Disclaimer: I own my computer... my cordless phone, a few hundred novels I've read at least a thousand times, my procrastinating tendencies, and InuYasha plushie... and random things you just can't help but gather in 21 years of livin as well as my music collection. However, I DO NOT OWN Naruto or any of the characters affiliated therein…

Warnings: A little bit of brainwashing, not too much, just a smidgen… and one hokage to be weary, and one father worrying over a decision he's made.

A/N: Sorry guys, but once again, my best laid plans slipped from my fingers as my brain refused to work on the story ideas and I got lost somewhere reading other fictions. Not to mention the fact that it's hectic and I'm trying to get ready for my college graduation. Bare with me here and I'll do my best to give you guys a good chapter. If you haven't, go check out chapter eleven as I did delete the author's note and post the chapter itself. Other than that… enjoy…

A man makes his own destiny, and walks his own path in this life…

Sitting alone in his kitchen, the former Yondaime eats the small breakfast he cooked for himself slowly, savoring the freedom he has now to live his life as he wishes. Thinking back on his days as a member of the Akatsuki feels wrong now especially knowing that he tried to undo what he'd died for—what had made him a legend, a hero in Konoha. He was manipulated so easily it was pathetic. Though he did have amnesia, he once knew Itachi and the slash through the symbol of the hidden leaf village should've clued him in on a few things. He'd not be so gullible or stupid again…. or so he thought…

After methodically washing and putting away his dishes, Yondaime goes about cleaning the rest of the house, needing something to occupy his hands and mind. Besides, what better way to jolt your memory than by going through old momentos and piecing together the memories that go with each object?

A knock sounded at the door and Yondaime answered it, suspicious of who was on the other side. He could not feel their chakra signatures and that made him cautious. To his surprise, he sees Kakashi and Jiraiya standing there. Right away, he notices what's wrong with this. The two never show up at his home together. Jiraiya was always the first to drop by and Kakashi always came an hour after Jiraiya because of his time at the memorial stone. Unless he was hallucinating, Kakashi was missing a copy of his favorite perverted book. When there is no Icha Icha in the copy nin's hand, there is trouble or he's dealing with a baby. It was time to approach these imposters carefully.

Now settled inside, the imposters shed their henge to show that they are none other than Kisame and Itachi. Arashi merely watches them, a silent question in that raised brow. Itachi answers his silent question in his usual monotone. "I apologize for the lies that have lain between us for the past twenty two years Arashi. There is a grain of truth beneath the lies. You were helping us with the Kyuubi matter. The nine tailed fox has brought nothing but pain and heartache to your son. You were aiding us in ridding Naruto of his burden so he could at last live a fully happy life."

Thinking it over for a moment, Arashi finds some logic in Itachi's words. His son would be happier without the fox sealed within him wouldn't he? The thought he can't shake is, 'what you don't remember may hurt you.' With a small frown, he looks at the two before him. "How do I know I can trust your words?"

Itachi smirks, "You don't. If you decide to trust us again, we will be waiting in the eastern side of the forest surrounding Konoha. Bring Naruto with you. You're the only one who can help him be rid of the beast within him forever. Come Kisame. We have completed our mission successfully." Standing, the Akatsuki members replace their Henge and walk out of the house, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

Mulling it over, Arashi makes up his mind, not knowing the peril he is about to bring to both he and Naruto….

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Desk clean but for a few small piles of mission scrolls and mission reports neatly arranged on it, Naruto lets his head drop out of frustration. If not for that drawn out meeting with the village council, he'd have been finished with his paperwork much sooner. With a soft sigh, the weary Rokudaime decides to get a few mission scrolls out of his hands and into he hands of a few bored shinobi. After all, why should he have all the fun? Why not just share it will all of his friends? All of his Lazy, relaxing friends who are putting up their feet and hanging out right now because they have nothing fun to do like him… Yep, it was time to change that little detail. With a decidedly naughty smirk his teme affectionately called 'the smirk of impending doom', Naruto calls in a few ANBU, hands them scrolls to give to the shinobi he names off after handing out each scroll, and allows them to be his delivery service.

Sasuke appears in a light flurry of leaves and smirks. "I saw ANBU spreading to the four corners of the village. Did our little Rokudaime get bored with being the only one working again?"

Naruto smirks, "That… and I was cleaning off my desk. Not my fault there were mission scrolls in a pile that would rival hokage tower. Calmly pointing out the rest of the pile that's left on his desk, Naruto sighs. "Besides, the rest of the pile is for ANBU and hunter nin only. The others were D rank for the Jounin senseis and their teams, C rank for the Chuunin, and B rank for the Jounin. They've all been complaining about not having missions lately, so they should be glad to get them by now."

Resting his hip on the side of the desk, Sasuke smiles slightly. "Are you sure you didn't do it on purpose dobe? Leaving shinobi idle for so long will have them all but begging for missions to stave off their boredom."

Naruto snorts softly, but grins, "No, I didn't do it on purpose. Before today, the only missions were D rank and the ones that I've already sent shinobi on. How are you liking your position as an ANBU captain?"

"It's not bad. My team members are good people I know I can trust with my life as they can trust me with theirs, and we're having a time with trying to decide on my ANBU codename. I'm thinking Crow may suit me."

"Crow does fit, but we already have a Crow, so you could be Raven. With your coloring, it fits too. Both are black birds and your mask is that of a bird."

"Hn, I'll think about it Naruto. So, are you ready for a ramen break yet, or are you still too busy?" Watching those endless blue eyes light up and the broad grin stretch across that lightly tanned face, Sasuke knows the young Hokage is more than ready for his lunch break. He can't help but smile and allow the blonde ball of renewed energy pull him out of the room. Who was he to resist the light of his life?

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While lovers share their lunch, and shinobi grudgingly admit that a mission is exactly what they needed to stave off their boredom, a single blonde man wracks his brain for memories of Akatsuki before he woke up in their hands, but can find none. He worries over his decision, but if it is a farce, then the two of them can surely escape whatever trap they get caught up in can't they? It wouldn't be hard for two such skilled shinobi.

While the blonde wars with himself over a decision made, a group of men prepare their seals, one for the current Hokage, and one for the Yondaime... both were important catches and they weren't going to give them up easily… wouldn't Arashi be surprised that they went through all this trouble just for him and his family?

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A/N: This one was hard for me to get out, but I have finished it despite the setbacks I've had. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Review if you've got a moment, if not, oh well for me. I'll get the next one out as soon as I can.