I do not own Naruto (i am not that smart).

"Talking" will be done with the normal font.

'Thoughts' will be done by Italic.

I really hope everyone likes my spin on this next part, it was a bit to think about after all.

Chapter 5- The Six Paths and The Ultimate Puppet.

'Why am I so excited to fight them? This is a new feeling for me. I think it has to do with the Nine-Tails boy. Naruto. How far will you go to get your friend back. I want to find out how much he cares. Hmm, I might even consider doing "that" if I see it.' Kazumu together with his six clones and Sasori faced the four ninja. "It's time to do this. Prepare yourselves!" Kazumu signalled two of his clones to attack, 'Lets leave them something easy to start with so I know what I'm dealing with.'

"Don't toy with me!" Naruto performed a handsign and a clone of himself appeared. He then gathered chakra in his hand as the clone helped shape it. When it was gathered it was a small ball swirling around, made of pure chakra. "I'll kill every last one of you!" He leapt for one of the clones as the other clone stepped in front of him, raising it's arms at Naruto. "Die!" When the jutsu got close a barrier stopped him. "What the-" The ball of chakra was fading away. It seemed that this clone had the abilities of the Preta path, absorbing the justu.

"Watch your left Nine-tails." The very next second another clone circled round.

"Naruto!" The clone was suddenly pierced right through with a massive lightning style jutsu coming from the grey haired ninja's hand. The Preta path clone then withdrew back to Kazumu.

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto realised he acted rash and charged in without thinking.

"Kakashi huh? I had a feeling you would be more trouble than you looked." Kazumu looked at the remains of the clone Kakashi disposed of. 'I can't believe I already lost one. Sure it's only the Human Path but he still could have been useful. Although I have no intention of killing them I guess.' Kakashi raised his headband off his left eye to reveal that he also had the Sharingan.

"I'm going to have to actually fight serious against a small boy." He looked serious about the fight, probably because it was to protect Naruto.

"Well after that display of power I'm not going to hold back either." Kazumu smiled. 'Kakashi has the same look in his eyes that Naruto does, but it's not Gaara, it's Naruto. He must really care for him. Hmm-' Kazumu was snapped out of his daydream by a loud smashing sound. Kazumu saw that Sasori had been punched by a pink haired girl, with the old lady standing a few feet away. It appeared that Sasori had been smashed to pieces by this single punch. 'Huh, looks like I'm not the only one losing ranks this early in the fight. He already lost Hiruko.' A cloaked figure leapt out of the wreckage. "You in one piece there Sasori?"

"It would appear that I am." His voice had completely changed from this dark, deep, hostile voice to that of a teenager or maybe even a small boy. He slightly moved one of his hands and the head of the destroyed puppet flew into the air. He moved his hand once more and the head opened up at the crown and sprayed needles at the girl.

"Sakura! Watch out!" Kakashi yelled but she didn't get hit. The old lady swung her arms back and Sakura leapt backwards, avoiding all the needles. It almost looked like she was being dragged.

"Very clever granny." Sasori turned around. "Using the little girl as a puppet. I should have known, but i guess my teacher still has more to show me. Right Granny Chiyo?" Sasori removed the cloak covering his face to reveal his real face. "So do you still wish to fight me?" Chiyo's face was frozen, she was horrified.

"I don't understand. Your face is exactly the same. You haven't aged!" Chiyo stared at Sasori as she examined his face. He had short red hair, brown eyes and looked like a teenage boy. He was wearing his Akasuki robe in this form as well.

"What's the matter Granny Chiyo? Are you so filled with emotion that you can't speak?" Sasori was smiling right at her, it was creepy to say the least.

"Sasori!" He turned to face Kazumu. "If you're going to use 'him' let me know now and I'll get the other two outside." Sasori remained quiet and simply nodded. "So that's how it is." Kazumu turned to Naruto and Kakashi. "Follow me outside. We'll continue our fight there."

"And why should we do that?" Kakashi was first to object to the idea of separating the group.

"Ok. I'll give you some incentive then." He gestured one of his clones and the clone weaved multiple hand signs and hit the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!" This clone had the Animal path and it had summoned the same bird Kazumu used against Gaara. Kazumu picked up Gaara and placed him inside the bird's mouth, the bird then flew extremely fast out of the cave.

"If you want the Kazekage back you'll do as I say." Kazumu had a certain look in his eyes. He wasn't ready to end this fight it seemed. He was ready for more.

"Gaara!" Naruto was the first to charge out of the cave after the bird.

"Naruto wait!" Kakashi followed closely behind him.

"Well have fun Sasori. I'll be expecting you outside soon." Kazumu signalled all the clones and they scattered outside. "You better not die on me." Kazumu muttered under his breath before following his clones.

"Gaara!" Naruto was following the bird desperately with Kakashi. Kazumu and his clones were having trouble keeping up.

'Ok, I should make that bird land somewhere.' Kazumu ordered the bird to land over at a big grass field.

"I've got you now!" Naruto ran at the bird as he suddenly stopped on the spot. "What's happening!?" Kazumu's Deva Path clone had his hand raised at Naruto, using a gravitational jutsu to push him aside. Naruto went flying but Kakashi caught him.

"Don't get carried away Naruto." They turned to face Kazumu and his five remaining clones standing in their way of the bird. "You can have him back if I'm satisfied with our fight." The bird was dispelled and Gaara's body fell to the ground. Naruto shook Kakashi off him and stood up.

"How dare you."

"What? Speak up now."

"How dare you!" Naruto yelled at Kazumu. "Is this a game to you! Gaara has suffered his whole life!" Naruto sounded like his heart was tearing apart as he spoke. "He just became Kazekage. He finally had the respect and recognition he always deserved, but-" He began to cry. "If he never had that monster inside of him he would have never been part of this! He didn't ask for it. I didn't ask for it either. It was forced on us." Kazumu's hand was shaking. "For you to call us Jinchuriki. What gives you the right? Why should you deserve to label us!?" His tears were flowing down his face, landing on the grass. "I couldn't save Sasuke, and I can't save Gaara either. After all these years nothing has changed!"

'Sasuke Uchiha. Itachi's brother.' Kazumu recognised the name.

"Why are you even doing this!?" Naruto lifted his head up to face Kazumu, his face was red from the tears.

"Naruto." A tear left Kazumu's eye. "I want you to fight me." He made a hand sign and all his clones faded and he retracted the Rinnegan.

"What are you doing?" Naruto was finding it hard to speak after yelling so much, his voice was hoarse.

"I want to fight you without any help or assistance. If you win I'll-" Kazumu cut himself off.

"You'll what!"

"I'll give Gaara back to you." Kazumu was shaken up from Naruto's words. 'I took it too far, I just wanted to know how he felt, not any of this. I can't even look at him. I'm so ashamed.' Kazumu looked up to try and face Naruto but instead was greeted by a fist punching him directly in the face. He flew back from the impact and rolled along the ground, stopping near Gaara. "I guess I asked for that." Kazumu got up and brushed himself off.

"Just give back Gaara now!" Naruto was on the verge of crying again.

"Please don't Naruto..." Kazumu turned away.

"What do you mean!?"

"If you cry again I don't think I'm going to be able to stop myself from doing the same." All three of them were silent. "I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not like the other members of the Akatsuki. I don't have some grudge against the villages, I don't have any enemies, I didn't even come from any of the villages so I'm not a missing Nin." He looked straight at Naruto, you could see that he was trying to contain his emotions. "I never had a family or someone to lose. I didn't understand how it could feel so I wanted answers. I was curious to know, but then I saw Gaara die, I was a part of it to. I watched him die and it was all my fault!" He fell to his knees, trying desperately not to break into tears. "But even with this. I'm going to try something." Kazumu performed a single hand sign and something was summoned behind him.

"What is that!?" A huge head appeared from the ground behind Kazumu and he looked up to reveal his Rinnegan was active again.

"Watch out Naruto, he's up to something!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto took a few steps back.

"I'm not sure that I'm strong enough to perform this jutsu yet, but-" The head behind Kazumu opened it's mouth and he made one last handsign. "I have to try and undo the damage I've done." Kazumu was shaking on the spot. 'I don't know if I can do this, but I need to try. Pein told me it was too risky for me to even attempt when I left the Hidden Rain. He specifically said that we would work on it more once I got back. Hmm, well my friend, lets just hope that's the case.' "Outer Path!" A wave of chakra expelled itself from Kazumu. "Gedo! Art of Rinne Rebirth!" The summoned head behind Kazumu opened it's mouth and a single bright green light came out of it. You could see that Kazumu was straining under the pressure of the jutsu as the light got closer to Gaara's body.

"What do you think you're doing to Gaara!" Naruto yelled and ran towards them, but he was stopped by Kakashi. "What's wrong with you, let me go past."

"I don't think he's trying to do anything bad to Gaara." Kakashi slowly said. He sounded unsure but he was trusting the feeling in his gut.

"Then what could he be doing!?" Naruto didn't get his answer because their conversation was drowned by the screams of pain coming from Kazumu.

"I've...almost...got ...it!" The light reached Gaara and it flowed into him through his chest. The winds died down, the summoned head disappeared and Kazumu was breathing heavily, barely standing. It was as if his body was too heavy for him to lift any more. "I..did-" Kazumu couldn't speak and he fell to the ground right next to Gaara, as the light was fading from his eyes he saw the young Kazekage's hand move slightly. Welcome back...Gaara.'

(Flashback almost a year ago)

"I'm finally training with Pein!" Kazumu was walking beside Itachi, excited for his Rinnegan training.

"Yes, well I was to have you until you could use the Rinnegan at will."

"Not that I know how to use it at all." He chuckled and smiled at Itachi. "Thank you by the way."

"Hm?" Itachi looked down at Kazumu.

"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be this person. I'd be dead, lying on that path still, as a pile of bones." Kazumu took a much more serious tone. "I know you won't want to say anything back to this but I'm so happy I met you." Itachi stopped walking suddenly. "Itachi?"

"Thank you Kazumu." He was shocked to hear this from Itachi. "You remind me a lot of my brother, well what he used to be like. The time we spent training just felt like I was back at the Leaf Village with Sasuke." They got to the giant tower in the Hidden Rain. "So thank you of reminding me of a time better than this one." He walked off from there, leaving Kazumu surprised and touched. "See you, brother."

(Flashback end)

'Brother.' Kazumu could see a light in the distance. 'What is this? Where am I? What happened to me? Hmm, that light seems to be the only thing here. I should head there.' He approached the light slowly and cautiously as it spread around him. 'Oh no, what's happening now' The light got brighter and brighter until he couldn't see any more.

"About time you woke up." Kazumu heard a voice but he couldn't see where it came from. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to make it."

"Who...are...you?" He could barely speak either, just managing to ask the voice his question.

"Me? Oh I'm no one important. I'm just a friend of Narutos."

"Naruto?" He started to remember what he had just done. He remembered him attempting the Rinne Rebirth. "So I failed then."

"Quite the opposite actually." Something inside Kazumu snapped and he opened his eyes. He was in a hospital bed, at a place he had never seen before. "You saved his life you know." He turned his head to find the source of the voice he heard earlier. It was a teenage boy with his hair in a ponytail and he wore a green vest. On his sleeve was an emblem Kazumu had seen somewhere before.

"Where am I?"

"I don't think I should say just yet. It might make you panic." Just as he said that another person entered the room.

"How is he holding up?" He heard a woman's voice this time.

"Lady Hokage?" The boy was surprised her entrance but not as surprised as Kazumu who knew what the Hokage was.

"Ahh! I'm in the Leaf Village!" Kazumu leapt out of bed and immediately collapsed on the ground with a huge thud. "Why am I here of all places!"

"Shikamaru, put him back in the bed." He sighed and picked Kazumu up and placed him back in bed. "Now don't get out again. You've been severely drained of chakra and you almost killed yourself." The Hokage was a woman who looked like she was in her mid twenties with blonde hair tied up in ponytails.

"Heh. Looks like I was lucky the jutsu worked." They were quiet for a moment.

"You're the talk of the village at the moment you know." Shikamaru broke the silence. "The Akatsuki member who brought back the Kazekage." He said it like they were news headlines or something like that.

"Well, as I told Naruto, I had to undo the damage I did." Kazumu had a solemn look in his eyes.

"That was noble of you but what are you going to do now." The Hokage was right to the point. It would seem having a member of the Akatsuki in the middle of the village like this is a bit of a risk, despite what Kazumu did. "Is this your way of switching sides? Did you realise you were doing the wron-"

"No." Kazumu cut her off and gave her an answer she didn't want to hear. "I did this for Gaara and Naruto. My loyalties remain with Itach.. I mean with the Akatsuki."

"Itachi Uchiha?" Shikamaru was quick to point out Kazumu's little slip of the tongue. "Why would you be loyal to him?"

"He saved me, made me a ninja and is a good friend to me." The two of them couldn't believe it. It's like he was talking about another person to them. "Oh, I forgot to ask." Kazumu quickly changed the subject. "What happened to Sasori?"

"He was dispatched by Sakura and Lady Chiyo." Kazumu's eyes widened when he heard what Shikamaru said. "So, he was all talk after all." Kazumu muttered to himself. "When can I leave?"

"It depends where you're going when you leave." The Hokage stared at Kazumu intensely.

"I already told you, I'm with the Akatsuki so that is where I will return to." Kazumu responded with no hesitance, but again this was not the answer the Hokage wanted to hear. She stormed out yelling something when she left the room.

"You've had a lot of visitors you know." Shikamaru said trying to ignore the Hokage's outburst. "You really made people think that you were going to change your life for the better." He laid down on the bed across the room from Kazumu's.

"What kind of people?" He sounded sceptical to the idea of anyone visiting him.

"Mainly other friends of Naruto, but some days it was just people from around the village that were grateful for what you did for the Kazekage."

"Hm, so what about you? Why are you here and how do you know the people who came in here so accurately?" Shikamaru paused for a moment.

"I've been here every day for the past week." Kazumu froze. "I promised Naruto that I would look after you until you recover. It's a real drag but I was interested to I guess." Shikamaru took something out of his pocket. "Naruto wrote this for you. I don't know how this will help you but I just hope you make the right choice." He left the room with Kazumu really confused.

'Ok this is one messed up situation. I'm in the Leaf Village. Itachi's old home. I guess that would explain why I'd noticed the crest on Shikamaru's arm. Itachi has a headband with the same thing on it, except there's a line through the middle of it, hmm.' Kazumu held Naruto's letter and decided to read it.

"To Kazumu.

I can't thank you enough for bringing Gaara back. I'm sorry I doubted your jutsu. I thought you were going to do something bad to him. Instead it revived him, almost at the cost of your life. If Sakura didn't come along afterwards you might not be reading this. I just want you to know that no matter what you choose to do from here.

Kazumu was shocked by the last line of the letter.

I will always consider you a friend of mine.

Naruto Uzumaki.

A tear left Kazumu's eye as he put the letter aside and decided to sleep for a while. 'A friend.'

End of Chapter 5.

Hello again. sorry for the delay on this one. I had to clear the room out. Anyway I'm sorry to leave the last chapter to a cliffhanger like that and then have barely any fighting with the six paths. I just watched the episodes again and decided to take a different direction. I was really looking forward to Kazumu and Naruto's interaction at this point so I felt it should be this way. I revived Gaara with the Rinne Rebirth because I really wanted it to be like a situation where Kazumu wouldn't even think about Naruto as anything but the Nine-tails but Naruto is set on changing his views just like Sasuke in a way. Oh well, as usual if you have any suggestions leave me a message or a review.

Anyway thank you for reading and see you next chapter.