upper structures. It was knocked down inadvertently by someone. The entire squad looked up.

It was a Konoha shinobi!

Many thanked their respective gods.

"Are you Naruto?" He asked.

Naruto nodded, incapable of opening his mouth to add in a couple of words. Looking up, he saw the shinobi. Above him a tree that grew above the house, its branches dancing as he heard a whisper. By the height of the building and their position, Naruto could barely visualize his face and upper torso.

The welcoming salutes of his partners interrupted that whisper.

"Jiraiya-sama send for… Ugh!"

Out of the man's chest went an arm. With the man's heart on his palm, cutting off its arteries and veins with a tuck. Blood trickling down in between. The Konoha shinobi spouted it too.

It was out of a horror movie.

"This is one. I only need one more," Said Kakuzu from the back of the man, before pushing forward the lifeless body.

It fell and hit the floor rapidly, splashing the man's guts and breaking his bones. Rising dust as the impact resonated.

"Kakuzu," said Naruto, recognising his foe as he approached the edge of the building showing himself. Now was where Naruto learned what he needed those hearts for.

In a gruesome fashion, Kakuzu introduced it inside his own body as he looked down. Recognising Fū. Their target.

He didn't match Naruto's stare, for he was searching for the brown-haired boy from before, eager to face him on his own terms.

Cries of surprise reign instead of the previous cheering. The automatic response of some was to look away in search for a route to escape. When trying they found their path blocked but weird constructs. Dark figured bodies with the masks that resemble those that Naruto mentioned. Two specifically.

With full bodies! They had never seen something so bizarre before. Naruto was not the only one looking at Kakuzu directly. Tadashi muttered what he believed was the case given the information he had.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Said Tadashi as they noticed another dark masked figure appearing from his back. The threads inside him rearranging his skin almost automatically.

Their hypothesis seems more likely now.

"Yes," Naruto responded. "That's what the hearts are for. Five, four for the masks and one for himself. If we want to kill him, we will have to destroy each one."

"Agreed. Now it begs the question of what each of these things do," That clouded Tadashi's mind. Alongside darker thoughts in response, like burning each allied corpse of this battle before this new enemy could grab a hold of a usable heart.

"I don't know, they seem fully operational," Naruto tried to guess by looking if each of the masks had a distinctive feature or something that could show the answer. Besides them being ugly, he could not say much. 'Seen them moving. Aren't they brainless? What is it, muscle memory?'

"You heard that?" Tadashi turned to the group, all nodded. Hoping they were paying attention.

'Where's Hidan?' Wondered Noguchi.

'Clever boy,' Kakuzu wanted to test something. Out of the mask behind them, a stream of lighting was aimed at the blonde.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough."

Naruto's technique obliterated Kakuzu's.

'So it is you' There was no doubt about that. Kakuzu smiled, ducking the gust of wind coming his way. 'Who are you, boy?' The challenge magnetized him.

It was quite the nerving, unease inducing atmosphere. Kakuzu and his masks looked down to them with the high ground advantage, yet they had not made a move. What were they waiting for?

"The technique came from the mask," observantly pointed out Sora, who had not uttered a word since the enemy's arrival.

Tadashi and Naruto's gaze meet. Noguchi followed their train of thought. 'Let's see if we are on the right track'.

The fear that Kakuzu's ninjutsu prowess inspired was on full display. All looked warily at a man that had displayed the capacity of performing three different natures.

'Arrogant prick. You are not afraid of showing your abilities,' Noguchi thought, so far reading this guy like an open book. Were they that cocky? Looking around, he searched for the hotheaded one. Stealth and patience didn't seem like his virtue, so where was he at?

Steps were heard behind Kakuzu. They quickened as they approached him. It was a Naruto's clone. Yet the thread composed being didn't move an inch.

Naruto's clone gathered enough chakra to create a Rasengan, 'this is too easy', he thought as he came closer.

He heard a familiar laugh approach from the side, Hidan.

"Ahh!" The scythe went right by the clone.

By the inertia and the hate that filled that strike, the vengeful force he put in his swing, Hidan almost tripped.

Kakuzu turned to him. In his eyes printed their eagerness.

He clapped his hands.

The two masks behind them merged. Suddenly opening. The team glimpsed one gathering air and upon the other a flame, intensifying by the minute.

Soon they realised it.

Sora, Nogichi, and Kegon took a step towards it.

"Water Style: Water Wall", Performed pupil and sensei in unison.

"Water Style: Cannon Ball," Kegon performed.

The rest braced as they already could feel the heat incoming, infused by the strong current.

As soon as they made impact, rather closer than they ever wanted, steam emerged creating a momentary fog like environment. Only that hot air invaded them this time, sweating as the temperatures suddenly rose.

With the humidity in the air and blind, Naruto waited for a tone, a sound as he ordered those around him to not disperse yet. Soon enough another mask opened, 'Not yet'.

The sound of the Chidori was permeated in his mind, the bird's chirping. This wasn't that, but he had heard enough Raiton techniques to know.

Kakuzu and Naruto performed each of their techniques second apart from each other.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness."

"Wind Style: Whirlwind Shield."

Kakuzu's lightning spear clashed with Naruto's sudden current fortress, not getting through. The current carry on and as it dispersed, so did the bothersome steam impregnated around them, clearing the line of sight. As they looked up to the building, neither Akatsuki was up there. Nor could they find the masks.

Unbeknownst to them in the center of their formation, there was a beating, resounding below the floor. As soon as one heard it, they turned upon warning. Something popped out of there, a skein pumping with threads out of it.

"Look out!" Shouted Kegon, too late.

Out of the floor, the threads emerged tying up all the members, the whole seven of them.

"Dammit" Cursed Naruto, deviating his gaze from the skein to the opposite direction. He gasped. Just before him, at arm's length reach, were both Hidan and Kakuzu.

Out of the second one's left arm you could follow a trail of threats that went underground.

He was so shocked that he almost didn't notice Hidan lunging his scythe upwards. He closed his eyes.

"Naruto!"

Naruto didn't think he would last utter breath with Hidan's madman laugh as the soundtrack.

His scythe went down to his legs, chopping down the tree as its lower limbs were obliterated. Naruto cried as he fell to the floor, tearing and in utter shock.

Everyone stared as Hidan licked this weapon. He was ghoulish. That was not the only thing he was doing, he was drawing a weird symbol on the floor.

Kakuzu didn't wait for his partners to kill each by that method of his. He couldn't hold the whole squad forever. 'Or could I?' He speculated as he looked at them, hopeless, grabbed by their arms, some by the throat, tied up and choking, incapable of aiding their crippled partner…

Kakuzu sadistically left Naruto to Hidan, with the clause of him being killed the last one, the threads grabbing a hold of the boy, like a puppeteer, making him watch.

He wanted the brat who dared take two hearts from him to see everything, the play from the best seats.

Out of the floor popped out more threads, each lunged at incredible speed to each forehead, killing them swiftly.

Naruto looked as they were falling like dominos. He bit onto the sand as they lunged him to the floor. He refused to believe it. He couldn't bite his thumb or poke in one of his wounds so the pain could wake him up. He did the best he could instead, biting with strength into a rock, hoping that as he lost a tooth, he would awaken from this horror tale.

The threads wrapped around each of his legs, applying like a tourniquet to each limb. They didn't want him to bleed to death before he could see this. The pain of that constricting force didn't wake him. He felt like he was poked with a needle thousand times in what remains of his thigh. How could this be real? He teared.

Rearranging his position away, he was spun again to Hidan. Naruto had no vital force nor care to be shocked when he saw the monster's transformation. His skin turned dark and in it were distinctive lines colored in with a bone like tone.

The look on Hidan's face, he smiled as he drove part of his weapon into his own chest!

Naruto felt a pain rapidly sink in. The pain of being pictured in the heart, feeling blood trickling down both his mouth and his chest in sequence to Hidan tears of happiness and joy as he shouted out Jashin's name a thousand times over.

Hidan rasing as Naruto sunk, his corpse falling to the ground.

Hidan coughed as he kept laughing, Kakuzu looking at him in disbelief before stumbling. Suddenly that brief but annoying coughing prolonged and turned heinous. Hidan felt some horrible, worrying pain, stumbling along the field towards the corpses inadvertently, Kakuzu instead away from them.

Hidan couldn't stand on his two feet, tripping over as he fell to a puddle of blood, that of Naruto's legs. He passed his arm through his forehead, his complete face rather. When coughing, a strange dust rushed out.

He didn't recognise the touch of his own arm. He opened his eyes upon trembling to look at it to his surprise. To his dread. Out of his skin was erupting something, a stem. Like a virus, a kind of fungi was fruiting in his own body. Growing quickly out of control out of every inch of him.

A cry of disconsolation emanated, he couldn't even phrase his pain out loud without tripping his words with bubbling cries for help. Grabbing his scythe, with force, he drove it to his chest.

Interrupting his internal system. Or at least shocking it.

Next thing he knew, Hidan was beside Kakuzu as his partner stood up, before being thrown into the building behind them.

All their enemies were alive and well. Spread through the field. He looked in search for who did that genjutsu, seeing the green-haired girl that they were supposed to catch with her hands clapped.

"Ninpō: Cordyceps Fungi." Fū preferred that over calling it killer fungi, or something else. More biologically fitting.

"Outstanding job, Fū," mentioned Tadashi in thankfulness. "Please recall me later to be kinder to you."

Naruto and Fū's gaze briefly meet. Both smiling.

Naruto looked up at the clear sky. A simple idea crossing his mind. He was so obdurate in the match that he had forgotten where they were.

"Any fire style users?" He shouted with no care for their opponents hearing it. Yōrō grudgingly raised both his head and voice. He was not a proficient ninjutsu user, but it seemed like he was the only one here with at least the capacity of performing a jutsu of that kind.

Naruto jumped back to his side. "Don't worry, aim up, I will guide your fire", Yōrō understood what Naruto implied. He nodded. "Now!"

"Fire Style: Fire Breath Jutsu."

"Wind Style: Gigantic Breakthrough."

---

Jiraiya was leading the man as he fastened his pace. Out of the tree line he saw a bright light in the distance, rushing and getting out of the forest. Upon the edge of a small elevation in the landscape, he saw an enormous fire rise high enough in the sky.

A flare.

They weren't that far away. 'Hold on, Naruto'.

"Everyone hold up," He said as he ran towards that edge, jumping.

"Jiraiya-sama!" Shouted in worry one of the Leaf shinobi, heading to the cliff's edge himself to see what happened. He heard Jiraiya saying...

"Summoning Jutsu."

A giant puff of smoke appeared, till pushed away by a giant hand. A giant toad appeared.

With Jiraiya atop his head. The toad extended a hand for the shinobi remaining.

"Everyone hold on to Gamahiro," Jiraiya ordered to no one's protest. Looking back in the flare's direction, he pointed Gamahiro in the direction he ought to take his giant strides to.

---

Some embers trickled down in the sky.

"Think they will see that?" Yōrō said, smiling.

"Everyone, don't divert your eyes from them," advised Nogichi as he went to aid Kegon, too late for Kakuzu had already kicked him out of the picture.

"That's our cue to stop playing around and finishing this", stated Kakuzu as he flew by Hidan, who quickly stood up and went ahead to fight.

Kakuzu went for the head-to-head combat as one of his masks covered him while the other two ones went after Fū, who was doing her best to dodge their wind and lightning techniques.

The fire one was covering Kakuzu, with Naruto in mind.

Noguchi drew his kunai and tried to strike Kakuzu, who eluded with ease by bending a little, hitting consequently Noguchi in the arm with precise force, after two other attempts to cut him. His palm opened, and the kunai fell to the floor.

Without balance, Noguchi tried to jump back but Kakuzu's spread arm grabbed a hold of him and brought him back into range, holding him in place and landing a devastating blow with his leg on Noguchi's thigh, before he could punch him, his right arm was grabbed by a whip.

He turns to see Sora, who in his exercise of protecting his master forgot that there was something covering his enemy, starting a chain of events.

Seeing the fire technique coming from the fire mask, Kegon went to aid, performing the hand jutsu to counter that attack. Prior to him ending it, lending a hand, a fatal blow by Hidan's scythe found a way to his gut.

Killing him. Leaving Sora unprotected.

Fortunately, Tadashi rushed in and pushed Sora out of the way, barely getting the both of them touched by the fire.

"Kegon!" Shouted Yōrō. One second he and Naruto were facing Hidan. The laughing madman drove Naruto back, getting Yōrō himself to his knees with a blow, on the verge of killing him; and the next he saw was Hidan instead killing his partner.

The last part of this chain of eventualities is that with no hold on Kakuzu's arm, this one shot Noguchi far away. Into a crumbling wall.

Noguchi didn't have time to linger, as the mask above Kakuzu performed breath fire to his way. He responded in time.

"Water Style: Water Stream", he could elude the attack, retiring again with the sudden steam as the curtain, jumping over the wall.

Kakuzu was waiting for it, appearing like a blur just in front of him as Noguchi was about to take a second duration break. Kakuzu threads grabbed a hold of him, before his arm went straight through him.

Noguchi's body turns to water. A clone. Trickling down to Kakuzu's clothes. A small pond on his feet.

Before he noticed Tadashi was behind him, close enough. Ready and free to do this, with both Sora and his sensei taking care of the mask.

Grabbing a hold of Kakuzu he performed his lighting release, frying the bastard. When in a knee and still trembling from the electricity, Tadashi tried to land a fatal blow but somehow he found himself kicked back.

Kakuzu went for the boy and again struck him, only that this time Tadashi went straight through a decaying house, its pillars collapsing and the structure falling onto the boy.

Sora attempted to turn from the mask when he heard that, not knowing what happened to his partner. His sensei shouted at him to not do that.

The mask went into hand to hand combat with Noguchi. When Sora went to aid him, he instead found himself before Kakuzu, who looked down upon him like he was the most insignificant of things.

Scared, he tried. Water stream emanated from his mouth, only for it to be stopped by Kakuzu with one bare hand as he kept advancing despite the force of the water. Sora knew he couldn't run, having seen his sensei getting caught. Instead, when Kakuzu had almost reached him, Sora stopped his technique, ducking Kakuzu's incoming arm, going straight for his chest with a quickly summoned sword.

"Ahh!" Sora shouted, infusing himself with courage.

Before being choked by Kakuzu after he grabbed a hold of the utterly scared and pleading boy. Angst in his eyes. Trying everything he could to free himself, his legs striding mid air for nothing.

"No, please.. No" splutter Sora in desperation and fear in between the choking sound.

Kakuzu arm backtracks a bit before lunging with force into the boy's body. Smiling under his mask as he grabbed a hold of a new heart. Ripping it off from the boy.

Noguchi stared in disbelief, panic-struck and sickened as Kakuzu threw the boy's body away. Ire controlled him. Trying his best to get past the mask to kill that fucking bastard.

And he attempted, with incredible poise and ability, an admirable effort that was enough for Kakuzu to not notice what was happening around the field, with all his masks occupied, having Fu proven to be a handful as she was close enough to break one of them.

---

Naruto stood up from the rubble. Bleeding a bit from an injury on his leg, having wrapt it swiftly with a bandage. Looking at the enemy in front of him, seething. Putting the glasses back on, he couldn't lead the Akatsuki onto any knowledge of his having this ability, therefore hiding the distinctive feature of it, his frog-like eyes.

A clone somewhere in the battlefield disappeared, having done its job.

He went on Sage mode, with his stare solely on Hidan, who looked as if he was having a blast as Yōrō eluded his blows. Resisting the thought of two signatures now gone from the field, Kogen's and Sora's and the stumpigs heard in the distance, fully aware of the help to come, Naruto went back to the field.

Faster than neither of them could fathom, Naruto appeared in between the two, bending the metal of Hidan's scythe as he tried to strike Yōrō. The Akatsuki members try to stab Naruto, or at least draw blood with another pointy weapon of his, a futile effort given Naruto's enhanced reflexes.

Naruto was going to break him.

He got as close as you could get, landing a blow to his ribs, breaking them, ducking Hidan's blow and getting behind his right elbow, grabbing a hold of it and breaking it before tossing both Hidan's weapons aside as he knocked them loose.

Eluding another blow from his right arm, Naruto kicked with aim the left side of Hidan's left knee, bending it. Spinning around and once again hitting him in the other leg from behind, forcing him to bend, both of Hidan's knees on the floor, Naruto having a hold of both his arms as he put a leg in his back, just like Sasuke did back them.

Unlike Sasuke, this was not a lust filled, uncontrolled attack, but the best course of action.

Pushing, he separated them from their sockets, tearing everything apart. Looking at Yōrō and his swords as this one understood and went to cut the enemy in pieces, completing the separation of Hidan's arms from his body.

Naruto pushes Hidan onto the floor. As this one still made the effort to stand up, Yōrō cut his head. It was bouncing along the floor, his eyes and mouth still opened.

Still talking.

"I'll bite you to death, motherfucker."

His severed parts still moving, having spasms.

Yōrō could still not believe it. He was brought out of his stupor by Naruto, as he called for him.

"Go help the others, Yōrō. I'm going to bury this monster in that withering house ahead," Naruto said as he started moving, heading to grab a hold of Hidan's body, intending to toss it ahead.

Yōrō grabbed Naruto, thinking it was better if he did this himself. In his state, he would be of no help to the others. He was drained, and seeing Naruto he understood that he was on another level.

"Let me," he wisely stated.

Naruto nodded, thanking silently Yōrō. Naruto looked down at Hidan. He couldn't seal his head away, wrapping it as a present for the interrogation core of the village. Although the chances of Danzo getting his hands on him were scary.

"All right, guard the head and hide, we're keeping it to interrogate him on Akatsuki's plans", he advised as he disappeared to the battlefield, hurrying in Noguchi's aid, as he felt in the worst shape of the two members still fighting. His chakra dwindled.

---

Noguchi braced. Each palm sitting on the opposite shoulder, raising them so they covered his ducked head. Forming an x.

The blow sent him back many feet. As he stood up, he saw Kakuzu preparing another fire technique. Amidst their fight, something seems different. Both looked to their right as Hidan's cry of ire and hate were heard.

Kakuzu had to finish this.

With their stares succinctly focused still on that place, they catch a blur appearing suddenly before hiding behind the small rubble before them.

Dust emerging as if something had jumped. Minuscule rocks falling as they were no longer forced up by someone's momentum.

Noguchi didn't make much of it until he saw what appeared behind Kakuzu, specifically behind Kakuzu's mask. A blue light casting a strange coloration to that part of the field. 'He's fast.'

"Rasengan!" Naruto contacted the fire mask, utterly destroying it. Bringing Kakuzu to one knee in pain as he was back to four hearts, still three more than the average person.

Not impeded by the pain, Kakuzu lunged at the boy, directly for close combat while his newly water mask went for Noguchi, who tried to no avail. He couldn't protect himself from the incoming technique.

"Water Style: Raging Waves". A single wave drove Noguchi with force against the structures, impaling him against a broken metal piece that popped out the building.

Naruto couldn't do anything. He was grabbed by the foot as he went in aid, thrown away. From the debris as he stood, Naruto couldn't catch a breath, nor gaze at Noguchi. He was waiting for the other clone to disappear to go into sage mode again, this was his last chance.

Three minutes to hold this man off. Once that ran down he would be helpless and without chakra. Almost dead by the precarious nature of his position. 'I don't even have a minute for each heart'. He just had to hold on.

The clock started counting down.

When Kakuzu launched, Naruto responded by punching him, outmaneuvering him, going straight for his body in close quarters, hitting him in the mouth and unveiling his face completely once Kakuzu stood up from wherever he landed. He was not the most pleasing of sights.

From the rubble Naruto saw once again Kakuzu's arm going underground, so he looked down and jumped, eluding the threads. Kakuzu smirked.

In mid air, Naruto saw the water and lightning mask jumping beside him, combining and forming a deathly technique.

Scared once they opened Naruto thought fast.

He summoned a clone that threw him out of the way, towards Kakuzu, eluding the attack as it pummeled all on its path. He was cartwheeling in the air, not the best situation for an aimed hit or any defense. It was not his best idea. Before he reached Kakuzu or he could summon another clone to deviate from the route towards his claws, the third mask appeared in the blink of an eye, standing in front of Kakuzu. It performed his technique for the second and last time in this combat.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."

It threw Naruto back. He hit the deck hard. Even in Sage Mode it hurt.

Someone appeared besides him, "Are you okay?" only that it was intending to aid him. Fū helped Naruto stand up. She meant to come sooner after the masks let her be, but she had to check up on Kegon. Sadly becoming aware that he was dead.

When both looked at Kakuzu, while his attire was destroyed, he seemed fine. In complete control. With energy and chakra to continue this indefinitely. Both Naruto and Fū were panting.

Something made its way into the picture.

The earth trembles beneath them, each time with increased force. The sound in the distance approaching. "What's that?" Asked Fū. The danger of it was becoming quite real before them.

Kakuzu looked in the direction, his masks rearranging their position to face whatever was incoming. Soon enough they could see above the tree line a giant toad jumping.

Looking back at Naruto, Kakuzu saw his stance, while with his goggles on, he could see his demeanor in battle. Not leaving anything to chance or taking a break, even with reinforcements. He posed to be a threat if he kept growing as a shinobi.

"They're reinforcements, Fū," Naruto took out his glasses. His Sage Mode had faded sooner than imagined. He portrayed the next part, acting tough, while in reality he could not move a muscle. "It's over, Kakuzu."

It indeed was. Kakuzu conceded with that. And so did a sudden appearance beside him.

"It's time to retire, Kakuzu," in this spectacle, this freak show, another star enters. Naruto and Fū carefully looked at it. Half white, half black. With some kind of mouth, or something, enveloping its head. Neither would venture to call it human.

It was wearing the Akatsuki's cloak, and that was all that mattered.

Kakuzu rose, all his mask, the mass of matter they were, went back to his back. 'This guy really is a monster', thought Naruto.

"Hidan?" Kakuzu asked, being answered by the creature shaking his head.

"I couldn't find him."

"Nor hear him?" How could that be? Thought Kakuzu. Having not heard silence near Hidan. He ought to be still alive. It was a good riddance if not because he had information. He dared standing up to search for him, but stumbled back down as Gamahiro landed in the vicinity. The leaf shinobi jumped down with the idea in mind of going after him.

As soon as Naruto saw Jiraiya, he went down by his body unconscious orders. As soon as his brain succinctly turned down, realising that they might survive this when seeing his sensei, his body took the chance to call the shots.

He was barely cognizant, Fū grabbed a hold of him so he didn't hurt himself. Searching for any wounds on his body after laying him down slowly. She saw a blood tainted bandage on his leg.

Nothing beyond that, quickly tending as best as she knew, which meant replacing the mentioned bandaging with a new one. She didn't know what else could be done. Looking sideways as the weird thing that appeared now faded on the floor, while Kakuzu did the same thing in the smoke he just created.

Jiraiya was nowhere close reaching Kakuzu, he saw him in the distance but couldn't reach him. Looking around at this place, praying that he didn't arrive too late.

"There ought to be seven ally shinobis. Search for them!" Having already briefed them to which village all belong to. "You two throughly look for the Akatsuki, see if they have really left."

Looking back at Gamahiro, from his upper and wider view, he pointed to Jiraiya where the boy was. And so did with those shinobi he could see, mainly Noguchi, the corpses of both Sora and Kogen. Still tracing for the remaining Tadashi. Pointing them to the awaiting rescue party.

Yōrō goes out of his hideout to meet the reinforcements himself, with a weird thing on his hand. Gamahiro didn't want to say what he believed that was out loud.

Jiraiya hurried. Jumping onto the first level of the building where both were all along.

"Naruto," he said as he rushed to his side, looking at the boy. He was completely out, his clothes mostly turned apart, the googles broken in his hand. "How is he?"

"He's fine, exhausted and all, but he's not badly wounded," Calmly said Fū as she showed him Naruto's wound. It was nowhere near the bone. Jiraiya finally breathed, thanking the universe, passing a hand through his mane before looking at the girl before him.

He felt like he just lost a year of his life, in between the worry and having gone full tilt for many miles before he summoned the Gamahiro... Yeah. He would not petition to experience this again.

"Fū?" He questioned her, although he had perfect knowledge of who she was. It was no assumption. She nodded. "Are you hurt?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," She simply put. Jiraiya smiled complacent, glad.

"We better take you all to the nearest hospital," standing up Jiraiya peek out of the building as he saw the members gather, the official approaching. "How are the rest?"

"Two dead, a kid from Shimogakure and one of the Jonin of the Waterfall," Fū looked down again, feeling somewhat guilty. "and two injured. The other kid will make it, their sensei has lost too much blood already. He has minutes at best, I don't think Tsunade herself could heal him."

That meant that six of the seven were accounted for, Jiraiya wondered where was that last one was, and he was not alone in that.

"Where's Yōrō?" Question Fū filled with worry.

"I'm here," a voice made his way, being helped as he approached. Not able to standalone on his two feet.

Fū was relieved, Jiraiya meanwhile noticed something else. Upon the man's hip was hanging a head?

Jiraiya jumped near him.

"Careful, it bites," warned Yōrō as Jiraiya picked it up from the hair. Baffled.

'It bites?' As he raised it, the head turned by mere momentum and for the first time Jiraiya saw Hidan's face. The shock that was printed on Jiraiya's face, as he saw Hidan's eyes moving and him mouthing something, only for a rope to elude any of them from being understandable; was resounding. It almost forced him to jump back from the scare. 'What the hell is this?'

His mind didn't last long before returning to a planning mode, upon the chance of interrogating this subject, with no prospect of him escaping. This was a game changer. He gave it to a clone of himself, not trusting anyone to hold him, while he went to pick up Naruto.

They had to evacuate. More shinobis that were on patrol upon the sound approached them. The storm ought to be over.

Jiraiya didn't know what happened, he would question the boy about it as soon as he opened his eyes. What he did know was what he achieved, they rather, the end product of this whole thing. For as painful as it may be for the losses, given the odds, was astounding. 'You've done good gaki. Rest'.

"He has done, indeed"

Jiraiya knew Naruto wouldn't see it that way.

---

Kakuzu escaped through the forest. An image printed on his mind, that of that child. The salt that was poured into the wound when Zetsu told him that it was the Nine tails Jinchūriki…

He would volunteer for the next party that was sent for him. Promising himself the next time they meet would be the boy's last. 'Just you wait, Uzumaki Naruto'.