"We are out of options." Mū's voice was coarse, like the gravel of the village he ruled, all hard edges and zero empathy. "Kirigakure has gotten its hands on the Rokubi, which means we've officially fallen behind. We cannot fall behind."

"So you like to say." His father's voice was neutral. It was the tone Ōnoki adopted when he was attempting diplomacy, and suggested his resistance to the Nidaime Tsuchikage's intentions. It would've been a novel deviation from the norm. "You're sure there's no other options?"

Mū scoffed. "I taught you better than that. Do you know what can stand up to these Bijū?"

Ōnoki hesitated before saying, "Their true power is unknown—"

"Because the Shodai Hokage was a naïve fool, not because we were ready for them," the Tsuchikage asserted. Though his voice was low, it sounded like thunder to the young redhead. "I witnessed his folly firsthand. But he is dead, the Bijū are free, and the other countries have already leapt at the opportunity. If we do not capitalize on the Yonbi now, we will lose everything."

An oppressive silence filled the space left by the Tsuchikage's words. Rōshi backed away from the door he'd been eavesdropping at, an unknown tension building in his gut. He was starting to regret trying to drop by to surprise his father when Ōnoki finally spoke, a hint of resignation echoing in his timbre. "Very well. Your will shall be done, Mū-sama."

"You've made the wise choice, Ōnoki. As Tsuchikage, you will find that the right decisions can sometimes be quite difficult. But fret not. Once Rōshi becomes the Yonbi Jinchūriki, I will ensure that he is trained to his ultimate potential.

"He will be Iwagakure's strongest weapon."

-l-l-l-

Rōshi sat on the floor with his back against the hard stone wall of his jail cell, dark eyes closed in quiet contemplation.

At least, it would have been quiet if not for the unceasing clank clank clank of Han's armored footfalls against the stone floor. "Can yeh stop?" the redhead groused after another minute of continuous noise.

The loud pacing stopped. "You promised me freedom, Rōshi," the giant Jinchūriki accused, his deep voice underlain with barely concealed rage. Rōshi opened his eyes to show his fellow Iwa-nin that he was at least paying attention. "This—" he gestured with open arms to their surroundings, "—is not freedom!"

"Aye, an' yeh think I planned fer this?" the lava-user shot back. "It ain't like I want ter be Konoha's pris'ner any more'n yeh."

"No? I didn't see you fighting to get away when Konoha's ANBU showed up!" Han snarled.

"Yeh mean after yeh beat th' shit outta me, they put us un'er genjutsu, an' then took our strength?" Rōshi bit out, sarcasm thick as syrup dripping off his tongue. "Aye, yeh really seemed ter have a lot o' fight in yeh, too, didn' yeh?"

Han unleashed an animalistic bellow and slammed his gloved fists against the iron bars of the jail cell; the metal reverberated with a long claaaang in response to the Iwa-nin's fit of rage. "LET US OUT!"

"Aye, that'll work," Rōshi noted dryly, dark eyes closing in a vain attempt to return to a state of peace. Han would eventually wear himself out, just like every other time they'd fought so far. If it wasn't for the fact that the Gobi Jinchūriki had already shown he was capable of spite for long periods of time, the redhead might have thought his fellow Rock shinobi had a short memory; that they'd gone through the same motions multiple times since being incarcerated with no change in their status quo was the height of insanity.

In the beginning, he had told Han to calm down and just be patient, but that had just resulted in more arguing. So he'd given up and allowed the giant to bellow into the void until he was tired.

After spending decades living as a hermit, a couple of weeks in an underground jail with two square meals a day wasn't enough to faze him.

Dark eyes snapped open again when the door to the dungeons emitted a low creak. It was too early for dinner; he'd memorized the guards' schedules early on, and they were punctual to a fault. His gaze drooped into lazy scrutiny as an ANBU operative approached his cell. A pair of cuffs was tossed onto the floor of his prison. "Put those on," ordered the Leaf shinobi.

Rōshi shrugged. "If yeh say so." He cuffed himself, and when the shackles were on, the ANBU opened the jail door and moved aside, a gesture for the redhead to exit. Rōshi followed the unspoken directive, allowing the Konoha-nin to place a hand on his shoulder and march him towards the entrance of the dungeons. Han growled as they walked past his cell, and Rōshi asked, "Yer not takin' 'im?"

"No."

The redhead dug his heels in, forcing the Konoha-nin to stop as well. "I ain't goin' nowhere without 'im."

White porcelain turned to stare at him, betraying the only surprise the redhead was likely to evoke. Silence reigned between them for several minutes, the quiet finally broken when the dungeon door creaked open again to admit a second ANBU with another set of chakra-restraining handcuffs. Rōshi's dark eyes roved around the dungeon while Han grudgingly cuffed himself. Always watchin', eh?

When both Iwa-nin were free from their cells and accompanied by ANBU, they were led through a series of tunnels and then up multiple flights of stairs until they ended up before a set of ornate double doors. Though they weren't designed the same, Rōshi was familiar enough with the overall style to know what was behind them. He sighed, waiting with surprising patience as the doors were opened and they were brought inside.

The Hokage's office was surprisingly simple: a large wooden desk piled with stacks of paperwork sat before a series of square windows that framed the circular space. Though it was hard to tell from his vantage point, the windows seemed to give an open view of the Hidden Leaf Village sprawled below.

That view was partially obscured by three people. Seated at the desk was a woman with platinum blonde hair, her ample bosom only somewhat covered by a green jacket, elbows on the desk and fingers laced together under her nose. A second woman with short, dark hair and a dark kimono, a small pig clutched tightly in her arms, stood beside her. On the blonde's other side was a large man – though still small compared to Han – with spiky white hair, a red vest, and olive-colored shirt and pants, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Rōshi-oji!"

The redhead looked to the right to find Naruto and a boy with hair the color of dried blood sitting on a couch. Actually, the Leaf Jinchūriki was standing, excitement visibly thrumming through his body, while his companion merely stared with teal eyes rimmed by black rings of too many sleepless nights. The Iwa-nin's own eyes narrowed. So th' brat found th' Ichibi…Utakata'll be pleased, he thought with dry humor, his mental voice carrying a sourness borne from his long history with the Hidden Sand. "What'd yeh do, brat?"

Naruto raised one hand to scratch the back of his head, an embarrassed grin on his face. "Heheh, well, I, uh…kinda told Tsunade about you and Utakata-nii? But I didn't have a choice!" he continued hurriedly, fearing some retribution by the redhead. "She's the Hokage now, and she's super scary!"

"Aye, I know all 'bout th' Sannin Tsunade. An' Jiraiya," he added, shifting his gaze to the white-haired man in the corner.

"So you're not mad?" The blond's voice was hopeful, his naïve optimism on full display.

Rōshi sighed, taking a seat in one of the two chairs placed before the Hokage's desk. Truthfully, ever since he and Utakata had started training Naruto, he'd expected some sort of confrontation with the Hidden Leaf. It was unrealistic to expect that a village as large and powerful as Konoha wouldn't eventually realize it had foreign shinobi on its soil, especially since said foreigners were spending copious amounts of time with its Jinchūriki.

Just because Iwa and Konoha shared a tense history didn't mean that the redhead thought the Hidden Leaf was stupid.

That he and Utakata had been allowed so much time with Naruto free from Konoha's hierarchy was a stroke of luck. "Shit happens," he finally grunted, offering neither absolution nor anger.

"Hmph. Well that's a change." Rōshi looked over his left shoulder to where Han had settled himself into the corner diagonally opposite Jiraiya. His brown eyes were narrowed in anger. "You've become introspective in your time here? How novel."

"Don' pretend yeh know ev'rythin' 'bout me," Rōshi shot back.

"Because you have so many layers," Han remarked snidely.

"Enough!" Tsunade barked. "I didn't have you brought up here to settle your own petty squabbles. I didn't ask for you at all," she continued in a dangerous tone, staring pointedly at the armored Iwa-nin. "Make it so I don't know you're there, and I won't physically remove you from my office." Han remained silent, dissatisfaction clear in his slumped posture; Rōshi guessed that his reluctant obedience was more a desire to stay out of the dungeons than any sense of being intimidated by the blonde.

The door to the office opened at that moment, and all eyes turned to look at the newcomers.

Utakata shuffled into the room out of the ring of ANBU surrounding him, golden eyes – or at least the one not hidden by his bangs – roving over the gathered figures. "Utakata-nii," Naruto whispered as the Kiri-nin took the seat to Rōshi's right and placed his cuffed hands in his lap, the perfect picture of politeness. "Oi, Tsunade!…-sama," he added tepidly at the older woman's glare, "why're you treating Rōshi-oji and Utataka-nii like this? They're not gonna do anything."

Focused on the blond Jinchūriki, Rōshi barely spied a second person emerge from within the ANBU guard. This one was a girl with short, mint green hair, the forehead protector tied around her right bicep denoting her as a Hidden Waterfall kunoichi. She settled herself in the back-right corner of the office, where she shot an unreadable look at Naruto and the Suna-nin on the couch before scoping out the rest of the room.

Jiraiya cleared his throat, and the redhead returned his attention to the pair of Sannin before him. "Naruto, sit down."

"But Jiraiya—!"

"Naruto." Utakata shook his head when the blond's attention turned to him, the quiet utterance of his name enough to temper the boy's outcry. At the Mist shinobi's gesture, Naruto fell silent and sat back on the couch, blue eyes flickering nervously from his pair of teachers to the Sannin and then to the Suna-nin beside him.

Tsunade flicked her hand in a gesture of dismissal, and the ANBU who had escorted Utakata and the Taki-nin in left, closing the door behind them. Only one remained behind, and despite the smaller group, the office still felt too cramped. "So," she began, "let's chat.

"I've been informed by Naruto that he's been receiving training from you two—," she said, pointing with her index and middle fingers at Utakata and Rōshi, "—for…how long again?"

By her tone, Rōshi got the distinct impression the question was rhetorical. Sadly, Naruto was not that astute. "Er…like six months?"

Tsunade's honey eyes flickered over to the blond before resettling on the pair of seated Jinchūriki. In a clipped tone, she continued, "Apparently the geopolitical landscape changed while I've been away, because an alliance between Iwa and Kiri would have never happened back in my day."

"Wouldn't even happen now," Jiraiya cut in.

"To be fair, uh…Hokage…" Utakata said, trying to be polite and clearly unsure what the appropriate way to do so was, "neither Rōshi nor myself are affiliated with our villages anymore—"

"As evidenced by the glowing biography Kiri provided on you," Tsunade agreed, rotating an open book on her desk so that the two renegades could read what was inside. Both leaned forward to get a better glimpse, finding a fairly simple rundown of the bubble-user's skills and prowess penned next to a headshot and a reward of fifty million ryō for his return to the Hidden Mist alive. "And you," she continued, slamming the book shut and leveling a hard gaze at Rōshi, "Yōton no Rōshi, the Tsuchikage's son. We're quite familiar with your reputation and exploits."

"Eh? Rōshi-oji, you're related to a Kage?"

Rōshi let out an annoyed sigh. "Aye, sadly."

"Like you haven't spent years reaping the benefits of that connection," Han interjected waspishly.

"Yeh think now's th' time ter do this? Again?"

Tsunade slammed her fist on the desk. "Everyone shut up!" She rubbed her temples to alleviate an apparent headache as the rest of them heeded her command. "The Tsuchikage's son, a Kiri-nin with a bounty bigger than most of my Jōnin, the Kazekage's son," she added, gesturing to the redhead beside Naruto, "and I can't even begin to imagine who the hell you two are," she finished, gaze flickering first to the green-haired girl and then to Han. "I also can't say I really give a damn right now. Since Naruto didn't seem all that forthcoming, I suspect that you two are the brains of this operation. So why don't you tell me why you're here in my village?"

"That's…complicated," Utakata tried.

"Then uncomplicate it," growled the blonde. "Because from my vantage point, we're harboring fugitives from Iwa, Kiri, Suna, and apparently Taki, two of whom we're nominally allied with, one which Jiraiya informs me has been a black hole for information, and one of which we've been in prolonged conflict with since my grandfather's era, none of which is conducive to establishing diplomacy!" she bit out. "Thanks, Jiraiya, for bringing me back, this is much better than the life I was leading."

"We'll tell yeh anythin' yeh want ter know."

"Rōshi!" Utakata sounded aghast.

"But th' brat's got ter go."

"Rōshi-oii—!"

"Yeh don' need ter hear this, Naruto," Rōshi told him, and his tone lacked some of the edge he'd addressed Tsunade with. "We'll find yeh after."

"Naruto, go," Tsunade seconded brusquely.

The boy stood up, his features folded downward unhappily. "Fine. Comin' Gaara?" he asked.

"No," intoned the Suna-nin. "I will remain here." A fleeting expression of naked betrayal crossed the blond's features, but the dark-haired woman beside Tsunade approached and led him away at a glance from the Hokage.

When the door closed behind them, Tsunade returned her attention to the Iwa-nin and asked, "Why did you want him to leave?"

Rōshi's deep breath was filled with the resignation of decades of boredom. "D'yeh know what it's like ter be a Jinchūriki?" Beside him, Utakata jerked, his head swiveling to look behind him; the redhead ignored the movement, too used to the teenager's strange twitches to pay it any heed. "Life sucks. Yer village uses yeh as a weapon, somethin' ter win wars, an' nothin' more. An' th' people see yeh as a monster, somethin' inhuman. An' yeh ain't given a choice ter be one, not like bein' a Kage; it's somethin' forced on yeh." Behind him, Han let out a snort of contempt.

"But Naruto didn' grow up like th' rest o' us," he continued. "Fer some reason, yer Hokage didn' treat 'im like that. He didn' know what he was, an' he still chose ter fight fer th' village."

"How is any of that relevant?"

"He don' need ter know th' kinds o' lives we've led," Rōshi said. "Th' Jinchūriki've all been sad an' mis'rable an' tragic, an' most o' us've come ter accept th' hardships o' bein' cursed."

Tsunade's honey eyes narrowed. "You're all Jinchūriki?" At Rōshi's nod, she continued, "Do you have any idea what the odds of more than one Jinchūriki coming together are? And you're telling me there are six Jinchūriki in Kono—I'm sorry, AM I BORING YOU?"

Rōshi followed her gaze to find Utakata squirming beside him. The brunet's eyes kept flickering behind him, and the Iwa-nin decided to see what kept drawing the teenager's attention. In her corner, the green-haired Taki-nin's expression – which had started as neutral at best – could only be described as thunderous, lips turned down in a deep scowl and orange eyes glaring holes through the blonde Sannin.

"If we could refrain from saying…Jinchūriki," Utakata whispered, apparently trying to make it so only Tsunade and Rōshi could hear, "that would be appreciated. Fū doesn't really react well to—"

"You are Jinchūriki," Tsunade snapped, "and I'm not particularly incentivized to grant you favors right now." In a calmer, if brusque, tone, she added, "I don't mean to downplay your individual trauma, but I'm still waiting to hear what exactly any of this has to do with our current situation."

Rōshi fixed Utakata with a pointed stare. When the brunet finally felt the force of the Iwa-nin's gaze, he started slightly and uttered a surprised, "Oh, right." Turning to Tsunade, he asked, "What do you know about the current Mizukage?"

"Well, seeing as how I've been Hokage for all of five minutes—"

"Three days," Jiraiya interjected.

"—very little. It hasn't exactly been at the top of my list," came the sarcastic response. "If you hadn't noticed, we're recovering from an attack."

"His name is Yagura," explained the bubble-user. "He's the Jin—" he coughed, then continued, "—the Sanbi is sealed within him. And he's being manipulated by Akatsuki."

Jiraiya let out a low whistle. "You buried the lede there, kid."

"Jiraiya, explain," Tsunade demanded.

"Akatsuki's a mercenary group who've been known to take some pretty high-end missions," the white-haired man elaborated. "Big risk, but big reward. Rumor has it they're credited with taking down a small country in the span of a night. To give you an idea of how bad they are, Orochimaru was once a member."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Great."

"And Uchiha Itachi is a current member."

The Sannin threw her hands up. "Even better."

"They're also…looking for the Bijū," Utakata offered carefully, seemingly aware that they seemed to be sitting on a powder keg.

"I can confirm that," Jiraiya added. "My network told me the same thing. I thought it was a weird rumor, but I guess not."

"I trust your sources, Jiraiya," Tsunade said. She turned to Utakata. "I don't trust you. How do you know all this?"

Utakata took a deep breath and admitted, "I overheard Akatsuki talking about it, back in Kiri. They're using Kiri's resources to figure out where the Bijū are. If you're trying to document Akatsuki's roster, Hoshigaki Kisame is also involved."

"This is all very helpful, but still beside the point. Why. Are. You. Here."

"I came to Konoha to find the Kyūbi Jinchūriki." Utakata winced as he realized what he'd said and murmured an apology to Fū before continuing, "Rōshi and I…ran into each other along the way. When we came here, we found Naruto and started training him."

"Why did you start training him?" Tsunade asked. "Even considering your…whatever your goal is, that's beyond unorthodox. I also can't imagine an Iwa-nin training someone who looks as much like the Yondaime as Naruto does."

"Aye, yeh don' know th' half o' it."

"If you didn't know," Utakata interjected hastily, apparently unwilling to lead the Hokage down the path of the trio's rough introduction, and probably for good reason, "each Bijū has his own special ability. Yōton, Shabondama…"

Rōshi gestured behind him to Han with his cuffed hands. "He's got Futton."

"Really?" Utakata sounded genuinely surprised by the announcement – why, Rōshi couldn't guess – then shook his head. "Anyway, we discovered that the Kyūbi's ability is…an amalgamation, I suppose…of the other Bijū's."

Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Naruto can use all of our abilities."

A grunt-like noise sounded out from the couch. "Ah."

Utakata opened his mouth as if to say something in response to the Suna-nin's interjection, but then closed it again, at a sudden loss. Rōshi decided to pick up the thread. "We got 'im a skill base 'til we had ter find more o' us."

"And what was the purpose of finding more of you?" Tsunade demanded. "You seem to keep avoiding that subject."

"He wants ter save th' Mizukage," Rōshi replied, thumbing at Utakata.

"Rōshi!"

"Yeh think yer getting' out o' here without tellin' 'em th' full story?" The redhead scoffed. "Don' be daft." He turned back to Tsunade. "Th' way he tol' me, th' Jinchūriki'll have enough power ter fight Akatsuki an' rescue 'im."

Tsunade again arched an eyebrow at the Iwa-nin, her face the epitome of skepticism. "And you're willing to go along with this…plan? You? Excuse me my suspicions. If your intention is to drag Konoha into this…insanity, I'm going to have to disappoint you."

"She's not the only one," Han growled. His armor clinked with his annoyance. "Rōshi, I did not come with you to an enemy village to be caught in more politics. If I'd known your plan involved being used to begin another war—"

"It ain't my plan, yeh moron," Rōshi shot back, "I tol' yeh that when we left Iwa! An' I ain't int'rested in a war. Th' only one who's got a stake in Kiri's th' kid. I'm here ter make sure you an' I don' git killed by Akatsuki."

Han grunted, dissatisfied with the older Jinchūriki's explanation. "It's never the whole story with you, Rōshi. You made false promises—"

Tsunade again slammed her fists against the desk. "This is why I didn't invite you!" she barked. "Shut up and settle things on your own time. So long as you're in my village, in my office, you'll follow my rules, and the only thing I care about right now is figuring out how much of a threat you are to Konoha."

"Hokage-sama, if I may." Tsunade nodded at the lone ANBU agent who had stayed behind, and he continued in a monotone, "Sandaime-sama was aware of Rōshi and Utakata's presence since they first contacted Naruto." Utakata turned to Rōshi, visible golden eye wide with surprise. The redhead shrugged in return, unperturbed by the revelation; every village – every Kage, really – had its own tricks the others were not privy to, and the Hidden Leaf spying on them didn't surprise him nearly as much as it did the teenager. It even explained how they'd been caught so quickly upon returning to their campsite. "He could not form a sensible theory for why Iwagakure and Kirigakure would ally together with no apparent intention of harming or kidnapping Konohagakure's Jinchūriki, and so he tasked me with overseeing their activities."

"And did their intentions become any clearer during your observations?"

"Their underlying intent was indeterminable, but if they intended harm to the Kyūbi Jinchūriki or Konohagakure through his absence, they had plenty of opportunity which was not capitalized upon. While some of their training methodologies might be construed as…harsh, no damage meant to permanently cripple Konohagakure or her shinobi was done."

Jiraiya let out a short chuckle. "Well, that's a ringing endorsement if I've ever heard one. And if Sensei let Rōshi of all people stay here…well, doesn't seem like they have anything nefarious planned, does it, Tsunade-hime?"

"It lends credence to their story," Tsunade allowed. "But that only explains these two," she continued, gesturing to the two sitting Jinchūriki. "It explains nothing about the other three."

"Contrary to what Rōshi said, my goal was not just to rescue Yagura," Utakata explained hurriedly, sounding a little desperate. "Akatsuki's mission is to kidnap the Bijū. I figured the people who that affected deserved to know they're in danger."

"Your altruism is noted," Tsunade observed dryly.

Utakata hesitated, then admitted, "In the spirit of honesty, it wasn't done out of altruism. At least not originally. I needed allies to rescue Yagura, and it just so happened that my best chance was with those who were in the same danger he and I were in. Since Akatsuki seems to be using Kiri as a base of operations, it made sense that so long as more Bijū were free, Yagura would be…safe, I suppose. At the very least, I figured they wouldn't take the Sanbi from him while they could still use him to control the village."

Tsunade rubbed her temples with both hands, eyes closed. "This just screams international incident," she muttered.

"If it's any consolation," the brunet offered in a conciliatory tone, "none of us have any real loyalty to our villages. Or…former villages, if you'd prefer. The only one who does seem to care is Naruto."

"As reassuring as that sounds, you'll excuse me if I still find it a little hard to trust the words of a nukenin Jinchūriki and the notorious Yōton no Rōshi of the Second Shinobi World War, even considering my ANBU's reporting."

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Tsunade, I know this defines unconventional, but before you make a hasty decision, maybe we should take a moment to think this through."

The Slug Sannin arched an eyebrow at her former teammate. "You wanted me in this position, Jiraiya, and now you're going to try to make decisions for me?"

"Nothing like that. But Naruto has a rapport with Utakata and Rōshi, and since we know he's not an official shinobi, he must've learned everything from them. I can't say I know anything about the Kyūbi's powers since Kushina never used them, but if what they're saying is true, they seem like the best people to teach the kid his powers. And if what I know of Akatsuki is true, which I'll grant you is limited right now, he'll need every advantage he can get.

"And if you're worried about them being a bad influence or causing trouble, well, I'll vouch for Gaara."

The Suna-nin turned to stare at the Sannin. "You will?"

"I'll vouch for Fū," Utakata added, taking advantage of the opportunity.

"Aye, an' I've got Han," Rōshi said. "He's mad now, but he'll git over it."

The armored Jinchūriki grunted. "You have a high opinion of yourself."

"None of you have any authority here," Tsunade barked, "so your words aren't nearly as reassuring as you think." Then she sighed, the fierce demeanor she'd retained throughout their conversation tapering off into resignation. "Jiraiya, I can tell you have an idea. Just spill it."

"You should let them stay," he suggested. "With provisions, of course. They'll be able to train Naruto to be ready for the looming threat, and we may be able to learn more about the other villages in the interim."

"You're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud, Jiraiya," Tsunade groused.

The Toad Sannin shrugged, grinning slightly. "I hate playing the politician, you know that. Besides, they put all their cards on the table, it's only fair we do the same."

"It's our table, idiot! We make the rules!" She returned to rubbing her temples.

"I don't know how much information we could offer you on our villages," Utakata interjected, "Jin—people like us aren't always privy to daily operations, but if it helps, I can give you some leverage." He reached to the side, using his cuffed hands to grab a small scroll attached there and placing it on the desk. The lone ANBU agent immediately interceded, grabbing the scroll and holding it close to his body, his back to the Hokage to protect her from any foul play. "Sorry, I should've considered how that would look. If you unseal the contents…"

Tsunade glanced at the weapon the ANBU pulled from the scroll, then returned her attention to Utakata. "What am I looking at?"

"That's Nuibari, one of Kiri's legendary seven swords. You can consider it a token of gratitude."

"Or a bribe," Tsunade replied dryly. "Regardless, Jiraiya has a point." She sighed again, and after several moments of quiet contemplation, announced, "Fine. If you're going to stay in Konoha, you'll do it under the following conditions.

"One," she began, ticking the point on her fingers, "you'll each subject yourselves to a complete medical exam, including an inspection and evaluation of your seals by Jiraiya. Two, you'll continue to train Naruto to use his…Kyūbi abilities, as it were. Jiraiya will oversee that as well."

"I've got things to do, hime!"

"Tough shit. You wanted to keep this mess going, you can see how it plays out. Your perverted tendencies can wait." Jiraiya grumbled his displeasure, but said nothing else to indicate he would disobey her directive. Tsunade continued, "Three, you'll stay away from the main portions of the village. I would prefer if only the people in this room know of our arrangement. From what I gather, many in Konoha don't know Naruto's secret; the less that know yours, the better. You'll stay in the Senju compound, there's plenty of room there for all of you.

"Any questions? No? Great. Now get out of my sight."

Utakata and Rōshi stood from their seats, the brunet offering a respectful incline of his head to Tsunade. At a gesture from the ANBU, Gaara, Fū, and Han all followed the pair out, expressions varying degrees of apathy, anger, and disdain.

Then the two Sannin were all that remained in the office. Tsunade sighed. "You're going to be the death of me, Jiraiya."

"Heh. I was about to say the same thing. I've gotta train the kid, check six different seals, and make sure they don't blow up the village. You sure know how to pile it on, hime."

"You're welcome to take over running the village instead. I would be more than happy to return to my life."

"That life was beneath you and you know it," Jiraiya informed her, tone serious. He rapped the desk with his knuckles twice in a gesture of goodbye, and in a cheerier voice said, "You did good today, hime. We'll figure this whole thing out, don't worry about it."

"Get outta here and do your damn job, perv."

Jiraiya threw back his head and laughed as he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

-l-l-l-

"Han—"

The door slammed in his face. Rōshi hit it repeatedly with his open palm. "Yer stuck here, same as me!" he called. "Yeh may as well talk ter me!"

"Find your own prison to sleep in!" shouted the giant.

Rōshi growled in frustration before turning and walking away, storming down the hallway. Utakata met him at the end, where it opened into a spacious, old-fashioned atrium. "If it's any consolation, Fū won't talk to me either," he offered. "She took the room across from…Han, is it?"

"Aye. An' why d'yeh think that'd make me feel better?"

Utakata shrugged, though he still managed to look inordinately pleased. "Commiseration."

"If yeh knew what it took ter git 'im here, yeh wouldn' be so glib."

"We can compare stories if you'd like. It wasn't like I had a walk in the park either."

"Boo hoo. This's yer mission, yeh should be happy we got this far."

"All things considered, this has gone surprisingly well," Utakata admitted. "Six of the nine Jinchūriki under one roof? You've got to admit that this is unprecedented."

"Aye, that's fer sure. Time'll tell if that's good or not. I'm bettin' not."

Utakata rolled his eyes. "You're so skeptical. Look at all that we've accomplished so far! How can you still be so negative?"

"Years of experience, kid." Jiraiya walked into the atrium and nodded to the pair, his dark eyes settling on Rōshi. He jerked his head to the side. "Why don't we have a little chat, hm?"

The redhead shrugged. "Aye, if yeh say so."

He left the Kiri-nin behind to follow the Sannin to another room within the compound. This one had bookshelves lining the walls, filled to the brim with different tomes; a thick layer of dust coated both the floor and shelves. With the exception of a large wooden table placed at its center, the room lacked other furnishings. It might have been an office when it was actually used, Rōshi mused, but now it seemed…barren, as void of life as the rest of the Senju complex.

Although now that it was inhabited by five – six whenever Naruto showed up – Jinchūriki, perhaps that feeling would go away.

Jiraiya slapped his palm against the surface of the table – which had been cleared of dust – a grin playing about his lips. "Hop on up." Rōshi shot him an unamused look, to which the Sannin's grin only grew, but complied with the request regardless. They stared at each other for a moment before the white-haired man raised an eyebrow and prompted, "This is the part where you show me your seal."

"Oh, aye, is that what we're doin' here?"

"You heard Tsunade," Jiraiya said while the Iwa-nin shucked his leather armor and long-sleeved magenta shirt, "medical and seal exams. And trust me, you do not want to piss her off."

"Jiraiya would know." Both men looked over to find the blonde Hokage entering the room. "He's spent decades doing exactly that."

"You finished for the day already, hime?"

"Damn senile blowhards just want to blather on about how to best utilize resources, and rebuilding our strength, and blah blah blah." She rubbed her temples. "Honestly, how the hell I let you talk me into this… Anyway, I needed a break. This seemed like a good place to start." She laced her fingers together and then stretched out her arms so that her knuckles cracked. "Let's see what you're working with…"

A green aura enveloped her hands before she swept them slowly over the redhead's supine form. Silence enveloped them as the medic's scan progressed, broken only by a thoughtful 'hm' when she reached his chest. "This is a mess," Tsunade announced with clinical detachment. "What did you do, get into a fight and then just ignore your injuries?"

"Aye, yer a genius, ain't yeh?"

"One in a generation," she retorted.

As the Sannin continued her scan, Rōshi finally offered, "Han hits hard."

"You don't say."

"Hard to tell you two would ever come to blows with how chummy you were back in our meeting earlier," Jiraiya said with false cheer.

The redhead turned his head to meet the Toad Sannin's dark eyes. "He's got reasons ter be pissed." His gaze returned to the ceiling. "We all do."

"You're taking the blame?" Jiraiya asked. "Certainly a step up from your father."

"I ain't nothin' like 'im!" snarled the lava-user, rising from his position.

Tsunade placed a hand on his chest and shoved him back against the tabletop. "Stay still!" she barked. "We're not done yet. And Jiraiya, if you could not antagonize Rōshi, I'd appreciate it. I'm sure you remember what he's capable of."

"…Fair point, hime. I'll play nice."

All was quiet among the three until Tsunade finally stated, "Well, all things considered, you're in pretty good shape. No disease, good weight for your height and age; aside from these recent injuries, there's nothing I wouldn't expect from examining Jiraiya."

"Thanks hime, really appreciate that."

"So yer done then?"

Tsunade's hand – positioned over the redhead's ribcage – pushed down, and the sharp crack of Rōshi's ribs breaking was drowned out by the old hermit's shocked shout of pain. "Sorry about that," Tsunade said without a shred of remorse. "It goes against my personal ethos to allow your injuries to go unhealed properly. Hurts less if you don't know it's coming."

"Yeh don' say," Rōshi gasped. He felt relief flow through his chest as her hands once more glowed with green chakra, healing his broken ribcage and soothing weeks-long discomfort. She moved on to the hand Han had crushed, realigning the carpals and phalanges into their correct places; the redhead grimaced with each movement, though he managed to stay quiet this time.

"So," Tsunade began, "are you going to tell me why you and Han were fighting? It's been awhile, but last I recall, you were more than capable of handling yourself."

"Han's got a temper, an' he's pissed at me somethin' fierce."

"I noticed."

"If yeh'd lived un'er Ōnoki's thumb, yeh'd be pissed, too." Tsunade grunted, but when she didn't press him for more information and instead moved on to his shoulder, he arched an eyebrow and asked, "Yer not goin' ter ask me anythin' else?"

"He blames you for his problems, it's not exactly an original story. Is there anything else I should know that you haven't already told me?"

"I don' know what yer fishin' fer."

"Han didn't injure your hearing, so I know you heard me earlier, but I'll say it again for you: I only care about your intentions and how they affect Konoha," Tsunade infromed him. "And while it's not unheard of to accept those seeking asylum, it's fairly atypical for the seeker to be a former enemy, especially one of your…lineage." She withdrew her hands and stepped away, prompting Rōshi to sit up and take a deep breath. "Given our history—" Rōshi wasn't sure whether she was referring to their personal history or their villages', not that it particularly mattered, "—I think it says enough about your situation that you'd come here and willingly stay without causing trouble."

"Yer kinder than th' Tsuchikage, that's fer sure."

The Slug Sannin shrugged before turning and walking away. "Do no harm. Your attention to Naruto is reward enough."

"I know it ain't my place," Rōshi offered, "but yeh'd do well ter treat th' kid good. Or he'll end up like th' rest o' us."

"Never took you as someone to give advice for the betterment of a Konoha-nin, Rōshi."

"Th' kid reminds me o' someone, that's all," grumbled the redhead.

"Yeah," Tsunade admitted, "me, too. Why else do you think you're here?" She waved a hand through the air in farewell. "Anyway, he's all yours, Jiraiya."

"Gotcha, hime." Jiraiya cracked his knuckles. "Now, where were we?"

-l-l-l-

When Jiraiya finished analyzing his seal and proclaimed him good to go, Rōshi found himself wandering outside into the Senju compound's courtyard. Fall had started to arrive while he'd been imprisoned, and the dark of night had begun to settle over Konoha, painting the area in quiet pinks, purples, and blues. The redhead looked up, finding a half-moon fighting against the sunset to bathe the world in its serene light. What a day, he mused. Then his dark eyes caught sight of blood-red hair, and he released a long-suffering sigh. An' it's gonna git longer…

He leaped to the roof, maintaining a healthy distance from the young Suna-nin who was perched there with his gaze fixated on the moon. "Yer…Gaara, aye?"

A turn of the head found emotionless teal eyes staring at the older redhead. He let out a low noise of affirmation. "You are…someone who helped Naruto."

Rōshi nodded, every movement cautious. "Aye, I s'ppose yeh could say that." Gaara seemed to accept this confirmation and returned his gaze to the lunar body above them. "Why're yeh out here?"

"…It is…comforting."

The Suna-nin's tone was flat, as dry as the desert that surrounded the village he hailed from. It chilled the Rock shinobi in a way he hadn't felt in well over a decade. "I know what yeh find comfort in," he replied, the slightest edge in his voice. "Th' thing inside yeh, th' Ichibi…it don' make yeh a stargazer."

Gaara's eyes turned towards him again. "You know Mother?"

"Mother? Yeh think that…thing's yer mother?"

"Mother has always been with me," Gaara intoned, and for such a sensitive topic, Rōshi was once more struck by the fact that the younger redhead seemed to hold no emotional attachment one way or the other for their discussion. "She has helped me become strong—"

"Yer strength's what I'm worried 'bout. An' if yeh can control it."

He could see the Sand shinobi lift one arm and flex his hand experimentally, gaze fixated on the play of muscles and tendons the action caused. "Control…hmm… Are you strong?"

"Aye."

"Stronger than me if I…lose control?"

"I did it afore, so aye, I can do it again. But can an' want're two diff'rent things."

Gaara nodded slowly, though Rōshi couldn't say if the gesture was done as an expression of understanding or just acknowledgment that he'd responded. "Naruto says strength comes from others. Before him, I believed strength came from myself. But he…is stronger than I." From anyone else, the admission would've sounded bitter; from the Suna-nin, it was just matter-of-fact, and that in of itself surprised the Iwa-nin. "I do not have control, nor do I have strength. I am…powerless."

Rōshi barked in laughter. "Yer anythin' but. If yeh knew what I knew—"

"And what do you know?"

The Iwa-nin blinked in surprise; for the first time in their conversation, Gaara actually sounded interested. But while the younger Jinchūriki so far seemed saner than his predecessor (which wasn't saying much), the dark rings around his eyes were a firm reminder that he was still the jailor of the One-Tail.

Rōshi's experience with that particular threat made him leery about the younger redhead regardless of how he seemed at first blush. "Nothin' yeh need ter know now."

"Hm." Gaara's gaze returned to the moon, interest apparently lost.

Rōshi arched an eyebrow and decided it was safe enough to take several steps closer before sitting down, legs dangling over the ledge and 20 feet of distance between them. "D'yeh know why yer here?"

Another stretch of silence. Rōshi was beginning to find them just as unnerving as the blatant psychopathy the boy's predecessor had displayed. In the Suna-nin's presence, his memory of the previous Ichibi Jinchūriki seemed to be permanently fixed at the forefront of his mind, and the quiet felt too much like the calm before the storm.

Before Gaara gave in to the impulse of the One-Tail and killed them all.

"There is a plan. To save the…Jinchūriki." The word rolled off Gaara's tongue slowly, as if he wasn't used to it. He turned again to face the older redhead. "You seem displeased about it."

"Yeh ever see many Jinchūriki in one place? It ain't a party, that's fer sure."

"Naruto believes that Jinchūriki can…understand one another." Gaara's forehead crinkled in thought. "I…am not sure I believe him."

"Aye, me either. But here we are, eh?"

Gaara blinked, the intensity of his gaze suddenly broken. "I wish to believe him," he admitted tonelessly. "Things would be…better, I think. But others are…strange. They have hated me, and I do not care about them."

His words were familiar, like those Rōshi himself would say – had said, probably – in defense of his reclusive lifestyle, and yet he sounded more…open, perhaps, to Naruto's idealistic naivety, unlike either his predecessor or the Iwa-nin. He wondered if it was the blond's influence already at work, or if he was just prematurely judging and comparing the Suna-nin to his predecessor based on his own history with the One-Tail. Perhaps a little of both. "Aye, I don' git it either. But yer okay with it all?"

"I have nothing else."

Rōshi huffed, an amused smirk dancing over his lips. Aye, join th' club. "Yeh ain't a fool, I'll give yeh that." He rose to his feet and dusted off his pants. "Yeh'll never be normal, so don' even try. But yeh can learn ter be better than yeh are."

Teal eyes bore holes into Rōshi; it was as if the older redhead was dangling bait in front of a ravenous pike. "How?"

"Find somethin' ter center yerself."

"Meaning?"

"Yeh need somethin' that yeh can use ter split yerself from th' Ichibi. Somethin' nothin' an' no one can take from yeh." He reached within his shirt and withdrew a small scroll hidden in a pocket by his heart. With only a couple of inches unrolled and a quick application of chakra, several stones fell into his palm.

It had been months since he'd sought the warm comfort of his stone collection, with its mixture of cool edges and smooth surfaces. Most of the gems he'd crafted himself over the decades, years of finding the right ores or soil types and utilizing the right amount of pressure, heat, and time, each one a testament of his prowess. They each had their own unique characteristics – historical, medicinal, spiritual – and while Rōshi couldn't say he believed everything about them, creating and learning about each had helped him survive his seclusion.

The Iwa-nin held them up one at a time, letting the moonlight glint through them so Gaara could see the different colors of his collection. "Amethyst…em'rald…garnet…"

"That one," Gaara interjected suddenly. "The color is familiar…"

The Iwa-nin squinted at it. "Aye, looks kinda like yer hair."

"Hmm…" The Sand shinobi seemed transfixed by the color, so Rōshi lobbed it to him. A tiny tendril of sand whipped out from the gourd on the boy's back and caught the gemstone in midair. Gaara held out his hand, and the red crystal fell into it, drawing the gaze of the teal-eyed boy like a moth to a flame.

"Keep it," Rōshi told him. "I think yeh need it more'n me."

"That is…kind." He looked up, fixing Rōshi with a flat stare. "Naruto said you were…his friend. That you would…help me, as you helped him." Teal eyes flickered down to the garnet in his hand, admiring its glow.

Rōshi snorted. "Th' kid gits under yer skin, that's fer sure. If nothin' else, he ain't no liar; too stupid fer that. Yeh can trust what he says, even if it don' always make sense."

Gaara grunted and turned back to the moon. "So it seems."

Though it wasn't the first time the Suna-nin's heavy gaze was off him, this time the conversation felt over. It was more than Rōshi could say he expected. Gaara seemed…introspective; detached, perhaps, but as a (former) recluse, the lava-user could hardly fault him that. At the very least, he didn't appear to be the same murderous psychopath that his predecessor had.

Although there was always a chance he was wrong.

"Yeh should remember what I said," Rōshi advised in parting. "Find somethin' ter center yerself." He played with a perfectly round pink opal, its surface opaque but lovingly polished. Out of his entire collection, the opal was his favorite piece. He'd created it not long after his niece had first made contact with him, all youthful excitement and naivety, the first person to make him feel like he was more than just the Jinchūriki the Hidden Rock had made him.

Gaara needed something similar, though what – or who – it was, Rōshi didn't know.

Although…if he could somehow negotiate a deal to keep six Jinchūriki – five of whom were foreign entities, nominally the opposition – safe in a village considered by history to be his mortal enemy, anything seemed possible.

He collapsed onto the futon in the room he'd picked, marveling at the feel of soft bedding for the first time in too many years. Aye, I could git used ter this.

-l-l-l-

Author's Note: Garnet is the January birthstone, which aligns with Gaara's birthday (January 19th). It was quite fun to write Tsunade and Jiraiya in this capacity; hopefully you enjoyed my portrayal of them here and understand a lot of the motivation going into the decisions made here.