Naruto jumped back, with Sakura lunging at him. She wasn't throwing her attacks wildly but was trying to get close enough to hit him. He landed and then waited for her to get closer. She flashed in front of him, slightly above ground, her upper body swinging slightly as she drove a punch toward his face.

Naruto watched it calmly and then dropped down, while lifting up his left hand. He hit Sakura's stretched arm around the wrists, just to make her off balance. Swiftly, he took a single step forward and slammed an open palm on her gut. The hit caused her to gasp for air as she was sent flying backwards. She quickly flipped twice before landing on the ground on both feet.

Naruto didn't wait for her to adjust, he quickly dashed toward her. She jumped back, but she hit the trunk of a tree. Naruto was upon her in a second, lifting into mid-air before twisting around. His right foot cleaved through the air in the blink of an eye, aimed straight at her temple.

Remarkably, Sakura dropped to the ground to avoid the kick. It hit the trunk of a tree. The moment, it did so, she crawled away.

Standing from a good distance, she dropped a sweat when she saw the tree being broken by Naruto's kick. If that had hit her, she would have been having sweet dreams with Sasuke while recovering from a hospital bed.

"What the hell was that?"

"Taijutsu infused with wind style," Naruto landed down, but his eyes glancing around.

Without waiting for Sakura to respond, he jumped into the trees, trying to find Sai who'd suddenly disappeared. But he didn't have enough time as Sakura flashed before him once more. He jumped away from the tree branch. She tore through it, still coming after him. Naruto glanced behind, a tree. He smiled. He waited for the right moment as Sakura jumped up, moving into strike position in mid-air.

Before she could pummel him, Naruto flashed behind the tree. Sakura's punch just tore through it. He raised an eye brow, still impressed as the tree began to fall. Sakura stood on the side, grinning. Obviously proud of her strength.

I can do it even better, was it what she was saying?

He heard a small roared and turned to the right: A lion jumped at him. He tried jumping back but creature pounced on him a little too quickly, getting hold of his right hand. A second later, both Sai and Sakura were lunging. The former from his left and the latter from the front. Sai had a kunai. It was attack with intention to kill. Kakashi had been firm on that.

Thinking of the Jonin, he was probably splitting his attention between giggling perversely and watching them. But his attention mainly on the lewd stories written mediocrely.

Glancing at Sakura, he had on thought: he didn't want to get hit by her. He dragged the lion, flipping it towards the kunoichi. It forced her to jump away to avoid being hit. Simultaneously, as Sai jumped onto him, a clone appeared in a puff of smoke. When the Root agent tried to stab him around his shoulder, the clone kicked him on the shoulder, sending him flying away.

Naruto then landed but did not stand within the trees for too long. He disappeared and appeared in the clearing.

A safer place where he could see everything.

"That's enough for today," Kakashi jumped in after both Sakura and Sai intent in continuing. He still held his beloved book.

Well, he is Minato sensei son alright, Kakashi thought of Naruto. It was completely different in how he fought now. Of course, shadow clones were still used but not as excessively as before. Finesse worked better than just trying to overwhelm the opponent. When where they going to sit and talk about Minato? Or the fact that the man had been his sensei? If he didn't bring it, Naruto was unlikely to do so. But Kakashi didn't feel like he was worthy to bring it up. Not after everything he didn't do for the blond.

Failures of a mediocre sensei. Why was this team still even operational? Ah, yes, for war. Tsunade had said there are going to be moments they'd need to go out. Sakura wouldn't be going nonetheless. They didn't have to worry about a medic, she hoped by then, Naruto's jutsu would have been perfected or at least operational.

He smiled, at least things have turned out for the better now.

"You truly are strong, Naruto."

Naruto raised an eye brow: It was not the usual fakeness or some sarcastic remark. "Even you are capable of honesty…"

Sai smiled. "Aren't I always?"

"Not with that creepy smile," Sakura was quick to say. Admittedly, Naruto was strong. She hasn't been able to land a clean hit. He'd managed to block her attacks and when it was her punches, he avoided them. "But he is not wrong." She added with frustration.

"Why do you look sad that you didn't hit me?"

"Of course I am!" Sakura made a fist. "I've trained really hard over the past years. I also want to reduce the gap. I don't want to stay too behind."

"You want me to get hit? I'll wake up in the hospital!"

Sai nodded in agreement. "I'd also avoid those punches with all my life…"

"It's not like I wouldn't end up in the hospital either if I got hit by you…" Sakura snorted.

Merciless. He didn't hold back. She had realized with that palm that hit her on her gut. It was a little sad he was willing to pummel her. When he was obsessed with her, he'd never lift a finger. But now, there were women, including Ino. She was worth nothing. Just a teammate obsessing over a loner who abandoned this village and had to be dragged back while kicking and screaming.

"What they are trying to say is that Naruto avoids those because they are powerful… Receiving one hit from you, even from me would be deadly," Kakashi said, eye smiling. "Next time, let us all fight against Naruto."

"Why not against you?"

"I don't want to die."

"So its okay if I die?"

"You can take it," Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "If we all still have energy. Both you and Sakura will then go against Sai."

"That sounds a bit excessive."

Sakura was a bad opponent for him. His jutsu could not restrain her. And then there was Naruto. That was a slightly hopeless case. With everything he's seen, Sai wasn't even sure he'd be able to kill the blond even if he was drugged and barely able to stay on his feet.

"We don't know how things are out there. Tomorrow, you might find yourself surrounded by powerful opponents. You need to be able to navigate through that. If they are too powerful, you need the body reflexes to be able to act accordingly and escape," Kakashi said a bit wisely. "That is it for today."

"Well then…" Sai disappeared. Kakashi followed, in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto placed his hands inside his pockets and started walking away. Sakura ran up to him, looking nervous about something. He noticed. But still said nothing.

"Have you heard anything about Sasuke?"

"Shouldn't you be asking the Hokage?"

"She won't tell me anything."

"If she won't tell her student, what makes you think she would tell me?" He was a bit harsher than intended. He smiled. Placing a hand on her shoulder. "Grow Sakura. Stop this. I'm not saying forget him, I'm saying, stop being a child. Sasuke became a rogue shinobi… Joining a man who led in invasion in this village. Many people died. The Sandaime died. If he was not the last Uchiha, he would have been executed."

"But Sasuke is not bad… sure he joined Orochimaru… but…"

"Stop." Naruto stared expressionlessly at Sakura. "Sasuke is bad. Accept that. You cannot call yourself his friend if you deny that he has mental issues. He was our friend, our teammate. But he betrayed all that. When we saw him, he was talking about killing us and meant it."

After saying that, Naruto walked away from Sakura, leaving her standing still. His mood was a little ruined now. He let loose of a long breath.

He didn't walk far off from the grounds before finding Shikamaru waiting, hands folded. But seemed like a man on a mission, ready to pounce, even though his expression displayed the message, 'I really don't want to be bothered, I want just want to go home and sleep.'

"I knew there was a sudden chill in the air at the training ground," Naruto stared at the Nara. And then walked past him.

Shikamaru followed. "Must have been from the external forces that drove me to even observe your training…"

Naruto glanced, curious. "Now I'm uncomfortable."

The Nara smiled. "That I doubt. Of course, if you were, you'd never show it. You've become quite the master of expressions…" he paused, shaking his head. "No, you have always been. You've always had to mask your true emotions."

If there was danger, it was now. He should have just feigned being summoned and disappear, but Naruto smiled and indulged the Nara.

"Necessary part of my childhood."

"The Kyubi no doubt."

"That is an S-rank secret."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I know, but the one who enacted the law is no longer alive. I don't think it matters anymore anyway. With Iwa's bingo book out…"

"You've read it then…" it was unlikely the others have. But they would soon know that he was a Jinchuriki – if they didn't already know. Honestly, Naruto was not concerned about the reaction. He just didn't talk about it because it has never been a subject.

"I have," Shikamaru nodded. "I'm curious, really. I was trying to ignore it but I had a talk with my father and he opened the door to some questions which demanded answers. Sasuke is back. What happens to him remains to be seen. And you are the son of Konoha's Greatest Hokage. Not to mention, this revelation is coming at a time when you are becoming a lot more valuable to the village."

"It makes my future a lot more interesting, doesn't it?"

"Very but depending on your level of intelligence."

"Oh?"

"I've said enough for one day," Shikamaru glanced at him. "Ino is probably going to hound you for more Intel."

"Better avoid her then…" Naruto stopped. "You're not going to tell me what you want me to worry about? I doubt you would have bothered to hunt me just to say all that."

Shikamaru was silent for a couple of moments before speaking. "My father is the Jonin commander. Has a higher position in the village than Hiashi-san. When they want to appoint a new Hokage, my father usually has a say. The Hyuga clan wants to change all that. It wants to dominate internal politics. If you become favourable, they may approach you."

"And of your father?"

"Nothing. He only works for the best of the village as its strategist. If you want to become Hokage, you don't need him. With your relationship with Tsunade-sama, and the coming war, which you will no doubt play a vital role, you'd become unchallenged."

Naruto smiled. Had it been years ago, he'd been thrilled. He'd adored being Hokage after all. But those were childish dreams. He'd only wanted to be recognized by the village. A stupid child could not lead a militant village. Kindness would ruin the village. This was evident in the case of the Sandaime Hokage.

"What does the Nara suggest I do?"

"Nothing... you are not doing now. You don't seem like you have any interest in politics of being Hokage. But that is just based on the impression. If it wasn't for the fact that you have not displayed any ambition at all, I'd say you have no interest in village politics or the Hokage mantle."

"I see," Naruto glanced up for a moment. "Nice chatting with you, Shikamaru. Don't work too hard. It is unlike you."

"Sometimes, one must."

Hokage Office

"My fair lady." Naruto bowed, smiling slyly at the blonde Hokage.

A pink tint of Tsunade's cheeks was quickly replaced by a murderous intent. She nevertheless didn't say anything. What had she been thinking though? This was bad. Admittedly, she had quite enjoyed herself. She had missed that kind of ecstasy. Perhaps what made it pleasurable was the misery she had compounded herself with over the years and the feeling of being relieved of all that, even if it was for a moment.

She sighed, leaning back to her chair. "You are in a good mood."

Naruto smiled. "Shouldn't I be?"

Tsunade shrugged. That knowing smile irked her a little but she was willing to overlook it. "Danzo tells me he will require your help in rehabilitating Sasuke."

"He mentioned that."

"You understand the situation with Danzo, yes? I want to believe that Jiraiya did not deprive you of important information."

"He did tell me."

"Good," Tsunade paused, thinking. After a moment, she spoke. "Danzo is up to no good. I want you to work undercover. You might have to go to his bases when you go for Sasuke. When that happens, I want you to find out what you can about his activities. One day, we will have to take action against him. For now, there is a war. He may have his uses."

This was what the shinobi world was about – uses. A shinobi was only valuable as his loyalty and strength. No matter how powerful you were, if you were not loyal, you would be disposed of quickly. Naruto did not expect Tsunade to come out directly with this, but she trusted him. Did Danzo consider this when he spoke to her? Maybe. Maybe not. Naruto was not going to ask. Better he kept his cards to his chest.

"I'm ready to assist were possible."

"I will go over the finer details some time. But this is between you and me. Nobody needs to know."

Naruto smiled. "Another secret of ours."

Tsunade glared; she didn't have to think what he meant by that. "Shizune is going to throw a fit," she said to herself.

"We can always keep her quiet. She is an attractive woman. I wouldn't mind."

Tsunade ignored him and then stood up. "This is not why I called you." She walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. They disappeared in a flash.

Naruto still didn't know where this place was located. Tsunade kept things secret. Not even Danzo knew. As far as anyone was concerned, Jiraiya was away from the village. He never did stick around for too long after all.

He didn't focus on his surrounding but the Toad Sage sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall with a knee raised, a rather long look on his face. The bandages were still there, mostly wrapped around his reattached arm.

"Woke him up this morning."

"Looks a little lost," Naruto said, walking up to the Sage. "You brought him a young girl to excite him? That always does get him moving."

"I can hear you."

"I didn't think you couldn't," Naruto responded in a flat tone. After a moment, he smiled. "It is nice seeing you awake, Sensei. I'll admit, it was a little sad seeing you beat up to a pulp."

Jiraiya was a powerful shinobi. Even Itachi has stated that the Sannin was not an opponent he wanted to fight. And for good reason. Naruto had seen the Sannin's power at first hand. For someone to beat him to an inch of his life, they must be ridiculously powerful – and that was a frightening thought.

Jiraiya looked at his hand, trying to feel it for a moment before responding.

"I guess you now know that Amegakure is no longer in a civil war."

"The Toads told us as much, but they didn't have any other information to share."

Tsunade stared at the Sannin. She was a little nervous. The thought about there being a truly powerful shinobi in the Rain made her uncomfortable. She did not want another enemy. Not when there was a war.

Jiraiya glanced up for a moment and then stared at Naruto. "You been continuing with your training?"

"Should I have stopped?"

The Sannin shook his head. Smiling a little. "If you continue this way, I wonder just how powerful you'll be in your Prime. Not to mention, I still debate whether you have surpassed me or not."

To this, Tsunade expressed her surprise. "Don't be ridiculous. Naruto is strong but not that powerful."

Jiraiya glanced at her for a moment. He smiled bitterly – his sweet bitter love. "You have not seen him at full force. And I don't mean when using the Kyubi's strength," he paused. "If I had taken you with me, things would have been different. I always thought that I could handle anything I faced."

"You learned your lesson."

"The hard way," Jiraiya said in a bitter tone.

He could have died. He nearly did die. Miserable and full of regrets, having not achieved anything. He couldn't even take credit for Naruto's growth. He did help, but the blond's strength was owed much to his dedication and efforts. Some things had to change or else he would die with his regrets. Laughable that the students he taught could have very well ended his life.

He then explained his gruesome encounter with Nagato, or Pain as he now called himself. It was no happy reunion with a student he once thought dead. No, it nearly cost him his life. Nagato was ruthless. Far from the nice child he had been years ago. The world changed people in many ways. But he had never expected Nagato to become that kind of person. The leader of the Akatsuki for that matter.

"With their actions, no doubt he would take extreme measures to protect where he is headed. If either Kumo or Iwa know, they won't waste time attacking…" Jiraiya said. "It is fine if they are just a group, but when they head a village, it becomes a threat."

Everything was viewed in terms of friendly or foe. For some people, all foes had to be eliminated. You could not afford to become powerful. Power made others extremely jealous and nervous to the point of plotting your downfall, even when you are minding your own business. Uzushiogakure had not threatened anyone. It never fought in wars, but the village was still destroyed because some greedy bastards felt threatened. Fear was a corrupt feeling for a shinobi.

"We considered that," Tsunade said. "We have so far kept everything secret and have been watching out for them."

"But we do need to do something. There is something that Nagato is planning to do. This mercenary jobs have been done for a purpose."

"We will consider that," Tsunade nodded. "Rest for now. Later, I want to see you move to see if everything works well. I don't recommend anything taxing to the body."

Jiraiya nodded and faced Naruto. "We need to talk."

"We will," Naruto said. Tsunade pulled him out of the room. They stepped into a passage. This was definitely an underground facility. Anbu? Maybe. They were the most secretive bunch after all.

"Jiraiya is going to be so heart broken when I tell him abou…"

He was not given the chance to finish as Tsunade grabbed him by his throat, slamming him into a wall. "You are not going to tell anyone, got it?"

"Hey," Naruto smiled softly – a bit purposefully – while putting his hand on the Godaime Hokage's bust. "I'm just laughing. Besides, I understand the dynamics of things."

Tsunade glanced at the hand pressing against her bust. For a second, she thought of about the night but quickly shut off the thoughts. She pulled away from the Jinchuriki.

"Good."

"You still don't have to be mean, you know." Naruto was now following the Hokage from behind. "It's not like I forced you."

"I was drunk."

"So, was I."

"Then, there is no need to talk about it. But I cannot pretend it didn't happen. Let us just make sure it never occurs again."

"You were thinking it might happen again?"

Tsunade shot him a look. Naruto quickly raised both hands, smiling. "I still can't make any promises."

With Lee twisting just above him, Naruto raised both hands, crossing them to block the incoming attack. Lee's right foot slammed into his hands, forcing him to slide backwards. The Chunin quickly flashed to the ground, and then took a single step forward, lifting up his knee. Naruto blocked this by raising his left knee. The knees collided in mid-air, neither winning.

Lee quickly launched another strike, jabbing a left hook toward Naruto's temple. He quickly removed himself from the green beast, landing a foot away.

The second he touched down the ground, Lee flashed below, his left hand on the ground as balance as his right foot swept through the ground. Naruto quickly jumped up to avoid being swept off the ground. He quickly launched a counter by trying to slam the back of his right foot on Lee's shoulder, but the Chunin fell to the ground and rolled to the right before jumping up to straighten up.

At that moment, Gai clapped both his hands, grinning madly as he walked up to the two.

"Your youth truly shines brightly, Naruto-kun!" the Jonin exclaimed. "While Lee has speed, your reflexes are sharper and surprisingly, your raw strength is better than I'd thought."

"I trained hard but admittedly, I've been taking it easy on physical training."

"You can always join me and Lee."

Naruto smiled. "I can't compete with you two on that part. Your bodies are hardened through years of training. But that is to be expected given your use of the Gates of Life." He said. "I guess that should be it for now. I will come back when I need to see something again."

"Always, Naruto-kun!" Lee said happily.

A couple of more words and Naruto picked up his coat, ready to walk away from the group. Once more, Neji was following him. Naruto didn't say anything. It was curious. The Hyuga always did this whenever he visited this team. There was something that was bugging him.

"What does the Hyuga want with me?"

Neji shook his head. "It is not the Hyuga but me." He glanced at Naruto for a moment and then spoke again. "But there are some whispers within the clan about you."

"Oh?" Naruto raised an eye brow. "And you are not going to tell me?"

Neji hesitated for a moment before speaking. "As you might have noticed, the clan has been trying to gain more political influence in the village. Without both the Senju and Uchiha clan, they see themselves as the most powerful clan in the village."

The Hyuga clan does hold one of the three Great Doujutsu. So, the claim could not be said to be false. Politically, the clan was powerful. In another world, that would amount to something. But a shinobi village was a dictatorship. Only a weak Kage without a spine would allow a clan to usurp their power.

"Where do I fit in all these?"

"You are not ignorant of the fact that there are whispers about who your parents are." Neji looked ahead.

It was a little amusing that after all the hate, the villagers now didn't know what to do. And the clans were only starting to shift now. But as he confirmed with Hiashi, they knew this already – they just didn't care to do anything.

"If it does get confirmed, it changes things. You are also growing stronger, and the shinobi will eventually respect you for that, if they don't already. And not to mention, you are a Jinchuriki."

"Ah, so someone wants to make a play," Naruto said with a smile. "I have no interest in such games."

"I expected as such," Neji said. "But it does not change anything. You exist. Your name will continue to be cemented within the village even if no one wants to admit it."

"That is only good news to me."

Neji glanced at him for a moment before shaking his head. "I just thought you should know. You seem like you have much already."

"This is surprising."

Neji shrugged. "It's just a rational thought. I cannot deny that you have played a part in my current status," he said.

"You have my thanks," Naruto said before disappearing along gusts of wind.

It was becoming customary for him to be whisked away by Anbu. He was not complaining about it. He couldn't have things either way. Building a rap sheet was important. Shinobi respected power. Whether people liked him or not, if he continued to prove his power, they would respect him. A weak man commanded nothing. They had clapped for him at the Chunin exams because he had displayed some impressive strength and tenacity. Then again, shinobi had always been a little indifferent toward him. If they were the ones who hated him, the majority at least, he probably would not have lived this long.

"Another mission?"

Tsunade nodded.

Shizune walked up to him and handed him a scroll.

"We have received Intel about a Jinchuriki from Kiri. The Mist originally had two Jinchurikis but the other one had gone AWOL and it is still trying to find him. We wouldn't get involved but we received this Intel because Kumo is also in the hunt. We can't let them get another Jinchuriki."

It would only draw Kiri into the war. As far as things stood, the Mist was unlikely to get involved. It was safe away and no one would probably think of attacking it. It has had its fair share of tragedies. Not that it mattered to anyone. At the moment, it was just not a threat to anyone.

"The Raikage will stop at nothing to gain advantage over the others."

"For Ai, nothing matters to a shinobi than power. He listens to power and not words. And of course, he will always do anything to gain that power, even if it means provoking war," Tsunade explained, shaking her head.

"That is just how most hardened shinobi think."

"Regardless, we can't let him do as he pleases. I have already sent a message to Kirigakure. This is just to avoid confrontation between the two and perhaps gain an ally. If you come across their shinobi, you will show them that scroll. It is from the Mizukage. If they have already received the message, they will be expecting you."

Naruto only nodded.

"There is of course, another reason you are going."

Naruto smiled. "Isn't there always something in the underneath?"

"The Jinchurki is rumoured to be at a village that was once an ally to Konoha – Tsuchigumo village. Within the village, there is a powerful Kinjutsu that is capable of destroying an entire village. You are to retrieve that at all costs. Destroy it if possible. We don't know if Kumo knows about it. But we cannot risk it. This will be your primary mission.

"You might come across shinobi from Kumo. Don't fight them if it cannot be helped. We don't want to end up losing you too. You are after all, going alone in this one. I trust it will not be too much for you. Given the risks involved, the mission will be S-rank."

"I will check out the risks."

"I trust you will." Tsunade said. "The men who attacked you and Neji. We found out that they are from Kumo. Someone fed them information about your whereabouts. I think it was Danzo. We couldn't even get anything from them, but that is we have so far. You need to be careful. If there is danger, I trust you know how to escape."

"You wouldn't trust me if you didn't think I didn't know how."

Tsunade stared at him. "I wouldn't send just anyone alone. I wouldn't even send Kakashi alone in this mission. If you think you need a partner, let me know so I can get someone to back you up because once you depart from this village, you will be alone."

More and more, he was becoming more like a lone wolf. It was not the kind of venture he wanted to perfect as a profession. There was a still a team. But useless, for now. When the war does come around, things would be necessary. For now, he could hold this burden. Because, it came with his power. This was the burden of being powerful. He was playing the role Jiraiya would normally play.

But for his growth, Naruto would embrace it. He just had to play it smart. Because if Kumo sends heavy hitters, they'd try to capture him as well. His entry in Iwa's bingo book with the status of being a Jinchuriki means that he would attract attention. But the more damage he does, the more fearsome his reputation becomes. And that was what he wanted.

"I know how to function alone. It is more preferable in this kind of danger. When do I leave?"

"Now."

"I'll go prepare."

"It is important you succeed, Naruto. For the sake of this village. But, don't risk your life."

"Of course."

He'd never put his life in the line, not for the sake of Konoha. This cruel village did not deserve his life. He could not afford it. Of course, such thoughts would be considered treasonous if he ever expressed them loudly.

"I was afraid you might not show." Naruto said to Konohamaru at the village gates. He'd called the boy to come over so he could give him something.

"You mentioned jutsu." Konohamaru grinned.

"Must you always think about jutsu?"

"They are cool!"

"But not everything for a shinobi. I have told you many times. Jutsu is not always everything."

"But Ni-san," Konohamaru stared. "Kakashi sensei is famous for having copied over a thousand jutsus!"

Naruto sighed. Well, that was particularly true. Having been a student of the Jonin at some point, Naruto knew that. His Ninjutsu arsenal was what has made him famous, but still, take away the Sharingan and Kakashi becomes normal. Still powerful, but no longer fearsome.

He grabbed his small backpack and removed a scroll from it. He threw it at Konohamaru. "Fire based jutsus. Wind is a little more difficult. I'll need to be around. You can ask Kakashi if you get stuck."

Konohamaru nodded. "When are you going to return?"

"In a couple of days."

"You are always going out on missions these days. And it is always alone."

Naruto just shook his head and then took a step closer to the boy. He placed a hand on his head. "Stay safe, Konohamaru."

And with that, he disappeared along gusts of winds.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me." Naruto said to no one in particular. He was sitting beside a small fire, late in the night in lands far away from the Hidden Leaf.

Orochimaru crept out of the darkness but did not get closer. He leaned against the trunk of a tree, hands folded across his chest.

"I was hoping you'd sleep, Naruto-kun. It would have been much easier to disable you and take you back to my lab for some experiments."

"It is thoughts like that which give me sleepless nights in such territories."

"Cautious… how things change… kukukuku…" Orochimaru laughed before speaking again, pouting slightly. "I guess I'll have to wait for next time to get you."

"You are not gonna have a go at me now?"

He wouldn't be against it. He could unleash his powers and cut off the snake's head. The bounty on Orochimaru's head could close some financial gaps. Doing S-rank missions did help his pockets but he still did need more.

"It didn't end well for me last time," Orochimaru said with contempt flashing across his face.

"Wow," Naruto glanced at the Sannin. "Even you learn."

Orochimaru shrugged. "Sasuke-kun seems to be still struggling. But I did have a chat with him."

Naruto's expression did not change. But this was troubling. It only meant that Orochimaru was in Konoha when he left and he had managed to track him down. The snake and Danzo have always had some questionable relations. But Naruto didn't want to believe that Danzo would willingly conspire with Orochimaru when things are like this. For the war hawk, the Sannin was useful dead than alive.

"I'm surprized Danzo allowed you closer and that you recovered quickly."

"He didn't have a choice. He was not willing," Orochimaru stared at Naruto. The blond had not moved. Hardly even kept his eyes at him. It was the occasional glance. What seemed to attract his attention the most were the burning flames.

"Did you get to Guren?"

"No," Orochimaru frowned. "She was my secondary goal. I could get to her but I would not have been able to escape the village."

Disappointing really. Guren would have become a rather stable host. His current host was already failing. He could not even afford to fight in this body. It would break down quickly. He would need to move away from this to focus on experimenting on another body that would be capable of holding his body. But a nagging problem remained – Naruto still held the only key to his ninjutsu.

Of course, there was another method to get his hands back. But it was a long and complicated one.

"What do you want Orochimaru?"

"No need to be hasty," Orochimaru grinned. Nearly licking his lips. "So tell me Naruto, what happened to the Sanbi?"

Naruto stared for a moment before staring back at the flames. "Who knows?"

"Kukukukukuku," Orochimaru chuckled. "I'm trying to understand your motives. But I can't figure it out. Neither Danzo. But I know, the Sanbi is no longer where it once was. That boy Yukimaru. He has special chakra that allows him to control the three tails. We never got around it because he was weak and needed some help to harness the power."

"No doubt it became a little irrelevant with Sasuke around. The Sharingan would grant you the power to control even a Bijuu through Genjutsu," Naruto responded quietly. "It still does not answer the question."

"I was just curious… and to tell you something…" The Sannin smirked. "Danzo is working on something to try to get Suna and Iwa fighting. He wants them involved in the war rather than stay still."

"Hardly surprising but why are you here Orochimaru?" the last time the Sannin had warned to make his life a misery. He'd gotten some nightmares over it.

"You don't want me to stick around? And I thought we could be friends given that you are all secretive and working with Danzo," Orochimaru feigned a hurt look. "But I just want to let you know that I am watching you. I know things. And I have not forgotten: you will lie on my table and become my experiment. That is after you have given me the mask."

"If you knew anything, you'd compel me to give you the mask."

"Kulukuku… I'm not in a hurry."

"Tell me, do you think I could let you leave? Is there any reason I should even let you continue breathing?" He stood up, facing the Sannin with a cold look, ready to pounce.

"Don't be overconfident, child!"

Orochimaru released a burst of killing intent. It was a bone chilling feeling. A normal person would have gotten down to grovel. In some years ago, this intense feeling of despair leading to death had him choking, trembling like he was on the North butt-naked. But he had experienced too many things to be afraid of Orochimaru's killing intent. He contemplated releasing his, but then shook his head – it was not worth it. A rational thought was not to give a vengeful snake more reasons to hate him.

"Perhaps," he released a long breath and then settled down. "It doesn't work well for my conscious knowing that you are getting away. You are only going to be a problem for me in the future if not handled. Well, there is always tomorrow."

Besides, he could not afford to deviate from his mission objective. There were more dangerous battles ahead of him. And he had to be ready for it. He didn't know if he would have to face any of Kumo's Jinchuriki, but there was a possibility.

"You do have something I want… all could be forgiven if you just gave me the mask."

"Not happening. If it was possible, I'd take those hands and burn them. But that is part of the soul… I can only go as far as to seal them away." Of course, it was unnecessary to do so as they were already sealed away.

"I tried… we will have to do it the difficult way… kukukukukukuku…" Orochimaru laughed as he slipped into the darkness.

Honestly, that laughter made Naruto uncomfortable.

Little things mattered. To simply assume that secrecy was guaranteed would result in rattling discoveries. Orochimaru was perhaps one of the most knowledgeable shinobi alive. He knew too many things. A dangerous person. But the danger was lessened because of his arrogance. He displayed caution a moment a earlier – but that was merely a momentary façade. Once he was in a host that didn't pain him, he'd be back to his original groove – banging on every door. As long as he kept his hold on the mask, he would not amount to much.

The war of information was nevertheless one he would not win. Not when it came to spreading it. He was severely lacking in that match. Any attempt to fight the misinformation campaign with the snake would result in severe burns. He couldn't have it. He needed a plan. A concrete plan on how to deal with the snake before things became lethal for him.

Danzo could be controlled – for now at least. No, anticipated. Now he knew how the war hawk functioned. Tsunade's mission was nothing he hadn't anticipated.

"Plotting is not for those without the means."

Naruto raised an eye brow, hearing the voice of the Kyubi. He wanted to question why the Bijuu wanted to talk about it – but it was better to just indulge the flow than question it.

"Apparently," the burning flames produced heat. A fire in the middle of nowhere was just a torch to attract attention. He was nonetheless not bothered by the thought. "And I'm lacking any of that."

"It is not impossible."

"But it requires money. Any activity requires some funds. I have no money… None to plan for any major activity."

For a Bijuu none of that mattered. He was not human. Power dictated everything. But Naruto could still use that to his opportunity. With each day, he was growing to understand more about the blond. After all, he saw more than anyone else.

"But I know I don't necessarily have to have the money. You merely need people who have money to back you up."

"Who are you thinking of?"

"I think I shall move my play to the Fire Capital. The Feudal Lord was a known admire of my father. Will see if he admires me as well."

Two Days Later

Tsuchigumo

This was supposed to be a village, but there was nothing – just the lasting effects of destruction. It didn't seem like a great battle had occurred here. It could not have been the power of a Bijuu. The destruction would have been a little more raw. This was gentle. It seemed like the Jutsu Tsunade feared had been used on this village. Intel was scarce. He didn't know who had the jutsu. He'd have to scout. But there was no need. There was nothing here. At least at first glance.

The shinobi world was like this. Destruction. The thirst for power. Even those living in peace were destroyed because they had a bit of power. Yet, without power, you became prey. Both Iwa and Kumo displayed this predator mentality more often than most. This was why everyone desired to be the strongest. When you are the strongest, you dictate the terms. Nobody does this to you – you do unto others. Such was life. He was born into this world; into this system. And it was the same system that saw his clan annihilated – and the Uchiha facing extinction.

Unlike with him, to be truly Uzumaki, there couldn't be any dilution to the blood. Any dilution and he would lose the qualities. But there was no half-baked Uchiha. The work of a bloodline. It was sad he could not revive a truly Uzumaki generation by only the essence of it.

Naruto shook his head, and held his hands together to try to focus. Kurama spoke the second he closed his eyes.

"You can sense it too, can't you?"

"The power of a Bijuu…" Naruto frowned slightly. "But this destruction was not caused by a Bijuu…"

"And that confuses you?"

"Just makes me unsure. Sometimes the senses can be fooled."

"Humans," Kurama shook his head. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you that there are two Jinchuriki not far from here."

"You could have said that before."

It could only be Kumo. Kiri's Jinchuriki was supposed to be alone. There could not be two. Even if he was there, it meant that he was late and Kumo had already reached him. Could have been the ones to do this?

"Where are they?"

"You are capable of locating them yourself."

Naruto released sigh and then sat on the ground, gathering natural energy. Sometimes he wished he was a natural sensory type of shinobi. Then, he wouldn't have to depend on Senjutsu. His tracking skills were bad even. He needed to refine those.

After a moment, he stood up and then started running.

Yugito suddenly halted, turning to look at the direction of Tsuchigumo village. She jumped from the tree and landed on the ground, leaving her teammates hopping through the trees as she stayed behind.

She frowned, feeling a presence rushing toward them. The person was purposefully letting them know they were coming – and it was not a normal person. And he/she was coming in tremendous speed. Trying to run off wouldn't get them too far before they were caught. Personally, she was against the idea of putting a tail between her legs and the run off. She was confident. Maybe a little too confident but with good reason.

She glanced at the others who also stopped. Utakata was out cold, being gently held by Omoi. She hadn't expected any danger. Since they have already dealt with the Hunter-nin from Kiri. This place was remote, the chances of shinobi from the Great Nations wandering here for missions were slim.

"Someone is coming."

"I sense it too," Samui shifted, her expression displaying none of her thoughts. "And he wants us to know he is coming."

"Enemy?"

"Could be," Yugito adopted a thoughtful look. "Regardless, if it is not someone from Kumo, we can't let them see him. There was not supposed to be eye witnesses."

Hard core orders. No witnesses. Anyone who saw them was supposed to be eliminated and any traces of their presence was supposed to be removed. This so mask their actions and to have the element of surprise in the war.

"What if it is someone from Kiri? And they have also called for support? Wont we end up having to fight the whole of Kiri? That could lead to its destruction."

Karui glared at Omoi. "Your over imagination is reaching new heights."

"Well, tell me I'm lying? If Kiri knows, we have to stop them from telling others and the only way to do it is to erase the village."

"You are talking about killing thousands of people!"

"It starts with just one, then two… before you know it, it is hundreds."

Yugito released a long sigh. "Go hide, Omoi. With him. Don't come out unless told."

The man nodded and then disappeared into the shades of the trees.

"Don't take any action before my command. If he doesn't realize Omoi, we will decide the level of threat and decide what is best."

A couple of seconds later, the leaves blew to the sides as gusts of wind started to pick up. The wind became stronger, pulling up branches to the sides, turning the trees. The three Kumo Jonin jumped back to avoid the trees. The second they touched down, a twisting tornado appeared in a flash. When the wind cleared, Naruto was standing still, hands inside his coat.

'I see you learned something from that pervert.'

'That's not it,' Naruto shook his head, eyes on Yugito. 'It is just my Wind Style Shunshin. I added a little more chakra than normally.'

No doubt, this person before him was the Jinchuriki of the Two-tails. He didn't like it one bit. The thing he has learned with Bijuus was that they could sense each other even within a host. It posed a problem for him since he held two Bijuus within him.

'Tell the Bijuu within that woman to keep its mouth shut about Isobu.'

'Why should I do that?'

'Kumo's Jinchiriki are known for being closer to their Bijuus. If that woman gets told that I have two Bijuus, she is going to let the Raikage know. We cannot allow that to happen. Pass on the message and let the Bijuu know that iifit lets it slip, I'll rip it out of its host and seal it within me.'

'I like you better when you are being cold hearted.'

'A necessary part that must be played in this situation,' Naruto shrugged.

If it got out, it would result in predicaments he was not willing to face at this moment. It could also attract more attention toward him from power hungry vultures. He didn't need to be hunted. The least of his worries was the reaction from Konoha.

"If I am not mistaken, you are Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyubi," Yugito said, in a flat tone.

What was he doing here? Did he know about their mission? Was Konoha working with Kiri? Did he come here because he knew about the Jinchuriki they had taken? There were many questions, but Yugito was not going to try anything – at least not until she has ascertained of his motives. For now, she could be on guard. If possible, she'd rather not fight the host of the most powerful Bijuu.

"And recently revealed, the son of the Yondaime Hokage." Samui added.

"Ni Yugito, Samui and Karui…" Naruto paused, wondering if he should say anything about the man hiding.

"You know us all?"

"Why shouldn't I know? Information is power in the shinobi world. It makes it easier to handle enemies."

"I didn't think we were enemies."

"We are not allies either. But given the history between the two villages, it is better to shift toward the caution side."

"Indeed…"

"Then what do you want?"

"I was on a mission to Tsuchigumo to investigate something when I came across its destruction. The only trail led me to you… but there is reason to believe you did not cause the destruction."

"We did not." Yugito stared. "That does solve your enquiry? We have to return to our village."

"I didn't have a question… so there is nothing to be solved, but…" he took a single step forward and then blurred out of existence.

Yugito reacted faster than her teammates. She flashed in front of him, holding out her right hand, bring him to an abrupt halt.

"It seems you know."

Naruto smiled. "Well, the Jinchiriki is what attracted me to here. Kumo is getting a little out of hand. You must have already killed the Kiri Hunter-nin since I was supposed to meet up with them…"

"What do you want?"

Naruto jumped back, creating some breathing room between him at Yugito. "You did not fight him… so what happened in that village?"

"None of your concern."

"I see," Naruto said. "I was supposed to help Kiri retrieve the Jinchuriki. How do you suppose I deal with this? Take in mind, if I let you leave like this, Kumo gains a powerful weapon."

"Let us?" Samui asked with a raised brow. Did he think he could take them all? The fact that he was the host of the Kyubi should not make him that arrogant.

"It would be disadvantageous to Konoha if I permitted this to happen without trying to stop it. We cannot simply say I must let this side because we don't want war with Kumo. A war is already going to happen."

"You think its right to just pile up the damages?"

"Damages?" Naruto smiled. "This is the problem with shinobi. You all think whatever you do is right and just as long as it is for your village. You are kidnapping a shinobi of Kiri and I would be wrong to stop you? This is ridiculous. You have no sense of right or wrong… well," he stopped smiling, his expression becoming flat. "Right and wrong have not really mattered in the shinobi world. Whoever is powerful is right and is the one to write history."

Whether he was talking sense didn't matter here. Yugito had orders. Her personal feelings didn't come into it. Even if she brought those into play. Whatever was to be benefit of Kumogakure was right.

"We were not planning on letting you leave if you knew our mission." Yugito said, taking a stance. "I would rather avoid a battle against a fellow Jinchuriki but we are on the opposing sides."

Naruto did not take a stance. He measured them all. He could not risk getting held up in a fight with Yugito while the other ran. Of course, if they ran and he captured Yugito, she could always be used as an exchange with Kumo for Kiri's Jinchuriki.

He'd been told to avoid Kumo if it was possible. But he could not really avoid this situation, could he? He simply could not just walk away – not from this. He hoped Tsunade would welcome his decision here. Danzo would no doubt applaud it. He'd even go as far as to frown that he hadn't killed all these other and capture Kumo's Jinchuriki for Konoha.

"Raw power doesn't always solve all problems. I have no need to fight you. Besides, you are a Jinchuriki and I have no back-up. It is best to be on the side of caution…" Naruto clasped his hands. "People without power use tactics. Those with power depend on their overwhelming strength to oppress. I will not fight you. That is the best thing I can do here to avoid a bit more angry reaction from Kumo."

Cautious, Yugito took a single step back. She didn't have a pleasant feeling. But she was still confident.

"Illusionary Mist."

A thick mist started to spread out, a bit quickly. Allowing themselves to get caught in the mist would be stupid. They wouldn't be able to see clearly.

"Spread out!"

"If you do that, it will be easy to pick up all of you."

The thick mist had some dense chakra. It made it difficult to sense any presence. Yugito couldn't sense anyone in fact, nor could she see anything. But she was certain, Naruto's voice was coming all over. Had he made those Kage Bushin?

The thought halted in the throat when she became engulfed in a grey place. An image of her younger self, crying, in pain as she tried to learn to control her power. It felt real. A bit too real. Her heart pounded. The torture. The cold nights she spent alone with an aching body. She snarled seeing those images. The flashes of her past. It made her angry and sad. She had gone through the worst conditions to be here.

"Genjutsu…" she gritted her teeth. A wide scale genjutsu that worked differently. But what if she escaped the genjutsu? She would still be in the mist. Who would even make something so nasty?

Matatabi snapped her out of it. She quickly jumped up into the air, looking over at the area where the mist covered. The distance was huge. It wouldn't be simple escaping.

She flashed her eyes to the edges of the mist. Clones – Naruto's clones. They surrounded the mist. He was trying to stop everyone from escaping.

Yugito landed atop of a tree. The moment she did so, she flinched. She sensed a presence behind but no attack came.

"I wish we'd met under different circumstances. Next time we meet, it will probably be in battle, war perhaps."

He burst into a cloud of smoke.

And the mist started to disperse. Yugito flashed down, to the ground, searching around, but there was no sign of Naruto.

Omoi

She twisted around, to have a look at him. His back was pressed against the trunk of a tree, blood gushing out of his throat, his own sword stabbed through it, pinning him to the tree.

Was he alive or dead? More importantly, was Naruto too far away?

If Omoi was hurt, then Naruto got the Jinchuriki. They would have failed the mission. Ai was not going to be happy. She hated this. Her teammate was down, but she couldn't focus on it, she had to try to salvage the mission.

"Take care of him… I'm going to try to track him down!" She said through gritted teeth.

Yugito disappeared in a blur. She next appeared atop of a tree, her eyes scanning the area trying to get a feel of Naruto's chakra. She deeply frowned, she could sense multiple chakra signatures moving to different directions. And they belonged to the same person. He was obviously doing this to stop her from following because she couldn't pick which to follow.

She cursed silently before turning around.

Failure.

Ai wasn't going to be amused.

I'd planned for something a bit more 'energetic' in terms of fighting scenes, but this was the best I could do. Most interesting things will happen in chapter 8. From chapter 9 we have the war until chapter 14 or 15, depending on whether i delete some scenes I have worked out.

The omnipresent Sage