The Rise of a Warrior: Naruto: Shippuden

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

Three years have come and gone, and while Tatsu and the ninja of the Hidden Leaf have grown stronger, they'll have a whole new group of enemies to face. The era of Team Dragon has arrived, but can they rise to the challenge? Sequel to the Rise of a Warrior: Naruto, second story in my Naruto trilogy. Please read each chapter until the end and check for notes.

3. Naruto's Return, A New Mission Begins

A full 2 ½ years had passed since the Sasuke Retrieval Mission, and after all of this time training, things were finally heating up.

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Tatsu came in to hand in a mission report "Another mission done."

Tsunade nodded "Good work Tatsu."

"It's easy these days." then he saw a familiar sight and turned to Konohamaru's squad "Let me guess, Tora?"

"Yep, and these runts are the fresh meat this time around."

"I pity them. Hey Ebisu."

"Hello there Tatsu." then Ebisu went to scolding his genin "It was the simple case of a lost cat, do you know how long you've been out there?"

"Yeah but sensei, that cat was faster than lightning." Udon protested.

Moegi nodded "It was almost like it'd run off before." she failed to notice Tatsu cracking up.

"I don't wanna hear it." Ebisu cut them off sharply "A mission of this delicate nature requires speed and precision, which you three are sorely lacking in. You need more training."

"Well how do you expect me to reach my limits on a lame mission like this one? Hey Iruka-sensei, don't you guys have anything flashier for us?" Konohamaru complained.

Iruka sighed "Look, it's not that simple."

"Listen carefully." Ebisu got to lecturing again "You three screwups only just made genin level, no one's going to assign you to higher admissions right out of the gate."

"All you'll be getting is D-rank for now." Tsunade told them.

Konohamaru stubbornly sat on the ground "I'm not taking no for an answer, after all you're looking at the 7th Hokage."

"The 7th? What about the 6th Hokage?"

Tatsu let out a loud snort "That should be obvious, it's gonna be Naruto end of story."

Everyone perked up at that.

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After Konohamaru and his team were gone, Tsunade stared down at them "7th Hokage perhaps, but definitely a second Naruto."

"Yeah…" Iruka gave a fond smile 'I hope you're doing okay out there, Naruto… It's been quite awhile since we've seen him, not since he left to train with Master Jiraiya."

"It's about time for him to come home isn't it?" Shizune pointed out.

Tatsu smirked "I can sense it, he's on his way home as we speak."

Tsunade was more serious "The Leaf Village needs him to return, there's too much happening for him to be away now."

"At this point he'd better be able to take me on. By the way, when he does come back I have a request."

"What's that?"

"I was hoping to fight him and Sasuke 2-on-1, and if he impresses me enough then can you make him a jonin?"

"We'll see how he does."

"Fair enough. And that other request?"

"If they all agree to it then consider it done."

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"Hey Sasuke!" a voice called.

Sasuke looked back to see Konohamaru and his team running up to him "Oh hey."

"So where are you off to?"

"Main Gate, picking up something for Tsunade so Ino doesn't have to. You wanna come?"

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At the same time, two figures, actually Naruto and Jiraiya themselves, had entered the village.

"It's been about 2 ½ years now that I think about it." Naruto noted.

Jiraiya nodded "So it has."

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Konohamaru was telling Sasuke about having to catch Tora "And the cat went nuts and started scratching my face off."

Sasuke smirked "That's pretty much what happened to Naruto, sure brings back a lot of memories."

"Hey by the way, have you gotten word or anything from Naruto?"

"Not since he left."

"Too bad."

"But he should be coming back pretty soon though." Sasuke soon reached the Main Gate and met Izumo and Kotetsu "Hey guys, how's it going?"

Kotetsu grinned "Well look who it is, looks like something's waiting for you back in town. You'd have to see it to believe it."

"You don't mean-" Sasuke took off running.

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Naruto ran to the top of a pole and stared out at the village "Now this takes me back, the village hasn't changed a bit! I'm home everyone, Naruto Uzumaki has returned to the Hidden Leaf Village! Man, I'm feeling so nostalgic now. And what do you know, they added Grandma Tsunade's face to the Hokage Monument.'

"Naruto!" a voice called, and Naruto looked down to see Sasuke "That you up there? When'd you get back to the village?"

"Just now!" Naruto leapt down and bumped fists with him "Been a while Sasuke."

"You've gotten taller."

"Guess so."

'He seems more mature since the last time I saw him. I give it 5 minutes tops before that passes and he screws something.'

"Why're you staring at me like that?"

"Hey Naruto!" then Konohamaru unleashed a certain jutsu "Sexy Jutsu."

Jiraiya was in full pervert mode, while Sasuke just sighed 'That's strike 1.'

Konohamaru dropped the transformation "Well what do you think? Not too bad in the curves department there huh?"

Naruto chuckled "Konohamaru, I'm not that scrawny little kid anymore and you shouldn't be using jutsu like that either. It's beneath you."

Sasuke stared at him '10… 9… 8…'

"I mean come on Konohamaru, is that all you've got?! Now step aside and get a load of my brand new Pervy Ninjutsu!"

'Dammit, I only got to 3.'

"Here we go!"

"Are you that stupid?!" a sharp kick to the jaw sent Naruto flying into a wall.

"Hi Lee…" it came out muffled from all of the rock in his mouth.

"Hey Naruto." Lee picked him up by the leg "Been a long time, huh?"

"Your kick has gotten better?"

"And I'm surprised you haven't lost any teeth. Still, be glad it was me and not Ino. In battle she's basically become a mini-Tsunade."

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Tsunade stared at Jiraiya, Naruto, Lee and Sasuke before him "It's been a long time you two, your training proved to be fruitful I hope."

Jiraiya scoffed "You think we would've come back without producing any results?"

"Mission accomplished grandma." Naruto gave a thumbs up.

Tsunade nodded in approval "I'm glad to hear it, show me what you've got kid."

"What, like right now?"

"I have someone I'd like you to go up against. He just got back from a simple mission so he'd be ready for just this moment. Your opponent will be…" she heard a knock "Come in."

Sasuke and the rest looked back to see Temari and Shikamaru enter "Hey Shikamaru, Temari, guess what I found at the gate."

Shikamaru blinked, then grinned "Is that- It is, Naruto it's you."

Naruto grinned "Hey Shikamaru, what's up?"

Temari stared at Naruto in shock 'Is that the same little squirt?'

"Just got back today."

Shikamaru grinned "Look at you, who'd ever believe you're the same idiotic- well I mean to say, you haven't changed haven't you."

"Not at all." Sasuke and Lee chorused dryly.

"Didn't think so."

Naruto hung his head "Give me a break guys, come on. Hang on Shikamaru, does this mean you're my opponent?"

"Opponent? What're you talking about? I just came over here to drop off some paperwork."

"Oh, well if it's not you then is it-" he stared at Temari "What's your name again?"

Temari felt the vein in her forehead throbbing "You don't remember me?"

"Well…"

"Not him stupid." Sasuke dragged him away "Before that, there's someone out there you'll wanna meet."

"Huh?" Naruto poked his head out the window.

"So Naruto, you went and got all grown up." a new voice cut in.

Naruto grinned "Kakashi-sensei!" he leapt out to meet him "Well you haven't changed a bit sensei." then he reached into his bag "Hang on a sec, I've got something for you. A little present."

Kakashi stared in disbelief "NO WAY! (Japanese version is funnier) Is that- Is that really-"

"The first new issue of the Make Out series in three years, pretty boring if you ask me but I know you like this stuff so-"

Kakashi opened the book with a giddy laughter "It's so beautiful…"

"Enough." Sasuke got in between them "No more porn, I get enough of that crap with Zaku back home. Anyway Naruto, I've already gotten the details. Head over to our old training grounds."

"That's where my opponent is waiting?"

"Well you're half right, we're both fighting him, 2-on-1."

"Both of us at once?"

"That's right." Tsunade confirmed "This person will put you to the test, how well you do against him will determine your future status and rankings."

"To see if you deserve to still be genin level or to be something higher. We'll meet our opponent at the training grounds in an hour."

"Oh." then Naruto looked around "Where'd Kakashi-sensei go?"

"Where do you think? To read his porn."

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As they wandered around town, Naruto was grumbling about Kakashi and the book "Stupid Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry I ever gave it to him. That stupid book is more important to him than our training."

"You shouldn't be surprised." Sasuke pointed out dryly "It's Kakashi, but at least now we've got time to discuss important stuff."

"Oh yeah." he leaned back towards Temari and Shikamaru "So, are you two going out or what?"

Shikamaru snorted "Not even close idiot."

Temari scoffed "You've gotta be joking, like I would ever even. The Chunin Exams are about to start, I've been busy running back and forth between your village and mine getting ready for them."

"Yeah that's right, and I'm her escort. It's a drag and don't ask how it happened, but I've been put in charge of organizing the Chunin Exams."

Naruto blinked "The Chunin Exams, huh? Man that takes me back. Kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth though, considering what happened with Sakura and all.'

"Yeah well speaking of which, what are you gonna do Naruto?"

"About what?"

"What do you think? About the Chunin Exams. You're the only one in our year who isn't a chunin. Everyone is but you."

"...HUH?!" Naruto rounded on Sasuke and Lee "Sasuke, Bushy Brow, you guys have been made chunin?"

Sasuke snorted "That's not even the half of it. Kankuro, Temari, Tatsu, Neji, Dosu, Lee and I have all been made jonin."

"Jonin? What're you talking about?" then he thought of something "What about Gaara? What's he?"

"Well…" Sasuke told him what'd happened with Gaara.

"I see, so Gaara was named Kazekage."

"About a year after you left."

"I see…" then he grinned "That's great. Well I'm not about to be outdone by him. I'm still gonna be Hokage one day, just you wait Gaara!"

'So he really has grown up a bit. It'll pass.'

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Kakashi was reading the new book 'Marvellous, truly marvellous.'

"What do you think, not bad huh?" Jiraiya appeared in front of him "If you ask me then it's the best one I've ever written."

"Bullshit." Tatsu made himself known on the wall above them "Face the facts pervert, you've only ever written one good book and that's not it."

"Oh really, now what makes you say that?"

"Personal experience." then he turned serious "Now then, onto business."

"Right, I'm leaving Naruto up to you two as promised."

"I can see he's grown alright, but has he grown up?" asked Kakashi.

"You implying I haven't done my job?"

"Yes." Tatsu blurted out almost immediately.

"Fine go ahead, underestimate him. You'll be sorry."

"Very encouraging."

"The ones we've been watching are about to make their move."

"You mean the Akatsuki. I've got some intel on three of them. One is Itachi, you already know about him. The next is Kisame, a master swordsman, highly skilled in water style, capable of absorbing chakra. The third one I got some intel on from Dragon, and this is just because he fought him. His name is Deidara, a rogue ninja from the Hidden Stone, specializes in clay explosives infused with his chakra. Still, I was wondering when they'd make their move."

"It's no surprise, bound to happen sooner or later."

"So why do you think they're finally showing their hands?" asked Kakashi "What are they after?"

"Their ultimate objective is still unclear, but I know one thing."

"They want Kurama inside Naruto." Tatsu finished for him.

"As to why- well you can be sure they have some evil purpose in mind. That's why I've been going around, spreading the word to our allies. Something's coming, so they'd better boost their security and keep on their toes. By the way, don't you have a test to conduct?"

"Crap, I've gotta get there before Naruto and Sasuke. Later guys." and he raced off.

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Gaara and his Council of Advisors had heard from member Yura about the Akatsuki and how to spot them.

After that, Yura noticed Deidara and his actual partner, a short hunchbacked figure by the name of Sasori, approaching the village to capture Gaara for the One-Tailed Shukaku sealed inside of him.

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Naruto was growing impatient "Where the hell is this guy?"

Sasuke shrugged "How should I know? I know he likes to make an entrance, but he should've been here by now.'

"So who is this guy we're fighting anyway?"

"That'd be me bitches!"

Naruto looked up to see a figure drop from the sky "Tatsu?"

"Hey man!" Tatsu caught him in a bro-hug "See? I told you I'd be a jonin by the time you got back."

"Shouldn't be surprised, we're talking about you after all." Naruto looked around "This place brings back memories."

"Yeah, Sakura was with you guys."

"What happened with her anyway?"

"She's still got 5 more years in prison on the charge of attempted murder. Anyway, on to your test." Tatsu held up two bells "Alright guys, show me how far you've come. After all, you're not gonna let the Akatsuki or Orochimaru get the better of you so easily are you?"

"Not a chance, what the hell do you think we've been putting myself through all this training for?"

"Fair enough. Now the rules are the same as they were the first time around, only instead of Kakashi you're facing me now. I don't care how you do it, just get these bells away from me. How well you do will determine your future ranking Naruto, and whether or not the two of you will have a place on the new team I'm putting together. And remember Kakashi's golden rule-"

"If we're not prepared to kill you then we won't get the bells, we know."

"Good, show no mercy if you wanna get these bells. You've got until sunrise tomorrow. Okay then, shall we get started?"

"Right!" Naruto made the first move and threw some shuriken, then formed several quick hand seals "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the shuriken multiplied.

Tatsu dodged and threw some shuriken of his own.

Naruto formed a Shadow Clone and had the clone pull him out of the way.

'Impressive. Not something I would've expected from the old Naruto I'll give him that much.'

"If you like that then you'll love my new fire jutsu!" he formed hand seals.

Tatsu appeared behind him and grabbed both arms "That's enough of that. He's really grown up right before my eyes. Not only that…' he looked to see another Naruto behind him holding a kunai to his back 'His timing with the Shadow Clones has improved as well. Well well Naruto, you've really matured. But you've still got a ways to go, clearly you're still as impatient as you ever were. I haven't told you guys to start yet. Now let's do this properly, okay guys? Ready… Start!" he disappeared.

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Yura, actually a spy for Sasori, killed all of the guards and allowed Sasori and Deidara into the Sand Village.

Deidara quickly formed a gigantic clay bird and took to the skies.

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Sunset came, and the area was quiet.

Sasuke checked the surrounding areas 'Right. Above. Left. Behind. Nothing there, so there's only one place left to look.' he drew his Raijin sword, channeled lightning into it, and stuck it into the ground, rupturing it.

Tatsu appeared, seeming rather put out 'Well, not as bad as with Ino I guess. Looks like he's been learning a lot more with Shisui Uchiha in Limbo than I anticipated.'

"Well Tatsu, I found you didn't I?"

'He infused his chakra together with the power of Raijin sealed in the sword, focused it, and released it all at once. Something like that would have to require incredibly precise chakra control. You guys had your shot, now it's my turn.' he disappeared.

"Naruto."

"Right." and they took off into the forest.

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Tatsu leapt over trees and hid behind a bush 'You've both gotten better at hiding your chakra presence.' then he saw Naruto hiding behind a tree 'There you are. The first thing a shinobi must learn is to conceal his presence and remain hidden.' he looked and saw Sasuke hiding behind a tree in a different direction 'This is way different from before. Back then Sasuke and the banshee hid while Naruto challenged Kakashi like an idiot, and Hayate-sensei and I watched with snacks. That was a good Tuesday.' he was ripped out of his thoughts by a barrage of kunai suddenly flying towards him 'Shit!' he dodged them and clashed his kunai with Naruto, then faced him on the ground, just as Sasuke emerged from his hiding place "Time for today's lesson. Shinobi battle skills rule #1: taijutsu." he quickly kicked Naruto in the gut, sending him into a bush.

"Got you!" Sasuke charged and started slashing with his Raijin katana 'Just need one shot!'

Tatsu was continuously dodging "It won't do any good if you can't hit me." he ducked out of the way, causing Sasuke to slash down a tree 'That was close.'

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created several clones that all charged.

"Alright then, bring it." Tatsu easily kicked and punched several Shadow Clones that came his way before making his way upwards.

"Get back here!" three Naruto clones charged after him.

"Dancing Leaf Shadow." Tatsu appeared behind them and wrapped them in bandages.

"That's the attack Bushy Brow uses!"'

"Where do you think I learned it stupid?" Tatsu sent them crashing to the ground with a quick Primary Lotus, destroying them "Now then, where do I find the real one?"

"Right over here!" Naruto charged out of the bushes, fingers up "Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu:-"

'F*ck!'

"Thousand Years of Death!" fingers thrusted forward.

Tatsu leapt up and dodged it, but just barely 'That was WAY too close.'

"Dammit, I thought I had it for sure that time!"

'I thought that was the end for me, in more ways than one.'

"Got you!" Sasuke charged in and slashed.

Tatsu dodged, leaving another tree to be cut down 'I remember Kakashi saying that this whole thing was supposed to be a lot easier. Kakashi just reading and nonchalantly blocking Naruto's attacks with one hand, knocking Sakura out cold with a simple genjutsu, and leaving Sasuke as nothing more than a head in the ground. Those pictures were worth a crapload. Still though, they've been apart for almost 3 years and their teamwork is almost on the level of the Ino-Shika-Cho.'

"Alright, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto summoned up to a thousand clones.

'The sheer number of these clones is unbelievable, and now it's even more than it ever was before.'

"Let's do it!" half of the clones charged in.

"Guess I better get serious." Tatsu initiated an upwards spin kick, chakra spiralling around his feet in a circle "Leaf Dragon God!" he summoned the Leaf Dragon God, which devoured several clones and crashed down on the rest of the ones assaulting him "Alright, just send in the rest of them."

The rest of the clones leapt into the air.

'So what's his next move?'

"Chidori Stream!" Sasuke channeled his Chidori into the ground.

Tatsu was forced to leap back onto a high branch to avoid it 'What's the next move of this little combo?'

"Fire Style: Hell Foxfire!" each Naruto clone above him unleashed a blast of fire from their mouths, taking on the form of a fox.

Tatsu leapt back to the ground right after the Chidori Stream subsided 'At this point, the flames will die down before they reach me.'

Then the original Naruto leapt up and formed hand seals "Wind Style: Cyclone Cannon!" he unleashed a blast of wind from his mouth, rocketing downwards and increasing the size and power of the flames.

"Impressive Naruto, but you're not the only one who's learned a few new tricks in the past few years." Tatsu formed some hand seals "Water Style: Bending Shockwave!" he unleashed a giant wave of water that bended and put out each blast of fire before it hit him "Now then, what should I do next?"

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Deidara was quick to use some simple C1 clay explosives to get rid of the guards on lookout duty around the Sand village.

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Nightfall hit, and Naruto and Sasuke were wandering through the forest, looking out for Tatsu and trying to predict his next move.

"Last time I heard the bells they were coming from this direction, I'm sure of it." Naruto told him.

"He could've let us hear them so he could draw us in." Sasuke pointed out "Don't forget, this is Tatsu we're dealing with."

"Sasuke…" a voice echoed.

Sasuke held out a hand to stop Naruto "Who's there?"

"It's me…" then he showed up "Sasuke."

At the sight of him, Sasuke nearly lost it "Itachi… Uchiha…" then he smirked "Good try Tatsu, but my Sharingan can see through genjutsu, now come out and face me like a man. Naruto."

"Right. I've been waiting for a chance to use this." Naruto held out his right hand, and somewhat slowly, a Rasengan formed in his palm "Sasuke, where is he?"

"Behind that tree."

"Just stay back and let me do a little showboating. Rasengan!" Naruto slammed it into the tree.

Tatsu leapt back aways, pissed 'The one time I try a genjutsu and I nearly get a Rasengan to the balls! F*ck you Kurenai!'

"Well then Tatsu, there something you wanna say? I don't think we heard you before."

"Shinobi battle skills rule #2: genjutsu. I only did that one because Kakashi made me."

"You'll have to come up with something better than that."

"Are you kidding me? It took me days just to come up with that!"

"Yeah well sorry to disappoint, but we're not that stupid."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Naruto looked and saw the bells on the ground "Check it out Sasuke, the bells slipped off his belt!" he rushed over, only to get caught in a rope trap.

"You see? You're still falling for the same old tricks."

Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Or not."

"No way I'd fall for a lame-ass trap like that!" Naruto appeared behind him and slugged him in the face.

Tatsu disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Dammit, he substituted with a Shadow Clone!"

'So lameass old traps like that won't work huh? Maybe not all of them, but still…'

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Deidara successfully completed his infiltration, only for Gaara to confront him, leading to a mid-air confrontation.

Gaara was quick to draw sand from the ground of the village, giving him the geographical advantage.

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Naruto quickly dodged a barrage of kunai "So he's over there!" he fired his own kunai.

'Dammit!' Tatsu dodged it, then dodge a punch by Sasuke and kicked him to the ground, only for Sasuke to disappear in a puff of smoke 'A Shadow Clone combined with a transformation.'

"Got you!" Sasuke charged down from above.

'If that touches me I'm dead!'

"Raijin Chidori!" Sasuke slammed down a Raijin-powered Chidori, missing Tatsu by a mere few inches "Dammit!"

"Sasuke!" Naruto joined up with him "You get him?"

"What the hell do you think?"

"Nice work guys, almost had me there." Tatsu appeared in front of them "Shinobi battle skill rule #3: ninjutsu. For this, I'm gonna pull out an old favorite." he leapt back and quickly formed several hand seals "Fire Style: Crimson Dragon!" he unleashed a massive red fire dragon.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Ball Jutsu!" while Naruto leapt out of the way, Sasuke unleashed a stroke from his Raijin sword, sending out a ball of lightning, resulting in an explosion, and when it subsided, Tatsu was nowhere in sight.

Naruto looked around "Now where is he?"

"Right here!" an arm grabbed Naruto's ankle from below "Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" he pulled Naruto underground, leaving his head exposed while Tatsu himself emerged "How are you gonna get out of this one?"

"Like this." then he disappeared.

"Another Shadow Clone."

"Get him!" Naruto and Sasuke charged in.

"Wanna bet?" Tatsu leapt back onto the water and blitzed through several hand seals "Water Style: Tsunami Dragon Barrage!" several water dragons rose from the river behind him and charged downwards.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Sasuke breathed out a fire dragon, pushing back the water dragons.

"Wind Style: Cyclone Cannon!" Naruto breathed out a blast of wind, increasing the power of Sasuke's jutsu, cancelling out the water dragons entirely, engulfing the area in steam.

When the steam subsided, Tatsu could sense them retreating 'They're probably trying to come up with a plan.' he checked his watch 'It's already almost midnight, if we're gonna head to Ichiraku after this then we're gonna have to hurry.'

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"Fire, earth and water, one right after the other." Naruto muttered "Nobody's got that many tricks up their sleeve."

"This is Tatsu we're dealing with." Sasuke pointed out.

"Yeah but he shouldn't be able to use earth or water!"

"Not originally, but he was after the mission to Mount Koryu. Now he's giving us an expert mission in just how skilled he truly is."

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The battle in the Sand Village continued.

Gaara finally used his sand as a complete shield, enveloping himself in it as he attempted to trap Deidara in his Sand Prison.

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Naruto and Sasuke hid by a tree.

"I shouldn't be surprised." Naruto muttered "He's always been strong, but this is just ridiculous."

"And this is just the tip of the iceberg." Sasuke muttered "Just be glad he hasn't drawn his sword, not that he needs it."

"That's the thing I don't get. What's with that sword, and since when can he use earth and water style?"

"That's thanks to the mission to Mount Koryu about 6 months ago, I'll tell you about it if we survive."

"Still, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Tatsu has been amazing me since day one. I should've expected him to be strong as f*ck. He's almost as smart as Shikamaru, better tracking abilities than Kiba, eyes stronger than yours, his taijutsu is almost as good as Bushy Brow."

"On top of that, considering everything that's happened, he might even be stronger than Kakashi now."

"Are you serious? Well then I've got one idea, but it might be a stretch."

"All out assault with both of us using our strongest techniques?"

"Hell yeah!"

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Things were quiet in the forest.

Tatsu sat behind a tree, panting 'I never thought they'd give me such a workout, I was so impressed with how they've improved that I let myself get carried away.'

"Tatsu." they emerged, taking on stances.

"So you're going with the typical all-out assault tactic. Fair enough." Tatsu got to his feet "I was thinking it was about time to end this." chakra began building around him "Sasuke, you gonna use that thing?"

"Yep." Sasuke charged a Chidori, turning the typical blue but with a single golden point at the center of the attack.

"Naruto, you've got something up your sleeve?" Tatsu summoned a Shadow Clone, which then promptly began adding the chakra nature as he began forming a Rasengan.

"You bet I do!" Naruto formed a Rasengan in his hand, the ball turning a crimson color as it was compressed further, leaving the crimson ball spiralling from within.

"Fine then, let's end this." the Rasengan in his hand evolved, taking on a different shade of blue with points of wind chakra sticking out at each end, a dragon mark at the center "Wind Style: Genryu Rasengan!" he unleashed his attack.

"Tornado Rasengan!" Naruto unleashed the crimson spiralling Rasengan.

"Raijin Chidori!" Sasuke unleashed a Raijin-powered Chidori that met the clash in the middle, increasing the shockwave from the attacks.

Tatsu looked back and saw the bells fly off his belt 'They've really grown.' the attacks collided further, resulting in an explosion.

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Things were getting serious in the battle in the Sand Village.

Deidara planted a bomb inside Gaara's shield, only for Gaara to prevent it using his Sand Armor.

Gaara later brought out the Shukaku and attacked Deidara using gigantic sand claws, managing to crush Deidara's arm in the process.

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When everything settled, Naruto and Sasuke had the bells "Yeah!"

Tatsu let out a sigh and sheathed his Dragon Blade "I honestly didn't think you guys would be able to take the bells."

"They've certainly demonstrated some growth."

Naruto and the rest looked back to see Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, Kakashi, Ino, Kin and Lee emerged from the trees "Grandma Tsunade, and everybody else."

"Tatsu, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Tatsu shrugged "Not much to say. They definitely earned their spots and Naruto earned his new rank, there's no doubt about that."

"What're you guys talking about?" asked Naruto.

"Well we've been discussing what your status would be in the future." Shizune told him.

"What our status will be?"

"That's right." Tsunade confirmed "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Rock Lee."

Then Lee appeared beside them "Yes maam."

"You three are a team now, along with Tatsu here as the leader."

"That's right." Tatsu cut in "From here on out, the four of us are Team Dragon."

"Okay, that sounds hella cool." Naruto admitted "So what'll we do then, what's the scoop?"

"We'll be going out on all our missions together again, with me as your leader. And Naruto, thanks to your little performance, you're now a jonin."

Naruto stared, then jumped high into the air and started cheering "HELL YEAH!"

"Come down stupid, I'm not finished yet. Team Dragon was specifically designed to be made up of the strongest jonin our village had to offer, meaning the four of us. If you hadn't impressed me to my satisfaction then Dosu would be on the team instead once he got back from a mission."

"Oh, well lucky me then."

"Lucky you." then Kin came up and wrapped her arms around him "It's great to see you again Naruto."

"You too Kin."

"And congratulations on becoming a jonin." Kin then pecked him on the cheek, leaving Sasuke seething.

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As he watched Gaara battling Deidara in the skies above, Kankuro thought about Gaara's words about becoming Kazekage and how the Sand Village needed him.

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Tatsu was walking through the village with Naruto, Sasuke and Lee, going over how Naruto and Sasuke did in the battle "You guys have gotten a hell of a lot stronger, that's for sure. I never really thought you would've taken the bells."

Naruto grinned "Well what can I say, maybe I've finally surpassed you."

"Don't be ridiculous, you've got a long ways to go before you can beat me. You might be able to beat Kakashi though- Wait no, he's actually worked out this new jutsu the other day."

Naruto held his stomach "Oh crap I just remembered, I haven't had any ramen from Ichiraku since I got back."

"Now that you mention it I'm starving." Sasuke agreed.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Say no more, next stop Ichiraku Ramen!" Naruto took off, with Sasuke and Lee in hot pursuit.

'The idiot's got the attention span of a squirrel.'

"Tatsu." then Jiraiya came up with Kakashi "He's all yours again, I leave him in yours and Kakashi's capable hands as agreed."

"I give you my word, I won't let anything happen to him."

"We need to be prepared, the Akatsuki are getting ready to move again. I'm gonna head out and see what I can find out about them."

"Good luck."

"So long." then he left.

"Alright Kakashi, feel free to go read your porn."

"Will do." then Kakashi promptly left.

"Alright guys, let's move. Next stop, Ichiraku!"

"Yeah, Tatsu's paying!" Naruto cheered.

"Wait, what?"

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The battle was reaching its climax.

Deidara finished molding his clay and created a gigantic C3 bomb, preparing to drop it down on the Sand Village below.

Kankuro and the others saw this and prepared to run.

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Tatsu led the group into Ichiraku "Hey guys."

"Hey Tatsu." Teuchi waived "The usual?"

"Not this time, we're celebrating tonight! Look what we picked up over at the gate earlier."

"What?"

"Hey." Naruto waved.

"Naruto? As I live and breathe, how could I ever forget that face?"

"Been awhile hasn't it."

Then Ayame finally noticed him too "Naruto, look how much you've grown!"

"It's great seeing you guys again."

"Well what'll you have?" asked Teuchi "Still got your appetite?"

"You bet, I'm starving."

"Okay, then today your food's on the house! Order anything you want."

"You'll regret that." Tatsu warned "We're celebrating tonight, three things to celebrate actually. So then, Lee said he'd pay the bill-"

"Hold it." another figure showed up "Let me get this one. Shouldn't be surprised Naruto, I had a hunch you might be here."

Naruto looked to see Iruka poking his head in "Iruka-sensei!"

"Hold that thought guys, gotta dismiss my Shadow Clone." he looked over to his clone standing outside the shop "Thanks, you can go now."

"Sure thing." then the clone disappeared.

"Okay, like I said before we're celebrating. First up, to Naruto's comeback!"

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Gaara used a gigantic shield of sand to protect the village from Deidara's C3, only to discover that Deidara had planted small bombs in Gaara's shield when his arm was being crushed earlier, detonating on Gaara at point-blank range.

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Tatsu raised his glass "Alright guys, I say a toast to Naruto's comeback, to his promotion to jonin, and to the birth of Team Dragon!"

Everyone raised their glasses.

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Having been badly weakened by Deidara's attack, Gaara used the last of his strength to transport his sand outside the village walls before falling unconscious, allowing Deidara to capture him before making his way out with Gaara.

Kankuro chased after him with a squad, only for them to fall into a trap set by Sasori during the battle.

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Naruto opened the door to his apartment "Finally home sweet home, the old place hasn't changed a bit." he looked around "Well I guess it's bound to be a little dusty being closed up for a couple years."

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Using his new puppet Salamander, Kankuro managed to save two of the men from the trap, then went after Deidara and Sasori by himself.

Baki then ordered that word be sent to the Hidden Leaf to inform them of the situation, only for Dragon to appear and offer to take it to them, insisting that he could make it even faster than their messengers birds.

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Morning came.

Temari was about to head back to the Sand Village, when Shikamaru met her and escorted her to the gate.

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As the sun came up, Deidara and Sasori were confronted by Kankuro, and Sasori decided to take him on alone.

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Sasuke met up with Naruto, Tats and Lee "Morning guys."

"Took you long enough." Naruto grumbled.

"Sorry, but if you've got a girlfriend then you're gonna wanna spend some time with her."

"Bullshit! Tatsu, help me out here."

Tatsu said nothing, just looking off into the distance 'I can sense Dragon's chakra rapidly approaching the village at high speed, he must be using the Flying Raijin jutsu from somewhere far away.'

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Sasori easily stopped one of Kankuro's puppets with an iron tail, proving that he was just as dangerous as Deidara.

Kankuro knew that this wasn't going to be an easy fight, but he couldn't give up now.

He had to save Gaara, no matter the cost.

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Naruto wasn't amused about the mission he was given "Escort duty on a caravan? Come on!"

Tsunade wasn't amused "What, have you got a problem with that?"

"Since you're asking, yes! Lousy C-rank mission, it's beneath my dignity!"

'Just as I expected, nothing's changed.'

Mizuki let out a heavy sigh "Naruto you might've improved your skills and become a jonin but you still have the emotional maturity if a 10-year old."

"Naruto, I've chosen an easier mission to start with to break you in. You've been gone from us for awhile."

"Breaking him in will have to wait." then a masked figure in a green kimono appeared above them and dropped to the ground, landing on Naruto's back.

"Dragon, I presume?"

"You presume correct. I apologize for coming unannounced Lady Hokage, but I bring you dire news." Dragon stepped forward and handed her a scroll "The Akatsuki have made their move, and they've taken the Hidden Sand's Kazekage prisoner."

Naruto's eyes shot wide, along with everyone else "You mean Gaara? So the Akatsuki, they're back again.'

"We've been studying them, we know more about the Akatsuki than any other village. Therefore, the Sand Village has officially requested our help."

"May I take the lead on this?" Tatsu requested "I think one member of our squad, along with two from outside the squad. If my source, or Shika, is correct, Temari should already be on her way back. Naruto, you should take Ino, a medical ninja and combat specialist, and Kakashi, a highly skilled and experienced jonin who's actually fought the Akatsuki before, and head to the Sand Village, find out the situation, and keep us informed while you remain there and follow their orders while you give them any backup deemed necessary. Do you agree?"

"I do. Naruto, assemble Ino and Kakashi on the double and follow Tatsu's plan."

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Despite Kankuro's best efforts, Sasori dodged and deflected every attack thrown at him without getting a scratch, revealed that he created them, and then poisoned Kankuro, told him he had three days left to live, and then left him.

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Naruto stood at the gate with Ino and Kakashi "Okay, let's get going. Don't worry guys, we won't let you down."

Tsunade nodded "Good, now be careful."

"No promises."

"Naruto, good luck." said Iruka.

"Thanks. Kakashi-sensei, Ino, let's move!" and he took off, with them following 'Hang on Gaara, we're coming!'

Tsunade shot a look at Tatsu "What's the rest of your plan?"

"I was waiting for him to leave before I explained it." Tatsu told her "My plan is for me, Sasuke and Lee to join up with them and act as a backup squad, but only after Neji returns from his mission so we can use his Byakugan to detect any traps before they're activated."

"I see. Not bad at all, you're different from that hot-headed little runt who charged in with me to fight Orochimaru."

"I'm still the same, I'm just growing up."

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As the Sand ninja were taking care of the traps that Sasori set up, Kankuro had been brought back, but was in bad shape.

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Naruto was racing ahead 'We're coming Gaara.'

"Naruto, I know you're in a hurry but you shouldn't break formation." Ino told him.

"I know, but…"

"Don't lose your cool, master Jiraiya taught you better than that didn't he?" Kakashi scolded.

"Hold on, is that…" Ino looked and saw Temari down below them "Temari!"

Hearing a voice, Temari looked and saw them drop down "You guys."

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Kankuro was quickly being treated, with the medics trying to find an antidote.

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Temari froze "Gaara? You mean he's been-"

"Yes." Ino confirmed.

'I should've known something was wrong.'

"We're 2 ½ days out from the sand, we should hurry." Kakashi told her.

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Kankuro was still suffering from the poison.

The medics couldn't find an antidote since they'd never seen it before.

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Nightfall came.

Ino was having enough of Naruto rushing ahead "Naruto slow down and stop rushing ahead, we can't keep up with you."

"I can't take this anymore!" Naruto snarled "I know why they're after Gaara and me, it's not like it's a mystery or anything. You know too, don't you Ino? I know Tatsu and the others told you already. There's no point in hiding it, the spirit of the Kyuubi is sealed away inside of me."

Temari's eyes shot wide.

Naruto gripped his stomach "Gaara and I are the same, we both have monsters locked up inside of us. That's what these bastards are after. That's the worst part about it, to them we're just monsters, all those bastards see is the means to an end! Everything about us was exactly the same, and he had to fend for himself a lot longer than I ever did, and now he's a target for the Akatsuki! One more thing we have in common, why should his life be so full of misery all the time? Why is it always him? That's why I've gotta hurry, I don't have a second to waste! This time will be different, I'm gonna be there to save him!"

Temari stared at him, feeling his tears drop onto her face 'Naruto Uzumaki… thank you…'

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Baki learned from a weakened Kankuro that Sasori, who happened to be a famous rogue ninja from the Sand, was involved, and decided to go to the two elders of the village.

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The group continued toward the Sand.

Kakashi watched Ino taking a food pellet "You know those food pellets are only for emergencies, and a girl at your age should especially be careful-"

"I'm fine." Ino ground out, then harshly bit down on one and went ahead.

"Is she mad at me?"

Temari rolled her eyes "You ever heard of sexual harassment old man?"

Ino slowed down at Naruto's side "Naruto."

"What is it?" asked Naruto.

"So tell me, you've met them before haven't you? Itachi Uchiha, I mean. He's after you now, isn't he? It's not like I just spent my time training these past few years. I went to Tatsu and the others and got as much information as I could, and the one thing that constantly bothered me more than anything else finally makes sense. The person that Sasuke wants to kill, it's his older brother Itachi isn't it? Now he's a member of the Akatsuki. That's the main plan Orochimaru wanted to use to get Sasuke, he was planning to use a Curse Mark to warp his mind and make Sasuke see him as a way to obtain power. But all that worthless pedophile cares about is getting Sasuke's body and there's only six months before it happens so we've gotta find a way to stop him before then."

"So Tatsu and the rest told you about that too."

"But Orochimaru used to be a member of the Akatsuki himself, all I'm trying to say is that we can't give up. The closer we get to the Akatsuki, the closer we get to finding information about Orochimaru, and maybe even how to stop him." she gripped her fist 'Itachi's been tormenting both Tatsu and Sasuke for too long, and now Naruto as well? This time it's going to be my turn to save them.'

Naruto stared at her for a moment 'Ino…'

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Baki informed the Sand Village elders, Chiyo and Ebizo, about Gaara being taken prisoner and how Chiyo's grandson was a member of the Akatsuki.

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Kakashi woke up Temari and Ino "Alright, break time's over."

Ino noticed something off "Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto."

"Right up there." Kakashi pointed up.

In the trees above, Naruto stared out at the landscape 'One more day until we reach the Sand Village, we have to hurry.'

"Naruto, we're moving again."

"Right."

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Kankuro's condition was getting worse, and nothing Chiyo came up with was doing any good against Sasori's poison.

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Naruto breathed a sigh of relief "Finally, we reached the desert."

"The Hidden Sand is just up ahead." Temari told him "It's best if I take the lead from here on out."

Kakashi nodded "Lead on."

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Deidara and Sasori arrived at one of the hideouts for the Akatsuki.

Their leader greeted them and uses astral projection to summon the Gedo Statue, with all of the other members, including Itachi and Kisame, also using astral projection so they could extract Shukaku from within Gaara and seal it within the Gedo Statue using their Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons.

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Shizune rushed in "Lady Tsunade, did you call me?"

Tsunade nodded "Yes, we have to send reinforcements to the Sand Village at once."

"I get what you're getting at." Tatsu appeared in the window "I can sense it, they're back right now."

"We have to be ready for a worst-case scenario."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

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Tsunade stood before Tatsu, Lee, Neji and Sasuke at the gate "I'm assigning you essentially the same mission as Kakashi's group, get to the Sand Village as fast as possible and provide any support necessary."

Tatsu nodded "I give you my word, we're on it."

"Good."

"Come on guys, we're moving full speed right from the get go. Let's move!" and he took off, with Lee and Sasuke following.

Neji let out a loud sigh "It's Guy-sensei all over again." and yet he still took off after them at full speed "I haven't seen Naruto for a long time, I'm curious to see how much he's changed."

"He's gotten a hell of a lot stronger." Tatsu told him "He and Sasuke double-teamed me and they almost beat me."

"Beating you isn't an easy task, word is you're stronger than Kakashi now."

"My point exactly."

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Naruto wasn't amused about his group hiding in a cave "We got this close to our target and we're just sitting here! I can't stand this waiting!"

"Naruto." Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder to stop him "For the last time relax, there's nothing we can do."

"I know, but…"

"You have to be patient." Ino told him "Look at Temari, she's more worried than any of us are."

"The cardinal rule of travelling in the desert, if you hit a sandstorm you stay put. You lose all your sense of direction in a storm like that." Temari told them "I've heard of many people who ended up lost in the desert and dying of thirst. Don't worry, the sandstorms we get this time of year usually don't last very long."

"I just hope you're right."

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Morning came.

Two guards were outside the gates to the Sand, waiting for the Leaf group's arrival.

"If they left once they got word and moved quickly then they could be here any minute."

"Don't count on it, even one of our own people would've had a hard time with that sandstorm."

Then the first guy noticed something "Look, over there!"

The second looked and saw Naruto's group appear before them.

"We've been expecting you."

"Lady Temari, you were with them?"

"Please, right this way." they led them inside and explained the situation.

Temari nearly freaked once she heard "What, you say they got Kankuro as well?!"

"Yes, when the enemy took lord Kazekage Kankuro went after them by himself. He was poisoned, and we haven't been able to find anything to counteract it. He won't last much longer."

"Dammit!"

"Temari, you can't give up yet." Ino told her "Let me take a look at him, I don't know if I'll be much help but I at least have to try."

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"Kankuro!" Temari's group rushed into the infirmary.

Chiyo froze when she saw Kakashi 'Him, the White Fang of the Leaf! Damn you!" she charged in a rage "Get ready to defend yourself or die! Revenge at last!"

Naruto blitzed in front of her and caught one hand and one foot "Look lady I don't know what this is about but if you just give Kakashi-sensei a chance I'm sure he'll gladly apologize for sexually harassing you."

"WHAT?!" Kakashi blurted out "Hold on a second Naruto, I never-"

"SILENCE!" Chiyo roared "I haven't forgotten what you did, I've waited for this day White Fang of the Leaf, the day I wreak vengeance on you for what you did to my son!"

"No no no, you see I'm not-"

"That's enough talk!" Chiyo was about to charge in.

That is, before Ebizo stopped her "Take a closer look at the man sis, it's true that there's a resemblance but this one is not the White Fang. Besides, as you know the White Fang of the Leaf died long ago. Remember? When you heard the news you wept in frustration because it meant you would never have your vengeance. Isn't that so, sis?"

Chiyo stared intently for a moment, then grinned "Oh well, never mind!"

Naruto wasn't so willing to let it go "Listen you little-" he was cut off by a blood-curdling scream from Kankuro "Oh yeah."

"Here, let me take a look at him." Ino tied all of her hair back "Listen, it might help if you all clear out and give us some room."

"You got it, just do your best." and they left.

Chiyo stared at Ino with disdain for a moment, but still left.

Ino checked his eyes and mouth, then his chest "We're definitely dealing with a heavy metal-based toxin, the kind that attacks muscle tissue, destroying the cells integrity."

The medics were surprised "You were able to learn all that in one look?"

"May I see his chart?"

"Yes of course." he handed it to her "We were getting a breakdown of the poison, but there are still quite a few blanks."

Ino studied the chart "I know just what will happen. The cardiac muscle will be weakened to the point where the heart will collapse and cease functioning altogether. It's doubtful we'll be able to come up with an antidote in time."

Temari quickly got frantic "What are you saying? There's nothing you can do?"

"I never said that." Ino turned to the other medics "I'll need a few things, and quickly. This will be pretty crude but it's the only option we have right now."

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The seal jutsu began to work, as Shukaku's power was slowly being extracted from Gaara's body.

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Ino placed her hand in a tub of medicinal fluid "Hold him down and make sure he can't move, this part of the procedure is one of the hardest."

"Got it." they held him down.

"Alright, here goes." Ino formed a bubble of the medicinal fluid and placed it on Kankuro's chest, causing him to squirm around in pain as she drew out as much poison as she could, only for that one bubble to not be enough, and she placed it back in the tub "Another."

"Right." they brought over another tub.

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Kakashi looked up from his book and saw Naruto meditating 'Probably meeting with Tatsu in Limbo thanks to the time dilation.'

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Naruto entered Limbo "Hey Tatsu, you here?"

"Cool it, I'm here." Tatsu appeared before him "How's everything in the Sand?"

"Not great so far. Kankuro's poisoned, Ino's trying to heal him, and Kakashi-sensei got attacked by some crazy old bat that thought he was the White Fang of the Leaf. Who the hell is this guy anyway?"

"That's actually funny, see the White Fang of the Leaf's true name was Sakumo Hatake."

"Wait, you mean-"

"Yep, he was Kakashi's father."

"Damn. Was he strong?"

"Of course he was, he was in a genin team with my father and Sasuke's mother under Lady Tsunade herself, and the White Fang was praised for being stronger than even the Sannin." then he turned serious "Now then, onto important matters. How have you progressed during your training with Master Jiraiya?"

"Well I've got the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu down so that it takes up way less chakra than it did, I learned a couple of wind style jutsu, I found out I can use water style and learned a few jutsu, and I've been training with controlling Kurama's chakra so that now I can control up to three tails without any drawbacks."

"Good." Tatsu got into a stance "You wanna put all that to the test?"

"Gladly!" Naruto formed hand seals "Wind Style: Great Breach!" he fired a blast of wind, beginning the battle.

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Ino was on another bubble of medicinal fluid, trying to extract as much of the poison from Kankuro's system as she could, before she finally stopped and sighed "I've removed most of the poison, that should keep him out of any immediate danger."

The medics were amazed, Baki was relieved, and Temari slumped against a wall 'Thank goodness.'

"But he's not completely out of the woods yet, I need to hurry and put together an antidote for the traces of toxin still remaining in his body."

"I see. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."

"Well first I need a list of all the medicinal herbs you have in this village."

"Yes, at once."

"And we should change these bandages and replace them with clean ones."

"Yes ma'am."

"I'll need an IV drip set up stat."

"Got it."

"And be sure to set aside a small amount of the toxin I extracted, I'll need it later."

"Right."

Once they were doing what she asked, Ino put her hair back in its normal style 'Finally, the old girl can breathe a little.'

That was when Chiyo came up to her "You remind me of the old Slug Queen Tsunade, isn't it strange that you'd turn up in our village like this?"

"Well she is my teacher and it was on her order that I personally came here, so that should tell you something."

"Here's that list of medicinal herbs." one medic handed her the list of herbs.

"Thank you."

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Tatsu was panting slightly "You and Sasuke are a deadly combination, but you've got a little ways to go by yourself before you can beat me."

Naruto was panting somewhat more with noticeable cuts "Well it's not like I was going all out."

"Me either, if I did go all out you'd probably be dead. Anyway, you'd better head back and see how things are going."

"Right."

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Naruto exited his meditation "What'd I miss?"

"This." Kakashi sat back down beside him with a scroll "Ino finished extracting the poison and now she's working on an antidote. We got a message from Lady Hokage saying that Tatsu, Lee, Sasuke and Neji are on their way here to back us up."

"Yeah I was just talking to Tatsu in Limbo. Well I say there's no point in waiting for them to get here, let's go after the Akatsuki right now!"

"Hold it stupid." Kakashi held out an arm in front of him "Think for a minute, do you even know where they are?"

"...So have the Sand ninja had any luck in tracking Gaara?"

"Well first Kankuro went after them by himself and look how that turned out. They dispatched a Tracking Unit in pursuit but they haven't heard back. And they believe that a member of their Council of Advisors, is missing. Basically, they've completely lost track of the Akatsuki."

"Excuse me." Baki came out "Kankuro has regained consciousness."

"Right." they followed him in.

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Kankuro looked around 'Wha-?'

"Kankuro." Temari came into his line of vision "Are you alright?"

"Temari… you're back already?"

"I heard the village was in trouble."

"I'm sorry… to be such a bother…"

"Shut up, don't be ridiculous."

Kakashi looked at Baki "Can you lead me to where Kankuro's fight with the Akatsuki took place? I'm known for having a pretty good nose, if even the slightest trace of their scent remains on the scene-"

"There's no need for that." Kankuro rasped out "Where are my puppets? I assume that my puppets were recovered, right?"

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Ino was hard at work on an antidote "I never imagined I'd find such a wide variety of medicinal herbs here in the Hidden Sand."

"We try." a medic told her "Our soil's not well-suited to growing them. We can't grow much scurvy grass for example."

"That's alright, there's enough. I can make 3 doses of antidote."

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Kankuro looked at the remains of his puppets, then back to Kakashi "One fought with me while the other carried Gaara away. You might be able to find Gaara's scent, but you can definitely track the one I fought. I made sure of it. See, I've got his scent right here." he picked up a piece of Crow, revealing a small piece of cloth "The last thing I did was make sure I got a scrap of his clothing."

Kakashi examined the cloth "Even in defeat you went down fighting, just what I'd expect from a Sand shinobi."

Kankuro chuckled, then winced and groaned.

"Kankuro, what is it?" Temari was by his side.

Kankuro stared at Naruto for a moment.

"Yes, he came all the way from the Leaf Village to help us."

"Is that… Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Hey." Naruto waved.

"I see."

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"Summoning Jutsu!" Kakashi slammed his hand into the ground.

In a puff of smoke, Kakashi's ninja hounds, led by Pakkun, appeared "At your service, eight ninja hounds."

Naruto grinned "Hey Pakkun!"

"That you Naruto? Long time no see."

"Look at you, you haven't changed a bit."

"You haven't either."

"What're you talking about? I'm a lot taller for one thing."

"Don't screw with me-"

"Alright alright, let's skip the reunion." Kakashi cut in "I need you guys to get on this right away."

Pakkun had the other dogs sniff it.

"Find out which way he went, okay? Go on."

They scattered.

"Okay." Naruto decided "We move out as soon as Pakkun and his posse get back, so I say we start getting ready."

"Again, hold it." Kakashi stopped him.

Chiyo came into the room, with Ebizo right behind her "Kankuro."

"Lady Chiyo, and Lord Ebizo? You're here?" Kankuro's eyes shot wide.

"There's something we must know and only you can tell us. Am I correct in thinking one of your opponents, the one you fought was Sasori?"

"Yes, Sasori of the Red Sand. He told me so himself."

"I see."

"Sasori of the Red Sand?" Kakashi cut in "I get the feeling you know something about these Akatsuki. Will you tell us?"

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Ino tested out the antidote she made "It worked. It's ready."

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Ino was helping Kankuro drink down the antidote "That's right, drink it all." she helped him get down the last of it "There, you should be alright now. Just lay back and rest, and don't move around until the numbness passes."

"All of you are going to need rest as well after your journey." Baki told them "We've prepared rooms for you."

Kakashi held a hand over Naruto's mouth "Thanks, we'll take you up on your offer. We may have to travel far and fast tomorrow."

Naruto looked down, but conceded "Alright, you win."

Kankuro slowly lifted up his arm, unable to clench his fist, then spoke "Naruto…"

"What's up?"

"Save my little brother, will you?" he got surprised looks from Temari and Baki.

"Don't worry, I will. After all, I'm gonna be Hokage someday so for now the Kazekage can just owe me one." Naruto gave a thumbs up.

A/N:

For the record, the whole Team Dragon thing should've been explained in the summary so I'm not answering any questions about that.

I gave Naruto the ability to use a Rasengan without a Shadow Clone for a very simple reason. While the Shadow Clone thing was clever in Part I, by Part II it just became redundant.

Why did I give Naruto water style? Why not?