Kindness wasn't Naruto's greatest virtues. He understood how things worked in this world. He understood what he needed to do in order to survive. People expected you to be kind, gentle and caring. That was indeed human nature. But so many times humans act like devils. Himself included. Then again, Naruto has never feigned being a kind person. He was who he was and he was unapologetic about it. He had his movements. He had his reasons for doing things. No one would understand them. No one would know about them. Some things were better left secret.

Konoha would never know that Itachi was actually a good person. They would never know that he probably loved the Leaf more than they did. Secrets could be hidden in this world. There was no rule or a saying that says nothing can be hidden forever. Maybe a few would know, but it would never become a public story. Naruto would have his secrets and he would die with them.

Even though he spoke about trust with Tsunade, he could never be fully honest with her. Besides, he was merely giving her what she desired. What these people desired. As long as it got them off his back and increased his standing, Naruto would continue to fight for Konoha. Of course, if things came to it, he could always pack his bag and make a run for it. Suna or Uzu would do. He was fully capable of protecting his family from threats that may arise. That aside, he would try to retrieve the Sanbi and leave it near the island of Uzu. It would be extra protection. One that was necessary.

These people thought because Mikoto was carrying his child, he could not leave if he so wished. Oh, Naruto could leave. If Mikoto was willing to live in the compound with him, she would be willing to abandon Konoha along with him. His mother was the only problem. But not the biggest problem. She could be convinced.

'Naruto…' Kyubi called the blond.

Within seconds, Naruto found himself staring at the nine tailed Bijuu. He rarely made visits these days. It wasn't important. He didn't need to come here to offer his greetings to his prisoner. But this prisoner was perhaps the one who knew him best. His most inner thoughts and desires.

'It is rather rare of you to call me.' Naruto said to the Kyubi. 'Is there a problem?'

Kurama didn't like Naruto but he didn't hate him either. They had one thing in common: they disliked humans. It was ironic. He knew. But he would never point it out to the blond. Naruto was already aware of it after all. This human wasn't stupid. He was frighteningly genius.

'There is no problem but you are getting darker and darker.' Kyubi said.

Naruto stared. 'I have always been like this. I just suppressed the thoughts to do lighter things. People like you better when you think like them and act like them.'

'Blending in?' Kurama was amused. To blend in like he was human. But Naruto was human. There was just a time he saw people as nothing more than moneys.

'It is difficult to live amongst humans when they do not trust you.' Naruto explained with a shrug. 'I had to play my part. But things are dangerous. There is a plan that must be set in motion. Kindness will not stop a war.'

'You were very excited when you spoke of blood.' Kurama. 'I'm certain you already imagined slaughtering people in the name of stopping a war and defending Konoha. You always need a reason to justify killing people after all. Are you concerned that your bloodlust will overtake you that you wish to release it? I've always seen how you fight. You act like you hate it but really, you just don't want other people to see how you enjoy cutting down humans. You've never cared for them anyway.'

'Why did you call me here, Kyubi?' Taking joy in ending lives of miserable humans? Naruto would not comment on it. But he certainly wouldn't be averse to indulging his hatred for certain people.

'I want to warn you that you must be careful in your thinking.'

Naruto tilted his head to the side. 'What is that supposed to mean?'

'You've always said you do things for your mother but lately, it doesn't seem to be the case. The darkness that you fear will overtake you if you're not careful.' Kurama closed his eyes after saying those words.

Naruto said nothing. He just returned to the real world. Perhaps he was starting to take actions away from his mother. But he had been earnest to say that controlling humans was just so that he doesn't end up destroying them one day.

Thinking of destruction, Naruto realized the kind of despair it would bring to people. As he loved his family, other people loved their families. They would feel pain. They would try to take his family. Naruto understood that there would be pain. But he'd never experienced despair, the pain of losing someone he loved dearly. He truly hoped he did not get to experience that kind of pain. He would not be able to deal with it well.

The hypocrisy: it was clearly evident. But Naruto had never denied that he wasn't a hypocrite. He did not understand the pain Nagato went through when he lost his parents or Yahiko. He did know it and truly hoped he didn't get to experience it. If he experienced the despair, he would lose it. Naruto was not sure he could control himself. Yes, and he tried to have Nagato change his ways when he was likely to do anything to save those he loves, even if it meant sacrificing thousands of people.

Being able to feel empathy could help. But Naruto didn't have the capacity. He didn't care about other people and their struggles. The understanding that Jiraiya spoke of was far from him. He was certainly able to blend in and play the role he was supposed to play. But there would always be no emotion attached.

"What is the occasion?" Mei said to Naruto.

The blond was standing atop of the Hokage Monument but that wasn't what got Mei's attention: it was the noble clothing that made her raise an eye brow.

They were supposed to leave for Kiri. Naruto had said he would meet her here. She had agreed. They had yet to speak about what happened in Iwagakure. She was hoping that they could talk about it. They had to.

When the Mizukage stopped by his left hand, Naruto glanced at her through the corner of his eyes. "I was attending a meeting with a clan head. Appearances do mean a lot when playing politics."

Mei realized: the tone was cold. There wasn't even a hint of emotion in his voice. She glanced at him, trying to see the expression on his face, but she couldn't see it. She looked down on the peaceful village. The view was honestly lovely. Must be breath-taking at night.

"I wasn't aware you played inner politics…" Mei said.

Naruto shrugged. "I wasn't planning to play but some influential people have a problem with me, so I couldn't ignore it, lest it creates a problem that would leave me without any choice but to take drastic actions."

"And would those be?"

"Who knows? It depends on the time and circumstances. Nothing is ever sure in this world. Being a Kage, you already know that…" Naruto said calmly.

"That is true… but it is unsurprising that some people would have a problem with you. You are not exactly open…" Mei said.

She could only assume the problem was that they didn't trust him. From what she has seen, he didn't exactly flaunt his non-existing loyalty towards the Hidden Leaf. People in power would be worried. If he was truly trying to restore his clan, then there would be a clash with other families.

Well, it was no wonder he was dressed like a noble. The Uzumaki hadn't been ordinary people after all. But with powerful people, they did not live for too long, especially when they were a group. There was always some misfortune. It could be self-inflicted or something some people plotted. Either way, the end scenario was the same. Death. And ruin.

"This is why I must work to improve things. Previously, I'd never cared about it. I'd thought I could work out things myself but I have realized that if I am to fight for my clan, I will need to at least have an image that is presentable for survival. Clan politics can take extreme routes sometimes…" Naruto said. "How do you plan on dealing with the Iwa situation?"

At this, Naruto turned to face Mei. There was nothing on his eyes. He simply wanted to see if she could be planning something to deal with the situation she faced. If he was another person, he'd let her deal with it on her own. But he would not do anything so devious. No devious, was plotting to blame her for everything. He wasn't going to do that. He wasn't that cold hearted.

Mei faced Naruto for a moment before sighing. It honestly bothered her that she couldn't read a damn thing from his face. She didn't know what he was thinking. She couldn't even make a guess because he wasn't even giving any hints.

"I have been accused of killing the Sandaime Tsuchikage." Mei said a bit coldly.

Ao was going to blame her association with Naruto. Almost everyone was going to blame this relationship. Ultimately, the village was in danger. She had placed Kiri in danger and she would not blame anyone for it. It was her who was seen by the Hidden Stone. Naruto hadn't been anywhere near the village. But the people at home would put pressure on her.

Iwagakure might not attack Konoha, but it was sure as hell capable of attacking Kirigakure. It wasn't like Konoha wouldn't help them. But help couldn't always come and she could not depend on another village for protection. Kiri was capable of defending itself. People had gone on to destroy the Uzumaki. An ally of Konoha. An ally of the founding clan. Konoha hadn't been able to do anything. It might not be able to do something even in this case. Anything was possible.

Konoha didn't even have ships. If Iwa managed to get into the sea, Konoha wouldn't be able to do anything. It was a difficult situation. But she had to find a way out. For her survival. For Kiri's future.

Defending herself wasn't the only option she had. She still needed to prove that she hadn't killed Onoki. Her word would not mean anything to people clouded by anger and grief. But she had to try. She couldn't leave it was it was or Kiri would never be safe.

"That is a serious crime." Naruto said. "I'm certain Iwagakure will make noise everywhere. A difficult situation to be. It makes it even tricky when you were found with Onoki's corpse. And the only response you have is…"

"We didn't do it…" Mei said with a bitter laugh. She could even imagine raising blood stained hands, saying it wasn't what it looked like. "A truly messy situation I am in. I can defend Kiri. But cannot afford to go into war with Iwagakure. My village cannot afford it. I do not even want to fight a war. I have seen one, I don't want to see another one."

Those who have seen war never speak of it in glowing terms. It was dread and despair – A battlefield that only breeds hatred. Itachi had been sickened by it. The war was what turned him into the kind of person he was.

Naruto didn't know. But he could see images of people killing each other. Blood being shed. The landscape being changed as titans clash. There was no one now who could force maps to be redrawn, but the past monsters had such power.

"It is unlikely that we will see another war " Naruto managed to say. "Iwagakure will be in a difficult position to attack either Konoha or Kiri. Unless they are fully certain that Konoha won't do anything, they won't dare do anything outrageous."

"Likely. I have thought of but even if Iwagakure won't be able to do anything, it doesn't solve the problem. I will still be someone who killed their Tsuchikage." Mei said. "Stopping Iwa doesn't solve anything."

It did not; the main problem wasn't that Iwagakure was threatening to attack Kirigakure or Konohagakure, it was that they believed that Mei and Sasuke were the ones who killed Onoki. If this misunderstanding wasn't solved, there would always be tension between the villages and Iwa. The Stone may not be able to launch war but it would certainly resort to assassination attempts. It was currently demanding the heads of both Mei and Sasuke. It wasn't going to get either, so it would try other means to get them.

Solving the misunderstanding wasn't something that could be dealt with easily but he had a plan. It just had to be executed. If it was executed, then there would be a way to solve the issue. Kiri could just refuse to believe the evidence. But if it comes to that, Naruto wouldn't play nice. If they insist on their demands after being shown evidence that both Konoha and Kiri were not responsible, then reasoning with such people was out of the question. Maybe some people would be willing to beg but Naruto would not beg anyone to accept the truth. You either accepted the truth or you rejected it.

But this would mean choosing to believe an illusion. Ridiculous. People always needed someone to blame for their problems. People can ignore the truth and take on lies just to sooth their souls. Iwa could be willing to ignore facts for the sake of finding someone to exact their justice. If Obito was killed, who could they beat to let out their frustrations? Konoha. If it does turn out that the masked Madara had been a Leaf shinobi, they will do what they think is right. Blame the Leaf.

"I have a plan." Naruto said to the Mizukage. "The key to it is catching Madara. If that happens, Konoha also rids itself of any doubts the Raikage may have. If things work out accordingly, he gets to know that the Leaf truly had nothing to do with the capture of his Jinchurikis."

"What is the plan, really, Naruto?" Mei asked quietly. "I need something. I need something that can give me a peace of mind."

For a moment, Naruto considered saying that she would have to pay for his involvement. But friends were better off made through 'trust' than a price. If someone comes with a better offer, they stab you in the back. Loyalty from the heart was better than illusions and manipulation. Danzo did well by training his dogs at a young age. They only view the world according to the scriptures he wrote for them.

"I have already discussed it with Tsunade. It entails catching Madara and then looking into his memories. Konoha has skilled people who can see the memories of the dead. Each Kage can be showed what happened and they can see the truth from their own eyes…" Naruto explained lightly. "Memories do not lie after all, now do they?"

Mei was silent. Kiri didn't have skilled people in that department but they had people. Yet, this all depended on them getting the mind of Madara. If he destroys his mind in his death, all was lost unless there was a back-up plan. She was dealing with Naruto, so there was obviously that.

"If that fails you will use either me or Sasuke, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded. "But I prefer not to get into your head. Of course it happens; we will have to ensure that memories viewed are only those that people need to see. We don't need people to see embarrassing things you do when you are alone."

Mei smiled. It was a sly smile. "Oh, what is that I do when I'm alone?"

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

Mei shook her head. "You can take peek if you want to. If you stay over tonight, I will keep the curtains to my room open to make it easier for you,"

Jiraiya would gladly take that offer. Naruto had other things to do. Besides, he wasn't a perverted teenager. "That does sound enticing, but I will not let you tempt me…" Naruto said. "You have your village secrets and the like. So we will have to be careful. Since you are a Kage, you surely have methods to keep your mind safe."

Mei nodded. "I'm certain your locks are impenetrable."

"I offer no comment, but my mind is something no one should see." No one. Not even his mother. He would make sure his mind dies with his the end of his life. Given how people view him, it wouldn't be unthinkable to assume that upon his death, people who rush to extract the information he has. They knew he had plenty.

"That makes me curious. Dangerously so…" Mei said.

"Because you know certain parts of me. But I like to say that in some things, we are better of ignorant." Naruto explained lightly. "Let me take you home. I have to go to Iwagakure and see what I am dealing with before any action is taken."

"You're not afraid of going there?"

"Why should I be afraid?"

Mei looked at him as if he was crazy. He was Naruto Uzumaki. A Jinchuriki of the Kyubi and the son of Konoha's yellow flash. He was also a user of the jutsu that made his father famous. Of course they would try to capture him if he went there alone. Yet, he was willing to walk into the lions' den, alone. How much did he trust in his abilities to defend himself against an entire village?

"Are you serious, Naruto?"

"To be quite honest with you, Mei: there is no human that makes me nervous about facing them. Of course I will be cautious but even if it is hundreds and thousands, I have no fear. I do not fear battle, although I often choose to avoid it when unnecessary."

This seriously took Mei back to the question she had asked Sasuke about who was the strongest between the two. She already knew that Naruto was strong, but she has never been able to measure it because he never showed it. She had seen what Sasuke has. It made her realize that Konoha wasn't short of exceptional shinobi. But this one before her, without even a bloodline, was truly something else.

"What are you going to say there?"

"Just test the waters. There will be talks. I will write to you after I have spoken to them." Naruto said. "Perhaps I might end up looking through your wind when I bring the message…"

"I thought you said you didn't want to be tempted?"

Naruto nodded. "Because if you tempt me, I might not be able to help myself. I might jump through the window. Apparently, you sometimes can't control what your body desires."

"I'm surprised you'd share that with me…"

Naruto shrugged. "You have already seen me vulnerable, what could be worse?"

Sunagakure

Gaara stared at the message from Konoha with an expressionless mask on his face. Couldn't they just enjoy peace without any trouble? Problems were there. People were not perfect. There would always be conflicts. This was understandable. Gaara could understand when people have disagreements. They thought differently. Opinions wouldn't always be the same. And that was owed to their uniqueness. But battles that lead to deaths were something else. They were the kind that made this world unstable.

This report could turn things upside down. It could make things difficult. They were already dealing with the fact that Kumo had been attacked and its Jinchuriki taken but now this. The death of the Sandaime Tsuchikage wasn't a small matter. It was worse than what happened to the Cloud. Iwagakure would not lie low about this. They would do something to get their revenge. Their justice.

At this stage, a Kage summit would have to be called. The Kages had to sit and discuss things before matters get out of hand and they find themselves fighting an unnecessary war. Gaara certainly hoped that things didn't get any worse than this. He hoped nothing happens. Because if it does, this fragile peace would not last longer. War would be upon them and people would die. The deaths would be unnecessary but it was war. There were no innocents. You were either foe and friend. It was always kill or be killed. People do say there is no kindness in war. You had to be cold to survive.

Gaara didn't want to grace such a battlefield. He didn't want to send his shinobi to their deaths. He didn't want to experience the battlefield. He wanted to continue living in peace. No problem with other villages. Working as best as he could to ensure that his village didn't suffer in any way.

"If you keep it like that, you'll keep people away…" Temari said as she walked into Gaara's office. "Still mulling on Konoha's message?"

"It's implications really…" Gaara said.

"That is the worry." Temari eyed her brother, trying to figure out what was inside his head. She could not. Like always, her brother was truly unreadable when he didn't want you to read him. "There is always something when Konoha is involved."

"Perks of being the strongest hidden village…" Gaara more or less grunted. It was so unlike him. But he didn't dwell on it.

"The village also produces fine shinobi…" Temari said. "At least Naruto isn't involved in this one. It would have been a shame if he had been."

"Why?" Gaara asked with a raised brow. "I was thinking it would have been better if it was him. He would work quickly to solve it."

"Just think about it Gaara: Konoha has a history of hating Naruto. They have not forgotten. They know what they used to do. If they found out Naruto was involved in the death of the Tsuchikage, and Iwa was threatening war unless he was handed over, do you think they'd back him?"

Gaara frowned. "I didn't consider this." He said. "When you say it that way, I have to reconsider things. But this is still a delicate matter."

"I am sure Konoha will be able to handle it. They have the minds and power behind them." Temari said. She wasn't too concerned about it. "We don't have to get caught in the crossfire. Kiri and Konoha are working together. It should go well?"

"If it doesn't?"

"That will be a problem." Temari said with a shake of her head. "I hope it doesn't come to that. We also have to worry about you. We don't know if that man will come here. Naruto said it was unlikely, but we do not live by Naruto's words. Besides, there is no sin in being cautious."

Gaara nodded – it was always good to be on the safe side. Besides, he could not always depend on Naruto to handle everything. "We cannot say that things won't get worse than they are already. If Iwa's Jinchuriki get taken as well, it will be a huge scandal."

"A disastrous one…" Temari said sharply. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing, for now." Gaara said. "We will play neutral for now. It is best we don't appear anywhere in the scene unless one of the involved parties invites us. Unnecessary confrontations will be avoided in this way."

Konoha was already fine with things in that way. Of course, if their ally was being attacked, they would have to respond in some way. But as things stand, they would not do anything. It was for their safety.

"But we must prepare for a Kage Summit. Regardless of what happens, it is going to be called. What has happened to these two villages is unfortunate…" Gaara said. "It is sad to think that Kiri would be involved in all these. The village has been closed from other villages, I didn't think just when it was getting involved something like this would happen."

"It will be a shock to their side…" Temari said. "I'm sure some of them will say it was best when they had no relations with other Great Nations."

"This is just a reminder of how treacherous our world can be…" The Kazekage shook his head. "But at least the five Kages will be brought together. A week ago, a meeting with other Kages would have looked impossible."

"That is because everyone was only concerned about their villages…"

"A common goal truly does gather everyone together."

But whether they would cooperate was another matter altogether. Unless they benefited somehow, the Kages would not agree on something. But Gaara did hope that when they eventually meet, they would be able to strike an agreement. All five Kages. On something that would take the Elemental Nations into a peaceful path.

Gaara hoped for such an outcome. And he would try by all means to fight for it. He wasn't just going to sit back and allow the experienced shinobi to do all the talking. He would add his cents. He was after all, A Kage himself.

Iwagakure no Sato

The Hidden Stone: the village the masked Uchiha had thrown into chaos and a fit of anger and hatred by killing its Kage. This was the very village that helped his father rise into an internationally known shinobi across the shinobi nations. It wasn't intentional. They hated him for it. They loathed him for it. He cost them victory. Had it not been for him, they might have won. They might have stepped on Konoha's throat. But because of his murderous jutsu, they had been forced to quickly accept the cease-fire. If it hadn't been for the Sandaime, Iwa would have lost much more than it did. The old man had been quick to use Minato's fame and the fear his name inflicted on shinobi to force the war to come to an end.

For all his life, Naruto never thought of developing such a name for himself. He never thought of having a rank that would see shinobi flee on sight. He never wanted to stick out. Though, considering everything, that might have been an error on his part. Perhaps he was thinking along the lines of being infamous. When you were strong, people thought twice about pissing you off… they thought twice about trying anything against you. The again, even as he was, who in their right mind would think about doing something against him?

He was not a forgiving person. He would certainly make anyone who dares him suffer. That was a given.

Naruto shook his head. He was here for other matters that were caused by the masked Uchiha. The situation wasn't exactly unfavourable. He did want Onoki dead after all. The means were perhaps not what he would have planned but it was fine since he was freed from having to do the deed himself.

The entrance was securely guarded. Shinobi were around the place like ants. Naruto could sense shinobi watching the walls. They were on guard. They didn't want another incident happening again. They wanted to guard their next Kage. Their security. It would certainly be a massive loss if they lost Kurotsuchi. Iwa could not afford that. Not at this time.

"Halt!" two shinobi approached Naruto, stopping him from his movements. They were on guard. The others watching appeared ready to lunge towards him. They were ready for anything.

The two men looked at him with contempt. They truly hated him. Perhaps what he represented. Yes. The Hidden Leaf. Minato Namikaze. He wasn't in a favourable position, was he? But it could not be helped. He had to work around this situation. If he could not, then he wasn't as great as he liked to believe.

Of course there was another issue he wanted to avoid. He didn't talk or think much about it, but Nagato's peace was something that had to be entertained. If he could not work something out, he would have a Rinnegan problem to deal with. Naruto really didn't want to deal with that.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I com…" Naruto was cut off.

"We know who you are!" one of the guards snapped. "Have you come to offer your head for what the Hidden Leaf did?"

"Yours would do… we even get to keep the Kyubi."

Surely, they jest. Naruto shook his head. Greedy fools. With the Kyubi in their possession, Iwa would certainly become stronger. But Naruto wasn't much concerned about this. It was still surprising to see that they would be willing to take his head. Naruto wasn't a sacrificial lamb. He would rather wear the mask of a god of destruction and level this village than sacrifice himself. And he would make sure everyone dies. It reduced the risk of someone hating him for his actions. Hell, to avoid revenge, he'd even be willing to systematically erase all those with strong connections to Iwa. It would be the same method Nagato used. It was brutal, but efficient.

"Konoha hasn't done anything wrong…"

A massive doze of killing intent washed over him for that statement. They didn't believe him. They were angry he was willing to say those words to them. They were fully convinced that Konoha did it. It was apparent that trying to form trust between Konoha and Iwa would not be easy, even if the village does come to accept that Konoha wasn't responsible. Such strong emotions didn't go away easily. It would take time.

A sword was pointed at him, right between his eyes. "We will take your head, right here and now! We all saw that Uchiha bastard!"

Naruto's eyes were on the sword. A simple blade. He raised his right hand and touched the blade with his index finger. A few seconds later, the blade was sharply cut into three pieces. The guards took steps back.

"It is amazing what wind can do. It can almost cut through anything. Of course you need to have the perfect control…" Naruto didn't finish his thoughts. He got to serious matters. "Please take me to your leader. There is already bad blood, I'd rather not force my way in."

"You think you can?"

A stupid question. It wasn't a matter of whether he thought he could do it. If he wanted, he could force his way. He just didn't want to do it because it would make things difficult. It would be irrational at this point.

Luckily for Naruto, two more masked shinobi landed behind him. It was only for a second. They quickly fled. Standing a distance back. There had been danger. Their instincts had kicked in. they hadn't moved because they saw anything. It was merely reflex. Naruto wasn't even looking at them.

"I do apologize for that… I do not appreciate people sneaking in behind me like that…" Naruto said, turning around to face the two masked men. "I assume you are here to take to your leader."

They nodded.

Naruto held up his hands. They moved closer and touched him before they disappeared in a flash. They appeared in a large office. The air was thick. He could feel glares. Murderous glares that threatened to mutilate him. Naruto faced Kurotsuchi, she was sitting behind a large table, a big man was standing beside her. He recognized the two as the best Iwa had to offer.

Kurotsuchi glared at Naruto. She wanted to relax, but she could not. She was still able to hold herself from attacking the blond. She was angry. Justifiably so. But she would not be making any stupid decisions. Not when they could put Iwagakure in danger. Not when this village's very security was threatened.

But she would not forgive what was done to her grandfather. She would not forget it. If Konoha resisted, she wouldn't do anything reckless. She would bind her time and one day, she would strike. Konoha would pay for its crimes. For now, there was this route to take.

She could try to capture this person. Yes, and then demand Konoha send Sasuke in exchange for him. He was a Jinchuriki. Surely, they would be quick to beg her. This action wouldn't be anything reckless. But she first had to hear what he had to say.

Naruto did not try to sit down. He figured it would not be safe. "I guess you already know who I am. So I will skip the introductions. But I will say I am here because I was sent by the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju."

For a moment, Kurotsuchi thought of feigning ignorance. But she shook it off. It would not get her anyway. "I'm certain I made it clear in my letter that I will not be talking to Konoha until I have the Uchiha's head."

"I didn't read the letter…" Naruto responded with indifference. "I am sure it wouldn't have made a difference if I had done so. In any case, I will also stand for Kirigakure. I hope you are willing to listen."

"If what is going to come out of your mind is how Konoha plans to make amends for this, then I will listen. If not, there is no point in listening."

Naruto sighed. He had known this would be difficult. But he wasn't exactly here to broker any deal. He just wanted to see what he was dealing with. "Diplomatic communications require one to be subtle but I will be frank with you: Konoha isn't going to make amends because it hasn't done anything wrong. Nor has Kirigakure."

Kurotsuchi slammed her fist on her desk. "You killed my grandfather! You call that nothing?!"

"We didn't do it."

"I knew talking would be fruitless…" Kurotsuchi snapped her fingers and shinobi flashed into the office. "Your mistake was coming here alone. We are not going to let you go!"

There were many ways this could end. And Naruto had control of all the endings. "You must be reasonable, Kurotsuchi. Don't do anything careless. Konoha didn't do anything. We are being framed by someone."

"I could believe that if Konoha didn't have a bad history."

Naruto shook his head. "I urge you to listen to me: don't act against Kiri or Konoha. We will get you the person who killed your Tsuchikage."

"And that would be Sasuke, right?" There was a bit of sarcasm in Kurotsuchi's tone.

Naruto didn't respond to this. He simply took out the three pronged kunai. "I use the same jutsu as my father. If you want to start a war with Konoha, your people will die. I am not afraid of killing a thousand people. Calm your people. Avoid unnecessary bloodshed by looking at things rationally." He then disappeared in a flash of yellow.

Kurotsuchi cursed loudly.

Unknown Location

For a moment, Naruto indulged the thought of being a lord of the underworld. Danzo would certainly be proud and the Sandaime would be shaking his head, looking at him with eye of disappointment. Hiruzen did always expect him to do things better. The old man wouldn't have problems in a little bit of trouble but as long as it was nothing that could bring about bad whispers. He was after all a good person. But still someone who let Danzo live just so he could do the dirty work that he was unwilling to do. If the Sandaime had been willing to do the dirty work, he would have gotten rid of Danzo himself.

Naruto shook his head: he shouldn't indulge this feeling. Admittedly, it was a good feeling. He felt atop of things. He felt in charge. A sweet feeling that could easily corrupt you.

He was sitting on a large throne like chair in a dimly lit hall. This was a place he hid the remnants of Danzo's forces. He couldn't be seen with them and he didn't want them in Konoha. They could be detected and it would bring some trouble for him. He was fine with Sai acting as the intermediary. His space/time jutsu also made it possible for him to come and go without being detected.

"You better have something good, Sai…" Naruto said to the pale looking teenager. He preferred not to be here when unnecessary.

Sai had three masked shinobi with him: they wore dark cloaks, white blank masks. The three kneeled while Sai walked over to Naruto. He handed the blond a scroll. "They just returned from Kumogakure and some interesting information I thought you might want to know. My movements have always been a bit fruitful but I still have to make a couple of stops."

Naruto was interested. He stared at the three. "What is it?"

"The Raikage's brother wasn't taken by the 'Akatsuki' rather, he left on his own. We lost track of him, but we know he fled." One of the three responded calmly.

"The Raikage is a bit protective of his brother. He never lets him leave the village and when the threat of the Akatsuki was announced, he took things to another level." Sai said.

"He must have been feeling trapped in that village…" Naruto said. This was surprising information. Unexpected. But not bad Intel. He could make use of it. This just meant that Madara only had one Bijuu. Then again, he probably wasn't planning on gathering them until he does get the Rinnegan.

At this point, Naruto wasn't concerned about the whereabouts of the Raikage's brother. It was irrelevant to him since he had no interest in other Jinchurikis.

"Should we track him down?"

Naruto shook his head. "His location doesn't matter. Leave him be. Madara is going to end soon and Nagato isn't a problem any more, so we forget about him…" the blond said. "Go to Iwagakure. Surveillance of the village's activities is necessary."

"Hai."

Naruto turned to Sai. "What is this, Sai?"

"It seems like a way to bring back Orochimaru back to life. I thought it would be important for you to have the scroll. I have others that contain the secrets to his 'immortal' jutsu."

Living for all eternity? It was overrated. When he was younger, Naruto would have desired as such, but he had no thoughts regarding the matter. He wasn't going to live for all eternity in the world of humans. But it was important to safe guard such knowledge. There was no sin in knowing. Besides, he wasn't a scientists or a medical ninjutsu specialist, so there was probably nothing he could do with it. Perhaps Karin could do something.

"We will store it." Naruto said. "Anything else, Orochimaru left behind?"

"Too many things. Despite his ways, Orochimaru knew almost everything, present and in history. He was very knowledgeable. We have collected some of those things. In about three weeks time when I return to the Leaf, I will return with it."

Naruto had to pause to think: Orochimaru had truly been something else. His various experiments. His many travels. It was safe to say there was no land that Orochimaru did not visit. The snake had hideouts everywhere. He could hide anywhere. It was no doubt he knew a lot of things.

"Be subtle about it. We don't want Konoha's attention…" Naruto said. "Try to get a safe house created in Uzushiogakure for me. I'm thinking when my mother is old, convincing her to see the home she left behind will be simple."

Sai blinked. "I thought you'd choose Suna…"

"I think when I grow old; I will have seen too much that I can no longer pretend to like humans. A place where there isn't a lot of them will be safe…" Naruto said. "Or maybe things will be different… you never know as you grow. Ino is even rubbing off you."

"She is quite forceful when she wants to be…"

"She can be… but you do need that human interaction. We will be dealing with them on a regular basis to ensure that things remain in control." Naruto said standing up. "I expect to see you in three weeks. By then, Madara would be dead. Iwa should have the truth. We will be working on getting the Elemental Nations on the palm of my hands."

"What will be the strategy?"

"We will do it behind closed doors. I cannot afford unnecessary attention. It will make things slightly complicated if we have people looking over my shoulder. You always move easier when people aren't looking at you." Naruto explained lightly. "Perhaps Danzo was effective in his ways because he had little to worry about when making movements."

"That means you also have to wear a mask."

Naruto nodded. He knew Sai didn't mean a literal mask. But it was necessary. He couldn't do things any other way. He never wanted the attention of humans to begin with. It did him no good. Besides, being around them was starting to dilute him a little. "Yes… I will also quit most of my responsibilities to the Hidden Leaf. My work with my clan, the Uchiha should give me the necessary cover."

Sai looked thoughtful for a moment. He was allowed to have a mind of his own. But he never questioned things – he offered suggestions every now and then, but never outright questioned the effectiveness of Naruto's methods. The blond knew what he was going. "I assume me and the others will be very busy."

"Yes…" Naruto said. "If something happens that requires your attention, I will summon you."

Hidden Leaf

Tsunade stared at the bottle before her, unblinking. She was drinking a bit heavily today. Perhaps the situation called for it. But she was here, with her former teammate and someone she hardly settled with but this was the person she shared a past with – Kushina. Her grandmother had been the reason Kushina was brought into Konoha: To be the next Jinchuriki of the Kyubi; to be a sacrifice. Perhaps coming here had saved her life.

This compound had once been full of many memories. Many of her child hood memories. A spoiled child she had been. Well, she blamed it on her grandfather. He even taught her gambling. Perhaps it was the fact that she learned from him that she was no good. He hadn't been good at it either.

In these days, the compound had little life. She was never close to it. There were too many memories. The past she could not regain. The past she enjoyed and at times longed for. But it was still the past she could not relive.

It was rather rare seeing Kushina drink. She wasn't that much of a drinker. Tsunade commended the woman. Had it been her, she would have drowned in her sorrows long time ago. Being a mother of Naruto was certainly not something easy. It was surely a pain. And a burden that very few could carry. She was the mother. Naturally, she was the only one who could carry it.

"I haven't seen you drink since Minato, Kushina…" Jiraiya said.

He was drinking at a good pace. So was Kushina. The Uzumaki was unlikely to be drunk at the end of all this. Tsunade would sleep here. She was drinking heavily. Perhaps it was the job that she left at the office that gave her too much stress. At this stage, Jiraiya wasn't concerned. He was just happy to be alive. To be sitting next to Kushina, and his dear princess.

But he did have that feeling that his drink could be the last. He was willing to do anything for peace. Nagato would understand. He wanted to spend more time with them, but if he had to go to stop a war, then Jiraiya would do it. His sensei had done it. His student had done it. They had sacrificed themselves for this village. He would do the same if the chance represented itself. This time around, he would not be powerless to do anything.

"I'd stopped. Naruto was growing up and he wouldn't stay away from me…" Kushina said calmly. "But now he is always on the move. He isn't always around. I can indulge myself. Besides, you two came here to drag me into drinking."

"I just thought of good old times when Minato was still around…"

"I just want to forget about my work."

She truly blamed her sensei for making her come back to this village. Had it not been for him, she would have still been miserable, but not suffering like this. This job was going to kill her soon.

"I'm just a lonely woman who has nothing better to do." Kushina said bitterly.

She was truly lonely when Naruto wasn't around, wasn't she? When he was still young, she had someone to comfort her. He shared her bed. He had comforted her. She had felt his warmth when she was miserable. Now he no longer came. It was fine. He was a man now. And she was his mother. Yet, she was still very lonely. Very miserable deep inside.

Mikoto's child will change things for her. She would have someone to love. Someone to play with. Someone to keep her company all the time. Perhaps she might end up fighting Mikoto about that, but it was alright. It would be a healthy fight – one that would make them laugh at the end of the day.

"We all lonely…" Tsunade said miserably.

Kushina smiled sadly. "We truly are miserable people who have lost our loved ones, aren't we?" She looked at Tsunade. Jiraiya had his love right next to him. He just could never be loved. It was not funny. It was truly miserable. Ah, the misery of unrequited love.

"Yeah…" Tsunade grunted in response.

"But we are still alive and well…" Kushina said. "Jiraiya, don't you think that it will be sad to leave this world without someone carrying your name?"

Jiraiya smiled bitterly: he wasn't a family man. He would never be suited to start a family. Now wasn't the time of thinking about it anyway. Not when he was thinking that he could die in style. He was after all been living a life full of misery and failures. There were hardly things that he could think about. They were few, yet with so many failures.

He was a person who was always up and down. He always had something to do. But it was sad that he wouldn't have anyone to pass on the Toad contract. Both Konan and Nagato were grown. But he did need someone to carry the contract.

"Hey… Kushina, do you think Naruto would permit me to give the Toad contract to his child?"

Jiraiya was truly hopeful that Naruto would allow something like that. Of course, this did raise pain through his heart. If he sacrificed himself, he wouldn't get to see the birth of Naruto's child, Minato's grandson. He would miss that. He had missed Naruto's birth. He had missed a lot of things. And he was plotting to miss this one. A truly miserable existence his life was.

The Sannin smiled bitterly at the thought.

"I don't think he would have a problem with it…" Kushina said with a shrug. "It will be a good thing. Minato had a contract with them after all…"

Jiraiya smiled. "I will hand it over to you once things settle…" the sage said.

"The child will have Uchiha blood; do you think that the Toads will agree to it?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "He or she will be Uzumaki… the future of the Uzumaki clan. Thinking of it, Sasuke will marry and have a family of his own. But this just means that the two clans will be forever connected."

"Uchiha and Uzumaki?" Tsunade paused, looking thoughtful. "The Nidaime would have scoffed off at the thought. Uzumaki have always been by the side of the Senju. They were peaceful people, complete opposites of the Uchiha."

"Well, you can't enjoy peace when you have the weapons of mass destruction. Regardless of what we might think, those with power will always be attracted to fighting… that is the way things are in this world." Jiraiya explained lightly. "Bijuus were living peacefully, but because of their power, they were dragged into conflicts of humans."

"You are sounding like an advocate of Bijuus…" Tsunade said to Jiraiya.

The Toad sage shrugged. "I'm just stating a fact."

The following day

"To be honest, I was thinking that you'd make things worse if you went to Iwagakure." Tsunade said to Naruto.

Naruto shrugged with indifference. "I'm probably on their kill list as well."

"That is an outcome I expected." Jiraiya said. "But the animosity towards us won't change any time soon until we get the answers needed to resolve this matter."

Iwagakure's demands still stood and with Naruto having gone there and said things, another message was going to come. At least there would be no war as things stand. Jiraiya's fear had been that anger and hatred would make the people in power there make an irrational decision of declaring war on Konoha. Perhaps they were already at war with the Hidden Stone, but they would not take any action of sending their forces towards Konoha, not when the Leaf had allies who would be willing to back it in war.

There was Kirigakure to think about. If we were going to be talking about war, the Mist would have to be involved. It was also involved in the mess – Iwa was accusing its Kage of killing Onoki. Konoha alone was the kind of force you'd think thrice about attacking, but if they included Kiri and Suna, it just made things difficult. It wasn't to say that they could do bad things and get away with it because they were powerful. Their allies wouldn't stand with them had they truly been behind the attack on Onoki.

"We will get answers soon. I'm certain Madara will be making a move soon. Yes, very soon…" Naruto said with a nod. "Though, Onoki's granddaughter will become difficult dealing with. The woman truly is angry."

"Anyone would be…" Tsunade said. "We have to put ourselves in their position as well. They were hurt. Onoki had been a pillar to the Hidden Stone. They must be saddened as the Leaf was saddened when the Sandaime died."

"The deaths were different…" Naruto quickly said. "Onoki was murdered and the Third more or less sacrificed himself. We cannot compare. But there was loss and there is loss. Perhaps with Iwagakure there much more resentment…" Naruto paused. "I cannot possibly understand people who cannot reason the things they see. Our world is one that is full of deception, and yet when things are looking bad, we quickly take the first option we see because we want to blame someone."

This irrationality is what leads people to do stupid things. If Konoha had been weaker, Iwagakure would have possibly marched toward the Leaf already. They were only being stopped because Konoha was a powerful nation and trying to provoke war with it could result in their destruction. Not that Naruto would mind. If he didn't have a family, he would have encouraged them to start war. Less humans in this world, not a bad thing.

"Not everyone thinks like you, Naruto."

"You don't have to think like me, you just have to take a pause and try to think." Naruto said.

Tsunade sighed, a slight shake of her head. "You do have a point, but people have emotions. They are not easily discarded. In a case where you are very troubled, you might also find yourself doing some things without thinking."

"I don't deny that possibility but from my past experiences, I have always paused to think." Naruto said those words in a firm tone. "We were close with the Sand family. They were perhaps family. I didn't dislike them. They were good people. When Suna 'betrayed' Konoha, I felt that I had been betrayed. I hunted them down. I chased after them. I came very close to killing them. But Temari begged me to listen. She said they didn't know and her brother confirmed that they didn't know. Was there evidence of this? No, but I knew them, so I believed them.

"We can say the same thing about Kumogakure. The Yondaime Raikage received information that seemed credible, but he didn't rush to a conclusion. He came here to look into your eyes. He came here to listen to you. Why? Because he knew you. He knows you. He believed your words because of what you said, not the evidence you brought to him."

"We've never had that relationship with Iwagakure…" Jiraiya said with a frown. "If we had a relationship, things might have also ended up happening in the same way as it did with Kumogakure."

Naruto nodded. "But still, those people still had to think about things. They did not. What would Konoha benefit from this? Why would we actually even do it in such a manner and then get caught like that? You have to question that." He said. "In any case, a relationship would have made things better. But the history between the two villages doesn't make things any easier."

"The past is the past… it might be difficult to forget but Iwagakure can't hold a grudge against what happened in the war."

"Because anything can happen in a war, isn't it?" Naruto said to Tsunade.

"Not everything. There are still things that you mustn't do even if we are at war. Though there is a saying, there is no mercy in war." Tsunade said those words with bitterness. "You are not supposed to let your enemies live. They might take your mercy as weakness and stab you in the back."

"War is never pleasant. I'm sure even you wouldn't think of it fondly, Naruto." Jiraiya said in a firm tone. "You are forced to do things you don't normally do. Things that give you nightmares. You find that your only good memory is that you survived. But sometimes that can also be a burden."

Naruto could never understand that. Being surrounded by a pile of dead humans? No, he wouldn't regret it. He wouldn't be fond of the memory either. He just could never care in the same way as other people do. He thought differently. If they had to be killed. They had to die. War was a good opportunity to release even weapons of destruction. Would he think twice about letting the Kyubi loose? No.

"You should try to form a relationship with Iwagakure once things settle. Next time, such issues can be avoided."

Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "The Kage summit will give us that opportunity…" Tsunade paused. "I thought you'd be interested in doing things like that?"

"Not in the open…" Naruto said. "Besides, I have personal matters that I must deal with. Once we are done with this, I will retreat. I need to focus on the Uzumaki and the future inside Mikoto."

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade stared. "You're going to retire?" the former asked, surprised. "You're still just seventeen, Naruto."

"I was thinking that I could use you for diplomatic missions." Tsunade stated her intensions.

She didn't show her shock because she was really not shocked about this decision from Naruto. He has never been a willing servant of Konoha. His actions up till now have been because it was convenient. Still, it was coming at a wrong time. He was still too young. Too useful to retreat to his clan.

But she could understand if it is around the time Mikoto has to give birth. By then, it would be cruel for her to demand his services. He needed to be a father. Besides that, Tsunade was hoping that being a father would give him some life. Perhaps he could return to serve the Leaf with emotion after wards. There was no guarantee. It was just her hope.

"I'm not suited for that." Naruto said with a shake of his head. "But if I am really needed, you can call me. When it comes to Iwa, I'm not the best person you can send. There are promising young men who can do the job. I also have to train the Uchihas. They want to restore the Military Police Force very soon."

Tsunade blinked upon hearing that. "That is something I will have to speak to Mikoto about…" she said. "Inoichi says that he can do what you have suggested but it has to be done here because he would need his equipment to do it."

"Is there a problem?"

"We would have to get all the Kages here."

"Iwagakure will be the only problem but you can send the Raikage there. They have something in common and can point fingers at us…" Naruto responded calmly. "If Kurotsuchi becomes the Yondaime Tsuchikage, she should feel a bit at ease to be with the Raikage… there is always the chance that she will either bring her Jinchurikis as guards or an army, for 'safety' reasons."

"That would be extreme."

Naruto shrugged. "But necessary for her comfort. This is your village, you have the advantage. If she starts trouble, Jinchurikis can always be subdued easily without much of a fuss… well, if you know how…" the blond said. "But it has to be explained why we want her to be here and she has to see that point. I could just march over to Iwa and drag her here, but I would have the whole of Iwa marching over to Konoha."

"How can you be indifferent when talking about something like that?"

Naruto shrugged.

Amegakure

The Rain was truly different when Nagato wasn't around. Konan felt lonely. She has always been lonely since Yahiko died, but her partner has always been there around her. She has always been next to him, helping him. Konan realized just how much his presence affected her. Without him, there was no one else. It was just this village they had fought to free from Hanzo.

Jiraiya came here, but things were different. She wasn't exactly the same old child she had been back in the days when he was still their sensei. Admittedly, he seems to have hardly changed all these years. But her experiences, her pain, and perhaps her loyalty to Yahiko's dream changed her greatly. Things appeared to have stalled with that dream, but they just had to deal with Madara and things would clear up for them. They would be able to see which path they could take.

Konan sharpened her eyes when she heard footsteps coming towards the balcony. She narrowed her eyes behind. It was him. He was here, just as expected. She could feel that he wasn't particularly happy. He must have first searched for Nagato. With his knowledge of Nagato's state, the first thing would be to teleport straight to Pain's real body.

"Madara," Konan started calmly, without even turning to face the man. "I have been waiting for you."

Obito narrowed his visible eye ever so dangerously. Nagato wasn't here. Or maybe he was, just hiding somewhere and only this woman knew where he was. So they were waiting for him. They knew he would come for the Rinnegan. Well, they were not that stupid. But he assumed Naruto had something to do with this.

When he does get the Rinnegan, he was truly going to make Naruto experience pain.

"Konan, you are not going to tell me where Nagato is, are you?"

"Who knows?"

"Traitors." Obito found himself saying. These people were standing in the way of his dream. They were standing in the way of his reunion with his beloved Rin. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to live with her happily again. But these people… these people were standing in the way.

"I never trusted you to begin with…" Konan said as she bust into butterflies.

Obito watched the flies fly away. He stepped over the balcony. He tapped into his dimension and Yugito appeared. The Sharingan was already working on her. He was also controlling the Bijuu inside of her. He didn't need her, but just in case Nagato was around, he would be forced to come out and deal with the Bijuu that was destroying his village.

End of chapter

The next chapter will still come in the next 7 days.

The omnipresent Sage