Naruto found himself back in Tsunade's office for a further bit of discussion. He wanted to be on missions again. Doing things.
However she wanted to know something more. He certainly felt better for having conquered his own personal problem and faced up to the reality of his life after death.
"I have a few more questions I didn't realise the night you broke the seal. I had some thoughts about your previous report about the fight against Hidan."
He remembered that fight because he should have died. The man's jutsu hadn't affected him at all when it had devastated Shino.
"You didn't describe the fight in any real detail. I want the real story. You didn't simply cut off his head did you?"
"No. I was outmatched and suffered the reported injuries; he then attempted to perform the same jutsu on me that he did on Shino."
She shook her head with a soft smile as he continued.
"When it did not work I took the opportunity to remove his head. It took two blows as I reported."
She was smiling. He wondered why.
"You didn't put it into your report because you didn't understand why it happened."
"Yes. It seems now I understand more. Perhaps his ritual had some basis in a Godlike being that demanded death and it believed me to be already dead. Either way it was a stroke of luck as opposed to something based on skill."
"You idiot Naruto. I've almost stopped being shocked and worried. You're too much like your father in some ways."
"You knew?"
"Files. That and the resemblance when you came in with long hair the similarity were almost uncanny. If you let it grow out a bit you would get the ladies in no time. By which I mean you would be more attractive to them before you take that the wrong way."
He decided to remember that for the future should he wish to attract girls. He did not wish to currently do so. Or did he? This was a worrying new perspective on life. He decided now was not the time to think about it.
"Well at least what happened now makes sense to me. You've been lucky so far Naruto. I don't want you to engage any more Akatsuki. Don't push your luck any further than you have. You're not meant to be an upfront fighter and I can't risk you. For all we know you're the last one left.
Right now, you've done enough. I'm keeping you off the front lines and as far away from Ame as possible. If you see Akatsuki flee on sight."
He had half expected the order and couldn't disagree with it. He had been pushing it. Then again, how many of them remained? What was Itachi doing?
He had to accept that it wasn't time for him to be fighting. Someone who could take out an S-ranked shinobi reliably was going to take out the S-ranked shinobi. He didn't mind that.
"Will I be allowed to take on missions in the mean time?"
"I'd be tempted to say no if that wouldn't lead to you going utterly insane. Don't argue I know you need to do things and I don't want that being something I can't control. They'll mostly be patrol missions, stuff that should be low incident. If anything that needs your speciality turns up I'll be sure to let it happen."
That sounded...actually not satisfactory. Being with friends and doing calm missions until Akatsuki were gone was a perfectly logical premise. It was the correct orders for her to give to him.
And yet he wanted more. Something with excitement. Something where he could feel his blood pump and ignore the pain of his wounds. Something big and dangerous where he was close to death. Again.
He would have to try to accept the orders.
"I accept."
"Good, I'm actually promoting you to special jonin; you'll be mostly in charge of team 8. Kurenai isn't fit for duty, so I'm pulling her from the standard forces for a while."
That would make things more tolerable at least.
"Are there any more secrets you want to share right now?"
"Two."
To be fair to her, she barely looked shocked once again.
"What you were meant to say was, 'No Tsunade, I don't. Everything in your world can now be at peace and paperwork has ceased to exist.'"
"The secrets pertain to Danzo and Itachi."
That got a little bit more of a reaction.
"Itachi?"
"He confronted me on the Iwa recon mission I undertook with Talon and his team."
She poked him in the chest. It was like being punched by a genin.
"And you're not being drained of your life right now because?"
"He's not on anyone's side anymore. He's going to try and annihilate the Akatsuki from within and then he'll come for me. He also confronted me after I had beheaded Hidan, directing me to the other fight."
She sighed deeply.
"You really have to tell me these things Naruto. I feel even more justified now, but worried about Itachi's goals. Then again, it works to your advantage in a lot of ways. I'm in the mood for a lot of problems at once, what about Danzo?"
"I wasn't the only member of Root."
"Shit."
She hit the table and Shizune was into the room in moments. Impressive reaction times and the lesson taught by years of the occurance.
"What do you need Tsunade-sama?"
"Fetch Talon, Shikaku and..."
"Don't do it."
Tsunade stared at Naruto with a ferocity he hadn't quite expected. The whisper had escaped his lips before even he could stop himself.
"What?"
"Don't do what you're about to do. It's an emotive based response that will lead to a worse outcome."
He was suddenly slammed into a wall and held there by a well manicured fist that held his body glove with an iron grip.
"You question my judgement?"
"Yes."
The fist was cocked back and Naruto expected this to hurt and possibly break something. Shizune had cried out and taken her other arm. The Hokage's face was stiff with anger.
There was a few seconds before the fist was lowered.
"Explain what you would do then? I have a rouge force of shinobi in my village, have been lied to by a man who advised my sensei and was like a brother to him. I have been manipulated, and you lied to me in doing so.
Explain why I should in any way acknowledge you? Why should I not simply remove you from service? Why I should trust you now that you reveal this?"
"It is hard to explain, but I believe that a force based approach will only lead to more harm."
Tsunade sighed and turned away. He realised that, despite her youthful appearance she was still old. She had to be in her fifties at least.
"You realise the burden of being Hokage?"
"Yes. You must take decisions that determine much and affect the entire world at a stroke. Your command could save or doom thousands of lives. You command thousands of shinobi and control the largest landmass in the nations."
"Then you realise that I cannot tolerate a cancer within my ranks. When we treat cancer we operate on it Naruto. We cut it out totally and destroy it. Sometimes that means destroying some good as well. It is a price I do not wish to pay. Yet I must."
Naruto nodded. He understood the issue.
"What of longer term Tsunade? What of when other nations hear of a battle within Konoha? How many lives then? What if they ally and invade? What of Akatsuki?"
"I know. I am stuck in this position of knowing and being powerless. I wish to exercise my anger and wrath upon his forces. What option do I have but force? Ignoring it would not be responsible."
Naruto considered.
"Danzo has not struck at you yet. If he wished to he would. He must know that attacking you directly will cause more harm than good."
"He wants to remove me?"
"It was a conversation with me that sparked the motivation to break the seal. He wanted me back in Root and was willing to use the same jutsu he used to manipulate me into lying to you."
Tsunade looked at him wearily.
"He has a jutsu that can do that? Odd that we do not know of it. What if you are lying?"
"I am not."
"So what do you propose?"
Naruto considered this. Danzo was the problem, not the Root. Could you remove one without the other? No. One would have to be removed.
You could either pick Root apart slowly or you could try to remove Danzo.
Would the man listen to reason?
Could he be convinced to disband it? But disbanding it wasn't a good idea either.
Could he be convinced to cooperate with the Hokage? Could the Hokage be convinced as well? He considered it unlikely. What was needed was a bond, an understanding between both Root and the Hokage.
There were few options. Root needed a commander that knew both sides. He realised there was only one person.
"Can you trust me Tsunade?"
"With what?"
What was Root summed up simply?
"With shinobi. With a force that you wouldn't have control over, but needs to exist. With a knife in the dark you can deny and not accept the handle of yourself. A force that does the dark and dirty work that is all about the practical, even if it is abhorrent. With carrying the darkest of secrets and shunning all else but responsibility."
Tsunade gazed long and hard at him. Her eyes searched his of deceit. They found none. They searched for signs of it being a joke, a sick joke that he would ask such a thing.
"I cannot allow Root to exist Naruto."
He had to press his point. She looked tired and weak and he felt a sense of sadness that he was attacking at her weakest. Shizune looked timid and unsure seeing her master in this state.
"You cannot exist without it. A light cannot exist without darkness Lady Hokage. Yet the light and the dark must know of each other. Balance. Cooperation. With someone you trust like that in command you can at least be sure you know of their doings. It could save lives."
She shook her head; he could see tears forming in her eyes.
"No. You cannot do this Naruto...I...cannot allow it. I cannot allow us to go back to that time of darkness."
"I have born worse secrets. I have born the feeling of death itself. I can bear this."
She knelt so she was at his height and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I cannot make such a decision lightly Naruto. I need...time to think this over. What sensei would do. What a Hokage would do. Not what Tsunade would do."
"I obey your word Hokage-sama. To the death, and beyond."
Tsunade smiled.
"You're more like your father than you think. Ask Jiraiya when he returns. That goofball should be returning from Ame soon. Hopefully with information about what is going on with the Akatsuki. Just...go. I'll contact you with information. Train as you see fit."
He nodded and jumped to the window to leave. Her voice called to him one final team.
"Naruto...think about what you ask as well; think of what you'll lose as well as the duty you feel you have to fulfil. Think about who as well."
He nodded and took to the rooftops.
He realised he had a lot of thinking to do.
Itachi was having trouble waiting this time. He suspected that any time soon he was about to be in the most difficult battle that he would ever face.
Possibly his last. If he survived then Naruto was in a lot of trouble.
Still, there was nothing to do but wait for now. He knew that this was likely to be a fight none of them wanted.
Simply leaving had crossed his mind, but it took him away from his objective. It had always been going to come down to it.
He sat cross legged and tried to focus himself on preparation. Having to use Susanoo on the Three Tails had been taxing enough for his eyes.
Still, he had enough energy to win this fight and kill at least one of them.
That is, assuming that they teamed up together.
Then he heard the footsteps. There were two sets of them, although one set was a lot louder than the others. He smiled and rose, fingers twitching with anticipation.
It was finally time.
The footsteps stopped behind him like the sound of an army coming to a halt.
"Itachi. Where is Konan?"
"I assumed she'd be with you, you being the God to her angel."
He turned to see the seven figures behind him. The masked man bounded forwards, arms flailing around him wildly, the stupidly long sleeves billowing.
"Tobi doesn't want to see a fight; Tobi thinks she's just missing."
"Drop the act."
"What act, is Tobi acting?"
His backhanded slap to the man sent him sprawling dramatically. He had to admit the man sold the attack well.
"Owwwww why would you hit me?"
Pein moved forwards. Itachi counted the bodies.
"Six. So these are your much vaunted paths. You leave this place so little I thought I'd never see them. You accuse me?"
"Yes. I will rip your soul from your body Itachi. I will burn you and leave nothing left."
"You have no proof."
Not that he needed any. Konan was gone and he was going to end up in a fight. Zetsu probably knew as well.
The figures spread out further around him, one of them staying back.
"You killed her. I know it. I am God of this place. Nothing escapes my knowledge."
Tobi came bounding back between them.
"Noo. Tobi doesn't want you to fight. Tobi doesn't like this. Tobi wants us all to eat dango and have fun together."
He spun rapidly to face each of Itachi and Pein's main body in turn. The two hadn't taken eyes off each other.
Pein spoke first.
"Be gone from this place, it doesn't concern you."
"But Tobi is Akatsuki too. Tobi liked Konan."
Itachi held back a smile. The man was going to wind Pein up as far as he could and then run away to get the victory.
"I think Tobi should be involved Pein. After all, he's one of us and has nearly done as much for us as you have. I think he's right."
"You are both fools."
Tobi jumped behind Itachi and cowered a little behind him. Itachi maintained eye contact with Pein, his eyes pools of grey.
"Really? You think that Tobi is just a fool? You know so little of him. Why don't you tell him Zetsu?"
The two-tone man slithered out of the ground.
"I do not know it is silliness Itachi. What you mean you speak madness. Why would you say that Itachi?"
"Because you know the truth, even if you will only acknowledge it as you stab Pein in the back."
It was imperceptible but Pein's gaze, all six of them, flickered to the two tone man. One of the paths stretched out a hand and the man sank away from it.
The lead path turned to face the man who had shifted over next to a strangely calm looking Tobi.
"I wondered Zetsu. I can sense you like you sense me. Your arrival to me was too sudden, and then when this Tobi appeared it was equally odd. You flee from my touch even though it is nothing unusual for me to extract the truth from your white side. What don't you want me knowing?"
He stared at the man and then there was laughter. Dark. A voice sounding like it had been crushed and darkened by coal and fire and smoke. A gurgling, guttural and dark sound emanated from below the mask.
"Oh poor innocent Nagato-kun. You really thought you were in command? A god?"
One of the paths slammed through where the man had stood only to phase through and smash into a wall. Stone yielded beneath the blow.
"Careful boy or you'll collapse this chamber. You think you could just make a jutsu with its power and use it freely? You think I would let you? Forces beyond your control have been in command since before Akatsuki existed."
Itachi suddenly realised what the man was doing. It was almost frustrating in some ways. He was ready for combat to the death and the man was setting up a standoff.
"You setup a no win situation for us all Tobi. None of us could possibly win this fight against both of the others, so it follows that none of us will attack each other this entire time."
This earned another guttural laugh.
"Very good Itachi-kun. Except that there are four of us."
"Zetsu doesn't count. I could defeat him without using a jutsu."
"I wasn't referring to him."
Another figure appeared by the wall as his jutsu was dispelled. The man rose to his full height, white hair waving behind him in great spikes.
Jiraiya rose from the shadows with a grim expression on his face.
"You know my information has already been sent on to Konoha. Killing me solves nothing."
Tobi continued to laugh.
"You think I care? Here we are four of the most dangerous shinobi on the planet and we all have axes to grind. I think we all know that this is going to end in the greatest fight the world will ever see. It's a shame none of you are leaving alive so nobody will ever know."
"Why?"
"Two of us are willing to do anything to ensure we are the last one left."
The Amateretsu blast slammed into two of Pein's bodies and engulfed them utterly. They fell back, screeching as Pein's other bodies swung round to look at Itachi. The Mangekyo Sharingan blazed strongly in his eyes, a trickle of blood emerging from under one of his eyes.
"Itachi! What do you mean by this?!"
The main path shouted at the stoic Uchiha. Rinnengan looked at Sharingan, a deeper red than ever. Whether it was the light of blood was no matter. The paths charged at Itachi with deadly intent.
Itachi started backing out of the chamber as he fended off the barrage of taijutsu.
Tobi laughed.
"Ha, the Naraka path and the Animal path gone already Nagato-kun?"
"Nagato?"
This earned more laughter.
"You didn't know oh great Toad Sage? That your former student is now nothing but a shell of a man filled with rage? Precious Konan dead? And you can see Yahiko for yourself. It's amusing isn't it?"
Jiraiya greeted the words with a barrage of short range taijutsu. Tobi twisted, dodged and phased through the assault without too much effort.
"That the best you have?"
"Have you even got anything?"
Tobi continued to laugh before Jiraiya pulled back and slammed his hand to the ground. Two elderly toads appeared on his shoulders.
"Jiraiya-boy, we were about to have dinner. I take it this is serious?"
"Sadly so Shima-sama. I need you and Fukasaku-sama to gather Senjutsu for me."
The other toad gave a dry laugh.
"Good luck Jiraiya-boy. This one is stronger than he looks."
The toads placed webbed hands together as if in prayer and Jiraiya's eyes reopened.
"I'm honoured you think me worthy of your legendary sage mode Jiraiya-sama. I look forward to seeing how strong it is. Even if it does make you look disgusting."
He barely moved in time to avoid a punch which still sent him flying into a wall despite not touching. The wall didn't yield as he flew straight through it and walked back out of it. Jiraiya smiled.
"That's just the beginning. I think I'll take out that mask next."
The man's posture changed subtly to Jiraiya. Gone was the edge of enjoyment and relaxation. The man was ready for serious combat.
"Itachi and poor little Nagato have left us, so let's make sure this stays between us Toad Sage."
"You die here."
They leapt towards each other; Tobi phased through him and tossed a kunai at Jiraiya's back which simply bounced off. They landed and leapt again.
This time Jiraiya came at him with a Rasengan ready and waiting. The man simply phased through it. The attack struck the wall and more cracks formed in the damaged wall. There was the sound of rock crushing under the strain.
Jiraiya sprinted for the exit as the cavernous chamber collapsed inwards as the crack spread to the ceiling. Flakes of dirt and chips of stone fell like rain before the larger rocks came forth.
Tobi didn't move, he too busy watching the ceiling fall, his body language showing childish amusement at the destruction about to occur.
Then there was the sound of creaking metal from above and the city built above found itself with fewer foundations. What seemed like an entire building fell with it with a scream of tortured metal and falling stone.
Jiraiya ran as the dust exploded up after him along the same exit that Itachi and the other bodies had taken. A sudden kick to his side sent him sprawling into a crouch and he leapt upwards to meet Tobi in the air. His tackle drove the unexpecting man to the ground before he simply phased through Jiraiya's body and stuck downwards.
Jiraiya rolled and lashed out with a kick that forced Tobi backwards.
"Hmm, that did a little too much damage for my liking. Think of the innocent children who lived in that building Jiraiya-kun."
He let a punch phase through him before grabbing Jiraiya's arm.
"Let's take this someplace else."
Jiraiya watched as the world spiralled away and another world spiralled into its place.