Chapter 9 : Kurama and the Sage

Naruto breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the pervasive feeling of fear that was still creeping up on him. The Hokage monument looked out over the entire village, and Naruto remembered many a time he'd been up here before, studying the people who were like ants on the ground far below. It was one of the calmer places he knew in the village, perfect for his purposes. His heart was racing regardless of his intentions, but stress was nothing new. He forced his thoughts to slow down by sheer will, a form of meditation that was considered insane by most people, since it wasn't exactly focused on being calm.

It worked, though.

Naruto didn't even sense the transition. He suddenly stood in ankle-deep water, a vague stench of something decomposing wafting through the air around him, if it could be called air. Perhaps the memory of dank air? He opened his eyes and looked around curiously. He hadn't had a reason to come back here for years now, and he'd almost forgotten how crappy it looked. His subconscious was dank and flooded, and pipes ran across the walls and ceiling, branching and looping back on themselves. He'd never quite found out why it was like this; Ino had hinted she knew the reason (and considering her family's speciality, he wouldn't be surprised) but she'd been unwilling to disclose it.

Turning around sharply, Naruto gazed neutrally at the massive gate that towered over him, remembering the many times he'd stood here in the past, terrified out of his mind or dead-set on beating Kurama down. He'd never really... talked to it, not beyond that time Sasuke had made his way in here, and had conversed with the demon. Naruto wondered what to say to the Bijū. 'Hey, you don't know me, but I'm going to beat the crap out of Madara Uchiha when I come across him' perhaps? He supposed that lying to the Kyūbi would be pretty pointless, as the creature had a front-row seat to what he did. Perhaps it'd already know all about what he'd been up to, and why? Had Kurama been active this early in his ninja career? Naruto wandered closer to the gates, staring at the little paper that was keeping the gate closed grimly. It was the physical manifestation of the seal his father had placed there, and one time he'd nearly ripped it off under his influence. He had to remember the fox was formidable.

"Kurama," Naruto shouted at last, knowing that would certainly get the Nine-Tails' attention. For once, he wouldn't have to lie. The fox certainly was in no position to go blabbing, and he had just as much reason, or more so, to want to keep such secrets to himself. A more powerful, more disciplined jinchūriki might just be able to pull off what the young version couldn't, after all. "Kurama, Nine-Tailed Fox, I want to talk to you."

After a few long moments two great eyes appeared behind the gates, joined quickly by a massive maw of gleaming teeth that seemed to grin at his host, who was miniscule in comparison. Naruto almost took a step back as it snorted in disgust. The fox gazed at him and shook his head. "So... It is you. What do you want?"

"To talk," Naruto said simply. "It's been a while. Not that you'd know."

Kurama lowered his gigantic head, staring at the tiny human that stood before his prison's gate with a malignant glare. "You have some guts to demand to speak to me, pathetic morsel. I would eat you alive, but this seal..." He growled, raking its paw down the gate, and it didn't budge an inch.

Naruto shrugged, unconcerned. "I came here because of you. You've been freaking out, sensing something that I can't. Whatever it is, it's affecting me on the outside." His hand strayed to his stomach. "You're leaking out your emotions, and that's definitely not normal. It's probably since I'm more attuned to you than I should be, but it's definitely new. What gives?"

"You show no fear at all," Kurama said, narrowing his eyes. "You claim I am leaking emotions?" he continued, the slight widening of his eyes the only sign that it was surprised. "You have not used my chakra. I would know if you had. You are wrong."

"Afraid not." Naruto stepped forward, staring at the little seal paper on the door. "The Hakke no Fūin Shiki, my seal, is special. It's built up out of two Shishō Fūin or Four Symbols Seals, but they're not quite touching. There is room for chakra to escape and merge with my existing natural reserves, thereby adapting my body to its nature. I can't even sense it as different from my own anymore, but if you were feeling something strongly enough, I suppose it would leak through with the chakra anyway." He frowned. "Only the most intense hatred or fear could come through without loosening the seal, and sensei hasn't done that yet. What the hell are you so afraid of?"

The fox snarled. "You are just like that other one that locked me in this cage." He shook his head. "So, he not only locked me here, but he intended to leech my chakra as well?"

"I'm a little more like him than you probably realize," Naruto said, smirking.

"You are their child, I know," Kurama snapped, and Naruto blinked. "So, they thought they could use me as a weapon once more, did they?"

"Listen, big fuzzy bastard," Naruto said sharply, stepping up to the bars of the fox's prison with a glare. "I know it all, alright? About the Sage of the Six Paths, the Ten-Tails, the Nine Bijū. Even Madara Uchiha's role. All of it. I don't know what exactly has got your tails in a twist right now, but I've faced this kind of thing before, and I have to know what to get ready for. I will be on the front-lines when things go downhill, and I fear that might be sooner than I'd anticipated."

"You..." Kurama narrowed his eyes. "How could you possibly know such things?"

Naruto shook his head and sighed. "Kurama, you sensed something that I did not. Something bad enough to startle you, which means that even without knowing what it is, I'm about ready to tell someone, anyone, so I can have an excuse for training my ass off. Tell me what the hell it was first. You can't do anything from in here, anyway, so your best bet is to count on me to take care of this for you." He shook his head when the Fox didn't answer. "My goal has never changed, you know. The goal of peace. My methods might have gone... into a darker direction, but I still intend to bring an end to hatred, to save Konoha from itself. And to save you from the hate that consumes you, too." He smiled and looked down at his own reflection, thinking back to what happened shortly after the Fourth Shinobi World War. What happened to him and B, the last two jinchūriki left alive. He couldn't supress a shiver.

"It was him, the same person," the fox said after a long silence, almost reluctantly. "It was a man wearing a mask"

Naruto twitched. Well, that was just a little worse than he'd thought. "He's in Konoha?"

"Very close. Too close." Kurama shuddered.

"He calls himself Tobi, these days, if you must know," Naruto said, sighing. "I know about him, I'm aware of what he did. I also know what he plans to do, which is much worse than anything you've seen yet. The attack on Konoha that left me a jinchūriki was orchestrated by that man, and it was child's play compared to this." He frowned as he paced back and forth through the shallow layer of illusionary water. "When and where did you sense him?"

"I do not know. I only care that he was too close." Kurama turned away and its huge tails swished back and forth in agitation. "I will not allow myself to be controlled again. I will NOT."

"I won't allow it, anyway," Naruto assured him, sighing. He kept up a façade of certainty for Kurama, but his mind was racing. Tobi was in the village, right now. Had that happened, the last time? What had he been doing, right this moment? What could have changded. He stopped, and exhaled slowly. Of course. "The Wave mission," he breathed, staring at Kurama. "I haven't been nagging the Hokage for a C-Rank Mission since I was using clones and they'd just get popped, so we've been training and doing D-Ranks instead. I forgot that I nixed that mission entirely. Damn it. This means Tobi could have been in the village the last time, but we weren't there to notice him. Is this a coincidence, or...?"

Kurama scoffed. "You speak in riddles."

"Hey, I'm thinking, and before you forget, we're inside my head, so I'm allowed to do that," Naruto muttered despondently. "The attack on Sasuke happened on the evening before we would have left with Tazuna, if I'm right. Sasuke must've gone training then, so he was ready for the mission, and he'd have ANBU looking over him. This time around he was probably in bed, and there's nothing at all where he lives. Damn it, did Kakashi fight Tobi? Was that what everyone was hushing up?" He paced, muttering under his breath. "This has to be it. This was what I changed, that triggered the change. But what is Tobi doing in the village, now? It's years before he started his plan..." He shuddered as he thought about the implications. What if the two events were really connected? "Just as I was out of town, and neither of us were there to sense Tobi's chakra, he arrives to mess things up. I should've stayed in Konoha after all. What the hell did he do?"

Kurama snarled unintelligibly. "Boy, I am not stupid, and all of this is beginning to sound like you have broken the strictest of laws. You have changed things, you you destroyed the constants of time, turned back the wheel? Not even the Sage was that arrogant!"

"So, you figured that out, then," Naruto observed dryly. "Took you long enough, and I question that last statement. You are correct, though, in that I stepped through time with the intent of changing the past. I'm succeeding, though it's becoming annoyingly clear that time will always find the most infuriating new path if I'm not there to steer it right."

"Such hubris!" The fox smiled toothily. "The power to change everything to your liking, to alter time itself, that is beyond any I know of. It is the ultimate space-time Ninjutsu. You could kill the masked man, and I will have my vengeance when I consume his soul!"

"I think you hit me with spittle there," Naruto muttered. "I fully intend to take down Tobi, again." He emphasized the last word, and was gratified to note that Kurama calmed at that statement. "I do not claim that I can just hop back and forth in time; the power of this particular technique comes with a number of drawbacks, not the least of which is that using it more than once would be... inadvisable." He shook his head. "I tried sending inanimate objects, at first. It worked, and the changes were so minuscule that I was able to use trial and error to figure out the functionality of the technique. The second time I sent the same object back..." He shuddered. "Regardless, this was as an opportunity. It would work, once. I took that chance."

"It isn't even your own technique, is it? You stole it." Kurama seemed to be rather gleeful about discovering his host was less scrupulous than he'd perhaps anticipated. "Why did you use it?"

Naruto sat down on the ground, floating on top of the thin layer of water effortlessly with a slight release of chakra. "When I chose to go back, things weren't yet at their end, but I could predict how things were going to go if I stayed. I wanted to leave when I still had the hope and spirit that Jiraiya-sensei gave me, the dream of peace. I knew it was getting squashed, slowly, and it terrified me. I was turning into... into Nagato." He frowned at Kurama and shook his head. "I suppose that tells you nothing, though. It was more than twenty-five years from now, and during most of that period, there was a supposed 'peace'. The only thing that meant was that none of the great nations were actively warring at the time. Satellite countries were used as the weapons, competing with each other in lieu of the larger nations, who wished to retain the pact made at the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. All the Kage that survived signed it after all."

He sighed as he thought of all the awful things that had happened during that nominal peace. It had truly been peace in name only. It was during that long period that he'd gone from the bright kid that everyone knew to the shinobi that would remain an S-Rank in all foreign bingo-books. Sometimes, they'd even put down a 'flee on sight' order, which he'd bragged about quite a bit. (Sakura in particular had gotten quite annoyed at that.) Sakura had been one of the few constants in his life, even when she became a full-fledged Medical-nin and perfected her fighting style, which mostly involved punching things so hard they broke. Courtesy of her sensei, Tsunade, of course. That Sakura was gone now, but hopefully she'd reach that level sooner, this time around.

"The long false peace didn't last. Shortly before I left, the Fifth Shinobi World War was starting, and Konoha was once more in the middle of it. The instigators were Kiri and Kumo, both losing a great many clients to the more prosperous nations. After a rogue ninja took out the Mizukage, a far more aggressive woman took the helm, and that was the beginning of the end. The first battles were... awful. I was right there, on the front lines, killing by the dozens, hoping that I could stop it before it got too bad. We were losing. It didn't look it, but our side was getting more savage over time, and theirs... they hadn't even broken a sweat. Attack after attack, and the enemy never wavered. They'd been building up an army for ages, while Konoha had been reticent to do so, trusting that the peace would last. It was like Nagato's predications had come true. Violence just begat more violence, and the idealistic idea of a peaceful shinobi cooperation died when our difference proved greater than our similarities. Yet... I think we can still do it. Perhaps if we can come together over something other than a war. Perhaps I can show the world the truth about the jinchūriki, about the Bijū, before the Dawn."

Kurama stared. "You mean to tell me that you went back because you might've lost? Cowardice?"

"Is it cowardice, when you know the end is inevitable?" He shrugged. "The war, it was getting even bigger than before. Nastier, too. I visited all the shinobi nations to gather intelligence on their capabilities, as I'd gotten pretty good at spying. For a while I was an assassin too, leaving dead bodies in my wake in a desperate attempt to save what could be saved. It was definitely not the way I'd intended things to go. It was the only way, though, that Konoha might survive. Until this."

"This?"

He waved around and shrugged. "The return. It was a one-way trip, I was fully aware of that, and I wouldn't get another shot. That's why I haven't told people, among other reasons. If anyone found out about my... methods of returning, they would go find it themselves. As soon as I have the ability, I will find a way to destroy it, or to block it off: I cannot risk Tobi or anyone else finding my path back. It took me a long time to find, you know. I'd hunted the legends for months, unaware of what exactly I was looking for, beyond that was a scroll that once belonged to a certain sage." He winked as Kurama stepped back. "Yup. The Sage of the Six Paths himself designed my method of return, and I have no doubt he built the limit for only one return into the seals himself. They're so far beyond me I don't even know where to start with figuring them out. I had to go by the warnings written on the scroll itself to know what it was even for. I don't know if the Sage ever used it, but clearly he intended it to be used again, or he would not have included those. " He smirked. "So, what was that again, about arrogance?"

"The Sage..."

"You liked him a lot, didn't you?" Naruto said wistfully. "I remember that look in your eye... or the one you will have in the future, I suppose. I've been compared to the Sage an awful lot, I've always wondered if we really are similar."

"You look nothing like him, brat."

"Not now, perhaps." Naruto smiled. "There was a time when I could summon a shroud of chakra as he did, far in the past. You and I had a sort of understanding. Our chakra was just was our chakra, then. Not yours, not mine, not separated like it is now. This seal was gone." He put his hand on the paper and felt the remnants of his father's chakra beneath his fingers, though it was now maintained by Naruto's own chakra. Somewhere, here, there was more chakra of the man, enough to manifest a full person, but today was not the day to call on that. In any case, the Fourth was doubtlessly listening in right now, however you did that as pure chakra. He looked back at Kurama with a sigh. "For a time, we were allies, even. Switching back and forth in the same body whenever we wished. Then... things went wrong. I won't bore you with the details; the events are unlikely to repeat themselves here, if I can help it. You were gone."

"Gone?" The fox crashed into the gate and snarled. "Impossible!"

"I never found out how they did it," Naruto commented, shaking his head. "I don't think you were dead, just... elsewhere. Taken. You and the Eight-Tails, the only unsealed Bijū that remained. All nine vanished. For a time, I was convinced that Tobi hadn't died; that the one we remembered had been a decoy. I even considered that he'd been successful, that his plan had worked, and we were all caught in a dream. In the end... I never did find out."

"We will speak of this again," Kurama growled, staring at his host with something between distrust and curiosity. "Our time is over. The masked man is gone," he continued. "Your 'Tobi' has left the village. The reason for it is another strong source of chakra, approaching swiftly."

Naruto nodded and blinked as he realized that he was up on the Hokage Monument again, shaken out of his trance. That... had been a one-sided talk. He hadn't realized how much he'd needed a listening ear, to voice what happened, even if it was to a gigantic monster fox. Probably that said some pretty awful things about his psyche.

What had Kurama meant, that the reason for Tobi's departure was approaching? He stood up, staring over the village, and a flash of white crossed multiple roofs in a single stride, skipping some. Naruto couldn't suppress a smile. "Took you long enough," he murmured.

Jiraiya of the Sannin glanced up at the Hokage Monument for a moment, as if sensing Naruto's presence upon it, then entered the Hokage's Tower.

"How come I'm the only one here?" Sakura said, fuming. "Seriously!"

"The only one?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I believe I've been overlooked again. Did I put on my camouflage gear this morning?"

Sakura scowled. "You know what I mean! The mission was supposed to start two hours ago! Sasuke's in the hospital, but where is Naruto?"

Kakashi glanced worriedly towards the Hokage tower. "There were some... personal issues that he needed to resolve. I imagine he needs a little time alone, now. I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow." He leaned against the bridge with a sigh. "With both of the boys missing, I suppose that makes me your personal teacher for the day."

"Can we go see Sasuke?"

Kakashi groaned. "Sasuke will be alright. The hospital's guarded by ANBU; they know what they're doing. Now... we should focus on you." He gave her a lazy look with his one eye. "Genjutsu again? You know you're going to end up lagging behind the others if you don't keep up your training, right?"

Before Sakura could speak, Kakashi raised his hand.

"I know your opinion on Sasuke and Naruto. You're doubtlessly under the impression that Sasuke's the best at everything, and Naruto is the Dead Last who got obsessed with an obscure shinobi technique and doesn't know much else." Sakura hesitated on denying the descriptions, and that was answer enough. Kakashi leaned back and shrugged. "What if I told you that Naruto could beat Sasuke in a fight, even if both were fully healthy?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You'd be lying."

"Would I be?" Kakashi shook his head. "You haven't really seen through Naruto's façade, even now, have you? The one who wishes to study Genjutsu can't even unravel a Genin's admittedly impressive deception?" He shook his head. "I suppose that is irony for you."

"Do you really...?"

"Oh, I believe we'll see Naruto and Sasuke face off, sooner or later. Think back to your Genin exam. It was Naruto that brought you three together, and ultimately used the winning strategy. No, he didn't think of it, but that's the core of teamwork, isn't it?" Kakashi stared out over the little stream that gurgled under his feet. "I haven't seen him in action, really, but the way he moves and acts... I'd think he was a Chūnin or Jōnin, not just a Genin. He's remarkably perceptive, too, especially for his reputation, so I imagine he saw many things without people realizing he was even paying attention. Sasuke's not that much different, really; you're an extraordinary team."

"Except for me." Sakura sighed. "If that's true... then what am I doing here? If Naruto's some kind of genius and he's been faking being a loser all those years..."

"You might not believe in yourselves, but I'm certain Naruto does," Kakashi said, smiling. "I should be a fly on the wall more often: You hear the most interesting things in the hospital. Such as that orange-clad teammate of yours trying to bring Sasuke's spirits up by telling him about his grandiose ambitions. He likened his team to the Three Sannin, and said you could be the next Tsunade. That, now that I think about it, would make me the Third Hokage in the analogy." He smirked. "Can you imagine me as Hokage? How would I even fit that hat on this haircut?"

"You'd just have Pakkun wear it," Naruto said in amusement as he smoothly dropped down next to Kakashi. "He'd look adorable. Also, sorry, I'm just a clone. Boss is at the Tower, for reasons you can predict. Why were you listening in on Sasuke's visitors, by the way?"

"I was hoping there would be some nurses on call, and just happened to overhear you." He shrugged. "I don't get an excuse to visit the hospital very often, I usually don't get hurt." He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes, and the worried expression as he turned in the direction of the hospital was telling enough. "So, you as the next Toad Sage, eh?"

"Yup!" Naruto smirked slyly. "Sasuke didn't appreciate the Orochimaru comparison much, but I think he got where I was going with it. Besides, he is a prick with a superiority complex, so it fits!"

"Naruto!" Sakura snapped, and then paused. "Since when do you use words like 'superiority' or 'complex'?"

The clone rolled his eyes. "I read the dictionary, of course. Clones are invaluable for that kind of thing!"

Sakura sighed, and then glanced up. "So… you said I was like... Tsunade?"

Naruto scowled. "I didn't figure you'd get a big head from something like that… Sasuke, perhaps, but his ego's already three sizes too big. I said you could be like Tsunade, in time. I mean, I was going with the comparison since the Sannin are well-known as some of the best shinobi of the village... I figured Sasuke would appreciate a little boost after getting his butt kicked, and I think it's something that can be done."

"Naruto… Sasuke didn't get his butt kicked as you seem to think. He was ambushed!"

"That just means he wasn't paying attention," Naruto retorted dryly. "Perception is key to being a shinobi, isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi ignored him, a small book in his hand which he flipped through casually. Naruto had practically memorized Icha Icha by now; not because he really spent too much time reading it, but because the things had been shoddily written, and he'd seen to having them republished when he noticed how many copies he'd seen around were old and yellowed. He hadn't removed any of the lewd imagery – really, it wouldn't be Icha Icha without that – but he had fixed up Jiraiya's many mistakes, including an embarrassing habit of Jiraiya to forget which book he was writing and to switch out names from one to the next, or even outright put in his own name, or Tsunade's. It was lucky she'd never read the books.

"Sasuke was attacked in the dark! You can't stop something like that!"

Naruto sighed. "Sakura… tell me again, what profession are we training for?"

"…Shinobi…?"

"Right, and what's one of the core mission types for all ninja? Infiltration and assassination, correct? As Genin we might not end up doing anything like that, but you know that people might die even in a C-Rank mission, if you aren't careful. Sneaking in and killing someone in the night is not just a mission we might one day get. It's almost a certainty."

"Those are at least B-Rank mission, Naruto. You won't get to anything like that until you're at least Chūnin," Kakashi chimed in. "You don't really have to worry about that just yet."

"I know, but that's not the point, is it? If you're crying foul at someone attacking in the night, you're basically saying that the ninja profession is a bad thing, and then you really shouldn't be trying to become one yourself." He narrowed his eyes at Sakura, who suddenly looked uncertain. "That doesn't mean you have to tolerate this kind of attack on a teammate. Just make sure that the next time someone tries to attack him, you're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To protect him, if need be. To heal him, perhaps." Naruto shrugged. "Even an elite Uchiha can be caught from behind, you know. As a Kunoichi with near-perfect chakra control, I bet you would find medical techniques a lot of fun, and if you perfect your Genjutsu you could be a fantastic support shinobi. Those generally don't get assigned to the bloody missions, aside from with a team. You'd probably never do a mission like that alone."

Kakashi shook his head. "Solo missions are definitely B-Rank or higher, Naruto. Don't scare Sakura with things that are years in the future."

"Are they?" Naruto stared at Kakashi for a long moment. "You know as well as I do that things can go very wrong, very quickly. How old were you when you got that eye?"

Kakashi just stared for a long moment, and then turned away. "The Hokage told you about that?"

"He is not the only one who knows your history," Naruto said simply. "I did my research. Anyway, you already know I talked to the Hokage, and you know what that was about. Don't tell me you think I was just going out of town to train that for fun? I know you're not that naive."

Kakashi didn't answer, just staring for a long while. "You're more like him than I'd expected, you know. After the stories they told me about you, I figured you looked more like the other side, but I guess they were wrong."

Sakura blinked confusedly. "You are both confusing! What do you mean, Naruto is more like him? Like who, the Hokage?"

"It's not really important, Sakura. Now… should we get started on something? I can't really train much like this, but I could help you out, I suppose…" Naruto frowned, glancing at Kakashi. "There was one thing that I wanted to show you, sensei… Watch this."

Sakura blinked in confusion as her teammate edged forward,. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Naruto smiled lecherously. "Sakura-chan, do you want to go out on a date?" He made an exaggerated kissing motion in her direction after that.

The reaction was as predictable as it was brutal. With a shout of 'NARUTO!' Sakura lurched forward, fuming. Her punch impacted right on the clone's jaw, and it vanished in a puff of smoke. For a moment things were perfectly silent as Sakura huffed. "That's not nearly as satisfying with a clone…"

Kakashi just stared. That punch had been a hell of a lot faster than any she'd thrown before, and a lot more powerful. It was laced with chakra, even. "Sakura… where did you learn that technique?"

Naruto winced, rubbing his jaw. It was a phantom pain, really, since his Shadow Clone's pain didn't actually get transferred with the memories, but he remembered the feeling of one of Sakura's punches well enough to know that they could be devastating, and his jaw had met plenty of them over the years. He hadn't anticipated the clone to be popped within five minutes, so clearly he'd been a bit more distracted than he thought when he made that clone, and it'd wanted to get its job over with. He supposed he couldn't blame it; he would personally also like to leave someone else to pick up the pieces, sometimes. His worried thoughts about Tobi's involvement sucked much of the enjoyment out of the moment that a reunion with Jiraiya should have been, and he hoped he could set that aside, at least for a moment.

There was one thing that had him worrying, though, something that had come up early in conversation when he'd arrived at the bridge. Kakashi had definitely not been at the hospital when he was. Naruto had thoroughly checked and double-checked that he was alone, and he was good enough to spot ANBU. Kakashi lurking nearby would've stood out. The only conclusion, then, was that Sasuke's room was bugged. His teacher and perhaps the Hokage himself were listening in on everything that Sasuke was doing, possible even watching him. That meant that his theory on Tobi's connection with the events surrounding Sasuke suddenly got a lot more credible, since they wouldn't go to such lengths if there was nothing going on. This was most definitely not a good thing.

Staring at the closed door of the Hokage's office, Naruto frowned. He couldn't just barge in, really. He might have done so in the past, plenty of times, but right now the Hokage was well aware his clueless bravado was an act. He'd already been reprimanded for his wanderings once, he didn't want to get another one on top; he could do without ANBU tracking his every movement. Sasuke could have that dubious honour.

The talk with Kurama weighed heavily on his mind, and he had trouble focusing on anything else but taking out Tobi right then and there, however he could, to prevent what was yet to come. Tobi had been in Konoha, in this very village, right under everyone's noses. Nobody had even noticed his presence, aside from his tenant… and even that was lucky. Compound that with the possibility that Tobi had gotten to Sasuke… Chills ran down his back at the thought. Years too early… Tobi was already active. Had he just made a minor shift in the man's activities, or had he actually caused things to become worse? He couldn't bear the thought of accidentally having triggered the Fourth Shinobi World War to be much earlier.

If that was the case, though, then he'd need to act quickly, more so even than he'd really planned. Akatsuki had been fairly slow with gathering the Bijū, last time, gathering most of them in the months preceding the war. He'd thought that he could leave most of them be for the longest time, where they wouldn't perturb events too much. That… might not be an option. Killer B would understand, of course, and he'd probably even help out. The man had always had a rather cheerful disposition, even if he was a menace in a serious fight. Yugito would probably help as well, if she knew the stakes.

Yagura might already be a lost cause; he'd never found out when he died in the original timeline, but it was early. He could still be Mizukage, or all Naruto knew, but if he was he wouldn't dare approach the man, as he knew who'd been lurking in the background during his reign. The twisted hands of Tobi had been pulling his strings.

Rōshi and Han, from Iwa, were next. He didn't know much about them, but if he remembered right they were hard-headed and steadfast, and both had only gotten visits from Akatsuki quite far into the future, which gave him some time. Then there were Utakata and Fū… how was he going to warn them all? What would he even tell them? 'Hey, I'm from the future, please believe me?' Damn it, why did everything always have to be so complicated?

"You look real down, kid," a soft voice said next to him, and Naruto blinked in consternation. His eyes swerved up to meet two black eyes with red lines descending down from them. He burst into a luminous grin.

"Pervy Sage!"

The white-haired Sage rocked back on his heels, looking affronted. "What did you call me?" Jiraiya exclaimed, fuming. "Why, you little runt! Is that what the first thing you say to your godfather?"

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, staring at the man before him. Oddly enough, Jiraiya actually looked younger than he remembered. Perhaps it was the lines around the eyes, or his memory was simply faulty. He couldn't stop smiling. "It's good to see you again after so long."

"…You remember that? You were paying attention then, even as a tyke..." Jiraiya smirked. "Eleven years have passed since that… I can barely believe it, you know. Uzumaki Naruto, all grown and every bit as precocious as your old man, I hear. Found out about your family on your own, eh? I figured the old monkey would've told you, but that works…"

Naruto shrugged. "I took a bunch of dad's scrolls from the Hokage tower, and he'd scribbled down ideas for his kid's name on one of those. I found my own, circled. That pretty much told me what was going on. The Hokage actually thought it was funny that I nicked his stuff, I think…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Jiraiya laughed, and for a moment it seemed like all the problems and worries that had crept up on him were swept away, and Naruto was at peace. Jiraiya of the Sannin, his one-time teacher, and the closest thing to family he'd probably ever had. For three years they'd travelled the world together, and they were still some of the best he'd ever had, even with the downsides.

"So, you're my new teacher, then."

Jiraiya smiled at Naruto and shrugged. "You seem to have a pretty good idea of who I am. You looked up a little more than just your dear old dad's scrolls, did you? You know, the source of the name he finally picked for you came from something very dear to me - my first book."

"Icha Icha? Pretty good, but you suck at editing," Naruto smiled at the Toad Sage's shocked expression. Oh, he'd missed this. "Lisa changes into Anko mid-sentence for example, and then back again. Is this 'Anko' another character of yours, or is she perhaps a real person…?"

"Know-it-all brat," Jiraiya muttered. "I should have guessed, with genes like yours. Come; let's leave the old man to his work. You and I have some seals to check, including the one on your stomach, of course. Get up, get up, we're burning away the hours."

Naruto sighed. "Yes, slave driver. You meet your godson, and it's not ten minutes before you're bossing him around? What's next, you're going to sneak out and spy on women in the hot baths?"

Jiraiya blinked. "I – well, actually, yes."

"You're even more predictable than I'd expected." Naruto smirked. He knew the Tobi problem needed fixing, and a small legion of clones would be up non-stop to keep an eye on things. He was also aware he'd probably end up breaking a ton of laws before long, but he had to protect Konoha, now more than ever. With Pervy Sage back in town, though, he had access to one of the greatest teachers he could have hoped for, one that had things to show to even an experienced shinobi like himself, and he suddenly felt some optimism. His ticket to becoming an actual threat to half the things that were bearing down on Konoha had arrived. If he'd be rocketing up the shinobi ranks, it wouldn't be a surprise to this man; he'd taught someone like that before, after all. Between that and his covert activities in getting Sasuke and Sakura to specialize early and get a hell of a lot better, he and the village would be ready for almost anything well before Akatsuki was even an issue. But... that would only work if he kept the war from starting any time soon.

He might just have to enforce that himself.

Naruto summoned three dozen clones, and they left immediately on their new task. There was one jinchūriki that he had easy access to, one that might be very interested in Akatsuki's activities; now was a good time to inform him, just in case. Perhaps it would sway the boy's mind, to know that there were people out there that would kidnap him to kill him, and steal his tenant. Perhaps Gaara would be the ally he remembered, once more.

He really needed some allies.

Author's Note: The pieces are in place, now. With Naruto straining to keep a grip on things and Tobi already lurking nearby - though is that a change, or not? - things are heating up a little. The scheme with the Kazekage has yet to really impact events back in Konoha, but the inevitable clash of Suna and Oto ain't far off, or Konoha's response, for that matter. Next chapter Sasuke's finally released from the hospital, and Naruto's adamant to have the training session he'd alluded to when he visited. Meanwhile a horde of Naruto's clones meet up with Gaara, and hunt down any clues as to Tobi's activities, and the attack on Sasuke.

Meanwhile, Akatsuki begins to stir.