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"Present"

"Flashback"

Chapter 29: One-Track Mind

"Shikamaru…" Temari took in a deep breath. "This isn't working. Do you have any other ideas?"

They were the last two standing. The masked man only seemed interested in Shikamaru, so when the others got in his way, they were incapacitated easily. Shino, Hinata, and Kiba; they all seemed alive, but if they didn't figure something out soon, it wouldn't matter.

The Nara in question was down on one knee, his hands together to form the shaky seal for his family's Jutsu. His face and jacket were scuffed up, and he had a worried, narrow-eyed look on his face. 'This isn't good.' He had racked his brain, but Tobi's Jutsu proved to be more dangerous than he had initially thought. 'It's like his abilities have no limits. Even though he has to make himself solid to attack, his mastery over it is so great that it doesn't matter. We can't hit him; we just aren't fast enough. Not only can he make himself impervious to attacks, but his transportation technique makes him undetectable. Hinata, Pakkun, Shino, and Kiba couldn't trace his movements.' A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. He was almost out of chakra. 'How the hell are we supposed to stop someone like that?!'

The two allies exchanged a look that said more than words could ever hope to manage. Even in all his brilliance, Shikamaru had no clue how to stop him with what they had.

'If only we had Gai-sensei, or Kakashi-sensei, even Lee. Someone skilled enough, or fast enough, to take advantage of his phase ability's weak point.

"You know, I'm actually a bit disappointed." Said Tobi, though he didn't sound it. "Shikaku should be ashamed that he raised such a worthless brat." He seemed to contemplate for a moment. "You're almost not worth killing."

Tobi stopped and stared at the bare ground to his side.

"Zetsu, what are you doing here?" He asked aloud. "You'd better be bringing me some good news. Can't you see that I'm busy?"

Seconds later, a strange, plant-like being rose from the ground; half of his body black, the other white. The monster donned the black cloak with bloody clouds. After seeing the masked man's strength firsthand, Shikamaru doubted anything these guys did would surprise him anymore.

"Naruto Uzumaki defeated Sasori. He is dead." His voice was monotonous, but it betrayed some surprise.

Temari's eyes flickered. That name was familiar. Yes, she was positive Kankuro used to talk about him. 'Sasori of the Red Sand? Can't be… is Naruto really that strong?' Sasori was supposedly a master craftsman, a genius puppeteer above the level of even Lady Chiyo.

"What did you say!?" He asked as if he heard incorrectly. They clearly had not expected the battle to turn out that way. "How is that possible? Did the Nine-Tails have backup?"

'That has to be him.' Temari was sure now. Based on the masked guy's reaction, who else could it be besides the Scorpion of the Red Sand?

"No, and as far as we can tell, he defeated Sasori without the assistance of the Tailed Beast. It seems as though Hidan and Sasori were not wrong in their assessment of him."

Tobi took a deep breath, agitated by the news of the Puppet Master's failure. This was not a part of his plan, and it was evident by his reaction.

It seemed like he was no longer focused on the group in front of him he had toyed with.

The Masked Man seemed to regain his confident demeanor quickly. "No matter. We have time to claim Naruto." He tried to reason with his anger. Yes, that wasn't the main reason for this mission. Even the loss of Sasori could be absorbed when he joins the Akatsuki ranks. As long as they reclaimed the One-Tails, he reasoned, this endeavor could be viewed as a success.

"That isn't all." Zetsu said, his tone made Tobi fight back a reactive frown. He ushered his superior to lean down.

The spiral masked man obliged.

The two Akatsuki began to whisper something amongst themselves that Shikamaru couldn't make out. Whatever was said, it made Tobi's only visible eye widen in bloodshot rage. The Nara felt his consciousness slip, no longer able to resist the level of exhaustion. He had used far too much chakra to ensure that he and his friends would make it out alive. The break in action had caused all of the adrenaline, the only thing that kept him upright, to clear out from his system.

The last thing he saw was Temari try to reach out and catch him.

After that, it all went black.

He let out a weathered groan. A dim light poked its way through his barely opened eyes, which made him start to stir. Hands gripped his shoulders firmly, and a gentle rocking caused his eyes to flutter open.

"Naruto."

The blond winced as he adapted to the brightness of his surroundings. He saw a flash of pink, but his brain couldn't make the obvious connection. Sore muscles and general exhaustion made him reluctant to stretch out his limbs, but it was nice to think about.

"Hmm?" He hummed absentmindedly, as slumber fought to keep him. "Wh's ther?" His question came out a jumbled, unintelligible mess.

"Naruto!" The person said a bit louder.

The Uzumaki, more awake now, recognized that voice this time. His eyes snapped open, and the first thing he saw were those familiar emerald eyes. "Sakura." He said. A smile tugged at his lips as the last of his grogginess dispersed. She returned it and reached her hand out for him to grab. Naruto obliged and pulled himself to his feet. "What are you doing here? Where's Itachi? Wasn't he with you guys?" She didn't look that worried, so his attitude reflected that calmness.

"He left." Though, she certainly seemed confused. "We fought him for a little, but he replaced himself with a clone and escaped. Honestly, Kakashi-sensei and I thought he was coming after you, so we rushed back to make sure you were okay. We're not sure where he is now." She looked to the spot next to where the Genin had rested. Naruto followed her gaze, and he knew was she was about to ask. "Is… that?"

"Yeah, that's Sasori's real body. He partially turned himself into a puppet." His mood turned somber, and he wasn't sure why. It endlessly frustrated him, but he reserved the right to judge himself until he returned to the Hidden Sand to learn more. "He was tough, for sure."

Though, that made him realize something.

Naruto rotated his shoulders, neck, and flexed his knees. Nothing, he wasn't stiff, sore, or in pain.

"Wow, Sakura. You sure work fast." His hands flew behind his head, a cheeky smile on his face. "How did ya create an antidote for the poison so fast?"

"Antidote?" She cocked her head to the side and gave him a strange look. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything, I just got here."

'Wha-" His hand flew to his pants pocket. From it, he slowly pulled out the piece of paper that Sasori had given him. It was folded just how he had left it. 'This doesn-'

A pair of Sharingan flashed in his mind, and it's tomoe spun in a hypnotic dance. The teen felt his senses leave him. A dull ache wrapped around to the back of his head and his body resisted the urge to stagger backwards. Before he could understand what had happened, it was over. He blinked.

Sakura reached out and grabbed his shoulder again. "Are you okay, Naruto?" She asked with a gentle shake.

"Huh?" The Genin blurted out. "Oh, nothing. It was nothing, sorry. I think it was just a dream I had." He finished weakly.

"A-Are you sure?" The kunoichi pressed, as her teammate started to walk away. "Where are you going?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said with a dismissive wave. A decent distance away from the spot where fell asleep, he knelt down. Naruto took out a scroll and quickly sealed Sasori's arm and leg.

Next.

"What's this?" Sakura had followed him to his second destination.

The Uzumaki looked over the shoulder at her, then back to the puppet. "This is the Third Kazekage." The pinkette's expression looked like a combination of confusion and disgust. "Sasori made puppets out of people, and the Third Kazekage was one of them."

"Puppets… out of people!?"

Naruto nodded soberly and pointed in another direction.

The kunoichi followed his finger, and her heart broke at what she saw. "Oh my God…" She felt like she would be sick, her hand flew to cover her mouth. "T-That's…" Tears trickled down her cheeks at the sight of her friends turned into lifeless puppets. All of her strength went to try and keep it together.

"Yeah." Her friend finished sadly. Though, he still managed a smile. "Heh, at least I'll be able to give them a proper burial next to Tazuna." They, too, were sealed away into one of his scrolls. "I never thought I was going to be able to do that."

They walked back over to the man who was responsible. Sakura's sadness turned into anger. "This monster was the one who did that to them?" Her hand tightened into a fist. "I wish the bastard was alive so I could punch his head off."

"I don't know." The blond reached out and closed the redhead's eyes. "I think he might have suffered enough, himself." Lastly, the former Akatsuki criminal's puppet body was sealed away.

That surprised Sakura; she hadn't expected that response. "How could you say that?! You can't be serious, not after what he did to Inari and Tsunami! Are you saying that you forgive him for what he did?"

"I didn't say that! I can never forgive him." A sigh escaped his lips. "I killed him, he's dead. Just because I'm sad that it had to come to this, doesn't mean I forgive him for turning my loved ones into weapons for the sole purpose of hurting me."

When he decided to remove Hikari from his subconsciousness, Naruto hoped he would no longer feel such naïve compassion for his enemies. That ended up not being the case, but it did help the blond learn more about himself. Hikari and Yami weren't actually pieces of him like he had initially thought, but completely separate entities. Yang was filled purely with positive energy, and Yin negative energy. The two halves played tug of war with his emotions, which led to his unstable and erratic behavior ever since the Land of Waves. He was the third, more balanced identity that shared similarities with the other two, but still had his own persona, ideals, and feelings. The real him was kind and compassionate at heart even without the influence of Yang Naruto's energy, and that was something he doubted he could ever change.

To become perfectly balanced, the blond knew that he would eventually have to expel Yami from his subconscious, as well. However, that was something that he couldn't do right now. Naruto had to achieve his goals, which meant that he would have to be ruthless in the face of his enemies. For something like that, a little bit of darkness was a necessary evil that would push him past his limits.

Without it… the teen didn't know if he would be able to see it through till the end. Even though he resolved himself, the fear that he wouldn't be strong enough without Yami's influence was still there.

"S-Sorry." Sakura hadn't realized how harsh she had sounded.

"It's alright, I understand what you mean." His voice was genuine. They both felt pain, it was only natural to react with anger. "More importantly, where are the others; Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, and Gaara? Is Gaara safe?"

"I'm right here, Naruto." A calm, deep voice came from above them.

Gaara of the desert, the Land of Wind's Kazekage, descended down from the sky on a platform of sand. He looked a bit roughed up, but his smile upon the sight of friend dissuaded any negative thoughts the blond had.

"Gaara, you're awake!" Naruto rushed over to his friend just as he touched down on the ground. "You're okay! How are you feeling?"

"I have certainly felt better. The Akatsuki was partially successful in it's goal. I can sense that a large portion of Shukaku's chakra was pulled from the seal." He answered honestly. His joints ached, chakra low, and near exhaustion. The One-Tail's host nodded as they exchanged a firm handshake. "I am alive, though, thanks to you."

"Ah, it was nothing, really. It was a group effort."

Gaara chuckled. "Kakashi and Sakura told me everything. No need to be modest. I am in your debt once again, Naruto Uzumaki." The redhead looked over to Sakura. "I checked our surroundings, and I didn't see any of the enemy. Now that Naruto is awake, I think it would be best to meet up with everyone else."

"Right." Sakura nodded. She saw the confused look on the Genin and decided it'd be best to fill him in.

"Once we saw that you weren't hurt, Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei went off to help Shikamaru and the others." Worry flashed behind her emerald eyes. "Your clone seemed pretty distressed. Something about a dangerous guy with an orange mask."

"My clone must have disappeared when I passed out because I don't remember any of the things that he did."

Yeah, nothing at all.

"We can finish filling each other in on the way." Gaara stated, as the sand from his gourd created two more platforms for his friends from the Leaf. "Kakashi was able to give us a rough idea of where to go, and my sand will give us the best vantage point to locate them. Get on, we don't have much time to waste."

"Are you sure you can handle that right now?" His fellow Jinchuriki asked.

"I'll be fine. Hurry, we must go."

The two Leaf teens nodded and stepped on the condensed sand.

Despite Gaara's weakened state, they were able to fly at fast speeds. The winds delicately combed through their hair, a calming sensation that was fully welcomed during these hectic times. Along the way, they discussed Gaara's capture, the Leaf's inevitable involvement, and what had happened throughout this chaotic mission. There was pain on both sides, that much was clear.

"I-I'm really sorry about what happened to Kankuro." Naruto put his head down. Those were tough words to hear, Kankuro was a good person and a great ally. He'd be forever grateful that the puppet-master-in-training saved Kiba's life when they tried to retrieve Sasuke from the Sound Ninja.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, a pain tried to creep its way out from behind them. Emotions besides anger and hatred were still very new to him, but the potential loss of his brother circumvented that ingrained stoicism and indifference. "I am not exactly sure what happened afterward, but he tried to save me from Itachi Uchiha. Considering that I was captured… well, I can only assume the worst."

"Either way, he IS a great brother and an excellent Shinobi."

"Thank you, Naruto…"

After the trio's discussion, a moment of silence fell unto them. Perhaps it was to honor the memory of the Kazekage's brother, or maybe it was a stunned silence from the news that they may have lost a comrade. It wasn't uneventful, the longer they traveled, the more diligent they were in their surveyance of the land below them.

"There they are!" Shouted Sakura, as she pointed down at a few specks a couple hundred meters in front of them.

The blond squinted towards the spot she had alerted them to. He could just barely make out a handful of distant figures. That had to have been them! "Good eye, Sakura!"

"Hold on." The One-Tails Jinchuriki instructed. "We will descend."

"I don't see any Akatsuki." Noted Naruto as the specks became larger. "And everyone looks okay!"

A moment later, they touched down, drawing the attention of those who were still conscious; Kakashi, Kurenai, and Temari.

"Gaara!" Temari, who had been by Shikamaru's side, was up to her feet instantly upon the sight of her beloved little brother. She ran over to the new arrivals and embraced him. "Thank goodness you're okay." Tears of joy prickled at her eyes and freely flowed. "You have no idea how worried I was…"

He smiled warmly, returned the hug, and looked around to all of the people present. His gaze fell particularly long on the unconscious Shikamaru, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. They appeared okay, and Sakura was already at their sides to check vitals to ensure they stayed that way. "I have all of you to thank for that." He bowed his head. "On behalf of the Sand Village, I am in debt to all of you." The last person his eyes fell on was his Jinchuriki friend, who returned it with a thumbs up and a smirk.

Temari let go of the iron grip she had on her brother and met a pair of bright blue eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki…" She was at a loss for words. The Genin had delivered on his promise, more so than she had ever hoped. "I'm so sorry that I didn't trust your judgment. Because of you, my brother is safe. Thank you so, so much!"

"Don't thank me. I was caught sleeping on the job." The blond teen walked over to his downed teammates and took a knee. He smiled as he saw them begin to stir in their sleep. "These guys put it all on the line for the sake of the mission. If you're gonna thank anyone, it has to be them."

"How about I just thank all of you?" Temari asked sincerely. "You guys saved my brother, and I will be forever grateful."

Naruto closed his eyes as his smile grew. "I suppose that works, too."

"I wouldn't sell yourself short, Naruto." The blond kunoichi said. "From what I hear, you defeated Sasori of the Red Sand. It shocked the enemy we were facing when he heard the news."

Kakashi's eye flickered at the mention of that name, but he remained quiet.

"The man with the orange mask?" The Jinchuriki countered. He just wasn't interested in talking about his fight.

"Yeah." The Sand Sibling looked over to the leaders of Teams 7 and 8, silently glad that they arrived when they did. Their presence is what made Tobi finally leave them alone.

"I bet Shikamaru has a lot to say about that guy's abilities. Too bad I won't be here when he wakes up." He glanced back at his friend and the entire objective of his mission. "We need to get Gaara back to the Sand as quickly as possible."

Kakashi stepped forward. "I agree. Itachi and Tobi seem to have retreated, but we can't expect things to stay that way. The sooner we get Lord Kazekage back within the safety of his village, the better." He looked over to his fellow Team Captain. "Kurenai, can you lead the injured back to the Leaf when they wake up? They have more than fulfilled their duties for this mission."

The red-eyed Jonin nodded her head. "Of course. It's probably for the best since these four have important information to relay about the appearance of the masked man. I'll report back to Lady Fifth when we return. Though, I suspect she'll want to debrief the three of you when you return, as well."

"Let me give you guys a little extra support until they wake up." Naruto brought his arms up to form his favorite seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Eight copies of the Genin appeared. They nodded to their original and took off in different directions. "They'll set up a perimeter around you for extra protection. I doubt the enemy will try anything, but better safe than sorry." A sudden wave of lightheadedness struck him, and he was suddenly glad he was already on one knee. He stood up shakily and let out a nervous laugh. "Though, with the amount of chakra I have, I won't be able to maintain them that long. An hour, at most."

Kurenai chuckled. "I think that'll do fine. Thank you, Naruto."

The Copy Ninja eyed his student with a bit of worry. "If you're tired, you can head back to the village with the rest of the team. I'm sure some rest would do you well."

"Sorry, can't do that." The Nine-Tails host said, a faint glimmer of a grin twitched at the corners of his mouth. "I have a promise that I need to keep. Can't quit yet."

"A promise?"

"Yeah."

His student's tone was cryptic, and his look of steely-eyed determination reminded him eerily of his late Sensei, Minato. Kakashi smiled, which was betrayed through the curvature of his visible eye. "Well, we shouldn't be keeping the village waiting. I'm sure everyone is anxiously awaiting the return of their Kazekage."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly. There was only one thing on his mind, and it wasn't Gaara, the Sand Village, Akatsuki, or even the fate of Kankuro. He needed to understand how, in his last moment, someone as insane as Sasori could do a selfless act that would save the life of his enemy. It didn't make sense, and it went against all his actions and motives the Puppeteer had shown up until that point. There had to be some reason, a missing piece of the puzzle that could explain these inconsistencies. It was eating him up inside.

To his knowledge, there was only person who would have the answers that he sought.

'Granny Chiyo of the Sand… what do you know?'

Shikamaru's unit had already been close to the border between the two nations, so the retrieval squad neared their destination.

They had traveled for several hours in mostly silence. Even after the battles had ended, the dry desert air was tense.

Sure, they engaged in some small talk. Temari and Gaara were interested in Naruto's time on the road with the Legendary Sannin. He gave roundabout answers and mostly talked about Jiraiya and how hard he trained. You know, the good parts.

Conversely, the blond showed interest in Gaara's ascension to become the Wind Shadow. It was such a big step from where the Sand's Jinchuriki had been after their clash at the Chunin Exams, he almost didn't believe it when he had first heard. Gaara's abduction had quickly overshadowed the fact that he was his village's leader. The change the redhead had undergone was noticed by Naruto immediately. I mean, he wasn't trying to kill anyone; that's already a massive step in the right direction. Still, to convince his village that he had changed so quickly? A tall task, indeed.

"Kankuro is going to be so glad that we got you back, Gaara." Temari's whimsical tone contrasted brutally with the reactions of Naruto, Sakura, and Gaara. "I'm sure he's worried sick." Her bright eyes flashed over to her brother, but they dimmed when she saw his look. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm fine." His weak smile did little to remove the worry from her gaze. The sand beneath his feet felt unusually coarse as he ran. "We're almost there, I can keep going."

Temari seemed to accept this. As her head turned to look ahead, she missed the exchange between the other three teens.

They all looked as if they were about to be sick. Gaara had decided not to tell his sister about the fate of Kankuro, on the off chance that he was wrong. There was also a piece of himself that didn't want to believe that his brother was dead. By not telling Temari, he could deny the inevitable just a little longer.

Once again, Kakashi's keen eye seemed to pick up on this. He was observant, but not without manners. The subject was clearly touchy, so it would be best to be left alone; he frowned. Over his lifetime, the Copy Ninja had seen that look more than he would like to admit. 'Bad news, I'm sure.'

"What's that?" Temari, the only one looking ahead, asked.

They were about two miles outside of the Hidden Village, but something peeked over the horizon of the sand dunes. They squinted against the bright desert sun, which made it difficult to make out what was ahead. Whatever it was, was broad and spanned a sizable distance.

The closer they got, the clearer it became.

The look of confusion on Gaara's face was borderline comical, Naruto simply closed his eyes; a soft smile graced his lips.

"Gaara." Temari breathed out, he features matched the other blond of the group.

They doubted it was everyone, but, with them huddled up like that, it sure looked like the entire Sand Village was there.

Those of the battalion wore looks of determination. Though, upon seeing the retrieval squad, their demeanors changed. You could tell when each of the Shinobi noticed their leader was among the group. Fierce, steely-eyed stares were slowly replaced with teary, exuberant displays of joy.

The One-Tail's host slowed to a stop. A feeling in the pit of his gut suddenly exploded to all corners body. It felt… good. Why did they all look like that? Was all of that happiness and relief… for him? "Wha-"

"It's our Kazekage! He's safe!" Someone shouted.

'Our?'

"Lord Gaara!" A few others proclaimed.

"Lord Fifth!"

'They seem so relieved.'

"He's back!"

"Thank goodness he's okay!"

'Is all of that really just for me? Am I… needed by someone?'

The horde surrounded their leader, who looked utterly overwhelmed with what was happening. His eyes were wide open, making the black rings that surrounded them even more pronounced than usual. His breath hitched, lip quivered, and posture stiff as a board.

Gaara's people always seemed to tolerate him as their Kage. He had anticipated that it would take time and a great deal of effort for them to truly accept him, but he was willing to put in the work to make that happen.

But this…

Even in Kage's wildest dreams, he didn't expect to ever receive a reception such as this.

Yet, here they were, tears flowed, screams of joy vibrated the sand at his feet, and celebrations ensued over the safe return of their Shadow.

Dual streams of tears fell down his cheeks. The Kage hadn't realized it when he was younger, but this is what he had always wanted. To be loved, wanted, needed.

To be surrounded by those who care for his existence.

A single hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was, only to be met with the happy gaze of his fellow Jinchuriki. Gaara wanted to say something, but his dry throat and overloaded brain took too long to get his thoughts out.

"I'm happy for you, Gaara." Naruto said with the utmost sincerity. "These people, your people, they truly care for you." The Genin gave him one last gentle squeeze and walked towards the wall of admirers. "Savor this moment, you deserve it." Was the last thing he said as he pushed past the sea of bodies and disappeared into the crowd.

"Naruto, where are you g-" It was too late, the blond was swallowed up.

He was gone.

"He did say he had a promise to keep." Kakashi walked up to his other side, voice just loud enough not to be drowned out by all of the noise. The Leaf Jonin gave the redhead an eye smile. "You know Naruto, that kid has always had a one-track mind. I'm sure he'll be alright."

Gaara looked at his friend's Sensei, then back to the spot Naruto had parted the Shinobi. It had been in the direction of the village's entrance. He held back the desire to frown.

This wasn't a time for any negative emotions. No, he wouldn't allow himself to not enjoy this moment. Temari was now at his side, the crowd continued to tighten around the small group.

"From what I gathered, they were tired of not knowing what was going on." Temari said, her teal eyes were unusually full of tears. Even someone as stoic as the oldest Sand Sibling wasn't able to contain her excitement. "A bunch of our ninja convinced Baki-sensei to send out a battalion to make sure you got home safe."

Gaara closed his eyes. Yes, he would enjoy this while he could.

Because he had a feeling that it wouldn't last.

Naruto hadn't taken very long to find the person that had run things in Gaara's stead. Baki, Temari had mentioned the name while they were still in the desert. He vaguely remembered what their Sensei had looked like from the Chunin Exams, and it all clicked when he saw the man's face.

The cloth Baki wore over half of his face was such an odd attire choice, it proved helpful in jogging the boy's memory.

"Yo."

"You." Said Baki as he looked up from the paperwork at his desk. It had only been about three years, but to Naruto, it looked like the Jonin had aged over a decade. His face was marred with stress-induced wrinkles, and there was a deep bag under his one visible eye. Was that from his assumption of Gaara's responsibilities, or worry over his student's safety?

Probably a combination of both.

From the look of shock on his face, it was clear that he recognized his new guest. "Where have you been?! We've been awaiting updates from the Leaf for far too long! My people have been in a mass panic over the fate of our Kazekage!" Oh no, he was angry. How bothersome. "Now, you just waltz into the Kazekage's office without a care in the wo-"

"Gaara is safe, don't worry."

Those words cut through his anger like a hot knife through butter. "What?!" The Sand Jonin shot to his feet, fists clenched tightly against the large, wooden desk. Negative emotions dissipated and replaced by… relief? "Where is he?! Is he hurt?"

"He's fine." Naruto's face was calm, though he couldn't stop the small smile that peeked out from the corners of his mouth. "Just outside the village. We ran into that battalion that you must have just sent out. They should be at your entrance soon."

"Oh, this is excellent news!" The wrinkles already began to disappear; it must have been a long time since he smiled so wide. He walked around the table, and towards the entrance the Leaf's Jinchuriki stood in. "I must inform the Council and assemble a welcome party for his return. Our people will be beside themselves with joy! How could we ever thank the Leaf for their assistance?" At this point, while it was aloud, Baki was speaking mostly to himself.

"Wait."

The Sand Sibling's Jonin instructor was wrestled from his musings, only to find that the blond had not moved from his spot in the doorway. In the wake of this wondrous news, the usually chirpy and energetic Genin wore a complicated expression. It did little to dampen his own reinvigorated mood, but it certainly raised some questions.

"I need a favor." Naruto said simply.

"Anything." Baki responded earnestly. How could he deny a request from the Shinobi who saved Gaara's life not once, but two times? After all, Gaara would have never had a life, or future, to begin with, if Naruto Uzumaki had not clashed with him the day of the Konoha Crush invasion. "What is it that you need?"

"I need to see someone right away. Would you happen to know… who Granny Chiyo is?"

That brought him to where he was now. He'd been waiting in the Kazekage's private medical examination room for nearly thirty minutes. It was a decent-sized space, there was a sizeable L-shaped tabletop in one of its corners with cabinet space above and below it to store medical supplies and other necessities. A steel swivel chair with a black leather seat was positioned in front of that. There were three regular chairs on the other side of the room, which faced the Kazekage's personal padded examination table. The walls were the same dusty, pale yellow-orange of every building in the entire village.

He wondered briefly how the people here didn't go mad with how bland and repetitive everything was.

Naruto took a seat in one of the three chairs and had already unsealed Sasori onto the examination surface. His thumbs twiddled against one another, and he let out an exasperated breath. From the title the Akatsuki criminal had addressed her by, he knew she was old; but this was ridiculous. It shouldn't be taking this long!

It was as if someone from above had taken mercy on him because the door slid open mere seconds later.

'Here we go…'

A light, feminine gasp escaped the newcomer's lips immediately upon entering the room.

It had to be her.

She was an elderly woman with black eyes and lavender-colored hair tied in a bun, a Sand Village traditional dark-colored, loose-fitting outfit with a poncho-like top.

"Is that…" Her voice choked up; facial features twitched uncomfortably, a clear sign of being an old-fashioned shinobi. It reminded the Genin of the twenty-fifth principle that Sakura had mentioned to him once. She was at Sasori's side much quicker than someone her age should be capable of moving. "No, it couldn't be… Sasori?"

"You're Granny Chiyo, I presume?"

The woman heard him but did not take her eyes off of the deceased redhead. Her body shook lightly while she hovered over the former Sand Shinobi.

'Well, they must have been close at some point.' Mused Naruto as he studied her body language to glean more information. 'Not sure how he could have been close to anyone, though...'

"Is this really him?" She unconsciously gripped her modified arm as she stared at the human-like husk that looked just like her grandson. "They told me that you had information about Sasori, not that you killed him." Chiyo's voice was barely above a whisper.

"That's him. Considering he was a missing-nin from this village, I didn't want anyone to know I had his body."

"And why's that?" The retired kunoichi glanced back at the teen for the first time, streaks of dried tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Because I wanted to talk to you about some things." Naruto leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and interlocked his fingers in front of his face. "It was easier this way."

"You put my dead grandson here in front of me, and your immediate action is to interrogate a sad, old woman?" She lightly chuckled in a humorless, sarcastic way. "You Leaf Ninja, despicable as always."

He was right, of course they were close. His grandmother, it was an obvious answer that he had anticipated.

"That's ironic coming from the person who raised a monster." Chiyo recoiled at that and turned away, but he wasn't about to let this woman off that easy. "I'm sure you know about what he's done, he said the village was aware of his actions before he defected."

Chiyo couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze; the floor at her feet seemed much too fascinating to do so. Naruto wasn't sure if the intermittent shaking was from old age, or distraught. Both would be a pretty decent bet. There was nothing that she could really say in response to that, and her lack of response proved that.

The Jinchuriki frowned at the woman's silence. "Well, allow me to clue you in. Your 'precious' grandson joined a criminal organization tasked with capturing people with Tailed Beasts inside them." She twitched again, but he didn't care. This was not only something he had to say, but she had to hear. "I'm the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and he turned my friends into puppets and used them as tools to try and capture me." Yes, he definitely had to get this off of his chest. "He's also directly responsible for the abduction of not one, but two of your Kazekage."

Sasori's grandmother's already dim eyes went wide after that last statement. "T-Two?! No, it couldn't be…" She blurted out. Not that she even had to ask, it was clear what the whiskered boy meant as soon as the word s left his mouth.

"That's right, one of Sasori's human puppets was the Third Kazekage. At least, that was what he said. I doubt he had any reason to lie about something like that. Besides, I don't think the Iron Sand is a common ability to have, even in the Land of Wind."

Chiyo propped herself up against the examination table. Her breath grew ragged and clenched at her heart tightly. Sasori was right in front of them, and he looked so peaceful. Their memories together when he was just a small boy were still so clear, and they made tears prickle at the corners of her eyes once more. How could such an innocent-looking child do the atrocities this Leaf boy claimed that he did? Yet, even though he was an outsider, she believed every word of it. How… how could it have ended up like this? Had she really failed that much as the boy's guardian?

What's more, she didn't know which news surprised her more; that Sasori had been the one behind the mysterious disappearance of the Third, or that this boy somehow managed to kill Sasori by himself. That latter only seemed more implausible now that she knew Sasori was in possession of the Iron Sand Jutsu.

The Nine-Tails host gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. Tons of information had been dropped on her, and while he was there for answers, he recognized the situation required some patience.

"Why did you come to me with all of this? Do you want me to say sorry for the things that he did to you?" She would have laughed if a piece of her hadn't just died. "I hadn't seen him in over twenty years. We would have been complete strangers to one another."

"I don't need an apology; wouldn't want one to begin with."

"Then, what is it that you want? To harass an old woman who just lost the last thing that tied them to this world?"

Naruto rose an eyebrow, only now realizing how guarded Chiyo was around him. A few of the things that the elder said earlier only seemed to further confirm that there some unspoken issues between the two of them. "You must really not like people, or is it just those from foreign nations?" He had let the comment about despicable Leaf Ninja aside, but it was more indicative than he initially realized. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm actually here to talk about who Sasori was before I met him, and you're the only one in the world that can tell me."

She gave the teen a strange look, then she turned back to her grandson. Once again, memories of a young Sasori filled her thoughts. To this day, those cherished moments were both a blessing and a curse. A reminder of what is, and what it could have been.

"Why would I bother with something like that? Digging up old, painful memories is pointless. It changes nothing, nothing at all." The granny finally said.

"Tell you what… if you indulge me, I'll pass on his last words. They were left for you, after all."

"Heh, I suppose despicable wasn't the right word. You're heartless, and would go so far as to openly manipulate me to get what you want." Despite her words, she didn't sound very upset by it. "And here I thought that Shinobi like the one's from my era were a dying breed."

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not like your generation." There was a sliver of an edge in his voice as if that comparison struck a chord within him. "You, the people who fought three bloody wars to protect and enhance your own national interests. It's the reason our world is the way it is, right now. I'd be like your generation if I threatened the lives of you and your loved ones to get the information I sought. I'm just asking for some equivalent exchange."

"Perhaps you're right. Very well… I'll tell you anything that you want to know." Chiyo reached out and brushed some of the hair out of the deceased Puppet Master's face. "After all, the world that my and the previous generation created is what turned Sasori into the person he inevitably became. Sweeping it under the rug would do no good to anyone."

"What do you mean by that? How did it change him?" Naruto leaned forward further, intent on capturing every word. Finally, he was at the precipice of what he had searched for ever since his encounter with Jaaku. The world was a cruel place, and within it terrible people, that he knew; why did it have to be that way, and how did it directly influence and alter someone within it? Based on the redhead's final actions, it was evident that he was not inherently evil like Hidan. Buried deep down, there was a modicum of good in the Puppet Master.

"Well, it all really started when the White Fang of the Leaf stole his parents away from us." She nearly spat it out, which surprised him. After all of these years, that wound was still fresh. "After that, the Sand Village teachings and the cruelty of war did the rest."

"Tell me all about it. I want to know everything."

Extreme high points were always accompanied by devastating low points. Not all things in this world went the way they should have, and life had reminded Gaara of that at nearly every turn in his life. The Kazekage pulled his now hysterical older sister tightly to his side. Her heavy sobs cut him deep. It took all of his willpower to not breakdown at that moment, but he had to be strong.

It hadn't been long until Gaara, and his rescue squad made it back to the village. Spirits had still been high, and even Gaara had managed to crack a smile for a bit. It was an unexpected but welcomed return for the Wind Shadow. That was until Baki had greeted them at the metaphorical gates. The look on his teacher's face confirmed his worse fears, and, at that moment, he couldn't help but glance over at his oblivious sister.

And yet, even though he knew it to be probable, the confirmation of Kankuro's death still hurt more than anything he had ever experienced. However, it was probably not even close to what Temari was currently feeling. Not only did she have a bond with their brother for much longer than him, but she was also blindsided by the news of his demise. Gaara was able to brace for the possible impact.

Their relationship of the Sand Siblings had started out strained, and continued to be that way even after the Chunin Exams. Gaara couldn't change overnight, and his siblings did not expect him to. It was a gradual process, one that made the end result well worth the effort. Slowly but surely, they were able to grow and nurture a familial bond. They loved each other and would protect one another with all of their might. Kankuro's death proved that to be true when he put his life on the line to shield his younger brother from the clutches of the Akatsuki.

As a result, it was a life that was cut far too short.

"It's okay, Temari." Her brother's simple words were spoken with great effort. "We won't allow Kankuro to be forgotten." Though, those sincere words did little to quell her sorrow.

"He died to not only protect his Kazekage, but a beloved brother." Kakashi gripped the headband that concealed Obito's eye, bittersweet memories of his past flickered lightly in the back of his mind. "A death worthy of a Shinobi."

"We have held off on a service until your safe return." Baki's words hung in the air.

"I think it would be best to have that service today." Gaara's answer was immediate and wholly expected. "My return will not overshadow the sacrifice that my beloved brother made for me." The One-Tails host looked over to Kakashi and Sakura. "I would be extremely grateful if the three of you would stay and join us…"

Sakura smiled in hopes that it would raise everyone's spirit a little. "Of course, Kankuro was our friend. We would want nothing more than to attend."

The Kazekage quickly nodded his thanks, and then put his focus back on his grieving sister.

"It will take us a couple of hours to make the arrangements, and everyone in the village notified of the ceremony." Baki interjected. "For the time being, you are free to make yourselves at home. If you wish to stay the night after the ceremony, we have also put rooms aside. I can have some of our attendants show you to them if you'd like?"

Kakashi waved him off politely. "If it's alright, I'd like to go find my student first. Can't have him getting into trouble in a different village."

"Do you mean Naruto Uzumaki?" Baki asked.

"The one and only."

"Well, then you're in luck. I know exactly where he is."

The Copy Ninja's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Oh? And where would that be?"

Author's Note: I already know people are going to ask about Itachi. Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer for that. I did leave a hint in this chapter, though. Also, Naruto isn't always going to act like a jerk. He just knows that in order to get what he wants, sometimes he has to be someone that he's not.

Reviews and PMs are always encouraged. I'm always interested in knowing what you thought about the chapter!

I'll see you next time with Chapter 30: Eternal Beauty.

Guest (July 28th) – Yes, Tokyo Ghoul is my favorite series. I've been pretty transparent about taking inspiration from it.

ChangeMe4574 – He still is Naruto, after all!

Yamajiji – Thanks for the kind words! I've never seen Demon Slayer before, may have to check it out. As for Itachi, well, you'll have to wait a little longer for that.

TheRoadtoHell666 – The key for Naruto is finding a balance. It's something that he hasn't been able to do.

ThelittleKing – I'm so glad that you liked it! Naruto Vs. Sasori was far more than a battle of brawn. Everyone is so curious about Itachi's motives, but you can't see it just yet!

I try to keep these responses as short as possible, as to not pad the word count.

vyoom – More will become clear about the next arc in the upcoming chapters. Stay tuned.

TrenchcoatMan – Yami/Dark doesn't necessarily have to mean evil. It's negative emotions. The villagers also didn't really have anything to do with this moment; it was more about the Wave incident. That's why you saw those particular emotions, they are what is associated with that event.

Passive Person – I know it's made pretty clear this chapter, but Gaara is alive. Shukaku was not fully extracted. Everything else will be answered in due time.

Guest (August 5th) – The clone was sent through the transportation seal Naruto and Shikamaru both had. That process drains the clone of their chakra, making them 'useless' in battle.

It's only real use is relaying or acquiring new information.