Here is the next chapter of Kitsune Brothers

I'm actually thinking about ending this story in three or so chapters and will follow it up with a sequel in order to deal with the Akatsuki but yeah after invasion this is done.

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Demon/summon/demon influenced speech"

'Demon/summon thought'

Jutsu

Nicknames

I don't own Naruto period end of story

The sage arrives

Naruto groaned lightly as he sat up in his bed eyes unfocused as he looked around the room. "I hate the morning." He mumbled as he got up and performed the morning routine. Walking into the dining room he idly noted that no one was in the house. "Wonder where everyone went." He mused as he prepared some eggs for himself.

Five minutes later Naruto could be seen wandering around the village with nothing to do. "Seriously where is everyone?" he wondered aloud looking for someone he could recognize and failing again. "Meh…might as well go to the onsen hear they have awesome service." He muttered to himself as he turned left and started walking in the direction of the hot springs.

"Heh, heh, heh," Naruto paused at the sound. Blinking in surprise he turned his head in the direction the sound came from and noticed something odd near the fence. "What the hell?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow, there in front of him was man dressed in red and green kabuki actor like clothing and geta slippers crouching near the fence as he scribbled furiously on a notepad, laughing perversely the entire time.

"Oh this is gold! The women of Konoha were always the best in the entire world!" the man exclaimed quietly to himself

Naruto sighed…before kicking the man straight through the fence and into the women's bathing area causing a very shrill scream to sound followed by the tell tale signs of a beating occurring as Naruto calmly walked away undisturbed by the man's screams of pain. "Serves you right Jiji." He muttered in a bored tone as he walked away.

"You know blowing my cover wasn't really nice." A familiar voice stated from behind Naruto causing him to turn around in slight surprise at seeing the man from before completely unharmed. "I was in the middle of research for my latest work of art and you go and ruin it for me." The man seemed to pout a bit, but it was obvious that he didn't care that much about a slight interruption.

Naruto narrowed his eyes "Who are you?" he asked tensely as he reached behind his back. "And what do you want?"

The man laughed "Why so serious Naruto?" he asked starling the demon general who had not expected this strange old man to know his name. "Surprised I know your name?" he asked with a grin. "Don't be I named you." The man began to laugh "Oh those were good times, Minato and Kushina had no idea what to name you or your brother. By the way your brother's name was Tsunade-hime's idea."

Naruto blinked owlishly at the old man in front of him… "Wait what?" he finally asked after a moment's pause. "I think you have the wrong guy…Tou-san's name was Arashi."

The man scoffed "Yeah…and I'm Orochimaru…You really think as famous, or infamous depending on whom you ask, as his nickname was your father would use his real name in public?" Naruto scratched his head in thought. "Really you have to think about it?" the man asked almost disbelievingly "You're just as dense as he used to be."

Naruto glared at the man "You still haven't introduced yourself yet Jiji."

The man made an 'Oh' shape with his mouth before he grinned and started hopping around on one foot. "I am the man whose presence the ladies flock to! Men cower before my might!" now he had stopped slamming his foot down as he twirled his long hair around his head. "I am the great sage of Mt. Myouboku, the great Jiraiya-sama!"

Naruto stared at Jiraiya who was holding a pose. "Freak." And he began to walk away causing Jiraiya to face vault.

"Damn it gaki show some respect to your godfather!" Jiraiya yelled as he chased after the teen. "Jeez didn't they teach you any manners at all in Makai?" he asked grumpily as he walked next to his godson. "I swear kids these days have no respect fro their elders."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Like you were any different as a 'kid'" he retorted causing Jiraiya to pause.

"Good point" he mused aloud as he followed after the blonde. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." Jiraiya pulled out a camera with a grin. "I wanted to see how you and Kaoru were doing." He pointed the camera at Naruto and took a picture.

Aggravated by the man following him Naruto took a swing at him only to blink when Jiraiya easily ducked under the swing, that annoying grin still on his face. "Just as short tempered as Kushina as well eh?" Jiraiya asked lightly with another laugh. "Then Kaoru must have Minato's temperament."

"What do you want?" Naruto asked irritably as he glared at the sage. "Cause you're getting annoying and I have places to go."

Jiraiya grinned "Yeah, you want a book?" he held up a little orange book that Naruto immediately recognized.

"Icha Icha paradise?" Naruto asked in some disdain. "You write that shit?"

Jiraiya scowled "I'll have you know that this book is a best seller all over the continent." He stated defensively "Even the Daimyos read it."

"Whatever."

"By the way shouldn't you be preparing for the Chuunin exams?" Jiraiya asked as the two entered a café and sat down at an empty table.

"Don't need to." Naruto replied tersely as he ordered a soda. "I didn't show any techniques in the prelims, so no one knows what I can do."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "And that Inuzuka boy is being trained by Kaoru." He ordered some sake for himself. "Don't you think that Kaoru may teach him how to fight you just to piss you off?"

Naruto seemed to think about it before he waved the notion off. "Nah he wouldn't rules and all that." He decided as he took a sip of his soda. "You still haven't answered why you're here."

Jiraiya sighed "Fine, I'll tell you…IF YOU BUY ONE OF MY BOOKS!" Naruto smacked him upside the head. "Ow…" he whined as he rubbed the forming lump on his head. "Alright, alright I'm here to act as bodyguard for Sensei during the exams." He informed the blonde as he stopped rubbing his head the lump already gone.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You mean Sarutobi-jiji?" He asked for clarification.

"Yeah, since we know Orochimaru is around here somewhere he felt it'd be better if I was around." Jiraiya explained as he finished his sake. "He wanted Tsunade-hime around too but we don't have the time to go look for her at the moment." The man seemed sad but quickly shook it off with another smile.

"I see." Naruto mumbled as the two paid for their drinks and left the café headed towards the Namikaze clan compound. "Was there anything else you wanted?" Naruto asked noting that Jiraiya hadn't left yet.

The sage nodded seriously "Yeah…beware the Akatsuki, they could be…troublesome." With that said Jiraiya nodded his head and vanished in a poof of smoke.

Naruto stared at the spot he had been in before turning around and walking into his home. "Akatsuki…eh?" he mused to himself as he shut the door behind him.

Jiraiya reappeared in Sarutobi's office with a smirk. "Hey Sensei." He greeted informally.

Sarutobi smirked as he gazed at his student. "Jiraiya…a pleasure to see you again. How was your meeting with Naruto-kun?"

Jiraiya grinned "He's really short tempered like she was." He said as he took a seat in front of his teacher. "Doesn't like my book either." He made a mock sad face though Sarutobi could tell he was still happy. "Speaking of which…" Jiraiya pulled out a book and handed it to the Hokage. "My next one."

Jiraiya chuckled as he watched his teacher's eyes light up in delight as he happily accepted the gift. "Thank you very much Jiraiya this is greatly appreciated." Sarutobi smiled and placed the book in a drawer in his desk. "By the way what do you think of the boy?"

Jiraiya grinned as he scratched his chin in thought. "Well…for starters he could lighten up a bit." He stated truthfully causing Sarutobi to chuckle. "He was so uptight when I talked to him it wasn't even funny."

The third sighed "Perhaps he didn't trust you?" he suggested as a possible explanation. "I mean he is usually very cheerful and open." The third elaborated when Jiraiya glanced questioningly at him.

"Him cheerful?" the sage snorted "I've seen brick walls with more facial expressions then he had."

"That's not very nice Jiraiya." A new voice said as the two men turned towards the door to see Kaoru leaning against the wall with a grin. "Naruto would be hurt to hear that."

Jiraiya merely grinned impishly "Well…he deserves it." The man joked as he shook Kaoru's hand. "It's good to see you kid. I wasn't sure how you would hold up after the incident." Jiraiya smiled sadly as memories of his favorite student his student's wife flashed in his mind.

Kaoru nodded gratefully "It's good to see you too Kyoufu" he smiled as he took an offered seat. "So what's this I hear about Akatsuki?"

Jiraiya waved him off. "It's not important yet, besides all I have are rumors nothing has been confirmed yet." He gained an odd twinkle in his eye "By the way Kaoru…do you want a book?" he asked as he pulled out his prized work.

Kaoru, interested, accepted the offered book and looked it over. "Icha Icha?" he asked as he turned it over in his hands. "Isn't this what Kakashi reads?" he asked aloud "Well…sure whatever I needed a new book anyways."

Jiraiya grinned "Great! You know your Otouto turned my book down and called it trash!" he huffed angrily "Can you believe that! I thought he'd love it!"

Kaoru shrugged his shoulders "I don't know what to say…he has always been…odd…like that." He admitted as he thought it over. "Anyways…back to the matter of the Akatsuki…what do you know about them?" he asked as he leaned forward.

Jiraiya sighed as his face turned serious. "According to a very reliable source they want to gain control of the Bijuu." He stated setting a heavy air amongst the three of them. "He didn't know why, only that the Bijuu where keys to the leader's plan."

Kaoru wrote it all down on a notepad before looking up. "What's your source's name?" he asked "And does he know the names of the members?"

Jiraiya glanced at Sarutobi with a questioning glance, when his teacher nodded Jiraiya sighed "first of all my source is actually an Akatsuki member providing me with information when he can, but he's relatively new to the organization so he knows nothing about the others." He paused trying to figure out how to say the next part. "His name…" he hesitated a bit causing Kaoru to narrow his eyes.

"Come on…what's his name?" Kaoru questioned as he leaned forward after having jotted down a few more things.

Jiraiya sighed and rubbed his temples. "My informant's name is…Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke suddenly shouted out. "LIES!" startling Kin and Kakashi who had been sitting nearby watching him train.

"Uh…Sasuke you okay?" Kakashi asked slightly unnerved by the random scream. "Do you need a break?"

Realizing what he just did Sasuke blushed and looked away. "It's nothing my mind just imagined something completely false."

Kin stared at her savior oddly "Sasuke-san…was that normal?" she asked unsurely as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger absentmindedly. "Maybe you should take a break." She suggested noting that he was panting.

Sasuke turned away from her to hide his flushed cheeks. "It's fine. I'm perfectly fine!" he shouted as he dove back into training. 'God what the hell is wrong with me?' he thought to himself as he continued to punch a hole into the wall like Kakashi had shown him. 'I've never been this bothered by a girl before.' He mused as he snuck a glance over at Kin who was smiling at him, quickly turning away less she see him staring he put more vigor into his training. 'FOCUS!' he roared in his own mind as he focused on his ambition. 'Kill Itachi kill Itachi kill Itachi' he repeated over and over in his mind trying to ignore the fact there was a girl who reminded him of his own mother sitting next to his teacher watching him train…

Kakashi watched the whole thing amused to no end. 'Who would have thought that the great Uchiha Sasuke would get this flustered by a single girl after saving her from certain doom?' He mused to himself watching Sasuke sneak glances at Kin when he thought no one was watching. 'Cute' he laughed to himself. Pausing he glanced over Kin, 'I can see why she caught his eye though…very similar body build to Uchiha Mikoto his mother. Even her hair style is similar.'

"Hey Kin what do you think about staying in Sasuke's house?" Sasuke stumbled and crashed head first into the stone wall. "Ara you okay Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not respond as swirls were clearly visible in his eyes. Kin was quick to aid him causing Kakashi to grin beneath his mask as he watched her tend to the fallen Uchiha. "Cute." He stated causing her to blush as she aided the downed boy.

End

Okay everyone what do you think? I tried to make the change in Sasuke more gradual hence him trying to focus on his ambition instead of Kin. I made this chapter partly because I needed to, to explain something in the next chapter and partly because I felt that you can't do a pre-finals portion of a story without Jiraiya. In this I portrayed Jiraiya as a jovial old man who is far less secretive towards Naruto and Kaoru then he is normally portrayed I hope none of you mind.