Through Your Door

by WaffleDogOfficial

A shinobi must not value himself but rather adhere to his village's ideals. A shinobi must always put the mission first. A shinobi must never show any weakness. Jinchuuriki are tied down by a long list of both written and unwritten rules of things that they aren't supposed to do. Playing Peek-a-Boo with the vessel of the Kyuubi is probably at the top of that list. [X-posted on Ao3]

51. Drinks and Secrets

In which Yagura drinks tomato juice.

O-O-O

Jiraiya should've killed me.

Yagura nursed the drink between his hands— tomato juice with a splash of hard liquor— and resisted the urge to plant his face on the counter. His head was throbbing worse than he could ever remember. If only there was an ice pick he could drive into his brain. Would it be worth it to stop the pain?

"Kaito?" Roshi's voice broke him out of his self pity.

Yagura forced himself to look up. As his eyes struggled to focus, a concerned frown came into view. Was it his imagination or was Roshi suddenly blurry?

Yagura forced a smile onto his lips before taking another sip of juice. He tried not to twitch at the pain the simple action brought. "Sorry, didn't hear."

Roshi's concerned frown deepened and Yagura struggled not to fidget. It was the same look he gave the children whenever they were close to tears. Where was the familiar annoyance and exasperation?

"Are you all right, Kaito?" Han asked, expression too fatherly for Yagura's taste.

"I'm..." Yagura swallowed. "I'm all right. Just tired."

"What happened?" Roshi asked before looking over Yagura's shoulder. "And how did you find him?"

Yagura grimaced. "Well..."

As one, their eyes turned to look at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya had remained silent since Han and Roshi's arrival, sitting at the bar and sipping from a glass of orange juice. He had been staring at the shelves of liquor with a subtle smile, but turned after noticing their attention.

"Your friend mentioned you all wanted to talk to me," he said.

Yagura felt Roshi tense at his side and an aura of suspicion seemed to emanate from Han. He ignored his friends as he answered Jiraiya's question.

"I thought we'd already talked enough." Yagura leaned forward and smirked, chin inside the palm of his hand. "Or perhaps you wanted more... quality time alone with me?"

Jiraiya's eyes widened for a moment before returning his smirk. "Well, if you want some quality time together, I'm sure we can make it work."

Yagura let out a chuckle. "Well, if you think you can keep up."

"I know I can."

Yagura laughed, suppressing a wince as his body screamed in pain. Despite the pain and fear from earlier, the man was fun.

At his side, Han sighed and Roshi let out a groan of annoyance. Yagura felt the corners of his mouth tick upward. It was nice to have things back to normal. It was bad enough being short without being treated like a child.

"So how did you two meet, anyway?" Roshi asked.

"Oh, you know, how most people meet." Yagura sat up straight and smiled, waving a hand lazily through the air. "We met at the bar, then we ended up in a room together. Lost track of time a bit—"

"That doesn't answer our question," Roshi scolded, sounding more like a parent than most parents. "How and why did you disappear so suddenly?"

Yagura turned his gaze from Roshi back to Jiraiya. The other man took another sip of orange juice, giving Yagura the all clear to say whatever he wanted.

Yagura hesitated. How much should he reveal? He didn't want a fight to break out now. What if Jiraiya decided an alliance wasn't worth the effort? But then again, he couldn't leave his friends in the dark over something so important.

'Just tell the truth,' Isobu's voice appeared to give him advice. 'They're not going to be happy with Jiraiya whatever you say.'

Yagura swallowed a groan. 'Guess you're right.'

He turned to Han and Roshi with a frown and met their eyes. 'You probably won't be happy with the truth,' he warned them. 'So don't start a fight, okay?'

'Start a fight?' Han's shoulders tensed.

Roshi said nothing, face hard as he waited for Yagura to speak up.

Yagura sighed. Best to rip the bandage off quickly. "There might've been..." He glanced back at Jiraiya from the corner of his eye.

The man seemed unconcerned, staring at the bottles on the wall once more. Did he not care how Han and Roshi might react? Or was he just that confident in his own abilities?

"Well?" Roshi's voice dripped with impatience.

Yagura grimaced. Roshi would never make a scene in a pub, would he?

'Just suck it up and say it.'

"Okay, fine." Yagura sighed again before lowering his voice almost to a whisper. "Let's just say that our meeting involved some uh... poison, chains, and kidnapping."

"It what?" Han and Roshi's suspicion transformed into immediate hate.

As predicted, Roshi bolted up from his seat, glaring daggers in Jiraiya's direction. He stood as a shield in front of Yagura, one hand resting on the pouch at his thigh.

Han's reaction was less expected. He extracted a kunai from within his hakama, reaching over Roshi and Yagura's heads to point at Jiraiya's throat. With his free arm, he shielded Yagura.

Jiraiya refused to react. The only signs that he even noticed the weapon pointed at his throat were a quick glance down and a raised eyebrow.

But while Jiraiya remained calm, they had attracted the attention of everyone else. At the commotion, they turned as one to stare at the display. The pub became silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Yagura winced and rubbed at his temples. Flirting with Jiraiya had distracted him from the pain, but now the migraine came back full force.

"It's not as bad as it might sound!" Yagura said before sending a private message. 'I told you not to start a fight.'

Han and Roshi either did not hear or ignored his telepathic plea.

"How can poison, chains, and kidnapping not be as bad as it sounds?" Roshi's hand shook with fury as it reached for a weapon.

Han's grip on the kunai tightened. "Do you know how long we were looking for you, Kaito?"

Yagura snorted. "What, you didn't celebrate the fact that I was gone?" He forced a smirk.

Han and Roshi said nothing, although Roshi glanced back at him, eyes full of annoyance. As one, they focused the brunt of their rage back onto Jiraiya.

'They were quite worried about you,' Kokuo's voice appeared to admonish him. 'That's the closest I've seen Han to breaking down in tears since he was a child.'

Yagura shifted in his seat, face warm with shame. "I know you were worried," he said. "But Jiraiya and I came to an agreement and I wasn't permanently hurt. Let's sit down and talk some more."

Despite his pleas, Han and Roshi remained steadfast. Jiraiya meanwhile tilted his chin up, exposing more of his neck, as if begging for an attack. Around them, the rest of the pub continued to stare at the display in mute shock.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

Yagura sighed before jumping and grabbing Han's kunai to point down and away from Jiraiya's throat. "I said, let's sit down and talk some more." He injected as much steel as he could into his voice, making his head throb in pain. "Then you'll understand why everything happened."

But despite his pleas, no one moved.

A bead of sweat rolled down Yagura's back. Had he come so close to learning about the mercenary group only to fail at the last minute? Would Jiraiya even speak to them after such direct threats to his life?

But to Yagura's relief, Han and Roshi finally backed down. Han placed his kunai back in its pouch and Roshi sat back in his stool. Still, their eyes remained fixated on Jiraiya, full of anger and distrust. With a weapon no longer pointed at his throat, Jiraiya reached for his drink and took a sip.

The pub broke out into frantic muttering, thankful and disappointed at the lack of a fight. They returned to their normal activities, throwing the four men curious glances. Jiraiya and the jinchuuriki ignored them.

"There's no need to fight," Jiraiya said with a grin. "After all, I think there's more to gain if we work together than if we fight."

Roshi let out a low growl, glare focused on Jiraiya. "And what would we have to gain?"

"What else?" Jiraiya shrugged. "Intel."

"Intel?" Han repeated.

"What kind of intel?" Roshi asked, curiosity beginning to come through in his voice.

Jiraiya and Yagura traded glances. How much should they say where anyone could overhear?

Yagura spun in his seat, making his stomach lurch with nausea. "It's about the group we've been trying to track down." He met Roshi's eyes, too short to look up at Han.

Roshi's eyes widened and his jaw grew slack. Behind him, Han took a sharp breath in.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Guess that caught your attention. Now, why don't we get something to eat first? My treat. You guys must be starving."

O-O-O

Stomach lining surrounded Han from all sides, the ground soft at his feet. A mysterious light appeared from nowhere, barely bright enough to see a person's face. Despite their location inside a frog's stomach, there was only a hint of an acidic smell.

Han turned to glare at the man that had led them there.

Jiraiya stood taller than most men, nearly reaching Han's shoulder. Earlier, he had treated them to lunch as a way to apologize. But a free lunch was not proof of friendship. The man was still responsible for Yagura's capture.

But for some reason, Yagura vouched for the man and seemed to trust him. So despite Han and Roshi's doubts, they had followed Jiraiya into the stomach of a frog.

Now Yagura stood shielded between Han and Roshi, looking one step away from death.

"Not glad to be back here again," he mumbled to himself as he glared around the pink surroundings. "Though at least I'm not chained up this time."

Roshi sent Jiraiya a glare that could curdle milk.

Rage built in Han's stomach, threatening to overflow. How could the man expect them to have a friendly conversation after what he had done?

But Jiraiya ignored their fury. "Welcome to my toad's stomach!" He gestured around the room with a grin. "We can talk without being overheard while we're here."

"It really is a safe place," Yagura added with a tired yawn. If he was afraid at all, he hid it well.

Han frowned before turning to Roshi. Like Han, the redhead was wary, squinting around the room with a scrunched nose. If Jiraiya had managed to capture Yagura, could he have captured them as well?

'We can always transform if we have to escape,' Han said, trying to reassure both himself and Roshi.

'It won't come to that,' Yagura's voice was certain.

The flesh shifted to create four seats. Jiraiya sat at the nearest one and gestured to the empty spaces with a grin. "Better to sit and talk, don't you think?"

Han and Roshi traded worried glances again. Could there be a trick up the man's sleeve? A way to restrain them when their guard was down? But before they could make a decision, Yagura sat next to Jiraiya, shoulders slumped over in exhaustion.

"Let's just talk," Yagura said. "The sooner we finish this, the earlier we can rest."

"But Kaito—" Roshi began to protest.

'If Jiraiya really wanted to, he could have killed me when he had the chance.' Despite the green tint, Yagura's eyes were hard as stone. 'Believe me when I say we can mutually benefit.'

Han turned to Roshi one more time, uncertainty on both their faces. With one deep breath to steady his nerves, he sat on the seat next to Yagura's while Roshi sat next to Jiraiya.

Nothing happened. The flesh remained where it was and the lighting stayed the same. Han let out a shaky breath.

"Sorry we had to talk under these circumstances," Jiraiya crossed his arms and grinned. "I had only wanted to interrogate a potential threat, but..."

"You got me instead?" Yagura's disguise faded, leaving the former Mizukage's true face visible to all.

The air left Han's lungs. Yagura had only mentioned a capture, not an unmasking. Jiraiya's lack of reaction only added to his shock.

"Don't worry, he knows who I really am." Yagura waved their concerns away with a wan smile. Despite his posturing, he looked as exhausted as the night he had appeared in the Room half dead. The events of the previous night must have tired him more than Han had expected.

'Jiraiya knows his real name, but not that he's a jinchuuriki,' Isobu's voice appeared to reveal more.

Han forced his face not to shift. So Jiraiya had unmasked Yagura but not learned of the creature stored in him? Did he know who Han and Roshi were?

'I don't think he knows who you two really are,' Yagura answered, reading his expression. 'So don't reveal too much while we're here. Better to say too little than too much. For now at least.'

Han gave Yagura a minute nod. If Jiraiya noticed it, he would assume it was in regards to knowing his true identity.

"Well, let's not beat around the bush any longer," Jiraiya began.

Yagura snorted. "But it's fun to beat around the bush!"

"Ain't that the truth," Jiraiya agreed with a nod and a leer.

Han sighed. At least some of Yagura's "charm" was returning.

Roshi only frowned but said nothing, crossing his arms as he glared at Jiraiya. "Get to the point."

"You're no fun," Jiraiya sighed. "But fair enough. Your friend Yagura here mentioned something about Akatsuki?"

"Akatsuki?" Han repeated. Had he ever heard about Akatsuki? With a name like that, it should have tugged at his memory.

"I've never told them about Akatsuki," Yagura said, eyes focused on Jiraiya.

"Wait, really?" Jiraiya's eyes grew wide.

Yagura nodded. "Akatsuki was a revolutionary group based in Rain. Did you think I would make a connection between them and Orochimaru?"

"I guess not." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "My team spent a long time in Rain back in the day. I didn't think Orochimaru would want to go back there, that's for sure."

Yagura hummed before turning his attention to Han and Roshi. "Akatsuki was founded in Amegakure as a response to Hanzo," he explained. "They were active during the Second Shinobi War, but I heard nothing of them after that. I had assumed they lost their revolution like many others and faded away."

"But it turns out Akatsuki is still alive and well," Jiraiya added. "Or, at least, a group founded upon their ashes." He flashed them a tired grin. "Who would've thought that after eight years of work, I wouldn't discover their origin until I captured a Mizukage posing as a mediocre bounty hunter?"

"It does sound too strange to be true," Yagura admitted with a snort.

"I never expected Akatsuki to have originated in the Land of Rain." Jiraiya shook his head. "It's always... been a country that's easy to underestimate."

Roshi crossed his arms. "Sounds like you're familiar with Rain."

Jiraiya's smile grew forced and he glanced away. "You could say that. I was camped there with my old team for a while."

Han frowned. Was there something more about the man's experience he wasn't telling? An old flame in Amegakure perhaps? He did seem the type.

"Anyway, enough about me." Jiraiya stretched his arms over his head. "Tell me about yourselves. We didn't exactly have time to introduce ourselves earlier."

Yagura snorted. "You can say that again," he mumbled under his breath before raising his voice and speaking. "Name's Yagura. Former Mizukage. That's about it."

"Han." Han stared into Jiraiya's eyes, daring him to ask for more.

"Roshi." Like Han, Roshi said only his name, crossing his arms and staring at Jiraiya with defiance.

"Name's Jiraiya. Not sure what else I can say." The man scratched at his chin and stared up at the ceiling. "I'll answer any questions if you have them, I guess."

Silence settled for a few moments as they stared at each other. A bead of sweat rolled down Han's face. Was this a chance to learn more? Obtain an advantage? But what could he ask? He didn't want to waste his chance.

But before Han or Roshi could think of a question, Yagura spoke. "Boobs or ass?" Based on his expression, he might have been asking about state secrets.

Roshi turned red in an instant, and Han felt his own face heat up. He opened his mouth to retort, but Jiraiya spoke before either he or Roshi could say anything.

"Boobs." Jiraiya's expression matched Yagura's in seriousness.

The answer was too much for Roshi. He bolted up from his seat and pointed a finger at Yagura in anger. "Stop being so immature! We're here to learn about Akatsuki, you can cease all this vulgar talk!"

"I'm more of an ass man myself." Yagura nodded, ignoring Roshi.

Han sighed. "Yagura, we really—"

"And Han is more of a boobs man," Yagura pointed to him with his thumb. "Roshi's just not into any of that in general."

Han groaned, face hot.

"Of course, nothing can beat a beautiful face," Jiraiya added as he crossed his arms and nodded.

Yagura huffed. "For sure."

Roshi let out a low growl as his limited patience reached its limit. "Get to the point."

"Oh, fine." Jiraiya sighed, leaning back and staring up at the fleshy ceiling. "I guess I should start by telling you a little of what I know about Akatsuki. And…" he grinned. "Orochimaru, too."

Han settled in to listen with a sigh. He had a feeling the meeting was going to take a while.

O-O-O

Fuu stuck her tongue out. With her chakra tails, she was moving spoons of water from one bucket to another, trying not to spill a single drop. For the delicate task, she needed pitch-perfect concentration.

A bead of sweat rolled down her back and she bit her lip. The spoon wobbled, nearly spilling for the umpteenth time.

Shit.

Fuu took a long breath in and out to steady her nerves before continuing. To her relief, her effort was rewarded. She transferred the water from one bucket to the other without breaking the spoon in half or spilling a single drop.

"Yes!" Fuu jumped up and allowed the seven-tailed Version One form to dissipate.

"Great work, Fuu!" Takumi squeezed her shoulder. "You've progressed a lot faster than I could've imagined."

'I knew you could do it, Fuu.'

'It's only because I have you,' Fuu retorted. 'I couldn't have done it without you, Chomei.'

Chomei let out a happy chirping sound. 'Aw, you're so sweet.'

Satisfied and exhausted, Fuu collapsed onto the late winter snow and stared up at the sky. It had taken her nearly two years, but she had finally mastered the Version One jinchuuriki transformations. Two years of blood, sweat, and many tears. And there was still more to learn.

"It only took you one week to master this form," Takumi commented as he squatted next to her on the ground. "Between the five-tailed and the six-tailed transformations, it took you almost two months."

Fuu grinned up at her teacher. "Yup!" she chirped. "Chomei says the Version Two transformations are next."

'And after that partial and full transformations,' Chomei added.

"And then partial and full transformations," Fuu relayed.

"Well, at the pace you're going, you'll learn everything within a year," Takumi predicted. "Have you thought about what you'll do after that?"

Fuu frowned. What would she do after mastering the jinchuuriki modes?

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I guess..." She swallowed, turning her face away.

How could she admit she wanted to return to Takigakure? Or how she wished she could talk to Hana and Rin in person? Or about how she wanted to go on missions the same way the older jinchuuriki did?

"You guess?" Takumi prodded, scooting closer to her.

Pressured to speak, Fuu bit her lip and closed her eyes before making her confession. "I want to go on missions, sensei."

"Missions?"

She nodded, eyes still closed. "I know I should be happy that I'm safe and that I have a lot of time to practice. But a lot of shinobi are out there traveling and doing missions and training with their team. And... I want to do that, too." She hid her face inside the palms of her hands.

"You... want to go on missions?"

Fuu nodded, eyes squeezed shut.

Takumi said nothing.

Around them, the trees fluttered in the wind. The water from the nearby creek babbled without pause. From farther away, she could hear muted noises from their house. The silence stretched on for what felt like hours.

Why isn't he saying anything?

Fuu pushed herself up to look at her teacher, afraid of whatever expression she might see.

But instead of the judgment and horror Fuu had feared, she saw only thoughtfulness as he stared up at the sky. Relief coursed through her.

"So you want to go on missions, Fuu?" the man repeated.

Fuu nodded again, pushing herself up into a kneeling position. "I really do, sensei! Can I be sent out on a team with other people? Please? I swear I'll be good."

"Good?" Takumi turned to her, an eyebrow raised. While he hadn't accepted Fuu's proposal, he hadn't rejected it either.

Fuu took her chance. "I'll even take simple missions!" she promised. "Even if I think they're too easy. And if I need bodyguards, they can—"

"I think it's a good idea." Takumi tilted his head and smiled.

Fuu's heart began to beat faster and she grinned. "Wait, really, sensei?"

Takumi nodded. "Yes, really. I'll send a message to Shibuki-sama requesting a genin team for you to join. In fact, if I'm doing my calculations right, you're one year behind with your classmates. They would have graduated last spring."

Fuu nodded. "Yeah, Hana and Rin are genin now."

Takumi hummed to himself before standing up, a hand extended for Fuu. "Well, I'll let you know as soon as Shibuki-sama answers. Although personally I believe he'll accept your request. You're more than strong enough to defend yourself if need be."

Fuu's eyes brightened. She ignored Takumi's hand and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, sensei!"

Takumi let out a short laugh. "Don't mention it. Anyway, we should get lunch. It's already late."

Fuu's stomach whined in hunger at the mere mention of lunch. With her training now finished, food was the only thing on her mind.

"Let's go, sensei!"

Without waiting for Takumi, Fuu broke the hug and flew back home. She kicked off her snow boots and ran to the kitchen. Inside sat Kegon and Yoro playing a game of snap.

"There's curry on the stove," Yoro muttered, eyes fixed on the cards in his hand.

"We were just about to put the food away," Kegon added, his focus on the game.

"Thanks!"

Fuu rushed to the stove, grabbing a bowl to serve herself. Then she sat at the table between the two men, a steaming bowl of curry in front of her.

Takumi joined her soon after, serving himself his own bowl of curry. "Thanks for waiting," he complained, although there was no true anger in his voice.

"Sorry, sensei," Fuu apologized as she reached for a spoon.

Her teacher only shook his head as he sat in front of her. "It's fine. Now, let's eat."

"With pleasure."

Fuu took her first bite. Warmth spread through her body as the food touched her tongue. Sumptuous and slightly sweet, the curry blended well with the plain rice. She readied herself to truly dig in, but before she could, Yugito's voice interrupted.

'Fuu, we need you in the Room,' she said.

Fuu paused mid-bite. It was rare for the jinchuuriki to reach out during the day and rarer to ask her to visit the Room. In fact, the last time it happened, Naruto had been two years old and crying about not being allowed to drink from the toilet bowl.

'I'm kinda busy right now,' Fuu said, taking another bite of rice curry. 'We can talk later tonight.'

'It can't be tonight,' Yugito insisted. 'Naruto is at the Academy and Gaara is on a mission. They can't learn about this.'

Fuu knew she was frowning despite her best attempts to keep her face neutral. 'What do you mean "we"?'

'Han, Roshi, B, Yagura, Utakata, and I.'

Fuu's frown deepened.

As far as she could remember, the oldest jinchuuriki had never invited them to their adult-only meetings. While she, Naruto, and Gaara liked to speculate, they had no way of knowing their contents. So why was she invited now?

"Fuu?"

Takumi's voice brought her back to the present and she looked up to meet her teacher's eyes.

"Are you okay, Fuu?" Takumi asked, eyes full of worry.

At her sides, Kegon and Yoro had paused their game, staring at her with growing concern.

Fuu forced a smile onto her face and she placed her spoon on the table. "I'm... uh..."

'Come now or we'll run out of time,' Yugito insisted. 'Make an excuse and leave.'

"Well, uh..."

Fuu stared down at her barely eaten bowl of curry. With her empty stomach, it looked like the most delicious thing in the world. She wanted nothing more than to stay and finish it. But if Yugito and the other jinchuuriki truly wanted her in the Room...

"I think I'm gonna eat this later. I'm... uh..." Fuu's brain scrambled for a reasonable excuse. "I'm... uh... not feeling so good."

"Not feeling well?" Takumi reached across the table and placed a hand on top of her forehead. "Do you need some medicine? I can make you some tea."

But Fuu shook her head. "No, uh... it's just... um... I need to go." She bolted up from her seat.

"Go? Wait, are you sure you're okay?" Takumi insisted as he also stood up, inspecting her up and down. "If you're not feeling well, I can—"

"It's lady troubles!" Fuu shouted the first excuse she could think of as she ran out of the kitchen. "I just got my period so don't bother me!"

To her relief, none of the three men followed her and she entered her bedroom, which she locked after herself.

'This better be important,' Fuu mumbled. 'That curry was so good.'

'Sorry, Fuu.' Yugito did not sound sorry. 'But what we have to talk about is more important than curry.'

Fuu huffed. What could be more important than food?

'You'll understand when you get here.'

Fuu sighed. Usually she was glad to have eight other people to talk to. But in cases like these, she wished she had some privacy. But wishing for things wouldn't change much. She collapsed on her bed and began to breathe in and out, deep and slow.

Almost instantly, she began to doze off. A few minutes later she had fallen asleep and a moment after, she appeared in the Room.

"Okay, this meeting better be worth it," she whined to the six other jinchuuriki waiting for her.

"I promise that it is," Yagura answered, flashing her a grin.

Fuu paused, staring at Yagura in more detail. While his smile was as bright as usual, his eyes seemed tired. Did something happen to him again?

"Good work on using 'Lady Troubles', Fuu," Yugito said. "It almost always works, especially on men."

Fuu shrugged. "It's the first thing that came to mind," she admitted as she joined the circle, sitting between Han and Roshi. "Anyway, why'd you call me? I was eating!"

"Sorry about that, Fuu." Han placed his hand on top of her head. "We wanted to start the meeting earlier but..."

"We had a disagreement," Utakata said with a smile, although his jaw was tense.

"Han and Roshi didn't want you here," Yugito explained. "They thought you were too young."

"She is too young," Roshi retorted, shifting closer toward Fuu. "We got outvoted." He turned to glare at Killer B.

Killer B grinned. "If the question's on if Fuu should listen in, I decided long ago. The girl's a teen, of course she can glean, you dumbass phonies!"

"Yugito and I also thought you should listen in," Utakata added. "We think you're old enough now."

"So why aren't Gaara-kun and Naruto-kun here?" Fuu asked. "I thought we weren't gonna hide anything from each other anymore."

"Because they're still too young," Yugito answered instantly. "And from what Yagura mentioned earlier..." Her expression hardened.

"What we'll talk about today is top secret," Yagura explained. "I don't think we can trust Gaara and Naruto to keep the secret. Not yet at least."

Fuu hummed to herself. Naruto was bad at keeping secrets, but Gaara wasn't. Perhaps the older jinchuuriki thought Gaara would tell Naruto everything?

Well, they shouldn't have trusted me if that was the case.

"Now where should I begin?" Yagura stared up at the domed ceiling, eyes scanning the fuuinjutsu markings.

"Fuu doesn't know much right now," Yugito said, glancing at the girl before leaning back with her palms on the floor. "So you should catch her up to speed."

"I don't think she knows about your mission abroad," B added. "The one you're searching for, you haven't told her before, you dumbass phonies!"

"I guess that's true." Yagura turned his full attention toward Fuu as he began his explanation.

The older jinchuuriki started from the beginning, telling her about Orochimaru and the organization he was a part of. They recounted their search for Jiraiya and Tsunade— Orochimaru's old teammates. They told her of their meeting with Tsunade, which had been of little help. They explained how Jiraiya had eluded them for nearly a year longer after that.

"So you couldn't find this Jiraiya man?" Fuu leaned forward, stretching her legs out in front.

The three men shook their heads.

"We ended up doing more bounty hunting instead, Butterfly," Roshi said with a sigh. "It helped keep a roof over our heads while we kept an eye out for Jiraiya."

"It was actually Jiraiya who ended up tracking us down." Yagura leaned back, hands splayed out behind him. "Although he did that in a way I hadn't expected."

Roshi's expression became clouded and he glared at Yagura. "If you call kidnapping you and nearly giving me a heart attack a way of tracking us down."

Fuu frowned. There was someone strong enough to capture Yagura? Even the other jinchuuriki working together had struggled with that.

"Jiraiya is a great conversationalist." Yagura stared up at the ceiling, the smile not reaching his eyes. "Unfortunately, he likes to keep you tied up while you talk. Usually I wouldn't mind but..."

Fuu opened her mouth to ask more before closing it. She suspected it was a joke she wasn't supposed to understand.

"So what did you talk about with Jiraiya?" Yugito asked.

Yagura hummed. "When he..." he swallowed and looked away, as if in embarrassment. "When he captured me, I was able to talk myself out because we realized we were chasing the same organization."

"Same organization?" Utakata ignored Yagura's embarrassment. "What organization?"

Roshi sighed. "We now know the name of the organization tracking us: Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki?" Fuu, Utakata, and Yugito repeated.

Yagura nodded. "The Red Dawn. A revolutionary group founded in the Land of Rain with the aim to overthrow Hanzo and install their own government."

"Land of Rain?" Yugito asked. "What would a revolutionary group founded in Rain want with jinchuuriki?"

"We don't know," Yagura admitted with a sigh. "Jiraiya doesn't know either. Or at least, I don't think he does. I'm not sure if he even knows that Akatsuki is tracking down jinchuuriki or bijuu. We didn't volunteer that information."

"We didn't want to reveal our... situation," Han added.

"So now we know the name of the organization," Yagura concluded. "But their exact objectives remain a mystery. As far as Jiraiya can tell, they're no different from any other mercenary group— except for the fact their members are all S-ranked missing nin."

"So then it doesn't seem like you learned much after all." Utakata crossed his arms, the disappointment clear as day. "How does knowing their name help?"

"Oh, now that's where you're wrong, young Utakata." Yagura smirked for the first time since the meeting began. "We already knew about Kakuzu, Sasori, Orochimaru, and the masked man. Don't you think Jiraiya would know other members?"

Fuu pulled her legs toward herself and bit her lip. At her side Utakata and Yugito leaned forward to hear more. Even Killer B was affected. He stopped scribbling in his notebook and turned his full attention toward Yagura.

"How many more members do we know about now?" Yugito asked as he leaned ever so slightly closer.

"Only two more," Yagura answered. "Jiraiya already knew about Sasori and Orochimaru. Although in regards to Orochimaru—"

"We can talk about Orochimaru later," Roshi interrupted, expression hard. "Considering it's related to what we learned about one of the other members."

Fuu frowned. One of the other members?

"First we learned about Kisame," Yagura continued without missing a beat. "He was..." His eyes glazed over. "One of the most loyal members of Kirigakure. If you asked him to jump, he would ask how high. I never would've expected him to betray our village like that."

"Kisame?" Utakata frowned. "Why does the name sound familiar?"

"Kisame Hoshigaki." Yagura flashed the younger man a wan smile. "Had so much chakra he was called the Tailless Tailed Beast. The future of the Hoshigaki clan. Sound familiar now?"

"Ah, him!" Utakata's eyes widened in recognition. "Wasn't he the one that ended up killing his entire team under orders?"

"And then deserted the village soon afterwards, but not before killing his own master?" Yagura raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that Kisame Hoshigaki."

"He deserted Kirigakure while you were still the Mizukage." Utakata's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

A chill ran down Fuu's spine. Yagura would never order someone to do that, right?

"That event occurred after I was brainwashed," Yagura explained as his lips twisted into a grin. "But... even if I hadn't been, protecting intel is a critical responsibility of the cypher division. By any means necessary. I hope you understand."

Utakata's brow furrowed. A combination of sadness and resignation entered his eyes and he nodded. "I understand."

Fuu pulled her knees close to her chest. Was that what it meant to be an ninja? Killing your own teammates? Would she ever be asked to do anything like that? Or worse? The thought of joining a shinobi team didn't sound so appealing anymore.

Han must have noticed her expression because she felt a heavy hand settle on top of her head.

"As a shinobi, we must make difficult choices and follow orders we don't like at times, Fuu," he said, making her look up. "So when we work, we must ask ourselves: is this the best path? And make our own decisions from that."

Yugito huffed. "Well said. Although..." she looked up at the ceiling with a frown. "Sometimes we don't have much of a choice."

The Room grew silent as each jinchuuriki became lost in their own thoughts. Would Fuu one day be given those kinds of orders? Or be forced to give them? Could she ever forgive herself if that came to happen?

As usual, Killer B broke the mood with a rhyme. "Of that kind of future, there's no need to worry," he sang. "You don't have to hurry. The future will come, don't just succumb, you dumbass phonies!"

The jinchuuriki turned to the man, half amused and half annoyed.

After a moment of consideration, Roshi nodded. "Well said. I think." He turned to meet Fuu's eyes. "You are now old enough to start to understand some of the true darkness in the world. But no matter how old you are or what happens in your life, know that we will help as much as we can."

Tears began to form at the corners of Fuu's eyes. With a swallow, she nodded. "Thank you, Mama."

Yagura cleared his throat and everyone's attention turned back to him. "Kisame is the least of our problems," he said. "He's a monster, but in the end, he's only one more enemy. The other new member of Akatsuki is way, way worse."

Worse? Who could be worse than someone who killed his own teammates and master? Someone stronger? More evil?

"Yes. And... there's a reason why we were worried about sharing this with you and the other children, Fuu," Roshi continued.

Fuu bit her lip in anticipation. Utakata and Yugito leaned in, also curious. Only Killer B remained unmoving, although the fact he wasn't writing revealed his true curiosity.

Han, Roshi, and Yagura shared glances one last time.

"The last member of Akatsuki is Itachi," Yagura announced.

"What?" Before Fuu had realized, she had stood up, hands clenched into fists at her sides, gaping open-mouthed at the three men on the floor. "I-Itachi? That Itachi? Sasuke's brother Itachi?"

Roshi grimaced. "Now you see why we consider it worse. With Itachi there's a certain level of... personal interest we can't ignore."

"It's bad enough that you know," Han added. "But if Naruto were to find out? How do you think he would react?"

"It would destroy him." Fuu swallowed.

Even now, years after the massacre, Naruto struggled to talk about what had happened. If Naruto learned about Itachi's whereabouts, would he tell Sasuke? Could he even keep the truth hidden? And even if he did, how would that affect his relationship with his friend?

"Worst case scenario, Naruto and his friends would set out on a mission to track down Itachi on their own," Yagura guessed.

"The little brat really isn't the best when it comes to controlling his impulses," Yugito chimed in.

"His friend isn't much better," Utakata added, a worried frown on his face.

"Naruto must not find out that we know anything about Itachi," Yagura said. "It would only hurt him to learn about it now."

Now? Fuu bit her lip. "So you'll tell Naruto about Itachi one day?" she asked.

Han, Roshi, and Yagura nodded, although Roshi seemed more reluctant than the other two.

"Yes," Yagura said. "Although it won't be until he becomes a genin."

"At the earliest," Roshi mumbled under his breath.

"It's very important that Naruto doesn't learn that Itachi is in Akatsuki, Fuu," Han added. "It would break his heart. And I don't think Gaara would keep it a secret from him, so don't tell him either."

Fuu hummed to herself. "I understand. I... I won't tell him," she promised. "Gaara, too."

The three men smiled.

"That's good to know," Yagura said. "Thank you, Fuu."

"And that brings us back to Orochimaru," Roshi said. "Because we learned that Orochimaru is no longer part of Akatsuki."

"What do you mean?" Yugito asked.

"Jiraiya told us that as far as he can tell, Orochimaru left Akatsuki at the same time that Itachi joined," Yagura explained. "While it could be a coincidence and Jiraiya is uncertain if Orochimaru left in the first place, he says it's likely. Orochimaru has gone into hiding, most likely somewhere near the Land of Lightning."

"Lightning?" Yugito raised an eyebrow. "In that case, Bee and I can—"

"Near Lightning, but not in it," Yagura said. "So there's nothing you two can do. Besides, if Jiraiya can't track him down with that as his primary mission, what hope do you two have?"

Yugito frowned but said nothing.

"So you're gonna keep tracking Orochimaru, Yagura-san?" Fuu asked as she sat back onto the floor.

Yagura shrugged. "Sort of. We'll be working with Jiraiya and sharing information, meeting as often as we can. And to support each other in a fight, if it comes to that."

"To an extent," Roshi muttered under his breath.

"To an extent." Yagura nodded. "As long as there's no undue risk to our lives."

"That makes sense." Fuu hummed as she pulled her knees close to herself again. "Does that mean Jiraiya is a friend?"

"Yes," Yagura said at the same time that Han and Roshi cried out, "no!"

"I don't trust the man and our alliance is temporary," Roshi explained. "But..." He groaned and stared up at the ceiling. "I can't deny that he would be a great help in making sure we all stay safe."

"I see."

Fuu hummed, frowning as she stared down at her knees, a ball of worry forming in her stomach.

If Itachi was part of the organization, did that mean he wanted Naruto, too? Was Naruto safe? What about Sasuke? Naruto would go to the ends of the earth to help him. Would they leave Konohagakure to hunt down Itachi if they knew where he was?

A familiar, warm hand on top of her head broke her out of her spiraling thoughts.

"It's all going to be okay, Fuu," Han said, meeting her eyes. "We'll keep you children safe. I promise."

Fuu's eyes began to fill up with tears again. "Can you really do that, Papa?"

Han grunted in assent before pulling his hand back. "I can."

"We can, is what I think he means," Yagura added with a roll of his eyes. "You're not alone."

"We'll keep each other safe," Yugito said. "That's a promise."

Fuu shook her head. "I— thank you." She raised a forearm up to her eyes, wiping her face before the first tear could fall. "I... I won't tell Naruto or Gaara about Akatsuki. I promise." She raised her head up to meet Yagura's eyes, fists closed tight in determination.

Yagura met her gaze with a gentle smile. "That's all we ask for." He reached forward to ruffle her hair. "Now go eat. You must be starving."

"Welcome to adulthood," Utakata added. "Sorry it sucks."

Fuu chuckled. "It really does." She turned to the other jinchuuriki and forced herself to smile. "I'll... talk to you later."

"Talk to you later, Fuu," Yugito said.

Fuu only nodded one last time before disappearing.

Her bedroom ceiling greeted her a moment later. With a gasp, she sat up in bed, disoriented after everything that had happened. It almost felt like a dream.

What was Itachi doing now? What did Akatsuki want? Were any of them safe? And since when was she considered mature enough to be part of adult meetings?

She sat in bed for a few minutes, muddled thoughts running through her mind. But eventually, the emptiness in her stomach interrupted her thoughts. With a sigh, she left her bedroom and headed to the kitchen. To her relief, there was no one else there and she was able to warm up her leftovers without talking to anyone.

She sat by herself and ate, tasting none of it.

O-O-O

A/N: Sorry for the long, long wait. I've just been getting used to my new job and city. Hope the wait wasn't too bad.

Morket is the worst beta reader ever for making fun of the fact I have feelings.

Also, I highly recommend reading this story on Archive of Our Own if you can. I go over there to make minor typo edits and also add links to art and stuff. FFN makes linking to things just way too difficult.

Next chapter: payback.