"Though to be honest it really isn't the best time to be doing this." Naruto said as he led a group of ninja's into the Forest of Death.
"Nonsense! There is always time to show the fruits of youth!" Maito Gai exclaimed with a big flashy grin, making everyone sweat drop.
"Very well.." Naruto sighed as he stopped midway into the forest. "Kakashi-sensei, you be the referee."
"As you wish." Kakashi said as Naruto and Rock Lee stood a fair distance away from one another. "This is just a spar so no need to go all out.." Kakashi finished as both Naruto and Lee did the Seal of Confrontation.
"Begin!"
"Leaf Whirl.." Lee began.
"Too slow." Naruto replied as he slammed Rock Lee into the ground.
"When did he move?!" Konohamaru exclaimed as Naruto helped Lee to his feet.
"I can still go.. on!" Lee muttered as he shakily tried to get back into fighting position.
"In the time that it took you to start up your move I had hit you three times in the chest before taking you to the ground." Naruto replied as he did the Seal of Reconciliation, which Lee mirrored.
"Get faster and stronger Lee.. you have the potential to do so." Naruto said with a smile. "And hey I'll even show you some of my new taijutsu moves!"
"Thank you for sparing with me Naruto-kun, I will get better!" Rock Lee replied as he bowed his head.
"So that speed, is it your max?" Kiba asked.
"Oh.. that's just me holding back."
'That was him holding back?! I couldn't even see any of it!' Kakashi thought.
"Could Lee come close to your speed if he opened the third gate?" Gai asked.
"My thoughts exactly, but Lee would need to be healed up again before he could open it, those love taps I gave him were harder than they looked." Naruto replied.
"I can heal Lee-kun." Sakura stated.
"Great I can try out something at the same time." Naruto remarked as he focused his energy.
"Shadow clone Jut.."
"Oi... Uzumaki Naruto!" Shouted an unfamiliar feminine voice.
Turning around, Naruto saw two dark-skinned shinobi walk into the forest alongside Kiba's sister Hana.
"That's me, can I help you with something?"
"Your Hokage said if anyone would know the most about Uchiha Sasuke it would be you and Sakura Haruno." The male replied as he talked around a lollipop that he was currently eating.
"She is most correct, but I must ask, why two members of Kumogakure have come to the Leaf Village?" Kakashi asked as he glanced at their headbands.
"Your rogue ninja attacked our village and took our master away!" The female exclaimed loudly as she pointed at Naruto and Sakura.
"WHAT!?"
"Your village cannot even take care of their own shinobi so Raikage-sama ordered us to track down and dispose of the ninja that you don't seem to be able to take care of!"
"Oi, Oi! That's a little harsh!" Kiba said as he looked at the two shinobi that his sister had escorted.
"Not harsh enough, who knows what is happening with our master in the hands of the Akatsuki?!" The female retorted as she glared at Kiba.
"I guess we'll have to put our spar off for a while huh Lee.." Naruto sighed as tears began to roll down Sakura's face.
"You're not serious.." Koharu said to Tsunade as she decided it would be best if Naruto was to accompany her to the Five Kage Summit.
"Totally serious, with Naruto's new abilities and the fact that Akatsuki is after him he would be much safer in full view instead of hiding as they would just attack other places in order to draw him out just like what Pain did here." Tsunade replied.
"Very well... as Hokage your word is law but as a precaution, I shall accompany you on a different route." Danzo said.
"That won't be necessary.." Naruto said as he came into the office, the shinobi from Kumogakure and Kakashi at his heels.
"This is a private conversation." Danzo stated.
"Not when it's regarding me it's not." Naruto said as he released his henge.
"With this new information... I think it's best that we don't force the hands of other villages." Goruto said as the two Kumogakure shinobi's eyes widened.
"What happened to staying undercover?!" Danzo exclaimed.
"I do not follow your orders. I alone chose to hide my true identity. But if we are to get other villages cooperation then we need to show what we have at our disposal." Goruto said making Tsunade sigh.
"What is the meaning of this Hokage?!" The female shinobi exclaimed.
"Let me reintroduce you... Goruto these two shinobi are from Kumogakure, the female is called Karui and the male is called Omoi." Tsunade stated.
"Goruto... but I thought you said that your jinchūriki was called Naruto?!" Karui exclaimed.
"He was.. but as of now, that shinobi no longer exists."
"What do you mean?" Omoi asked.
"An Akatsuki member known as Pain attacked our village looking for Naruto, at the same time a warrior appeared from an unknown location and helped fend off the attacker by permanently becoming one with Naruto." Tsunade replied making the jaws of the Kumogakure shinobi drop.
"Permanently!?"
"Yes.." Goruto sighed.
"Was he the cause of the ground shaking?" Omoi asked.
"Yes."
"So why reveal yourself to us now?! Wouldn't it be more effective to keep that hidden?" Karui exclaimed.
"We want to change the future of the shinobi world.. for the better. And for that, we need better communications between our villages." Tsunade began. "Goruto is the beginning of that change."
"So what are your plans now?" Kakashi said.
"Well, we need a stand-in Hokage while I'm away... I'm appointing you for the duration." Tsunade replied making Kakashi's visible eye go wide.
"But Hokage-sama, I am not qualified for.."
"I agree with Kakashi, but not for the same reasons, I believe it would be better if Danzo was to look after the village in your absence but have Kakashi as his aide." Koharu said to Tsunade.
"I also agree with this course of action." Homura added.
"Then it would seem that we have a plan Tsunade." Goruto smiled.
"So it would seem." Tsunade smiled back.
'Now to destroy Konoha..' Sasuke thought as he and team Taka made their way through a forest on route to the village.
"Yo... Sasuke." Said Tobi as he appeared out of nowhere and landed on a tree just ahead of them.
'His chakra... I didn't even sense it until now..' Karin thought as she and the other members of Taka landed on the tree branch opposite Tobi.
"What do you want? We have done what was requested of us, we no longer have any reason to assist you or the Akatsuki." Sasuke said as he stared at Tobi.
"That's what I'm here to talk to you about... you failed."
"Huh?!"
"You all got played, the Hachibi got away."
"What do you mean? I saw it with my own eyes!" Karin said as she glared at Tobi.
"You obviously were given a challenge greater than you could handle," Zetsu added as he came out of the branch that Tobi was standing on.
"However... that means you still have an obligation to us."
"Tch, if you knew he was that much of a prize why didn't you send someone more accustomed to capturing creatures like him?!" Suigetsu exclaimed.
"That was a test, to see your battle strength... frankly I think Itachi thought too highly of you." Tobi sighed.
"What Itachi thought of me is none of your concern." Sasuke replied.
"Oh? And what is your concern?"
"The fact that you stand in the way of my goal."
"Oh, you mean the goal of destroying Konoha? Then you are too late... my subordinate Pain took out the village." Tobi said.
"What?!"
"However... in doing so a new problem has arisen... the jinchuriki of the nine tails is no more."
"Uzumaki Naruto... is dead?!" Sasuke exclaimed.
"No... he is not dead." Zetsu replied.
"Then what has become of him?!"
"He no longer exists as the shinobi Uzumaki Naruto, he is now a being known as Goruto."
"Goruto? Sounds like a dumb name, so why did he change it?" Suigetsu asked.
"Because he is not Naruto anymore... during the battle a warrior from an unknown place appeared, this being then proceeded to combine with Naruto creating a being that is unlike any other in the shinobi world. You probably felt the power of this fusion earlier this week."
"That earthquake.. that was this Goruto?!" Jugo exclaimed.
"Indeed and unless we find out a way to deal with him we cannot complete our plans."
"So this being was able to take out Pain so what?!" Kain said trying not to show how nervous this revelation made her.
"We need to find out more about this character so here's what you're going to do, follow him to the Five Kage Summit which is being held due to both you and Pain's actions." Tobi commanded.
"And if we refuse?" Sasuke asked.
"Then your quest would end here."