"Naruto."

Hearing this dark, hateful voice that called him from within; Naruto came to a halt in his movements, stopping atop of a tree. There was nothing but a huge forest around him. He could not sense a single shinobi within a close distance. He was safe. Nobody could see him from here. He allowed himself to fall from the tree, landing on the ground before placing both his hands inside his pockets as he started walking slowly.

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

Naruto raised a curious eye brow before smiling. "I see, even if I cannot sense it, you can do it. Sage Mode improves my capabilities exponentially, but when it comes to picking up the location of another Bijuu, you do it better."

Kurama didn't like where this was going. He could sense the Sanbi and they were heading straight to it. It was going to take some time, but there was now no doubt that Naruto was heading straight to it. It could not be for good reasons. There was no doubt that the blond wanted something and he was afraid to conclude what his mind was telling him it was. He was plotting something and it was likely going to end up as a disaster for him if Konoha ever found out about this. The Hidden Leaf didn't know and it was likely going to end up being suspicious if it ever found out.

"You are after all going back for the Sanbi."

"Of course… I must thank you for it. If it was not because I was using up to six tails worth of your chakra, I would probably not have noticed it. But in that mode, I sensed it. I was with Jiraiya so, I made no noise about it. I'd hoped I would return for it…" Naruto stated. "Does it bother you?"

"Of course it does. Do you think I am willing to share a host with the Sanbi? If you have me, you don't need another Bijuu."

Naruto laughed. The Kyubi was truly a prideful Bijuu. And it was not ashamed of it. The Bijuu didn't waste a chance to remind him of its power or what it was capable of doing. "Same reason you tried sabotaging my progress with Senjutsu. I have already told you that your power will be used, but I don't want to ever depend on it that I cannot save my skin without tapping into it. Perhaps in your view, humans are just hateful things that only see Bijuus as a source of power. I won't deny that I value your power. I will use it. There are many lengths I will reach that will require me to master it. You may hate me for it, but I can't do without it. We are both stuck in this situation. I would rather you didn't hate me though. You are the only one who has been with me since my birth. You know my internal struggle, you have saved my life in many situations. For such a life saver, I appreciate you.

"But I still need the Sanbi, for what is ahead. And I am going to take it in. You cannot stop it. No one can. At this stage, my path to it is unchallenged. And no one in Konoha will ever know unless I tell them about it."

"With what skill?"

"I'll admit that my Fuinjutsu skills are lacking, but basic things are simple to do once you study them hard enough," Naruto said with a slight shrug. "Naturally, I would never allow Konoha to know how good it is. They would have me under constant surveillance. You just need to be happy that you will get someone you can talk to. Someone who can understand you better. You won't share the same cell, but I am sure you will be able to get together and talk. Other Bijuus are like siblings, aren't they? And you are the strongest, you should be able to keep the Sanbi at bay while I learn a stronger seal."

Kurama snorted. "Like hell I will do that…"

Naruto smiled. "If you don't; the Sanbi will be the one take control over my body, and consequently you."

For a moment, Kurama thought of cursing Naruto. But he just smiled. "I'd preferred the idiot you. Manipulating that brat into taking more power he could not handle was easier. My escape from this damned place would have been closer. But being inside someone who is a least smart is not much of a humiliation. Besides, you are planning something, aren't you?"

"I only plan on being the greatest Uzumaki and shinobi to have ever walked the face of this earth."

Nagato expressionlessly stared into the waters through the eyes of Tendou, just wondering if things were going to be all right. Or at least if things would not come to bite them with how things were at this stage in the Elemental Nations. A war was coming and he had been milking the Great Villages for money. He had his reasons, but he had not thought that they would be discovered so quickly. Jiraiya had come here – his former sensei. He had found them, made some realizations and then was able to escape – half dead as he was. It was still a case for concern. He'd not wavered at the thought of killing his former sensei. But, the man still got away.

If secrets had to be protected in the most extreme way, Konoha's complete destruction would do it for him.

"This is going to be a problem," Konan said, to him, looking at the spot where the Toads had dragged Jiraiya.

Nagato nodded. "We will send a message to Konoha about this. They will soon know that Hanzo is dead and if the other shinobi villages know that we are located here, there is bound to be movements into our borders, especially from Iwa. Kumogakure may even be more inclined to attack us now given our missions against them."

"History will try to repeat," Konan said. If it happened as Nagato said, the Great Nations would try to take over this nation. They will fight in their lands. Kumo and Iwa were already making noise in neighboring nations to secure routes for when they go to war. The Rain has always been used as a battleground for wars. It was going to suffer once more if they did not get ahead of this. "I will raise defenses, but what if Konoha attacks?"

"Itachi's loyalty is still questionable… it would be preferable to send him to the Leaf to discover what movements they are making. Regardless, if they attempt to attack, we will hit them first," Nagato stated. "We will protect the Rain at all costs, even if it means we must capture Jinchuriki to get this done."

"Must I still send Itachi? It would be a good test to his loyalties."

"Yes. If we find out their actions can lead to trouble; we will assemble and take appropriate action."

Konan knew what that meant.

Naruto stood on a branch of a tree, watching a huge lake covered in mist. He'd already sent a clone to check it out, and that was a disaster he dared not enter. The mist was not just any mist, it was dangerous and the clone had gotten lost in itself before dispelling. But he'd learned something. This was of course, still the general location he head recorded while using the Kyubi's sharp senses. It was not going to be his first time facing a Bijuu, but second time. This would be different nevertheless. The Sanbi was much more powerful than Shukaku.

Still, it was a wonder why no one has been able to find it. The Bijuu has not had an appearance since the Yondaime Mizukage, at least as far as Jiraiya had told him. But it was not the only Bijuu missing. Kiri's other Jinchuriki was also missing.

Naruto removed his coat and then his t-shirt. The bandages on his arm stretched over his shoulder. He removed them as well, revealing a fully tattooed arm with black ink. His exposed chest was covered by a dark mark of the Uzumaki swirl. "I guess I don't have to hide this anymore," he said in thought.

"Was there a need to even hide it?"

"You never know in the Hidden Leaf," Naruto responded with a shrug. This was going to be a mission. He could protect himself from the mist by becoming a miniature beast. It would be a lot quicker of a method to attract the Bijuu's attention. He didn't think he was going to fail. The Shodai Hokage had done this to all Nine Bijuus… he could do it.

"And you say you won't even depend on my power but the first thought you have when facing a difficult task is me…"

Naruto shrugged, keeping his hands together. It was a necessary thing at this point. He was strong, but he was not going to take the risk of injuring himself or leaving traces of his presence here. He still had another mission he needed to do. There would be questions to answer if he ends up having to need hospital attention from an injury suffered because of extracurricular duties that he was not even supposed to engage.

Crimson chakra started bubbling out from within, completely surrounding him. Once two tails formed, he dropped into all fours, as he poured out more chakra from the seal. The third and fourth tail started to form. These released a powerful shockwave that tore through the trees around him, creating a crater where he stood. Within a minute, he was no longer Naruto, but a crimson miniature Bijuu with four tails. The power that emitted from him was his transformation was complete caused the ground to shatter once more under the weight.

After releasing a growl, he vanished into thin air. He was just running high speed.

He went past the mist without suffering and only stopped once he was floating above the waters, standing in front of the Sanbi. It said nothing nor did it make any movement. Of course it would recognize the power of the Kyubi. It probably knew they were coming all along. The power of the Kyubi slowly dispersed as Naruto undid the transformation. He had the Bijuu's attention, and no longer required the Kyubi's protective powers.

"Hello, Sanbi."

The Bijuu did not say anything but just stared at him with its lone opened eyes. But Naruto was not bothered. He just smiled. "I know you can hear me. And you probably think that I have come here for your power, to capture you. You are not false if you think that. I have come here for that, but I would rather you willingly allow me to do it than fight."

After a moment, the Bijuu responded in a quiet, yet powerful tone. "Why bother asking if you are still going to use force?"

"It is the logical choice," Naruto responded in a flat tone. "Using force means that I have to fight you every day. I am already at war with the Kyubi and as you can imagine, he is not the easiest to deal with. Between having your cooperation and being in-between two Bijuus, which do you think is best?"

Isobu didn't answer the question. He kept quiet, ignoring Kurama's threats that he not allow himself to be captured. He assumed the Bijuu didn't want him to see him in a pitiful state. After many years, Kurama had been the only Bijuu to remain uncaptured as all who came to it failed. "You already have the strongest power Bijuu inside of you, what more do you want? Your eyes do not appear to be greedy."

Naruto held out his right hand. "There is a war that is coming… and the warring villages will soon know about your location and once they do, they will come for you. If one knows, they both know. It will become a major race, in which all villages will probably try to get involved. Kiri will probably come out of its shadows, claiming that you were originally sold to it, and thus belongs to them. It would just make things worse, and an all-out shinobi world war would break out quickly. When it comes to the hunt of power, shinobi villages will do anything. I want to erase this element by taking you in. If you are not available, it means there is no one who will fight for you. But I won't lie to say I won't use your power. I am a Jinchuriki, I must benefit from that." He paused before asking. "Are you going to fight me or will you willingly take residence in me? On the bright side of things, you get to laugh at the Kyubi. He is in a rather pitiful position. He spends all his time curled up in poverty despite all his power, and cannot break out, no matter how much he tries."

With Kurama and the Sanbi

"What?" Kurama growled, glaring at the Sanbi. They were somewhere where no human could forcefully enter. Even though he was between them, Naruto could not hear them.

"I assume your host appeared before me using your power to display that he has control over your power. Unlike Shukaku, I know you are the most powerful and won't attempt to fight you if there is no need," Isobu stated calmly. "But you do have an interesting Jinchuriki. He seems like a nice person, much better than my last host."

Kurama snorted. He was not going to ever admit that Naruto was not like Madara or so many humans who only saw power in them. The blond had even bothered talking to the Sanbi because he appreciated that it was more than just a mass of chakra that needed to be controlled by humans. He was not bad. But Kurama was still not going to admit that. He just closed his eyes and spoke.

"He has control over my chakra, though not full control. But that is more than enough to defeat you… not to mention he uses Sage Jutsu…"

Rarely, had Tsunade seen Jiraiya so weak, so vulnerable, looking towards death. The Toads had dropped him off. It required both her students to get him on track, to get him inching towards survival. When she'd beat him towards the inch of his life for peeping, he'd nearly died. But this was brutal. Chakra rods had pierced through his chest, barely missing his vital organs but his left lung was punctured. His left arm torn off from the shoulder, his chest had been crushed; head injuries scared her the most. He'd looked a bit deformed, as if he'd been bullied by merciless vultures without care for life. She wondered if he would even regain consciousness any time soon, and if he regained, would he even be the same?

She made hand movements and an Anbu flashed into the room. "Call Shikaku and tell him to meet me at the office, now."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Jiraiya had gone to a mission to find out more about the Akatsuki and its leader. This mission took him to the Rain… He was returned moments ago by the Toads, just clinging to his life." Tsunade said in a serious tone, while sitting behind her desk.

Tsunade needed to say no more. The Sannin was basically the strongest shinobi in the village. The likes of Kakashi could not be compared to the Sannin. For him, to have been beaten to an inch of his life where he had to escape, it was troubling. He'd assumed the Akatsuki was powerful. Their leader at least. He had to be powerful to be able to put a leash on S-rank criminals with the likes of Orochimaru having been a former member. But who could have thought someone would beat down Jiraiya?

"What more information do we have?"

"Jiraiya has that information but he is not conscious at the moment. I would have Inoichi try enter his mind to find out more, but I will wait for a little to allow him to recover. He is in a bad shape. But what the Toads said was that the Rain is not in a civil war, and the leader of the Akatsuki leads the village. They have also said that he is the wielder of the Rinnegan."

Of all these years, everyone has avoided the Rain because it was said to be in a civil war. There was the fact that spies never returned from the village. If they returned, they were not able to get past security. But those rumors were exaggerated. The troubling fact was that this person wielded the Rinnegan. Jiraiya had always spoken about the eyes, but she'd paid much mind because it was always his ramblings about the child of prophecy.

"We have to assume that they won't be happy that he escaped and may attack us," Shikaku said in thought. "The village has to be on high alert. Do we inform the others, though?"

Tsunade shook her head. "It will only make things worse. We can only inform Sunagakure. It won't do anything but ally with us. If we inform Kumo, they will attack and Iwa won't just stand still. They will move out and the war starts quickly before we have even had the chance to prepare for how we handle it. We will keep things to ourselves," she said in a hardened tone. "But the village has to be on maximum alert. We cannot not even allow word of Jiraiya's situation get out."

"Of course… and then clan heads?"

"They don't need to know…" Tsunade was quick to say. "But speak to Danzo. Use force if necessary. He was in cohorts with Hanzo. He should have had some knowledge about when things stopped. At least from him, we will be able to get the picture of when the civil war ended," she ordered.

"Hai…"

Naruto expected to see someone cruel, not a woman caring for a child. It was almost sad that he had to do this. But this was bound to make things complicated. He needed Guren alive, but it would be difficult if she was fighting back. Playing nice would probably get him killed. The people close to Orochimaru are not known for their kindness. Just because she was showing kindness to the boy she was with didn't mean that she was going to show it to him. Shoving his thoughts to the back of his head, Naruto turned inside.

He closed his eyes for a couple of minutes and was forced to snap them open when he sensed projectiles moving toward him. Crystal blades were hurled toward his figure in speed. They all hit him, simultaneously before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto landed on the ground, just below the tree and looked around with a slight frown.

Guren suddenly appeared in front of him; a blue crystal blade formed around her arm, as she swiped her right hand towards his face. Naruto took a step back, watching the blade pass his face before slamming into the tree's trunk with his back. Guren took another step forward, swinging her blade across his face once more.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Lance!"

Simultaneously, another Guren jumped in above the first clone. She formed a huge blue crystal lance, and then drove it towards Naruto's chest. The first Guren flashed out of the way, clearing the way for the lance, which was aimed straight towards his chest. Naruto channeled chakra into his legs, and then jumped up. He caught the lance between his knees while in mid-air and then held flashed a wind enhanced kunai straight at Guren's forehead. The kunai hit her in her forehead, and then she collapsed into nothingness, along with the lance.

When Naruto landed down, he was forced to fold his hands across his chest when Guren suddenly appeared out of nowhere, in front of him, slightly above the ground; her right foot, swinging towards his chest. When the kick connected with his hands, he winced slightly, feeling that he was hit by something hard. The kick pushed him back into the tree's trunk.

The moment he touched the tree with his back, a crystal blade pierced through the tree from the other side. Naruto was forced to bring both his hands, behind, to block the tip of the blade from piercing through his back, just about the spine. He had covered his hands with chakra, to give it a bit of defensive capabilities. While the blade was able to pierce through the tree, it didn't cut through his hands. When the Guren in front of him lunged at him once more, Naruto, inhaled air.

"Wind Style: Great Wind Breakthrough!" He released a powerful gust of wind that slammed into Guren within seconds. The moment it connected with her, it sent her crashing backwards.

Seeing an opportunity, Naruto disappeared in a blur. He appeared behind Guren, a little below her and then grabbed her right foot. He twisted around, before hurling her towards a tree. She remarkably, twisted several times, and then hit a tree with both her feet, standing upside down, but her eyes straight directly at him. She was the real one alright.

"That is some welcome, Guren… that is your name, yes?" Naruto stated in a measured tone.

Guren did not leave from the tree. She remained in her position, staring at him with calculating eyes. He was not making any moves, she realized. It appeared as if his movements were calculated. Even after hurling her, he had remained in the same position. But he was not open. She smiled: at least this was not going to be a bore.

"What do you want, Konoha shinobi?"

"I was sent to capture or at least get information regarding Orochimaru's current location within the Sound. Rampaging on different hideouts will alert him… and as such we want his precise location," Naruto explained. "When I was informed that a woman named Guren was my target, I expected someone huge, and maybe unbearable. Orochimaru does have a thing for deforming everything he touches. I did not expect to see such a beautiful woman. I am honored," he said with a sly smile on his lips.

"I don't need to be told by you that I am beautiful. I know it," Guren stated in a firm tone. "I am not giving you anything about Orochimaru. And since you know my location, he probably does so as well. I cannot allow you to leave this place…"

Naruto looked up for a moment. "Is this why you sealed off the area?" he asked.

"You noticed?"

"Briefly," Naruto said while taking out two kunai. He took a single step forward and then hurled one straight toward Guren. She immediately jumped out of the way, and the kunai just pierced through the tree.

A second later, he was in front of her, his right foot in the air. She didn't wait to be attacked but made a run for it by flashing away from the path the kick. Naruto's foot slammed into the tree. The moment it did, Guren was behind him, flashing a blade across his back. When it connected, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She smiled, looking around.

"You made the clones before hand. And your use of them is quite impressive…" she complemented. "But you're going to need more than that to beat me."

"You think?"

Guren's eyes widened slightly, she gnashed her teeth, veins popping over her forehead when Naruto suddenly appeared in front of her. He'd slammed a brutal punch of her gut. She felt as though the intestines were ready to be vomited. How could he punch that hard? How had he even moved that fast? He hadn't been moving that quickly before. She flashed away from him, and landed a distance away, both hands around her gut, but her eyes glaring at him. She noticed that his eyes were different. His presence was also different. Something had changed.

When he suddenly disappeared once more, she quickly encased her body in a crystal armor. He was in front of her once more. Guren tried to straighten up, to try to defend herself, but there was no attack that came. Her instincts remained intact as she glared curiously, but out of nowhere, his right hand gripped her by face and then picked her up. It was an iron grip. There was just no way could a normal hand hold her so tightly. She didn't struggle but placed both her hands around his arm, and started to crystalize it. He responded by slamming her to the ground. Boom! A sizeable crater was created when she hit the ground with her back.

Naruto jumped back, creating some distance between him and Guren. Crystal Release: it was a unique bloodline. And dangerous. If not for Senjutsu, he would most likely struggle to break down her defenses. But he didn't want to prolong this. There was no need for that. He wanted to test things, but if he captured her, Konoha was going to find out what was inside of her head, even this encounter. He didn't want the village knowing his secrets. He could even do well without talking to her. If there was a way he knew that could destroy memories, then perhaps there would be a way to talk to her.

"I apologize, but we must end this quickly. However, if you tell me about Orochimaru, I promise you that I will protect that boy, even from Konoha." Naruto said in a serious tone, while taking slow steps towards Guren was now on both her feet.

She hissed. "Lies."

"I guess there is no reason to take the word of a shinobi," Naruto said with a sigh. In this world, there was no trust. You only trusted your hands and jutsu. Once more, he was gone. "But I wish you'd trust me a bit more."

Guren narrowed her eyes behind. Naruto was standing there, facing the other way, but his right hand was being swung backward, still crystalized. She fell forward, hitting the ground and flipping once before twisting around to face the blond. He was already in front of her, his right knee moving towards her gut. She grinned.

"Shoton: Suishourou no Jutsu!"

Naruto's movements halted, as crystal started forming below him. He glanced down, with curious eyes, and watched as he was quickly enchased by the crystal. Within a moment, he was fully stopped, surrounded by the jutsu.

Guren took a small breath in relief. For a moment, she had been a little fearful. He was indeed strong. The problem she had here was that he was not giving her time to prepare or attack. He was a relentless in his pursuit. But there was no escape now. As soon as she thought that, the crystal started to crack. She didn't dwell on it, but quickly went through hand seals.

When the Crystal shattered around him, Naruto found himself staring at pink eyes of a crystal dragon. He quickly formed a Rasengan, and slammed it toward the incoming jutsu. It collided with the jutsu's head, shattering but the dragon still did not stop. Guren suddenly flashed below him, her right arm encased by crystal. She landed a punch on Naruto's chest. The brutal force behind her punch caused the crystal to shatter and Naruto was picked up from the ground. Before the momentum could send him flying backwards, she grabbed his outstretched hand, and then twisted around with enough force to pull him around. She then hurled him into the trees. As soon as she released him, Guren did more hand seals.

Naruto looked back, seeing that he was flying straight towards a sharp crystal that threatened to pierce through his back. The crystal had formed from the trunk of the tree he was going to crash into. Naruto couldn't stop his movements. He brought both hands behind, and channeled the natural energy into them to offer more protection. Both hands grabbed the crystal before he could hit it with his back. It shattered under the force.

While the crystal shattered, Guren flashed behind him, in mid-air. She twisted around, her right foot slammed onto the back of his bead, sending him crashing into the trunk of the tree with his back. "Crystal Release: Crystal Lance!" She shouted, lunging straight toward Naruto aiming for his chest.

Naruto released a bit of chakra and then held out both his hands. He timed everything to perfection to avoid a slip. He then caught the lance between his hands, and pressed in, causing it to crack. A cloudless clone appeared out of thin air, standing on the lance. Without warning, its right foot slammed onto Guren's forehead, hard.

Guren winced. She felt as though the world was spinning. A hammer had hit her straight on her forehead. Even the rest of her body had trembled slightly. She didn't feel anything as she rocketed backward like a bullet. She only felt the pain when her body crashed into a tree, crushing through it. She closed her eyes, wincing in pain and then skidded on the ground for a few moments before coming to a halt.

Her instincts kicked in when Naruto appeared behind her. A crystal wall sprouted from the ground, just between them. The second it formed, the clone flashed in front of her, and then drove a right punch towards her face. Guren dodged the punch by side-stepping it. The punch hit the wall, shattering it completely. She jumped out of the way, landing atop of a tree branch. She breathed in and out when he didn't immediately attack her.

Naruto looked up to Guren for a moment, before nodding silently. The clone on the side disappeared into thin air. He was certainly not going to give her the time to attack him. She was a powerful kunoichi and things would not be going as they were if he was not using Senjutsu. The extra speed, raw power natural energy gave him countered her unique Ninjutsu.

He did a couple of hand seals before releasing a huge amount of chakra.

Guren didn't wait to see what was happening. She immediately jumped into the air, observing what was happening. It just came out of nowhere, when violent winds picked up around the area. She felt her hair stand when the leaves started being blown up, trees being pulled up. It was a violent storm that just suddenly struck the area. Within a couple of moments, debris had started to pick up, trees being hurled into different directions. What caught her attention was the fact that nothing was happening within the immediate location of Naruto. He was still holding his hands together. It just meant that he needed to be still to keep the jutsu active.

She clapped her hands together and then appeared just behind him in the safe zone. She activated her blue blade and tried to swing it towards his back. Before the blade could cut him, another Naruto appeared behind, driving kunai through her right shoulder. Guren crumbled down into small pieces of crystal before disappearing into thin air.

Shoton: Suishourou no Jutsu!"

Both Naruto and the clone became completely encased by crystal. It didn't work the first time, there was no way it was going to work the second time. She was not a believer of the thought that if it doesn't work the first, try it again and again. He was going to break out. She was even relieved when the winds started to die down, the flying trees started to fall. There had been much destruction. It was a powerful jutsu that he used, but at the same time, it had a weakness.

Guren did quick hand seals as the crystal around Naruto began to shatter.

Surprises in fight were never pleasant. But Naruto should have expected this. The moment the crystal shattered, hitting his clone as well, he found himself surrounded by hundreds of crystal blades. He should have expected something to happen. But there was just no way to prepare if she was going to quickly hit him the moment the crystal shattered. He only needed to blink and the blades would hit him. This was not wanted, but he could not avoid it. He blinked, and the blades slammed into him.

Boom!

It was not the collision of the blades that made the sound but it was the explosion of crimson chakra. A chakra that was so evil it made Guren take a slight step backwards. Orochimaru was sinister, but she had never felt chakra so evil and sinister before. The potent chakra surrounded the blond entirely, she could not even see what had happened to her jutsu but she knew, he had been hit. There was just no way he could avoid it, unless he was the yellow flash or the Fourth Raikage.

When the chakra cleared, Naruto was standing in the same position. His clothes were spotting multiple cuts, he had a few cuts that were healing. But it didn't appear that there was something serious. She frowned slightly. But there was still that chakra, although not completely visible, she could still feel it. His skin was even burning.

"You ar-" Guren was not allowed to finish her words. "Arg!" She cried in pain, gasping for air after a sickening crash on her chest that broke her rib cage. She had felt bones shatter, not just break. It came out of nowhere, but Naruto had not hit her. Her last ditch movement to avoid his blow had worked, and he had missed her. But there was an inconceivable force that still hit her. She had not seen it. She would have been sent rocking away, but the moment she was picked up into the air, her left foot was crabbed and then she was slammed to the ground.

Boom!

Guren cried once more, for the whole seconds, breathing was beyond her. Buried, she gasped for air, while coughing up blood. "Arg!" Once more, she cried. There was no let-up; he stomped on her wounded chest, and then slammed a piece of paper on her forehead. She felt as though something was crushing her head as black marks began to spread around her forehead. She had a choice, hold her head or chest. The pain on her stopped within seconds, and she was then forced to stare at the man atop of her.

She spat on him when he smiled, offering apologies for being a little rough for her.

He didn't blink. "You could have requested we kiss if you wanted an exchange of saliva," Naruto said. "I have sealed off your chakra, so you can forget about escaping. The barrier you made should be crumbling now," he added in a serious tone. "You are going to Konoha with me. But given that you were with Orochimaru, I know you have ways to stop people from getting into your head. If you can give me information I want, I can make sure the boy is safe."

Guren snorted. She wanted to spit on him again but she settled for looking defiant. He may have indeed sealed off her chakra, but it was not the end of it. She was going to try to escape. "I'm not taking your word."

Naruto sighed with frustrations. "It would not do well with my conscious if I promised to torture the boy until you give me the information I want. In any case; this just settles it; I will take both of you to Konoha. But to ensure you cooperate, the boy will be under my care. What happens after, it will be up to you."

Trust a shinobi? Over her dead body. Guren wouldn't even trust the people she used to work with. Even Orochimaru, her beloved master had shown her just exactly how cruel a shinobi could be. She laughed at herself. She was being naïve. She knew exactly the kind of person Orochimaru was. And she was no different from him. They were just usually in a position of power, not a position of weakness were they had to beg in order to save their lives.

For now, it was not about her but about Yukimaru. If Naruto so chose, he could just leave Yukimaru here. The boy was not part of the mission, or he could just torture him to get her to talk. He'd it in passing, but there was no guarantee that he would not do it. How had she even allowed herself to be in this position?

Guren tensed slightly when a clone picked her up from the ground. It was just humiliating. She wanted to struggle, to say that she could walk on her own despite her injuries, which he was not bothering to even treat a little. Perhaps he wanted her to suffer a little more before they arrived at Konoha. At this stage, there was no stopping her fate. Or maybe not. She could do something. She told herself, she could do it.

"Hey… Where are we going?!"

They were heading the opposite direction of where Yukimaru was. The boy could not survive on his own and if Orochimaru found him, he was just going to end up being used and possibly die. He could not even operate on his own. He needed her. And she needed him.

"I've already sent a clone to fetch the boy, he will meet us up ahead. I would rather not stay in this place for any longer. You never know what might come out," Naruto said as he ran on the ground, his clone closely behind him.

Guren tried to struggle. She didn't want to believe a word he was saying. He could leave Yukimaru alone.

"Grrr…" she gritted her teeth when the clone suddenly dropped her on the ground. She was not given a second moment as the clone hit her, hard, on her forehead, knocking her out cold.

Naruto watched Yukimaru fret over Guren, obviously worried about her. A clumsy boy, crying over the safety of a sadistic murderer. But to him, she was not what the world sees her. She was a loving person. Perhaps a mother figure person. He wondered what had happened to his parents. But then again, knowing Orochimaru, the boy must have been kidnapped because he was special. But what was special about him? He was no shinobi. He was a stupid boy. Hopelessly in love with a murderer he could not see.

He sighed and leaned against a tree's trunk, turning his eyes towards the burning flames, lighting up the darkness that surrounded them. A motel would have done it, but he didn't want to go there. He didn't feel like it. He was stuck here, taking away someone special to someone. He was breaking up a family. Perhaps if something does happen to Guren, Yukimaru was going to hold him in contempt.

When did things become like this? But being a shinobi, he was going to do worse. He had not touched Yukimaru. There were even going to be questions raised in Konoha when he does arrive with the boy. Of course, they would find his reason acceptable. But there were ways to get information out of Guren. Cooperation was always much appreciated. But he just didn't want to leave another child stranded in the middle of nowhere.

After a moment, he spoke. "She will be alright," he said in a firm tone. "Leave her to rest…" he was not going to give her first aide. Her injuries would not kill her. He would of course monitor her to ensure that she was not damaged. He didn't want to have her all healthy enough to get the drop on him and then run.

Yukimaru looked uncertain for a couple of moments before nodding. He faced him. "Why?"

The answer was obvious; a mission. But he could not say that without being bitter. He had truly fallen far off from the kind of person he was. He'd tried by all means to disconnect himself from the reality that was around him, to focus more in his person. But it was not doing any justice. He should have known. He needed to be much more aware. He needed to be awake. He needed to see the things he didn't want to face and face the reality.

He had certainly turned into just any other butcher. He may not currently have the body count, but at this rate, he would have it. It was going to be a car fry from what his mother thought of him. If there was one person to listen to, it was your mother. She was the one who carried him for 10 months. She brought him to this world.

But he didn't care about Guren. If his mission was to kill her, he would have done it without second thought. The problem here was Yukimaru. A tragedy of shinobi actions.

"You should also rest… we have a long journey tomorrow."

"What is going to happen to us? What is going to happen to Guren-san?"

Too many questions. None he could answer. The hard truth was that anything could happen. If Konoha so chose, they could dispose of her. She was certainly not someone who could let to roam free given her power. But still someone they would hesitate to invite into their ranks because she could not be trusted. He smiled bitterly. But he had brought something that could force her loyalty; Yukimaru. Danzo would not waste a chance to use this while trying to discover what the boy could do.

He smiled bitterly, when had he started thinking so brutally honest?

"If she cooperates, nothing bad will happen…" he said that and closed his eyes. He didn't want to have any more of this discussion.

Naruto was back, alive and well. And with the target. Mission successful. But Tsunade was a little uncomfortable in looking at him now. He had done nothing wrong. They were going to get the information out of Guren. She didn't care about the boy he had brought along with him. If Guren cooperated, she could be allowed to be free. She had not done any crime against the Hidden Leaf. However, she was not going to be allowed to leave the village. Not with her power and bloodline.

"Congratulations on your mission, Naruto," Tsunade said with a strained smile.

Naruto raised an eye brow in curiosity; she had already said that. He could even see that her smile was strained. There was something wrong with her. The village even appeared to be a lot more active, at least in terms of shinobi activities in the shadows. He had a choice of acting ignorant or asking the questions. He chose the latter.

"What are you not telling me?"

Tsunade stood up from her chair after releasing a long breath. She snapped her fingers and an Anbu appeared in a flash just behind Naruto. She gave him a look, and within a second, they were all gone from the office. They appeared in a room. There were medical equipment, a hospital bed. And Shizune. But it was not the hospital. Having been there many times, Naruto could even tell even in his sleep that he was in the hospital. He stared at the bed, looking at the white hair, the familiar face of his sensei. He took steps closer to the man, and then stared expressionlessly.

Even Jiraiya, with all his power could be brought to this level.

Humans were fragile. A little thing could kill them. Anything was lethal to the flesh. Life could end at any moment. Jiraiya, a proud shinobi. He was powerful. Naruto dared to say there were truly only a handful of people who could stand him in battle and he'd only met two of them – his fellow Sannins. But here he was. He was a man who didn't fear an S-rank criminal. Hell, he'd be willing to take two of them head on with full confidence of success. Even Itachi had stated that the Sannin was not someone he wanted to fight. But despite all that, the Sannin was there, lying, unable to open his eyes or speak. Death was already leaking its lips, drooling in anticipation of devouring, yet another soul.

His loss.

Naruto's loss.

Sure, he didn't consider the man family, but he was a friend. A sensei. His ideals may be naïve, and his attitude may at times be just tolerable. But he was not a bad person. He had given his all when training him. He had become someone he could count on. Someone he could perhaps trust. There was still a demon that told him against it, but the Toad Sage was a worthy friend and sensei. He honestly cared for him. And if Naruto said he was indifferent, he would be lying, to everyone and worse of all, to himself.

He stood there, motionless. The man was still alive. Tsunade was here. He was going to live. But who could have done this? Who could have had this power to do this to Jiraiya of all people? It was perhaps safe to say his Sage Mode, although not perfect, was much more powerful than his. Jiraiya never had to worry about gathering chakra. And he had two more voices, two more people to use jutsu with. He could focus on defense while the Toads handled attacked, or prepared another jutsu. It was another thing that made his sage jutsu deadly.

Yet, despite being deadly, he was here.

No matter how much power you had, was there always someone who was more powerful? Perhaps it was the assumption that everyone had to work with. But this gave him motivation. He needed to do more. He needed to fight more. He needed more power. He had not been wrong to take in the Sanbi. He needed it. There were many challenges in this world. And to overcome them, he needed to be stronger, faster, and deadlier.

He had been right to take in the Sanbi. He needed to control its power. He needed to improve his fuinjutsu skills. He needed more.

After what seemed to be eternity, he turned to the Godaime Hokage. Despite her attitude, there was no doubt that Jiraiya meant a lot to her. He was the only thing in her past. Her family, lover, and sensei, they were all dead. Orochimaru was against her. She only had him.

She was another miserable person, Naruto mused silently.

"He told me that he was going to Amegakure to find out more about the Akatsuki," Naruto said to Tsunade.

"It happened there," Tsunade said. "No one in the village knows. We will keep it under wraps for now. He will recover, but it is going to take some time. But for him to fully recover and fight again, more research."

"On?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I just wanted to keep you in the loop about his state. But you need to be ready for your next mission. We don't have much time. Once Ibiki gets information out of Guren, Team 7 will assemble. You need to bring back Sasuke and remove Orochimaru from the picture."

Naruto nodded, and glanced back to Jiraiya.

This was the life. There was no time to mourn. There was no time to rest. The village always came first. He had to be mentally ready. Even if Jiraiya had died, he would have most likely been ordered to go out. Because, Orochimaru posed a greater threat to the village. He could mourn after wards. Being shinobi was a hard life. A truly miserable existence that he'd only thought was just about learning cool jutsu and hopping on rooftops. But there were hardships. Pain and suffering. You truly could not escape that as a shinobi.

He released a long breath.

His mother would have to forgive him once more; he needed to drink. No; he needed to train more. To improve himself. Drinking would only make him miserable.

This situation was sad. It was truly sad. He dared not think Jiraiya would die. Who would he have if not the Sannin? Would he lose everyone? Loss was a painful thing. Naruto didn't want to experience it. Not now. Not like this. Jiraiya would live. They would drink together. Fight together. Or maybe even peep together.

"Guren-san!" That was Yukimaru the moment he opened the door to his house. There was disappointment when the boy realized it was just him.

Seeing him, Naruto smiled. Perhaps this was poetic justice. Anything could happen to Guren. She was the boy's only family. He had taken her away. Tsunade had not been forthcoming on what would happen to Guren. And now, Jiraiya lay there, still between life and death. They both could lose something valuable. He felt tempted to ask the boy to join him for a drink, because they both needed it, but Yukimaru was not old enough.

He needed to call Konohamaru either way. To babysit this one. He could not sit here and watch him without being miserable.

Besides, tomorrow may be another mission. And this one was going to be harder.

End of chapter

This was a little difficult to do... I'm not sure about my editing skills on it.

The Omnipresent Sage