Ohai.

Red Dawn Seven-Kumogakure

"Akatsuki?"
"Here?"
"Inside the village?"
"This can't be allowed!"
"This shouldn't be allowed!"

Murmurs flew thick and fast as the four ninja walked through the streets of the Village in the Cloud. Here, their black and red cloaks were instantly recognisable, and a thing to be hated; this of all the villages cared for its Jinchuriki. But the murmurs died quickly, eliminated by the cold glances of Itachi, and the smiles of Hinata that promised nothing less than an agonising death.

Accompanying them were a group of Cloud-nin, three who had been guarding the way in. They were deeply uneasy, as was to be expected. It wasn't often that two S-rank missing-nin and another two, who could easily be as strong or stronger, turned up at the gates and demanded an audience with the Raikage.

They didn't know what to do, but… there was no way they could win a fight with the two older ones. The best move, they reasoned, was to do as they were asked.

And that was why the four Akatsuki were walking through Kumogakure unopposed, accompanied by a constantly growing group of paranoid ninja.

* * *

"You dare turn up in my village and ask to speak with me?" hissed the Raikage, chakra flaring from him.
"Yes." said Naruto. "We dare, because it's the best way, and the peaceful way."

The Raikage frowned. This wasn't anything like this boy was… everyone knew about Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi no Jinchuriki. Bright, bubbly…and now Akatsuki.

How could he be with Akatsuki? They were hunting the beasts. How was it possible?

It made no sense, none at all.
But… maybe…

Maybe this meant their methods were changing.

Maybe, this meant his brother was safe. And the 'Kitten' as she was sometimes known.

Maybe.
"Why are you here?" he asked, still withdrawn, untrusting, but not willing to risk a chance of safety.

"We're here with a business proposition." said Naruto.
"One that I'm sure you'll agree is much better than the alternatives." agreed Kisame.

"We want only peace." said Naruto. "Peace and unity. And we need the jinchuriki to do it."

The Raikage growled subconsciously.

"So why are you here?" he asked. "Gaining a few more seconds of life in exchange for selling out your fellows?"

A laugh. Soft, feminine, quiet. Chilling.
"Do we look scared and enslaved to you?" asked Hinata, sand swirling around her.

Silence.
"Sand… you're the host of the ichibi." said the Raikage. "What of the kazekage?"
"Gaara-kun is fine." said Hinata. "And this isn't your problem."

"Well, we need your jinchuriki." said Naruto. "One way or another, we'll get them-and we'd hate for you to have to be our enemies."
"You're trying to blackmail me?" said the Raikage, chakra flaring again.
"No." said Naruto with a grin. "Just telling the truth."

The Raikage desperately wanted to hit that boy. Preferably with chakra. Preferable fatally.

But… he was the Kyuubi no Jinchuriki. And the other three, one was the host of the Shukaku. Another was one of the seven swordsmen. And the third was Uchiha Itachi, one of the strongest ninja alive.

"I'll go and get the two jinchuriki." he said reluctantly. "This is their decision."

"I'm glad you see it our way." said Naruto with another of his sunny grins.

The Raikage muttered darkly as he called for someone to fetch Kirabi and Yugito.

* * *

"Yo, Akatsuki here, but you say there's nothing to fear? Bro, have you gone nuts, this-" began Kirabi in his rapping voice.
"Shut it." replied the raikage. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. Naruto-san and Hyuuga-san are jinchuriki, the nine and oen tails, respectively. They're here to make a proposition."

Naruto nodded, serious again.
"Akatsuki doesn't want to hurt anyone more than is absolutely necessary. Can we count on you two, and on Kumogakure, to join our efforts?"

"How can we trust you?" said Yugito, speaking fore the first time.
"You can't." said Naruto. "But every word I have said is true."

"I don't trust him." said the Raikage,m throwing diplomacy out of the window as he spoke to his brother. "But…"

He turned to Naruto.
"I would like to send some of my ninja with them." he said. "To see you're not lying."

Naruto nodded.
"Fine." he said.

The Raikage turned to Yugito, asking her to fetch a pair of ninja in an undertone.
A few minutes passed, and she returned with two ninja.
"Darui, Amaya." he said. "This is Akatsuki. They've made a proposition of alliance, but they want Yugito and Kirabi to work with them."

The distaste was inherent in his voice as he spoke to the two dark skinned ninja-one, Yarui, a tall, white haired male with dark skin, and the other, Amaya, short, with long black hair and the same dark skin.

"Darui. Hishou Amaya." continued the kage gravely. "You're going with them to ensure they're kept safe."

The two nodded, not looking happy.

Naruto gave another big grin.
"Welcome to the group!" he said, the seeming maturity flying out of the window at the first sign of success.
Kisame grinned too.
"That's the little fish I know."

* * *

Boring plot.