Genius? It was not a title granted to Sasuke to bloat his pride. He was deserving of everything letter in the word. Though, it made him arrogant. Danzo cared not for the arrogance nor that bloated Uchiha pride. He agonized over the mental instability of the Uchiha. The anger ran deep. Made him unpredictable. It was worse now. Perhaps his loss to Naruto had reverted him to the jealous child he had been before he betrayed the village to parade with that cursed Orochimaru.

For now, the mere mention of Itachi rattled him. It was bothersome. Such mental handicap was a nuisance. Then again, Orochimaru liked them gullible. Danzo had no use for tools who expressed thought or displayed emotion to this level. It was only a burden that blinded them from their true objective – which was to protect Konoha even at the cost of their lives.

Itachi's existence was the root of all problems. Yet, it was the burning desire that kept him going. Danzo wondered what else Sasuke would do once Itachi was dead. For the sake of the Leaf, the Uchiha had to be given another mission, a life purpose, and there was nothing better than a life of being a protector of Konoha.

But Sasuke was disloyal. He expressed no thought or love for Konoha. Danzo found displeasure in this attitude. For the young Uchiha, it was the hunger for power. It easily made him corruptible. You'd think easy to control, but no. Yet, he was susceptible to manipulation. Nonetheless, trying to teach him lessons about protecting Konoha seemed to be going nowhere. The key was always Itachi. He seriously needed to make sure that the elder Uchiha was dead. At this rate, if Sasuke learns of anything about the Uchiha massacre, he was likely to turn on Konoha. Which could not happen. Danzo would not have his efforts wasted.

"Even if you look at me like that, until I kill my brother… there will be no talk of coming back to act as a shinobi of the Leaf."

Those words, stated so coldly, Danzo thought Sasuke actually believed them. But there had to be a part of the Uchiha that was loyal to Konoha. He was not always disloyal. It was the lure of power by Orochimaru that changed his heart. Had the Sannin died long ago, he wouldn't be having this problem. Then again, Sasuke wouldn't be in his hands.

"The main reason you even left the village was because you wanted to gain power. Power we will give you. Konoha can do that. I can do that. Naruto has become powerful without joining the Orochimaru, even you can become powerful. Unless you are willing to admit that he is a better shinobi than you."

Sasuke glared at Danzo with murderous intent. Better than him? The thought of Naruto's growth angered him to the point where he felt his insides twist. He hated that Naruto defeated him. He had been driven into the hands of Orochimaru because of jealousy in the first place. He wanted to become better and discard all relationships and yet, even though he discarded all relationships, he was still weaker. Naruto had defeated him.

"That idiot is not a better shinobi than me. Next time we battle, he will not be lucky."

"It had nothing to do with luck. Naruto was just better than you. Even with Orochimaru, your improvements have been rather limited. I would have expected you to return with the Mangekyo Sharingan activated, but you have still not activated." Danzo knew the requirements of achieving that feat, but Orochimaru was a twisted person, he could have manipulated Sasuke for the Mangekyo to be awaken.

"I know what must happen for the Mangekyo Sharingan to awaken."

"So do I…" Danzo paused, wondering just how he was going to do to bridge that gap. He could use Shisui's eye to manipulate Sasuke and then introduce a friend. With enough time, he could give Sasuke the impression that he had the friend his entire life. He could even make the Uchiha see the friend as Naruto. The fact that he hadn't been able to kill Naruto then, meant he perhaps cared.

"In any case, I have already stated that you will face Itachi. We will do everything to make this happen and ensure that you avenge your clan. However, you must remember that it was also your goal to restore your clan and that can only happen within this village… Before that, you must be strong enough to defeat Naruto and not only that, we must navigate through this war and I expect you fight in the war for the sake of your home."

Iwagakure

Rapid movement. The Fourth Raikage was not messing about, but it was to be expected of Ai. The Raikage respected power. For war, the man was not a bad opponent. Already, without even a warning, his forces had already advanced from their village. It was a provocative action and he was not going to just sit back and allow the man to cover more ground while he sat massaging his aching back. No, he had to take action, lest he come to regret moving with the speed of a tortoise.

Onoki looked at the map, just wondering how this was going to go. It would be no different from other wars. Everyone else was an enemy. And again, Suna would be playing the nuisance game. At least, in this round of war, the war would claim all the bragging rights as the most powerful shinobi village. He was hoping to win it. Konoha came with surprises, but the village has lost its valuable assets over the years.

Minato was gone, who was the main reason they ended their last war. The Sannins, though still powerful, they were no longer in the Prime years. He had two Jinchuriki, and so did Kumo. He was going to use them to good effect. The Uchiha were always a problem in war with their Genjutsu. Fighting one was always difficult, but the entire clan was wiped out. How was Konoha even pretending to be the strongest village at this point?

The Sandaime Tsuchikage turned to Kurotsuchi and then sighed, just thinking about what she was thinking with the look on her face. Something about his retirement to old age. He was the last of the old geezers. The Sandaime Hokage gone, he was the only one alive to have been involved in all wars to date. He hadn't thought he would see another one, but this was the shinobi world, it was always going to happen. It was a simple matter of when the inevitability would occur.

"Kumo's forces are already on the move. I'm sending you out as well. To act as deterrence to their movements. We don't want them gaining the advantage over a battleground."

"Damn, the Raikage is a quick one. I really thought we were going to make the first move."

"It doesn't matter. In war, if you blink, you lose. I assume the Raikage is trying to secure passage of the large forces by occupying the Land of Hot Water. It is the only passage from them to face us, otherwise, they would have to use ships."

"Hot Water borders the Fire Country. Konoha is going to be quick out of its blocks to defend its borders."

Onoki smiled. "I'm betting on it. While the two are busy at it, we will move to occupy Land of Canyons. Konoha will of course move because it also shares a border with the country, and that will only stretch its forces. Which will work on our favor."

"If Kiri and Suna don't join it."

"I received a back letter from the Raikage. He will deter Kiri and I will deter Suna from entering the war stage. This works for both of us. Neither village is strong enough to take advantage of the situation. So it hardly matters if they don't partake in the war," Onoki said. "You need to move fast before Konoha catches wind of this. If they hear about this, no doubt they will make a move to protect Takigakure. They do have that relationship with them."

"What about Mushrooms as another point of attack to Konoha?"

"We will use that, but not openly. I'm trying to avoid the Land of Storms. As far as Intel suggests, Amegakure has been ravaged by a civil war. We don't want any of that."

Guren as was an interesting character. Smart? Yes. But she was also a sadistic woman who enjoyed inflicting pain on others. It was not his cup of tea. He was not cruel. But for her, it would be shocking if she was normal. She had after all, diligently served Orochimaru. There was nothing normal in the world of the Sannin. Strange things and oddity dictated the events that transpired in many of his burrows. But for those, it was the normal. Unless, you were strapped up in a bed with Kabuto dozing in a couple of magic liquids inside of you.

Not for a second did Naruto think she'd stab him in the back. Not unless Orochimaru managed to find a way to twist the frames of her mind once more. A highly unlikely scenario but in this shinobi world, anything was possible. Especially with the Sannin.

"You are not at all concerned about him?"

Naruto tossed Guren a look. They were sitting at the back of his house. Yukimaru had been enrolled to the shinobi academy. So, during day time, he wasn't around to breast feed on Guren. Perhaps she was more than a mother to him? He smiled. Now, he was just being twisted.

"Orochimaru?" Naruto looked thoughtful. "To be unconcerned would be reckless. He is still a capable shinobi and his hounding of me does bother me."

"But you are confident of beating him." She narrowed her eyes, just wondering how powerful the blond was. In her tangles with him this days, he was much more overpowering than before. He wasn't fighting in the same way. He said, 'in war, constantly throwing around jutsu leads to exhausting which can end in death.' Spoken like someone who has fought a war before. But he has not – he was just knowledgeable about the workings of a thirsty battleground.

"Of course. One is always confident."

"Good. You do not lack the confidence, which is good. But you have still not told me what you want from me and how granting my freedom will go."

She was staring, her tone stern. He smiled. She was indeed an assertive woman, but he was not going to let her slip under his skin and end up spilling the beans. Though not too experienced, he was not too amateurish to be slipping easily.

"Does it bother you that much?"

"Of course it does. I have to think about Yukimaru. I don't want to do anything that may endanger his life. Being here means he is safe."

"But also within the grasp of Konoha. You are not naïve to think that you will not be held at ransom if there is a need. Basically, your child is held hostage here, to ensure that you do nothing wrong against the village, at least."

Guren frowned deeply. She was aware of this. This was basically how villages operated. Her rare bloodline was also very attracting.

"This is still your village. You would say something like that about it? Not to mention, you seem to get well with the Hokage."

"Doesn't mean the truth must not be spoken. You already know my situation in this village, and yours will only get worse."

"What do you know?"

"Oh nothing; but, Great Nations do covert bloodlines. You must have already been approached now that you gone through the shinobi registrations and evaluations. The Uchiha has been lost, there is nothing wrong in trying to find a new powerful clan, even if it will take time." Naruto smiled, a rather twisted smile. "Well, you're capable of having more than ten children in your life time."

Guren look at him with a look of horror, but he laughed.

"I'm exaggerating…" he said.

"But?"

"Not long ago, you'd been forced. Or if it was a different Hokage. This one, is a little too nice. She'd never force you into such a situation, especially when she is another woman. So, even if other people try to say something, nothing will happen to you. But it doesn't matter much, we are at war."

With war meant that their time in this village was limited. She had nothing to give her nightmares about. Not unless someone like Danzo decides to play his cards and gets her kidnapped. Naruto wouldn't allow something like that nevertheless. Not when he had uses for her.

"You wouldn't have such thoughts for me if not for my bloodline, wouldn't you? Orochimaru was only ever interested in me because of my jutsu. It does seem that whoever looks at me only finds my jutsu valuable."

The bitterness; it made Naruto pause to reflect for a moment. "The same about me. Wouldn't even consider you if not for your abilities. But what is wrong with that? Your jutsu cannot be separated from you. It is always the package that comes. You…" he trailed off, releasing a long breath. "We have a visitor."

"Who?"

"You'll see."

A minute later, Jiraiya showed up, through the backdoor from inside the house. the Sannin stared between them for a moment before going on to lean against the wall, staring at Naruto, while secretly giving him a thumps up.

"You should respect other people's houses, Jiraiya. I will put an anti-teleportation barrier around my house."

The Sannin folded his hands across his chest. "If you could, you'd have done that already."

"You have me there… some seals are rather complicated," he admitted quietly. "And why do I hear giggles from the back of my head?"

"Well, you are making some moves? I saw the Yamanaka girl leaving this place… can only be for one thing. IS she your lover as well?"

"What?" Guren stared at Naruto, before her expression turned into something of disgust.

Looking at it, Naruto smiled, but quickly put on a hurt look. Who wouldn't be offended when a woman puts in a look of disgust at just been told she is one's lover? It was insulting, to the pride really. He'd never come across such looks – at least once he grew. He had his fair share of success with woman. But of course, Jiraiya had more tails to tell. Naruto rarely approached, only did so when it was safe. He was a bit conservative about it.

"I'm offended, Guren. Am I that unworthy of being a companion that you'd even put such a look of disgust? I thought we got along quite well. Tell me, what is wrong with me? Is it my looks? It is that you are older? What makes you look so disgusted?"

Guren blinked. Well, he was not exactly a bad person. She just didn't think about such things. Why was she even thinking about this? Looking at Naruto's smile, she shot him a glare.

Naruto held up his hands, "Don't be so stiff." He said. "Are we going to talk about a sparring session or is there some other business that brought you here?"

"Can't I just visit my former student?"

"Since when do we do that?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I understand that there will be great pressure on you in the war. You'll be expected to do things only a Jinchuriki can do. I suppose that places an unfair unburden on you."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm prepared for it. You need not worry like I'm a child. Both Kumo and Iwa have Jinchuriki and I'm the only one who's safe to fight them. We must make do with what we have."

"I'll join you were possible but my main focus will be hunting down members of the Akatsuki," the Sannin said firmly. He then stared at Naruto. "What do you wish for, Naruto? You no longer have the desire to be Hokage. So, what do you wish for?"

Naruto fell on his knees, breathing heavily. The feeling of weariness that gripped him was rather foreign. He was not used to being exhausted, at least exhausting his chakra. Not since he did real training. He was not completely exhausted but by his standards, this was uncharted territory. The main point was to drain his chakra, to see how the cells would react once there was nothing holding them back. Tsunade had said there was the possibility that the cells would try to take over his body if he became weakened. He could feel the fight in his right arm, but not enough for him to lose control. He'd probably lose his hand if he lost control.

He glanced at Tsunade, who was watching from the sides with Shizune.

"I can feel something but not enough to take charge. The feeling is nevertheless itchy."

"We have to make some improvements. But I guess this does work. You are Uzumaki, so there is that compatibility. It is different with Jiraiya. The procedure wasn't even the same," Tsunade explained.

She smiled, at least this was progress. There was still much to do. She had a lot more information with what Orochimaru left behind and some of her predecessor's secret experiments. The complete object was Yamato but it was about recreating all that work. She was not attuned to it as Orochimaru was. But Jiraiya's work was perfect. Then again, it was never about making the difference as she is trying to do with Naruto. It wouldn't be a bad thing if he could end up being able to use Mokuton.

"Still no close to being to manifest Mokuton."

Naruto shook his head. "Healing is also only applicable on this portion of my body. The rest of my body heals differently."

"It can't all happen overnight. We need more time," Tsunade said. "We'll continue to study it more. But we may not have the time. At least not until after the war. Things are getting heated now. And any day now, you may be called to head into war."

"I guess we must make do with the time we have now," Naruto stood up, walking toward the two. He stopped in front of Shizune and then smiled. "Another night for drinking? I swear this time, I will pay."

"Wait, you two went out drinking?"

"Don't you remember? I asked her out in your office."

"I thought you were joking."

"Well, apparently I was not."

Tsunade shook her head. She was not going to get worked over this little thing. Still, Shizune was all about work. She kept following her. A loyal attendant. But Tsunade had never truly thought about her happiness. A selfish side of her. But without the woman, what could she do? There were many things that thankfully didn't happen because of her. Everyone deserved a chance to be happy. But then again, Shizune would probably never accept being discharged from service.

Naruto lifted his right hand, watching Ino's left foot slowly move toward his temple. It was slow because he was used to better shinobi who moved with reflexes of lightning. He grabbed her stretched leg around the ankle and then pushed it toward the right, suddenly. It was a quick and forceful movement that left her off-balance. Naruto crouched down, swiftly sweeping his right leg. He hit the blonde, sweeping her leg off the ground. While she was following backwards, Naruto leapt forward, taking a single giant step before slamming the palm of his right hand on her gut.

Ino spat out saliva while quickly grabbing her gut in pain as she fell backward. She hit the ground with her back, but Naruto didn't attack her.

"That was just pathetic!" Guren sneered, watching from under a tree, hands folded across her chest.

Ino was supposed to be a kunoichi? Her Taijutsu skills were on par with those of a Genin. She lacked any physical strength, and was slow. What good was she for a shinobi? In any real battle, if she was fighting alone, she'd lose against even a genin who had better grasp of Taijutsu. Her only jutsu was her clan technique, which could only be used if she was fighting with someone.

Ino quickly got up, glared at Guren and then turned to Naruto.

"What is she doing here?"

"Ask her."

Ino did not. "Some of us were not raised in a barbaric way to live for killing people by a twisted person who enjoys torturing people for his fun."

"That is not an excuse to be weak in the way you are. Growing in the strongest village makes you take life easy. You think life is simple. But it is not. You probably joined the shinobi academy because you thought life was cool."

Privileged brats. Being born outside of the Great Five nations was nothing but a pain. Anything could happen. You were exposed to any kind of danger. Guren would know better. She had been responsible for raiding some villages, killing everyone within. To a Great Village, she could not do that. She'd die having just one wounded one shinobi. Or maybe two.

"Don't blame me for where I grew up." Ino huffed, folding her hands across her chest. "I don't like her."

Naruto put on an amused look on his face. The shinobi world wasn't fair by any means. He was certain Guren had no regrets over the many lives she has ruined. Maybe he was wrong. Either way, there those outside of shinobi villages who were exposed to many dangers. There was no question there.

"It is good that you have had a change of career. Without your teammates, there is nothing you can do. Not unless you are facing a genin. I don't want to be unkind, but that is the truth. You lack physical strength and even at this stage, Sakura had more 'tricks' up her sleeve than you currently and she was pathetic. Teams give you a safety net. In that, you'll always have someone to watch your back, but there will be moments you'll be alone. You need to cater for that," Naruto sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm offended."

"As you should be. You have no plan when you attack. I learned something valuable when training with Gai. He said, in Taijutsu, you must always fight at least five steps ahead. That means when you throw a punch, your next steps must on standby. By that I mean, when you throw a punch, predict how your opponent is going to react." Naruto explained in a light tone. "I'll see you, Guren. Let's go for a lunch."

Ino turned to Guren, stuck out her tongue and then turned to Naruto.

"That was rather childish…"

Ino shrugged. "I don't like her…" she said, eyeing him at the corner of her eyes. "What is she to you? You're not fooling around with her, are you?"

"Now, what makes you think that?"

"You're not exactly the kind of person who keeps his hands to himself. Though not as beautiful as me, she is a woman."

"Jealousy can be an unpleasant demon, Ino."

"I have dealt with that demon before. Do you know how I hated the fact that Sakura was closer to Sasuke than I was? They were teammates, and she got to spend days with him while I couldn't get him to look at me."

"Fan girls."

Ino smiled, a little sadly. "It comes with being a child."

"And acting like you have been hypnotized."

"You're not allowed to add anything," Ino said, nudging him over his shoulder. "I was a little hopeless then. But at least I have grown."

"Evidently," Naruto looked ahead.

"Where are we going to eat? Is it even right to go like this after training?"

"Some things never change." Naruto sighed. "What do you want to eat? Last time I said ramen, you grumbled saying I didn't know how to treat a girl."

"I was wrong," Ino admitted. "You just like ramen that much. Whenever hunger comes, the first thought it ramen. It isn't like I eat it every day. We can go there."

"Oh my, Ino. You're becoming attractive, much more…"

Ino glanced at the hand coming toward her. She slapped it. "Keep your hands to yourself…" she paused, smiling. Who'd guessed that things would come to this? It was strange walking with Naruto since people were always looking in the streets. There were a handful of reasons. Which were all interesting to say the least. "Are you not going to take advantage of things and become the Prince of Konoha like Sasuke once was?"

Naruto snorted. "Well, you did treat him as such. The last Uchiha…" he laughed. "But no. I have always been Uzumaki Naruto, and that will not change."

"Why does it feel like you are denying your heritage? Regardless of whether you like it or not, the Namikaze name is yours. You want your children to grow up without the legacy of their grandfather?"

Naruto glanced at Ino with a raised eye brow. "Children? Aren't you a little young to think about such things?"

Ino shrugged. "I have always been an advocate of 'old enough to kill, old enough to drink.'" She said. "We are getting there. Three years now, we'll be thinking about marriage and the like. You know, we all dream of starting a family of our own."

"In your case, isn't it just about getting the man of your dreams? The perfect gentleman?"

Ino smiled. "There is no such. Perfect doesn't exist in this world. Do you think about that kind of future? You know, getting married and all?"

Naruto looked up into the clear skies. Did he? No. he never gave it a thought because his immediate future didn't revolve around that. There were things he needed to do, and starting a family would only get in the way. Perhaps it was the same with all shinobi who don't have families. But to do that, one didn't need to settle down.

"I guess I would want my children to carry both names…" Naruto suddenly said in thought. "But that is for the future. For now, there many things to do."

"You'll get old thinking that and people will get taken away."

Naruto glanced at her. "Like you?"

Ino shrugged. "I'm just saying start planning for that future. You don't want to just 'settle' for something less. Just because we are going to war doesn't mean that plans must end there. Having something to look out for does give you more reasons to survive, doesn't it?"

"Maybe, but reason sometimes amounts nothing more than desperation. You should know and have this in mind, you might not return once you depart this village for war."

"That's a little bleak and depressing…"

Naruto shook his head. "When you go confident that you will survive, and when you know that you might not die… it is different sets of minds. When you think anything can happen, you're always cautious, on guard for anything that guards your life. You won't have the arrogance but will be safe."

Ino looked at him, a thoughtful look across her face. "I hope we both survive. If I had a choice, I wouldn't choose to go…" she said in a quiet tone. "I've seen some memories about war that make it an unpleasant thing to think about."

"But you must go, because you are a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaves."

The top of the Hokage tower had Jonin camped. Their combined presence a lethal doze that would frighten any shinobi. These were the best that Leaf had to offer. A sight to behold. Naruto could understand why the Leaf was the strongest. In other villages, you could point just one of the strongest in the village. With Suna, it had been merely the Yondaime Kazekage and Baki, not counting Rasa's children. And now, it was simply Gaara and his siblings that were the best Suna had to offer.

Naruto could only imagine what would have been like for any village to fight Konoha in war. How do you go against an army of damn Sharingan users? There was no jutsu you'd use that they wouldn't use. Hell, they'd put everyone in a Genjutsu and then have someone massacre the dazed shinobi.

There was no Uchiha, simply normal Jonin.

But a call to the top shinobi meant that war was at their gates and they now had to leave, for war. The bloody battles that did nothing but feed the planet with blood. Well, at least nature would feast in the flesh to nurture its roots.

Naruto stopped by Neji, and nodded to the Jonin. "War calls?"

Neji nodded.

"Think we'll be in the same group?"

"Shouldn't the best option be to keep us apart?"

"It works either way. I think when we were sent to that mission where we encountered Iwa shinobi, the Godaime was merely testing our teamwork. You put your effective teams against large numbers to do the heavy damages. It also dampens the morale on the other side," Naruto explained lightly, looking at the front.

Tsunade and Shikaku appeared in the scene. The Nara was the Jonin commander. His presence just spelled just how serious the issue was. The Jonin knelt once the leaders arrived at the scene. Shikaku looked around and then spoke.

"We received a report that both Iwa and Kumo have already to take battle positions. Our main concern at the moment is Kumo, which has already passed into the Land of Hot Water. The said country borders us. The Fire Lord has been firm to ensure that War does not happen in the borders of his country, and anyone who tries to enter the country, must be repelled. Now, we cannot have Kumo camping at our borders. If they do that, we allow them to push us back.

"Iwa is trying to lay an assault on the Canyons, and its shinobi village, Takigakure. Taki has no power to defend itself, and we have a duty to do so. There is reason to believe that Iwa doesn't just want to use the country as a battleground, but it is possible that at the end of the war, they might try to assert themselves on the nation. If that happens, we have them staring back at us right at our borders. Of which, we cannot tolerate. We must also repel them.

"This means that we will be fighting on two major fronts. Two teams will be heading out. The team heading to the Canyons will immediately engage and ensure that Iwa does not succeed. This team has to depart late night to catch Iwa before it overtakes Taki. However, you are not to engage if there is a Jinchuriki on the battleground. We have devised a strategy to handle those. The team guarding the borders with the Hot Water will engage only of Kumo tries to enter the Fire Country or if they make the first move."

So, nobody really cared about the smaller nations. It was sometimes understandable why the smaller nations hated the Great Five. When it came to war, they were the ones who suffered. Nobody here cared about the people suffering in the small villages. It was about protecting the interest of the Hidden Leaf. Then again, there was nothing free in this world.

Tsunade took over.

"We have received a report that some shinobi apparently from Iwagakure attempted to assassinate the Kazekage. We do not know if they are truly on the orders of the Tsuchikage, but we are working on finding out. In any case, Suna will be camped out across its borders and ready to enter the war if there is a need. I have also spoken with Kiri, their Jinchuriki and 500 shinobi will be ready to assist us in battle." Tsunade stated in a firm tone. "You are going out there to fight for this village. For our future. The future of everyone within. We cannot lose. We must win. Do your best out there to complete your assignments. But make sure that you do not leave your colleagues behind. We must never discard fellow Leaf shinobi. If your teammate is wounded, carry them to safety. You have the best medic nin the shinobi world. We will heal them. How you will be divided, you will be informed tomorrow morning before you set out. Dismissed!"

Naruto stayed behind. Once everyone was gone, he moved closer to both Shikaku and Tsunade. The Godaime had a rather firm look about her. He mirrored this perfectly.

"I have told Shikaku your secret because we are going to use that power in the war. And it won't become a secret once you start using it. Jiraiya is next, but it is preferable that you tell him yourself."

Naruto had not planned on actually using the Sanbi in the war by actually transforming, but since Tsunade was saying so, there was no avoiding it. It wasn't that big of a problem anyway. He was going to disappear after wards.

"I will tell him before the day ends. He is still around, yes?"

"Yes; he will only leave tonight," Tsunade glanced at Shikaku who cleared his throat before speaking.

"How many clones can you create without getting exhausted?"

"I have never been exhausted by creating clones."

Shikaku shook his head. It was just ridiculous. It was not even advised for anyone with a rank of lower than Jonin to use the jutsu. Even some Jonin couldn't even create more than two Kage Bunshin and remain perfectly fine. The gap was in chakra reserves was really envious. But he was thankful someone like this was on their side.

"When you were still a child, you could create over a thousand. Not even a Jonin could create that much without suffering the side-effects of the pull out of chakra."

"I can still create thousands and give them enough chakra without a problem." Naruto stared at Shikaku. "Are you planning on making me a one man army?"

"Well, if your clones can use Sage Mode, they would be a match for any Jonin. Do they also have access to the power of the Bijuus within you?"

Naruto smiled. Shikaku was truly dangerous opponent.

"Yes. I am after all, linked to all my clones."

"Good. We will need about a 100; we need them to spread the battlefields to take care of the wounded and handle some more 'suicidal' missions."

"I can also have then use a transformation jutsu. It is quite effective in the sense that it is not an illusion but a real transformation that can't be seen through. Just say for example, you have a thousand of them, passing through the Rain, rushing toward Iwa and Iwa gets a wind of this. What do they do? They no doubt have to rush over there to try to defend."

"That is something we can work on. Tsunade-sama will give you more details tomorrow once we are done discussing things."

"Of course." Naruto disappeared along gusts of wind.

Shikaku turned to face the Godaime Hokage. "He may well truly our biggest asset in the war. But this means he is nothing more than a weapon… are you okay with that?"

"It is reasonable to assume that Minato only sealed the Kyubi within Naruto using this specific seal because he foresaw that the power would be needed in the future. There was even a key created, just in case Naruto had to learn how to use the power. That is the wish of the Yondaime Hokage, and Naruto himself doesn't have an issue with it. We can only hope that he survives with his mental health intact."

Walking within the dark corridors of the Root hideout, Naruto felt like he carried something rather dark inside of him. Sinister things were always plotted in this place. Without question, many dark arts were practiced in here that may have even incited wars of the past. Even now, he wouldn't be surprised if Danzo had already fanned the flames of war to suit his agenda.

The man was almost fanatic about his love for Konoha. Perhaps saying almost was an understatement. Regardless, Danzo's love for Konoha was obsessive and a little self-serving. The selfishness within his ideals could not be discarded. The man did believe that only he could do it. Had it been him who captured the Bijuus, he would not have given them to the others, even if it was for a price. He'd have kept them for himself and kept the other villages under his whims, for control measures.

Suna wouldn't even have its freedom. It would be have been turned into a colony of the Leaf. That was Danzo's world. You were either under him or against him. There was no middle ground with him. Such connections were temporary and could be burnt at any second.

He stopped at a large room, Sasuke was busy training. The Uchiha seemed to be busy at work. Training hard so that he could be ready for his bout with Itachi. It was almost sad, but what could anyone do about it?

When the Uchiha noticed him, he stopped and then turned to face him.

"Have you come to face me?"

Naruto held up both his hands. "I think I will avoid it. You don't like competition. Once we got into a battle after you got jealous that I had managed to defeat Gaara while you could not. We had to end up being separated because someone is a jealous idiot," he said, in a casual tone, eyes fully fixed on Sasuke.

Sasuke glared, just remembering that moment. He'd thought he had improved greatly but Naruto had done better. He was an idiot, and yet he managed to challenge him. It had been a constant thing. No matter what he did, Naruto would always find a way to better him.

"If you don't want to fight, just state so. Of course, it might be that you are afraid. You'd always been a chicken."

That moment he had frozen and nearly shit his pants when they came to face with those brothers. Naruto laughed thinking about it.

"Well, it was much better than you shitting yourself while even thinking about killing yourself in the face of Orochimaru. That was honestly pathetic, Sasuke. The mighty Uchiha, prideful, was thinking of slitting his own throat, because of a little killing intent.

Was Naruto trying to piss him off? But admittedly, that had not been his finest moment. It was humiliating to even think about it.

"Still, how does it feel? You departed this village partly because of my growth to go and train under Orochimaru. And yet, here you are. I nearly killed your 'master' by the way."

The Sharingan murderously glare at him. Naruto could sense a bit of killing intent.

"You must grow, you little prince of Konoha," Naruto said in a harsh tone. "Nobody will give you free things because you are the last Uchiha. Maybe if you hadn't been a hateful prick, you could have gone into training with me and would have returned much stronger," he paused, amused that Sasuke was just an inch away from lunging at him. "I have a message from Itachi."

"Where did you meet him? Was he here in this village?!"

"Yes… maybe… I can never really tell. It is always Genjutsu with him." Naruto shrugged. "But he said he will come to you one day. To face you. I think since he is nearly blind because of overuse of the Mangekyo Sharingan, he wants your eyes to attain the eternal Mangekyo Sharingan."

"How do you know about that?"

Naruto smiled. "I have my ways," he said. "Prepare. You don't want to end up losing to a blind man." That said, he turned away from the Uchiha, walking away.

"I can see that you have your guard up. I'm not too much of a coward that I'd stab you in the back like that."

"Well, you really can't fully trust people who have spent too much time in a nest of snakes. But it is good that you have not become one."

"Does Danzo even know about this?"

"Well, he can find out. But I won't bother informing him."

Naruto left the room, appearing into the dark passage. He found Danzo waiting for him along with his two guards. A rather sharp look on his face. Ah right, each time Sai brought him here it was always a secret, but this time, he had come on his own. He smiled.

"Danzo," he greeted. "I was just delivering a message to Sasuke from Itachi."

"You're in contact with Itachi?"

"Yes. He seems to be very familiar with you and how you work. Of course, he is never forthcoming about the details of the relationship…" Naruto paused, staring, but then shrugging nonchalantly. "Well, I should go away. I must meet someone else because tomorrow, I head out into battle."

"How did you find the entrance to this place? How did you not even set up alarms?"

"My stealth techniques have improved. And The Hokage may have told me. In hindsight, you should have known that she'd tell me…" he paused, blinking. "Ah, I forget, she doesn't fully grasp our relationship but she does know."

"Why are we meeting here?"

Jiraiya asked as he stepped into the empty Uzumaki Mask Temple. Naruto was sitting on the wooden floor in a meditative posture.

"You are on your way out of the village, are you not?"

"I have some digging to do on the other members of the Akatsuki. I have been informed about their strange movements. I want to be able to handle them if possible. I'm confident that if they are just S-rank shinobi, I should be able to handle them even if I am alone," Jiraiya said confidently.

"Well, your brutal defeat in the hands of the God of Ame must have taught you some valuable lessons." Naruto stared into the empty space and then added. "I will no doubt learn many things myself, in this war."

"I think you are just adding it there to hurt my pride that I actually lost."

"Maybe, but I don't want you to forget that had it not been for the Toads, you would have been killed. You must know that you are not invincible. Fear death, sensei."

"I know how to be careful. I should be telling you that…" The Sannin paused, looking around the place. "What happened to the masks?"

"Took them. Property of my clan. At least, the only valuable thing I know about my mother. Any other thing belonging to the Uzumaki was ransacked by other villages," Naruto stared, an expressionless mask on his face. "Within me, I do not hold just the Kyubi but also the three tails. Basically, there are two Bijuus within me."

Jiraiya stared, speechless for a few moments. "How long?"

"Not long. It occurred while you were out cold."

"How can you even hold two of them?"

"My chakra system is developed enough to handle it. It all depends on the seal really. My current seal is a little lacking but I am learning new things from my mother's scrolls. There were some valuable information in the house that were left behind. Mito, the Shodai's wife also had an arsenal of scrolls about Fuinjutsu. Her genius was something else."

"I won't ask why…" Jiraiya closed his eyes. "But be careful Naruto. Once the other villages know about this. You will become a target."

"I know, I know."

It was night, Naruto could sense the tension within the atmosphere. News of the war had already spread across the village. But for civilians, there wasn't much worry. They'd be probably seeing them off tomorrow, wishing them luck, but they would continue to live, being guarded by the Anbu while they fought a war that didn't even make sense. Then again, history has shown that it takes just looking at someone the wrong way that sparks war.

Naruto settled into the shadows, ensuring that no one was following him. He had already activated Sage mode, just to be certain. He didn't want anything happening that he didn't like.

"Tell me, what is happening?" He said, seemingly to no one within the shadows.

Shin did not step out of the shadows as he responded. "I did right by returning when Kumo started making moves. They are trying to put a deterrence to Kiri to ensure it doesn't get involved. Most likely it is threat of an invasion."

"But that won't be easy to pull off. Kiri is in the Land of Water. They would need ships to get there, and any rational person would know that the Mist would have advantage. So, let us assume it is a cheap threat, but sending people to do harm in secretly is not out of the question, just to unsettle," Naruto said in thought.

"Indeed."

"Go to the Fire Capital. Start making preparations. Once we are done, we must be ready for takeover. I will send a clone once you have given the signal."

"A clone for the purge?"

"Yes… Control is only possible when there is no one who is powerful enough to question things. As such, you need to steady the ship, and gather all information you can."

"Of course. I will send a message. May your name be feared after the war…"

Naruto did not respond, but placed his hands inside his pockets, ensured no one was close by before heading into the streets, sage mode deactivated. It no longer mattered now. He had accomplished his business. Getting some fresh air was not a sin, even though there was a curfew. It was not like anyone was going question him about why he was walking in the night.

War games were about to begin. No, they had already begun. There was no that excitement for a first mission or to finally do an S-rank mission. This was war. Someone had to die. Someone would die. It was either you or the enemy. He had heard the saying 'there is no kindness in war.' Maybe that was simply to warn people that don't leave your enemy with your back open because they will stab you. Good people have died that way. You show mercy to people, but the moment you let your guard down, a kunai dipped in poison would be stabbed into your back. The lethal poison running wild within and by the time you turn around to face them, you'd be all white, hearing whispers of death.

Naruto was not going to give anyone that opportunity. It would be unlike him, but you went to war prepared to kill. Protection of what you valued in the shinobi world meant death to another. After all, it was other shinobi who primarily threatened you.

"You ready for this?" Tsunade asked with concern.

Naruto nodded. He would not say a mother. But even though he has seen her naked, she still does try to mother him. He smiled. Having people who cared for you was not bad. It was only a little sad that she would be broken after he does disappear. But that was a part that had to occur. For his own future and that of this shinobi world.

"Yeah… as anybody can be for war."

Tsunade nodded. "Don't push yourself too far. Once they know about your secret, they are going to attack you without mercy. You must be cautious at all times," she said. "I called you in because I have decided that Danzo cannot live past the war."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. He was sure it had nothing to do with the man's actions of late. It was merely about removing a stain in the eyes of the Leaf.

"I see… Do I play a part?"

"Yes. Taking out Sasuke out of the way. My Anbu will handle everything. The War will be a perfect excuse to take care of him without raising questions. When we are ready, I will let you know. For now, he has outlived his usefulness."

Rather strange words coming from Tsunade. But he could understand. She did think that he has played a role in some activities that had unfolded thus far. She probably thought he had something to do with the attempt on Gaara's life. Her words and reality did not match. But such were the decisions one had to take as a Kage. You played god. Decided who lived or died.

They spoke more about the issue before Neji walked into the office. The Hyuga did not sit but rather, remained standing.

"Neji; you are going to co-lead this mission along with Naruto. There will be 500 men who will move behind you. But the two of you, plus Guren will charge forward. You are going to the Sound. Kumo is making an advance there. Engage them to halt their movements. Your reinforcements will come with Hinata but will await orders to join while camping. An extra 500 men will be on standby if there is need. A medical camp will be set up behind. We hope by tonight, the camp will be done.

"We will have a command center, where I will be stationed to relay all information. Kakashi has already left to the Iwa side and Sakura will provide all medical necessities while there," Tsunade explained. "Any questions?"

"None."

"Depart now. Others will follow."

Samui glanced at Karui for a moment and then looked ahead. Behind her, Darui and C were moving slowly, with more shinobi setting up camp within the Sound. Preparations for the offensive to both the Fire Country and Iwa's forces. Another battleground was likely to occur in this country as well. But she worried for Karui. She hadn't fully recovered from Omoi's death. More than anything, she looked forward to facing Naruto once more, just to get revenge. But Samui felt that was beyond her.

"Konoha's forces are on the move," C announced.

"It was bound to happen," Darui put on a thoughtful look before releasing a short breath. "It is going to be hectic." He should have been by the Raikage's side, but this was war. More battles had to be fought and all the power was needed in the front lines.

"We should prepare to engage. I'm sure they are not just going to just watch us until we make a move."

"Traps?"

"Yes… effective. We have the battlefield advantage because we have chosen the field."

The village was far back, and they were heading toward slaughter. Sometimes, war was like that. Kakashi hadn't thought that he would fighting another war, not so soon. It has been years, but he thought there has been peace. Such an ideal world truly could never exist in a world full of people who saw nothing wrong with invading another village for the sake of their own village – or to secure some interests.

He glanced behind, running through the ground. Gai was on another team, but they were all heading to the same destination.

"Sai," the Jonin called.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Summon a bird and move aerially to see what is ahead of us. We don't want to see surprises along the way."

"Hai." The former Root shinobi nodded and then halted to do what was expected of him.

"You think we'll come across some shinobi from Iwa?"

"It is a possibility. We haven't had any Intel to suggest otherwise but we must always be cautious. You're not always going to find everything. There will be surprises."

This was war. Iwa or Kumo shinobi could have already planned something to welcome them into the war, just to unsettle them or even halt their movements. They would have known that they wouldn't just sit back and watch them invade Takigakure.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called her sensei. "Why would Iwa even try to take over Taki? They are not fighting the war."

Sometimes, things that occurred in war didn't have to make sense. Often, some decisions were just irrational but passed off simply because it was war. But Iwagakure has always been a special kind of village just as Kumogakure was known for being aggressive. Though Konoha appeared to be an angel, kakashi knew the village was a master of dark arts. It was just never open about them.

"Throughout history, Iwa has always seen other small villages as methods of expansion. Besides, whenever big nations fight, it is the smaller ones that suffer massively."

Was their mission simply to defend Taki? No, it was not that simple. The Feudal Lord of the Land of Canyons would likely be forced to pay the price of war by the Fire Nation after the war, even though they were the ones to suffer heavy blows.

"This is war, just know that means everything. There is always a battle of supremacy. Whoever wins, dictates the politics until the next one," the Jonin smiled. Maybe he shouldn't say something like that. "Just focus on the assignment at hand. Our role is a big one and we have to succeed."

But dangerous. Iwa could send a Jinchuriki in the front lines. A transformation into a Bijuu would do nothing but wreak havoc.

End of chapter

Next one should arrive next week as well. Thursday or Friday.

From the next until 15 or 16, it will be just war.

The Omnipresent Sage