A/N - Wow has it ever been a while since I updated this story. Sorry for the long wait.

Anywho, a lot of different things happen in this chapter. I guarantee you right now that you are NOT going to like the Fire daimyo. Fair warning. lol

I really have no idea what to say this time, sooo...read on and enjoy? lol

Chapter 18 – The First of Many

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama! We have a problem!" a Chunin exclaimed as he burst into Tsunade's office. He seemed to be out of breath, almost to the point he could barely speak.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she said, "Calm down. What's the problem this time?"

The Chunin shook his head and said, "Neji Hyuga has attacked Naruto Uzumaki! He's trying to kill Naruto! People are afraid to get too close to the scene with how erratic his attacks are. Neji has lost himself to his rage and he just won't stop!"

The Fifth's eyes narrowed and she said, "I'll go and handle this personally. Anbu!" Watching as the Anbu appeared before her, Tsunade said, "Do what you can to secure the area. Don't try to interfere in the fight unless you want to get caught in the crossfire."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" they exclaimed before they vanished to go and take care of their mission.

Dammit Neji! Naruto-kun, I'm sorry. I never thought… shaking her head, Tsunade said, "Damn this village."

Naruto

Naruto scowled as he slapped Neji's hand away before it could connect with his arm. "Dammit Neji! I don't want to kill you! Please…" Tears were brimming in his eyes, "please don't force me to kill you, too."

Neji snarled and aimed at Naruto's heart this time, only for Naruto to duck under the attack and slam a fist into his chest. Backing away a few steps, Neji practically snarled as he looked at his opponent. "You really think you can kill me?! How arrogant can you be, Uzumaki?!"

The blonde frowned deeply and shook his head sadly. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he thought about what he should say to defuse the situation. After a moment, however, he thought about the duty the Shinigami had given him. Peering at Neji's soul again, Naruto shook his head in disappointment. His soul is horrendous. It's darkened due to his hate and rage. There…there isn't any coming back from this, is there? To make matters worse, he's trying to kill me. He has no reservations about taking another's life, so long as he gets what he wants. Neji…

Staring into Neji's eyes with a determined glint, Naruto calmed his breathing and said, "Neji, your soul reveals to me that you are beyond redemption at this point. I hope you will find peace in your next life, Neji Hyuga."

Neji frowned deeply and asked, "What the hell are you talking about now, Uzumaki? You can't beat me, let alone kill me! You only beat me before by using cheap tricks! It won't happen again!" And with that, he charged at Naruto once more, aiming to close his tenketsu and temporarily cripple him so he could go in for the killing blow. However…

As he grew closer to his opponent, something strange happened. He could no longer feel his arms. In fact, it felt as if he was trying to move through cement. Glancing at where his arms should be, he only saw blood spraying from the stumps that were now his forearms. Blinking a couple of times, he realized that Naruto had somehow cut off his arms at the elbows. For a while, he just felt empty. Then the pain hit.

As Neji fell to his knees, screaming in agony, Naruto banished his scythe and stepped up to his downed opponent. Placing a hand upon his forehead, Naruto said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that it came to this. Goodbye, Neji." And with that, he ripped Neji's soul right out of his body before crushing it, sending it straight to the Shinigami.

Once Neji's life had been taken from him, Naruto collapsed to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Karin, fearing for him, quickly hurried to his side. However, she could see nothing wrong with him physically. It was then that she heard it, Naruto's quiet sobs.

Before she could say anything to try and comfort him, Tsunade appeared on the scene, only for her eyes to widen in a mixture of shock and horror. However, upon taking in the sight of her beloved Naruto-kun, she stepped up to his side and pulled him into a hug. Gently running her fingers through his hair, she said, "It'll be okay, Naruto-kun. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong. Why don't we get you home? Have you picked up your prescriptions yet?"

Karin decided to speak up on behalf of her relative. "We did. But…we decided to go on a walk and just chat for a while. That's when…that's…" Shaking her head, the redhead looked at Neji's body and said, "He tried to kill Naruto-kun. All because Tenten chose Naruto over him. There was so much anger…"

Tsunade nodded once in understanding. "I see." Sighing softly, she called for her Anbu. "Clean up this mess and do something about the body. To think he was so far gone. Dammit."

As Tsunade and Karin guided Naruto back home, the people that had viewed the event began to whisper amongst themselves, talking about everything they had just seen. Most of the conversation that they were having was talking about how Naruto had murdered someone in cold blood. It didn't matter that Neji had initiated the attack and that he was trying to murder Naruto. No, the mere fact that Naruto fought back and killed Neji proved to them that the Dragoon was nothing more than a monster in the guise of a human being.

The Anbu scowled behind their masks and ordered the crowd to disperse and go on with their day, lest they be dealt with in the appropriate fashion. If these people so much as think about attacking Naruto for his supposed 'crime', Hokage-sama's going to flip her lid.

Naruto's Home

When the strange family of Dragoons and friends heard the front door open, they had not expected Tsunade and Karin to walk in, having to guide Naruto to sit on the couch. It was obvious to everyone living there that something terrible had just happened. Zabuza stepped up to them and looked down at the teenager he had grown to call a friend. "What the heck happened this time?"

Karin scowled and said, "Neji happened, that's what. He attempted to kill Naruto-kun and…and Naruto-kun had to kill him. He mentioned that Neji's soul was dark, that he was beyond redemption at that point. He…he had no choice."

Meru stepped up to them at this point and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Naruto, listen to me. You didn't do a damn thing wrong. I want you to know that. But…" Here, she looked into Tsunade's eyes. "We all know that. Unfortunately, this will only turn the citizens against you even more. Naruto, you need to stay here where it's safest. We'll be the ones to go out and get groceries and basic essentials. Let us handle everything."

Hinata stepped up to them at this point and looked sadly at her beloved. Looking at Tsunade after a moment, she said, "We may need to move up our plans. We can't stay here. I think it's time we leave and begin rebuilding Uzushiogakure. This village will only continue to hurt Naruto-kun in the long run."

Everyone nodded in agreement with that sentiment. However, Naruto's voice was soon heard. It was quiet at first, with nobody being able to make out what he was mumbling. When Tsunade asked him what he was trying to say, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Afterwards, he looked around at everyone and asked, "What about those of you that have family and friends here? Some of you haven't…you haven't even taken the time to speak to the about this yet."

Ino frowned at him and said, "My parents would understand. They love you like a son, Naruto-kun. In fact, I might even be able to convince them to come live with us if we're lucky. It's worth a try at least, right?"

Hinata smiled at her darling and said, "I don't care what Father says anymore. You're hurting here, Naruto-kun. I say it's time for us to leave Konoha and move to Uzushio."

Kurotsuchi nodded along and said, "Grandpa would understand the need to leave Konoha. I'll let him know what's going on. I'm free to leave with you anytime, Naruto-kun."

"The rest of us have nothing keeping us here." Haku said. "We're free to go with you wherever you go."

Naruto shook his head and did what he could to dry his eyes. After a moment, he looked at Tsunade and asked, "But…what about being Hokage? You can't just drop everything to come with me."

The busty blonde shook her head and said, "I'll just appoint someone else as Hokage. Might as well hand the title and hat over to Kakashi. I may not like the guy, but he's probably the best choice to take over in my stead. And, of course I'm bringing Shizune and Tonton with me when we leave. So no need to worry about us, Naruto-kun. Okay?"

The spiky-haired teen nodded slowly before letting the tiniest of smiles appear on his face. "Thank you. All of you. When do you want to leave?"

Rose kissed the top of his head from behind the couch and said, "As soon as possible. For those of you with family here, I suggest you go and say your goodbyes."

Hinata shook her head and said, "I'll go and pack my things, but I'm not saying a word to my 'family'. I think Ino's the only one that really needs to talk to her family here."

Ino shrugged and said, "Yeah, that sounds about right. I'd ask Naruto-kun to come with me, but I doubt we'll be left alone if we go outside. I'll talk to Mommy and Daddy and see what they want to do. I'd hate having to leave them behind, but I'm going with you, Naruto-kun."

"Thank you. All of you. I…I want you to know that I love all of you. And yes, that means you too, Zabuza. You're like family to me. Like a father, even. So thank you." Naruto said, smiling slightly.

Taken aback by such a comment, Zabuza glanced away and scratched at the tip of his nose for a moment. "Y-You're welcome, brat. Just don't make a habit of this, okay? It's a little weird."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Sure thing…Pops."

Rather than get upset with him, the famed swordsman chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair playfully. "You're a brat, I hope you know that. But fine."

Everyone laughed at the interaction and byplay between them. After they had calmed down, Tsunade gave Naruto a kiss on the cheek. Afterwards, she stood up and said, "I'm going to head back to the office. I need to inform Shizune of our new plans. I also need to 'convince' Kakashi to become the Sixth Hokage. Ino, you need to talk to your parents. I'd prefer it is they could join us, but if they don't, it'll be okay. We can still keep in contact with them. Plus, if they stay here, they could easily mail refills on Naruto's new prescriptions as needed. Hmm…" Thinking on it for a moment, the Hokage shook her head and said, "We'll really need to set up a clinic in Uzushiogakure and procure some medication for ourselves. That would make it so much easier to refill Naruto's prescriptions."

Sakura frowned at this and asked, "Why not just stock up on the medicine for now and bring it with us? That way, Naruto-kun will still have the medication for quite a while. On top of that, it would allow Inoichi and Setsuna to join us."

Tsunade blinked for a moment and said, "Yeah, that could work. I think I'll instruct Shizune to procure as much of the medication as she can. They can restock easily enough. Actually, I might as well have her gather what medicine she can, just in case we need something down the road. Ino, hurry along now. We're leaving today. Naruto-kun, you and the others know what to do. Get to it!"

Once the orders had been given, Ino and Tsunade quickly left the house to go and do as they needed. Hinata stayed behind for a moment to ensure Naruto was okay before she left to go and pack her belongings. Hurriedly, everyone set out to do as needed. Afterwards, once everything was ready, they all stepped outside and allowed Naruto to activate a seal that spread over the entire property. It took a good chunk of his chakra to do it, but soon enough their home was sealed inside of a large storage scroll.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto turned to face his friends and said, "Let's get the hell out of here. We'll meet them at the gate."

Zabuza nodded and patted Naruto on the shoulder gently. Afterwards, he turned and began to lead them through the village towards the mighty gates of Konoha. As they walked along, they all noticed the looks being sent their way. Focusing their hearing, they heard what the people were saying, and none of it was pleasant.

Hand reaching for the handle of his sword, Zabuza sent warning glares at all the citizens before he instructed everyone to quicken their pace. We need to get the hell out of here before they decide to get bold.

Hinata

After entering the Hyuga clan compound, Hinata proceeded immediately to her room. There was no time to waste and she didn't feel like dealing with her 'family'. Scoffing at the notion, she entered her room and began to pack everything from mementos to her bed. She had no intention of leaving anything behind. Sadly, it would seem as if fate was not on her side today.

"And what do you think you're doing, Hinata?" Hiashi asked as he entered her room. "I heard from Natsu that you were home. What exactly is going on here?"

Hinata frowned as she looked into her father's eyes. Without a word, she slipped the storage scrolls she had into a small brown bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she said, "Father, I know you may not approve of my decision, but I have decided to leave with Naruto-kun. This village has harmed him in a tremendous way. He's been emotionally scarred by so many events one after another. It's time we moved to Uzushiogakure and rebuild our new home. Please don't try to stop me."

Hiashi frowned for a time as he looked into his daughter's eyes. "I had hoped you would eventually replace me as clan head. However, even I can see how much Naruto means to you. Why, Hinata? Why didn't you come talk to me? I would have understood."

Hinata blinked a couple of times and asked, "You would have? I thought you'd be upset with me for 'abandoning my home and clan'."

The clan head chuckled softly before he walked up to his daughter and hugged her against him. "Just promise me you'll be safe. The world is dangerous and anything could happen. I trust you, Hinata. I assume the others are going with you? Hokage-sama included, no doubt."

The lavender-eyed beauty smiled as she hugged her father back. "Yes, Father. She has decided to turn over the position of Hokage to Kakashi Hatake. Umm…" looking up into her father's eyes, she asked, "Father? Did you want to come with us?"

Hiashi shook his head before kissing the top of his daughter's head. "I'm afraid not, Hinata. My place is here. I'll miss you, but you should follow your heart. Do what's right for you. Okay?"

"Of course, Father. It's time for me to go. I love you." Hinata said.

"And I you, my daughter. Now hurry along. You don't want to keep your friends waiting."

"Thanks Father. Goodbye." Hinata said before she hurried out of her room and then the compound. I guess I feared the worst for nothing. Thank you, Father.

Tsunade

"Are you sure this is what you want, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked as she stood before her master. "Konoha's your home, after all."

The blonde stared calmly into her student's eyes and shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Shizune. My home is wherever Naruto-kun is. We're leaving with him and making a home in Uzushiogakure. For the time being, I want you to send for Kakashi. If he's late by even a couple of minutes, he'll pay the price for it. Do hurry." When Shizune went to open the door, Tsunade quickly called out to her once more. "Afterwards, I want you to go to the pharmacy and gather a supply of medication that we'll need. Make sure you get extra doses of Naruto's new medication. Now, do hurry."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed before leaving to do as she was told.

Once she was gone, Tsunade massaged her temples to stave off a growing headache. I swear I'm going to rip out his eyes if he's late. I don't want to keep them waiting.

After a short while, Kakashi finally entered her office. Glancing at a nearby clock, she said, "Good. You arrived with a few minutes to spare. Smart choice."

Kakashi looked into her eyes and asked, "You needed something from me, Hokage-sama?"

The busty Hokage nodded and smirked at him. "Yes. You see, I'm leaving the village with Naruto-kun. This place is a den of evil. It's a toxic environment and I'm not sure how much more Naruto can take. It's time we move to our new home."

"May I ask where you're going?" Kakashi asked.

Tsunade shook her head and said, "No. You don't need to know that information. The reason I called you here is simple: I'm appointing you as the Sixth Hokage. Congratulations! You get to run this cesspool of a village from now on. Do try your best."

Kakashi's eye widened and he asked, "What? I must have misheard you."

"You heard me correctly, Hatake. You're Hokage now." Tsunade said before standing up and walking up to Kakashi. Grinning at him, she placed the Hokage's hat and robes in his hands. "Good luck."

Blinking a couple of times, Kakashi tried to stammer out a response of some kind. Unfortunately, he couldn't say a word before Tsunade stepped out of the room. Why me?

Ino

"So you see, we need to leave. Poor Naruto-kun just can't deal with this anymore. Things are only getting worse for him here. Besides that, he's not safe here. So we're moving to Uzushiogakure and we plan to rebuild the village once there. And…I'd like it very much if you two came with us." Ino explained to her parents.

Setsuna frowned at her daughter for a moment. She wasn't sure what to say. So, she turned to her husband and awaited his response. "Sweetheart, as much as we'd like to come with you…our home is here in Konoha. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, and it may sound awful of us, but we can't come with you. But, we won't stop you from following your heart. Do what's best for you and your loved ones. We'll miss you very, very much. But I promise that we understand your decision. We won't try to stop you."

"Your father is right, honey. Now go pack your things. We'll come see you all off. We love you." Setsuna said, smiling sweetly at her daughter.

Ino frowned sadly before she nodded her head in understanding. Giving her parents a hug, she soon hurried away and up the stairs to her room. As soon as she was gone, Inoichi slumped over and said, "My little girl's all grown up. She doesn't need me anymore, does she?"

Setsuna giggled and patted her husband on the arm gently. "There, there, dear. We're doing the right thing, I promise. Let's just be happy that she's found true love in someone that will always treat her right. Heck, she'll probably invite us to the wedding. We'll get to see her in a wedding gown. Isn't that wonderful?"

Inoichi began to cry crocodile tears at this. "I don't want to give her away yet! She's my little baby girl. I never wanted to see her grow up. It's all happened so fast and now she's leaving us to be with a man. It's not fair."

Giggling a bit more, Setsuna took her husband's hand in hers and gave it a gentle, supportive squeeze. "Come on sweetie, let's go see our daughter off. This is a new chapter in her life. We should be happy for her."

"I know. I know that. Doesn't make this any less difficult." Inoichi said before he stood up with his wife. Stepping outside, they waited patiently for Ino to join them. As soon as she did, they walked together to the gates of Konoha.

It didn't take them very long to reach the gates. Sadly, as they approached it, they saw a small mob had formed, all of them yelling and arguing with Naruto's family over something. Scowling at this, Inoichi stepped up to them and asked, "What is going on here? What is your problem?!"

Turning to glare into Inoichi's eyes, a woman shouted, "The demon murdered someone in cold blood! And now he's trying to escape! What gives him the right? We're here to put a stop to him once and for all! So don't get in our way like these monsters are."

Inoichi glared hatefully into the woman's eyes before he surveyed the crowd for a moment. "I see. Once again, you morons twist things around to justify your actions. To justify your wretched behavior. Naruto defended himself against someone trying to kill him. That is self-defense; NOT murder. And it's become painfully obvious that he is not welcome in Konohagakure. THAT is why he and his family are leaving. Now, will you disperse quietly? Or will you insist on pissing everyone off? I guarantee that you will pay the price if you act out against him."

"And who are you to tell us what to do? You're just another one of those demon lovers! If you're smart, you'll either get out of our way or join us in punishing the demon!" the woman exclaimed.

"I see. To think that the citizens of the village had become such monsters." Shaking his head, Inoichi frowned at them sadly. "I suggest you leave, lest you make the wrong person angry at you."

Before anyone could say anything more, they heard a scream from the front of the mob. Looking that way, they saw a man's head go rolling before the man's soul was removed and sent to the Shinigami. "Ah! The demon! He…he…somebody help! The demon's finally showing his true colors!"

Naruto scowled as he looked at the gathered mob. "Your souls are all tainted. You're wicked fiends masquerading as human beings. May Kami forgive me." He said before he unleashed the true power of his scythe, cutting down every last member of the mob and sending all of their souls straight to the Shinigami.

When Naruto had finished with his assault, he banished his scythe once again before looking down at the ground. His fists were clenched at his side and he was shaking badly. "Monsters. How could this village have fallen so far since Hashirama's time? This is horrible."

It was at this point that Tsunade and Shizune, with Tonton in tow, approached them. Walking up to her wonderful husband-to-be, the blonde woman hugged him close and began to gently stroke his hair. "I don't know the answer to that question. But, I do know this: alongside Neji's soul, and the number of civilians you've reaped here, you have sent a total of 26 corrupt souls to Shinigami-sama. I'm sorry things have gotten so bad, but, if you continue to reap the souls of the evil and corrupt, getting to be with your mother won't take long at all."

Naruto chuckled dryly and said, "Yeah. I just hate that it's come to this."

"I know sweetie. I know." Tsunade said as she held him close.

It didn't take much longer for Hinata to arrive. Once she had, the large group of friends and family bid Inoichi and his wife goodbye. Afterwards, they set out on the road to journey to their true home: Uzushiogakure.

As soon as they were gone, Inoichi scowled distastefully at the deceased. "You stupid fools. At least you won't be able to hurt him anymore."

Amegakure – Two days later

"So, the Kyuubi jinchuriki is on the move? Interesting. Where is he headed?" The man known as Pain asked his subordinate, a plant-like man named Zetsu.

"Currently, he and his entourage are on their way to the Land of Waves. We believe they are going to the ruins of Uzushiogakure." Both halves of Zetsu said.

"I see. So they plan to rebuild my clan's home. Should they succeed, there's a chance they could repair the seals protecting Uzushio from outside threats. I'll send Itachi and Kisame after them once more. It might be dangerous, but we cannot allow them to reach Uzushiogakure." Pain said.

"Of course, master. We'll keep an eye on things. Might wanna hurry though."

Without a word, Pain walked off to speak with his aforementioned subordinates. However, in the back of his mind, he feared that they wouldn't arrive in time to put a stop to Naruto and his family.

Once Pain and the ever silent Konan had left, Zetsu looked towards a corner of the room that was covered by darkness. "Thoughts, Obito?"

Stepping out of the shadows, Obito frowned deeply and said, "The Kyuubi jinchuriki is proving to be a most annoying thorn in our side. If he reaches Uzushiogakure and repairs not just the village, but the seals as well, then it will be nearly impossible to capture him. If Itachi and Kisame cannot stop him, I will go myself. I refuse to lose this opportunity."

"Of course. Good luck out there!"

As he vanished, using the power of Kamui, Obito scowled distastefully to himself. Naruto Uzumaki. I should have killed you when I had the chance. To think you'd become such a pain in the ass. It's time to correct my mistake.

Land of Waves

It had taken about a week to reach their destination: the Land of Waves. They would have arrived sooner, but they had a civilian with them and she couldn't move at the same pace as the various shinobi of the group. Upon getting a good look at the bridge, a few among their numbers whistled in appreciation. Then they saw the plaque that talked about the hero of their country, Naruto Uzumaki. The fact that they had named the bridge after him caused Naruto's eyes to widen and his jaw to drop.

After collecting himself, Naruto chuckled and said, "Can't say I was expecting that. Gotta say, I'm flattered. No sense in dwelling here any longer, though. Let's get going, everyone!"

As they went to cross the bridge, someone appeared before the, barring their way. When Kiyoko got a good look at the person, she recognized him from that night so many years ago. "You!" she snarled out. "What the hell do you want you bastard?!"

The masked individual scowled behind his mask before glancing around. "I was sure Itachi and Kisame would have intercepted you by now. Lollygagging, I suppose. No matter." Looking straight at Kiyoko at this point, Obito frowned in confusion. "I don't recognize you. I think I would have remembered running into you before. No matter." Turning to Naruto, he said, "Naruto Uzumaki. I have come to collect you. Do not try to resist."

Thankfully, or perhaps not, Kiyoko had the foresight to hide her features so as not to draw any unwanted attention. In this moment, however, she wanted so badly to drop her disguise and tear this bastard limb from limb. Now that he was after her beloved, it was even worse. She hadn't forgotten what happened the last time she had seen this man, and she was NOT in the mood for a repeat of history. However…

Naruto could feel Kiyoko's eyes on him. Shooting a quick glance at her, he winked before he returned his attention to their foe. "Obito Uchiha. That is your name, is it not?"

Obito's eye widened behind his mask. Slowly removing it, he asked, "How could you have possibly known that?"

The blonde simply smirked devilishly and said, "The Shinigami would like your soul. You are tainted, you are EVIL. The crimes you have committed cannot be forgiven. Please, don't try to resist."

Quirking an eyebrow, Obito looked at Naruto skeptically. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?" Quickly shaking that thought off, Obito grinned and tried to use Kamui to swallow Naruto, trying to capture him the quick and easy way.

Before he could succeed, however, Itachi appeared before him, thrusting a kunai deep into Obito's chest before he could even react. This cancelled out Obito's technique, leaving Naruto safe and sound. Poor Naruto was feeling kind of ill after what had just happened. "So that is who you were. Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake's old teammate. Such a shame."

Glaring into Itachi's eyes, Obito snarled out, "You! How dare you betray me like this?!"

Taking this opportunity, Naruto stepped up to Obito and placed his hand upon his head. "Farewell, Obito Uchiha. You'll never hurt anyone again."

As he went to remove Obito's soul from his body, he and Itachi were attacked from behind by Zetsu. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Naruto Uzumaki."

Obito coughed up blood and said, "You…should have come sooner. I'm not sure if I can survive this…"

Zetsu frowned at Obito, but quickly shook his head. "We will heal you. Now come." And with that, Zetsu grabbed onto Obito's arm and prepared to escape with him. However, before he could, Kisame attacked him from behind, shaving into his back and causing Zetsu to scream in agony. "What the hell?! First Itachi and now you?!"

As Zetsu struggled to collect himself, Kisame smirked and said, "Can't exactly let you get away. I'd really rather I didn't have to deal with you or the others anymore if I can help it."

Obito scoffed and said, "Might as well get this over with, then. At least this way…I'll get to be with my beloved Rin."

Naruto frowned at him before once more placing his hand upon Obito's head. Without a word, he removed Obito's soul and stared at it for a moment while his body fell face first onto the bridge. "With this, Shinigami-sama will bring her back to life. Here, Shinigami-sama. Have his soul." And with that, he crushed it in his hand before staring down at Zetsu. One half was an interesting shade of grey, while the other half was a really dark red with sparks flying off of it.

Frowning at this, Naruto decided to get rid of a potential problem before it could return to kick him in the butt. Placing a hand upon Zetsu's black half, he ripped out the being's soul and destroyed it as well, leaving only White Zetsu behind. "What exactly are you? You're not human, not really."

Zetsu frowned as he split from his now deceased half. Looking into Naruto's eyes, it said, "I can't answer that. Still, I suppose I owe you my thanks. However, I hope we don't see each other again, for both our sakes." And with that, White Zetsu quickly fled the scene, leaving the bodies of Obito and Black Zetsu behind.

Naruto frowned deeper, but didn't say anything. Instead, he knelt down and looked at Obito's Sharingan eye. "Tsunade-chan, would you mind removing his eye and sealing it away for safekeeping? I'd like to make use of it, if we can."

The busty medic nodded and quickly went about retrieving the eye. Afterwards, they watched Naruto for a time, waiting to see what he would do. Seeing them looking at him expectantly, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and said, "I'll summon Shinigami-sama later so we can talk. I am looking forward to seeing Mom. For now…" Looking down at the dead bodies, Naruto glanced towards Tayuya and asked, "Can you please torch them, Tayuya-chan?"

A slight blush spread across her cheeks at the affectionate suffix. However, she quickly shook it off and proceeded to transform before using her magic to torch both bodies. Returning to normal afterwards, she watched with the others as the bodies burned away to cinders. Soon enough, the wind picked up the ashes and sent them flying into the distance.

Without another word needing to be spoken, the makeshift family proceeded with Itachi and Kisame across the bridge, eager to meet with Tazuna again about helping them to restore Uzushiogakure to its former glory.

Kakashi

Two days had passed since Naruto's family had left the village. In that time, the new Hokage had done what he could to acclimate to his new position. He had sent a message to the Fire daimyo and learned that he was coming to speak with those in charge about what had happened. Oh how Kakashi wished he wouldn't have to deal with this chaos. This is me getting my just desserts handed to me, isn't it?

Currently, he was seated in the council chambers, looking at the various clan heads for a time. They were all chatting amongst themselves while the lone civilian council member simply waited patiently for the meeting to start.

After some time had passed, the doors opened and in walked the nation's leader. When he took his rightful place, Kakashi said, "Welcome to Konohagakure once again, your grace. I apologize for disturbing you, but this was an urgent matter that needed to be addressed."

"Yes, yes, I gathered as much from the letter you sent to me. What happened to Tsunade? Last I recall, she was the Fifth Hokage. She was strong, capable, and a worthy leader." The Fire daimyo said.

Kakashi released a soft sigh and said, "I did promise I'd explain everything when you got here. So allow me to start at the beginning." Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Kakashi looked into the daimyo's eyes and said, "Tsunade-sama only returned to the village because her godson, Naruto Uzumaki, convinced her to return. They grew incredibly close and things progressed to a point where they became intimate and truly love one another. As you are already aware, Naruto was this village's jinchuriki and a deterrent for war. However…"

Sighing heavily this time, Kakashi shook his head in disappointment. "Naruto went through absolute hell in this village, and it never got any better. In fact, it got worse and worse until Naruto and his makeshift family were given no choice but to leave the village in search of greener pastures. Naruto had developed PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It all started a little over a year ago. He has been through so much. First, he had to kill his teammate, Sasuke Uchiha. Then there was Kiba Inuzuka. He was betrayed by the Third Hokage…as well as by me. Jiraiya tried to control Naruto…and he had to be killed as a result. He found out that the godfather his mother had chosen was Orochimaru, a traitor to the village. He had to kill the Raikage. Good Kami the list goes on and on. Just the other day, Neji Hyuga attempted to kill Naruto for a very petty reason. That was the final straw for Naruto and his family. They left to go to their true home. Tsunade-sama went with him."

The Fire daimyo frowned at this news and shook his head in disappointment. "There's more to this story that you aren't telling me, Kakashi Hatake. If it was just those situations and a handful of people, that wouldn't be quite enough. So explain to me what exactly happened here."

Kakashi frowned and shook his head sadly. "The villagers have abused him and mistreated him his entire life. Calling him 'demon' and abusing him in various ways. Just the other day, they claimed he murdered Neji in cold blood, despite the fact that they all saw what really happened. So, they formed a mob and attempted to kill him yet again. Naruto was forced to cut them down as well."

The daimyo shook his head in disbelief. "To think they would have fallen so far. Whatever happened to the Will of Fire that the previous Hokage's preached about? This is highly disappointing. It is no wonder why Naruto and his loved ones left the village. However…" Looking around at everyone in the room, he narrowed his eyes and said, "As he is the village's jinchuriki, I'm afraid he should never have been allowed to leave. I will not have a war brought to my lands. As much as this village has mistreated him, his place is here. This is where he belongs and this is where he should stay. I strongly suggest that you hunt him down and bring him back here no matter what the cost. Do you understand me Hatake?"

Before the new Hokage could speak, Inoichi stood up, slamming his palms down on the table. "That's bullshit and you know it! Why don't we just form an alliance with Uzushiogakure once it's been rebuilt? We'd have made some powerful allies and they'd still help us should we ever need it. Why force him to come back here against his will?! He'll only be hurt again and again until he finally tries to take his own life just to make the pain stop! Do you not care about that? About him?!"

The Fire daimyo narrowed his eyes at Inoichi and said, "Do not question me. I do not care what he has been through, nor do I care about his mental state. He is this village's weapon and should remain here where he belongs. If he cannot obey, then do what must be done to ensure we have an obedient weapon to ward off potential invaders. If that means sealing the Kyuubi into somebody else, then so be it."

Kakashi glared at the daimyo and exclaimed, "We won't do that! I fucked up, sure, but he's still an innocent young man! He deserves far better than losing his mind here in a village that mistreats him! I will NOT send my ninja to hunt him down and drag him back here against his will."

The Fire daimyo looked calmly into Kakashi's eyes and said, "You do not have a say in this, Kakashi. If your ninja do not find him and drag him back here, then I will handle it myself. I will send my men to capture him and bring him before me to be tried for the crime of desertion and abandoning his duty to the village. I will authorize them to use their full force to bring him to heel and capture him. So, Hatake, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Which will it be?"

The Sixth Hokage glared fiercely at the daimyo and strongly considered trapping him in an infinite genjutsu or even setting the bastard aflame. However, he knew that would not reflect well on himself and Konoha in general. So, reluctantly, he nodded his head and said, "Fine. I will send my ninja out in search of him. I do not expect him to return easily, however. Chances are he'll kill anyone that comes after him. If you think you can do a better job than my ninja, you're welcome to go ahead and try."

The daimyo narrowed his eyes at Kakashi before saying, "Do not disappoint me, Hatake. You can easily be replaced with someone more obedient. For now, you may retain the position of Sixth Hokage. But if you cross me, you WILL regret it."

Not if I kill you first, you pompous fuckwad. Kakashi thought to himself.

It didn't take much longer for the daimyo to leave with his bodyguards. Once he was gone, Kakashi slammed his fist down on the table and snarled out, "That pompous son of a bitch! I've half a mind to kill the monster right now!"

Choza frowned deeply and asked, "Is there nothing we can do? Naruto doesn't deserve to suffer this fate. He's already been through way more than enough."

The cycloptic Hokage shook his head and said, "I'm afraid there's very little we can do. We'll simply have to do as he says for now. Dammit."

"What a monster." Inoichi said with a huff. "Naruto is a human being. He's not just some weapon to be used and then tossed aside like yesterday's trash! If he is dragged back here against his will…I don't think he'll remain sane for much longer. He needs his freedom. Being here again would break him."

Kakashi and the others nodded in agreement with that. None of them wanted to go through with the daimyo's orders, but they couldn't see any way to get out of this predicament. Damn you. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they snap your damn neck, you rotten bastard.

Uzushiogakure

As their ship docked in the island's harbor, the large group of friends/family stepped off and smiled to themselves. They had finally arrived at the island Uzushiogakure resided on. Glancing behind them, they saw Tazuna, his family, and many of the workers from the Land of Waves following after them.

When they arrived in the Land of Waves, they had gone to meet with Tazuna. They had requested his help to rebuild Uzushiogakure and had even promised that they would let the citizens of the Land of Waves live there with them if they so choose. Naturally, Tazuna and his people had eagerly agreed to help them rebuild their home, though they were unsure about moving to Uzushiogakure themselves. Still, they had plenty of time to make up their minds.

After a while of walking and searching for it, they finally came upon the ruins of the once great home of the Uzumaki clan. Walking into the ruined village, Naruto smiled sadly at seeing the state everything was in. It was saddening, and yet somehow nostalgic. After taking a moment, he turned to Tazuna and asked, "Do you think you can fix this place up? Or is it too difficult? If need be, we can help you out."

Looking around at the ruined village, Tazuna smiled and said, "We can handle a job like this easily. We'll get everything looking as good as new in no time. Well, maybe not that fast, but in a matter of months, you won't have anything to worry about."

Chuckling softly, Naruto motioned for them to get to work. Afterwards, he walked with his family to the center of the village and took a breath. Soon, he opened his eyes and summoned the Shinigami. Looking into his eyes, Naruto said, "I sent Obito Uchiha's soul to you, Shinigami-sama. Does our deal still stand?"

The Shinigami smirked and said, "Indeed it does." Focusing on his power, there was a bright light that suddenly appeared, blinding everyone for a time. When it finally died down and they managed to rub all the spots and stars from their eyes, they each took a look at the beauty standing there, staring around in bewilderment. When she turned to face them, she was about to ask what was going on. However, Naruto spoke up, smiling kindly at her. "Hey Mom. Welcome back."

A/N - And that's the chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.

I know the chapter probably feels a little rushed, but I was having a really hard time focusing and thinking throughout the chapter. x.x I have ADHD, so I can barely sit and focus on one thing at a time. It's a real pain in the ass, I swear.

I'm sure some of you will probably gripe about how I killed off a few pains in the butt in this chapter, or you'll have a problem with something else I did, or whatever. So, just in advance, I apologize if the chapter isn't to your liking. I tried my best.