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.

22. The Five Kage Summit, Sakura's Invasion

Tatsu stood in front of Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, Hinata, Kin, Fu and Ino in one of the spare tents, a marker in one hand as a whiteboard stood next to him "Okay, let's go over the facts." he pointed to a picture of Tobi "We've still got this guy to deal with who we know very little to absolutely nothing about since he wasn't among the members in the book Kabuto gave us before, and from what Naruto and Lee say apparently he had a role in Kurama attacking the Hidden Leaf 16 years ago." then he pointed a picture of Zetsu "We've also got this one to deal with, he was in the book from Kabuto but even he had little to nothing on this guy." he then pointed to the picture of Kisame "Lastly is Kisame Hoshigaki, who Lee's fought twice before. It was only about 30% of his power and it still too six of the Eight Gates to beat him, not to mention that both he and his sword Samehada are able to absorb chakra. He's a handful."

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At the same time, three Hidden Cloud ninja by the name of Samui, Omoi and Karui arrived in the Hidden Leaf with a message for Tsunade from the Raikage.

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Samui's eyes shot wide at what she heard "What's that? Lady Hokage is comatose?"

Shizune nodded "Yes but I'm her aid, so I can simply accept the letter on her behalf."

"If it's uncertain when she'll regain consciousness then the acting Hokage will do, I'd like to have the letter read and replied to. I cannot keep the Raikage waiting."

"I will answer it."

Samui looked back to see Danzo enter, with Shisui and Kazuma right behind him, and her eyes narrowed 'Those two are…'

"I am currently acting as Hokage in her place, now if you would hand that letter to me I shall answer it."

"...Very well." Samui slowly handed him the letter.

Danzo accepted it and read it, and his lone eye narrowed 'I see, so that's what this situation has turned into.'

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"Guys!"

Tatsu looked up to see Kiba and Neji burst into the tent "Calm down you two, now what's got you both so worked up?"

"Listen and just stay calm alright? From what I gather, messengers from the Hidden Cloud showed up a few hours ago."

Tatsu noticed Neji and Hinata looking agitated "And what exactly would the Hidden Cloud want with us after everything that's happened between our villages?"

"I don't know the details but apparently a rogue ninja from our village joined up with the Akatsuki about 2 or 3 years ago and did some damage to some Hidden Cloud ninja."

"Well if someone from this village crossed a Hidden Cloud ninja then I doubt someone as stubborn as the Raikage will just let it slide."

"So what's the Raikage like anyway?" asked Naruto.

"He's basically the definition of a muscle bound jackass who thinks more with his muscles than his head, and he's a hell of a lot more stubborn than you are. Anyway, standard operating procedure for a rogue ninja is to erase them before they become an even bigger problem, like the Third should've done with Orochimaru to begin with. Who is it anyway?"

"I don't know, I'm just telling you what I've heard so far."

"Well first thing we've gotta do is get some answers."

"That's what we need too."

Tatsu looked and saw Karui and Omoi barging into the tent after Neji and Kiba "Hey I don't know who guys think you are but you can't just barge into people's tents like that. I can tell from their headbands and chakra levels that they're chunin from the Hidden Cloud. What exactly do you two want with us?"

Omoi stepped forward next "We just overheard you guys talking about one of your ninja who joined the Akatsuki, we wanna know about her and you guys are gonna tell us what we wanna know about her."

"Why should we? And who the hell are you talking about?"

"A former genin of the Hidden Leaf, and her name is… Sakura Haruno."

This was when Sasuke and Naruto bolted up "Wait wait wait, Sakura of all people attacked the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"You're damn right!" Karui pointed a sword "Your rogue kunoichi kidnapped our beloved master Killer B! We don't even know if he's dead or alive!"

"Hold on a minute." Tatsu cut in "Why the hell would Sakura want to capture your master?"

Omoi scoffed "How the hell should we know the motives of the Akatsuki?"

"...What?"

Karui growled "You guys are trying my patience, of course Sakura is a member of the Akatsuki! It's because we let your rogue ninja run loose that Lord Raikage dispatches us here! We've already gotten the permission from your Hokage to get rid of her!"

Naruto was left dumbstruck by this 'Sakura… she joined the Akatsuki? She kidnapped one of the jinchuuriki?'

"We will avenge our master, we're going to take Sakura down ourselves!"

'Sakura… I don't understand, how far could you have possibly fallen?'

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The pink haired masked figure stopped when she noticed something "You…"

Tobi, or Madara as he should now be called, appeared in front of her "You don't have to hide your face behind that mask, it's just us here… Sakura."

"...Fine." the figure removed her mask, revealing Sakura "How the hell did you know where I was anyway?"

"Do not take me lightly, I have powers beyond your comprehension."

"So what exactly do you want from me anyway? I've paid my debt to the Akatsuki for freeing me from that prison by delivering the Eight Tails to you, I have no further business with you."

"I warned you that you would die if you betrayed the Akatsuki."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the hunt for the Tailed Beasts."

"But I already handed the Eight Tails over to you like you asked me to."

"That was nothing more than a substitution. In short, you blundered. It seems the Eight Tails pulled a fast one on you."

'I watched him the entire time, when could he have-? Of course, one of the tails was cut off during the fight.'

"Honestly, you have greatly disappointed me."

"So what do you want me to do about it? It's not like it's my business anymore."

"That's where you're wrong, you will complete the job you've been assigned when you're with the Akatsuki. Having said that you can forget about the Eight Tails, I have Kisame trailing him as we speak. I have decided to have you carry out a different mission."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then we'll fight it out right here, and you won't be able to go to the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Then I'll just push through you." lightning crackled in Sakura's hand as she charged, but only phased through Madara 'What?!'

"It's a little too late to go to the Hidden Leaf anyway."

'I passed right through him like he wasn't even there, is this one of his abilities?'

"Your objective seems so futile now, it's sad really."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Village Hidden in the Leaves has already been destroyed."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Then Zetsu popped up "I can explain everything that happened at the Hidden Leaf."

"Oh great, Zetsu."

"Relax, he won't bite you." Madara resisted the urge to roll his eye "So then, who's the new Hokage?"

"It's that fellow Danzo." Zetsu told him.

"Just as I anticipated."

"And there's more, it appears that Kazuma Kamikaze and Shisui Uchiha are both still alive."

"...I see."

"Wait a minute." Sakura demanded "Just what the hell happened in the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"Pain and Konan went to the Hidden Leaf Village and completely destroyed it, but thanks to you and Pain showing off it seems that now the Five Kage are going to take action."

"The Five Kage?"

"Along with Shibuki of the Hidden Waterfall, they're convening a summit conference in the Land of Iron."

"I see."

"Allow me, I'll explain it all." Zetsu offered.

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Karui aimed her sword "Now tell us everything you know about Sakura and I don't mean just her ninjutsu style and her abilities, but also any data you've collected about her companions and about the Akatsuki, and information about their past activities too."

"Hold on a minute." Naruto finally cut in "Are you sure it was Sakura Haruno?"

"Pink hair, Haruno crest, her face matched the list according to the intel we gathered from the Chunin exams three years ago." Omoi told him "We found it hard to believe it was the same person, someone so pathetic she went down in one average levelled punch to taking down our master."

"Hold on a minute." Tatsu cut in.

Karui growled "Are you serious?"

"Just listen to me. When the order to take Sakura down was approved any intel the Leaf has on her should have been handed over to you and your companions right away, you don't have to pressure these two so just leave them alone."

"Yeah I know and you're right, our captain is busy waiting for the information right now. But we just figured that we'd try to get any additional information from anyone who might know something, that's all."

"...By barging into random tents and barking out your demands like a pack of angry dogs?"

"We can't sit and do nothing, not when our master is gone. We don't even know what happened to him."

Naruto recalled his memories of Jiraiya and his memories of how he felt when he learned that Pain had killed him 'Pervy Sage…'

"Then again, outsiders like you guys probably have no idea what we're going through right now."

"Tell me something." his voice was soft "Your master, he's a jinchuuriki isn't he?"

That took them by surprise "How did you know that?"

"Because I'm a jinchuuriki too, the Akatsuki have been hunting all of us for the Tailed Beasts inside of us. I'm not any kind of outsider, the Akatsuki always capture a jinchuuriki alive so that means that your master may still be alive right now."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah but just forget about Sakura, you guys need to hurry and go rescue your master first."

"Are you sure about this, like really really sure?" then she grinned "I told you didn't I Omoi? There's no way our master would die as easily as that."

"Tell you what, my team and I will come along and do what we can to help you rescue him. We'll give you whatever intel we've got on the Akatsuki."

"Hey you know what blondie? You're a lot sharper than you look. Come along with us and bring your friends, and tell us all about Sakura. So then, what's your name anyway?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, my teammates are Tatsu Kamikaze, Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha."

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Sakura looked at Madara with a mix of disdain and disbelief "You really expect me to believe that someone like Naruto defeated someone as strong as Pain?"

Zetsu nodded "That's right, his power has grown to heights well beyond any ordinary sort of shinobi. In fact, I think he's stronger than you right now."

"I couldn't care less about that trash, but the real problem here is this Five Kage Summit. But the Leaf Village is gone now, so there's only one thing I can do at the moment. I will take the head of the Hokage at the summit, then burn the remains of the Leaf to the ground and kill all who stand in my way, starting with Naruto.

"Sounds like a plan." Madara noted.

"So how am I supposed to get to the summit?"

"Zetsu."

"What?"

"My clone will guide you there." Zetsu then literally split himself in half, one white half and one black half "Okay, follow me." and he took off.

Sakura followed him 'I'll keep an eye on these guys for now, if anything seems suspicious then I'll use that jutsu and wipe them from the face of the earth.'

Madara watched Sakura depart "And there she goes."

"Things are going well." Black Zetsu noted.

"Well I never thought that Nagato would use the Gedo Art of Rinne Rebirth that he had developed for me, and for such a thing as that? I can't believe he would betray me the way he did, even in the unlikely Sakura becomes more powerful than Nagato there's no point in it if we can't control him. I have no intention of trying to link her to the Gedo Statue anytime soon, especially if she doesn't even possess the Sharingan. It's wiser to just keep an eye on her."

"I can't believe you foresaw the possibility that Nagato would die."

"As a precaution, but we've definitely fallen off of my ideal path thanks to Naruto Uzumaki. He and the others."

"Tatsu Kamikaze, Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha."

"Yes, they've caused all of our well laid plans to shift with their actions."

"What's next then? Do we go as well?"

"We're done with moving ahead cautiously, put a rush on Project Tsuki no Me."

"Right."

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Karui slammed Naruto against a wall "Alright, come on. Let's hear everything you know about this Sakura girl."

Naruto just looked down 'Sakura…'

"Tell us everything you know, anything you can about her."

Nothing.

"What's the matter?"

"...I'm sorry, but I can't. Even after all that Sakura has put me through, put all of my friends through, I just don't have it in me to sell her out."

Karui tightened her grip "Quit playing around, you can't take it back after all of that!"

'I know I should hate her, want her to die after all the suffering I've endured because of her, but…'

"Well come on, say something!"

'Being a shinobi means that I have to overcome my hatred, and all of us have to battle against that hatred. Look, I know that I'm being selfish, but I just don't have it in me to sell her out like that."

"Why you son of a-!"

"I get your need for vengeance, believe me I do, but if you guys have Sakura enough to kill her then my friends won't just sit back and accept what happened. It will just be an eye for an eye, and the vicious Cycle of Hatred will start all over again. People you love will keep killing each other."

"Yeah whatever, your Sakura is the one who started it all so I don't care! We are going to kill him!"

"I know, but…"

"Well? Just where do you suggest that we take our hatred then?" asked Omoi "I mean, what could you do about that?"

"You guys can take your anger and hatred out on me instead, get it all out. I offer myself."

"Fine by me!" Karui promptly slugged him "Look kid, just get off your high horse! Alright then, let's test your little theory out and see if I can really get my feelings out, how's that?" she began punching him repeatedly.

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Samui was wandering around looking for her teammates "How far did Omoi and Karui have to go to gather intel? We're in foreign territory, I hope they're not causing trouble." she looked around at the people and the destruction 'But all of this damage to the Hidden Leaf Village, who could've stopped a foe powerful enough to do this?'

"It's horrible isn't it?"

Samui looked and saw Izumi walk up to her "Yes, no matter what the village no one should have to suffer this sort of thing. But I have to ask, who could have stopped someone capable of doing this of all things?"

"That would be Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee, students of Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy respectively."

"I see. But who could be capable of something like this though?"

"That would be Pain, the supposed leader of the Akatsuki that bore the eyes of the god of this world. The Rinnegan."

Samui nearly froze "...I see."

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Danzo stood and emerged from the Hokage's tent "Now I must make preparations for my departure to the Five Kage Summit."

"What's your plan then?" asked Kazuma.

"A Kage can only bring two retainers to the summit, unless in special cases."

"So you plan to bring Torune and Fu? After all, they are the most skilled out of everyone from the Foundation."

"Yes, and that is why I'm trusting them with taking care of things in my absence. Instead, my escorts shall be you and Shisui. Be sure to inform him."

"What are we allowed in terms of armament?"

"Don't concern yourself with any limitations, I trust your discretion abilities."

"Very well." then Kazuma departed to inform Shisui.

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Karui was panting heavily after beating on Naruto for as long as she did "You bastard… Listen to me, no amount of pummeling will make me feel better, but I'm gonna keep going as long as it takes for you to spill about Sakura!" she aimed another fist.

That is, before Tatsu appeared and blocked it "That's enough."

"Look don't interfere girl, he was the one who asked for this all on his own."

"She's right Tats, just let me handle this." Naruto insisted.

"Naruto, there's no need for you to let yourself be a punching bag." Tatsu told him "Not on the behalf of Sakura."

"I know, but it's my choice."

"...Sakura has done nothing but cause you pain. If I were you…"

"If you interfere then I'll pummel you too!" Karui let a fist fly.

Then Omoi caught her fist "That's enough Karui, knocking these guys around anymore isn't going to get us anywhere. I know I'm right and you know I'm right."

Karui just retracted her fist and turned away.

"You know you could cut him some slack, he did promise to help rescue Lord Killer B."

"Oh yeah? What, and you're not gonna question him like if he really means it like you usually do? You're usually so obsessive and compulsive."

"Even if he is a foe, I like this guy. He's someone who would never sell out someone he considers a comrade. Real men don't choose their words lightly. Even if you beat him, he just won't betray Sakura. He's the type who will never go back on his word."

"Hey." then Samui appeared.

"Captain Samui."

"Omoi, Karui, how goes the intel gathering?" then she noticed the condition that Naruto was in from his beating "The two of you haven't been causing any trouble now have you?" she noticed how scared Karui looked 'That's a yes.'

"Look, nevermind that right now. Lord Killer B may still be alive, we have to save him. Listen to me, we're gonna have to track down all of the Akatsuki hideouts."

"And then what? We can't go in there alone, these people captured Lord Killer B. you're suggesting we check out the who knows how many Akatsuki hideouts one by one? We need intel, we need analysis first. We mustn't repeat the errors we made that time with Yugito. We'll just take the data from the Hidden Leaf directly to Lord Raikage, especially since there's so much of it."

"H-Hey…" Naruto staggered to his feet "Take me with you… if there's anything I can do… I want to help you guys rescue your jinchuuriki… and there's something… I need to talk to the Raikage about…"

"Talk to Lord Raikage?" Samui studied him intently 'So this child must be Naruto Uzumaki, one of the ones everyone in this village is talking about. I'm afraid that's impossible, you're an unknown entity, and right now Lord Raikage is on the road under minimal guard. Karui, Omoi, let's go. We're approved to inspect the intel on Sakura and the Akatsuki. It's going to take time to copy it all, so I need you two to help me." and she took off.

"Tatsu…"

"I'm here." Tatsu helped Naruto to his feet "What's up?"

"Please take me to Kakashi-sensei and the others…"

"Sure, but I need to ask you something first."

"Alright…"

"Why are you defending Sakura, especially after everything she's put you through? Don't tell me you still have feelings for her, we are not going through that again."

"No, it's not that… I just… there are some things I need to say to her… things I need to get off my chest…"

"Naruto…"

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Sasuke was later helping to patch up Naruto's wounds "You really oughta have Ino or Shizune treat these wounds."

"No, it's fine." Naruto's voice was soft, barely a whisper "Plus if Ino sees me like this then it will only cause more trouble. Besides, I heal fast and Kurama helps with that. I'll be okay in no time, a day or two max."

"Maybe, but you shouldn't take risks like that." Tatsu pointed out "Even for you, and especially not for someone like Sakura."

"Yeah, I know… Hey Tatsu, about before. Thanks."

"...No problem, that's what friends are for after all."

"Yeah…"

"Boy, they really worked you over." Kakashi commented.

"Don't remind me…" then he winced.

"Look, you need to take it easy for a little bit."

"No, I can't afford to. I'm going to see the Raikage."

"Naruto that's insane, the Five Kage Summit starts in less than a week." Tatsu pointed out "All of the villages have agreed to travel restrictions and no unnecessary missions. What could you possibly hope to accomplish with someone like the Raikage?"

"I'm gonna ask him to let me deal with Sakura alone…"

"It's more than that, you know about Kurama's seal and the whole darkness and hatred taking over shtick. You sprouted 8 tails during that last fight, we're just lucky the sealing formula triggered in time but you still lost the necklace Tsunade gave you, so what about next time?"

"...Bushy Brow and I met the Fourth Hokage, the one who stopped me from fully transforming into Kurama was the Fourth Hokage. He said he stored some of his own chakra within my seal, and that's when the Fourth Hokage told me that Kurama attacking the Hidden Leaf 16 years ago was caused by the Akatsuki guy with the mask. He's so strong that even the Fourth Hokage struggled against him. He said that the masked one is pulling the strings behind the Akatsuki, he was probably just using Pain and Konan the whole time too. If Sakura has joined the Akatsuki then that means that this masked guy is using Sakura too."

"...Madara Uchiha."

"Huh?"

"Madara Uchiha is the only Uchiha with a grudge against the Hidden Leaf, the ability to summon Kurama at will, and a Sharingan powerful enough to control Kurama is one of the Hidden Leaf's founders, Madara Uchiha. I met the Fourth Hokage in Limbo about three years ago." all eyes were on him "He told me that Madara was responsible for the attack and that he would try again to get Naruto, and he asked me to protect him."

'Madara… He's seriously a founder?"

"Yeah, he fought the First Hokage almost 100 years ago in what we now know as the Final Valley. He lost that battle and was never seen again."

"This intel needs to be reported to the council right away." Kakashi pointed out.

"I'll go tell Danzo right away, but first…" he turned back to Naruto "Tell me something, what else did the Fourth Hokage say to you?"

Naruto blinked "Huh?"

Kakashi thought back to his conversation with his father "Fathers tend to have a lot they want to tell their sons."

"...Well there was one other thing he said, he told me that he believed in me."

Kakashi gave a thumbs up "Good. Naruto, you go to the Raikage. I'll tag along as your escort, and since Yamato's in charge of rebuilding the village I'll see if I can get Asuma to come in his place."

"But we've still got another problem to deal with." Sasuke pointed out.

Tatsu knew what he was talking about "You mean Hotaru and Utakata."

"Yeah."

"Who's Utakata?" asked Naruto.

"He's the only jinchuriki aside from you and this Killer B guy who hasn't been captured by the Akatsuki, and he's the jinchuuriki of the Six Tails. We saved him and his apprentice Hotaru, the granddaughter of En no Gyoja, and we've been keeping them hidden at Mount Hisho, the home of my summoning hawks. What should we do about that?"

Tatsu thought for a moment "Okay, here's how I think we should proceed with this plan. Naruto will go with Kakashi and Asuma to meet with the Raikage and ask him to let Naruto deal with Sakura by himself, while Sasuke and I go meet with the Mizukage and inform her about the situation with Utakata."

"Agreed." Kakashi put in his opinion "By the way, it turns out the Hidden Waterfall is participating in this summit as well."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently Lord Shibuki is presiding over the summit alongside the general of the Land of Iron."

"Oh good, so we can count on Shibuki to help us out."

"Probably, but he does have to remain professional as a village leader so we can't keep our hopes up."

"True."

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At the same time, Gaara, the Kazekage, Ohnoki, the Tsuchikage, Mei, the Mizukage, A, the Raikage, and Shibuki were all preparing to depart for the Five Kage Summit, each of them in their own way.

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Kazuma was the first one to notice that he and the others were being watched "Lord Danzo sir."

"I know." Danzo was the first one to stop "I haven't seen battle in quite some time, this is a perfect chance to get my muscles limbered up again. I won't make the same mistakes I made with pain." he lifted his bandages, revealing a Sharingan in his right eye "Do not interfere, I will take care of them myself."

Several masked figures charged from the trees.

Danzo formed several hand seals "Wind Style: Vacuum Blast!" he breathed out a blade of wind that slashed through the figures, causing them to fall to the ground.

One of them fell at Danzo's feet "Dammit…"

Danzo held up the figure's sword "Is your target the Hokage or are you after me personally?"

"Please… just kill me…"

"Very well." Danzo then stabbed him, then used the body to shield himself against a barrage of kunai '7… 8… 9… 10… 17 in total then?'

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Naruto strapped on his headband "Okay, I'm ready to go."

Tatsu strapped the Dragon Blade to his back as he adjusted his jonin vest "And so am I. Be honest with me though Naruto, are you serious about going to meet the Raikage?"

"Of course I am, I'm gonna convince him to let me take care of Sakura myself."

"You're not gonna use my forbidden Talk Jutsu on her and make her come back are you?"

"No, if she's gone so far as to join the Akatsuki then she's too far gone to be reasoned with. But…"

"But what?"

"I need to tell her a few things, and I want to be the one to take her down, to bring things full circle."

"But that being said, you don't even know where to find the Raikage, and I can't come with you guys."

"That's why we're bringing Hinata."

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Danzo finished off the last of the attackers 'And that's the end of that.'

"These are remnants of the Hannya Black Ops from the Land of Woods." Kazuma noted "We slew them in the past after they betrayed us 9 years ago."

"It has always been like this, foes seizing a chance to strike."

"You coming out into the open like this may increase the number of headaches along the way in a lot of ways." Shisui pointed out.

"Ninja once belonged to a world of aesthetics, to be nameless was a source of pride. By controlling what is seen as well as what is hidden, one can truly strengthen both village and nation. We must make sure that the proper measures are taken so the great villages are able to counter the Akatsuki effectively and we can earn their trust. Then I will make sure I am acknowledged as Hokage, and then even the Jonin Council will have no choice but to accept me. Now then, let's keep going."

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Sakura was following White Zetsu towards the Land of Iron "How much longer?"

"The Land of Iron is just a stone's throw away from here." White Zetsu told her.

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Tatsu led his group alongside Naruto's group until they reached the Land of Iron "We've reached the Land of Iron, from here we'll split up. I can sense the Hidden Cloud group east of here and the Mizukage's group going west. We'll meet up later once our objectives have been completed. Agreed?"

"Agreed." then Kakashi led Asuma, Naruto and Hinata to the east.

"Alright, let's go." Tatsu led Sasuke to the west.

"Tatsu." Sasuke spoke up.

"What's up?"

"About Sakura…"

"I spoke with Naruto about this before, he plans to end Sakura himself."

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Sakura was waiting for White Zetsu to give her feedback "Well?"

"They've fortified their defences because of the Five Kage Summit." White Zetsu told her.

"Scout out and find the most open route to the sight of the summit."

"I already have, there's a route climbing up from the west without too many lookouts."

"Alright then Zetsu, next I'll need you to confirm which one is the Hokage. Once he falls, taking my revenge on the Leaf will be easy."

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Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron, was quick to meet Shibuki and his escorts outside the site of the summit "We've been awaiting your arrival sir, welcome. I am Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron."

Shibuki bowed, still shivering "I am honored to meet you Lord Mifune, I am Shibuki of the Hidden Waterfall Village, here to preside over the summit."

"Are you alright? Your face is blue."

"Oh I'm fine, I've just never been very well adjusted to colder climates."

"We can serve you some hot tea to warm you up inside, please enter."

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Ao was quick to recognize that they were being followed 'This is…'

"What is it Ao?" asked Mei.

"My lady, we're being followed."

"What?" Mei stopped, with the rest following "Show yourself."

Then Tatsu appeared with Sasuke and the others "Please calm yourself Lady Mizukage, I bear you no ill will. I am Tatsu Kamikaze, a jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Has your Hokage sent you here?"

"No ma'am, we've merely come to deliver to you some critical information in regards to the Akatsuki."

"Don't you think this is a bit rude?" Ao pointed out "To interrupt us on the way to the summit without any sort of prior notice at all?"

"Ao." Mei gave him her typical sickly sweet smile "Shut up or I'll kill you."

"...Yes milady."

Then Mei turned back to Tatsu "I'm well aware of who you are Tatsu, your feats have been made well known in the Hidden Mist Village."

Tatsu blinked "What feats?"

"Defeating Zabuza Momochi in one on one combat at age 14, fighting off Orochimaru, defeating the jinchuuriki of the One Tailed Shukaku, killing the last survivor of the Kaguya clan, claiming the Dragon Blade from Mount Koryu as your own. You really are quite impressive."

"Oh, well thank you but I haven't come here for praise. Like I said, I came here on business."

"And what business would that be?"

Sasuke stepped forward and held out a scroll "The current location of the jinchuuriki of the Six Tails."

Mei's eyes widened "You've located Utakata?"

"Several months ago I saved him and his apprentice when they were being attacked by the Akatsuki, to prevent them from attacking him again I hid them both at Mount Hisho, home of the summoning hawks. I've already negotiated with him, he has agreed to return to the Hidden Mist, at least until the Akatsuki are dealt with."

"I see." Mei bowed her head "You have my deepest thanks."

"...So what now?"

"I honestly didn't plan this far ahead." Tatsu admitted.

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Sakura was on the lookout inside the summit venue, searching for Danzo "Which one is it?"

"That's him." White Zetsu pointed "The geezer in the middle."

Sakura's eyes narrowed furiously 'That's the Hokage… all I need to do is get rid of him, then killing Naruto will be that much easier.'

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The summit had begun.

Mifune sat in the center, with Shibuki sitting right beside him "Please place your Kage head pieces before you."

They did so.

"You, the Five Kage, have assembled here today in response to the summon sent out by Lord Raikage. I, Mifune, alongside Lord Shibuki of the Hidden Waterfall, shall preside over these proceedings. And now, let the Five Kage Summit commence."

"Then allow me to begin." Gaara spoke first "Listen…"

Onoki grinned "My my, how the Kage have changed. To be named Kage at your young age is quite impressive Lord Kazekage, yet despite your father's obviously brilliant guidance he seems to have not taught you any sort of edicate."

"Yes, you're most likely correct Lord Tsuchikage. However, that is why I have been chosen as the Kazekage."

Onoki burst out laughing "You cheeky young rascal!"

"Lord Tsuchikage." Mei spoke up "Please don't interrupt anymore, please continue Lord Kazekage."

Gaara nodded "Thank you. As I was saying, I myself happen to be a former jinchuuriki. The Akatsuki captured me and extracted the One Tail Shukaku from me, and that is why I consider the Akatsuki to be an extremely dangerous group. I sought the aid of the Five Kage numerous times, but each time I was ignored, with the exception of the previous Hokage. Jinchuuriki from all of your nations have been taken, as well as the Hidden Waterfall Village, and yet to collaborate at this point is simply too little too late."

Onoki grunted "The Five Great Nations' Hidden Villages can't afford to alert others that their jinchuriki were taken, it's nothing but an embarrassment. Covert rescue and recovery is the norm, no one seeks aid from other lands when jinchuriki disappear."

"Appearances, head status, such foolish and outdated concepts."

'How dare that stripling!'

"Setting aside whether those beliefs are outdated or not, I will acknowledge that as Mizukage I refrain from acting on this issue." Mei confessed "However, I don't believe that our Tailed Beasts being stolen is cause for immediate alarm. After all, it still takes significant skill, knowledge and time to achieve control over them."

"A jinchuriki needs to mature along with their Tailed Beast to adapt to it, and even then control remains difficult. It isn't a simple task, wouldn't you agree with that Lord Kazekage?"

Gaara said nothing.

"Very few have achieved control over Tailed Beasts." Danzo pointed out "Among those few are Madara Uchiha, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, and of course the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, as well as Killer B, the younger brother of Lord Raikage."

"Enough of this nonsense!" A slammed his arm down, crushing the table beneath him, prompting the aids to the Kage, minus Shisui and Kazuma, to get in defensive positions against Darui and Cee.

Shibuki sighed "This summit is a place of discourse, so if you would all please refrain from any more hostile behavior."

The Kage quickly called off their aids, who retreated into the back.

"Now let's continue our discussion."

"All of you." A spoke "The Hidden Leaf, the Stone, the Sand, the Mist, even the Waterfall, the membership of the Akatsuki is composed of rogue shinobi from your villages. That isn't all either, from our investigations we know that among you and the earlier Kage there are those who have even used the Akatsuki."

Gaara was taken by surprise by this "The Kage used them?"

"And that is the main reason why I don't trust any of you, I have no interest in any sort of discourse. But the reason why I've summoned all of you to this summit is to ultimately question your loyalties."

"What do you mean that they've used the Akatsuki?"

"You're the Kazekage and yet you don't know anything about this? Just ask your village elders back home, you of the Hidden Sand have previously used the Akatsuki in battle!"

"Currently, all of the Five Great Nations are equally stable." Onoki pointed out "They're moving from military expansion to disarmament. As strained relations between nations ease and the threat of war diminishes, Hidden Villages considered military powers by their nation merely become costly hindrances, and yet at the same time completely eliminating such villages poses its own risks as well. What if war suddenly breaks out? Relying on ninja with no battle experience would be problematic, you'd lose the battle without question."

"The Kage would realize that one way to avoid that risk is to use mercenary soldiers, namely soldiers from the Akatsuki." Gaara realized.

"It takes effort and money to cultivate accomplished ninja from within one's own hidden village, the Akatsuki makes war its livelihood and is made up of experienced professionals. Furthermore hiring them is really quite cheap, and best of all their soldiers have always delivered superior results."

"Tsuchikage, don't be so pompous." A let out a scoff "The Hidden Sand once used the Akatsuki to try and destroy the Hidden Leaf. I'm talking about Orochimaru, though he may have already left the Akatsuki by then. But as a result Kazekage, your father the Fourth Kazekage and the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi both perished. It's also hard to dismiss the possibility that this was all part of an even larger plot." he cast a look at Danzo as he said this 'That crafty old badger. But the most suspicious of all is the Hidden Mist. The Mist never engages in diplomacy, and it's rumored that that's where the Akatsuki originated."

Mei let out a sigh "Since it's come to this, I feel that I should be completely honest. We suspect that someone from behind the scenes was secretly manipulating Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage before me. There's also a very strong possibility that that certain someone was involved with the Akatsuki, and that is exactly why I didn't want to talk big."

"Each and every one off you-"

"You just watch your tone Raikage." Onoki shut him up "In fact, it's because you of the Hidden Cloud went around collecting ninjutsu, seeking more power in this era of disarmament. We had no choice but to hire the Akatsuki in order to try to counter your growing power."

"What was that?!"

"Both of you please calm yourself." Danzo told them "Before you start arguing over each other's merits, I would like to state the point that I was about to make earlier."

"And what would that be?"

"It is quite probable that the true leader of the Akatsuki is none other than Madara Uchiha himself." he received various shocked looks.

Mei was the first one to regain her voice "Are you sure of that?"

"But how could that even be possible?" asked Gaara "Hasn't he been dead for several decades?"

Onoki seemed particularly frantic "The Kazekage is right, Madara has been dead for more than 50 years!"

"I don't know all of the details." Danzo admitted "However, I received this information from a very reliable source."

"What are you saying?" A demanded "Are you saying that Madara is immortal?"

"We cannot rule out that possibility."

"So then he really is some kind of inhuman monster." Onoki now seemed increasingly terrified by this revelation.

Then Mifune spoke up "I would like to say this as the leader of a neutral nation. The leader of the Akatsuki has been able to read the times well. Despite stabilizing, the Great Nations harbour suspicions about each other, and the Akatsuki seized on that weakness for the sake of amassing its power."

"Would you just get to the point?" A demanded.

"Please stay calm and remain patient Lord Raikage." Shibuki told him "I believe what Lord Mifune is trying to say is that we can turn this misfortune into a blessing. For all five of the Kage to convene in one location is an extremely rare case, as well as having one of the less prominent villages being present with them. Please allow me to offer my suggestion as to how to deal with this. Until the threat of the Akatsuki has been dealt with, perhaps it would be best to establish the world's first ever Allied Shinobi Forces?"

"An Allied Ninja Force?"

"We're practically in a state of emergency as it is, cooperation will be crucial at this point, and my Hidden Waterfall Village shall take part in it as well. Moving forward with this plan, a standardized chain of command would also be ideal. Further chaos must be avoided."

"Very well then." Danzo agreed 'This is unbelievable, I didn't even have to use Shisui's eye on them. So tell me Lord Shibuki, Lord Mifune, who do you propose we should give leadership of the Allied Shinobi Forces too then?"

Shibuki shared a look with Mifune "With all due respect, if the choice were left to you then all of you, particularly Lord Tsuchikage and Lord Raikage, would just squabble and argue over it. Therefore, since Lord Mifune and I have been deemed as neutral parties worthy of presiding over you, allow us to make this suggestion. We shall decide who among the Five Kage is the most suitable to lead. Firstly, the Hidden Leaf is the only one of our villages that still has a jinchuriki if I'm correct."

"That's not necessarily true Lord Shibuki." Mei told him "Utakata, the jinchuriki of the Six Tails, had recently returned to our village after clearing up a misunderstanding."

"I see. As I was saying before, how these jinchuriki are guided will be the key. Under these circumstances, I feel that Lady Mizukage would be the best choice to lead the Allied Shinobi Forces."

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At the same time, Sakura heard this and began making her way through, slipping past all of the samurai guards.

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Ino watched over Tsunade's comatose form 'If only Lady Tsunade would wake up from her coma, I know she'd fix this whole mess with Sakura.'

"Hey."

Ino looked and saw Shikamaru enter, looking deadly serious "Shikamaru."

"We need to talk."

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Tatsu's group met up with Naruto's group at the inn "So how'd it go meeting with Lord Raikage?"

Asuma sighed "About as well as you'd expect. What about you guys and Lady Mizukage?"

"Well we informed her about Utakata and gave her the scroll and some of Sasuke's blood so she can reverse summon."

"I see… that's good…" Naruto just sprawled out on the floor, staring at the ceiling with only one thing on his mind 'Sakura…'

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Ino's eyes shot wide "He did what?"

Shikamaru nodded "Yeah that's right, Naruto even went so far to deal with all of that Hidden Cloud chick's abuse, but he still refused to sell out Sakura. Not only that, he didn't want you to worry about this so he asked Tatsu to keep it quiet. I only know because I was watching from afar. Now he's even gone so far as to ask the Raikage to let him deal with Sakura himself."

"What? Why would he be so reckless? Wasn't Kakashi-sensei with him?"

"Knowing Naruto, I have my doubts that would've stopped him. Kakashi believes in Naruto, and Asuma does too to the point where he willingly went with him. Even if it is a long shot, they want to give him a chance."

"...If Lady Tsunade had been there then she would've done the same thing. Looks to me like despite everything that happened during the Chunin Exams, Naruto still cares about Sakura and doesn't want her to fall any further than she already has. Clearly Sakura's still making Naruto suffer like she always has, but he just can't bring himself to hate her. What he feels for Sakura isn't anger or hatred. It's sadness. That's the kind of person that Naruto is, and always has been, and always will be. When I think about Sakura, I get this angry burning feeling in my gut. For the sake of Naruto, for the Hidden Leaf, we can't solely rely on him for this. We have to take action ourselves."

"Shikamaru is right." Lee poked his head into the tent "We've gotta stop the Akatsuki before they hurt anyone else, and then we have to stop Sakura before she falls even lower than she already has. I originally came here to talk to the members of Team 7 and get their consent for this."

"So you're thinking the same thing I am?"

"Yeah. We can't let a war break out between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud because of Sakura's actions, especially not with the Akatsuki still being out there."

"Agreed." Shikamaru turned to Ino "Let me try to put it another way Ino, just hear me out. If the Hidden Cloud did kill Sasuke then we might be fine with it but there's no way in hell Naruto would just let be, and if he were to lash out recklessly and get killed by Hidden Cloud ninja then there's no way any of us would just sit still. We'd go out and avenge him, then the other side wouldn't remain quiet and they'd retaliate to, and if you, me or Choji were to get killed by Cloud ninja then our fathers would just head out, and before you know it we'd be at war. According to what the messenger from the Hidden Cloud had told us they already consider Sakura to be an international criminal, if Sakura continues to ally herself with the Akatsuki then the hatred spreading through the world would only grow. So I believe that it's time for the Hidden Leaf Village to deal with Sakura ourselves. Ino, you understand what I'm saying don't you? That's why I want your consent."

Ino just looked up, a single tear streaming down her cheek "I know, and I understand."

"Good. I was hoping to get Naruto and Sasuke's consent too, where are they?"

"They already left." Lee told him "They went with Tatsu, Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei to meet with the Raikage and Mizukage in the Land of Iron."

"...Just perfect, leave it to those three to make things a drag."

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A was less than pleased with what Shibuki and Mifune told them "What? Let the Mizukage lead the Allied Shinobi Forces?"

"I personally agree." Danzo admitted "Lady Mizukage has done well in aiding her village in recovering from the nightmare left behind by the Fourth Mizukage, whether he was manipulated or not being irrelevant at this point."

A was still foaming at the mouth "Why the Mizukage?! She hails from the village with the title Blood Mist Village! We cannot let them take charge!"

"Then who would you suggest Lord Raikage?" Shibuki inquired.

"My village has not produced even one single member of the Akatsuki, such a crucial role must be filled by the one most trustworthy! It should be me!"

"I'm afraid I cannot agree to that, Lord Raikage." Mifune told her.

"What did you say?!"

Shibuki promptly pointed to the damage left by A's earlier tantrum "I fully agree that a certain amount of intensity and strength is crucial to assemble and lead a force of power houses such as these. However, your actions are ruled by your emotions without enough control may very well end up splintering an allied force, particularly in your qualms with Lord Tsuchikage just as you did that desk. Lord Mifune and I are simply stating our unbiased opinions as neutral parties in these discussions. Lord Kazekage is still too young and will have too much difficulty earning the trust, respect and cooperation of the people to spearhead such a venture. He does not have much pull with other nations, and his title Kazekage alone will not be sufficient. The same can be said with myself, as well as the fact that I'm not even an official Kage. Lord Tsuchikage on the other hand appears as too old and has given the impression that his power has waned. While this is not my opinion, I cannot speak for others. He has also openly admitted using the Akatsuki for the benefit of the Hidden Stone, and then there's the potential risk of him and Lord Raikage squabbling. Lord Hokage is known as the moniker of the Ninja of Darkness, and this may potentially ruin chances of him being trusted by the people of other villages, despite being one of the two villages that still possesses a jinchuuriki. The Hidden Mist, governed by Lady Mizukage, is suspected of being the birthplace of the Akatsuki, so there is some potential concern about the possibility of intelligence leaks. People may wonder if there are spies. We don't know why the Akatsuki are gathering Tailed Beasts or their intentions for them, but we do know that we can't let them have the Kyuubi of the Hidden Leaf or the Six Tails of the Hidden Mist. Lord Hokage has already been ruled out, which leaves Lady Mizukage. She has also shown highly capable leadership skills, leading her village out of the tragic, bloodsoaked past left behind by her predecessor. I feel that she would make a quite capable leader."

"Regardless of any other concerns, I would never agree to an Allied Shinobi Force that would compromise the security of my village!"

That was when White Zetsu suddenly popped up "Well hello there!"

"One problem after another, now what?!"

Danzo's eye narrowed "Is he one of the Akatsuki?"

Onoki nodded "It appears that way."

White Zetsu had a huge shiteating grin "Guess what? Sakura Haruno has snuck in here! I wonder, where do you think she could be hiding right now? Any guesses?"

A was foaming at the mouth "What the hell is all of this?!"

"It's like a game of hide and seek, let's all try to find Sakura! Come on!"

A grabbed White Zetsu by the neck, anger clear in his eyes "Tell me where Sakura Haruno is, give me an answer right now!"

'Th-This guys is… super fast…'

"Refuse to answer and I'll show you no mercy!"

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Naruto lay on the floor of his room in the inn, lost in his thoughts 'Sakura… where are you right now, and what are you thinking about? Do you ever think about me, or about Sasuke, or about Kakashi-sensei even a little bit? You betrayed and abandoned us against Orochimaru, you tried to kill Ino from behind, you were stripped of your title and sent to prison, what could you want now? Sakura… what are you after now? Has your anger, hatred and bitterness completely consumed you like it almost did with me, like it almost did with Sakura? Have you really let yourself become nothing more than an ordinary criminal? I'm not even sure who you are anymore… or who you ever were for that matter…'

"Hey."

Naruto froze 'That voice… Madara…'

Sure enough, Madara sat on the ledge of the window behind him "We really should talk, Naruto Uzumaki…"

"Go to hell!" Naruto promptly burst through the wall with a quick Rasengan, leaving a large hole in the wall and roof.

"A Rasengan right off the bat huh?" Madara appeared on the roof without a scratch "You are aware that that doesn't work on me don't you?"

"Then what about this?" Sasuke suddenly blitzed behind Madara and grabbed him with his Susanoo, with Tatsu, Kakashi and Asuma getting ready to attack "Naruto stay where you are, don't move."

"I should've figured Sasuke of the Thunderclap, Kakashi of the Sharingan and Asuma of the Guardian Shinobi 12. You're all quick."

"Don't think we're going to let you get your hands on Naruto that easily, Madara Uchiha."

"You did hear what I just said didn't you? There are no attacks that exist in this world that will work against Madara Uchiha."

"Even if you're erasing yourself or this is just an astral projection, you'll still have to manifest physically if you want to take Naruto." Tatsu pointed out "You can't actually take him without doing that. You can't fend all of us off at once."

"Well I never imagined that this would be easy, I will admit that I have a plan in mind but at this moment I'm only here to talk."

"Talk?"

"That's right. I want to know what you did to make Nagato betray me, Naruto you've truly sparked my interest."

"I couldn't care less about what you want." Naruto growled "What are you planning to do with Sakura? Dammit, spit it out already!"

"Sakura huh? Very well then, I'll tell you about the girl who's been steeped to his very marrow in the resentment and hatred of the Shinobi World, the story of Sakura Haruno."

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A tightened his grip on White Zetsu "Where is Sakura now?! Answer me!"

"Since you leave me no choice, I'll give you a little hint." White Zetsu offered.

A promptly snapped his neck "C, begin!"

"You didn't have to kill him you know." Mei pointed out "If we had restrained and interrogated him then we may have obtained useful intel on the Akatsuki."

"It wouldn't work, no one in the Akatsuki has ever talked." Gaara told her "They're all completely devoted."

Mifune turned to his subordinates "Okisuke, Urakaku, give the order to find Sakura at once. Issue a number 2 battle ready state alert."

Then C suddenly located Sakura "Lord Raikage."

"Alright. C, Darui, come on!" A burst through the next wall and took off to find Sakura.

Darui turned sheepish "I'm sorry about the desk and the wall there."

"Hey Darui, quit yapping and let's go already!" C took off after A, with Darui following.

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Things were growing hectic.

Sakura noticed the samurai moving more erratically 'The samurai are on the move, they must be looking for me. It must have been Zetsu, that bastard.' she quickly knocked out a samurai that spotted her, then turned to the others "I'm not in the best of moods right now, if you attack me then I have my doubts I'd be able to hold back."

"We could say the same to you!" the samurai then unleashed their Samurai Sabre technique.

Sakura merely held out one hand, and the chakra behind the attacks disappeared, her hair covering her eyes, then blitzed forward and cut down several samurai with ease. Then she noticed something from above 'What now?'

Then A dropped down in his Lightning Chakra Mode, with Darui and C behind him "Hey kid, I am going to teach you the fear of true fury!"

"Step aside, I have no business with you so get out of my way or I'll cut you down." Sakura charged in.

"Water Style: Water Wall!" Darui formed a water wall, preventing Sakura from getting any closer.

'So he's the one!'

"Lightning Style: Emotion Wave!" Darui channeled some lightning into the water, using it as a conductor.

Sakura held out both hands, causing the water and lightning to disappear.

"Boss, just as the intel reported Sakura can definitely absorb chakra."

'These guys are Hidden Cloud jonin, and that behemoth in the middle must be the Raikage. I can't get past him very easily.'

"I'll stop him." C formed some hand seals "Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar!" he unleashed a blast of light.

'He's trying to blind me!' she formed a hand seal.

Then A and Darui appeared in front of her "It's too late!"

"Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!" two coffins appeared, one stopping each attack.

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Kazuma was quick to incinerate White Zetsu with his Tenseigan Mode, and he, Danzo and Shisui departed to find Sakura and take care of her.

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Madara began to tell the tale of how Sakura came to be a part of the Akatsuki "The tale of Sakura Haruno is a relatively simple one. You see, three years ago I was aware of Orochimaru's plans to invade the Leaf only to come across a very interesting sight. A lone girl rotting in a prison cell, deluded by this failure of a world. I took pity on her and offered her strength and a position in my organization. With nothing left to lose, she accepted, stealing some of the most formidable jutsu and equipment this world has to offer."

"But why?" Naruto demanded "Why would Sakura stoop so low? What could she have to gain by joining the Akatsuki?"

"Various things actually. Power, Sasuke's heart even if it had to be forced, and revenge on you for what happened against Orochimaru."

"You made her that way didn't you?"

"Quite the opposite actually, Sakura chose this path for herself and she chose it of her own free will. I took a gamble on whether or not she would actually be loyal to me if I freed her, she chose whatever side would offer her the chance to take revenge on those who wronged her. That means she is one of my kind. Sakura's goal now is to wreak vengeance on the Hidden Leaf for what they did to her."

"...Why? How did this whole thing turn into such a big mess? Why did she go so far just to take some pointless revenge?"

"It couldn't be helped, she's become so obsessed with Sasuke that she's inherited the Uchiha clan's blood soaked destiny of hate. It's a curse that has been passed down through the ages."

"A curse?"

"That's right, a Curse of Hatred that began generations ago with the father of all shinobi, the Sage of the Six Paths."

"Sage of the Six Paths? But that's nothing but a myth." Kakashi protested "Pain appearing with the Rinnegan was nothing more than a random mutation, that's all."

"But myths are often based on the truth. The Sage of the Six Paths taught ninshu, the shinobi creed, and tried to foster world peace. But unfortunately, his end came before he fulfilled his dream. The sage bequeathed his will, and also his teachings, to his two children, both of them being sons. The oldest son had been the one with the sage's eyes, granting him chakra powers and mental energy. He knew strength was necessary for peace. The younger son had been born with the gift of the sage's body, granting him stamina and physical energy. He knew love was necessary for peace. On his deathbed, the sage chose a single successor. His decision created the eternal Curse of Hatred that has continued for generations."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Asuma.

"The sage decided to choose not the older brother who sought strength, but instead the older brother who sought love, and made the second son his successor. The first born, who had long expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, could not accept this decision. Filled with rage and bitterness, he declared war on his younger brother. Even as time passed and blood ties thinned, the descendents of the two brothers continued to battle each other. The descendents of the older brother came to be known as the Uchiha clan, while the descendents of the younger brother-"

"Came to be known as the Senju." Tatsu realized.

"Correct. As an Uchiha, my battle with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was destined to occur. This may be only our second meeting, but I can tell that you hold the Will of Fire of the Senju clan within you. I can see the spirit of the First Hokage enduring within you. Even in death he lives on, he who I so admired yet was my rival, and the man I hated most. The Senju and the Uchiha, the Will of Fire and the Curse of Hatred. Sasuke, you were originally supposed to inherit the Curse of Hatred, but instead you took on the Will of Fire, forcing Sakura to take your place. Now Naruto, you and Sakura are the next in line to be chosen by destiny. The Uchiha clan has been cursed with a destiny of hatred and vengeance. Sasuke, you have subconsciously passed on the burden of the Uchiha clan's hatred onto Sakura, turning her into what she has become now. And now, she will strike deep into the world with that curse. That hatred has become her most powerful weapon, her friend, and the source of her power. That is Sakura's ninja way."

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A stared at the coffin before him "I don't know what this is and I don't care, all I know is that you're gonna die!"

"I wouldn't be so sure you oaf." Sakura formed a hand seal, and one of the coffins opened, revealing an old man in a tan robe.

'That's-!'

"This is En no Gyoja, the developer of the forbidden jutsu of the Tsuchigumo clan and the one who mastered that forbidden jutsu in a way nobody else in his clan has."

"Well now I get to teach both you and this old geezer why you shouldn't underestimate the Raikage! Elbow Bolt!" A aimed his elbow forward.

En no Gyoja dodged the elbow and aimed his hand at A's chest, red markings appearing around it.

A's chest was burnt slightly, but he still grabbed En no Gyoja "A direct attack using nature energy to increase its power, I should've expected as much from someone like you. I'm impressed that you were able to actually burn me despite me donning my lightning style armor. That's some jutsu you've got there, but-!" he grabbed En no Gyoja and lifted him straight into the air "LIGER BOMB!" he promptly slammed En no Gyoja into the ground, creating a massive crater.

When it was over, En no Gyoja stood, his arms and chest destroyed but reforming.

'No one has ever survived the Liger Bomb before, but if this the jutsu that the Second Hokage developed then that means he's still dead. But even so…' A bulked himself up even further "Go ahead and bring it old man.

En no Gyoja merely held out his hand "Fury Implosion." he attempted to use nature energy to implode A's body from the inside in order to kill him.

A dodged this blast, causing this fate to fall upon a samurai behind him, as well as two samurai that tried to help him"Lateral Bolt of Pain!" he chopped En no Gyoja straight in the neck, sending him to the ground, then leapt into the air "You're finished now old man! Guillotine Drop!" he slammed into En no Gyoja with a powerful kick, then turned to Sakura "You're next girl!" he charged.

That is, before Shisui appeared between them and stopped them with his Susanoo "That's enough, both of you."

Danzo then applied his sealing jutsu to En no Gyoja's chest, binding him and preventing him from moving "All of you samurai evacuate this area at once, this is a problem for the shinobi world to deal with. There is no need for samurai to lose their lives pointlessly."

"Th-Thank you, Lord Hokage." the samurai eagerly fled.

"Why did you interfere Hokage?!" A demanded "Your answer will determine your punishment."

"If you had continued with that attack then you would have left yourself open to whatever traps she may have set." Danzo removed his robe, revealing a simple white kimono "This is mainly the problem of the Leaf, I will deal with her myself."

"Just come and try it old man." Sakura formed a hand seal, and the second coffin opened, revealing the figure inside "I went through a lot of trouble to get this one."

Danzo stopped in shock 'That's…'

The figure stepped out "Is that you Danzo? You've really aged haven't you?"

"Kagami Uchiha… not once in my life did the day come that I thought that we would have to fight each other, please prepare yourself."

"Right." Kagami looked down "A summoning jutsu is it?"

"Yes, the forbidden Reanimation Jutsu used by Lord Second. You'll be forced to do battle with me."

"I see." Kagami opened his eyes, revealing his Sharingan "Let's at least take this somewhere else, a battle between us will result in far too many innocent lives."

"Agreed." Danzo turned to Shisui and Kazuma "You two take care of things here, I will stop Kagami myself." and he took off, with Kagami right behind him.

A/N:

I know the Hidden Waterfall wasn't part of it in canon, but before you guys start squawking ask yourselves this: Why weren't any of the minor ninja villages involved?

I know Sakura inheriting the Curse of Hatred was kind of an asspull, but I had to do it.