The chapter is slightly longer than I thought it would be... oh well. Also, I shamelessly admit the Hinata/Tenten moment was indeed a shout out to My Little Pony. The next chapters will include shout out to works like Pokémon, Saints Row, and Looking for Group. Not in that order.

Thanks ABitterPill for betaing.

Disclaimer: reading this means you're awesome.


Chapter Seven:

Red Sand

"You should be more polite in the presence of a relative," Sasori of the Red Sand whispered softly, "For we are among the last of the Uzumaki… and I am the elder one. Respect is lost on the young nowadays."

Naruto was confused, and inwardly, terrified. Confused because he did not understand how the man could look like a teen when he had to be over thirty years old, and terrified because there was no way he could get out of this situation alive on his own. Sasori and Orochimaru together wouldn't need to lift a finger to murder him.

The cruel spectacle offered by the remains of Team 7 was proof enough of that.

Of course, Naruto simply hoped to buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive, or perhaps present an opening for Fuu and Han to exploit. The two containers had managed to stay hidden… either that or the duo of criminals pretended not to have noticed them. "I see you came for Sasuke instead of me," he said with faked jealousy. "And since you work for Orochimaru, I guess the kidnapping attempt on my person was your idea?"

"Yes, although my partner was slightly too… zealous," Sasori glared briefly at the Sannin, who shrugged. "I simply wanted to talk with you, like civilized men. Neither the Samsara nor the blackmail were my doing."

"Then why not talk here and now?"

"So your teammates can sneak up on us and free the Uchiha? When the ANBU are on their way?" It was confirmed, he had seen the ambush coming. "Get out of the leaves before I strike you down with fire. Both of you."

Fuu and Han jumped at Naruto's side, ready to fight. Naruto dropped all pretense of weakness and seized a kunai, calculating the distance between the two groups. "Surprised?"

"Yes. I was astonished to see three Jinchuuriki in Konoha… but one has to be prepared for everything."

Orochimaru shrugged. "It was our lucky day, indeed. Tell me, Naruto-kun, what do you want? We have no desire to fight… we will simply leave with the Uchiha and come for you later. I promise you we shall not kill Sasuke-kun."

"Sorry, but the guy, while a jerk, is a comrade and friend of mine… and I'm pretty sure death isn't the worst thing that can happen as one of your prisoners."

"What are we waiting for then?" Fuu shrugged.

Sasori narrowed his eyes. "If you will not let us go," he began, "Then there is another option: leave with us. Akatsuki would be glad to employ you."

is he joking? Naruto faked surprise. "Akatsuki?"

"Do not take us for fools. Sarutobi-sensei informed you of our existence, did he not?" Orochimaru licked his lips deviously and chuckled. "I am pretty sure he deformed reality to suit his needs. He has always been a tricky monkey."

"Say the war criminal," Naruto shot back. "So what, you're going to pretend you're the good guys?"

"We are above petty notions such as as good and evil." Sasori snorted. "Akatsuki is a community aiming to destroy and replace the Hidden Villages, imposing a one world order over the entire planet. Surely you will be treated better with us than in the wilderness or in this decaying country. Akatsuki will give you the means and training needed to reach your full potential. You want power and authority? You will get it. Wealth, knowledge, money… Akatsuki can offer you the world, in exchange for your allegiance."

"Then why do you abduct the demon vessels?" Fuu pointed out.

"Only those who refuse to join us," Orochimaru grinned. "You can't expect us to take no for an answer."

"The Tailed Beasts are the pillars maintaining the balance of power in the ninja world. By uniting nine Jinchuuriki under a single banner, we will topple the Five Kage." Sasori glanced at the different containers. "Ask yourself. What did the Hidden Villages do for you? They send hunters after you, treat you like tools to be discarded and replaced as they see fit. Wouldn't your life be better if they were wiped off the maps? Don't you want them to pay for what they did to you?"

"The Han doesn't care for the political shit," the giant said. "The Han wants to learn what you did to Roshi."

"Who?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, sounding genuinely surprised. "I do not know who you're talking about."

The former Iwa-nin frowned. "Lies."

Sasori snorted and locked eyes with Naruto. "And you, Naruto? Why don't you join your cousins? Leader-sama simply seeks to complete Uzu's legacy. He is the one, the only one, who can give you the heritage that is rightfully yours by blood. Leader-sama can cure you of your illness, teach you how to control the Kyuubi. I know of your desire to be the best ninja you can possibly be. Akatsuki will help you reach this goal."

A part of him, that always desired to stop being the underdog and prove himself to the world, wanted to say yes… but the cold, reasonable part of his mind reminded him this man was an insane war criminal wanted by Suna for massacring his own countrymen.

Then the realization hit him. "Cousins? As in plural? You don't mean-"

"Oh, so Leader is an Uzumaki?" Orochimaru chuckled. "Interesting."

Ignoring his partner, Sasori continued his discussion with his distant relative. "This is what your grandfather and mother would have wanted," he told the blonde. "You were not old enough to meet our grandfather… but I was. He lived long enough to pass on the knowledge of our clan."

The information caused Naruto to be genuinely surprised. "My… mother?"

"We share the same grandfather, Naruto. He lived a happy life in Uzu, with his daughter, Kushina… until Konoha savagely kidnapped her when she wasn't even five, to create a weapon of war able to tame the Nine Tails. Our grandfather lost the rest of his family in the flood that destroyed his home, and, being denied access to Konoha and his own child, emigrated to Suna. He remarried, and here I am."

"You're lying!" Naruto replied. "Mom can't have been-"

"What do you know?" Sasori cut in. "What do you of our clan? Do you think we were wiped out because of sealing techniques everyone had already copied? No, we had unlocked the secrets of the great Sage himself, and we had found-"

At this moment, his and Orochimaru's eyes widened, and they leapt in opposite directions right when Han attempted to crash on them from above. The giant standing next to Naruto vanished into steam, the clone having served as an effective diversion. "Fuu, at the first opportunity, take Sasuke to safety," Naruto told the girl, as Han did not wait for them to attack. Without Sasori's focus, the chakra strings restraining the Uchiha vanished, leaving him vulnerable.

"You idiot you can't take any of these two down alone," Fuu hissed.

"Then hurry to hide Sasuke and return!" He shot back, throwing three kunai upgraded with explosive tags. "The ANBU should crash the party very soon."

"I am sorry to drown your hopes in despair, cousin…" Sasori apologized softly, as he dodged the projectiles without any effort, before pointing his arm toward the Jinchuuriki. "But the Uchiha stays with us."

A cone of fire was produced by his open palm, burning the grass on its way. The trio jumped out of its range, Orochimaru instantly seizing the opportunity to punch Han in the face… and the demon vessel quickly counterattacking with a slap, whose sheer strength send the Sannin to crash on a tree a bit away.

"So you occupied our attention with a clone, so the original could sneak up on us? Futile, but smart." Sasori's arm released a volley of senbon at Naruto, who avoided them. Fuu started releasing her dust in the air, while her blonde comrade memorized the puppeteer's location. "What's next? Ah yes, the blinding powder that doesn't surprise anybody…"

Closing his eyes just as the clearing was filled with bright light, Naruto brought out a knife and raced forward, hoping to capitalize on Sasori's temporary blindness. A powerful kick to the torso, coming out of nowhere, put an end to that hope. Opening his eyes with a groan, the blonde prepared to kill the attacker with a swing-

"The hel-"

A rounded projectile of metal broke his nose and tossed him to the ground. The floating weapon aimed to crush his legs with a new blow, only for the blonde to regain his footing and dodge. The teen raised his head, and observed his new opponent.

It was the Third Kazekage. He had seen his photo in the Bingo Book.

It was his face, it was his body… and the eyes were devoid of life. He was wearing black robes, and his forearms had been reinforced with metals plates. His movements weren't as fluid as they should be, and chakra strings were linking his limbs to Sasori's hand…

Realization hit him with utmost cruelty. "No… you desecrated his corpse…"

Sasori shrugged, uttering his next words with absolute callousness. "He wasn't that hard to kill and collect. His prowess were exaggerated." As Fuu attempted to assault the puppeteer with taijutsu, the disgusting puppet switched target, pushing the girl back with a wall of black sand. "You shouldn't be bothered. His death made the Third Shinobi War possible, and helped avenge our family. You can thank me later-"

Naruto was already at his throat, a kunai in his right hand. "BASTARD!" he shouted with rage, his vision reddened. The Kyuubi's chakra was going wild in his veins, allowing him to cross the gap between the two enemies in the blink of an eye. And in his rage, the Jinchuuriki couldn't care less.

Sasori absentmindedly caught Naruto's right forearm with his hand, stopping the attack easily… and then the blonde launched his left fist forward, aiming for the skull.

A new hand ripped Sasori's cape apart and caught the punch.

Before Naruto could compute what the hell happened, a fourth arm emerged from the puppeteer's shirt and slammed the Uzumaki's torso, at the exact point where the Yondaime's seal was located.

There was no word to describe the pain Naruto experienced at this micro-instant. To his mind, it was as if his very flesh was suddenly put on fire, the demonic chakra in his veins vanishing in a blink, damaging the nerves. His previous superhuman strength was replaced by absolute and sudden weakness.

"No more Nine Tails." Sasori's words were uttered with disturbing calm and serenity. "Which makes you a nothing, instead of a something."

The palm tightened into a fist and punched Naruto's ribs with the power of a cannonball. Naruto kept a scream of pain in check, as he felt at least two ribs shattering. Meanwhile, the hands restraining his arms increased their grip, slowly cracking the bones. "That, cousin, is the difference," Sasori continued, "Between real ninjas, and those who play at being ninjas. The power to inflict pain."

Much to Naruto's surprise, two new arms, bringing the total to six, torn apart the missing-nin's robes and started projecting streams of fire at Fuu, who already was struggling with the Third Kazekage's metal sand. Meanwhile, Orochimaru was pushing back Han with Wind techniques, summoning snakes to keep the Jinchuuriki busy while he bombarded him from long-range.

"This is Leader-sama's power, awarded to me for my services… the power of the Asura Path." Sasori snorted, as Naruto attempted to kick his captor's torso. Each blow obviously hurt the blonde more than the redhead. "Look at you, Naruto. What are you? A pathetic, crippled kid holding on the illusion he can succeed on his own. What's your goal? To be the strongest ninja by will and training alone? You make me laugh. The only way for you to become the best would be to drag others to your level, which is impossible… or cast away all weaknesses."

His third hand caught Naruto's jaw, forcing the blonde to lock eyes with his cousin. "Let me tell you a secret, Naruto. The strength of a ninja is not conditioned by determination. It's conditioned by how far one is willing to go to gain power. I ripped my own flesh apart so I wouldn't admit weakness, while you refused the strength offered to you. Your mind and body are weak. They will stay this way, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise… the only remedy to your weakness is our help. Not your friends, not Konoha, not all the dreams in the world. It's the power we can offer… for a price. This is the real world. The world where the strong prosper and the weak crawl. Like Anko Mitarashi."

Naruto's eyes snapped wide. "Wha-"

"I caught and captured her," Sasori snorted. "Will she live? Will she die? Her fate is yours to decide. When Tobi comes to pick us up, I will make you see the real world. If you don't… I am afraid Mitarashi won't live long. You shall be the catalyst that will allow Leader-sama to drown in fire the old world to bring about a new order… or you shall be dirt under his-"

A green beast hit the puppeteer's torso, sending him to fly away and forcing him to release his hold over the blonde, who fell to his back. The teen could barely identify the creature, as it started to engage the mechanized missing-nin. It was pure green chakra, with the shape of a beetle, using four wings to fly. Fuu, he realized. It's Fuu…

Naruto's body was wracked with pain, but he refused to lay down. "I'm not weak…" he told himself, as he crawled in a vain attempt to rise up. "I'm not… weak…"

"Fu, fu…. Muttering to oneself now?" Orochimaru's voice was mocking, cruel, and painful for the ears. His hand grabbed Naruto by the collar and forced him to watch the Sannin. "Mmm… I like your eyes. They remind me of my own." He grinned sadistically. "It's decided! I'm going to leave you a gift. You can thank me later… if you survive, that's it."

The last thing Naruto remembered before falling into unconsciousness was a pair of fangs biting his neck.


He was back in the sewers. Again.

"You're weak, boyo."

"Shut up," he replied coolly, laying in the water. He wasn't in the mood to listen, and his head hurt like hell. His brain was literally ablaze. "I don't want to talk with you."

"You would prefer kit?" the fox mocked him, "Admit it, you're pathetic, kit. You think you can survive without me, kit? Look at what happened when this Sasori cut you off from my chakra… you were helpless, kit."

"I would have figured something out!" he denied, angrier.

"What? You would have asked him nicely to release you? Brought out some little trick he would have shrugged off effortlessly?" The Kyuubi licked its fangs predatorily. "With my power, you could have saved Anko."

The blow was harsh, and hurt as much as if it had been physical. Seeing the boy's distress, the Bijuu continued. "I've the power to crush mountains and dry out seas… look at what we could do if we worked together! You could be the strongest ninja of all times! You could crush Akatsuki on your own! Heck, you could take over the world all by yourself! All you have to do is to ask! With your strategic mind and my abilities, nothing would be impossible…"

"And then what?" Naruto frowned distastefully. "You're going to make me destroy Konoha?"

"What did this place do for you?" The fox did not attempt to deny its murderous intentions. "Rejected you, treated you like dirt… your Sandaime Hokage used you as a glorified bait! Why would you care if it were gone?"

Naruto rose up and glared at the creature. "Just leave me alone."

"You can deny it all you want, but I'm the only one that understands you on the entire planet," the demonic being snorted. "We're alike you and I. And one day… you shall rip this seal off and we shall shake paws."

Naruto finally opened his eyes, blinded by the daylight.

"Finally awake?" Sarutobi's voice reached his ears first, but it was Yugao's face he saw first. He briefly glanced around himself, and realized, much to his annoyance, he was in the exact same hospital room he ended up after his first encounter with Orochimaru. Beside the Hokage and the ANBU, Han, Fuu and Sasuke were also present. The Uchiha was in a worse shape than the rest, covered with bruises and wearing an hospital robe.

"Yeah…" His neck was burning. The pain was nearly unbearable, and he did his best to ignore it. "What happened? How long was I out of action?"

"Easy," Yugao said. "You were asleep for a day, and you should rest."

"Jinchuuriki are stronger than that," Fuu replied with pride, "You collapsed after Orochimaru bit your neck."

"The pain, coupled with the brutal withdrawal of the Nine Tails' chakra, caused you to pass out," Sarutobi explained calmly. "My student attempted to capture you next, but fortunately, your two fellow hosts managed to hold him and his partner long enough for my forces to join the fray."

"The Han is unhappy they got away," the giant whispered, "That masked freak appeared out of nowhere and teleported away with them."

"Fortunately they failed to get Sasuke and the Bi-" Naruto stopped briefly, and glanced at the Uchiha. "You know, I'm guessing?"

"Hokage-sama saw fit to inform me." Sasuke clenched his jaw, as if his next words were a source of pain. "Thanks. For saving me."

"The injuries you received were severe, but the new influx of chakra provided by the seal helped you recover," Yugao whispered. "The medics did the rest. You should be out of the hospital tomorrow."

"I see…" Naruto blanched suddenly. "Wait, Sasori sealed off the Kyuubi's chakra…" Unfortunately, not enough to cut the connection off completely. "So what provided the chakra?"

Sarutobi and Sasuke both clenched their jaw, and the latter compulsively massaged his neck. The blonde Jinchuuriki immediately understood. "What did Orochimaru put on my neck exactly?"

The Uchiha shrugged off the shoulder of his robe, revealing it. A seal composed of three black curved lines. "You have the same," Yugao explained. "It is one of Orochimaru's Cursed Seals, a special enhancement increasing the physical abilities of the bearer, and giving access to a new chakra reserve. One of our seal masters managed to render the Cursed Seal of Heaven useless, but this one is another model."

"Normally, it feeds on the bearer's chakra upon activation, which results in death nine times out of ten," Sarutobi explained. "Due to your… condition… you are able to survive without chakra, which allowed you to live. The seal produced enzymes and chakra to help you recover, but unfortunately, the effects on the subject aren't documented enough to allow a safe use."

"And everything that comes from Orochimaru is bad news," Naruto said. "What about the Kyuubi?"

"A former student of mine will arrive in the Village very soon to deal with Sasori's modifications." Sarutobi coughed. "Naruto… about Anko…"

"Sasori has her." The admission caught the rest of the group off guard. "He told it to me."

"We will recover her," Yugao promised, narrowed her eyes dangerously. "What do you intend to do?"

"I'm gonna find Anko and kill Sasori, in that order if possible," the blonde replied with a strangely serene voice. "Even if it takes me decades."


Most of Naruto's time at the hospital was spent on writing a detailed report on the forest's events. When he could get out of the hospital, it was escorted by a whole squad of ANBU. They did not talk, yet the blonde had little trouble guessing the reason for the Sandaime's zeal: if Sasori and Orochimaru had dared to infiltrate the Village once, then they could come back for round two anytime.

"You're going to move elsewhere," Yugao told him, as she joined the group. "The Hokage asks you to take everything necessary and then move to your new home. Han, Fuu and Sasuke have already relocated there."

"Where are we going?"

"The Hokage residence." His surprise must have shown on his face, for Yugao instantly elaborated. "This is the safest place in Konoha with the ANBU HQ. The Hokage's ninja will transfer your lab to it afterward. Take what you need the most."

"I see…" he opened his home's door. "Just… give me two minutes. I will be back soon."

When alone inside his flat, Naruto started gathering his precious items in silence… until he found the Samsara. He glanced at the serum, wordlessly pondering what to do with it.

"You make me laugh. The only way for you to become the best would be to drag others to your level, which is impossible… or cast away all weaknesses."

Reacting almost on impulse, Naruto removed his sleeve, and prepared the syringe for an injection. No one is going to mock me again, he told himself. With it, he could be cured… he could gain what should have been his at birth.

"This is the real world. The world where the strong prosper and the weak crawl."

He raised the syringe… and hesitated.

Could he truly let Sasori's words affect him? Could he truly try this substance? It might cure him yes. Give him the power to beat the madman, probably. But he still had no idea on its composition, and the side effects were not to be ignored. The might he would gain, he would have to pay the price for it… he would have to play by the puppeteer's rules instead of his own.

After long minutes of indecision, he reached a conclusion.

Putting the unused serum in his bag, the teen finished gathering his belongings, and closed his flat's door behind him.

Naruto Uzumaki had a long way to reach the top, but he would do it by his efforts alone.


The Hokage residence was one of the biggest buildings in Konoha, easily the size of the Academy. Naruto had never visited the private quarters the Hokage's relatives occupied, aware it was simply out of his league and much more protected than the administrative parts. It had taken him a lot of preparation to steal the Forbidden Scroll, and as much as he hated to admit it, it had been a close call. The inhabited areas were under the constant watch of the ANBU, as the Sandaime's family would make good hostages.

"This will be your new room," the old man told him. Naruto had a hard time believing it. It was the size of his whole apartment! "Make yourself comfortable."

"It shouldn't be hard." Naruto dropped his bag, and glanced at the Hokage. "Old man… I do not want to sound rude, but… you didn't have to show me my room personally. I'm… honored."

"You have been protecting the Village since the moment you were born, son." The war leader inhaled sharply. "I should have taken you in years ago."

"You had a Hidden Village to manage," the blonde pointed out, inwardly touched by the admission.

"I wanted you to live a normal life… when it was obvious you would never be normal." The old man sighed sadly. "When you get older, you think you have learned from your mistakes… If I could change the past, I would do things differently."

"What is done is done… and what must be done shall be done." Naruto chuckled briefly at his own pathetic attempt at philosophy. "I don't dislike you for your choices. Everyone makes mistakes… and I'm not the kind of guy to sulk in a corner." He shrugged his shoulders. "May I ask you a question?"

"Do so."

"Why did Orochimaru and Sasori go at such lengths to catch Sasuke?" he asked. The question had bothered him for a long time. "Why risking infiltrating a Hidden Village on high alert?"

Sarutobi snorted. "Tell me, Naruto, when you want to kill a enemy, what do you do?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "I hide my strength to catch him off guard, then I trap and kill him before he even understands what hit him."

"Akatsuki is trying this method with other countries. But tell me, son… what would you do if your enemy knows what you can do, and is prepared accordingly?"

"I would try to intimidate him. Psychological warfare, so he would slip up." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "That's what they were trying to do?"

"This is commonly called terrorism in our jargon. Psychological warfare on a national scale and political destabilization." The Hokage crossed his arms. "If the last Uchiha, a symbol of the Leaf's grandeur, had been captured, crippled, or worse killed with his team, this would have been a heavy blow to our morale. Akatsuki failed at this goal… but their second objective has been completed. They have shown they can attack us any time and penetrate our deepest defenses. If the other Hidden Villages hear missing-nins managed to infiltrate our city, which hopefully won't be the case, they might think the Leaf is weak and get ideas. Or ambitious people inside this very city might consider I am doing a bad job and should be removed. I'm seventy after all…"

"Onoki is older than you, and it doesn't bother Iwa. You have more experience than anybody else in this country and I really can't picture anyone else behind your desk." Naruto scratched his head. "In any case, if there had to be a vote on whether or not you should be taken down, I would support you."

"Thank you." The Sandaime nodded. "Tell me, Naruto," he began, "Do you know the meaning of your codename?"

The ninja took a breath, and realized he had never bothered to investigate its meaning. "No, but I've got the feeling you're going to tell me."

"Atlas is the name of a giant from an ancient mythology which interests only old scholars and historians nowadays. As you can guess, only someone like me could think of it." The Hokage shrugged. "He was the one tasked with the burden of holding the skies and clouds in place, preventing them from crashing upon the earth below, starting the end of the world."

"Is it symbolic of the Kyuubi?"

"Smart boy. Yes, you are right." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled kindly. "I thought with your determination… you were worthy of a giant's name."

The teen grinned, before adopting a stoic face. "Old man… I've a sin to confess. I lied to you." Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, inviting him to carry on. "When Orochimaru detained me… I stole a serum he created…"

The Hokage took his breath. "Carry on."


"Hey," Fuu's voice reached Naruto's ears, "What are you doing?"

The blonde closed the dossier, and glanced at his friends. Fuu, Han, Yugao and Sasuke all watched him with worried expressions. "Reading my mother's dossier… Uzumaki Kushina's jounin dossier."

"Your mother was a Kunoichi?" Sasuke asked, sounding surprised. He had always thought Naruto's parents were civilians that died in the Kyuubi's attack, which would explain his lack of talent in the ninja disciplines.

"A pretty good one," he replied proudly, "Sandaime-sama kept it for me to read when I would be old enough… she had one hell of a crazy life." Although at no point is my dad mentioned, Naruto thought. Was he the result of a one night stand, a brief affair? Or had Kushina's lover been another S-Rank criminal? "Unfortunately… it confirms at least part of Sasori's rambling."

The group kept the silence, leaving him to explain the details. "My mother did indeed share the same father as Sasori's progenitor, which makes us distant cousins. She was taken young from her home as part of an agreement between Konoha and Uzushiogakure. It was perfectly legal… but I can understand why my grandpa saw it as an abduction. It explains… some elements about Sasori's motives."

He shrugged. "When I hit him, I'm pretty sure it was an alloy I hit. Metal. Not flesh." Naruto massaged his temples. "Considering he did not age in fifteen-to-twenty years, nor show any emotion, there are two possibilities. Either what we fought was a remotely controlled puppet, which is unlikely, as we would have noticed strings and I highly doubt that a robot could control the Third Kazekage so… so skillfully… or he turned himself into a machine, which would fit his perfectionism syndrome."

"Wait," Fuu cut in, "The guys had six arms, his torso and face were heavily modified… no human could survive so many enhancements."

"The Uzumaki possess a strong lifeforce." Naruto glanced at the dossier. "According to an autopsy, my mother suffered an… event… which should have caused the implosion of her entire chakra system, and survived for twenty minutes after her heart was impaled by the Nine Tails' claw." A new crime piling up on the demon's head. "As long as he kept his vital organs intact, I wouldn't be surprised if Sasori replaced the rest of his body."

"Which means he can be killed if his torso is pierced," Han pointed out. "If hit hard enough, like by the Han's Apoca-Fist. Steel itself bends."

"Sure, when we'll be over with him, Sasori will be Sa-sorry."

Naruto couldn't repress a laugh at Fuu's horribly bad pun. He needed this kind of thing in such dark times. If the Seven-Tails' vessel's expression was truthful, it had been done intentionally. "Yeah…" he glanced at Yugao. "Still nothing on these two?"

"No. The research department is struggling to understand the technique they used to teleport away, and a few of our departments are currently suffering a… reorganization." Purge would have been a better word, but the ANBU avoided mentioning it. Catching the moles was a source of sweat and troubles for the Hokage.

"Then… I've something to ask you, Yugao." He got down to his hands and knees. "Please teach me."

The woman was slightly surprised. "Teach you?"

"I'm nowhere near strong enough to fight Akatsuki right now," the blonde admitted. "I need to be better. Much better. And you're the strongest person I'm friend with beside the Sandaime and Gai, who are both occupied."

"I… I never taught but…" Yugao paused. "Alright. But you will follow my schedule."

"It can't be worse than Gai's." He smiled and bowed respectfully. "Thank you."

Sasuke observed the scene, and reached a decision. He glanced at Han, and although asking for help was nearly painful for the Uchiha, he swallowed his pride. "Would you… would it be possible for you to teach me?"

Han raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to have a teacher?"

"Kakashi only taught me to climb trees. I need more than that if I want to protect myself and others." He shrugged. "I saw you in action in the Forest of Death. You're… you're strong. Very strong. I… I don't want to be helpless, ever again."

"Oh well…" The giant gave the boy a light tap on his back, which, due to a combination to the Uchiha's own state of weakness and the Jinchuriki's own strength, made him fall to the ground. "The Han will infuse you with a tiny part of his pure awesomeness."

After his friends left, Naruto proceeded to put two photos next to his bed. The first was his mother's portrait. He had never seen her and would never get to speak to her, but the sentimental value was too great to ignore.

The other was one he took with Anko, both members of the duo grinning at the watcher.

"I promise you…" He bowed to the photo. "I'm going to find you."


As a temporary proctor, Naruto was among the first informed about the second exam's results.

Five teams in total had made it to the tower in time. Team Gai, Team 8, and Team 10, Gaara's squad, and a trio from Kiri. Fifteen participants was exceptional, so preliminaries had been decided to cut the number by half.

After a few matches and one automatic qualification in Shikamaru Nara's case, the entirety of team Gai, Hinata Hyuuga, Gaara, and two Kiri-nin called Chojuro and Suigetsu Hozuki had made it to the final round.

Gaara had killed the third Kiri-nin during their match. By crushing his skull with his sand and then throwing the headless corpse at his teammates.

Naruto wondered how Team Gai and Hinata had reacted to his congratulation message… delivered by Han's rocket-dove. From what he had heard, they had performed admirably, and they deserved their place. He had also asked the Sandaime if he could get his hands on the preliminaries' videos, a demand which had surprised the man. "I wanna see the puppeteer's match," Naruto had explained, "One is after me. I've got to be prepared."

Naruto had spent nearly all his time confined in the mansion, either researching any info he could gather on Sasori and Orochimaru, or analyzing the videos the Hokage had collected. The Exam's puppeteer, a guy called Kankuro, had fought Hinata in the preliminaries. Activating the Byakugan, the girl had effortlessly guessed his weapon's nature, and quickly paralyzed Kankuro's hands with the Gentle Fist. Unable to produce chakra strings, the Suna-nin was powerless and forfeited.

Naruto had been genuinely surprised by the Hyuuga's attitude in the fight. She hadn't stuttered, had ignored Kankuro's attempts at psychological warfare, and performed the Gentle Fist with confidence and efficiency. Obviously, Tenten's mentoring had paid off.

However, with Sasori's enhancement, her tactic was futile. Puppeteers tended to be physically vulnerable, fighting from distance with remotely controlled machines to compensate, but the 'Red Scorpion' had turned his body into a war machine, negating this weakness. If his limbs were somehow augmented, perhaps could it be possible to cut the power-

"Naruto, focus." Yugao's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "A lack of attention is deadly on the battlefield."

"Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." He seized his dulled blade and adopted a fighting stance. He and his teacher were training on the roof, under the watch of the moon and the ANBU hiding in shadows. "So?"

"Iaido is a sword style the Samurai of Iron developed to defeat ninjas," she calmly repeated her explanation. "It is centered around the smooth movement of drawing the blade from its scabbard and replacing it there. The motions result in the slash being faster and stronger then those executed with the sword already drawn… which allows a skilled practitioner to prevent enemy Shinobi from finishing hand-seal sequences."

"Which is how you beat Orochimaru's guards?"

"I didn't need it this time. Iaido is not truly efficient against people like you or Han, whose fighting style does not rely on hand-seals, but it is highly useful against puppeteer. If you cut their hands or strings, their entire arsenal falls apart."

"That's it, if Sasori's hands can be cut at all."

"I doubt his hands are made of metal only, or else they would not be so fluid. Wood components must play a part in this." Yugao shrugged. "If you pinpoint the weak points, it will be possible to sever the fingers. Like that."

In the next second, Naruto's hand received a nasty hit from a dulled wooden blade.

The training lasted for hours, and Naruto felt pain in each and every one of them.

"That will be enough for tonight," Yugao said softly, as she glanced at her bruised student. "You should rest, I believe. You will get new bruises tomorrow."

"That was low… and here I thought one couldn't outdo Anko or the old man in sadism…" Naruto massaged his neck. "What are you going to do next?"

She observed the sky and the half-moon in the sky. "Watch it." The ANBU glanced at her friend. "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure." Both sat on the roof, and observed the celestial object in silence. Naruto had to admit it was a peaceful experience. It was nice not to struggle or think, for a change.

"My dad liked to see the stars… his dream was to map the whole sky. I guess you know at least about the Pole Star?"

"Everyone should. How else could you guide yourself in the dark?"

Yugao pointed a finger at the sky. "It's hard to see it due to the moon and the clouds, but here there should be Ursa Major… I was once told each star was akin to our sun, and that perhaps, each of them could nurture another earth. I wonder if there are other humans out there… and what they would think of us."

"I think they would find us poor Shinobi highly amusing." Naruto had no idea why, but watching the moon… it caused him to feel fuzzy inside. Yeah, I'm probably a werewolf. Or the Cursed Seal is messing with my brain. "Your dad's dream was to map the sky?"

"He died before he could complete it. He was on a mission to apprehend Kisame Hoshigake's unit back when he was working for Kiri. The man executed his own men rather than let them be captured and slaughtered his way through the Konoha-nins. I was more or less adopted by Konoha's Intelligence Division afterward."

So she had been associated with the ANBU since she was young… "I see… that's why you joined the ANBU? To take up the mantle?"

"Yes." She crossed her arms. "You want to join the ANBU one day?"

"Why not? That or I become Hokage." He chuckled at Yugao's surprise. "Hey, can't I dream a little?"


"Hey, Naruto!" Tenten hugged him. "I'm so glad to see you're okay!"

"We heard you were grievously injured attempting to apprehend dangerous Shinobi," Neji said softly, sounding genuinely pleased to see his friend uninjured. "Was it true?"

"Yes, but as you can see, although I received a good beating, I'm alive." He glanced at Sasuke. "Unfortunately… we were too late for others."

"I would like to give you my condolences for your loss," Gai told the Uchiha politely. The genin accepted them with a nod, and did not reply anything as others followed the jounin's example.

Asuma had had the idea to invite Team 8, Team Gai and the newly created 'Team Cat' -although Han wanted to call it 'The Han's Marvelous Team'- to the Yakiniku's restaurant to celebrate their student's qualifications, and to forget the ill fate that befell Team 7. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen, and when he asked Yugao about the matter, she inhaled sharply and answered politely. "Kakashi-senpai has been reinstated in the ANBU, both to bolster our nation's strength in such troubled times, and because the Sandaime thought Sasuke might blame him for what happened." Which was partially true, unfortunately…

"I can understand why," Kurenai Yuuhi whispered, having listened to the conversation. "He only taught his team the tree climbing exercise in weeks… and then sent them to the Chuunin Exams, a deadly competition, wholly unprepared." She herself had only nominated her team after explaining them in details what the tests would entail, teaching them advanced techniques and tactics to increase their chance of survival. Kakashi's negligence was nothing short of criminal in her humble opinion.

Yugao frowned, defending her friend. "Kakashi-senpai never taught before," she explained. "He is an incredibly competent ninja, but teaching a group of genin was a new experience for him. And no one could guess his team would meet a group of experienced ninjas on their way to the tower."

"If they hadn't interfered, Team 7 would have performed well," Naruto agreed, briefly glancing at the rest of the Genin. Han and Lee were getting along extremely well, and surprisingly, Fuu and Shino had started talking about insects. Both had deep knowledge of the subject, after all…

Kurenai shrugged, and glanced at Naruto. "I would like to speak with you." The blonde raised an eyebrow. "First, I would like to thank you. Your discussion with Hinata helped her improve a great deal."

"Tenten did most of the work." The two girls were chatting together, much to the anger of Hinata's cousin. "She would better prepare herself to lose, however. Neji will not go easy on her. He has a grudge against the Main Family and it will be an opportunity for him to lash out. Just giving you a fair warning: he isn't known as a genius for nothing."

For Naruto, in spite of Hinata's improvement, there was no way she could beat her cousin in a straight fight, especially considering the hellish training he underwent for years. After beating his cousin, he would probably face Tenten. The girl would beat Shikamaru, which shouldn't be hard… considering the blonde gave her all the info he compiled on the Nara.

Ah the joy of teamwork…

Lee was probably going to beat this Chojuro, and would face Gaara in the semifinal. What would happen next… Naruto crossed his fingers, hoping his friend would overcome the psycho.

"I spoke with Tenten-san… she is a very promising kunoichi." Kurenai's face turned stoic. "I… I have learned about what happened to Anko." As the young man sulked, the jounin coughed politely. "I would like to tell you we will do everything in our power to find her and punish the responsible parties."

"I will do that myself thanks," he replied, giving her a slight nod. "If you excuse me I… gotta go."

No sooner had he left Kurenai's company than Tenten fell on him. "Naruto thank you! Kurenai Yuuhi told me I was a fine kunoichi thanks to you! Kurenai Yuuhi!"

"Does it means my debt is canceled?"

"No." The answer was so flat Naruto almost slammed his head against a wall in disappointment. "But don't worry, it's just a seal I want to apply-"

"Oh boy no…" the teen shook his head, "I've got two already and they're both horrible." The Cursed Seal was already difficult to tolerate, another would be overkill.

"Nah, you're going to like this one," the kunoichi replied with a smirk. "By the way, are you going to the hot springs next?"

"… hot springs?"

"Yeah, Asuma-san rented them for the day. Wanna come?" She smiled kindly. "I believe it would be good for relaxation. I don't want to criticize you, but… you look awful."

"I've had a bad week."


The water was relaxing, and the heat made him sleepy.

Naruto let himself slide into the hot bath peacefully, trying to follow Tenten's advice and let the accumulated tension go. Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji and Asuma -who had dropped his cigarette for the occasion- were already present, and they were soon joined by Kiba and Han, Shino having refused to soak. The Jinchuuriki had kept his mask and hat, leaving the rest of his muscled body exposed for all to see. As he sat in the water, he noticed Naruto's gaze.

"The Han understands what you feel," the giant began, "Seeing the Han's perfect body made you gay for the Han. The Han is however forced to tell you he cannot return your affection, for the Han's one true love shall always be… the Han."

"Euh… alright." The blonde ignored his insane friend and focused on the rest of the men present. One element especially attracted his attention. "Neji… why is your Byakugan on?"

The teen seemed genuinely embarrassed, and blushed lightly. "It is to see through the steam, in case we're attacked."

"Liar." Naruto shook his head. "Neji… you're a bad boy."

Kiba snorted. "Who would have thought you were a closet pervert?"

"As if you didn't use Akamaru to spy on Hinata," Shikamaru pointed out, as barking were heard. "I do not understand the dog, but I'm pretty sure it is giving you a vivid description of-"

"Oh come on, I'm pretty sure you can use your Shadow Techniques in this way too! Like copying naked girls' shadow or something. And according to mom Akimichi can extend their-"

"Women are troublesome creatures," Shikamaru cut in, as Choji reddened like a tomato in shock. "They tend to be killing machines when angered."

"Sometimes I wonder why every ninja technique has a hidden perverted use," Naruto shrugged. "I mean, if you follow this logic, then Sasuke could perhaps memorize naked women forever in his brain with his Sharingan on."

The Uchiha's jaw dropped at the statement, as he had never considered that… and decided to forget this application to ensure he would live long enough to kill Itachi, hoping no Kunoichi would ever hear of it.

"Let's go Lee!" Gai shouted, upon entering with his student… both wearing green swimsuits, much to Naruto's horror. "We're going to swim until we pass out!"

"Ah, the image! My eyes burn!"

"More steam!" Han started producing a thick white mist with a technique, potent enough to save Naruto's sight from the insane duo. As a bonus, the water's heat increased slightly.

"By the way, the Han, how does your steam works?" Naruto asked. "I've never heard of something similar."

"The Five Tails gave the Han the power to fuse Fire and Water chakra to produce a Steam element," the Jinchuuriki explained. "Only the Han managed to master it. The previous Jinchuuriki ended up burning themselves with it."

Naruto nodded, and asked him a question. "I never asked before but… why did you leave Iwa exactly?"

The missing-nin stayed silent an instant. "Iwa is a harsh place where to live in. Its citizens are as cold as the rock they shape… and the Han was never appreciated due to his Bijuu. He was considered dangerous by the Tsuchikage, was denied a promotion past Chuunin, and was kicked out of stores. After a time, the Han got fed up with the Stone and left. He was not mourned, and he did not mourn anyone... except Roshi." The giant cursed. "Akatsuki captured, and probably killed him. They will regret that."

The blonde understood his situation. If the Sandaime hadn't been so kind to him, and if he hadn't met friends like Tenten, he would have probably abandoned the Leaf by now. "Didn't you have a family?" He briefly wondered if Han's behavior wasn't an attempt at dealing with a deep seated inferiority complex.

"The Han's father was the former Gobi's vessel. He lost control of the Bijuu and it was extracted from him, killing him so the Han could inherit the family curse. The Han never met his mom." The giant shrugged. "Why such questions?"

"It's just… you, Fuu and I share the same burden, and I never got to speak with someone like that before." The teen closed his eyes. "Do you think there is a place where people like us are accepted?"

"No. This is why we are strong." The giant snorted. "Time for you to answer the Han's questions. Are you screwing Yugao Uzuki?"

"Well, th- WHAT?"

The outburst caused the rest of the boys present to glance at him. Han unfortunately continued on his reasoning. "Look, you two go on the roof, under the moon, alone, and then come back panting and sweating. The Han is asking himself questions."

"This is not even remotely what you think it is-"

"Naruto has a girlfriend?" Kiba grinned wickedly. "Who is it? If yes, then it means I've got a shot with Hinata!"

"Wait… that's what you were doing on the roof with Yugao?" Sasuke asked, sounding slightly disturbed.

"Yugao? Oh… I'm impressed." Asuma gave Naruto a light tap on the shoulder and proceeded to tease him ruthlessly. "Older women are the best. I would suggest to offer her flowers. Ino will surely give you pointers if you ask nicely-"

"… you're all completely crazy…"

"Wow, Yugao Uzuki? Nice catch boy. Nice catch."

"Oh come on, this is not-" Naruto stopped. "Wait… who was the last voice?"

"Oh? That's me." A man exited the thick steam, standing atop a red toad. He was naked like a worm, elderly, and had a long, long white mane instead of hair. "Jiraiya of the Sannin! Sage of Mount Myoboku! Writer of Icha Icha Paradise! And mayor of a little town up the coast! The ladies bow before my awesomeness!"

His flashy introduction was met with complete and utter silence.

"No, seriously, what is your girlfriend's cup size? It would be a nice subject for my research."


A/N: for Sakura and Sai: 1) I do not hate them, it's just I had to show Sasori and Oro were ruthless murderers, 2) plot armor in Atlas is limited and while it won't be a bloodbath some major characters can die, and 3) Atlas is a story about minor characters. People with a major role in canon, like Kakashi or Team 10 have a reduced role so more minor characters like Sarutobi, Yugao, Tenten, Fuu or Han can have more spotlight.

Naruto being on the wrong side of a brutal one sided battle: Naruto is a rookie with little preparation. Sasori is a cyborg with two decades of experience on the field and more weaponry than a warship. There was no way their first clash wouldn't be a trashing. I keep most of the purely awesome action scenes for the invasion, after the main characters undergo intensive training.

I've seen many fics where Kakashi is blamed for only teaching his genin the tree walking exercise, but when you think about it, it makes sense: Kakashi never taught before and is himself a genius with the Sharingan, aka things come naturally to him. It makes sense he would have difficulties teaching kids. That and I doubt anyone would teach overly emotional kids like Team 7 dangerous jutsu before being certain they won't kill each other with it by accident or out of misplaced rage... which they ended up doing in canon.

Would you kindly add a review?