Author's Note: So, here we are, the first chapter of 2018, but ironically the last chapter of Part I. Boy, this arc has been the best received so far, and I hope both the ending and the arcs to come are just as good, if not better. Anyway, enjoy:
Chapter 41:
The End of an Era
or
Not really an ending
…
Many Years Ago...
"This...this is hell..." Obito cried, as he clutched Rin's lifeless body close to him. "Rin...Rin!"
"Er...it might not be my place to tell," Guruguru, mentioned. "But there's a chance that you might see Rin again."
Obito stopped crying, and perked up his head.
"Really?" he asked, his voice dripping with desperation.
Just like Guruguru had expected.
"Yes, we can do something to make sure you see Rin again," Guruguru continued.
"What is it!? Come on, there's no time to waste!" Obito desperately pleaded.
"It's not that easy," Guruguru replied, much to Obito's dismay. "It's a long and hard procedure, that demands a lot of effort and resources. If we are to do this, it has to be under one condition."
"Whatever! I'll do anything!" Obito cried.
"You must become a servant of Madara-sama, and do absolutely everything he says. There's no other way," Guruguru stated.
"Yes! Yes! I'll do anything he wants! But please, help me save Rin!" Obito pleaded.
If Guruguru had a mouth, he would have smirked. Oh, Madara was going to be so pleased with this development.
"Alright then, listen closely, this is what we need to do first: return to the lair with the body. A friend of mine will create a decoy corpse to fool Konoha. Time is of essence!"
"Right!" Obito stated, renewed determination coursing through his body.
The one eyed Uchiha carefully held Rin's body, and both he and Guruguru returned to Madara's secret hideout. Once there, they approached the elder Uchiha, and explained him what had happened. Madara didn't say anything, he just stared at the young girl's body for a few moments, as if studying it.
"Can you help her?" Obito asked, almost in a pleading tone.
"Hmm..." Madara carefully inspected the body once more, before stating his verdict. "This wound is too grievous..."
Obito felt his heart sank. No, it couldn't be, it couldn't be possible. If Madara had saved him, he could save her.
"...but I'd say she isn't beyond saving," Madara concluded. Obito sighed in relief, and smiled. He looked at his younger clansman. "However, if I'm to do this for you, I need you to do something for me."
"I'll do whatever, I don't mind!" Obito quickly answered.
"You can't go back to Konoha anymore. You must remain here, and serve me. Be an extension of my will," Madara began, sounding rather ominous. His withered lips curved into a smile. "Don't be afraid, I'm not asking you to become my slave, but the tool that I'll use to reshape a world into a better place."
"I'll do anything you ask me," Obito sincerely replied.
Madara's smile widened. "Good then. I think it's about time we try that jutsu."
The two Uchiha and the Zetsu brought Rin to one of the lair's empty chambers. They placed her on the ground, and eight Zetsu surrounded her in a big circle. Vines emerged from the Zetsu's mid section, as if they were umbilical cords, and started to wrap around Rin, covering her in layers of vines. Then, the eight of them performed the same seal sequence in perfect synchronization.
"Wood Release: Majestic Cocoon of Divine Rebirth!"
The mass of vines started to glow with a green light, and merged into a shapeless radiant mass, which began to grow, and took an oval shape. And the glow ceased, there was now a pulsating green cocoon, connected to the eight Zetsu through vines.
There was a tense moment of silence.
"Well?" Madara asked to no one in particular.
"It's working, boss!" one of the Zetsu replied. "It's stable!"
"So...is Rin going to be okay?" Obito asked, almost pleading.
"She will be more than just okay," a very pleased Madara replied. "The cocoon will not only bring her back to life; it will infuse her with the power and life force of Hashirama Senju. Once the process is complete, she will have a power most people can only dream of."
"So...is she going to be like me, then?" Obito asked.
"You could say that," Madara replied with a nonchalant shrug.
"How long will it take?" Obito asked once again.
"I don't know for sure, but such a delicate and complex process like this one could take many years," Madara told Obito in an almost chiding tone. "Can you wait that much?"
Obito, however, didn't look deterred in the slightest. "I prefer to wait a long time to see her again, than never seeing her to begin with. No matter how much it takes."
Madara smiled once again. "Good. Patience is an invaluable virtue. Now, I fulfilled by side of the bargain. I hope you're ready to fulfill yours."
Once again, Obito's face reflected nothing but determination. "Konoha let Rin die. You saved her. My loyalty will always be with you...Madara-sama."
"Excellent. Then come. There's much to plan, and I don't have much time left."
…
Hokage's Tower, Present Time
A select group of people had been gathered inside the Hokage's office, these people being the Hokage, Jiraiya himself, his predecessor, Hiruzen Sarutobi, a trio of Jonin composed by Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai, and lastly, Rin Nohara herself.
"I don't remember much between the time of my...death," she uneasily said, as she glanced at Kakashi, who tensed up in return, "and my resurrection. When I came out of that cocoon...it felt like waking up from a dream...or a nightmare, given the circumstances. The first thing I saw was Obito. I didn't recognize him right away, given that he was a full grown adult, but it took me no time to recognize some of his most prominent features.
"I was confused. I had so many questions...like where I was, why Obito was an adult, who or what where those weird pale naked guys...he said that it was a time to celebrate, that I was dead but not anymore, and how everything would be better now.
"However, answers never came. Obito pretty much locked me inside a room, claiming that it was too dangerous out there. I thought that a catastrophe of epic proportions had broken out, given how paranoid he looked. He visited me at least once per day, and asked me how I was or if I needed something. Yet he refused to do the only thing I ever wanted, which was to come back here."
"Do you know what jutsu Obito used to bring you back to life?" Hiruzen asked. Despite knowing that the dead should be left in peace, he couldn't repress some morbid curiosity about a jutsu that could bring people back from the dead for real, not like the Impure World Resurrection.
Rin shook her head. "I know it involved a cocoon, but nothing else. Besides...I don't think I came back as myself..."
"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked.
"The resurrection process...it didn't just revive me...it changed me," Rin cryptically stated, as she looked at her hands. "I can't put it into words, but I feel...different. For once, I don't need to eat anymore."
Many eyebrows were raised.
"Come again?" Hiruzen asked.
"It took me a couple days to notice that they didn't bring me any food. Yet I never felt hungry. I still need to drink, but my cell had running water," Rin explained. She shivered, hugging herself. "I'm afraid I may not even be human anymore."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure Tsunade-hime runs regular tests on you to make sure there's nothing to worry about," Jiraiya interceded.
"Given that you were a prisoner of Obito, you don't know that much about his or Akatsuki's plans, do you?" Asuma asked.
Rin shook her head once again. "No. But I'm okay if you want a Yamanaka to scan my mind. Maybe I saw or heard something that I don't remember."
"We will do that too," Jiraiya replied.
"Oh, I just remembered something. I think it's important," Rin spoke up. "When I came out of the cocoon...I remembered there was a second one."
"Obito was trying to revive a second person?" Kurenai asked.
"Could it be Minato?" Hiruzen guessed.
Kakashi shook his head. "Unlikely. As much as it pains me to admit it...Obito was the one behind the Nine Tails' attack thirteen years ago, which resulted in sensei's death. It would make no sense for him to want to resurrect sensei when he was the one who indirectly killed him."
Rin looked at Kakashi with apprehension. On the way back to Konoha, she was informed of several major events that happened during her absence, among them, the Nine Tails attack, the Uchiha Insurrection, and more recently, the Sound Invasion. And Obito played a part in all three. Like Kakashi, she couldn't believe how much Obito had fallen.
"When I saw Obito...rather than being an adult, what shocked me the most was how...miserable he looked. His eyes, which once were so full of joy and enthusiasm, reflected nothing but sadness and despair," Rin began.
"Obito was there when I killed you, Rin," Kakashi calmly stated.
Rin gasped, and looked at Kakashi, covering her mouth with her hands. "No! That can't be..."
"But he was. I think seeing me killing you broke him," Kakashi said with a ting of sadness. "Obito was naive and idealistic. He did kill, but seeing somebody he was so close to being killed affected him greatly."
"I think we can discuss what to do about Obito later. For the time being, Rin, you will be kept here in the tower, while we try to come up with a proper explanation as for how you came back from the dead," Jiraiya stated.
"Understood, Hokage-sama," Rin replied.
"Okay, everybody else, you're dismissed. I need a lot of things to do before I leave," Jiraiya mentioned.
Naturally, this caused everybody to shoot him deservedly questioning looks.
"Jiraiya, what do you mean you're leaving?" Hiruzen asked.
"Oh, yeah, I didn't tell you yet, hehe," Jiraiya awkwardly laughed. "Don't worry, it's nothing long term. I remembered I promised Pa and Ma I would return to Mount Myoboku and finish my Sage training. Sensei, I hoped that both you and Tsunade-hime could fill for me while I'm absent."
Hiruzen sighed heavily. "I don't think we have much of a choice. But I wish you informed us of this decision sooner. You're not leaving in the best moment."
"I know, I know, that's why I want to make sure I do as much as possible before leaving," Jiraiya apologized.
Finally, everybody else left the office. A couple minutes later, the door opened again, revealing Jiraiya's most recent battle partner.
"Hokage-sama?" Anko said, uncharacteristically timid. "May I enter?"
"Of course, Anko," Jiraiya's serious demeanor wasn't that usual either. "I'm sure you know why I called you."
"'You can court martial me later'," Anko sourly echoed. "I knew those words would come back to bite me in the ass."
"Yes, Anko. Even if I don't think I could have come out of that fight alive without your help, you still disobeyed a direct order from the Hokage, so there has to be consequences. What you did is high treason, and it's punished by death."
Anko gulped, and shoot Jiraiya a pleading look that pretty much screamed 'you can't be serious.'
"However, there were mitigating circumstances. Like I just said, if you didn't help me I might have died, so I'm going to take that into account," Jiraiya continued. Anko relaxed a little, but she was still tense. "So instead of being executed, you shall be demoted to Genin for the next two years, and you shall be expelled from the Torture and Interrogation Department. You may rejoin them once your sentence has been completed."
Anko let out a sigh, half of relief, and half resignation. While she wasn't looking towards the next year, it was better than the alternative.
"Guess that I can't complain. Doing D-Rank missions is still preferable to dying," Anko said.
Jiraiya smirked. "Oh, I don't plan to waste a kunoichi of your skill walking dogs and painting fences. Let's say that I have another task way more...fitting for somebody of your background and skills."
Anko didn't know how to take that, but she was fearing it wouldn't be anything good.
…
Naruto woke up with a killer headache. He didn't remember much of the last few hours, but the little he remembered wasn't pleasant. As his senses slowly returned to him, he realized that he was in a vaguely familiar chamber, with an incredibly damp floor. This was a place that Naruto had visited at least once, and he wasn't exactly happy to be here again.
"So you finally wake up, brat," a deep, booming voice welcomed him. "But then again, you aren't truly 'awake'."
Naruto stood up, and looked at the Nine Tails, staring at him from the other side of the gate that kept him in check. While the last time he met the fox, his tenant was rather cranky and angry, now he looked much more calm, and strangely enough, eager to talk to him.
"Nine Tails...?" Naruto groaned. "What are you...hey, what do you mean that I'm not truly awake?"
The Tailed Beast chuckle. "It means exactly what I said. You're in a coma after sustaining nearly fatal injuries."
Naruto paled. "WHAT!?"
The Nine Tails chuckled even further. "Oh, that reaction was just too good. Don't worry, you'll wake up shortly. In the meantime, I think we could take advantage of this...parenthesis, to talk."
Naruto crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. "Now you want to talk?" he asked, skeptical. "What made you change your mind?"
"Tell me, Naruto, what do you remember of the past few hours?" the Nine Tails asked, ignoring the blonde's questions. "Do you remember fighting Sasuke Uchiha? And I'm not talking about your stupid Chunin Exams."
"Actually...yeah, I have some vague memories of me and Sasuke duking it out..." Naruto uneasily admitted. "I thought it was a dream...but it seems it wasn't..."
"Oh, you can bet it wasn't," the Nine tails confirmed. "You've got hit by one of those Sharingan mind control jutsu. A particularly strong one, might I add."
"I was mind controlled?" Naruto asked in disbelief, before growing a bit pensive. "Guess that explains the feeling..."
This seemed to grab the Nine Tails' attention, who moved closer –as close as the steel bars allowed him to– before saying: "Oh, do tell. How did you feel?"
"It was...weird," Naruto began, as he tried to put his memories in order. "On one side, it felt that what I was doing was the right thing...but on the other side, there was a part of me that knew that it was wrong and begged me to stop...almost as if my mind was split in two, with both halves fighting against each other, but one of them overpowering the other. And now that I realize what I've been forced to do...I feel so manipulated and...angry."
The Nine Tails bared his sharp teeth in what very few people would consider a smile, regardless of the beast's intention. This wasn't unnoticed by Naruto, who looked annoyed at the fox.
"Does this look funny to you? But given it's you, it shouldn't come as a surprise," Naruto spat, as he crossed his arms.
"If I wanted to laugh at you, I would have picked a different topic," the Nine Tails replied. "Trust me, a buffoon like you has endless possibilities when it comes to mockery."
"Then why are you so interested? You never want to talk with me about anything. Were you mind controlled too or what?" Naruto asked. Upon seeing the Nine Tails' silent reaction, a realization dawned upon him. "You WERE mind controlled! When? How? I don't think it was possible to do such a thing!"
The Kyubi's smile disappeared, as he rested his head over his crossed front paws. His eyes narrowed in anger, though Naruto could tell that the monster's anger wasn't directed at him.
"You asked me earlier why the Valley of the End irks me so much," the Nine Tails began. "While you humans gave it that name, for me it wasn't the end, but the beginning."
"Beginning? Of what?" Naruto asked.
"Of my torment. Of my life as a prisoner. Of me joining my siblings' ranks as living weapons," the Nine Tails bitterly said. "Then again, it could also be the end. The end of my freedom, and of my happiness. If Father could see what have been of us..."
Naruto was taken aback upon hearing the last line. "You have a father? Are there MORE giant multi tailed foxes out there!?"
The Nine Tails growled, but left that question unanswered. "Tell me, kid, are you aware of the history behind that place?"
"It was formed during the last fight between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha," Naruto began. "The intensity of the battle was so great, it changed the landscape forever."
The Nine Tails waited expectantly for Naruto to continue, but the blond remained silent. After a few moments, he started to look at him awkwardly. The Kyubi realized that he wasn't going to get anything out of his jailer.
"That's it?" the Nine Tails asked.
"...yes? I don't think there's more to that story," Naruto replied.
The Kyubi groaned. "Of course they kept the truth hidden from you. And probably from most people, but that's irrelevant now. Let's take a different approach. Do you know what was of me before I was sealed inside you?" the Nine Tails asked.
"Yes. You were sealed within my mother, Kushina Uzumaki," Naruto replied. His expression grew somber. "Whom you killed alongside my father the day I was born."
The Nine Tails smiled once again. "So they did tell you about her. Good, then everything might not be entirely lost. And before that? Do you know who was my jinchuriki?"
"Mito Uzumaki, the First's wife, and my adoptive great-grandma," Naruto replied, much to the Kyubi's delight. "And before you ask, I know she was the first jinchuriki to hold you."
"It seems that you at least are aware of your predecessor's history," the Kyubi observed. "And tell me, brat, do you know how Mito became my jinchuriki?"
Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but was forced to close it just as quickly. Now that was a very good question. Tailed Beasts are among the most powerful beings which ever lived. How do you even capture one and seal it inside a human? He tried to think for a couple minutes, but came up with no answer.
"Don't force that minuscule organ you call brain too much, it won't do you any good," the Nine Tails began. "Since there's no way for you to know this, so I'll have to tell you. Mito became my Jinchuriki the night Hashirama and Madara fought."
Naruto was once again taken aback. "WHAT!? But...that makes no sense! How did you-"
"I was the last of my siblings to fall prey to your loathsome race, thanks to my might and cunning intellect," the Nine Tails began. "Many humans tried to capture me to harness my power, but very few managed to even find me in the first place. Until one man succeeded. His name was Madara Uchiha." The Nine Tails' voice turned venomous the moment that name left his jaws.
"Madara captured you?" Naruto parroted. Sure, history books described him as powerful and unparalleled to all who came both before and after him, Hashirama being the exception, but being powerful enough to subdue a Tailed Beast on his own...
"Unfortunately for me, Madara had a weapon that I had no chance to defend against, and made me as helpless to him as a mere puppy: the Mangekyo Sharingan," the Nine Tails revealed.
"Mangekyo Sharigan? Never heard of that," Naruto admitted.
"Hardly surprising. The Mangekyo Sharingan is an ascended form of the Sharingan that grants the user an array of new abilities. One of them being complete control over my kind. After Madara made me his slave, he made me help him fight his longtime enemy, Hashirama."
"And with you at his side, Madara still lost?" Naruto asked, astonished, but gleeful. "Wow, the First was even more badass that history books made him to be."
The Kyubi snarled, baring his sharp teeth once again, as his eyes narrowed in anger, this time directed at Naruto. The Tailed Beast didn't take kindly to people complimenting one of the two individuals he hated the most, even more than any of his jinchuriki.
"And do you know why, despite the overwhelming odds, Madara failed to win? Because Hashirama, despite not being an Uchiha, possessed the same ability," the Nine Tails revealed. "He managed to override Madara's control with his own, and removed me from the battle. Then, once the Uchiha was dead, he brought his wife to me, and together they sealed me inside her."
"Wow..." was all Naruto could say. Did anybody else knew about such turn of events? Jiraiya and Tsunade were bound to know, given their positions within the village. And the Old Man Hokage as well.
"That's why I hate that place. And that's why even if I hate your race as a whole, I hate the Uchiha and the Senju the most," the Nine Tails said, concluding his tale.
"That was...a fascinating story," Naruto admitted. "But why are you telling me that now?"
"Because now you can understand what I felt when Madara put me under his control. What I felt when the masked Akatsuki did the same thing to me decades later in his attempt to destroy Konoha."
"What the First did..." Naruto began, unsure at first, but became more resolute. "He had to do it! You are too dangerous! You're a threat to humanity, you said so yourself!"
The Kyubi snarled once again. "Yes, that's exactly what he said. Despite the fact that I never killed any human that didn't provoke me first. He feared my power, and sought to keep me under control. That day I swore that humanity as a whole would pay for what Hashirama did to me."
Naruto wanted to protest, but suddenly everything started to fade to white.
"It seems that your time here is up," the Kyubi observed. "But even if I'm not looking towards it, we will meet again."
…
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, seeing nothing but blurry white. As his sight became clearer by the second, he noticed he was in a white room. A hospital room, he guessed. He had never been in one, given that he was never sick nor got any kind of lasting injury that required being taken to such a place.
Of course, when your mother is the best medic who ever lived, hospitals become redundant. But the redundancy appeared to be broken now.
"Naruto?" a female voice besides him almost shouted. Naruto turned around, and saw Tsunade sitting on a chair besides him, watching him intently.
"Mom..." Naruto weakly said.
Tsunade let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake! I was afraid that you wouldn't come back from this one!"
Naruto chuckled a bit. "Oh well, you know me, nothing can put me down for long, hehe," Naruto cheerily replied. Then, he remembered something. "Hagane and Kaida! Where are them? Are they okay?"
Tsunade smiled. "Yes, yes they are. We managed to save them in time. Thanks to you and your friends."
This time, it was Naruto who sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Given what happened to me, I was afraid Orochimaru got away with them. Also, what about the others? Are they okay?"
"Your friends made it back alive. Sakura and Ino required some medical attention, but they will be fine in no time," Tsunade reassured him.
Naruto slumped back on his bed. "Thanks Kami everything turned out alright...and how about Konoha? How bad was the invasion?"
"Well, sadly many ninja died, and there's plenty of material damage. But thankfully it's nowhere near as bad as the aftermath of the Uchiha Insurrection. We will recover earlier than most people think," Tsunade assured. She then stood up from her chair. "Speaking of, I need to tell Shizune and the twins that you're awake!"
"Yeah, I can't wait to see them," Naruto replied.
After all, he went through hell and back to save them.
…
Hyuga Estate
As a small reward for their daring rescue of Hagane and Kaida, the members of the Konoha 15 had been granted a week worth of paid vacation, which they used to either rest or get some training. Or both, as a week was a long time. And of course, Hinata didn't want to miss this rare opportunity of spare time in order to keep bettering herself.
Hinata breathed slowly, as she prepared to repeat the same move she has been practicing during the morning, under her mother and sister's expectant gazes. Getting into the proper stance, Hinata gathered some impetus as she started to spin. After the initial spin, she released chakra from every point of her body, adding to her building momentum, until she reached the proper speed.
"Heavenly Spin!"
The chakra grew into a spinning blue dome, and stayed like that for two seconds. When Hinata stopped spinning, there was a crater in the training ground. Hikari smiled, got up from her bench, and started clapping.
"You did it my daughter!" Hikari gushed, as she walked towards Hinata. "I knew you could master the Heavenly Spin if you tried hard enough."
"Thank you, mother," Hinata replied, panting a little. "It wasn't easy. Neji-niisan was right. Gai-sensei's intense training helped me achieve the proper speed needed for the jutsu."
"Now that you have finally grasped the Heavenly Spin, you have to master the Sixty Four Palm Strikes," Hikari told her. "And your position as heiress will be more than assured."
Hinata's face dropped. Hanabi frowned, as she angrily crossed her arms.
"Why does neechan have to learn those jutsu in particular?" Hanabi asked. "She created a new jutsu way cooler than any of ours! Isn't that enough?"
Hikari shook her head. "Is not that simple, sweetheart. The Gentle Fist is as much part of the Hyuga Clan's identity as the Byakugan. The Clan Head needs to be the embodiment of the Hyuga as a whole, so being able to perform the most advanced Gentle Fist techniques is always a must."
"Yes, mother, I understand" Hinata replied.
"Don't feel pressured. You still have a lot of time before you have to replace me as the Clan Head," Hikari reassured her.
"I will do my best," Hinata obediently said.
"You know, it would be fun if in a few years, the new Hyuga had to learn the Heavenly Thunderstorm," Hanabi commented.
"It wouldn't be surprising," Hikari answered. "I'd say that there's a pretty big chance of such thing happening."
Hanabi quickly turned at her mother, looking at her with eyes wide open in surprise. "Really?"
"Despite our not entirely undeserved reputation as staunch traditionalists, the Gentle Fist isn't written in stone," Hikari explained. "Sure, the basics always remain the same, but if somebody manages to come up with an useful innovation, is integrated into our fighting style. For example, the Vacuum Palm is a relatively recent move, invented by your late great uncle Tadashi Hyuga."
"Really? Then what did our ancestors did if they wanted to fight from a range? Use conventional ninjutsu?" Hanabi asked.
Hikari shook her head once again. "No, they rejected that option. The Hyuga had always been a clan proud of its power, and said power resided in hand to hand combat. That's why ninjutsu is discouraged, even if not outright banned. However, that didn't change the fact that we were at a serious disadvantage against a ranged specialist. That's why Tadashi created a move that could cover such weakness. Even if the Vacuum Palm was met with some resistance by the most conservative members of our clan, it was quickly embraced by everybody else due its sheer usefulness. I believe Hinata's combination of elemental ninjutsu with the Gentle fist might follow a similar path."
"Speaking of which… Hanabi-chan, how is your training in fire chakra going?" Hinata asked her little sister.
Hanabi's face lit in expectation. "Oh, it goes great! Look!" the youngest Hyuga ran towards one of the nearby trees of the courtyard, plucked a leaf, returned to her sister and mother, and easily burned it off with the force of her chakra. "See? I finally did it! Now I can go into more advanced exercises."
"Good to see that Hinata isn't the only one making progress. Good job to you too, Hanabi," Hikari complimented as she ruffled Hanabi's hair affectionately.
"Thanks! I'll be breathing fireballs in no time! And then, I'll create my own version of the Heavenly Thunderstorm, but with fire instead!"
Both Hikari and Hinata giggled at Hanabi's unbound enthusiasm.
"Well, I'm going to take a quick shower, and then leave. Today I have to help the Retrieval teams to salvage whatever valuable items remain under the wreckage caused by the invasion," Hinata told them. "After that, I plan to go to the hospital and see if Naruto-kun woke up yet. Do you want to come with me?"
Hikari smiled at her. "Of course, sweetheart. We could also bring him something. After all what Naruto-kun did, it's the least he deserves."
"Maybe we could bring him ramen," Hanabi suggested. "I don't think they have that, and he likes that as much as much as he likes you, neechan."
Hinata giggled. "I'm afraid I will never replace ramen as Naruto's first love."
…
Back at the Hokage's office, three Genin the same age as Naruto were in front of him, watched by two ANBU. The three of them were the Oto Genin that had fought against Naruto's team in the Land of Sound, and then against Hinata and Lee more recently. The three of them, as well as their sensei, Mizuki, had been taken prisoner to Konoha. But while Mizuki was taken to a dark and cold cell to await his execution, Jiraiya believed that there were still some hope for these youths.
"So, your names are Dosu, Zaku, and Kin, right?" Jiraiya asked the trio. None of them bothered to reply. "I'll take your silence as a yes. Do you know why you're here?"
"Yes. Obviously, to interrogate us about our master," Kin spat.
"But forget about it, old man, we'll never betray Orochimaru-sama!" Zaku angrily added. An ANBU squeezed his shoulder, prompting him to shut up.
Jiraiya chuckled, as he laid back on his chair. "If I wanted you interrogated, I'd have send you to the aptly named Torture and Interrogation Department," Jiraiya explained. Zaku and Kin visibly gulped upon hearing about torture, but Dosu remained impassible. "Besides, it's quite obvious that you're way too low on the hierarchy to know anything relevant."
"Then what do you want to do with us?" Dosu asked. "Wait, let me guess. You hope we switch sides with Konoha, like you did with that Swordsman of the Mist, am I right?"
Jiraiya smiled in satisfaction. "So I wasn't wrong when I pegged you as the smartest of the three."
Zaku and Kin stared at Jiraiya indignantly, but the Hokage paid them no mind.
"You can forget about such thing happening," Dosu continued, as if finding the very idea offensive. "Orochimaru-sama gave us a life and made us strong when we had nothing. We would never betray him."
"Too bad your loyalty isn't reciprocated," Jiraiya stated. "Listen, Orochimaru doesn't care about you. To him, you three are nothing but cannon fodder. He's an specialist in fishing out people with nothing to their name and nothing to lose to use as disposable minions. If he really was interested in you becoming more powerful, you wouldn't have been defeated by a single opponent the same age as you."
Dosu couldn't help but recall Hinata's words before the pale eyed girl knocked him unconscious. That was a good point to consider.
"Maybe," Zaku conceded. "Even if Orochimaru-sama isn't the most caring of masters, at least he gave us something better than we used to have."
"You don't have to tell me. I've seen those same eyes as yours countless times," Jiraiya told them. "Kids that lost everything to war, their homes, their families. Forced to live in the streets and steal to survive. Am I getting close?"
"So what if you do?" Kin spluttered. "Besides, what would that say about us? To betray the man who gave us everything we have?"
"Orochimaru wouldn't doubt about betraying you the moment you became a burden, or you weren't useful to him anymore. I can guarantee you that such thing won't happen in Konoha," Jiraiya told them. "Besides, if you don't join us, the alternative is going to prison for being enemies of Konoha. Besides, don't you want to follow the same path as your sensei? He also betrayed his home village to join its enemies."
"Yeah, and he's going to be executed," Zaku dryly pointed out. "Something that will happen to us if Orochimaru lay his hands on us again."
"Mizuki ended up the way he did because he had an exceedingly large ambition, and not enough willpower to see it realized on his own. What I'm offering you here is the chance to be smarter than Mizuki. Work for us, and if you don't like it, you can always go back to jail," Jiraiya offered.
The Sound Genin looked doubtful. They traded unsure glances, until they apparently reached an unheard agreement. Dosu, who appeared to be the leader of the trio, voiced their decision.
"Given that you don't gave us much of a choice, guess we'll have play nice and work for Konoha," Dosu said, not without resignation.
"Wonderful!" Jiraiya heartily replied. "Well, if that's the case, then maybe you should meet your new sensei! I'm sure you'll get along fine, given that like you, she used to work with Orochimaru, and hopefully, she will be able to show you how much it sucked. Anko, come in!"
Even with all his bandages, Dosu paled upon hearing that name. "Anko? Do you mean...Anko Mitarashi?!"
The door opened with a loud slam. "The one and only!" Anko cheerfully said as she burst into the office. She stared at the three Genin, who turned back at her, and grinned. "So, you're the runts Hokage-sama asked me to train? This will be piece of cake!"
"This has to be a joke," Kin deadpanned.
"Like I usually said, if I told a joke, you'd be laughing so hard you wouldn't be able to breathe," Jiraiya retorted. "Now Anko, besides training, I'd also like you to show them what I means to be a pawn of Orochimaru."
Anko's mouth curved into a sadistic smile. "Consider it done. How much leeway do I have?"
"As long as you don't kill, maim, mutilate, or mentally scar them for life, you're free to do as you see fit," Jiraiya replied.
"Understood! Come on brats! We have a lot of work to do!" Anko happily ordered as she left the office, with the three reluctant former Oto ninja trailing behind her, as well as the ANBU keeping an eye on them.
Being alone at last, Jiraiya sighed, and slumped on his chair. Thankfully, that was the last of the loose ends that needed to be tied. However, before the Hokage had a chance to relax, a small toad jumped out of the window, landing on the desk.
"Before you say anything, Pa, everything's been take care of, and I'm ready to go," Jiraiya preemptively said. "But before we leave, can we just wait a little until Naruto wakes up? I want to see him again before we resume my training."
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk with you about, Jiraiya-chan," Pa replied, prompting Jiraiya to raise an eyebrow. "Ma and I have been talking about it, and we believe Naruto-chan is ready to undertake sage training."
Such proposal took Jiraiya aback, to say the least. While he had plans to have Naruto learn Senjutsu, he was waiting until he was a bit older.
"Do you think he's ready? He's still too young," Jiraiya argued.
"Gamamaru-sama has been watching over him, and thinks he is. Ma and I agree with him. Besides, given how close Akatsuki were of catching him the last time, I believe Naruto-chan is going to need all the possible help we can offer," Pa explained.
"If you think so, then sure, Naruto can come with us," Jiraiya agreed, then chuckled. "But given how restless Naruto is, I doubt he'll find much joy in the kind of training we're going to do."
…
Uchiha Training Grounds
Sasuke was restless. Since the fight against Naruto and the masked Akatsuki , the youngest Uchiha felt an intense unease he had been unable to shake off. Training was Sasuke's main way to cope with stress, and so far, it was working, but he wondered for how long. There was just so much to process...
First, the fact that the masked Akatsuki was an Uchiha. He was also the Fourth's student and Kakashi's teammate, but that data was irrelevant to Sasuke. He was responsible for the Nine Tails' attack thirteen years ago, which laid the ground works for the Uchiha Insurrection to happen. Something Obito had masterminded as well. Not happy with that, he also collaborated with Orochimaru to invade Konoha.
All to get the Nine Tails. While Tailed Beasts were powerful and highly sought after, the extends Obito had taken and the lines he had crossed were simply ridiculous. Was there something more to the Nine Tails that it's worth causing the demise of your own clan?
Second, the Mangekyo Sharingan. According to Obito, Itachi and Shisui had it, yet they never told Sasuke about it. They admitted the truth when Sasuke confronted them about it, but he decided to leave and not listen to their excuses. At least for the time being.
Tempted by its power, Sasuke decided to see for himself what kind of new abilities he had now. But the moment he activated his freshly awakened eye power, something happened that Sasuke didn't expect: his mind relived the moment he stabbed Naruto, and all the anguish he felt when he thought he had killed him. He tried multiple times, but the effect was the same. Deciding that he wasn't going to risk his sanity any longer, Sasuke gave up and opted instead for good old shuriken practice.
Grabbing four shuriken in one hand, Sasuke moved his arm in an arc, tossing the steel stars in four different directions. Each shuriken found its mark. He repeated the process again, with the same result, and a third time. Even without the Sharingan, his aim was flawless.
Sasuke sighed. "This isn't working anymore."
"Really? I think you did pretty good job," a voice from behind said.
Sasuke turned around, and saw his brother and cousin walking towards him.
"You know, you left before we had the time to explain ourselves," Shisui began, with an apologetic tone. "We're very sorry for hiding such things from you, but..."
"We thought it wasn't necessary for you to know about the Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi continued. "In fact, we were both hoping that you would never awaken it."
Sasuke crossed his arms, and frowned. "And why not? So I'm always below you two in terms of power?"
Shisui let out a sad chuckle. "You know that's not true, Sasuke. Nothing would make us happier than seeing you surpassing the both of us. Something we're sure you'll do in the future."
"Listen, Sasuke, the Mangekyo Sharingan is a very dark power. I'm sure you now know how to awaken it, right?" Itachi asked. Sasuke nodded. "And tell me, did you try to use it after you awakened it?"
Sasuke grew uneasy, and averted his gaze. "Yeah, I did. I know what happens when you use it."
"The Mangekyo Sharingan is a tempting power. But making you relive the event that triggered it...it can drive anybody insane, even if used sparingly. That's why Shisui and I try to use it as little as possible," Itachi explained.
"Besides, we like to think that there's more to the Uchiha Clan than a mere bunch of fancy eye powers, you know? We have to show everybody that even without the Sharingan, we're still strong," Shisui added. "Besides, that's not the only drawback."
Sasuke opened his eyes wide in surprise. "There's more?"
"Sadly, yes," Itachi replied. "Like we said, the power of the Mangekyo comes with a price. The more you use its powers, the more will your eyesight deteriorate, until you'll end up completely blind."
"WHAT!?" Sasuke asked in shock, as he involuntarily took a step back. "How...is there a way to reverse the eyesight loss?"
"Fortunately, there is one," Itachi replied. Sasuke was almost tempted to feel relieved, but he was afraid there would be some sort of catch. "If you take the eyes of a direct relative and replace yours with them, not only will your eyesight be restored, but it will never deteriorate again. So in order for such thing to happen, we must now trade our eyes."
"I already made an appointment with Shizune-chan for the surgery," Shisui helpfully added.
"After that, if you wish, I can teach you how to use the power of the Mangekyo," Itachi offered.
"Wait, you said you hoped I never awakened the Mangekyo. Then, if you kept using it, you would have ended up blind!" Sasuke pointed out. Itachi merely shrugged. "And you were okay with that?"
"I had accepted such fate, as did Shisui," Itachi explained.
"Well, in my case is easier. With only one eye, I only have one of the abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan, Kotoamatsukami notwithstanding. So the temptation is much lower," Shisui detailed.
"Sasuke, they say that the Uchiha is a clan cursed by hatred and darkness. And as you just learned right now, people who said that had a point. There's no other clan that needs to feel strong traumatic emotions to awake their powers. People not only fear our power, they also fear that our powers may turn us mad, as it was believed of our ancestor, Madara Uchiha. And look what it did to Obito Uchiha," Itachi explained.
"And those fears were realized the night our clan rebelled," Shisui added, sounding melancholic.
"We simply don't want you to end like them."
Sasuke sighed. He turned his back at them, as he processed the words he just heard. His fingers tightly clenched into a pair of fists.
"Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it," Sasuke said.
"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.
"All of this. The effort of reigning ourselves in for the sake of people who already fear and hate us. What's the point? Maybe this is our fate. Maybe we should stop pretending to be something we aren't, and accept our nature. Maybe that's why Father decided to start an insurrection," Sasuke said, as he turned back at them.
"Sasuke, I know that sometimes follow the right path is hard, but trust me, it's worth it," Shisui solemnly said. "Don't give up when things get complicated. Don't let yourself be tempted by somebody offering you an easier alternative. Such things will only lead to misery and unhappiness."
"And remember that you're not alone. You have us, among many others, to support you whenever you feel bad," Itachi added.
"I...okay. I'll keep doing as you say. Besides, I always took pride in not giving up in the face of a challenge," Sasuke replied.
Both Itachi and Shisui smiled in relief.
"You won't regret that decision, Sasuke," Itachi said, as he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Now come on, you can train later. You guys have to see the house Shizune-chan and I chose to move to," Shisui said with renewed enthusiasm.
…
Hinata, Hanabi, and their mother Hikari entered the Konoha hospital to see how Naruto was doing. Hinata was holding a bento on her hands. While she was initially tempted to bring her boyfriend some ramen, she decided that it would be best if she brought him something a bit healthier. After all, she had to help him recover, and ramen wouldn't do the job.
"It's a good thing you don't have to make Naruto fall in love with you anymore," Hanabi had joked.
When they entered the building and headed to the reception, Hinata saw a familiar person already there. A boy in a kimono.
"Thank you," the boy said to the receptionist before turning around, seeing Hinata and her family. "Oh, hi there, Hinata-san. Came to see Naruto, I presume?"
Hinata nodded. "Indeed I am, Haku-kun. By the way, let me introduce you to my little sister, Hanabi, and my mother, Hikari. Hanabi-chan, mother, this is Haku, my other teammate."
Haku bowed his head before the Hyuga. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ladies. Hinata-san told us a lot about you two, but I regrettably I never had the chance to get to know you."
"Pleasure is all ours, Haku-kun. I guess that you're also here to see Naruto-kun?" Hikari asked.
"Indeed. The receptionist told me where his room is. Follow me," Haku told the girls.
The Hyuga women decided to follow Haku, who lead them to a room in the third floor. The room was open, and some voices could be heard from the inside. Peeking through the door, Hinata saw Naruto, still bedridden but thankfully awake and fully conscious, talking with his little siblings, as well Shizune. The medic-nin was the first one to notice the newcomers.
Shizune smiled. "Oh, look at that, more people came to visit you, Naruto-kun."
"Huh?" Naruto said, turning around, and smiled as well. "Oh, hey, Hinata-hime! You came to see me, great! But don't stay there, come in!"
"I'd love to, but...I didn't come alone, and the room is going to get a bit cramped."
"Nonsense! Come in!" Naruto insisted.
"I think I'm going to get something to eat," Shizune stated, as she went to exit the room. She noticed Hinata's bento, and added: "I'd ask if you want something, but Hinata already has that part covered, hehe."
The Hyuga heiress blushed a bit.
"Oh, you brought your mom and little sister. And Haku's here too!" Naruto noticed.
"Hello to you too, Naruto-kun. Glad to see that you're feeling better," Haku greeted his blond teammate.
"Haha, yes, it takes more than a mere blade to the gut to put me down!" Naruto boasted.
"A blade to the gut!?" Hikari asked in shock. The Hyuga matriarch activated her Byakugan, and saw that Naruto's gut didn't have any injuries. "Amazing...there's nothing left of that wound."
"You can thank Hinata-hime for that. She healed me before I could be taken to the hospital," Naruto stated, making Hinata blush a little, before she averted her gaze.
"Uh...it was nothing. I only did my duty..." Hinata shyly stammered.
"Dear Kami, even after the two of you became a couple, you're still so awkward and shy!" Kaida pointed out, shaking her head.
"That's how my nee-chan is, she can't help it," Hanabi agreed, shrugging.
"Hanabi-chan!" a flustered Hinata called her.
"Come on Hanabi, don't be so mean..." Hikari said.
"Heh, it's okay. I think that Hinata's cute when she's all shy like that, hehe," Naruto chuckled.
Rather than embarrass her even further, Naruto's comment brought up a smile to the shy Hyuga. She then remembered the bento still in her hands, and as an added bonus of changing the topic, she handed it to Naruto.
"Here, I made this for you!" Hinata said as she handed the item to the blond. "Hospital food isn't that good, so I thought it would make your stay here a little better. It's not ramen, though."
"Oh..." Naruto deflated a little, his hopes dashed away, but it didn't last long. "It's okay. Everything you cook tastes so great, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Thanks a lot!"
"You're welcome, Naruto-kun," Hinata happily replied.
"You know, seeing Nee-chan and Naruto makes me want to have a boyfriend too..." Hanabi mentioned out loud.
"Have you thought in dating Hagane? He's a great catch!" Kaida said, pushing her brother towards Hanabi.
"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Hagane indignantly protested.
"Nope!" was Kaida's reply.
"You kids are too young to start dating. Give it a few years," Hikari started, putting an end to the topic. "Trust me, you don't want to grow up too fast."
"By the way, Haku," Naruto began, realizing of something the last time he saw the Ice Ninja. "That bone guy looked really tough. How did you manage to defeat him between Tenten, Karin-neechan and you?"
"We didn't," was Haku's brief response, confusing Naruto a bit. "Thankfully, Zabuza-sama appeared in the nick of time to save me from what it would have been an horrible fate. After that, we left and tried to meet you and Hinata-san again, but we didn't find you until much later."
"Did Zabuza-san beat him?" Hinata asked.
Haku shook his head. "Technically speaking, Zabuza won the fight, but sadly he was unable to kill or capture the man, who managed to escape. I'm afraid we will see him again in the future as well."
"Neji-niisan told me the same about the kunoichi he and Kiba-san fought against," Hinata added. "At the very least, we won't have to worry about the other three ever again."
"I'm sure Orochimaru will try to recruit more people with Bloodline Limits in order to replace the people he lost with the invasion," Hikari gravely noted.
"Then we'll stop him before he has the chance to do such a thing," Naruto determinately stated.
"You won't be able to do much stopping in your current state," a new voice said. Everybody turned around, and saw Jiraiya standing besides the door. "Fortunately, I have good news for you."
"Really? What is it, dad?" Naruto asked, clearly interested.
"You're coming with me to Mount Myoboku for special training. The Toads have deemed you ready to undergo Sage training," Jiraiya announced.
Hikari gasped. Jiraiya realized she was the only one aware of what Jiraiya was saying.
"Sage training? That's...incredible! I didn't know that somebody so young as Naruto-kun could become a Sage!" Hikari exclaimed.
"I didn't think so either. But the toads told me Naruto is ready," Jiraiya replied.
"Uh...what is Sage training?" Naruto asked.
"A special kind of training that will allow you to gather and use nature chakra, besides your own. It has a large number of boons that will help you make stronger," Jiraiya explained.
None of the kids understood Jiraiya's explanation, mostly because none of them knew what nature chakra was to begin with. But Naruto knew that it was something it would make him stronger, and that was enough to catch his interest.
"Besides, give how close you were to being captured by Akatsuki, you need to become as much stronger as soon as possible," Jiraiya stressed.
"Naruto-kun won't be the only one to become stronger. I will train as hard as I can to match him as well," Hinata stated.
"So do I. I've seen that there are enemies out there that dwarf our skill and power so much, is almost laughable," Haku added.
"Good, because I'm sure Akatsuki won't give up until they have Naruto and the rest of the Jinchuriki in their power," Jiraiya mentioned.
…
Undisclosed Location
Obito slowly blinked as he started to wake up. He had a hard time remembering what happened before he lost consciousness, but as soon as he made a little effort, memories started to flood his brain as if it was a torrent.
"Rin..." Obito murmured, his heart filling with dread.
"Will you stop obsessing over her already?" a voice tiredly said.
As Obito's eyesight adjusted and became less blurry, the figure of Zetsu appeared in his field of vision. And soon, his confusion was replaced by unbridled fury.
"YOU! YOU LET THEM TAKE HER AWAY!" Obito screamed as he sloppily lunged at his fellow Akatsuki, who easily sidestepped.
"Yes, I did" the white half admitted.
"TRAITOR! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO OBEY ME!" Obito screamed, as he tried to pounce at Zetsu again. This time, the plant-man grabbed Obito's arm, and twisted it behind his back. Obito tried to use Kamui, but the aftereffects of the sleeping spores made him mold chakra extremely hard.
"That's true as well. But while Madara-sama left you in charge, he also allowed be to act on my own accord if I think you take a wrong decision," the black half stated. "And frankly, you've taken quite a lot of bad decisions as of late."
"You could have captured the Nine Tails, but you let it escape your grip," the white half added.
"It was Orochimaru's fault! His stupid minions failed to keep the Konoha ninja at bay!" Obito protested.
"Don't try to pin the blame on Orochimaru. He did what it was expected, which is more than we can say of you," Black Zetsu continued. "We've noticed that the moment that girl left the cocoon, you've become far less focused and driven. She was hindering you."
"SHE'S THE WHOLE REASON I'M DOING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Obito loudly screamed. "And now she's in danger again! Those Konoha fools will send her to die again!"
"Relax, boss. If the process worked as intended, Rin is pretty much impossible to kill now," White Zetsu assured. "You won't have to fear for her ever again."
"Besides, why would you? She chose Konoha over you. Clearly, you're not as important to her as she is to you," Black Zetsu added.
"But not everything is lost. Let's continue with the plan. When she sees the kind of just and peaceful world you plan to create, she'll soon join our side," White Zetsu added.
"I'm not convinced. I want our Konoha spies to keep an eye on her at all costs. I want to know when she's on a mission. I want to know when she's in danger of dying," Obito ordered. "I'm not going to let history repeat again."
"Of course, boss. It will be done as you say," Black Zetsu replied.
Satisfied with the answer, Obito left. Mostly to find out exactly where Zetsu brought him.
"Are we going to do that?" White Zetsu asked his Black Half.
"Of course," was the other being's reply. "How else are going to check the progress of our little test subject?"
…
Konoha Hospital, Next Morning
It was the first day of Rin's new job at the hospital. Jiraiya had offered her to return to active duty as a ninja, but she had declined, arguing that she needed some time to think and ponder what to do. And given what happened the last time she went on a mission, she was arguably not ready to go back into action as well.
Fortunately, Rin was a medic-nin, which were always needed, so of course it wasn't hard for her to get a job at the Konoha Hospital. Granted, hospitals could be rather tense and frenetic places for obvious reasons, but they couldn't compare to a battleground.
She had been assigned to tidy all the rooms that have been recently vacated. While most people would find such task bothersome and boring, Rin enjoyed the simplicity of it. It allowed the young girl much needed time to think. And she had a lot of things to think about.
"Yo," an unknown adult voice said.
Turning around, Rin saw said voice belonged to his former teammate, now an adult. It would take her some time to get used to Kakashi's much deeper adult voice. And to a lesser extent, how her former friends and partners looked now. Having to adapt to this completely new world was something that made her feel overwhelmed, but she had to persevere.
"Oh. Hello Kakashi," Rin greeted him, as she continued with her work.
"I...I came here to see how are you doing," Kakashi began.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Rin replied.
"You are? I mean..." Kakashi awkwardly continued. "Well, I just wanted to say that if you have any problems adapting, or just feel bad about anything, you can talk to me."
Rin let out a sad sigh. "I'd be lying if I say everything's okay. Konoha changed so much, that when you guys brought me here, I barely recognized it. Not to mention how much you guys changed as well. Meanwhile, I'm still stuck as a little girl."
"Hey, don't say that. Didn't Tsunade-sama said that you would continue growing at a normal pace?" Kakashi asked.
"She said that. But until I become an adult...seeing you, Asuma, Kurenai and the others is going to be difficult. Maybe I should befriend your students?" Rin asked, before letting out a sad chuckle.
"They're great kids. I'm sure you'll get along with any of them just fine," Kakashi earnestly replied.
Rin was a bit surprised by such a honest answer to her quasi-rhetorical question. Then again, she did met a few of them during her escape, and they looked like people worthy of getting to know better, at the very least.
"Anyway, remember what I said. Even if a lot of things changed, if you want to find me, I still live in the same place as when we were kids," Kakashi told her, before turning around. "Well...see ya later."
"Aren't you going to ask me about Obito?" Rin suddenly asked, freezing Kakashi on his tracks.
"I'm tempted to. But I'm afraid of the answers," Kakashi uncomfortably replied. "Your world isn't the only one who's turned upside down. While I did have a hard time accepting that both of you were still alive, it's nothing compared to having to accept that all the tragedies and disasters that happened in Konoha during the last decade and a half were orchestrated by him."
"We're on the same boat then," Rin sadly replied.
"So it seems. Well...I better get going. It's great to have you back again, Rin," Kakashi said before finally leaving.
Rin sighed once again. "I wish it was as great for me too."
After making the bed, Rin grabbed a small watering can and went to water the potted plants on the window. The plants were still small, but in a few days, they would grow up and sport beautiful flowers.
"I wish I could grow just as fast..." Rin moaned as she sprinkled the plants with water.
Then, much to her shock, the plants started to grow and bloom before her very eyes, speeding a process of days to mere seconds. An astonished Rin dropped the watering can, and stumbled back in shock.
"What...what the hell is going on?" the brown haired girl asked.
…
Senju Residence
The entire Senju family –plus Hinata– were gathered in the house's backyard. Jiraiya and Naruto were standing next to each other, carrying backpacks, while the girls (and Hagane) were in front of them, bidding them goodbye.
"Boy, I can wait to see Mount Myoboku! The toads I summoned made it look like an awesome place," Naruto gushed in anticipation.
"It's a sight to behold, kid. I'm sure you'll like it," Tsunade told him.
"You're not going to like the food much, I can guarantee you that," Jiraiya sourly replied.
"I know. That's why I packed a lot of food. Including some things Hinata made me," Naruto replied.
Hinata blushed a little. "I want you to think in me when you're so far away."
"You don't need to make me food to make me think of you, Hime," Naruto sweetly said. "But it will sure help a lot!"
"Dad, when can we train to become sages?" Hagane asked.
"When you grow up a bit more, I'm sure the toads will be more than happy to train you two as well," Jiraiya reassured him.
"Bring us something cool when you get back!" Kaida requested.
"And make sure you come back for the wedding, you hear me!? I won't forgive you if you miss it!" Shizune energetically told them.
Jiraiya chuckled. "I wouldn't let anything make me miss it. Even if we take more time than intended, I'm sure Ma and Pa will understand."
"Hey, don't take too long with the training either! Being Hokage is YOUR job, not mine!"Tsunade protested.
"I bet I can complete the training in less than a week!" Naruto boasted.
"That's a bold claim. Let's see if you back up those words once we get started," Jiraiya replied.
That moment, Fukasaku appeared before them. Upon seeing that Jiraiya and Naruto looked ready, his lips curved into a smile.
"I see you're ready to go, then," Fukasaku guessed.
"Yeah, we were saying our goodbyes," Jiraiya replied.
Before leaving, Hinata walked to Naruto and gave him a small peck on his lips.
"Good luck with your training, Naruto-kun. I already can't wait to see you back," Hinata told him.
"That's another incentive for finishing my training as soon as possible," Naruto said, laughing a bit.
"To Mount Myoboku then!" Fukasaku exclaimed, and both he, Naruto and Jiraiya disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the girls and Hagane alone.
…
Mount Myoboku
"Wow, this place is amazing!" Naruto gushed, as his eyes witnessed the natural paradise around him. "The toads weren't exaggerating when they talked about this place."
"Glad you like our home, Naruto-chan," Fukasaku replied, as he nodded. "So, are you ready to begin your training to become a Sage?"
Naruto smiled confidently, as he punched the palm of his hand. "Let's do it!"
End of Part I
OMAKE: Shizune's Revenge
Shizune was giving the Senju Residence one last look before leaving for good. She had already move all her things to her and Shisui's new apartment, but she couldn't help feeling nostalgic and a bit melancholic for leaving the house that had been her home for so many years.
"I'm going to miss this place so much. It was my first permanent home after Tsunade-sama returned to Konoha for Naruto-kun," Shizune sighed.
"I know how you feel. I do miss the old Uchiha Compound as well. But live goes on and we have to move as well," Shisui told her. "But hey, it's not that you can't come back to pay Tsunade-sama and the others a visit, right?"
"Now that you mention Tsunade-sama...there's something I'd like to do before I leave," Shizune then wrapped her arms around her fiancée. "And I need your help for it."
Shisui smiled innocently. "Sure, babe, whatever you need."
Shizune smiled wickedly.
…
Hours later, Tsunade returned home from work. As she entered the house, she heard something. Moans and giggles, coming from the living room.
"What the...?" Tsunade walked towards the living room, and turned on the lights. The sight before her surprised her to say the least. "THE HELL!?"
"Oh, sorry, Tsunade-sama, we didn't think you'd come so soon," Shizune cheekily replied.
"Uhhh...hello, Tsunade-sama," Shisui nervously greeted.
Shizune and Shisui were laying on the couch, completely naked, the latter on top of the former. And while Tsunade didn't notice due the abundant nudity before her eyes, there was a blanket covering said couch. She glared at Shizune, and frowned.
"You're a petty brat, you know that?" Tsunade snarled, before stomping upstairs.
The naked couple spend a few seconds in an awkward silence before Shizune let out a happy squeal.
"Oh yes, revenge is sweet! I've been wanting to do that for years!" Shizune said.
Author's Note: So now you know how Rin came back to life. As I told to some reviewers, it wasn't either Rinnegan nor Edo Tensei. But a question remains, is that the real Rin, or is just a clone with the real one's memories? Would there be any difference between the two anyway?
And yes, the "reliving the traumatic moment that awakened the MS every time you use it" is an addition entirely made up by me. I think it's a good and fitting way from having the Uchihas abusing the MS like Sasuke did in late Part II, so instead is more like a last resort power. Though I doubt this would have stopped canon!Sasuke, given that he was pretty deranged by the time he got the MS anyway, but this Sasuke is not, and won't trade his sanity for more power.
As I said before, Shippuden won't come next. There will be another arc that will take place between parts I and II. But fear not, I'm sure all of you will like it.
And before you ask, this omake is canon ;P
Thanks a lot to gio08 for his betareading job.
So, how did you find the conclusion to Part I? Tell me in a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!