Author's Note: It's been a while, I'm sorry about that. I've been battling through some writer's block and stretches where I lacked motivation, but that didn't stop me from bringing this new chapter!
Your reviews helped me immensely in getting through this rough patch. Since the last chapter was posted I have received just over 60 reviews! That number is insane to me and is, by far, my most ever in between updates. Seriously, I read them back several times to help get the gears turning.
This is for you guys.
Chapter 37: Convergence
"Shizune… died?" Sadness was quickly replaced as his rage began to crescendo. "How is that possible?!" The boy blurted out as if his anger would magically bring the dead back to life. "S-She was fine when I left! Who could have done this, Granny?!"
Instead of answering the question, Tsunade seemed to wilt further as Naruto's intensity rose. The Fifth Hokage was a powerful and proud woman, so to see this level of fragility was surreal. This wasn't some kind of cruel joke played at his expense, as much as he wished that to be the case.
It was reality.
The Chunin seemed to get the message and did his best to tone down his intensity. "I-I mean…" He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, at a complete loss for words. It still didn't feel real. "Ah! What the hell is going on?!"
"Naruto, I think I can answer your questions."
The boy turned around to find a new face standing in the doorway of the office. It was not Kae holding a glass of water but the Jonin Commander. "Mister Shikaku." He addressed courteously.
"Why don't you come with me." Shikamaru's dad asked in a soft tone that didn't match the natural gruffness in his voice. "Let's take a walk. You can answer some of mine, too."
The blond teen took one last glance at the Sannin, but she didn't meet his gaze. "A-Alright." With a heavy sigh, he nodded to the genius and walked towards him. After Naruto passed the Nara, a hoarse voice stopped them in their tracks.
"N-No." The Slug Sannin objected weakly. "It's fine, the three of us can talk about what happened together." She caught a flash of uncertainty wisp across the Jonin's face and she couldn't blame him for feeling that way. "Don't give me that look, Shikaku. I am the Hokage; what kind of leader would I be if I gave up when things got tough?" She finished with her best attempt at a reassuring smile.
Those words proved just how strong-willed the granddaughter of the First Hokage was. Naruto watched the woman's eyes intently. Strong words, yes, but they didn't reach her eyes. It didn't take an exceptionally perceptive person to see that they were full of pain. Save for maybe Jiraiya, Shizune was the closest person she had left in this world. This wasn't just some common soldier that she had lost on the front lines of a perilous mission. No, it was a cherished loved one killed on home soil in the very place she was appointed to protect.
"Of course, Lady Tsunade." The man with the spiky ponytail said after a swift bow. "What was I thinking?" He asked rhetorically as his mind flashed to her drinking binges over the last few days.
"Is someone finally going to tell me what the hell happened while I was away?" The Chunin asked bluntly. "The ANBU are everywhere patrolling the village while it's on lockdown and Shizune…" He trailed off, still not entirely comfortable with the thought that she was really gone. "Were we attacked by another nation? The Akatsuki?"
"Not quite." The scarred Shadow User injected. "I wouldn't necessarily call this an attack. It was the one that Sasori had warned you about. It turns out he was more active than we thought."
Naruto was starting to connect the dots. "Zetsu…" He was beginning to feel ill.
"From the information that we gathered, along with the intel you got from Sasori, we were able to deduce that Zetsu had come into the village as a refuge some time ago. Then, at some point, he was able to kill and assume the position of Izumo Kamizuki." The Nara explained.
Naruto's eyes widened the instant his brain processed that name. "Izumo?! No… that can't be!" His mind immediately drifted back to his conversation with Kotetsu at the gate. It all made too much sense to be a coincidence. "Oh my god…" He felt bile rise up in the back of his throat and had to fight to keep it down. "Kotetsu had mentioned something about Izumo to me. If only I had noticed what was going on at the time…"
"This isn't your fault, Naruto." The Commander reassured. "Kotetsu came to us shortly after the two of you spoke, and we quickly launched our investigation. Zetsu had killed Izumo long before you spoke to Kotetsu, and he had already moved onto his next target. There was nothing you could have done. In fact, if you hadn't had that conversation with him who know what could have happened."
The Uzumaki couldn't help but gulp. "And his next target was Shizune?" He asked, his voice filled with remorse.
The aged veteran glanced over at his mourning superior before confirming the boy's question. She was doing her best to appear stoic even though it was clear that she was still grieving. "That's right." He finally said.
"That explains why the entire village is on lockdown." The blond boy surmised. "Were you at least able to capture the bastard alive so we can interrogate him and learn more about the Akatsuki?"
The Hokage interlocked her fingers in front of her face, which carried a grave expression. "Unfortunately, no. We still aren't quite sure what happened, but there was an incident within one of the holding cells at the Torture and Interrogation Division. It appears that after learning of Sasori's location from me, Zetsu went to free him under the guise of Shizune." She paused to wince after that name left the tip of her tongue. The concerned looks of the two men present forced her to push forward. "On the next security round, they found both Aoba and Zetsu dead. Based on the traces of DNA and poison left at the scene, we think that it's likely that Zetsu killed Aoba and Sasori killed Zetsu, though we have no idea why. Sasori was nowhere to be found. We have no leads on where he might be. It's possible that he returned to the Akatsuki, but that wouldn't explain why he would kill a comrade. One would assume that they'd escape together if that was their goal."
"It could be that Sasori was unaware of Zetsu's identity as Shizune before attacking, but that theory doesn't make much sense after he watched them kill Aoba." Shikaku added in. "And with no chakra signature, he would be able to sneak out of the village without the Barrier Corp knowing anything. All in all, this whole ordeal was a complete disaster."
"Aoba, too?" Naruto clutched at his heart while he stared straight into the ground. "I just saw him a few days ago… I'm sick of all of this death. It's just not fair."
"And yet, the best we can do is endure and make sure it doesn't happen next time. You taught me that best, Naruto."
The teen looked up. Tsunade was looking at him intently. While there was undoubtedly pain in those eyes, there were also smoldering embers of will and determination. She had known excruciating loss and was experiencing it all over again—Nawaki, Dan, and now Shizune. However, a person's will is not measured by physical strength or Shinobi skill, but by how they deal with the hardships that come with life. She was no longer the same person who abandoned the Leaf when life tried to bludgeon her. No… Tsunade would look adversity in the eye and dare it to try and tear her down; and try it did.
She was now the central pillar that everyone in the Land of Fire looked to for strength; the Fifth Hokage. The entirety of the Leaf Village still relied on her to keep them safe. Shizune would not want her to abandon it all. Not again.
"You're right… sorry." The Jinchuriki shook his head to rid himself of any more morbid thoughts. "We need to keep moving forward. Izumo, Aoba, and even Shizune; they wouldn't want us to wallow in pity. That would make their deaths completely meaningless, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, it would." The Sannin agreed with a small smile that required all of her might to form.
Shikaku grinned thinly at the pair's display. 'It appears I don't always know best. Lady Tsunade needed this to help her start to get back on track.' He thought to himself. 'We aren't out of the woods yet, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.'
"Where is Sensei right now? Is he in the village?" The boy asked suddenly.
"We're still trying to get in contact with him." Tsuna answered with a touch of worry showing on her face.
"Is everything okay? I thought you called him back to the village?"
"Well, that was what I thought." The only woman in the room began to explain. "However, I stupidly tasked Shizune with working alongside the Cypher Division to relay a message to him. I fear that she may have sabotaged our communications with him while also sending him on a fake mission to keep him out of the village. I just pray that he's alright… If I lost him too, I don't know what I would…" She trailed off, unable to even finish the morbid thoughts swimming in her mind.
"Yeah, but you can't blame yourself. You couldn't have known. And don't worry, I'm positive that Jiraiya-sensei is fine." Naruto frowned but didn't appear worried for his master's safety. The man could take care of himself; that was undeniable. "How was communication to him sabotaged?"
"The messenger toad Jiraiya left with us has mysteriously gone missing." The Jonin Commander interjected. "Without it, we have no real way of contacting him because his location is also unknown. Otherwise, we would have sent a hawk ages ago. We had hoped that he would contact us first, but there hasn't been anything so far." Realization visibly dawned on the man's face. "Though, you could-"
"I understand." Naruto interrupted the two of them, already on the same page. "I'm sure I can get in contact with him. I'll make sure to do that immediately after we're done here."
"That would be wonderful." Shikaku thanked with a nod.
"Then, I guess I should tell you guys what happened on my 'mission' right now." The Chunin serious tone cut through the brief and comfortable silence that had washed over the room. "We can always fill him in later."
"You didn't just go to Wave, did you?" Shika's dad asked.
"No, I didn't." The boy confirmed. "Sasori didn't just tell me about Zetsu when we spoke. He let me in on something that he wanted me to do for him. It was stupid, but I tried to do it by myself anyway."
"Hinata had mentioned something to that effect." The Sannin chimed in. "What did he want you to do for him? What exactly happened?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't even know where to begin." Jiraiya's student said as he ran a hand through his spiky locks. "I guess I'll start with the two most important things. First, Sasori isn't missing. He joined up with me towards the end of my mission. I have him sealed away in a scroll." He watched as his two superiors shared a look of surprise. However, the blond knew that was nothing compared to the bombshell that he was about to drop. "And second… Orochimaru is dead. He was killed by Sasori and Sasuke."
The room was massive; it had enormous pillars that extended into the vaulted ceiling. Those pillars were further supported by metal beams that connected to one another. That seemingly unnecessary level of precaution, along with the darkness from the lack of windows, meant that the place was probably located somewhere deep underground where the pressure from above was extreme. There were four exits, represented by red-roofed, pillared archways that led into even darker areas of the facility. The only walkable space were two wide, wooden bridges that intersected in the middle of the room and connected the four archways. What kept someone from falling off this path into the unknown darkness below was a red guardrail that went around its perimeter. The brightest part of the room was the intersection, which was denoted by a white platform of unknown material.
An individual stood in the center of that platform, waiting.
It was an old man holding a cane. He had black, shaggy hair and a bandage over his right eye; an x-shaped scar on his chin completed his face. His attire consisted of a white shirt, with a dark grey robe over its top, covering his feet to just over his right shoulder.
"You're late." He scolded into the darkness with a stern and raspy voice. "What is the meaning of this?"
Not even a moment later, Sai appeared before him. He was on one knee with his head face towards the floor and his eye closed. "Forgive me, Lord Danzo, but the mission went much different than we had anticipated."
The leader of Root looked down at his subordinate impassively. "Hm, that is what I expected. You have never been one to disobey my direct orders and act carelessly." The elder explained, his tone and demeanor were unchanged. "What happened on this mission?"
Sai lifted his head up to stare into the eyes of his superior. Despite the teen's emotion suppression training, there was shock on his face as his next words left his mouth.
"Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin was killed."
The bandaged man's visible eye widened considerably at that statement, which was a rarity for him. "What?" He did his best to maintain that legendary stoicism but to no avail. That news had probably been the last thing anyone had expected. "Was it at the hands of the Nine-Tails?"
The pale Root agent merely shook his head. "No, it was Sasuke Uchiha and Sasori of the Red Sand."
Silence washed over them; even more unexpected news. Not only should that be impossible due to the supposed death of the latter, perhaps the bigger bombshell was that the traitorous Uchiha had a hand in the demise of the Snake Sannin.
"You must tell me everything that happened, immediately." Demanded Hiruzen's former rival. "Do not spare any details; be as thorough as possible."
"Yes, sir."
"I can't believe all of that happened at the Tenchi Bridge…" The usually composed Shikaku said as a drop of sweat rolled down his temple and along his jawline. "To think Orochimaru would actually be killed; by his own student, no less."
Naruto had proceeded to explain, in detail, everything that had happened in the Hidden Grass. From his conflict with Sai in the early goings to the altercation against the Sound trio, and even the conclusion which saw the arrival of Sasori and the betrayal of Sasuke Uchiha. As the tale went on, the surprise and disbelief on the faces of his Leaf superiors only grew. Tsunade had appeared particularly conflicted at the mention of her former friend's demise. They had been comrades longer than enemies, so, despite all of the horrible things he had done, it was expected.
The pair would only interject briefly for clarification, but, beyond that, they remained relatively silent as they allowed themselves to absorb and process the information that was thrown at them. After all, Naruto had a lot of things to say.
"I was there, and I can still barely understand all the things that happened. It almost doesn't seem real, but that's really what happened." The Chunin agreed. "Of all the people to do it, Sasuke and Sasori got Orochimaru."
"If this knowledge manages to spread to surrounding nations, Jiraiya may come back to the Leaf of his own volition." The brunette noted. "No doubt he'll hear the news from someone. He could be on his way back already."
Naruto nodded. "It's possible, but I'll send a toad his way just to be absolutely sure."
"Are you an idiot!?" Tsunade, who had been mostly quiet, suddenly erupted.
"W-Wha-" The young blond sputtered out in surprise.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous what you did was?!" The woman raised her voice even higher. "You're lucky to be alive right now! I thought Jiraiya taught you better than this!"
"W-Wait, G-Granny-"
"Don't you Granny me, you little brat!" She continued, though the look in her eyes changed again. The anger in her eyes was quickly replaced with sorrow. "You have to be more careful, you got that? I've already lost Shizune… I can't lose you, too."
"I know it was stupid." The boy conceded his downcast expression, proof that Tsunade's words had struck home. "I'm not going to stand here and say what I did was the right or wrong thing, but I think that Sensei would have done the same thing in my position. I really believe that."
The Hokage closed her mouth as if the urge to continue her rant had been taken away. The Toad Sage's goofy smile popped into her head, and she couldn't find any more words to further berate his student. The boy was right; that sounded exactly like something Jiraiya would do.
"I just did what I thought was for the sake of the village. I felt that other people would just get in my way, so I did it by myself." The Toad Sannin's protégé continued. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
"Hmph, maybe the problem is you're too much like that pervert. You're both cut from the same cloth when it comes to recklessness and foolishness! As far as I'm concerned, it's too much for your own good."
"Foolish or not, what he did is already done. It isn't like we can go back in time and force him to change his choice." The Nara cut in, his statement directed at his leader. Among the three, he was the rational and pragmatic type; that quality, along with his supreme intelligence, was what made his opinion so respected amongst his peers and superiors. "The reality of the situation is that one of the most dangerous threats to the Leaf is now dead. And, if Sasori keeps his word to Naruto, we may have just gained a wealth of invaluable knowledge related to the Akatsuki. It was certainly a risk, but it was one that paid off."
'Thank goodness Shikamaru's dad has my back.' The Chunin thought, unable to keep himself from smiling at his good fortune.
Shikaku noticed the boy's facial expression and was quick to shut him down. "However, that does not mean what you did was acceptable. We currently have more important things to worry about than your insubordination. Still, I'm sure Lady Tsunade can put aside sometime later to show you proper discipline for your actions."
Naruto dipped his head, defeated.
"That is true. I suppose I could always yell at him more some other time." The granddaughter of the First Hokage said with a sigh. "Still, there are a couple things that are still bothering me about this whole situation…"
"Are you referring to the uncertainty revolving around the Root agent and Kabuto's disappearance?" Shikaku asked as he rested his hand underneath his chin.
At the mention of Sai and Kabuto, Kakashi's student lifted his head back up.
"Yes." Confirmed the Slug Sannin. "Naruto is right; an operative trained under Danzo wouldn't make such a careless mistake. That just doesn't feel right to me. I want you to instruct the ANBU to keep a close but discreet eye on Danzo and his agents; they might be hiding something nefarious."
"Understood." The scarred man said with a slight bow of agreement.
Tsunade nodded and turned her attention to her student's teammate. "And Naruto, I shouldn't have to remind you that none of the information we spoke of today is to leave this room. As skilled as you now are, you can never know for certain if Danzo's agents aren't listening in on your conversations from the shadows. It's bad enough that one of his subordinates was able to report back to him about all that happened. He's going to learn that the news of Sasori's death wasn't true, and that will no doubt make him an even bigger thorn in my side."
"I know that, believe me. I'll make sure to keep an eye out and not say anything to anyone."
She nodded to that, but there was still one more question on her mind about this whole ordeal. "Oh, and another thing, what about Sasuke?" The Hokage's question was directed at the only person who had come in contact with the rogue. "You said that he was at the bridge and helped kill Orochimaru, but he didn't come back with you. Do you have any idea where he is now?"
The teen's wince was immediately noticed by his two elders.
"I would appreciate if we were all completely transparent with one another going forward." Shikaku followed in a gruff and unapologetic tone, his eyes trained keenly on the blond boy. "You were successful in your suicide mission, but that doesn't mean we're going to give you free rein of the place now. As Lady Tsunade said, you could have easily died had things not gone your way. You understand that, right?"
"Of course I do…" The Uzumaki said weakly. "It's just-"
"You're afraid that if you tell us what it is, we'll refuse you." The always perceptive Nara Clan Head finished the Jinchuriki's thought.
After a moment of contemplation, the village's greatest military asset let out a defeated sigh. "Sasuke is forming a team of Shinobi to assist him in finding and killing Itachi Uchiha… and I agreed to join up with him."
Upon hearing that, the Leaf's Commander could only bury his face in his hand and let out a tired breath. Why did this job have to be so stressful? All he wanted from life was to lay back and take it easy by playing Shogi every day with Asuma and his son, eventually dying from old age before his wife. But no, he was pushed into this position because he was cursed with a strategic and rational mind. 'This boy is going to be the death of me…' He thought hopelessly.
"Are you joking?!" The Fifth Hokage yelled as she shot up from her chair. "You come back from one insanely dangerous, unsanctioned mission, and you want to go right back out and do it again?! Are you just trying to die, Naruto?!"
'This is all so troublesome…'
"Finally. On to the next one." A familiar voice said coolly.
"So, you are planning on adding a fourth member?" A feminine voice asked rather harshly. "Suigetsu being here is bad enough, so I don't think I can stomach anyone who is too annoying." Despite her confident demeanor, she couldn't help but gulp. "Please, just don't tell me you're still thinking about recruiting him..."
The woman had crimson eyes, fair skin, and short and spiky red hair on the right side, while longer and straight on the left side. She wore narrow brown glasses, and her outfit consists of a lavender uniform that exposes her navel, short black shorts, and long black thigh high stockings with black sandals.
"Thanks, Karin." Suigetsu said in the most sarcastic tone he could manage. "Glad to have you onboard, too." Though, neither of his teammates seemed to give his complaints any amount of attention.
"No, Jugo is no longer a candidate for this team." Sasuke responded as he shot the redhead a side-eyed glance. "I found a replacement who will be much easier to handle. Well… that is the hope, anyway." The Snake's student continued after what seemed like a brief pause for thought. "We're on our way to get him now."
"Okay, and where do we find this guy? Is he another remnant of Orochimaru's operations?" She doubted it. As the Southern Hideout's warden, Karin was knowledgeable of nearly everyone under the Snake Sannin's banner. In terms of fighting ability and special skills, the only person who fits the bill for what the Uchiha was looking for was Bipolar Jugo.
"Don't concern yourself with such things right now. The three of you can get acquainted when we get there." The rogue Uchiha answered cryptically. "Now…we're off to the Hidden Leaf."
"The Hidden Leaf?! Are you crazy?" The teen girl blurted out, shocked. "Orochimaru was an S-Rank criminal from the Leaf Village! If we go there, we might get captured, or worse! We're practically enemies of the state by association!"
"Hey, don't blame me; Suigetsu is the reason we have to go there." Sasuke said evenly with a half-hearted shrug. "The original plan was that we would meet him somewhere else, but we had to make some changes."
"Suigetsu, you idiot!" Karin turned her fury to the boy with sharp teeth. Oddly enough, it intensified once it was directed at him. "Are you trying to get the three of us killed!?"
"Hey, hey, take it easy. Why are you suddenly more upset when you realized it was because of me?!" The teen waved his hands in front of himself, a playful smile on his face. "I wanted to get my Executioner's Blade. That Naruto guy has my sword that I've been looking for. I told Sasuke that he didn't have to come, but he insisted. Besides, with Orochimaru dead, it shouldn't be that much of a problem. If anything, we can just tell the Leaf that we were prisoners of his. I wouldn't really be lying about that, anyway."
She grumbled at that response. "If he has it, then why don't you wait until we meet up with him like the original plan intended? Going there only puts unnecessary targets on our heads. If he's from the Leaf, how do we even know we can trust him!"
"What if he leaves it in the village? From what Sasuke said, the guy isn't much of a swordsman. There's no guarantee he's going to take it with him to the rendezvous point." Suigetsu said in his own defense. "Besides, Sasuke trusts him. The two of them used to be on the same Genin squad. Isn't that right, Sasuke?" He turned to Hebi's leader in hopes his affirmation would take some of the heat off of himself.
The female of the group did the same. "Is that true? Can he be trusted?"
To no one's surprise, the wielder of the Sharingan just looked annoyed that the attention was back on him. Sasuke didn't say anything immediately. He closed his eyes, inhaled, and let out a long and controlled breath. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes back up.
"Yeah." That was all he said.
Karin sighed tiredly at the short response. "Fine." She relented. "Let's go get Suigetsu's toy and hope we don't get killed."
"Heh, I'll let the toy comment slide this time." The former Mist teen said with a toothy grin. "I'm in too good a mood to start bickering with you. I'm close to completing the first step of my dream to revive the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist." There was a sparkle in his eye when he spoke, one that made Karin grimace in disgust.
"Whatever, idiot." She practically spat.
"Be quiet, both of you." Their leader ordered. "Let's just go get this over with…"
What was the rogue Uchiha thinking under that mask of indifference; or, was it not a mask at all?
Many questions followed the blond's announcement of his unsanctioned deal to join up with the rogue Uchiha, and a lot more yelling. Shikaku mainly handled the inquires, and it didn't take a Nara to figure out who did the yelling; let's just say it left a certain teen with a decently painful headache.
After further beratement from the Hokage, Naruto was dismissed with instructions to reconvene on the topic once everything and everyone had cooled down. After the waves the Akatsuki had made inside the Leaf Village, a potential mission to deal a devastating blow was appealing and couldn't be ignored. However, the way it would be executed would undergo heavy scrutiny from the village's brass, if it would be at all.
"Do you think it's wise to even entertain the idea of the mission with that brat?" Tsunade's elbow rested on the desk with her chin in her palm as she faced towards the Nara. "I'm worried that he'll try to slip out of the village and do it by himself again. At the very least, we should keep a tentative watch over him with the ANBU Black Ops until Jiraiya gets back. I think he might be the only one right now who can control him. What are your thoughts?" She asked her trusted tactician.
"From what Naruto said, it seems as though we have a bit of time before he's supposed to meet up with Sasuke and his new team. I think we should use that window to think about our options before we shut him down completely. The Akatsuki have been heavy-handed as of late, and I don't like how unprepared we've been for it; we have to start planning our retaliation. The elimination of Itachi Uchiha, if possible, might be the perfect return of fire to remind them that we are not to be messed with. Still, you may have a point…" Shikaku, arms folded loosely at his chest, sighed tiredly. "Keeping him under ANBU surveillance, for now, wouldn't be the worst idea. It'll allow us to be proactive instead of reactive like we've had a habit of doing lately."
"Who the hell does that kid think he is?" The Sannin vented, though her tone held no real anger in it, just frustration. "I give him Chunin rank, and he thinks he can just go around and do whatever he wants? The nerve of him! I'm starting to think that giving him that field promotion was a bad idea…" She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face and frowned.
"If you think about it, it makes sense." The man said in his usual even and reserved tone, arms still lazily crossed in front of him.
"What do you mean?"
"Look at who has been his teacher for the past three years. Master Jiraiya is the best we have in terms of taking the most difficult solo assignments; no one even comes close to what he has produced over the years. It's clear that Naruto has great respect for him. There shouldn't be any surprise that the boy has picked up some of those traits that he deems desirable." The Nara explained simply. "Not only that, but Naruto's strength has rapidly progressed to shocking heights in that time. He is aware of this and is trying to emulate the type of Shinobi his master already is. The behavior is a bit too reckless for my tastes, but he's doing a damn good job of it so far. I can't deny that." The Jonin Commander wasn't one to hand out many compliments, so his words about the young Uzumaki meant a great deal to anyone who cared about his opinion.
"I suppose you're right. Jiraiya is far from the worst person he could model himself after, and it doesn't look like he's taking after his more… undesirable qualities." Grumbled the blond, upset that her ranting had been interrupted by logic and facts. "Then, the most important matter at hand would be to deliver Sasori back to Ibiki to get some information out of him."
"Yes, I think that would be wise. We have to be quick and decisive with our actions from here on out." The Clan Head looked at the scroll gripped tightly in his right hand. He allowed his hands to drop to his side and pushed his heel into the ground to lift himself off the wall he had leaned against. "I'll go do that right now. I hope he'll be cooperative, but, like before, I have a feeling he's only going to want to speak to Naruto." A muttered 'how troublesome' escaped his lips as he walked towards the door to leave.
"I'm sure Ibiki will do his best, so we don't have to resort to that. If anyone needs a break from mission-related activities, it's Naruto right now. I wouldn't want to bother him for this." The Slug Queen also appeared to be irritated with their circumstance. The silver lining is that things could have been much worse than they were right now, and that was an understatement.
"I'll let you know how it goes." Shikaku lazily waved a hand over his shoulder, but his gesture was stopped by her voice.
"Before you do that, I need you to inform the ANBU and all other Clan Heads that the lockdown is no longer in place, effective immediately."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Shika's dad, only his neck and head, turned to face her. "Shouldn't we still be worried about breaches in security?"
She shook her head. "While there are still minor risks involved, the villagers have been living in fear for the past few days. There will be many civilians and low-ranking Shinobi asking questions about what has happened, and that response will only grow the longer things stay like this. If we want any semblance of normalcy to return, we have to let them know that it's safe to come outside and continue their daily lives. To compensate, I want extra security stationed around the village's perimeter and in high traffic areas in the market and shopping districts. With Sasori once again secured, the Barrier Corp should be able to take care of the rest."
"Understood." The genius, who seemed to agree with that sound logic, bowed and quickly left to carry out his duties.
The door clicked softly behind his exit, which left the Fifth Hokage alone in her office. For a moment, everything seemed to be fine. If only it could have stayed like that.
It was eerily quiet. A quick scan of the room made her cognizant of the empty bottles, crumpled papers, and scattered documents once again. The trashed office was a bitter reminder of what she was trying so hard to forget. The room was big and spacious, but it felt tight and unwelcoming like some unnatural force was trying to get her to leave. Tsunade felt the walls begin to close in, and she found it harder to catch her breath. Her heart rate quickened, and she rushed to open a window before the hyperventilating started. The cool, crisp outside air was calming, and the breeze brushed lightly against her face.
The view from the window was of the village's shopping district. The ordinarily lively and hectic marketplace looked akin to a ghost town. The only signs of life were the ANBU Black Ops' shadowy figures darting around as they patrolled the rooftops. Their home looked… so empty and lifeless.
The desolateness reflected what she was feeling on the inside, the crippling fear of being all alone. Without Shizune, who would be there for her? Jiraiya was never in the village for long periods, and it seemed like Naruto wanted to walk a similar path. Sakura had her own duties and wants to protect her teammate from the Akatsuki. They had their own goals and aspirations; it wouldn't be right to try and take that away just so they can fill the hole in her heart. Shizune's loyalty and love had been taken for granted, and that realization was a tremendously bitter pill to swallow.
The only thing that kept her from going down that dark path once more was the duty to her home. With the love and support from the people of the Leaf, she would never feel truly alone. Pressure welled up behind the lonely woman's eyes, and there was no strength or will left in her to force them back down. However, this time would be different. The Fifth Hokage would not wallow alone and in despair when her people needed her most.
No, she would mourn a loved one who had been unjustly taken from this world far before her time. Teardrops streamed down her cheeks and onto the floor. 'Dan, I'm so sorry… I couldn't keep her safe for you…' Those types of thoughts would persist for a long, long time. 'The only thing I have left to protect is our home; the home you wanted to protect as the Hokage. I embody that dream, and I won't fail again!'
If there was one thing she was sure of, it's that the Akatsuki would pay for this.
There was much that he could do today; training, tracking down friends that he hadn't gotten the chance to see yet, or getting some much-needed rest. However, there Naruto stood, leaned up causally against the Hokage Tower's outside walls staring idly up at the sky. That was where he had been since being dismissed by Granny Tsunade. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but he had seen Shikaku leave the building and head in the direction of ANBU headquarters a while ago.
A piece of him wanted to stay in this spot all day to keep a loose eye on Lady Fifth. He was worried about her but had no idea how to further help her with the grieving process. The blond would make a mental note to task Sakura with that. As abrasive as the pink-haired kunoichi could sometimes be, she was still much better at that stuff than he was.
'It's nice out.' The boy mused to himself as he admired the blue skies and puffy, white clouds above. 'I hope they decided to drop the lockdown restrictions; no one should have to miss a day like this.' Maybe it would be a good idea to forgo his other obligations and find a quiet training ground to meditate in.
"I need to clear my head of all of this nonsense." The teen said aloud, unaware that there might be people listening.
"And what nonsense would that be?" An unfamiliar voice asked.
The Uzumaki tore his gaze from the beauty above and searched for the voice in question. It didn't take long to find the offender, and they were walking directly towards him.
Tap, tap, tap.
It was an old man whose wooden cane had made the noise that broke the serene silence. By the look of it, the guy was probably on his way inside to see Tsunade. It was only natural that Naruto, standing only a few feet from the tower's entrance, would eventually cross paths with someone. Whoever the man was, their right eye was heavily bandaged. Similarly, there were coverings on his right shoulder, which was mostly hidden underneath his robe.
Naruto squinted, his body involuntarily tensing in the process. The aura around this newcomer made his skin crawl. On the surface, the newcomer looked to be a feeble and kind old man initiating a simple conversation. However, that was far from the entire truth; something much different underneath that façade. It wasn't malice or hate, but that didn't mean it was positive energy. 'Just from the feel of his chakra, I can tell that this guy is strong… really strong.'
Just who exactly was this old geezer?
"What are you doing out and about, old man?" The Uzumaki asked casually, not moved from his spot against the tower. "We're on lockdown; the elderly should stay inside for now where it's safe."
"If that is the case, I could ask the same about you. The future generations ought to not put themselves in any unnecessary danger." The elder returned. "As far as I'm aware, only the ANBU Black Ops should be outside currently. You don't appear to be affiliated with them, am I correct in assuming that?"
The blond let out a short breath, his lips curved up slightly to form a thin grin. "Fair point."
"Besides, that is a moot point." The senior spoke once more. "The lockdown was just lifted. You are here at the tower, and you have not heard?"
"Oh, you know, I'm just here admiring this beautiful day." The way the stranger was staring at him made the teen want to shift, but he resisted the urge. "I just got back in the village, so I don't know too much about what is going on."
"You don't have to lie to me, Naruto Uzumaki." That statement caused the boy's eyes to narrow slightly, which the mystery person quickly picked up on. "Do not worry. I am not your enemy, child."
"Then who the hell are you?" Naruto asked in an unapologetic tone. He had an idea of who they could be, but it wasn't something to vocalize until you are absolutely sure.
"I am Danzo Shimura." The old Warhawk finally announced, his deep voice never changing in tone. "I have heard quite a lot about you. And you me, I'm sure."
"Did you want something? No offense, but you're kind of interrupting my relaxation time. I don't really get much of it nowadays, so can you make this quick?" The Jinchuriki, having already predicted correctly, showed no outward reactions to the reveal.
If Danzo was annoyed by the blatant disrespect shown by the stripling, he didn't show an ounce of it. "Oh, not much. I simply saw you standing about and thought to introduce myself. You did go on a mission with one of my subordinates to eliminate the Sannin Orochimaru, after all. I find it imperative to acknowledge true Shinobi when I come across them."
What exactly did he mean by 'true' Shinobi?
The Chunin had to restrain himself from scowling. Even when the geezer was telling the truth, his tone made it seem like he was lying. Even throwing away his prior knowledge about the man, something was off about the guy. That condescending tone, coupled with a dark and ominous aura, made Danzo Shimura among the least trustworthy people the boy had met.
And he had met quite a lot of them.
"I appreciate the gesture." Lied the Chunin. He honestly couldn't bring himself to care what the Root leader thought of him, so there was only a tiny amount of effort put into it.
There was a flicker of emotion behind the visible eye of the Third Hokage's old rival. It was only there for an instant, but the youth's blatant indifference and borderline contempt towards him seemed to finally strike a chord.
"Hm." In a surprise turn of events, the Shinobi of Darkness chuckled lowly. "Well, it is actually a good thing we crossed paths today. As thanks for your services for ridding the world of a monster, I have something for you." With his left hand, Danzo reached into his robe. As this happened, the two Leaf Shinobi did not break eye contact; Naruto's gaze did not so much as flicker downward. If he didn't trust the old badger, nothing on his face showed it. After a moment of rummaging, the bandaged man tossed a scroll at the Jinchuriki.
Naruto caught it and scanned it over. "What is it?" He asked before attempting to open it.
"It is a scroll containing a couple of Jutsu that I deem to be worthwhile for you to add to your arsenal." A strange look from the youth prompted the elder to continue. "I've come to learn that you are a Wind User, a pretty skilled one, at that. As am I, so I wanted to do my part in sharing my wealth of knowledge with the next generation."
Still, even after that explanation, Naruto didn't say a word. He just looked at the scroll now in his hands, then at the face of the man who gave it to him, his expression not budging an inch. The pair stood there in uncomfortable silence for an extended period. As useful as Jutsu were as gifts, he couldn't bring himself to thank such an opportunistic slime ball. If he did, his paranoia told him that he would be falling right into the hands of Root.
"In any case, I will be on my way now. I came here on matters unrelated to this." After giving the blond adequate opportunity to thank him, Danzo mercifully put an end to their stare down. "Continue to work hard so that you can support the trunk of the village when it's time for your era to step up. I'll be watching…" With that, the former Hokage candidate got his old body moving and shuffled past the whiskered boy.
After his senior got a few steps past him, Naruto finally decided to say something. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" He asked rather harshly.
Tap
Once again, the Village Elder placed his cane down against the ground and turned back to face Jiraiya's pupil. "No, actually. Far from it." Was his simple reply. "Why do you ask?"
"I know a bit about you, Danzo, and let me just say that I don't trust you for a second." The Chunin's words had a little sting on the end of them, but his tone of voice remained relatively unchanged. "You can't honestly expect a tiny gesture like this would get you on my good side."
Despite the accusations, Danzo remained unfazed. "Everything that I just said was the absolute truth. You are next in line to protect my village when I am gone; I am simply supplying you the tools to do that. It doesn't matter if you trust me or not; results are the most important thing in the Shinobi world."
"You tried to have me locked up. I was there when your Root Operatives tried to bring me back to the village and throw me in a cage." There was anger in those words, but not in his actions. Whenever the Toad Summoner felt those undesirable emotions well up inside him, he thought back to Master Fukasaku. Rage would only make him less effective and hinder his abilities. But man, was it difficult not to verbally unload on the man standing in front of him.
This conversation would be a heated debate if it were between two less reserved individuals.
"If that fool Jiraiya hadn't blundered in his assignment to keep the Akatsuki away from you, then I would not have had to go to such measures to assure your safety. You are the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Without its immense strength, the balance of power between the Five Great Nations would destabilize. I had the best interest of the Land of Fire in mind." The aged man's expression softened ever so slightly. "However, after hearing about how much you have progressed in your time with him, I can now see that I may have acted too rashly. You have become an important asset to the village all your own and have already eliminated powerful enemies that threaten us. You are more than a mere vessel for our greatest weapon, but that does not change the fact that you harbor it. For that reason, I believe that my actions were justified."
That was the old man's way of saying: 'If you expect me to apologize for my actions, then you are a fool.'
"There's more to people than how much of a military asset they are to you. Old Man Third Hokage understood that much better than you ever will."
The councilmember frowned for the first time at the mention of that name. "Hiruzen was a weak man with overly optimistic ideals. It is because of his inaction and poor decision-making as the Third Hokage that we are in need of strength like yours now more than ever." His lips quickly flipped into a smirk. "Deep down, I think you understand what I mean. You and I are not so different, you know."
"Don't kid yourself. I'm nothing like you, and I never will be." The boy spat. He couldn't stand this guy. It was bad enough he had to listen to the old bag insult Jiraiya-sensei, but the blatant disrespect for the late Third Hokage was almost too much to ignore! It reminded him of how worked up he got when Granny Tsunade had done the same thing the first time they met.
"Oh, but you are." The smug smile on the man's face only grew. "I heard from my subordinate about your unsanctioned mission to the Tenchi Bridge. You refused to inform the Hokage about your plans in fear that she would reject or alter your proposal. That is because Princess Tsunade has inherited her teacher's spinelessness, something that you are apparently aware of." A twinkle appeared in Danzo's eye every time he had the opportunity to tarnish the legacy of Sarutobi; it was almost like he enjoyed desecrating the memory of his old friend. "Like me, you would do anything to protect your home, no matter the cost or restrictive rules you must break."
"The cost to myself, not to others." Naruto was quick to check the councilman's words. "You take people and strip away what makes them human to make obedient and emotionless tools. I could never do that."
"Self-sacrifice is the way of the Shinobi, and my methods allow them to best fulfill that long-established role. You are no different than any other Shinobi. When you start to treat yourself as unique from the rest is when you lose sight of what is truly important; you are intelligent enough to realize that. That naivete will get you killed on the battlefield."
With that, the man was done. Having his fill of their conversation, the elder's form disappeared behind the doors to the Hokage Tower. This left Naruto alone once again.
And with much to think about.
'Damn geezer…'
A quick gaze back up to the sky made him sigh in annoyance. Much to his ire, he could see large and obtrusive clouds were starting to roll in from a distance. They didn't appear to be storm clouds, but the bright and beautiful day he was eager to enjoy was about to get darkened.
Another sigh.
"So much for some nice meditation." The Toad User grumbled. "I guess I'll have to find something else to occupy the time…"
It was now midday, and the highlight of it had been the time spent looking at the sky. Naruto's plan to occupy his time to pass the rest of the afternoon had somehow amounted to laying in bed at home alone. The comfort provided by his newly purchased and costly mattress did little to make him feel better.
The Chunin wanted desperately to just forget all of his troubles, go have fun, and finally relax; he really did. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to take that first step. The amount of stuff on his mind was so heavy that it felt wrong to simply enjoy himself. It's almost like that it would be a selfish waste of time that didn't accomplish anything; the irony of this whole situation being he was content to lay down and do absolutely nothing. The brain is a mysterious organ, for sure.
Sasori, the Akatsuki, Kurama and the Tailed Beasts, Sasuke, Itachi, Sai, his Yami self, and now Danzo; why couldn't life give him a break for once? There's always a new problem that pops up after an older one gets dealt with.
'Come to think of it, what Yami and Danzo said to me wasn't all that different.' Not necessarily the words themselves, but the mentality in which they came from. The belief that forgiveness and understanding were outdated and idealistic thoughts and, instead, power and decisiveness was the proper way for Shinobi to act. And yet, Yami's thoughts were his own; they came from his mind. Deep down, Naruto shared this sentiment with the Shinobi of Darkness, and it made him sick to his stomach.
"Deep down, I think you understand what I mean. You and I are not so different, you know." Danzo's words rang loudly in his ears once more. He scowled and clicked his tongue in a mixture of frustration and annoyance. Danzo Shimura… Naruto Uzumaki… Jaaku Monsuta...
Back in the Hidden Sand village, even Granny Chiyo had mentioned something about his methods of getting what he wanted. It wasn't exactly flattering, which was made evident as his teeth ground together to produce an unsettling sound.
"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. And here I thought that Shinobi like the one's from my era were a dying breed."
'Can I really accept that?' The blond thought to himself with an indignant huff. 'Could I really be like that? Who even am I?
Minato's son glanced over at his bedside stand, looking for anything to distract himself. Finally, his eyes fell on the backside of a familiar frame. He grabbed the facedown portrait and turned it toward himself. It was the framed photograph of Team 7 back in the good old days.
'Things were so much simpler back then, weren't they?' He thought reminiscently but stopped in his tracks. 'To think a murderous swordsman with no eyebrows, a forest of literal death, an undead snake freak, and a psychopath who could control the desert with a monster inside of him would be considered simple.' That last thought was met with a light laugh. 'And yet, I'd trade my current responsibilities in a heartbeat to go back in time and savor those memories…'
Naruto felt his eyelids grow heavy as he began to further sink into his new mattress. 'Yeah… that would be nice, wouldn't it?'
Moments later, he was snoring lightly, his team photo resting on his chest still clenched in his hand.
…
…
…
Bang, bang… bang, bang.
The loud and unexpected sound made Naruto shoot up in his bed.
The teen stared intently at his right hand and flexed it repeatedly. It felt like he was caught in a daze. It was almost like he was still sound asleep in his bed, and this was all a dream.
'How weird…' He noted to himself.
Finally, he made his way towards the offending sound to put a stop to it. Unsurprisingly, Sakura was outside getting ready to slam her fist into the door again; she was always a pretty loud girl. More interestingly was the fact that the pinkette was no alone.
"Oh, hey." Naruto waved to the trio. "What's up, guys. What do ya need?"
It was not only Sakura but Shikamaru and Hinata, the team that made up the Akatsuki Assault Squad that went on to retrieve Gaara from the Kazekage's clutches.
"It's about time you answered, Naruto." Shika commented through his yawn; just seeing the blond's obvious bedhead was making him sleepy. "It would have been a real drag if we had to wait any longer for you to wake up."
"You took a lot longer to wake up than I expected; I wasn't exactly quiet." Sakura added. "You must have been having quite the dream."
"Y-Yeah. You could say that I guess." Jiraiya's student said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Anyway, did you need anything?"
"We were wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with us?" Hinata chimed in, her pale eyes looking into his blue eyes intently. "Are you hungry?" She asked sweetly.
"Oh, uh… where did you guys want to go?" He asked weakly as he began to suddenly feel crowded.
"They're all already waiting for us at Yakiniku Q." The Nara pointed his thumb over his shoulder as he spoke. "It's a drag, but it's been a while since everyone's been together."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah!" Sakura looked excited. "Team 8, Team 10, and even Team Gai is there! Choji picked the place, of course, but they've always had good food, so I'm not complaining."
"Wow, that is everyone." Naruto said, unable to match the enthusiasm of his teammate. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen Ino, Choji, or all of Team Gai since I've been back."
"That's why we thought it would be the perfect time to eat together as friends." The Hyuga Heiress said with a smile. "Now that the shutdown is over, all of the restaurants are opening back up. Choji was pretty excited; it was funny."
"I know it's a bother, but if we wait any longer, Choji is going to eat all the food. So, are you gonna join us?"
"Yeah, Naruto." Sakura furthered. "I know you just got back from your mission. It'll be fun to relax for once!"
"Please, Naruto?" Hinata rounded out their begging with a soft plead.
'Hinata…' The blond couldn't help but remember their conversation at the hospital. She didn't seem upset with him, which honestly surprised him. They'd definitely have to have another talk about that soon.
A sigh that sounded like annoyance escaped Naruto's lips, but an embarrassed smile was a clear indication that it wasn't the case. Just when the thought of going out and having fun crossed his mind, his friends show up to practically drag him out of the house. It's funny how life works out sometimes. With a final glance back at the empty and dark apartment, it didn't seem to have the same gravitational pull that it did before. Yeah, the light outside was immeasurably more alluring. The blond smiled genuinely and closed the door behind him. Today wasn't one that should be spent alone.
"Yeah, I could eat. Let's go."
Author's Note: We've hit a break in the action, but you can see that things are beginning to build up once again. Tsunade is doing her best to deal with her grief, Team Hebi is making an unexpected move, Danzo has made another appearance, and Naruto is going to go eat some BBQ.
Riveting.
Leave a review with your thoughts of the chapter and predictions for the future!
See you next time with Chapter 38: Crossroads!
Karin: Former Grass Genin
Age: 16
Ninjutsu – 3.5, Taijutsu – 2.5, Genjutsu – 3, Intelligence – 4.5, Strength – 2, Speed – 2, Stamina – 5, Hand seals – 3.5
Total – 26
Rank – Low to Mid B
Profile: A girl with unique abilities in both sensory and healing, which is the reason why she was recruited to be apart of Team Hebi. Her sensory abilities allow her track and discern different chakra signatures. Biting her skin can replenish a person's chakra and even heal critical injury. However, her skills in battle are severely lacking. Due to this, Karin is best suited in a support role away from the battle.
Battle Type: Sensor/Medic
Due to the amount of reviews I received I will not be able to answer every review here. If I missed your review don't feel discouraged, I'll do my best to include it next time! Sorry!
Hadaran – It's only possibly here because of how Naruto has changed as a person. His relationship with Sasuke is much different.
Yamajij – Tsunade will certainly need a lot of help from those around her. Putting on a brave face isn't going to cut it.
Ky111 – If Tsunade hadn't met Naruto this death would have likely stripped her remaining will to live. This is a heartbreaking blow, but she's lucky that she has more to live for these days.
Thanks!
ThelittleKing – Sasuke did the same thing as in canon; he absorbed Orochimaru and gained his powers. Team Hebi was the team's name prior to Itachi's death and was changed to Taka (Hawk) after he learned the truth. As for the reason for the name, I assume it's for some deep reason I'm too dumb to understand.
kodakohl – I'm glad you're enjoying the changes! No ships decided yet.
TrenchcoatMan – Don't count Tsunade out yet! She's stronger than when she lost Dan and Nawaki, and is surrounded by an entire village that loves and supports her. It won't be easy though.
SentinalSlice – Feels bad man :(
WebSlinger12 – Loved your summation of Naruto and Sasuke speaking. I got a good laugh out of that.
Arkantos Zarlfright – This is one of the nicest reviews I've ever received. I don't even know what to say. I'm far from a professional writer. Just know that I've reread it several times and will try my best to live up to the praise you have given me!
marquis.shax – A lot of people guessed Tonton was the imposter.
nielnica12 – I don't know why, but the fact that you dropped my fic twice is hilarious. Is it like a train wreck; just can't look away?
I'll leave this here in case you go for the record third drop.
Callsitamanegg – He's not weak. There's a reason he struggled in that fight that goes beyond ability. His conversation during the Sasori fight with Hikari and Yami hammers that fact home.
MuhHeartMuhSoul – I don't know if I'd call it people who leave predictions gets things wrong (which isn't a bad thing). Maybe you're just more perceptive than most. Binge reading also makes it easier to see things coming, I've noticed.