Shameless Self-Promotion: Check out a new project that I posted! It's called "No Such Thing as a Free Lunch."

The premise revolves around Team 7 failing the bell test and being sent back to the academy for another year.

Here's the summary: Pride cometh before the fall. During the bell test, Sasuke and Naruto are unable to see eye to eye. This leads to Team 7 failing the bell test and being sent back to the academy for another year. The ramifications? Massive.

Let me know what you think!

Author's Note: Welcome back for the new chapter. Last time, I mentioned that we were closing in on 1,000 followers for this story. Since then we have smashed that goal. Thank you to all my new, and current, readers! Let's shoot for 1,000 favorites and 500 reviews next! These are milestones I never thought I would come close to reaching.

This chapter was very fun to write. It may not be the most entertaining for some, due to no action, but it is very important to the progression of the arc and story.

As always, let me know what you think either through a review or PM. I read them all! Thanks!

Chapter 23: The One Who Knows All

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I kind of have somewhere to be." Naruto said with a dismissive tone, all the while he tried to read the Fox's features. "I got lives to save. I don't have time to sit around, having a staring match with you. You could at least say something. You know, break up the tension that you're kind of creating."

It was true, the fox spirit had called him into his mindscape just to stare at him. Just like the last time.

"As if a worm like you has the power to save anyone." The Nine-Tails nearly spat, ignoring most of the boy's ramblings. "We both know that without me, you wouldn't be able to do anything at all. Without my help, you would have died several times over by now."

"I don't want your power." That statement narrowed the eyes of the Demon. "It's true, I relied on your chakra to bail me out in nearly every fight I got in. Without you, I probably would have lost every single one of those battles. I want to be able to rely on my own strength without having to force you to give me any."

"Watch how you speak to me, boy… No one can force me to do anything! I am power!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know that isn't what I meant. If I die, you die. Which means if I get into trouble, you are forced to help me. Otherwise, it's game over for both of us." The blond managed a smile. "Besides…"

"Speak." The Fox demanded, somewhat interested in what the boy had to say.

"How am I ever going to prove myself to you if I come running whenever I get into trouble?"

"Prove yourself to me?" The Fox spoke those words as if they were foreign to him, of another language, even.

"Yeah." The blond said simply. "Do you remember what we talked about last time?" Naruto waited for the Nine-Tails to nod in agreement. Annoyingly, all he received is that hostile glare all but demanding him to continue speaking. He sighed. "I wondered if the reason the two of us are stuck together was because of humanity's cruelty against you." Naruto was now staring directly into the Fox's eyes, awaiting a reaction. After all, the last time they spoke, he was pushed out of his own mind. "Then, I come to find that I'm not the first human host you've been sealed inside." He continued, recalling his conversation with Jiraiya atop the Hokage heads.

"What of it, boy?" The beast's tempers began to flare again. It sounded like he didn't like to be reminded that he had been forcibly bound to humans. "Enough of you prattling. Get to the point or leave my presence!"

'…But, wasn't he the one that called me in here?' Oh well, now wasn't the time to argue about how ridiculous he was being.

"I want to prove to you that it will be different this time. I won't treat you like a weapon that I can use as I please. Or as a monster that needs to be locked away and ignored." Again, the Fox's eyes widened. Though, this time he appeared to let the blond continue talking instead of prematurely ending the conversation. "I'll take it one step further. I'll protect you from the Akatsuki with my own power." Thrusting a thumb into his chest, he flashed a confident grin.

"You aren't the first human to try to deceive me with kind words." The chakra monster snarled nastily. "The only thing you care about is yourself. By saving me, you save your own pitiful life. You can't fool me."

Instead of erupting in fury like Naruto had expected, the Fox looked… resigned? How strange.

"Then, don't listen to my words. I'll show you with my actions." Naruto shot back confidently.

Standing up for the first time, the Tailed Beast got closer to the cage that locked him within the blond. Once again, he eyed the child carefully. "Your actions, huh?" He replied with a sarcasm-tipped tongue.

"That's right."

"Then rip this accursed seal off of my cage and let me free. Show me that you truly care for me." The Nine-Tail's tone was bone-chillingly calm. "If you do, I will grant you any wish that you desire."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, hoping that his prisoner would've been taking this a little more seriously. "Sorry, but you know that I can' do that. Nice try, though."

"Naruto…"

'Oh boy, here comes the yelling and demanding…' Naruto thought to himself with a touch of annoyance. "What is it, Nine-Tails?"

"If you truly mean what you say, then prove it to me."

"How?" Was it going to be a serious request this time around?

"Save the One-Tails."

"The One-Tails?"

"Shukaku. The one sealed within the human you call Gaara."

Naruto blinked at his prisoner's quick response. "What do you mean by that? Save him? From what?" Were the Akatsuki going to kill him?

The Fox growled in annoyance at the barrage of questions. "Silence and listen." He hissed. "There is much that I need to tell you."

Naruto nodded.

"In this world, there are eight other beings like me. From one to nine. Each of us has a different number of tails, me being the most powerful." The Fox watched the boy's eyes light up at that information.

"There are more of you? Are they all sealed inside humans?"

Nine-Tail's face soured at that question. "That is correct, save for the Three-Tails. You humans have used us to maintain the balance of powers in your pathetic political games for ages. In their eyes, we're nothing more than concentrations of power that you can bend to your will and use against one another in an endless bid for further conquest."

'The anger is beginning to return to his eyes. This must be what has made him so full of hate.' Another thought hit Naruto. "So, these Akatsuki are going after all nine of you? That's why they are after Gaara?"

"They have already captured two of us. The Five and Seven Tails have been sealed away."

"Sealed away?"

Surprisingly, the Fox didn't appear too angry that his host was continuously interrupting him. Well, if he was, he didn't show it. "Tailed-Beast extraction. These Akatsuki are ripping the Tailed-Beasts from their hosts and sealing them away."

"For what purpose, though?" What was their plan?

"For power, of course. That is all you humans have ever cared about. We are the most powerful beings in the world. If all nine of our chakra were combined together, it would spell the end of all life on this planet." Though, there was something else on the Fox's mind that he just couldn't shake. A thoughy creeping its way into his head. 'Could they be trying to resurrect the Ten-Tails? No, impossible… there are no humans alive old enough to know of that.'

"That means Gaara and The Shukaku…" The blond gulped. "What happens to the host when the beast is extracted?"

"They die." The Nine-Tails said dismissively. He didn't care about the humans, after all. Hell, he barely cared about the fate of the other eight other chakra monsters. As far as he was concerned, the more that were captured, the more dangerous the Akatsuki would become. Which would increase the likelihood that he, himself, would be taken and forcibly sealed away. That was something he wished to avoid.

"A-And, how long does this extraction take?" He knew he wasn't going to like that answer to his own question, but he had to know.

"It varies based on the strength of those performing the extraction." The giant responded, mulling over the possibilities in his head. "It would be no longer than a few days."

"Then we really don't have any time to waste!" Naruto exclaimed, clutching at the side of your head. "My team has no clue where these Akatsuki went to perform the sealing! Damnit, I knew we were making a mistake! If we go all the way to the Sand Village first, Gaara and Shukaku are as good as dead! What am I supposed t-"

"Silence, you insufferable child!" His prisoner roared in disdain.

That seemed to stop the boy's ramblings, as he looked up at the Fox.

"That is why I called you in here, fool. Now quiet!"

"What are you talking about? The reason you called me in here?"

"I am going to lead you to the One-Tail's host."

"What? Really? How?"

This boy was getting far too comfortable, interrupting one of the most powerful beings to ever exist. The Nine-Tails let out a growl that conveyed his frustrations with his idiotic host child. "We nine are connected to each other through our chakra. Normally, I have the link severed because I can't stand those weaklings." He huffed in an almost child-like way. "However, considering the circumstances, I can reconnect the link to track him. Then, you and the other filthy humans can retrieve him before he is fully sealed away."

"Wow, that would be amazing, Nine-Tails!" Naruto was getting so excited that he had begun pacing back and forth. "Gaara wasn't taken too long ago, which means they couldn't have taken him too far. And, if it takes a few days to fully extract Shukaku from Gaara, we should be able to make it in time!"

The Fox's eyes narrowed. "You're trying my patience, you pathetic weakling." The beast seethed, angry at his host's annoying antics. "I will need time to reconnect the link to the One-Tails. Leave my presence if you know what is good for you, child."

Naruto gave his prisoner a knowing look. "You know, you can be a pretty nice guy when you want something." His tone was almost teasing. "You're not as mean and nasty as you want people to believe. You care about the One-Tails, don't you?"

'Are they like brothers?' The Jinchuriki wondered to himself.

The Fox snorted derisively. "I do not care for anyone, boy. If those humans continue to capture more of us, their power will grow. I could easily protect myself, but not while I'm forced to be bound to you." He explained rudely, shooting the blond a harsh glare. "That means I must rely on your pathetic strength to keep me safe." He spoke as if the words coming out of his mouth were going to make him sick. "You stand no chance if they continue. I do not care for the others in the slightest, I only care for myself."

"Okay, okay." Naruto put his hands up as a mock defense against the hostility of his new 'partner' in their mission. For someone who claimed not to care about anything, his choice of words did not agree with that mentality.

'Save the One-Tails.' That was what he had said. 'Arguing him will just piss him off even more.'

"I'll leave you alone so you can focus." Though, as he began walking away, something else crossed his mind. Something vital that he had meant to ask the Fox for a very long time. "Say, Nine-Tails?"

"What did I say about trying my patience, child…"

Once again, the Genin's mind went back to his conversation with Jiraiya. The one where he finds out about who his parents were… and many other things, as well.

"Well, to start off, you aren't the first person in the Leaf Village to hold the Nine-Tails within you." That revelation caused the blond's eyes to widen in shock, yet the Sannin continued. "The Fox attack, despite what you were taught in the Academy, was not a natural disaster. Somehow, the beast escaped from the seal of its former holder on that night."

Naruto's thoughts were running wild, wincing slightly as a dull headache began to throb just behind his temples. "I don't understand." Where to start with all of this? "Why would the village lie about what really happened!? We were never told there were hosts of the Fox! And how did the Nine-Tailed Fox escape from the seal?!" This was all too much to process at one time.

Jiraiya let out a loud, disheartened sigh. "Honestly, the answer to those questions is the same. We don't really know what happened. Everyone who has the answers to this mystery is dead."

This wasn't something he was going to push aside until later. Not when he had an audience with the one who knows all. The only one he knows that was there that fateful day. "Fifteen years ago, you attacked the village. How did it happen? Was there someone else working behind the scenes? If so, who was really behind it?"

The being he was speaking to recoiled a bit as if he was not expecting the barrage of questions. Or maybe it was due to something else? The blond could not really tell, not being versed in reading the body language of Tailed-Beasts. Not a skill many people would have.

"The Hermit that has accompanied you is far smarter than his idiotic demeanor would lead people to believe." His back-handed compliment was clearly being directed at Jiraiya. "As much as I would have loved to smash the Leaf Village into dust, I was manipulated into doing it by someone else. I was extracted from my former host and used as a pawn to destroy your pathetic village." He almost seemed sad about it. "I wasn't even able to enjoy killing all of those people…"

'Yeah, I'm just gonna ignore that last part.' Naruto mentally commented. "Who manipulated you, and how? An enemy from one of the other Great Nations? " Whoever they were, they had to be dangerous.

The Fox was visibly beginning to bubble over in anger. Just remembering that day brought him great rage. "No, it was that repugnant Sharingan eye of his." He spat. "That damned Uchiha ghost. His existence continues to haunt me to this day!"

Naruto stopped, blinked, then shook his head in disbelief. "It was… an Uchiha? How is that even possible? It couldn't have been Itachi. He was far too young to accomplish something like that."

"No. Someone far more dangerous than the child who massacred his cursed clan. An ancient relic of the past who refuses to lie down and let death take hold of him." The Fox chuckled ominously. "It was…Madara… Uchiha."

That name... it sounded so...

"Naruto!"

The blond in question eyes snapped open as he heard his name being called. Shaking his head, he looked below to see what all of the commotion was about. It was Sakura who was waving up at him.

"Naruto! Come on down and get something to eat! I know that you're hungry."

"R-Right." He stuttered out, still caught up in his own head. "I'll be down in a sec."

'Who is Madara Uchiha? And why does that name sound so familiar?' He wondered to himself, slightly off-put by the Demon's reaction to the aforementioned man. 'If he's scared of this Uchiha, then he has to be trouble. Could he have been one of the people killed in the clan massacre? I'm sure Jiraiya-sensei will know. I'll have to ask him about all of this the next time I see him.'

The blond would have to file these thoughts and questions away for later. During a time where unrelated lives didn't hang in the balance. With a leap off of the branch, he landed lightly in the center of the camp. Slightly off to the side, his team and Temari were all sitting around a moderately sized flame. It was beginning to get dark, and the heat from the fire would do well to keep them all warm.

"So glad of you to join us." The Nara said teasingly. "After being gone for so long, I would have thought you'd want to spend more time talking to your friends."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he took a seat next to Kakashi. "Sorry, I've been a little distant. I just have a lot on my mind, is all." More than anyone could possibly fathom…

"I was only kidding. I understand what you mean." Shikamaru sympathized. "A lot is happening right now, and you're all caught up in it. It's a normal reaction."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys…"

"So, what were you doing up there anyway?" Sakura asked with a hint of curiosity laced into her tone.

"Oh, I was just meditating." He replied with a shrug.

"You… meditate?" She responded back in bewilderment. "Are you sure you're the same Naruto I grew up with? You wouldn't have been able to sit still for five seconds a few years ago."

Naruto chuckled, fondly recalling the memories of his days as a green Genin, and even further back to the Academy. "I never really thought about it. It just sort of happened, ya know?"

"Do you remember the bell test?" The kunoichi giggled.

"Of course, I do!"

"You rushed straight at Kakashi-sensei and tried to flatten him with one punch." She continued to tell the story while everyone who hadn't been there listened in eagerly. "Then, when you got him to retreat with your clones, he tricked you into thinking he dropped one of the bells."

"And I ended up hanging from a tree by my ankles… how could I forget?" He looked over at the man responsible, you could tell by the Jonin's visible eye that he was grinning from ear to ear. "You were a real ass that day. Did ya know that, Kakashi-sensei?"

Temari and Hinata couldn't conceal their laughter any longer, and even Shikamaru was shaking his head with a broad smile on his face. If anything, making fun of the Genin was certainly a morale booster to the team. Given the circumstances, a little fun couldn't hurt.

Kakashi, with all his modesty, hit him back with a light shrug.

"And don't even get me started on the one-thousand years of-"

"Alright, alright, Sakura… I think we get the point. I-I don't think we need to be reminded about that." Naruto nearly blushed in embarrassment. If there were two things from those days he wanted to forget, it was him and Sasuke accidentally kissing and Kakashi-sensei putting his fingers up his ass. Was that so much to ask? He didn't think so. He could feel the phantom soreness just from thinking about it.

Sakura's fits of giggling erupted into flow blown laughter. Even Kakashi was having trouble holding it in. One the pink-haired kunoichi settled down, she continued with her previous train of thought. "It's just hard to believe that you're that same guy. You could never sit still for anything, and now you meditate? What did you and Master Jiraiya do while you were away?"

"Well… my need for meditation was born not out of a willingness to do so, but a necessity." Sakura's gaze turned curious at that choice of words, but she didn't say anything to interrupt him. "As for how? Sensei took me to a place called Mount Myoboku. It's a place where-"

"You trained at Mount Myoboku?" Kakashi asked, visible eye wide with surprise.

"Yeah, you've heard of it?"

"What is Mount Myoboku?" Hinata asked what everyone else was thinking? They had never heard of such a place before.

"It's the home of the summoning toads that Master Jiraiya uses." Kakashi explained to those, not in the know. "It's a special and ancient place that is hidden from the outside world. Only a select few in shinobi history have ever made it and been accepted by the toads. As far as I'm aware, Jiraiya is the only person currently alive that has been there." He nodded to the blond. "Well, I guess that makes two people now."

"I trained with two of the Great Sages in the art of stillness and meditation, among other things. Being there… was quite the experience." Naruto explained.

"I can't wait to see just how much you learned, Naruto." His Sensei said with pride. 'Who knows, maybe he has already surpassed me…'

"That reminds me. You may be able to see sooner than we all thought." The blond acknowledged. "I need to tell you guys something that I found out. It's about Gaara."

Temari's ears perked up at the mention of her little brother. "What about Gaara? What did you find out?"

"We should be able to track and find Gaara. Not only that, but I know exactly what the Akatsuki are going to attempt to do with him."

"Track him?" Shikamaru questioned. "What are you talking about, Naruto?"

"What do they have planned? Is he going to be alright?" The Sand Sibling blurted out, clearly more interested in the information related to the Kazekage's wellbeing.

"If we can get there in time, he'll be fine." The Uzumaki attempted to reassure for Temari's sake. "The Akatsuki are going to try and extract the Tailed Beast within him. But it takes a while for the process to be complete. Our goal is to get there before that happens."

"W-What happens if we get there too late." She dreaded the answer to the question as soon as it left her lips.

"Don't worry about that. We'll get there in time. I promise."

"Naruto." Her voice was sterner this time. "Please… what will happen?" It sounded more like a demand than a question

"…He'll die if it's fully extracted."

Temari's lip quivered ever so slightly, and Sakura reached over to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I see…" Voice shaky with worry.

"I don't think it's a surprise to anyone here, but just in case it is… I have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within me." He said those powerful words with such nonchalance. "I assume that, at the very least, you all suspected something along those lines. Am I right?"

The only person who appeared the least bit surprised was Temari. She had an inkling that Naruto and Gaara were similar somehow, but did she expect that? He wasn't sure. She didn't seem to hate him upon hearing the news, so that was a plus in his book.

"We found out while you were away, Naruto." Sakura said with a sad smile, further accentuated by the news of Tailed-Beast extraction. "I just want you to know that Hinata, Shikamaru, and I don't care one bit about that. We know who you are. You're our friend, and we care about you.

The other two mentioned nodded swiftly in agreement.

"Sakura is right." The Hyuga confirmed. "You are Naruto Uzumaki. A shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, not some monster. And we're here because we want to help keep you safe from those Akatsuki."

"It'll be a drag, but we can't just leave our teammate hanging. That isn't who we are."

"Thanks, guys. That really means a lot." He said sincerely. How was he so lucky to have such good friends? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't trade them for anything. "And there are more people like Gaara and me out there. Nine in total that carry Tailed-Beasts in them. Each one with a different number of tails from one to nine. I think the Akatsuki are trying to capture all of us for some evil purpose. They already have possession of the five and seven tails."

"Hold on a second, Naruto." Shikamaru sounded a bit skeptical. "Before, you mentioned something about being able to track Gaara. How is that possible? And all of this other information, how do you know it? If you knew all of this, why didn't you mention it before?" Something wasn't adding up here.

"I spoke with the Nine-Tails. He's the one that will be able to track Gaara, and he's the one that told me all of this." Naruto had been trying to avoid sharing that information, afraid of how well it would be received. However, Shikamaru was too smart and analytical for his own good. If something didn't make sense, he would poke and prod until he had the necessary information to make it make sense. There was no point in hiding anything from him. He'll eventually figure it out, anyway.

"Naruto..." Kakashi trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Shikamaru, who was now unusually animated, took over. "How could you even think about trusting anything that comes out of its mouth? That's the monster that flattened the village and killed hundreds of people! You can't listen to what it says!"

'I can't bring up what the Fox told me about Madara Uchiha, and how he's the reason the village was destroyed. I have no proof to back it up.' He thought to himself. 'He's right. Even though I believe him, there's no guarantee the Fox is telling me the truth.'

"You… talk to it?" Temari asked hesitantly. It reminded her too much of the old Gaara. The one who wanted to give his 'mother' blood. A chill went up her spine.

"Rarely. He's still behind his cage. He has no influence over me." Looking over at Hinata and Sakura, he noted their conflicted expressions. They weren't sure what to think and were probably waiting for more to be said before they sided with anyone. "But, if what he says is true and we go to the Sand Village first, Gaara will definitely die. If he's right and we listen, we can save him before it's too late. Even if it is a lie, this is our best shot."

"The probability that it is a lie is much higher than it is the truth. The Demon is evil and can't be trusted. He's probably trying to screw with you." The Nara said, trying to reason with the young blond.

The squad's genius seemed pretty adamant about the situation, much to the annoyance of the Genin.

"I don't think that's an accurate assessment, Shikamaru." Naruto challenged. "You have to remember that if I die, I take him with me. When speaking on the Akatsuki, I think it would be in his best interest to tell me the truth. His fate hangs in the balance, as well."

While it may have been a good argument, the Nara did not appear entirely convinced. Though, it seemed to have an effect on the other members of the team.

"I think it may be something we should consider as a team." Kakashi couldn't believe what he was saying, but Naruto made some excellent points. It may very well be their best course if they want to retrieve the Kazekage alive.

"This is ridiculous…" Shikamaru whispered to himself. "I think this is a mistake."

Temari, who was still looking warily at Naruto, nodded her agreement at Shikamaru's words. "I don't really think it's a good idea to listen to what those things say. Gaara's monster was a bloodthirsty psychopath that convinced him to kill as many people as possible. Do you really think that that is something you should be trusting?"

Naruto shot her a hard look. "I thought you wanted to save your brother?" His tone was harsher than anyone expected.

"Of course, I do! Why would you even say-"

"Because if we go to the Sand Village first, he definitely dies. If we try this, then we have a chance! It's that simple!"

The oldest Sand Sibling recoiled, then looked away.

"This is our best shot, whether you like it or not. We have to go."

"I-I can't." Temari mustered out. "Those things can't be trusted."

"Finally, someone with some sense." Shikamaru cut in. "Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi, what do you three think? Can you guys talk some sense into him? This is crazy."

"I trust Naruto's judgment." Hinata said almost immediately, deciding to side with the blond.

"I… think I do, as well." Sakura couldn't believe what she was saying. Usually, she would have agreed with the Nara over the absurdity of the situation. But… this Naruto is someone she trusts completely.

The lazy one of the group let out a heavy sigh of disbelief. He had one last hope. "Kakashi?"

With his chin resting in his hand, their Jonin commander seemed to be very deep in thought. He had stayed quiet while the others conversed, weighing the pros and cons of each option. While taking all the discussed points into consideration, he also added a few of his own that he thought of. Finally, after a moment of final deliberation, he made his choice.

"I think we're looking at all of this the wrong way." Kakashi finally said.

"What does that mean?" Everyone thought, but Shikamaru was the one who said it.

"Either one could be the correct choice, we don't really know for certain." The Scarecrow began. "However, we are in a unique position of having six people at our disposal on this mission. Far more than the average squad. So, I believe the most logical choice is to split up into two groups of three and do both of them! That way, we're right, no matter what."

'Heh, leave it to Kakashi-sensei to come up with the perfect solution.' Naruto thought, admiration for his teacher clearly evident. 'Even if it's a simple combination of both plans, Shikamaru is so blinded by his distrust of the Nine-Tails that he can't think straight.'

"That… actually isn't a bad idea. If we cover all of our bases, we'll ultimately have the highest probability for success." The Nara said with a bit of reluctance. "I supposed that could work."

"How are we going to split up the teams into three? Who will go where?" Sakura asked, already on board with the plan.

"Well, that part is pretty simple." Shikamaru began accepting the fact that he was outvoted. "Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura would be the best combination to go straight after Gaara, while myself, Temari and Hinata are best equipped to go to the Sand." He continued. "Naruto is the only one who can 'track' their whereabouts. Kakashi is our strongest member, so if they make contact with the Akatsuki, he is a necessity. Similarly, if they make contact, they will need a medic, so Sakura should go, as well. As for our team, Temari is by far the most knowledgeable when it comes to navigating the desert. Hinata will be able to find any evidence they left behind in the village with her Byakugan. As for myself, I can formulate our next moves with all of the newly acquired data when we reach the Sand."

"And if we paths with them? How will we get in contact with Shikamaru's team to let them know?" Sakura asked aloud to the entire group.

"I'll send one of my ninja hounds along with them. That way, they'll be able to track someone's scent and pinpoint out location." Kakashi answered.

"I have something to help with that." Naruto added, reaching into one of his vest pockets. Seconds later, he withdrew a scroll with an intricate-looking seal on it. Handing it to Shikamaru, he continued speaking. "Use this when you have any information you need to relay to us. Similarly, if the seal on it begins to glow, release it. That means we'll have something for you. It should also have my scent on it so you can find us."

The Nara nodded, and quickly took the scroll and dropped it into his hip pouch. "Sounds good. My team will be leaving soon. If we rush, we should get to the Sand in just under two days. Thirty-six hours if we really push it."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Same with us." Looking over at the one that will lead the pack. "That is, if… he's ready to do so." The Jonin finished meekly. These indeed were unprecedented circumstances that they were all dealing with. Never thought he'd be working in conjunction with the Nine-Tailed Fox, of all things. Hopefully, everything works out in the end.

"We'll be ready to go soon, too." Naruto gave his signature thumbs up.

Kakashi stood up. "Okay, everyone, get your last few bits of rest and nourishment out of the way. We'll be splitting up and moving out within the hour."

"Right!"

Nine figures were ominously standing atop the fingers of what appeared to be a giant demonic statue. Right below them on the cave floor, Gaara was being assaulted and consumed by a bright light that the castor had called 'Nine Phantom Dragons.' It was clear… the sealing had already begun.

Standing atop the right thumb, which was labeled "zero" was the one known as Pain. Despite the astral projection making it difficult to discern his features, his rippled eyes shined brilliantly in the darkness. "We must all focus. There is still much time left until the sealing will be complete. Is that understood?" His deep, commanding voice echoed off of the rocky walls.

"My shoulders are getting stiff. If only Orochimaru hadn't defected. This would be going by much quicker." The man with long bangs covering one of his eyes said with a bit of hostility in his voice. "If I ever see that bastard, he's dead. Hm."

"I agree…" One of the only two solid figures said slowly. "That traitorous snake will get what's coming to him." Sasori's tail lashed about behind him aggressively.

"It cannot be helped." Pain said. "We must make do with what we have now. Orochimaru will be handled at a later date. Our only concern right now is the sealing of the One-Tails. Once it is completed, we will have one-third of the Tailed-Beasts in our possession."

"We may have a problem with that." Zetsu's black half interrupted. "It appears we may have been discovered. There's a team of shinobi on their way here right now."

"Impossible." Sasori grunted out. "Our mission went flawlessly. No one from the Sand could have possibly followed us."

Even Itachi seemed a bit surprised at this development. He was confident that he had not been seen by anyone except for the Kazekage and his brother. 'I checked his pulse. The puppet user was definitely dead.'

Zetsu shook his head. "These shinobi are not from the Sand Village. It appears to be a group from the Leaf Village. And they're closing in on us quickly."

"Who are these pests?" Their Leader commanded. "Are they traveling in this general direction, or does it appear that they know our precise location?"

"The group is composed of only three ninja. "The Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. The student of the Fifth Hokage, Sakura Haruno. And the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."

Itachi and Sasori had similar reactions to hearing that last name but for vastly different reasons.

The hunchback let out a deep, ominous chuckle. "It seems that the fly is flying right into my web… I couldn't ask for anything better."

"That is all?" The ripple-eyed man questioned.

Zetsu nodded. "There were three others with them, but they splintered off in the direction of the Sand Village. I will track their whereabouts further to confirm, but I do not believe they will be a factor."

"The only threat among them will be Hatake. Itachi and Sasori should be more than enough to handle them." Pain thought for a moment. "However, in the instance that more follow behind them, or that they prove to be a bigger challenge than anticipated, we must delay their arrival and weaken their battle strength. We cannot risk them interrupting our sealing of the beast."

"Sounds to me like you're going to be using that Jutsu." Kisame smiled, his razor-sharp teeth bared dangerously. "I think we both know that I would be the perfect one to take part in the fun. I'd love to rip them to shreds."

"That is correct. I will use my Impersonation Jutsu to stall them." He looked over at the shark. "Kisame, since you have the most chakra out of all of the members of the Akatsuki, I think it would be wise if you-"

"No." One of the shadows interrupted. Pain glanced his way, and a flash of realization crossed his eyes. "I believe that we would be the best choice, considering who is involved."

"Ah, yes. Of course." The Leader agreed. "Then, it is decided. I will send the two of you to delay the enemy. Is that understood?"

"Of course… we won't fail. We won't just delay them… we'll slaughter everyone except the Jinchuriki."

"How much longer, Naruto?" The Leader of Squad 1, Kakashi Hatake, asked.

"I'm… not really sure, honestly." It was a weird feeling he was currently experiencing.

"What do you mean?" Sakura voiced her thoughts. "I thought you were able to track Gaara through his Tailed-Beast.

"I am. It's strange, I can't really explain it." He thought for a moment. "I imagine this is what a compass feels like."

"A compass?"

"The Fox is actually the one who can track Gaara." The blond clarified. "He's just passing the feeling onto me. I know what direction to go, but I have no bearing on how far away we are or anything else like that."

"I see." Strangely, that made sense to Kakashi. 'By the looks of it, our destination will be somewhere deep within the Land of Rivers.'

"Why don't you, you know, ask him how close we are?" Sakura asked, unsure of what the process of speaking to a chakra monster locked away within you would even be like.

"He's being an ass." The vessel scoffed. "He only talks to me when he feels like it. If he doesn't start the conversation, he just ignores me."

"If that's the case, do you think it's possible that Shikamaru and Temari were right? Maybe he is just messing with us. We've been traveling for hours."

"He's not, Sakura. I know it."

She pursed her lips together tightly but didn't say anything further.

"The only thing that I'm worried about is splitting up our battle strength." The blond said, glancing over at his teammates. "I'm positive that we're the strongest of our group, but is it wise to only have three people to face the Akatsuki? We'd stand a much better chance if all six of us were here."

Kakashi gave him a knowing look. "I know what you mean. But think about it like this, the Akatsuki operate in pairs. It isn't like we're going to fight all of them today. Besides, our job is not to kill them or engage, just rescue the Kazekage. We can minimize our engagement if we flee after getting Gaara. Your clones would make for a perfect getaway distraction."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Still, deep in his heart, he knew that was not how it was going to play out. 'If I have the choice to save Gaara and flee or try and kill the members who took him, what will I do? I honestly don't even know myself.' Could he really just let people like that walk away unharmed? If he did, they would just kill other people. How could he live with himself if he allowed that to happen?

"Drop down! We have company!" Kakashi's sudden and urgent voice alerted them, and they swiftly dropped down into the upcoming clearing. As they descended, what their Sensei saw became clearer.

Sakura took in a long, shaky breath.

A pair of red and black cloaks.

'So, we're already making contact? This early? We must be on the right path, then.' Kakashi thought, swiftly analyzing the situation. 'The Fox was right, after all.'

"So, you're Akatsuki?" Kakashi challenged the two men standing before the Leaf Shinobi. "I'm assuming you infiltrated the Sand and took the Kazekage, as well?"

They didn't answer him. In fact, they weren't even acknowledging his existence. They both had their eyes locked on Naruto. Looking to his side, his eye widened in shock.

The bloodlust radiating off of his student was unbelievable for someone so young. It was weighing the air down heavy. His body twitched erratically, conveying the barely controlled rage swirling dangerously within his body. His usually bright blue eyes; narrowed and cold. This was not the boy he mentored as a fledgling Genin. Whoever was standing next to him was someone he did not recognize.

The one on the right smiled wickedly at the daggers the Jinchuriki was shooting at him and his partner. "Look at that, Kakuzu." He ran a hand through his slicked-back silvery-grey locks. "I think the Nine-Tails remembers us."

The taller one, who Kakashi now knew as Kakuzu, chuckled. "It would appear to be the case, Hidan." His voice was deep and empty. The sign of a cold-blooded killer. "That was exactly what we were hoping for…"

Author's Note: I feel like every chapter ends in a cliffhanger. It's not intentional, I swear. Lol. They just happen to feel like natural stopping points.

Quite a few things in this chapter. What did you think about Naruto's conversation with Kurama? For that matter, what about his following conversation with the AAS? Some people may be upset that I had them split up, but I think the reasoning the characters presented was logical and sound. Let me know your opinion on that.

And then, of course, that ending. Don't even get me started on he next chapter. The next chapter is written, but it will undergo heavy editing before release. It's my first fight scene, and I just don't think it's good enough. Any tips would be appreciated, it's driving me crazy!

Before anyone mentions it. Yes, from a chakra and abilities standpoint, Kisame is far and away the smartest choice for the impersonation Jutsu. Just bear in mind that if the Akatsuki wants to remove Naruto from the fight altogether by enraging, Hidan and Kakuzu are their best bet. Though, will it work? They also work in tandem extremely well.

Again, let me know what you think. I would love to know! I'll see you next time for Chapter 24: Contact: A Blast From the Past!

Reemikz - A couple things.

The AAS was only formed because of Shikamaru, Sakura, and Hinata. Tsunade wouldn't have made it if these three hadn't insisted on it.

Tsunade has also shown in the past that she doesn't like to redirect too many of her valuable assets to one area. There are still other missions the village has to do, so allocating Team Gai to the AAS is dedicating a lot of manpower. I'm not saying the Akatsuki aren't worth it, but she has to think about the entire village.

You may be underestimating my assembled AAS. Hinata and Sakura are stronger than their canon counterparts, Shikamaru is a super genius, and Naruto and Kakashi are very dangerous. This is a strong team of five people against Akatsuki pairs.

ThelittleKing - Yeah, it becomes much more apparent when he's next to characters who have remained more static. He and Jiraiya have changed slowly alongside one another, so Naruto's development isn't as obvious.

I love the insight!

The Quincy - There are plans for Sai. He won't be a major character, but there is a place for him.

The book hasn't been started yet. But don't worry, you'll get more of that when this current arc is over. I haven't forgotten about it. Something needs to happen before then.

Passive Person - In regard to Itachi, that plot point has already been decided. It will be VERY different from canon, but also very different than what you're suggesting. Hopefully it's well received, I can't wait to write it.