Nagato eyed Konoha, Konan hesitant but more than willing to accompany Nagato to someplace other than Ame. Ame was dreary.

They cautiously entered, stopping a person on the road that wore green spandex. Actually, it was a nightmare of a kid with big bushy brows.

"Excuse me, would you happen to know where Uzumaki Na-"

"Follow me this way, friends!" the kid jumped up exuberantly. "I know where the ever-youthful Naruto-kun lives!"

Nagato didn't correct this person.

They followed the kid, and Konan thanked him with a paper turtle.

The kid beamed at her and then rushed off as Konan knocked on the door.

The door opened. By Kiana.

"Kaa-san..." Nagato was at a loss for words.

Konan smiled politely at the woman. "I am Konan, no last name," she said quietly. "This is my brother, Uzumaki Nagato. He cannot walk right now."

He could, but he kind of left his Deva Path to watch over the Akatsuki and his other Paths... Well, they were easily noticed, except his Animal Path, and she was unable to jump, so... Yeah.

Kiana recognized him, and she smiled brilliantly. "Come on in! We're kind of busy tattooing Naruto-sama right now," (fuck, Nagato wished he didn't know that now. Now he couldn't extract the Kyuubi - it would be like killing her. Shit.) "but come right in!"

Indeed, Naruto's back was being inked. With chakra-sealing ink.

"Continue, Karin." The seal was finished not long after that, and Naruto looked like she was in slight pain.

"Naruto-sama," Konan spoke. "I am Konan, no surname or clan affiliation. This is my... Brother, Uzumaki Nagato."

Naruto looked at them. "Hi!" she greeted. Then a serious look appeared on her. "Nagato-san, Konan-san, only one question is asked. Answer right and both of you might join the clan, Konan-san on probationary status." There was a pause. "On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being gross, 5 being 'in moderation, good', and 10 being 'once a day, two bowls at least'... How much do you two like ramen?"

"5," the duo said together. Ramen was only good in moderation to them.

There was a pause. "Okay, you can live here."

"We're going to need to buy this building and get rid of the ceiling to this room," Kiana said after an awkward silence.

"Yeah," agreed Naruto. "This is a crappy apartment building."

"I'll buy it," Nagato offered. "I have a lot of money."

He mentally commanded his Deva Path to order Kakuzu to give him half the money the Akatsuki had saved up by doing the job. Now that he had to protect Naruto, he couldn't extract the bijuu.

Maybe... He perked up and looked at his mother.

"Mother, will we take back our nation?"

There was another pause as Uzumaki Kiana choked on her milk.

"Uh, I think we'd need to find the other Uzumakis before then," she answered after wiping her mouth. "And we still need to adopt an alliance with Uchiha Sasuke. And talk to Senju Tsunade."

"Um... About Itachi-san..." Nagato wished he didn't have to admit to his mother about his... Extracurricular activities.

But then again, it was going to come out anyway. He already knew Itachi's reasons for joining the Akatsuki, anyway.

And there was that little tidbit of Uchiha Obito being alive.

~:~

Itachi looked up when the Leader entered the living room the Akatsuki members were in.

"Kakuzu. I dismiss you from the Akatsuki. As per our agreement, you give me half the funds you collected, and then you keep the rest to use to your psychotic hearts' desires. Sasori, Kisame, Hidan... All but Tobi, Itachi-san, and Deidara are dismissed from the Akatsuki. Take your belongings and leave. Now."

"What about Zetsu, un?"

"He's been dismissed, too," Deva Path smiled. "Now get the hell out."

All but 'Tobi', Itachi, and Deidara left.

"Now, Tobi, I have the knowledge of you being Uchiha Obito... And you can't use your eye, either."

~:~

Nagato blinked. It had only been a few minutes from when he'd made the 'best' decision of his life and told his mother. Of course, Itachi, Obito, and Deidara - and the 'Tobi' skin that was as annoying as hell - were still going to capture the bijuu containers and lie about them being extracted, but really weren't going to extract them.

All for Naruto-sama.