Ch. 40

As Naruto sat cross-legged atop the Hokage monument, he felt the gentle breeze he had grown so accustomed to feeling whenever he was up there. It was a new day and the sun was brightly shining in the sky. It would hide behind the occasional cloud, but for the most part, it was a sunny day. He had taken a new liking to the spot due to its overall mellow atmosphere.

He normally wouldn't be so aware of his surroundings, but he had been meditating for a large part of the morning. After going out for breakfast with Sasuke, he decided to head to the monument and meditate. He had invited Sasuke to meditate as well, but Sasuke had decided to train instead. Naruto would have joined him, but he knew that Hikan was more of a threat to his mind than his body.

As he sat there meditating, he tried to mentally prepare for whatever Hikan may do next. He didn't have much to go off of, but he was glad that he had taken Kakashi's advice. Last night, his conversation with Sasuke and Sakura had given him some clues as to why Hikan did the things he did. It definitely helped him understand his actions, and he felt like he had a better grasp of who he was fighting. Regardless, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Hikan had a trick or two still up his sleeve. He may have a general idea of how to stop Hikan, but he still wasn't sure what to expect. Unfortunately, it always felt like he had no clue what to expect with Hikan involved.

After a few more seconds of silent meditation, he heard footsteps coming up the monument steps. He could sense that it was Sasuke so he just kept his eyes closed and said, "What is it?"

Sasuke finally reached the top and said, "Kakashi said we have a briefing in the Hokage's office 10 minutes from now."

Naruto nodded and said, "Got it." as he finally let his eyes open.

He was hoping that Tsunade and Kakashi would have some new intel for them to work with so he had been ready to go at any moment.

As he stood up, he let out a small sigh and asked, "You think we have some new intel?..."

Sasuke thought about it for a second, then said, "Maybe… We'll find out when we get there." Naruto nodded in agreement as the two started heading down the monument steps.

As the two stepped into the Hokage building, they ran into Sakura. Sasuke gave a small nod of acknowledgement while Naruto gave a small smile and said, "Morning."

She gave a small smile and replied, "Morning."

The three had stayed up talking for a good portion of the night, so it helped to reduce that awkward atmosphere that had surrounded them previously.

As they journeyed towards the Hokage's office, Sakura asked, "You guys know what this is about?..."

Naruto shrugged and said, "No idea. We're as clueless as you are…"

After a short pause, she kept looking forward and said, "Hopefully it's some intel we can work with."

Naruto replied with a sigh, "Hopefully…"

As the three opened the door to the Hokage's office, they saw Tsunade sitting behind her desk while Kakashi was standing to the left of her desk with his arms crossed.

Kakashi looked at the three of them and said, "How are you guys feeling?..." He knew that yesterday had been a long day, so he was hoping they had recovered some.

Naruto shrugged and said, "We're fine…" Then Sasuke and Sakura nodded in agreement.

Kakashi knew that the three always tried to look better then they actually felt, so he made sure to actually examine them. To his surprise, he noticed that the three actually looked like they were in pretty good shape…especially compared to yesterday. It looked like they had somehow recharged their batteries. For once, Sakura looked like she actually had a good night's sleep; Sasuke didn't look tired anymore; and Naruto didn't look anywhere near as broken as he did yesterday. They looked like they had found a new resolve. Maybe something had happened when Sakura brought them their food last night. Kakashi had sent her to Naruto's apartment with his own goals in mind and he was glad to see that it had worked. A little bonding time never hurt anyone. Kakashi wasn't sure what had happened, but whatever it was, he was just happy that it did happen. Whatever it was had served to give them back their determination. Kakashi noted that Naruto looked the most determined of all. There was a seriousness in his face that wasn't forced, it was simply the result of deep focus.

As Tsunade looked at the three, she said, "I'm glad you guys have recovered…" She moved an envelope that was resting on the desk towards them and said, "…but unfortunately most of the shinobi world hasn't…"

She nodded towards the envelope and said, "That arrived this morning..."

Naruto picked it up and said, "What is this?..."

Tsunade replied, "A high alert notice. Pass it around."

Naruto opened it, then spent a little while reading it and passed it to Sasuke. He turned to Tsunade and said, "So the Hot Water Village is on high alert?..."

Tsunade reached into one of the desk drawers on her right and pulled out a huge stack of envelopes. She set them down on the table and said, "They're not the only ones…"

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all wore shocked expressions at the huge stack of envelopes.

Tsunade looked at them and said, "I'm pretty sure there are gonna be a lot more coming in as the day goes on…"

Naruto asked, "Those are all from different villages?..."

Tsunade said, "Yeah. They're all letting us know that they're now on high alert. For the time being, they won't be accepting visitors of any kind. No one in or out of their village. They're basically letting us know that if we approach their village, we'll be met with lethal force…"

Naruto silently said, "All of this is because of Hikan's bombing of the Stone…"

Kakashi said, "That, and his former attack against us. When he attacked us, most of the other villages were on edge. Their reasoning was that if he had the audacity to attack us, he could attack anyone…"

"And now he's confirmed their suspicions…" said Sasuke as he handed the high alert notice to Sakura.

Kakashi replied, "Unfortunately, yes. By attacking us, he put everyone on edge. And by bombing the Stone, he's confirmed their fears and proved that he is willing to attack anyone. No village is safe. As a result, a lot of the villages are on high alert."

Naruto looked down and said, "This is insane…" After a short pause, he looked up and asked, "Are we on high alert?..."

Kakashi said, "With you guys here, we'd like to think that we're pretty safe…so no, we're not on high alert at the moment. We also don't want to worry the villagers anymore than they already are. Ever since news of the bomb got out, the village has been in somewhat of a riot. If we put the village on high alert, the people are gonna think something else is wrong."

Naruto let out a sigh and said, "Hikan just keeps getting closer to getting what he wants…"

Kakashi shot Naruto an inquisitive glance and said, "And what's that?"

Naruto said, "He wants to prove that everyone is like him. To create a world of anarchy… The shinobi world is scared right now. He's gonna try to push them to their breaking point…"

After a long pause, Kakashi said, "Maybe you're right, but unfortunately, we have no proof that Hikan is behind the bombings so we can't touch him..."

Naruto said in an exasperated voice, "Come on, Sensei. By now everyone has to know it's him…"

Kakashi replied, "True, but Hikan has covered his tracks as usual. There's nothing linking him to the bombing in the Stone. Without proof, we'd just have accusations. And with how good he is at spinning things his way, he could start a war with our accusations. On top of that, he still has the Rain's support."

Naruto said in an exasperated voice, "But by now, even the Rain has to know he's behind the attacks. He can't still have their support."

Kakashi replied, "You'd be surprised…"

Naruto cast Kakashi a quizzical look and asked, "What does that mean?"

Kakashi gave a small shrug and said, "I'm pretty sure that by now the people of the Rain have figured out that he's behind the attacks, but he's still in power. And last I heard, no one is trying to remove him from power…"

Naruto said in an unsure voice, "So you think he has their support?..."

Kakashi replied, "Maybe partially… I've got some people over there and word is that there are two groups. Those that are too scared to oppose him, and those that actually support him."

Naruto said, "What?! How could some of them support someone like that?..."

Kakashi shrugged and said, "Because despite all of the horrible things he's doing, the Rain is feared right now. Some of the people like that."

Naruto said in a voice of disbelief, "So they're ok with a terrorist leading them if they're feared?…"

Kakashi replied, "Well when you've been on the bottom for a while, there's a tendency to not care how you get to the top…"

After a short pause, Naruto looked away and said, "That's just sad…"

Kakashi said, "Maybe…but it's the reality…"

After a moment of silence, Tsunade said, "As bad as the shinobi world looks right now, that's not the main reason we called you guys in here."

As everyone turned to face her, she opened the top drawer on her left hand side and pulled out a yellow envelope.

Naruto looked at it inquisitively and asked, "What's that?"

Kakashi answered, "A little gift from Hikan… It just arrived…"

Naruto gave the envelope a suspicious glance as he picked it up and started looking at it. On the outside, it read: To the Hero of the 4th Great Ninja War.

He tightened his upper lip, then opened it and slowly pulled out the contents.

...

He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he saw that it was the pictures they had taken when he went to the Rain. Both of them were standing there smiling into the cameras. At the bottom of the picture it read: Something to remember me by…

Naruto looked at the picture for a few seconds, then sarcastically said, "He really kinda grows on you doesn't he…"

Kakashi said, "You haven't even gotten to the best part…"

Naruto cast him a quizzical glance and said, "What do you mean?"

Kakashi replied, "Look at the back."

Naruto flipped over the picture and saw that Hikan had handwritten a note. He read it aloud. "Endgame. Today at noon. Valley of the End…"

Naruto immediately grew serious and said, "So he's got another plan…"

Kakashi said, "Unfortunately, it looks that way…"

After a short pause, Sasuke said, "Endgame, huh…"

Naruto sighed and said, "Yeah, and he's calling me out this time so he's gotta be confident in whatever he's got planned…"

Kakashi nodded and said, "Exactly, so you need to be careful…"

After a long pause, Naruto said, "So I'm guessing that means I'm leaving soon."

Kakashi replied, "Yes you are. How long do you think it'll take you to get to the Valley?"

Naruto let out a small shrug and said, "Probably less than an hour."

Kakashi said, "Ok. We'll coordinate everything at the main gate. Right now, some of our shinobi are stuck in other villages because of the high alert notices, but those that are still in Konoha are meeting us at the main gate in 10 minutes."

He glanced over to the clock on the wall. 10:48 AM. He turned to everyone present and said, "Let's get moving. We're on the clock…again."

The three nodded in agreement as they turned around to leave. As they stepped outside, Naruto let out a loud sigh and said, "This is it…"

Sasuke said, "Yeah, this is it. But we knew we'd have to be strong for the village. We prepared for this, so we'll be fine."

Naruto slowly shook his head and said, "Yeah..."

As they kept walking through the building, Sasuke asked, "Are you gonna go alone?"

Naruto thought about it for a second, then let out a sigh and said, "I don't know… The last time I met him, he made it clear that if I would've brought anyone, they would've been in danger…"

Sasuke replied, "Last time, you were in his territory. He had the advantage. He could've separated you from those accompanying you and you would've had your hands tied since you were there as a diplomat. If you guys are meeting at the Valley, it's not his territory. He can't control things as easily. On top of that, the main reason you went alone was so that we could try to get some intel covertly. It's obvious that we're through playing games, so you going alone or with a team is a decision you have to make… And I suggest you make that decision fast, or Tsunade and Kakashi might make it for you…"

Naruto thought about it for a while then said, "Maybe I'll take a small team…" He paused for a second then nervously said, "…but no matter what, I need you to stay here…"

Sakura's eyes widened while Sasuke looked at him inquisitively and asked, "Why?..."

Naruto let out a sigh and said, "I can't risk Hikan coming here and catching us off guard again. I need to know I have someone I can trust here."

Sasuke examined Naruto for a moment then said, "Ok."

Naruto was expecting Sasuke to at least be disgruntled at the news, but he seemed to be taking it in stride. He gave him a curious look and said, "You're not mad?..."

Sasuke gave a small shrug and said, "No… If there's one good thing that came from our skirmishes with Hikan, it's that you're improving. In the past, you would've just taken the strongest team you could find. You've learned that power isn't everything. He's forcing you to be smarter..."

Naruto thought about it for a second and said, "Yeah…I guess he is…"

After a little while, he turned to Sasuke and said, "So if I'm getting smarter, am I still a dobe?" Sasuke replied, "You'll always be a dobe..." Naruto let out a small chuckle as they continued walking through the building.

As the three exited the Hokage Building, Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "You mind giving us a minute…" Sasuke looked at him for a second, then nodded and said, "I'll head to the main gate…"

After he was a reasonable distance away, Naruto turned to Sakura and said, "Look…I know we're not like we used to be, but I need to know you're with me."

Sakura let out a small smile and said, "Of course…"

Naruto looked into the distance and said, "If I do have a team, I'm trying to keep it small. The less people the better…" He turned to her and said, "I'm planning on taking you with me. I need people I can trust, and despite how things are between us, you're one of the people I trust the most…so do you have my back?..."

Sakura said in a voice that showed she wanted him to already know the answer, "Naruto, I'll always have your back..."

Naruto noticed that it actually pained her for him to have asked her that with uncertainty. He felt a little bad so he decided to just continue the conversation.

He looked towards the main gate and said, "The only other person I'll probably take is Kakashi. It doesn't matter if our team is small. We both know that overpowering Hikan physically isn't an issue. I have no idea what to expect so I'll need the sharpest minds out there. You're the smartest girl I know, and it's no secret how smart Kakashi is in the field."

As Sakura examined him, she could see that he was really focused on bringing Hikan down. It was the most focused she had seen him in a long time. He had to be blaming himself for not being able to stop Hikan sooner. She looked at him and said in a soft voice, "Don't worry…we'll get him…"

Naruto wore a small smile and said, "Yeah…" as they began to head towards the main gate.

As the two started heading towards the main gate, Naruto quietly said, "If you want, we can talk about things between us when we get back, but right now, we've just gotta focus on stopping this guy..."

Sakura slowly turned to face him. He was very purposefully avoiding her gaze by looking straight towards the gate. She never expected him to approach her on the subject of their relationship. She thought that he was just content with being comrades, but maybe he wasn't happy with where they were either. She let out a small smile and said, "Ok…"

As the two arrived, they saw that Tsunade, Kakashi and Sasuke were standing by each other. The other nin present were Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Neji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, and Hinata.

Tsunade said, "I think that's everyone."

Kiba said, "Yeah…everyone who's not stuck in another village…"

Naruto looked at him and said, "We're gonna stop this guy…"

Kiba said, "I hope so..."

Kakashi waited until the conversation was finished, then turned to Naruto and said, "Now that you guys are here, let's coordinate." He crossed his arms and said, "Hikan knows we're onto him, so there's no point in trying to be diplomatic. Naruto, you'll be heading in with a team-" Naruto cut him off and said, "You and Sakura."

Tsunade turned to him and said, "What?..."

Naruto said in a firm voice, "I only want to take Kakashi and Sakura."

Tsunade looked over to Sasuke and said, "What about him?"

Naruto said, "We've already talked. He's staying here to help protect the village just in case Hikan has something up his sleeve."

Tsunade turned to Sasuke and gave him a questioning glance. Sasuke simply said, "He's right. We need someone here to protect the village."

Shikamaru turned to Naruto and said, "You're going to need all the help you can get. Take Sasuke with you. The only reason Hikan was able to do the damage he did the first time is because most of us weren't here. If he runs into us, we'd be able to stop him."

Naruto slowly shook his head and said, "I'm not too sure about that…"

Neji said, "I think you are underestimating us…"

Naruto replied, "No… I think you all are underestimating Hikan..."

Kiba said, "He may be strong, but if he comes here, he wouldn't be able to take all of us on."

Naruto replied, "You can't beat him just by being strong. Sasuke has to be here."

Shikamaru crossed in arms in annoyance and said, "Look Naruto. You may have all of your powers, but Hikan still has a Sharingan and a Rinnegan. We have no idea what jutsu he knows or if he has any techniques that you need to be wary of. If you fight him, it'll be helpful to have someone with similar abilities on your side."

Naruto said, "I'll be fine."

Shikamaru's voice noticeably changed into one of exasperation as he said, "You can't always just do what you want Naruto. If Sasuke stays, at least take some of us with you. If it's just you, Kakashi and Sakura your team is too small."

Naruto firmly said, "No. That's not necessary. You guys stay here as backup for Sasuke in case things go south."

Shikamaru dropped his arms and said, "Dammit Naruto! You're not making this any easier."

Naruto remained resolute and said, "That's because I know my plan works…"

Kiba said, "We don't even know what plans Hikan has. How do you know your plan works? He could be trying to end the world for all we know."

Naruto shook his head and said, "Trust me, he's not gonna be doing anything like that…"

Shikamaru said, "How do you know?"

Naruto said, "Because he still has something to prove to himself and to the world. He can't destroy it...not until he's proved his point…"

Kiba half yelled, "What does that even mean?!"

Naruto said, "It means that I know what he wants to prove and I know that he would never try to destroy the world unless he had proven it."

Shikamaru shook his head and said, "And you're willing to bet the future of the world on that?..."

Naruto looked away for a second then looked back to Shikamaru and said in an unyielding voice, "Sasuke stays."

Hinata noticed the tense atmosphere and tried to calm things down a bit. She softly said, "Naruto-kun, if Sasuke went with you, we'd have plenty of people left to defend Konoha."

Naruto let out a small sigh and said, "I know Hinata, but I want Sasuke here."

Shikamaru said, "Well, unfortunately, you don't always get what you want."

Naruto replied in a slightly more excited state, "It's not just about what I want. It's about who we're dealing with… There are no other options…"

Ino said, "But maybe we could-"

Naruto cut her off and said, "NO!"

His reaction startled everyone and led to a moment of silence falling over the group. After a short pause, he let out a small sigh and said, "I'm sorry, but no…" He looked around and said, "Trust me… Hikan doesn't have some crazy plan to end the world…but he knows that if he does something to either or all of you, he's gonna end my world… And I'm not letting that happen…" He looked down and said, "Despite how things have been these past few years, I care about each and every one of you… And I'm not gonna risk losing even one of you…or any of the villagers…"

After he said that, there was a moment of silence as everyone realized why he was pushing so hard for Sasuke to stay.

After a short pause, Shino said, "So you're trying to prevent collateral damage…" He thought to himself for a second then said, "Now it makes sense. You need a killer who's strong enough to immediately deal with the threat, and you know that Sasuke won't hesitate to do what needs to be done if Hikan ends up coming here..."

Naruto paused for a moment then slowly shook his head and said, "Yes…"

After a few moments of silence, Shino said, "I'm with Naruto…"

After a short pause, Sakura said, "So am I. No more collateral damage…"

Naruto looked at the both of them and gave them small nods of thanks.

Neji turned to Naruto and said, "If I would have known your full reasoning, I would have been with you from the start."

Naruto let out a small smile and softly said, "I'll try to explain myself better next time…"

Kiba jokingly said, "You better…"

As the mood finally started to relax some, Tsunade looked over to the clock by the main gate. 11:03 AM. She turned to Kakashi and said, "We're running low on time. We've gotta make a decision."

Kakashi thought about it, then said, "I trust him."

Tsunade replied, "So do I, but does that mean we just let him do this his way?..."

Kakashi paused for a second then said, "Let's allow him to make the decision, but we'll also let him know that if something doesn't work out because of how he chose to do things…it's on him."

Tsunade said, "That would be a tough thing for him to live with if something went wrong."

Kakashi sighed then said, "I thought I could continue to protect Naruto from the harsher realities of this world, but the reality is that he's going to have to make decisions like these. He'll have to make them now and even more so when he's Hokage. And he'll have to learn to live with the consequences of making a bad choice. I just really hope that right now he's making a good one…"

After a short pause, Tsunade sighed and said, "Ok... We'll do that..."

Kakashi nodded then stepped towards Naruto. He said in a firm voice, "Tsunade and I have decided to let you follow your plan, but just know that if anything goes wrong because of your plan, it's on you…"

Naruto thought to himself for a second then said, "If I truly understand Hikan, then this is the best plan...and I stand by that..."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Ok… Then let's go."

Naruto gave a nod of approval and started walking towards the main gate. His walk was determined. Strong. Resolute. As Kakashi watched him, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. Naruto may have changed a bit, but deep down, he was still the same person he used to be. He still had that same drive to protect those closest to him and he was willing to fight tooth and nail to make sure they were safe. He let out a small smile and said under his breath, "Are you watching, Master Jiraiya?..."

Naruto looked back to Kakashi and said, "You coming Sensei?..." He looked up and saw that Naruto and Sakura were now standing outside the gate. He got ahold of himself and started walking over to them. As he arrived, Naruto said, "It's not like you to daydream Sensei…" Kakashi let out a small smile and said, "I do every now and then…"

Naruto smiled and said, "Ready?"

Kakashi replied, "Yeah."

Naruto looked forward and said, "Good. Let's go stop this guy."

Not long after, the three were engulfed in the orange chakra that had become so well known to all. As the Kurama avatar formed, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi gave small waves to everyone still on the floor.

As they prepared to fly off, Naruto wore a small smirk and said, "That's so Sasuke…"

Sakura and Kakashi looked down and saw that Sasuke was standing there with his arms crossed.

Naruto looked at him and gave a small nod. Sasuke returned the nod to which Sakura said, "At least he nodded. Usually you'd be lucky to get a blink out of him."

Naruto let out a small chuckle and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

As they started flying away, Naruto said, "Hope you guys are ready for whatever this is…" Sakura nodded and Kakashi said, "We will see. We will see…"

Author's Note

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite because I will be updating this story consistently. This story will be completed. Believe it!