Author's Note: Okay, here we are with another chapter. This chapter features the return of two teams that have been in the background for quite some time, and people has been clamoring for them. Hope you enjoy:
Chapter 73:
The Search for Roshi
or
Monkey See, Monkey Do
For the past couple of weeks or so, Naruto had been training with Asuma Sarutobi in order to prefect his Wind Jutsu and develop new ones. While he hadn't been able to create a jutsu that would allow him to fly yet, he had the feeling he was making some good progress on that as well.
His teammates weren't slouching either. Even if they were physically unable to train, they busied themselves training their minds, Hinata reading more about the powers of the Tenseigan and Six Paths Chakra, while Haku studied about genjutsu, and tried to think in new and innovative ways to use his Ice Release. Unfrotunately, unlike Naruto, there were no other Ice Release users in Konoha that could train the Land of Water native.
And today, he was expecting another productive day of training. He was full rested from a good night of sleep, and was ready to have breakfast. But when he got down to the kitchen, he was surprised to see only his mother there.
"Good morning, Naruto," Tsunade said, as she finished her cup of coffee. "Slept well?"
"You can bet I did," the blond grinned. "So, Kaida and Hagane left already?"
"Yeah. Tenzo came here to pick them up. Apparently, they had an important mission," Tsunade explained. "And so do you."
Naturally, this caught the blond's attention. "Really? But I have no team!"
Tsunade just shrugged. "You're a Jonin already, Naruto. It's not rare for a Jonin, or even a Chunin, to do missions on their own. Though you won't be team-less for long. I've been checking on Hinata and Haku's progress, and they're almost fully recovered. I think they'll be able to rejoin active duty in one or two weeks at most."
"Really? That's awesome!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "Too bad we can't wait that much for them."
"Sadly things rarely go the way we want. Still, I'm sure you'll manage without them this time around," Tsunade said in an encouraging tone.
"Did he tell you what the mission was about?" Naruto inquired, as he took a bite from a slice of toast with honey. "It's related to the jinchuriki?"
"I don't know, Jiraiya didn't tell me anything, but if he requested you, then I guess it has to do with them," Tsunade guessed, shrugging.
"I'll finish breakfast as soon as possible then!" Naruto said, as he shoved another toast into his mouth.
"Whoa there! Slow down, Naruto, or going to choke. There's no hurry," Tsunade told him. "There's something I want to talk with you about. You've been training with some other people during the past few weeks. Why haven't you asked me to train you?"
Naruto almost choked on his food. This was a very delicate question. He couldn't say that he still had nightmares from his adoptive mother's brutal training methods.
"Er..." Naruto began, as he tried to come up with a believable excuse. "Aren't you training Hagane and Kaida? Yeah, you were busy with them, and I didn't want to take you away from them."
"I can train the three of you just fine," Tsunade insisted, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Plus that way, you could do some more bonding with your siblings. You barely get to do anything with them these days."
"I know but... I'm kind of busy, with all the stuff with Akatsuki," Naruto replied.
"Listen, I'm not telling you do forsake your other responsibilities and duties, that would be idiotic," Tsunade told him, her tone softening. "But being a ninja is a dangerous career. You will lose loved ones, and then you'll regret not having spent enough time with them."
"You talk as if Hagane and Kaida are going to die any day now," Naruto said, rolling his eyes.
"Did you forget already how close we were to lose them forever to Orochimaru not even four years ago?" Tsunade reminded Naruto. "I try not to think about it, as well as not being overprotective but... as long as we're alive, I want to enjoy our company."
Naruto suddenly felt like a jerk. He's been avoiding Tsunade's training, while the Slug Sannin only wanted to spend some time with her son. The blond had been training with Jiraiya in order to gain a better hold of the Nine Tails' chakra, and maybe Tsunade was a bit jealous of that.
"Okay. Maybe once I'm back, I can find some time to train under you again?" Naruto weakly suggested.
"I'd love to," Tsunade smiled. "Come on, go already. I'll clean this up."
"Thanks mom!" Naruto said, before giving Tsunade a kiss on the cheek, and running out of the house.
…
Hokage Tower
Just as Naruto was told, Jiraya had indeed a new mission for him. And just like the blond had thought, it was about the topic he had guessed. Though what he didn't guess was that Jiraiya wasn't alone; standing besides him was Itachi Uchiha.
"My spies have located one of the other two remaining jinchuriki not under our custody," Jiraiya began, as he handed Naruto a folder.
Naruto opened the folder, and saw the picture of an old Iwa ninja with red hair and bear. The name of the file figured merely as "Roshi".
"This is the jinchuriki?" Naruto asked.
Jiraiya nodded. "Itachi?"
"Roshi was seen crossing the border into the Land of Earth. However, we have no confirmation that he planned to return to Iwagakure, so it's likely that he's still roaming the land," the Uchiha explained Naruto. "We need to secure him and bring him to Konoha."
"Understood. I guess that the two of us are going after him now?" Naruto asked. Even if it was just one man, Itachi Uchiha was among the most skilled and powerful ninjas Konoha had among their ranks.
"Not just the two of you," Jiraiya said, as he pressed a button on the intercom sitting on his table. "Tell them to come in."
A couple minutes passed before the office's door opened, and eight people entered. He recognized half of those people.
"Tenzo's All Purpose Squad is present!" Tenzo said as he and his students entered the office.
"Anko's Assassination Squad is present!" the other adult in the group said, a purple haired woman wearing a trenchcoat.
"Whoa! Hagane and Kaida! And Hanabi!" Naruto said upon seeing Tenzo's Team. He then looked at the other newcomers. "Er...and you're Anko, right? I think I remember you from that mission to the Land of Rice Fields. Kurenai-sensei sometimes told us about you."
"Let's hope she only said good things, or else the two of us are going to have a long talk," Anko replied, chuckling a little. "Anyway, meet my students! Aren't they the cutest?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at Anko's choice of adjective, as his eyes moved towards Anko's students. For some reason, it felt like he had met them before, but couldn't tell when. And he was sure he would remember somebody who was entirely covered in bandages.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And you guys are?" Naruto asked.
The trio of young ninjas composed of two boys and a girl shot him a look between annoyed and astonished.
"Did you really forget about us? Wow, we had to make such a weak first impression upon you," the girl huffed, as she crossed her arms.
"We fought against you and your teammates a couple times in the past," the boy covered in bandages said. "First in the Land of Sound, then during Orochimaru's attempt at kidnapping your siblings."
The boy looked at Anko, who looked back in approval, much to Naruto's confusion. Little did he know that Anko had spend quite some time breaking their habit of using the "-sama" suffix with Orochimaru. Failure to do so had resulted in excruciating punishment.
"I'm Dosu, and those are Zaku and Kin," Dosu waved to his teammates. "And while we used to be Sound Ninjas, after our capture we've been... persuaded into joining Konoha."
"Oh..." Naruto said, as conflicted feelings clashed within him. On one side, he was mad that these people used to work for Orochimaru and helped him kidnap his siblings, but on the other, they appear to have turned a new leaf. Plus given that they weren't very high among Otogakure's hierarchy, he decided to forgive and forget. "Well, nice to meet you. Glad to see that you're working for the good guys now."
"Yeah, whatever," Zaku huffed, whose reaction was mimicked by Kin. Dosu remained impassible.
"Anyway," Jiraiya interjected, drawing everybody's attention. "Now that you're together and introductions are over, let's go to the matter at hand. All of you have been told you're going to become part of a larger squad for an S-Rank mission. I choose all of you because of all our current forces available, you're the best suited for this mission. Tenzo's squad has two Wood Release users that can bind a Tailed Beast should an Akatsuki decide to throw the other half of the Nine Tails at us, and if that fails we have Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan, while Anko's squad will provide additional support and firepower. Itachi will be the leader of this ten man squad. Itachi?"
Itachi nodded, and took a step forward. "Our mission is simple: We will infiltrate the Land of Earth, locate the jinchuriki, and either escort him to Iwa, or if he refuses, bring him back to Konoha using any means necessary. However, do not rule any kind of unforeseen setback, and be prepared of all times. Chances of Akatsuki knowing this are high, so be ready to fight against S-Rank ninjas. Any questions?"
"Are we really going to operate on a foreign land under the protection of a Great Village?" Tenzo asked. "Shouldn't we warn them first?"
"We did, but we got no response," Jiraiya replied. "While the possibility of a war with Iwa is high, I think it's worth the risk if we can keep another jinchuriki safe from Akatsuki's hands."
"What if Iwa also sends ninjas to retrieve the jinchuriki?" Hagane asked.
"In that case, we'll let them take him away. Our goal is to keep the jinchuriki safe. Even if Iwa is not allied with us, that's better than Akatsuki," Jiraiya told them. "But like I said, chances of Iwa sending ninjas to retrieve the jinchuriki are small. They will think this is some sort of trick on our part."
"Even then, we'll try our best to avoid causing a war between our villages," Itachi firmly added. "If those are all the questions, then let's meet up at the western gate in an hour. The Land of Earth is far away, so pack for several weeks."
All of them nodded, before they exited the office. That's it, all of them except Naruto, who stayed behind to have a talk with his father.
"So, what do you think?" Jiraiya asked, guessing his son's thoughts.
"It looks like a powerful team," Naruto replied. "Not to mention that we won't be outnumbered as easily now as with four man squads."
"I think this is going to be the procedure for the time being until we beat Akatsuki. Four man squads won't do anymore," Jiraiya explained. "Are you okay with the picks, or would you have suggested somebody else?"
"Itachi is an obvious choice. Though I'm surprised that you choose Hagane and Kaida's team for a mission involving Akatsuki."
"They may be my kids, but they're also ninjas of this village, and as Hokage I must treat them as such. Plus Tenzo's Squad is one of the most powerful teams we currently have available," Jiraiya told Naruto with a firm tone. "Plus it's not that they're Genin anymore."
"What about Anko's squad? They used to be Orochimaru's lackeys, they might betray us," Naruto pointed out.
Jiraiya, however, smiled confidently at his son. "Trust me, both Anko and I made sure such thing won't happen. Besides, I've read the reports Anko gave me on their progress, and it appears that they got used to Konoha and started to prefer it over Otogakure, even if they don't say it out loud."
"You know, I think that maybe we could have taken Fu with us as well. She's pretty strong," Naruto suggested.
"She is," Jiraiya agreed. "But if sending a jinchuriki to deal with Akatsuki is already a big risk, you can image what would be sending two at once. That would be like inviting all of Akatsuki to go after you. It's better to keep at least one jinchuriki in the village."
"Makes sense, I guess," Naruto said. "Well, let's better get going. Hopefully, once we come back, old man Roshi will be among us."
"I'm sure you'll be succesful this time, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "Good luck, and come safe."
…
Half an Hour Later, Senju Park
Per Naruto's request, Hinata and Haku had met him on that spot in order to talk. It seemed that Tsunade hadn't lied to him: both his teammates looked good enough to return to active duty. Hinata could now walk without a crutch, and Haku had no longer his arm on a sling.
"Thank goodness I can have some clones prepare my backpack, or else I wouldn't be able to do this," the blond thought.
Wasting no time, Naruto told the other two about his mission to track and secure Roshi, the jinchuriki of the Four Tails, as well as who was going to go with him.
"So that's the mission Hanabi-chan is going to do?" Hinata asked, worry in her voice being evident.
"I know how you feel. Hagane and Kaida are also coming as well," Naruto pointed out. "But don't worry, I'll make sure that this mission won't be a repeat of what happened the last time."
"Still, I can't help but wonder if she'll be okay. This will be her first S-Rank mission," Hinata said.
"I don't have siblings who are also ninja, so it might not be my place to speak," Haku began. "But if Hanabi is as powerful as you're now, she should do just fine."
"That's what worries me," Hinata replied, looking at the confused Ice Ninja. "I think she's letting her new power get to her head."
"Yeah, I can relate to that," Naruto said. "Kaida used to think that her Wood Release puts her above everybody else."
"According to Hanabi-chan, she still does sometimes," Hinata pointed out.
Naruto's face fell. "Damn, I'm not looking forward this mission. Thank goodness there will be some adults as well."
"Who are you going with, besides Hanabi and your siblings' sensei?" Haku asked.
"Itachi is going to lead the mission. There's also Anko's team," Naruto said.
"I didn't know Anko-san had a team," Haku observed.
"And you guys aren't going to believe who they are," Naruto said, as incredulity returned to his voice. "Remember those Otogakure ninjas that we fought during our first C-Rank mission, and then when Orochimaru kidnapped my siblings?"
"A boy that used soundwaves, another boy that shot pressurized air blasts from his palms, and a girl that used both senbon and genjutsu. Are you talking about those?" Haku asked. Naruto was surprised that Haku was able to remember them so well, given that, unlike Hinata and him, the Ice Ninja didn't get to fight them a second time. Sensing Naruto's bafflement, he added. "Zabuza-sama trained me to memorize every ninja I met, as well as their more significative abilities."
"Even the weaker ones?" Hinata asked.
"Especially the weaker ones," Haku emphasized. "While a strong ninja is hard to forget, a weak one is. And said weak ninja can train to become stronger. Even if they develop new abilities, at least you have a base of knowledge of what to expect."
"That's... very throrugh of Zabuza-san," Hinata praised, sounding genuiley impressed.
Haku smiled in return. "Zabuza-sama didn't become part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen by being a mediocre ninja, you know. There will be times in which there won't be any chance to check a bingo book, or you won't have one with you."
"Heh, now I wish Zabuza didn't decide to stay in Kiri. We could use his help against Akatsuki," Naruto said. "He saved both you, Tenten and Karin-neechan from that Oto ninja with the bone bloodlimit."
"Fortunately, we have other strong ninjas in Konoha we can rely on," Hinata said, as her eyes drifted towards Naruto, and smiled. "You, for example."
"If I was that strong-" Naruto began.
"No," Hinata firmly cut him, raising a hand. "Don't finish that sentence, you hear me? You're a strong ninja, and I don't want to hear you saying otherwise," Hinata insisted, her stare becoming harder. "You need to be strong if you want this mission to suceed and to bring everybody home safe."
"I...yeah, you're right," Naruto replied, forcing himself to smile, something Hinata echoed. "I can't just mope and pity myself. I have to give my best. There's no more room for failure."
"That's the spirit, Naruto-kun!" Hinata cheered.
"Okay, my Shadow Clones had finished packing my stuff," Naruto said, as the new information entered his mind. "I better get going."
"Understood. Good luck, Naruto-kun," Hinata said.
"I'll hope for your safe return," Haku added.
"Thank you guys. I'll make sure to carry your part of the weight while you're absent," Naruto replied, as he leaped away from the park. Then, he whispered: "I'll make you guys proud."
…
Akatsuki Hideout, Undisclosed Location, the Next Day
Eight spectral shadows were standing in a circle, their eyes being the only part of their bodies that weren't blurred. Unlike other times, nobody was physically there.
"I'm glad that you could answer my call so quickly," Obito began. "This is an urgent matter. My spies from Konoha has told me that the jinchuriki of the Four Tails, Roshi, has been found."
The rest of the Akatsuki began to grumble among themselves.
"If Konoha is your source, I assume that a team has already been dispatched to secure the jinchuriki," Pain interceded. "Am I right?"
"Indeed. They're crossing the Land of Fire as we speak," it was Zetsu, the black half, who answered the question.
"Of course. That means that we need to dispatch somebody else to deal with the jinchuriki as well," Pain continued. "Konoha already has two jinchuriki behind their walls. Letting them have more would be problematic in the long run."
"The question would be then, who should we send to deal with this new development?" Konan asked.
Obito cleared his throat. "If I may make a suggestion, I already have two candidates in mind."
…
Several Days Later
The group spend the next days traveling through the Land of Fire, leaping from one tree branch to the other, stopping ocassionally to rest. They decided to cross the frontier with the Land of Earth by going through the Land of Waterfalls, given that such border used to be less guarded. Without much difficutly, they managed to reach the border and cross it without trouble.
The change of scenery couldn't be more evident. The thick forest of the Lands of Fire and Waterfall were replaced by a range of mountains and other rocky terrain. While there was still some green, it was obscured by all the rocks and stones. It was as if nature itself warned the newcomers that they had entered another world.
"Alright then," Itachi said, coming to a halt. The other nine ninja stopped behind him. "We just arrived at the Land of Earth. With some luck, neither Iwa nor Akatsuki know that we're here, and we'll leave without them none the wiser. Still, stay alert."
"Fear not, Itachi-san. Hagane's sensory skills and Hanabi's Tenseigan will track any enemy before they can get too close," Tenzo told te Uchiha.
Itachi nodded. "Even then, I want everybody to keep your eyes open, and stay alert. Now, according to our reports, Roshi was last seen in the area to the northeast, so we'll look there first."
"Should we split in order to cover more ground?" Naruto asked.
Itachi shook his head. "While in other circumstances that would be a valid strategy, I'm afraid it won't do now. I want this group to remain close at all times."
"Itachi-taicho, if I'm allowed to speak," Dosu spoke up. Itachi nodded in return. "Given that we have two ninjas with tracking skills, we could split up, but try to keep a minimum distance. Hagane-san and Hanabi-san can tell if a group or an individual wander too far away."
Itachi seemed to consider the bandaged ninja's suggestion, before nodding.
"Very well. Let's form two groups: Naruto, Hagane, Anko and Kin, with me. Dosu, Zaku, Kaida and Hanabi, go with Tenzo," Itachi instructed. "Hagane, Hanabi, make sure both groups won't stray from each other."
"Sure thing!" Hanabi cheerfully said.
"You can count on me," Hagane replied.
Both groups split, as they began their search of the Four Tailed Jinchuriki.
…
Itachi's group went to the northwest, towards a mountain range, while Tenzo's headed towards the west, heading to a series of rocky paths that lead to Iwagakure. However, soon Itachi commanded his half of the group to stop.
"Huh?" Naruto asked, a bit confused.
Itachi didn't say anything, bit his thumb before making a series of five hand seals, and slammed his palm into the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Itachi's jutsu produced a small burst of smoke. After a couple seconds, the smoke dispelled, revealing a small murder of crows at the Uchiha's feet. Itachi dug into his ninja tool pouch, until he found what he was looking for: a small picture of Roshi.
"My group and I are looking for this man," Itachi said as he knelt down, while making sure the crows could see the man in the picture. "Could you help us track him down? He may be around this area."
One of the crows cawed affirmatively, before the whole murder flew away in different directions.
"Uh, neat," Kin praised, before he looked at Anko. "Anko-sensei, why didn't you think in summoning snakes to help us search?"
"Hey, good idea, girl," Anko replied, as she summoned a few small sized snakes. "Alright, we're searching for an old man. Iwa ninja, red hair, red beard. Probably exudes a powerful chakra since he's a jinchuriki. Are you up to the task?"
The snakes wordlessly spread around, quickly slithering until they were no longer visible. Anko decided to take that answer as a "yes".
"Alright then, while the crows and snakes search, let's keep looking for Roshi on our own," Itachi commanded. "Stay close, and keep your eyes open for a potential ambush, either from Akatsuki or Iwa ninjas."
Everybody nodded, and followed Itachi's lead.
…
Tenzo's group moved to the west, with the adult heading the group, followed by Dosu and Haku, and Hagane at the rear, while Hanabi was flying a couple meters above them, her Tenseigan constantly scanning the area. As they ran, Zaku and Dosu started to talk among themselves.
"You know, that man who can use Wood Release," Dosu began. "I think I know who he is."
"Huh?" Zaku replied.
"Back when he was a Konoha ninja, Orochimaru-sam-Orochimaru," Dosu corrected himself, despite the fact that Anko wasn't nearby. "Orochimaru made several experiments to see if he could replicate Wood Release in somebody else. Apparently, that man was the only success."
"Huh. If Orochimaru could do that, why didn't we have an army of Wood Release users when we attacked Konoha?" Zaku asked.
Dosu merely shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he ran out of the First Hokage's DNA. Or that guy was just a fluke."
"Guess that would explain why he wanted to kidnap those brats to begin with, if one of them had Wood Release," Zaku guessed. "Kind of ironic that we're working alongside them."
"Yes, Orochimaru started as a ninja of Konoha, before creating Otogakure," Dosu began. "While we started as Oto ninjas, but now we're working with Konoha. Fate has a twisted sense of humor."
"You know, my cousin used to speak that way," Hanabi suddenly said, as she suddenly appeared between the two. She grinned at them. "My sister told me about you two, and that girl you hang out with. She beat all three of you on her own."
"That's in the past, girl! Now we're much stronger than before!" Zaku angrily retorted.
"I find that doubtful," Hanabi said, as she fixed her eyes on Zaku. "She has the power of a Kage now. And when I'm able to control my power, so will I."
"Girl, shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the surroundings, in case the jinchuriki or potential enemies appear?" Dosu pointed out. "You might be powerful, but by forsaking your duty to trade barbs with us, you're showing how poor of a ninja you are."
"Hmpf!" Hanabi grumbled, but apparently listened to Dosu's words, and flew back into the sky.
"Good one, Dosu. You showed that girl," Zaku said with a grin of satisfaction.
"And you shouldn't let a a young girl bait you like that," Dosu chastised his teammate. "Keep your mind on the mission."
Zaku's smirk disappeared, and turned his eyes forward. "Hmpf. Whatever. No need to be such a stick in the mud."
"Our subpar performance was what led to our capture," Dosu replied. "Even if we now have to throw our lot with Konoha, I'll make sure the past won't repeat itself again."
…
As the Uchiha took the group near the edge of the mountain, he gestured Naruto to come closer. The blond did so.
"What's up, Itachi? Saw something?" Naruto asked.
The Uchiha merely shook his head. "Not yet. Listen, I wanted to talk with you about something else. Hokage-sama told me that Akatsuki knows about your Sage Mode, and how they can counter it before you even get to activate it."
"Yeah. I used to send two clones to gather nature energy, but Akatsuki will be expecting that and prepare for that," Naruto explained, a bit downtrodden.
"Can't you use more clones to gather nature energy?" Itachi asked.
Naruto shook his head. "Large chakra reserves are a must for Sage Mode, and if I create many clones, their individual chakra pools become too small for that. I can't create more than four clones if I want to enter Sage Mode."
"I see," was what Itachi said. The Uchiha remained silent for a few seconds, until he spoke again. "Okay, if a fight happens, this what we'll do."
Itachi told Naruto his idea. The blond's eyes opened wide in shock.
"But...but that's extremely risky! I can't just do that!" Naruto protested.
"Trust me, it will work. I used this tactic with enemies in the past, and it has never failed me," Itachi assured.
"If you say so..." Naruto said, still sounding unconvinced.
"And don't worry about the risks. If it doesn't work, I'll make sure that you're not in danger," Itachi added.
…
As night fell, Roshi decided to set camp in a small clearing he had found in the forest at the top of a small hill, close to a larger mountain range. He was gathering firewood, while his Tailed Beast remained silent, cintemplating his options.
"Stubborn human," the Four Tails grumbled. "The two of us will end dead –or worse– if we don't do something." He sighed, and started to wonder how could approach the topic in a way that Roshi could be convinced.
That's it, until his meditation was interrupted. He sensed a foreign presence, one that he hadn't sense in pretty much decades.
"It can't be," the giant ape thought. "Not, it couldn't be-"
"Hey, you idiotic primate!" a voice resounded inside his head.
It could be.
"Kurama," the Four Tails indentified the voice. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Shut up and listen, you dumb shit flinger," Kurama harshily snapped.
The Four Tails let out a long sigh. "Son Goku. I'm Son Goku. Would it kill you to call me by my name, Kurama? It's bad enough when the humans do it, but to hear it from a brother-"
"I told you to shut up!" the Nine Tails ordered. "And don't even dare to say my name aloud! Only those worthy are allowed to say it!"
Son Goku decided it was for the better not to argue with his nine tailed sibling. "Very well then, You seem troubled. What's the matter?"
"There's not much time, so I'll try to summarize it as best as I can," the Nine Tails began. "There's this organization of extremely powerful missing ninja called Akatsuki. Their goal is to gather all of us and seal us inside the Demonic Statue in order to revive the Ten Tails."
If Son Goku actually had blood, it would have drained from his face. "B-But...that's insane! Inconceivable! If the Ten Tails returns, then this world will be done for! Why any human would want to do that!?"
"Beats me, but if I had to guess, they want to harness the Ten Tails' power for themselves," the Fox guessed. "Foolish humans and their lust for power."
Son Goku would have agreed with that, but now other concerns occupied the giant ape's mind.
"Wait a minute, for somebody to summon the Demonic Statue they would need to possess a Rinnegan, and no such human has been born since our father died," Son Goku reasoned.
"And that's where you're wrong, brother. Another Rinnegan wielder exists. Not to the same level of Father, but fairly powerful as well," the Nine Tails revealed. "Listen, how such human came to be or what the Akatsuki want to do with the Ten Tails is irrelevant. We need to focus on making sure whoever are left among us remain free. Relatively speaking. Now, my jinchuriki and other Konoha ninjas are scouring the are looking for yours. You must convince your human to come to us, before you also fall prety to the Akatsuki."
"So that's what happened to the others," Son Goku reasoned. "I guess that, besides you and me, the only ones left are Chomei and Gyuki, right?"
"I think so, but there's no point in dwelling on that. Do what I said!" The Fox ordered.
"I would gladly try, but I doubt Roshi will listen to me. I've been trying to tell him to seek shelter for the past few months, as I started to sense how our siblings started to vanish one by one," Son Goku replied, sounding a little frustrated. "Even with this new information, I don't see him listening to me."
Son Goku could hear his nine tailed sibling loudly groaning for several seconds.
"Okay, new plan. Can you at least make sure the idiotic human stays in the same place?" the Fox asked.
"He's currently setting camp to pass the night, so that won't be a problem," Son Goku asked.
"Very well. I'm going to focus on your position and direct the jinchuriki and the rest of his group towards you. After that, the humans will take care of the situation," the Fox explained.
"It's possible that Roshi might not want to go with them," Son Goku told him, worried by the possibility. "They may end up fighting."
"If that happens, then don't do anything," the Nine Tails ordered. "And don't assist your jinchuriki. I find unlikely that he alone will be able to defeat the entire group my jinchuriki is part of."
"Very well, brother. I shall be waiting for you," Son Goku said, as he felt his stubborn sibling's presence slowly vanish. "It might not be too late for us after all..."
…
Shortly after this happened, not far away from there, Naruto felt a tugging sensation coming from within. Knowing what it was, he allowed himself to be pulled, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the Nine Tails was in front of him.
"What do you want? I'm kind of busy now," Naruto asked, not in the mood to deal with the grumpy fox.
"Yeah, I know, looking for my foolish brother," the Nine Tails said. "Which, by the way, I already found. You're welcome for doing your job, by the way."
Naruto grew excited, and ignoring the sarcasm, he asked. "Really? Where is he?"
"In a forest at the top of a small hill, surrounded by bigger mountains. Follow my indications and you'll be able to reach his position," the Nine Tails instructed.
Naruto beamed in response. "Thank you, Fox, you're a lifesaver!"
The Nine Tails grumbled a profanity. "I don't do it to help you or your race, but to make sure the Ten Tails is not revived. Now move your ass already!"
Naruto found himself once again in the real world after being abruptly ejected from the Nine Tails' pocket dimension. Itachi was looking at him with mild concern.
"Are you okay, Naruto?" the Uchiha asked. "You zoned there for a moment."
Naruto smiled, and nodded. "I've been talking with the Nine Tails. He said he has located the Four Tails' position. Come on, follow me!"
…
As Roshi heated a piece of meat in front of the campfire, a feeling of uneasyness washed over him. It started when he swore he was feeling his tenant talking to somebody else, almost in a whisper. But that couldn't be, right? Roshi was the only one that monkey was able to talk to, for a rather obvious reason. What could that ape be scheming?
Not helped by a different sense of uneasiness: It was calm. Way too calm and silent. His experienced battle sense was screaming at him that this was the calm preceding a fight, and that enemies were incoming and he was in danger. And he didn't survive for so long by ignoring his often accurate gut feeling.
Pulling out a kunai, Roshi yelled to no one in particular: "Come on, I know you're there. Come outside and let's get this over with!"
As he had guessed, there was somebody there. Nearby bushes started to rustle, and from them a young blond boy emerged, his hands raised above his head, almost as if he was surrendering. The boy was wearing an orange and black attire, plus a Konoha forehead protector.
"A Konoha ninja," Roshi hissed, narrowing his eyes at Naruto. "And you look awfully familiar to the Yellow Flash, kid."
"Yeah, he was my dad," Naruto awkwardly said. He wasn't sure if he should have said that, given how much Iwa ninjas might hate Minato Namikaze. Still, the best course of action was to make his intentions known as soon as possible. "Listen, I swear I didn't come here to fight. Like you, I'm a jinchuriki."
Roshi raised an eyebrow. "A jinchuriki, you said?"
"He's right, old man. He's the jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox," Son Goku's voice said from within. "I've been talking with my sibling, and drew him here."
"You sneaky ape! I know your kind couldn't be trusted!" Roshi mentally snarled.
"Sorry, but you left me no other options. This is important, Roshi, so please stop being so stubborn and listen to what the brat has to say," Son Goku asked, sounding almost like a plea. "Both our lives depend on this."
After pondering his options for several seconds, Roshi decided to at least hear his fellow jinchuriki out. If his intentions were hostile, they would have ambushed him from the get go, instead of coming out in the open.
"Alright kid, I'm listenting," Roshi stated.
Naruto's lips curved into a hopeful smile. "Really? Great! Now, there's not much time, so I'll try to be-"
"But first," Roshi interrupted him. "Tell your friends to come out as well."
"My friends?" Naruto stammered, being taken aback by such statement.
"Yes. I know you didn't come alone. So if you want my trust, you better not have anybody hidden waiting to strike my back at your order," Roshi told him.
Naruto sighed softly, before saying: "Guys, come out!"
More rustling, followed by more Konoha ninjas emerging from behind the darkness and the vegetation. A rather diverse group: men, women, some adults, several young teens, the latter with some eye catching appearances, like the boy covered in bandages, the white haired twins, and a girl that looked like a Hyuga, but her eyes were something Roshi had never seen in his life.
However, most of them were footnotes compared to the presence of Itachi Uchiha, one of Konoha's most powerful ninjas.
"You know, I'm having a hard time believing that you bring a group this large just to talk," a skeptical Roshi said.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Roshi-san," it was Itachi who answered. "We're going to make you a proposition. If you refuse, we will capture you by force."
"But we aren't you enemies!" Naruto chimed in, trying to downplay the inherent threat of Itachi's words. "When you hear what we have to say, you'll agree to come with us. Or return to Iwa, whatever you prefer."
This made Roshi to raise an eyebrow. These Konoha ninja could get their hands on a lone jinchuriki, yet they were okay with letting him return to his old home? There was something fishy about this issue. And as a good ninja does, information gathering is always a must before taking any course of action.
"Now if you listen to me, you'll understand everything, and why I had to bring such a large group with me," Naruto nervously said, before grinning shepishly. "Mind if we take a seat around the fire and have something to eat while we're at it? Searching for you left us quite exhausted."
Roshi rolled his eyes and sighed, but motioned them to do so.
"Now, kid, you have my attention," Roshi told Naruto. "But please don't test my patience."
"Very well then," Naruto nodded, as he began his explaination. "You see, there's this group of missing-nin called Akatsuki. Their goal is to gather all the Tailed Beasts in order to..."
Roshi listened to Naruto's story, at first with skepticism, but his willingness to believe him increased with each word. It seemed like the story had no holes; even the most ludicrous parts, like the Rinnegan or the Sage of the Six Paths had their explaination behind it –not to mention that girl with the weird glowing eyes, the Tenseigan, who was a living proof of what Naruto was saying–. Despite being such an outlandish story, he had to admit everything made perfect sense.
"...and after our failure to save Utakata, only four of us remain," Naruto finished with a weary sigh. "That's why we're trying as hard as we can to secure the remaining jinchuriki. Listen, we aren't going to ask you to come to a village that was your home's deadsworn enemy, but at least you should go back to Iwa. They can keep you safe."
"I don't think I'm ready to return yet," the redheaded man began, shaking his head. "But I'm guessing you aren't giving me any options, right?"
"I'm afraid not," it was Tenzo who answered. "Please understand the situation is too delicate, and we can't risk anything to chance. So far you have two options: you let us escort you back to Iwa, or you come back with us to Konoha."
"And if I refuse either option?" Roshi tentatively asked, albeit he could figure out the answer.
Even if for the untrained eye nothing happened. Roshi could feel how all the Konoha ninjas around him tensed up, ready to fight.
"Then we will incapacitate you and take you to Konoha by force," Itachi stated, his voice firm but devoid of aggression.
"I see," Roshi replied, looking around at the ninjas around him, measuring their potential abilities, and wondering if he could be able to fight all of them at once. Itachi alone would be a huge problem, and so was the jinchuriki if he had a degree of control over the Fox. Then there were the other eight ninjas, who didn't look all that threatening, but one could never let appearances deceive you.
"If you're thinking in fighting us, I'd seriously reconsider," Itachi warned him. "This group has ninjas especifically handpicked for this task due their abilities. Many of us could defeat you alone."
"But please don't take it as a threat," Naruto insisted, trying to sound reassuring. "If we were hostile, we wouldn't be here talking with you, nor would offer you the option to return to Iwa. Please understand the situation is desperate."
"It sounds desperate indeed," Roshi agreed. "It's been a while since I've been involved with the matter of ninjas and villages, so I might not be up to date. But before I tell you my answer, tell me this: what about the other two jinchuriki besides us, kid?"
"From what I know, the jinchuriki of the Eight Tails has been hidden somewhere in the Land of Lightning by his brother, the Raikage," Naruto replied. "While the jinchuriki of the Seven Tails is safe behind Konoha's walls."
"So, if I decide to accompany you to Konoha, I'll at least be with other two of my own kind, right?" Roshi asked. Naruto nodded. "Alright then. Given the alternatives, I think I'll go to Konoha."
"Really!?" Naruto beamed, jumping to his feet.
"Are you sure you don't want to return to Iwa instead?" Anko suggested. "It's your home village after all..."
"Yes, I was born and raised in Iwa," Roshi replied. "But that place never felt like home. People feared and avoided me, afraid that the Tailed Beast within me would escape or take control of my body and harm them. And to be honest I was afraid of that too, that's why I set on a journey in order to learn how to control this power without endangering innocents. However, after some time... I grew to appreciate, and even enjoy the solitude."
"Yeah, I can relate to that," Naruto uneasily said, as he rubbed his arm.
"So Konoha isn't any different from Iwa then," Roshi stated.
"I don't know about Iwa," Naruto began. "But Konoha is awesome."
"But you just say-"
"Yes, people were afraid of me. At first," Naruto stated. "But I had awesome people raising me that helped me deal with my condition as jinchuriki, as well as all the friends who don't mind that I have a giant homicidal fox sealed within my being. And eventually, even those who were afraid of me learned not to."
Roshi's expression softened a little. "That sounds really nice."
"It is," Naruto chuckled.
"The way you earned those people's trust, you make it sound so easy..."
"It wasn't easy, that's for sure," Naruto said. "But it was worth it."
Roshi's mind was then assaulted by a wave of doubts. He wondered if instead of running away, he should have stayed in Iwa and tried to create some bonds, build some friendships. The idea of somebody, other than another jinchuriki befriending him always seemed like an unreachable dream. And this boy came and proved him wrong.
"Things are sometimes much easier than you think, Roshi," Son Goku's voice said from within him. "You'd realize of this more often if you weren't so stubborn."
"So, you're coming with us then?" Itachi asked.
Roshi nodded. "Yes. When are we leaving?"
"I'd like to go now, but traveling by night is dangerous, especially with such a large group like this one," Itachi said. "We'll wait for dawn to break, and we'll head to the Land of Fire."
"Understood," Roshi nodded. "Let's continue eating and have a nice rest then. A long journey will be waiting for us when the sun rises."
…
The Next Day
The group of now eleven ninjas were undoing the journey those from Konoha had done the days before. Fortunately, no Akatsuki nor Rock Ninjas had decided to ambush them at night, and all of them were pretty rested. Combined with the fact that it took pretty little time to convince Roshi to go with them, moral was overall high.
"At this pace, we will be able to reach the border with the Land of Waterfalls in less than a day," Itachi announced. "We will avoid nearby towns in order to keep a low profile. If everything goes well, I estimate that we will be back in Konoha in less than a week."
Everybody nodded, with Naruto smiling as well. He did it. He was finally going to save another jinchuriki after the string of failures following Fu's near capture.
"So, Naruto," Roshi began. "How it's Konoha?"
"Oh, it's awesome!" the blond beamed. "It's really pretty, surrounded by forests and some mountains. People are pretty nice, and ninjas are strong. Oh, did you know that my dad is the Hokage?"
"The Yellow Flash, yes," Roshi nodded.
"No, that's my biological dad," Naruto said. "But guess you have a point. I mean the current Hokage is my adoptive dad. His name is Jiraiya."
Roshi raised an eyebrow. "Jiraiya of the Sannin? Kid, you have some powerful family members. Whose your adoptive mother, Tsunade?"
"Yes! How did you know?" Naruto said.
"I...didn't," Roshi stammered, before claring his throat. "I didn't know those two were married."
"They've been married for more than a decade now," Naruto told him. "Man, were you living under a rock all these years or something? Because really, you don't seem to be aware of all the stuff going on around the world."
"Well, you could say that I was," Roshi admitted. "During my journeys, I did my best to distance myself from civilization."
"I see. Thankfully, it's not too late to fix that," Naruto optimistically said. "Oh, when we arrive Konoha, you have to eat a bowl of Icharaku's Ramen! There's no better ramen than that! Once you taste it, you'll never want to eat anything else."
Roshi chuckled a little. "Heh, that sounds nice. It's been a while since the last time I ate something that I didn't hunt or gathered myself."
Shortly after the group passed a certain spot, a white humaoid being emerged from the ground. It was a White Zetsu. The humanoid creature smirked.
"So, the jinchuriki are already on the run," the White Zetsu said. "Better tell them that their prey is in the open."
And with that, the humanoid aberration sank into the ground again.
Author's Note: So yeah, here they are! After being introduced towards the end of Part I, Team Anko makes its debut! And alongside them, even if they have been recurring characters, Team Tenzo makes it first onscreen official mission! Again, I'm sorry I took so long to feature these two teams, but juggling so many characters and trying to give them enough screentime is insane. I was planning and writing this arc when people were asking about them. And as of this writing, some readers are complaining about how long has it been since the last time Team Gai did anything important. Be patient, guys, this stuff takes time!
And in order to give these characters some screentime, I was unable to bring any Iwa characters other than Roshi into the arc (unlike the Yugito or Utakata arcs, that featured Kumo and Kiri characters, respectively). If you want to see Iwa characters, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I adapt the Kage Summit Arc.
Also, I decided to leave a mystery what Akatsuki members will be tasked with capturing Roshi. Have fun guessing which ones will do it (the only hint is that they won't be Pain nor Konan).
Thanks to Ookami88 for betareading this chapter.
I believe that's all. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review! Reviews make me really, really happy!