Disclaimer: The source material used in this Fanfiction do not belong to me. This story is a nonprofit creation solely used for entertainment purposes.

Because I Love You

Chapter 6: Truths Revealed

Naruto had opted to personally carry the redheaded member of Team Taka while he had Shadow Clones carrying the other two members behind him. The reason for this was because he hoped to talk to her during the return trip back to the Hidden Leaf. Hinata and Konan were flanking him while Kakashi trailed behind his Clones to watch the group's rear.

"So…" he tried to start, sounding a bit awkward. He had no clue where to begin.

Karin rolled her eyes at her fellow Uzumaki's hesitance. "Okay, let's go ahead and clear the air here, Whiskers. Yes, I'm a fellow Uzumaki. Yes, I followed Sasuke willingly. No, Orochimaru most likely didn't know I was an Uzumaki. And yes, I can sense how fucked up your chakra is compared to regular people."

Kushina couldn't help her amusement. "She reminds me of how I used to act."

"Seriously," Karin continued incredulously, "how the hell do you function with so many different chakra sources stuffed into you?!"

"You'd be surprised," Naruto answered with a chuckle. "Let's just say that my seal is a masterpiece of creativity and ingenuity."

"Aw, thank you, dear!" Kushina spoke up with a pleased grin.

"Anyway, I should warn you about what you should expect when we arrive. You and your team will be interrogated for information, but we are willing to offer you a deal if you have anything to say that could be important for us. Such as where that fake Madara would take Sasuke…?"

Karin frowned at that. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. We moved randomly during our time working for Akatsuki. We didn't even go to the Hidden Rain when we were brought in."

To his side, Konan nodded to confirm. "I only ever saw Sasuke when Tobi brought him into the Akatsuki; and that was only though the communication jutsu we used."

"Damn," Naruto cursed softly. "There goes that idea."

"I may not know where they'd be hiding, but I can tell you that Tobi mentioned having a failsafe in place if he couldn't capture you or Killer Bee," Karin spoke up again. "I don't know the specifics, but he sounded confident in their success. Also, there's something else…"

Here, she turned her head as much as she could to look to the silver-haired Jonin. "What?" he asked, slightly curious as to why she was scrutinizing him.

"My sensory skill is called the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, and it is leagues above more common sensory abilities; even some dōjutsu."

"She's right. A few people from the clan had the ability," Kushina informed her son.

"And it's got me curious…and concerned about something," Karin continued.

"What's that?" Naruto asked with a faint frown that was shared by his comrades while Karin never looked away from Kakashi.

"That eye you have covered… It has a matching feel to another source…"

Kakashi's lone eye frowned deeper at her words. "It's a memento from a deceased comrade," he told her, his tone a bit tighter than his casual one he uses every day.

"So, you're saying that the other one is gone?"

"It was crushed during the war when my comrade pushed me aside and was caught beneath a collapsing ceiling. There's no way it could've remained intact."

"Then someone needs to explain why Tobi has the matching chakra signature," Karin fired back, which caused the man to freeze in absolute shock. "I've been around Tobi and Sasuke enough to differentiate between their Sharingan; as well as Itachi when Sasuke went to face him. Despite them all having the Mangekyō, each of them had slight differences that made their chakra unique from one another."

At this point, everyone had stopped walking, and Naruto had turned so that Karin wouldn't strain her neck trying to look over her shoulder. "So…you're saying that Tobi has the other Sharingan?" he questioned, hoping for clarification.

"It goes further than that, Whiskers," his clanmate answered, not taking her red eyes away from the lone black orb of Kakashi. "Not only is the eye a perfect match to Hatake's, but while I can sense that his eye doesn't match his natural chakra network…Tobi's matches most of his natural network."

"…it can't be…" Kushina whispered in growing horror. "We mourned his death! He was honored as a hero, for goodness's sake!"

'Who?' Naruto asked her in concern.

"One of your father's late students; Obito Uchiha…"

"Obito…?" Naruto repeated aloud, which succeeded in shaking Kakashi out of his shock. However, the man glared almost murderously at Karin.

"If you think you can cause dissention by such a ridiculous lie-!"

"Kakashi, stand down!" Naruto ordered, turning so that Karin was behind him.

"Naruto, I'm not going to let her smear the memory of my teammate who gave up his life and his eye for me!"

"I understand that, but you need to back down," the blonde Uzumaki shut down, blue eyes narrowed with authority. He locked glares with his teacher for a tense few moments before the Jonin back off with a furious grunt. "I think I have a way to determine the truth…"

Only Hinata and Kushina knew what he was about to do, so they were the only ones not left surprised by Naruto creating a Shadow Clone in the visage of his mother. The other three were left surprised at her appearance, and for different reasons.

Kakashi was shocked that Naruto not only knew about Kushina, but that he was able to copy her appearance so flawlessly. The man could've sworn that the woman was truly standing next to her son.

For Konan, she had only heard rumors and seen photos of Kushina. It amazed her that such a legendary woman was the mother of Naruto, who she had chosen to dedicate her support to. It only drove home how important Naruto was for the dreams of Jiraiya, Yahiko, and Nagato.

As for Karin, she was amazed at what she had sensed from Naruto's chakra when he summoned her. Where before were three different sources sharing the same space in some sort of chaotic harmony, there were now two major sources while the third had dwindled to a near sliver.

"Everyone, meet my mother, Kushina Uzumaki," Naruto introduced proudly.

Kushina smiled gently at him before nodding to the Hyuuga Heiress. "Hello again, Hinata. Doing alright?"

Hinata smiled back and nodded once. "I'm doing wonderfully, Miss Kushina."

"Glad to hear it," she said before turning to Konan. "So…you were also a student of the Pervy Toad, huh?"

Konan couldn't fight the small snort of amusement at the title for her late teacher. A smile was seen on her face at the memories of her time under his tutelage alongside her equally late friends.

"He looked after me and two close friends of mine in the Hidden Rain sometime during the Second War. We studied under him for a few years before he departed, but his teachings were the foundation of our growth as ninja."

"Well, I'm glad to hear he had some lasting impact besides with my husband and my son. He wasn't the best teacher from what I witnessed, and he was an irredeemable pervert of the highest order; but he was also a good man with an inspiring goal for peace."

"His goal inspired us as well; though, we wound up twisting the true meaning of that goal for our benefit over the years, using it as an excuse to try and justify what we were doing."

"But you and Nagato turned yourselves back down the right path," Naruto spoke up with a smile. "You just needed a sibling student to bring you both back."

Konan turned her smile to Naruto, inclining her head slightly in both recognition and gratitude.

Kushina then turned to Kakashi, and her smile fell for a sympathetic expression. "You've gotten yourself into another whirlwind of emotional drama, haven't you?"

Kakashi turned to Naruto and began, "Naruto, this isn't the time for-"

"Oi! Don't look away from me when I'm speaking to you, Kitten Boy!" the Uzumaki woman admonished, once again shocking Kakashi at what she called him.

It had been a teasing nickname she had given him when people started referring to Kakashi as the "Copycat Ninja". She thought the title was ridiculous and started calling him "Kitten Boy" to keep him humble.

It was definitely more embarrassing than humbling; even now as she spoke it in front of everyone else.

Naruto and Hinata both bit their lips to hide their amusement while Karin had no such qualms and laughed loudly. "Holy shit! That's hilarious!" she managed to cry out through her laughing fit.

Even Konan had to look away so that her amusement could remain unnoticed.

"I-! You-! Kushina-senpai…?!" Kakashi stammered for a bit before finally voicing his disbelief. "But how…?"

"Let's just say that I had more of a hand in the seal on Naruto than people believed. You all didn't seriously think that Minato deserved all the credit, did you?" She grinned and continued, "I taught Minato practically everything he knew about fūinjutsu! Sure, he may have improved Lord Second's Flying Raijin; but that was after years of his own personal research into space-time theoretics. Those aren't really my style when it comes to fūinjutsu."

"I summoned her as a Shadow Clone so that she can see if Karin is being honest or not. Since mom's a more experienced Uzumaki than me, she should know what to look for. Karin is an Uzumaki with an ability that mom says our clan had."

Kushina gave her son a brief smile before turning her attention to Karin. "Tell me… Is everything you're saying about Tobi having a matching chakra network to Kakashi's eye the truth? Be honest with me; one Uzumaki woman to another."

Karin swallowed the lump in her throat at the serious visage of her fellow clanswoman. With a rapid series of nods, she replied, "I'm being totally honest. I swear on my blood…and on my dead mother's soul."

Kushina kept her gaze locked on Karin's for a few moments longer, unnerving the poor girl before finally easing up with a weary exhale.

"Fuck…" she cursed in a low tone. "How could this have happened?"

"Kushina-senpai…" Kakashi began, sounding almost desperate. "Please tell me this isn't real…"

"As much as I wish it wasn't, Kakashi…I believe Karin. The true identity of Tobi is…Obito."

Kakashi was silent for a few moments, too shocked to believe it for a time, before lightning surged in his hand. With a shout of pent-up anguish and fury, Kakashi thrust his hand into a nearby tree and tore through the trunk, sending it toppling over as he was left breathing heavily.

"…why…?" he whispered out as his breathing got back under control. His voice was one full of shame and regret.

"I wish I knew, Kakashi," Kushina answered, though she looked visibly incensed. "All I do know is that Obito is currently our enemy, that he's declared war on practically the entire world, that he'd after my son…and that he's responsible for everything that happened the night of Naruto's birth. I know you want answers, but I'm not going to be pulling any punches when I personally interrogate him."

Naruto was saddened to see what this reveal had resulted in for his mother and teacher. One of them looked ready to go on a warpath while the other looked like their entire world had collapsed. Still, they couldn't just stand around. They needed to return to the village, drop off the three prisoners (while making sure Karin was given some leeway for her information), and send a message to the other four Kage about this.

"Look, we can discuss this more when we get back," he stated. "Right now, our priority is to return to the village and inform the upper brass about the Kage Summit and this new information. Plus, I'm worried about Granny's condition."

The others, even Karin, nodded; though Kakashi did so reluctantly. With the decision made, Naruto returned Kushina's chakra to his seal and the group resumed their trek back to the Hidden Leaf.

After a long journey going as fast as possible, Naruto and the others had finally made it back to the village. Naruto wasted no time having the three members of Team Taka sent to the Interrogation Department with a message to have Karin separated from her old teammates. She was a willing informant now, which had earned her some small privileges.

Afterwards, Naruto allowed Hinata to return home, asking her to inform her father that he and the other Clan Heads were to meet him for an emergency meeting. She nodded to him at her assignment, and she departed after shyly kissing him on the cheek again.

Normally, Kakashi would have made a teasing comment about that; but he was still processing how the person he had dedicated so much to was now the primary enemy of the Shinobi Alliance.

Konan said nothing, but she smiled at the scene. She was visibly happy that her sibling student could have a genuine chance at happiness.

Naruto returned to his office, only to be pleasantly surprised by Tsunade sitting in the chair and speaking to Shikamaru and his father. When she noticed him and the cloak he wore, she quickly got out of the seat and moved to embrace her knucklehead.

"I don't know how you did it, but I'm very proud of what you've accomplished, brat," she said softly as she held him. Pulling away just enough to kiss his forehead like she had done years ago, she graced him with a beautiful smile full of gratitude. "Shizune informed me what you had ordered regarding the rebuilding efforts, and how you had an ANBU detail guarding me as I was comatose. They reported that there were unknown observants looking for an opening, but their presence repelled them."

"I'm glad," he replied, looking relieved.

"Naruto… Without you giving such an order…I don't know if I would be here now with you; or if Shizune would be alive, either. Only a temporary Hokage, and yet you've already proven yourself time and again with your decisions. I can't express how proud I am of you, and how thankful I am for you worrying about me."

"Of course, I worry about you, Tsunade. You and Shizune are family to me, and not just by the blood we share as Uzumaki."

The grin he displayed reminded her so much of Jiraiya, and she couldn't help seeing a mental image of her late friend standing beside Naruto with a hand placed on his shoulder, grinning just like his student. As he faded away, Tsunade believed he was letting her know that he was leaving everything to Naruto, and that he had total faith in him.

Smiling back at him, she crossed her arms beneath her bust and said, "So, tell me how the Summit went?"

"About that…" he began before turning to Shikaku. "I'll need you and the other Clan Heads in the Council Chamber. There's a lot to unpack from the Summit, plus some information we learned on the way back home. ANBU!"

"Sir," the four operatives – Boar, Rabbit, Mantis, and Cat – replied as they appeared before Naruto, each taking a knee.

"Rabbit, I want you to send word out to the other Clan Heads about the upcoming meeting," Naruto ordered.

"Yes, sir," she replied before vanishing.

Tsunade, Kakashi, and Konan all watched as Naruto took charge and relayed orders with the authority of the Hokage, and Tsunade couldn't help feeling proud seeing her knucklehead stepping up.

"Mantis, I want you to watch and report on the interrogation of Team Taka, and make sure that they don't go overboard with Karin Uzumaki."

Mantis bowed his head and vanished as well.

"Boar and Cat, you two will be hidden within the Council Chamber. I want you to keep an eye on the Elders; specifically, Danzo."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Boar replied.

"We'll be sure to pay close attention, sir," Cat added as she and her fellow operative stood at attention.

"Good." He turned back to Tsunade and continued, "I know you're supposed to be in charge right now, but I wanted to take the lead on this since I went to the Summit and need to report on it."

"By all means," she replied. "Besides, this is good practice for when you're official."

He turned bashful at that for a moment before heading to the Council Chambers with her, Shikaku, Kakashi, Konan, and his two ANBU; who were following in the shadows to remain unnoticed.

"This will be interesting…" Kushina mused with a frown. "I'm worried about the general reaction will be…"

'Me too…'

Upon entering, Naruto was offered the seat reserved for the Hokage, but he respectfully declined so that he could stand on the floor while Tsunade took her rightful seat. Kakashi and Konan stood beside the young man while Boar and Cat each hid above for a bird's eye perspective of the chamber. It was a bit of a wait for the Clan Heads and Elder Council to arrive, but the meeting soon went underway.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Naruto greeted politely, even giving them a small smile. "I hope the rebuilding efforts have gone well during my time at the Summit."

"As well as we can hope," Homura answered. "With the extra assistance from Wave, Spring, and the Crescent Moon Kingdom, we're actually on a faster pace towards full recovery."

"Not to mention the revenue brought in by Jonin sent out on assignments," Koharu added, grudgingly respecting the results of Naruto's orders. While she still felt he was too you – not to mention entirely disrespectful towards her and Homura – she couldn't deny that he had done well with the authority of Hokage.

"May I ask why a member of the Akatsuki is standing beside you, Uzumaki-san?" Danzo asked, sounding calm while looking down on the three ninja from his seated position; a gaze that he believed was his right to do so.

"She's an ex-member, Danzo, and please refrain from speaking out of turn," Tsunade requested sternly, looking down on him from her seated position.

Internally frowning, the bandaged Elder merely stayed silent at the reprimand.

"Konan is here because she has some intel on the Akatsuki's leader; specifically, on some of his abilities," Naruto answered. "Not to mention that she assisted us during the skirmish at the Kage Summit, which was interrupted by Sasuke and his team. Intel from the Hidden Cloud was proven truthful at the Summit, and Sasuke is both a member of the Akatsuki and an enemy of the Hidden Leaf."

Murmuring from the Council was heard, with most of the Clan Heads looking angered at the news. After everything the village had done to help Sasuke, he repaid them by defecting to their biggest traitor, and then joining the enemy's side.

"Let me tell you all what the final verdict was from the Summit," Naruto continued. "The biggest thing is that the Fourth Great Ninja War was declared."

"What?!" Inoichi cried out in shock.

"Another war…?" Chōza whispered, though he was still heard clearly. "I had hoped our children wouldn't suffer through such chaos…"

"It wasn't something we could ignore, though," Tsume spoke up, though she felt saddened seeing how her friend reacted to the news.

"Who are the two sides, Uzumaki-san?" Shibi asked calmly. "I assume the Akatsuki is one side."

"Yeah… And our side consists of all five of the major Hidden Villages plus Iron Country's samurai, each united together as the Allied Forces," Naruto replied, surprising most of the Council once more. "Amazingly, we were all able to agree to work together against this threat, because we all believe that the threat is big enough for the need."

"All five of the major villages…" Shikaku muttered, sounding quite interested. "With the amount of manpower at the combined disposal, we'll have one hell of a fighting force."

"The Hidden Rain will also be joining this fight," Konan spoke up. "While most of our forces are only Chunin level in skill, we can still provide assistance in protecting the major villages while our village will serve as a FOB for the war."

"Is that a good idea?" Tsunade asked in slight concern. "Considering how the Hidden Rain was where Akatsuki was once stationed?"

"I understand your concerns, but I assure you that the only remaining members of the Akatsuki are Tobi, Kisame, and Zetsu. And they have not returned to the village since I took over as the leader."

"But that means that they're out there somewhere," Hiashi commented with a faint frown. "Not to mention Sasuke and an unknown force, seeing as I doubt that they'd wage a war with only four members."

"Admittedly, I do not know what the main bulk of Tobi's forces will be, but I am still offering my village's support and resources to this war," Konan declared firmly.

"Another thing to bring up is the main goal of Tobi," Kakashi spoke up next before he gave a brief summary of the so-called Moon's Eye Plan.

"A genjutsu by means of reflecting a Sharingan off of the moon…?" Shikaku repeated, genuinely confused. "How would that even be possible, even with the Bijuu all together?"

"We're not sure," Naruto answered with a frown. "But this crazy idea could only be instigated by someone who is equally crazy enough to attempt it, and currently, only myself and Killer Bee are the remaining Jinchūriki to be captured."

"Does this mean that you'll go off the radar?" Tsume asked in concern. "Because while that's the smart thing to do, I doubt you'd want that."

"You're right about that…" he agreed. "I couldn't take staying hidden while all my friends and fellow ninja were risking their lives for my safety. I was trained to fight; not to hide."

A few people in the chamber smiled at his answer, having expected his response.

"When are our forces supposed to move out?" Inoichi questioned.

"It was decided that the main forces would meet in two weeks' time," Kakashi answered. "This gives us time to recall any Jonin still out on assignments and organize our squads for the fight ahead. Not to mention time to get civilians evacuated to the capital where the Fire Daimyo and his samurai can defend them."

"We'll begin preparations immediately," Tsunade informed the Council. "In the meantime, relay this message to your clansmen: Those who are able are to take up a uniform and join the fight, while those who are unable are to help evacuate the civilians. This is my order as Hokage."

"Yes, Lady Hokage," the Clan Heads all replied as one.

"Before that," Naruto spoke up, "there's one other thing that we learned… Something that we need to relay to the other Kage and Lord Mifune."

"Which is…?" Tsunade pressed in concern, noting that Kakashi had his fists clenched in restrained anger.

"We found out Tobi's true identity, thanks to one of Sasuke's teammates, who is also a member of the Uzumaki Clan. He's actually a Leaf Ninja who was presumed dead during the events of the Third Great War; Obito Uchiha."

Those who knew Obito personally when he was still part of Minato's squad were left reeling at the reveal. "But…he was honored as a war hero!" Chōza exclaimed. "His name is on the Memorial Stone!"

"I know that it's a real shock," Kakashi spoke up quietly, and the room was silent so they could hear him. "But the information is legitimate. Karin Uzumaki has a sensory technique that is leagues ahead of most others, and she was able to tell us that my Sharingan – a memento of Obito – matched the core chakra network of Tobi since he has the right eye to my left. As much as I hate saying it, the truth cannot be denied."

He raised his head so that he could look each member of the Shinobi Council in the eye, and they witnessed the man's shame, grief, and resolve in his visible eye.

"Obito Uchiha is a traitor of the Hidden Leaf, and he was responsible for the night the Kyuubi attacked the village and was sealed into Naruto."

The silence was daunting, so much that even the warhawk Danzo was genuinely stunned. Even he believed, based on the reports during the war, that there was no way Obito could have survived.

"This information will be sent by our fastest messenger hawk as soon as humanly possible," Tsunade ordered resolutely. "Konan, you will give as much information on Obito's abilities as you can so that the Allied Forces are prepared if they see him on the field."

"Of course," the bluenette woman replied with a bow.

"If there's nothing else?" the Hokage asked aloud, though she noticed how Naruto was giving a hard stare at the Elder Council. "Naruto…?"

With a tight hold on his anger, Naruto questioned, "How could you three and Old Man Sarutobi all decide to wipe out an entire clan because of a coup?"

The other Clan Heads were shocked at his brazen question while the Elders each had stone faces.

"You had Itachi, a ninja who was absolutely loyal to this village, spy on his own family and report their actions to you… You then had him kill off his family and clan because some members were plotting a rebellion. Sasuke only survived because that was the price Itachi demanded for the act, but that still means that he was ordered to kill the elderly and the children! Tell me, were you all so scared of them that you approved of the deaths of innocent people who just happened to share blood with the traitors?!"

"It was necessary," Koharu answered firmly. "The Uchiha were traitors, and we needed to rip them out at the roots."

"Even if it meant the end of all the generations," Homura continued, not sounding regretful in the slightest.

"All traitors of the Hidden Leaf must be eliminated; no matter what," Danzo rounded off. "It is because we can make such weighted decisions that we are our own council in the village's authoritative system."

"They had nothing to do with the coup, though!" Naruto exclaimed furiously. "They were kids, for fuck's sake, and you're talking about their deaths as if they were conspirators too!"

"We couldn't take the risk of them finding the truth, like I'm sure Sasuke and Obito most likely have by this point," Danzo fired back calmly. "Besides, Hiruzen was the one who gave the final order; so, bringing this up is meaningless and a waste of time."

"You goddamn, twisted bastard!" Kushina raged within the seal.

"Naruto," Tsunade spoke up, hoping to calm him down. "I understand why you're so upset; I am too. I never imagined that Sarutobi-sensei would make such an order, knowing that innocent blood would be spilled. But unfortunately, there's nothing we can do. It was an order by the Hokage, and the results – as much as I want to vomit admitting – were successful."

Naruto glared at the Elders, one of his eyes changing to Kushina's furious violet as his emotional state had him unconsciously mix their chakra together. "Not entirely successful, seeing as there are two Uchiha with a grudge on our village; one that I believe is totally justified."

"Comments like that are that of a sympathizer, Uzumaki," Danzo spoke up. "Is the Hero of the Leaf more loyal to dead traitors than his home?"

"You mother-!" he growled out but was held in place by Kakashi and Konan.

"Fucker!" Kushina finished for him, wishing to rip the man in half.

"That's enough!" Tsunade demanded. "You three will be speaking with me in my office while everyone else initiates the wartime protocols and gets a message to the other Kage! This damn meeting is adjourned!"

Naruto roughly shook himself out of the grip of Kakashi and Konan before storming out of the chambers. Konan frowned sadly and hurried after him while Kakashi sighed before giving a discreet signal to Boar and Cat. Upon receiving a confirmed response, he too left the chambers while thinking of possible recruits.

It seemed that a certain warmonger would need to be taken care of before the war truly began.

"Naruto, please wait!" Konan called out to her sibling student, who thankfully complied and stopped walking. When she was next to him, she surprised him by bringing him in for a comforting hug. "I understand your anger and frustration, but please don't let it control you. You're better than that…"

"Am I really…?" he argued softly. "I wanted nothing more than to rip them apart, and so did mom…"

"I understand… I wanted to do the same as soon as I saw Danzo again. Don't forget that he had a hand in the events of the Hidden Rain when the Akatsuki was first starting out as a rebel force. It was because of him and Obito that we strayed from our original ideals…"

Naruto looked sympathetic to her visibly restrained anger, understanding that it must have taken all of Konan's self-control to not attack. If she had, then the meeting would've been a disaster.

"In any case, there's something important that I need to give you before the war, and you'll need these two weeks to get accustomed to them," she continued as she pulled out a sealing scroll.

"Accustomed to what…?" he asked slowly before his blue eyes went impossibly wide at what she unsealed before him.

"Holy shit…!" Kushina gasped out.

With a firm expression, she answered, "I want you to take Nagato's eyes, Naruto. I want you…to take the Rinnegan."

And that's the end of this update!

Thanks for reading! Please review!

Before I sign off, I want everyone to know that the list of stories I have given up on are on my profile page. If you wish to take it, send me a PM and we'll go from there.

Even if the story has been adopted by someone else doesn't mean you cannot adopt it as well! I want to see how each person takes my old works and makes them into their own stories!

Until next time!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

Dreaming of the Future

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