When it's time has come, the prey goes to the hunter.
Location: Just outside the Mist capital.
Time: 3 Days after the Mizukage was taken by the Akatsuki
Naruto was walking gingerly out of Mist. The security forces had interviewed him for 2 days after the battle. Once the reports of other Jinchurikii being taken at the same time came, they cut him loose not very gently. After that he got jumped by a group of sycophants of the Mizukage. Thankfully, that to was in broad daylight after a long and heavy rain. They made the mistake of thinking they had the advantage in the wet, damp air, puddles still on the streets. After a Tsunami jutsu washed them and an apartment building away, The Senior Jounin of the group tried to kill him with several rounds of Water Dragon Jutsu. Summoning the Hidden Mist Jutsu, and deciding the only time that he's ever come back to the Mist was if the Mizukage kissing his ass and blowing him, He went into Silent Killer mode, Extracting from his seals, his elongated Switchblades. Moving effortlessly using the sand walking technique he had learned, 4 Jounin lay bleeding out in the street. Channeling a burst of chakra into the Jutsu to cover his exit, Naruto made the technique stretch blocks, Switching into a henge and heading immediately to the city's walls. Once outside, he strolled as his favorite singing drunk merchant and went 10 miles before he dropped the act, headed to the tree lines and made top speed for the rest of the night until he felt a familiar chakra in the distance, matching course and speed.
Slowing to find a secure campsite, he found small clearing near a Waterfall; he dropped casually from the tree, set a few traps in the trees. He knew Itachi and whomever he had with him should be good enough to miss them, but anyone under ANBU captain was dead. He sent some clones off to find enough firewood to last the night. Got undressed and leapt in the water, He cleaned up swapped clothes from his wardrobe scroll, and sat down, calmly opening his food supplies as Itachi and Kisame entered the campsite.
"It's good to see you again, Itachi."
"It's good to see my student again as well"
"Something to eat? I have dango and pocky stored for you. I never knew when I'd run into you again, but I had some orders saved from the day of chaos in Konoha."
"You always did know how to butter me up, so what brings you to the mist?"
"As I'm sure you know, I was looking for clues to mom's clan. Her journals were vague on one subject only, the clans travel and location of their historical home.'
"Kushina-sensei always skipped that subject with me'
"Wait, are you saying Red Death was his mother and your sensei?"
"Of course, why would Naruto and I deceive each other on such a subject of deep personal importance?"
"Well damn, remind me to not piss you guys off if you fight like her."
"So, Itachi, what work fills your days now?"
"I, along with Kisame am part of the Akatsuki. Madara-sensei called off all hostile actions against you pending our reunion. As you are aware of, we retrieved the 3 tails from Mist and the 4 and 5 tails from Iwa. This gives Leader-sama the 3 through 7 tails in his possession. As you are also aware, the 9 tails appears to be property of the Shinigami, Our task here is ask if you would allow an audience with Madara-Sensei to examine the seal. In exchange, Kisame and I would travel with you. We would be training and evaluating your skill levels and would be expanding your skills as much as possible."
"You've shown him the copies of our little heist?"
"Yes, Konoha never realized that we took the clearest photos with us."
"I've been studying the seal along with the fox. If it were anyone other than you two Itachi, You know I would have killed them. That being said, Arrange the meeting, you and I will reminisce afterwards."
"Kisame, You know what to do." Kisame got up, leaving Sameheda leaning against a tree. He gathered chakra and appeared to be in a trance. A few moments later, Uchiha Madara flashed in.
"Hiraishin?"
"No young Senju, A space/time jutsu due to my evolved bloodline. It's been a long time since I've seen a young Senju."
"Senju, My father was related?"
"Yes, directly to the Shodaime's Father."
"Itachi tells me you know the Kyuubi is irretrievable. You do know this?"
"Unfortunately, Yes. That fact has destroyed all my plans, the fact the photos of your seals prior to the actual event clearly show the Shodaime's Shinigami summoning seal as part of the architecture. The runes after the sealing clearly warning anyone interested that the fox was now his, and no one survives long stealing from the Gods."
"It gets better Madara, when I first met the fox; there was a statement of fact to that, along with a suggestion that the power of the fox was mine to command. I didn't like that idea, neither did the fox. Accidently, I had already studied some of the seal matrix. We spent a lot of time studying the rest. What we mutually agreed to is transference of power. I hated my father for a long time for sealing me like this; I was seen as the fox, not its jail. That did not sit well with either the fox or I. Since I apparently have no choice about the fact its chakra capacity and volume were going to become mine whether I wanted it or not. We managed to come up with an effective way of changing its nature. As we were studying the matrix of the original seal, we notice blank spots, intentionally left. We then examined the layers in the seal in my mindscape. There were pre-planned conversion seal mounting points along with several statements by an elder being. We've utilized the conversion mounts, I will never exhibit Kyuubi's chakra, or physical traits of the fox ever again. You'll observe, the whiskers are gone. You may examine the seal; you may not channel chakra or change the seal in any way. If you try to genjutsu me, I'll know it."
Madara stood up, waved Kisame and Itachi out of the clearing. "Please sit and start to meditate, I must use the sharingan to enter your mindscape. Do you agree to that?
"As long as you tread carefully."
Naruto was quickly in his mindscape.
"Jailer" acknowledged the fox. "You bring a visitor, such foul and evil chakra to him. It has been a long time Uchiha Madara."
"Silence Beast, You failed. This child was not to be your jail"
A deep growl came from the fox. "No you listen, Ninja Dog, You're desires of revenge and your acts of betrayal against me, your benefactor caused this. Now tell me why you're here or I will eat you."
Sighing heard from Madara,"Your capture ruined my plans short term, The Gods being involved may have doomed them permanently. With your jailer's permission, I may examine the seal. No more no less."
"Be quick about it, your presence disturbs me"
Madara's sharingan spun furiously, going over every line in the huge matrix. "I shall take my leave now Fox, it appears we will never meet again", and with that disappeared from Naruto's mindscape.
Outside, Madara sat on a branch above Naruto, legs crossed, looking off in the distance. Naruto promptly came out of his meditation. He looked around then up.
"Satisfied?"
"No, but I can confirm now the Gods, not just the Shinigami were involved, the healing matrices you placed are generating far more power than the design says it should. I know those seals, Whirlpool was well known for huge chakra supplied Ninja's with poor control. Healing is a sign of benevolence, your design should equal a Jounin med-nin; its output is 3 times that per seal with no reasonable explanation other that the Shinigami seal in the center is controlling it. The chakra conversion design of the original seal should have taken till you were quite old to drain the fox. I'd give it six months till the fox was gone."
"Wow, didn't know that."
Madara sat silent a moment, Looking as if he was looking at an early star in the sky.
"In the days of the Six Paths sage, he had two children. One would become the future Uchiha founder, the other the Senju. It was foretold that the last of each, would fight each other for the right to survive and rule. It was foretold, that they would be 'Of one, but separate' With the only Uchiha your age dead due to my actions, it appears the gods felt my interference in sending the Kyuubi to Konoha forfeited the Uchiha's position in that prophecy. Goodbye for Now, Young Senju."
With that, Madara disappeared. Itachi came back to the clearing.
"Madara-sensei seemed disturbed."
"Too bad for him. Good News for me."
"I listened; it seems my Sensei's son shall surpass us all. Kisame has gone to find rooms for the night. My orders were to train you as hard as I can. I presume Madara-Sensei knew what he was going to find. It will be interesting to gauge myself against you Naruto."
"Excellent, it'll be like old times. I haven't pranked anyone since Suna, Wanna go find a hidden village to terrorize for stealth training?"
Smiling for the first time in a long time, "Of course, what is travel with an Uzamaki without Chaos and Mindless Mayhem. "