A Perception of Reality

by knightchaser

There is a belief that states for every action taken, the alternative action is played out in another dimension. In one reality Itachi succeeded in killing his clan, in another, he failed. This is the story of what happened when he failed.

53. Chapter 53 Itachi's Punishment

Thanks for all the reviews and favs!

I didn't think I would have this done on time, but here it is! I'm posting it now, and I'll look through it later to proofread… I was really busy this week so I hope there weren't too many bizarre errors.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto

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Chapter 53 – Itachi's Punishment

Morning came all too soon and Itachi was unable to stop the sigh that escaped from his lips as he gazed at his younger brother standing next to the one man in the world he had wanted to keep him away from. They had argued again the previous evening, in Sasuke's room, and it had not been pleasant.

"I have to do this, big brother." Sasuke's voice cut through Itachi's melancholy and stabbed at his heart. He wanted to answer, to tell him the only thing he had to do was go home, be a kid, and grow up. But the children of Shinobis weren't allowed to be kids. They were considered "grown up" the day they graduated from the Academy. And his child, who had not even been born yet, was fated to lead the same existence.

Instead he said nothing and watched as the pair, with Karin and Juugo accompanying them, walked out of the cave and into the over-bright morning. Snow had fallen sometime during the last few days and covered up the bodies of those who had not survived the battle. The pristine clearing looked inviting and innocent of any foul deeds and even the footprints of the departing group somehow managed to look lonely in the barren expanse of pure white snow.

"Humph." Itachi grunted softly as he turned around, only to find himself face to face with Deidara. "You didn't go with them too?" His voice took on an edge of annoyance that he rarely used around others, especially Akatsuki.

"Why would I do that, un?" The blond teen snorted derisively.

"Isn't Sasuke your friend?" Itachi suddenly had a strong desire to pick a fight with someone. Anyone.

Deidara smirked and moved the lock of hair that usually covered his scope and started fiddling with the controls, aiming them up at the horizon beyond the summit of the mountain, "Aren't you his brother?"

Itachi started to raise his hand, fully intending to punch Deidara, but Jiraiya interfered, "I know you're angry right now, but picking fights isn't going to help your mood any." He glared at both teens, "Either of you."

"If I can't kill Orochimaru," Deidara started, "Then killing you would be like killing him."

"I refuse to fight you. Ever."

Deidara stepped forward and angrily shoved the other teen back a few steps, earning a glare from Itachi.

"Why are you still hanging around Akatsuki anyway? Why do you need to fight? You have no family, few, if any friends, and no life outside of Akatsuki. An organization that sends you on 'S' class missions designed to kill you before you're twenty. Why do you have such a desire to fight me?"

"So I can win!" Deidara yelled with such bitterness and rage that Itachi found himself stepping back again, not to get away, but to get a better view of the situation. "So I can show those who laugh at my art how wrong they are and how beautiful it is! You are always laughing at me!"

Itachi, who had expected an answer along the lines of "so I can be more powerful than you" was rather surprised and before he could think he opened his mouth, "I have never laughed at your art. It's quite effective and you work very hard to improve it every day. You are also a very well known artist in your homeland. I heard your sculptures sell for thousands of ryuu when they go on auction."

"You…" Deidara was just as surprised at this rather odd show of emotion from the teen and creased his brow, trying to read between the lines. "When your guys recruited me…"

"I beat you in a fight. So what? I was following orders. Believe it or not I've lost fights as well. No ones asking you to like it. But you can't win against me, Deidara, so quit trying."

"I wouldn't know if I could win unless I tried." Deidara was trying hold onto his anger, but his last sculpture had sold for nearly ten thousand ryuu a few months earlier and he was still rather flattered by the price. And the fact that Itachi had known about it was, for some reason, also flattering.

Itachi frowned, "You heard Sasuke say it the other day. Nothing can beat the Sharingan." Itachi glared at Jiraiya, still peeved that he had stopped him from hitting the blond, and walked back into the cave. However he stopped just before the stone stairway that lead down into the depths, "That is our pride. But more than that… it is our curse. Sasuke sounded like he was bragging, but in reality…" What he was going to say was lost as he began his descent.

Deidara opened his mouth as if about to speak, but shut it again. Instead he picked up his backpack, threw it over a shoulder and threw a clay bird into the air. With a "pop" it became a winged, pure-white owl capable of flight. Silently he jumped onto its back and flew off to join Sasori who had left a couple days earlier.

It was quiet for a moment, until Kisame began chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Jiraiya gazed up at the blue shark-man curiously.

"It's just nice to see Itachi acting his age for once. You don't get to see that very often."

"You are an odd sort. I seriously can't figure you out." Jiraiya folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the stone wall of the artificial cave. "You obviously crave power and recognition, but your motives are rather mysterious. You kill the Daimyou of Water country, and instead of taking his place you run away. You look after Itachi and Deidara like an older brother, but would have no problem if they fought either other to the death. Just what are you?"

That was too much and Kisame let out a roar of a laugh. Greatly amused, he wiped a tear out of his before answering, "Jiraiya, I a ninja, pure and simple. I crave the power only fighting can give me. Power from authority is filled with nothing more than false pretenses and petty lies. My one weakness, as you so delightfully noticed, was my need for recognition. And I am at the top of the list in all of the bingo books. Then again, you have the same weakness, master Jiraiya, writer of fiction and bestselling author. And you are also at the top of the list on the bingo books."

That was a surprise to Jiraiya and he could do little more than smile at the man, yet, "That is too simple. I sense something else, something underneath. Something personal. But… when alls said and done, it's none of my business." He turned around and as he walked down the corridor towards the stone steps that lead down into the Orochimaru's now-empty lair he smiled as he heard Kisame still laughing. There was something about him he was missing, and Jiraiya loved a good puzzle.

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"Are we ready to leave yet?" Naruto grinned broadly at the group standing at the mouth of the cave.

Jiraiya grinned back, "Yep. I had several of my frogs teleport the injured back to Konoha. Tsunade should have no trouble the two remaining 'Sound Five', but Kimimaru is going to be harder. I sent Kabuto's file on him back as well, and his illness has progressed so far that he wasn't given much time to live anyway. It was hard, but before I sent him off he convinced Juugo to go with Sasuke instead of following him to Konoha."

"I thought they were the 'Sound Four', that's what the guy I was fighting said." Naruto replied.

Suigetsu spoke up, "Orochimaru made Kimimaru their leader and they didn't take to it very well. Some where still calling themselves 'Four' instead of 'Five'."

"Infighting, huh?" Jiraiya smiled.

"Of course." Suigetsu beamed up at him, as if finding the observation incredibly insightful and humorous.

Kisame and Itachi, the last of the remaining group stepped out of the dark depths. Itachi spoke up in a stoney voice, "Everything here is taken care of. Orochimaru's test subjects have been freed; his remaining minions have either taken off or are sticking around to wait for Cloud."

"Cloud?" Naruto was confused.

"I told them I would discuss the option of joining Cloud as ninja with the Kage. I also told the ex-prisoners I would ask him to send someone to escort them to a safe place."

"He seemed pretty mad at you. Why will he help?" Kisame asked.

Naruto answered before Itachi could speak up, "Because he's a human being."

Kisame snorted, "You're a human being. He's a ninja."

Itachi sighed, "True enough, and I told them there was no guarantee, but I will ask nevertheless. There is enough food in store to last until summer. That way if no one comes they can wait until spring to leave instead of freezing to death in the snow."

Kisame turned to Suigetsu, "And where are you going?"

The boy gave him a wide grin, "With you, master Kisame."

"I told you I don't need an apprentice."

"I'm going to be your student and learn everything about Samehada, then when you are done with it I'll inherit it. Besides, every swordsman is required to have an apprentice."

"We aren't in Mist anymore kid."

"That's not a Mist thing, its an old tradition going back to the old world. And since I didn't get my brother's sword when he died I want Samehada. It's more powerful anyway."

Kisame growled under his breath, "We had this discussion already with Madara last night."

Suigetsu smiled, "And he said I could do whatever I wanted."

"When your brother chose to side with Zabuza he lost the right to hold onto his sword, of course he couldn't pass it on. The swords came with Madara to Mist a long time ago and he can command them. It was his punishment. However, you were not involved in the coup and had no reason to leave Mist other than throwing a tantrum over a lost sword."

This made the boy angry and balled his fists as he glared up at the big man, "He lost the right! He was dead! It was supposed to have gone to me! I was his apprentice! That man took that right away from me, not him! Why the hell would I even consider staying there or going back!" Suigetsu stopped for a moment to catch his breath before continuing, this time much more subdued, "I worked really hard, did everything I was supposed to, went on missions and helped assassinate people and I even had a reputation as the 'second coming of Zabuza'. What more did they want? My brother was all I had."

Kisame shook his head, "No one doubts you worked hard, and your Kekkei Genkai is nothing to be laughed at, but being called the 'second coming' of someone who actively tried to kill the Kage was not something Madara wanted to hear at the time. However, instead of staying and trying to convince him he was wrong you ran away. Did you ever consider applying as the apprentice to the swords new owner? You were also very young at the time. Six or Seven if I remember right. No sword has ever been given to such a young boy."

"Fine. Whatever." Suigetsu pouted, "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm your apprentice now, master Kisame. Where you go, I go. And when I get strong enough, I'm going to fight you and win Samehada."

Kisame rolled his eyes and stared up at the heavens, "Can you clean?"

"Cl…clean?" That caught the boy off guard.

"Do you look good in a maid's outfit?"

"O…kay…. This is weird. But I could try…" Suigetsu wasn't sure what the other man was up to, and figured it was probably a joke of some kind. A very bad joke.

"Forget it. You look nothing like Sheeta."

"Would you quit having maid fantasies about my girlfriend!" Itachi responded belligerently.

"Sorry. Can't help it." Kisame laughed. "Suigetsu, you can come with me then. You'd just follow me anyway if I left you behind. I'm not one to put up with any whining or weakness so you better stay on your toes. We're heading off then, see you around some other time, Itachi." He nodded at Jiraiya and Naruto as he walked off, following the footsteps made several hours earlier down the mountain.

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"So that's his head." The Cloud Kage leaned back in his chair, ignoring the creaking sound as the piece of furniture groaned in discomfort over not just the man's large size, but the many repairs it had undergone after being nearly destroyed on multiple occasions by the man's over-exuberance.

In fact, the entire office looked like a second-hand shop for badly repaired furniture and architecture. Not just the chairs, but the desk, bookshelves, cabinets, doors, windows and walls were all patched. The floor had a piece a plywood laying across it near one of the windows, no doubt covering a hole, and in one corner was a stack of lumber, some bottles of glue, tape, nails, screws and couple toolboxes.

"What happened in here?" Naruto couldn't hold it in anymore and interrupted.

"Oh that?" Bee was nearby, having escorted then from the village gate to his brother's office. "Big brother gets a little riled up at times and just tears through things without looking first. You know, he'll run through the wall instead of spending the extra two seconds it would take to open a door." He laughed boisterously, accompanied by Naruto who found the scenario intensely amusing.

"Grandma Tsunade hits stuff all the time when she gets mad and her office at the hospital looks something like this. Not as bad though." Naruto smiled.

"Grandma?" The Kage looked closely at the boy in front of him.

"He's being disrespectful." Jiraiya laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "He has a habit of giving people nicknames. She hits him upside the head for it quite frequently."

"Ah. Sounds like my brother. Anyway, thanks for the head…"

"Oh, you can't keep it." Itachi interrupted. "I need to return it to Konoha. But I wanted you to see it, as we agreed."

"Humph. Well, no problem with that I guess. Killer Bee can verify it was here as well. Thanks for taking care of him, by the way. We actually had some other problems to take care of and spending time out looking for him was… not helping us here."

"If I may make a request." Itachi bowed forward a few inches and stared respectfully at the ground, "Orochimaru's ex-prisoners are still his hideout and require assistance to leaved, some are in need of medical aid. Also, a few of his Shinobi stayed behind and would like to discuss an option to join your village." He stood up and looked at the Kage again.

"I will send some people out right away to assist the prisoners. However, the others will have to be handled on a case by case basis. I find it odd you didn't take them back to Konoha. You did pick up Zabuza a while back."

"I could have, but in a show of good will I am offering you the opportunity to power-up with several skilled Jounin and Chuunin level Shinobi first."

The Kage laughed loudly, "You definitely know your stuff. Well, offer accepted." He banged his hand on the desk and a loud crack was heard. The man ignored it even as his brother winced. "And Sasuke? What about him?"

"He's gone to live with a relative for a while."

"You sent him to Mist?" It was well known by now that a branch of the Uchiha clan was living in the Water country.

"Unfortunately. And about those ninjas he injured… he was practicing a high level jutsu in secret and didn't want Orochimaru to know. We used that jutsu to kill him." He then added for emphasis, "Sasuke and I."

"And what makes you think he won't side with Mist now and use it against us… or you?"

"I'm not a fortune teller, but if that did happen… I am more powerful than him. Say the word, my lord, and I will be here to defend you and Killer Bee."

"You are Akatsuki."

"This is to be kept in the strictest of confidences. No one besides those here must know about it."

The Kage nodded, "Agreed."

Itachi sighed, "Akatsuki is falling apart. The leader has made a pact with Lode Hokage Fugaku to end the hunt for the Jinchuuriki."

"That… that's what you meant when you said Fugaku would be insulted to be called the leader…" The Kage's voice faded away.

"Then we don't have to worry about them anymore!" Killer Bee said happily.

"Not quite." Itachi ruined his joyful mood. "There is man behind the scenes. Madara Uchiha. He is the one who is really calling the shots."

"And he's the one who has Sauske?" The Kage jumped out of his chair and grabbed Itachi by the front of his shirt.

"Let him go!" Naruto's eyes blazed yellow as some of the fox chakra leaked out.

"What…" Bee stepped back and looked closely at the boy next to him.

Itachi continued, "Naruto, stand down." He stepped back as the Kage released his shirt, also interested in the boy. "He is who you think he is. Jiraiya is his guardian and he lives in my house as a foster child."

"The nine-tailed fox." Bee muttered in awe, then grabbed the boy's hand and shook it roughly, "Nice to meet you! I'm also a Jinchuuriki!"

"Wow!" Naruto, apparently, was the only one who hadn't figured that out yet.

"Anyway." Itachi got back to the subject, "Madara doesn't know about the agreement, so I'm sure you can see how delicate the situation is and why he might want Sasuke. But the bottom line is that there are some things going on in our family… Fugaku isn't a very good parent to put it bluntly, and Sasuke just needs to get away for a while." He went on to tell him about the brothers' plan to trap and kill Orochimaru, leaving out the Mangekyou Sharingan part and was surprised when the Kage back down. He had expected him to get angry again.

"So he used your plan as a stepping stone to running away." The big man sighed, "Okay, we'll do this your way for now, but I will remember your offer of aid."

"It was not given lightly." Itachi reaffirmed his promise, then changed the subject, "I have a question for you about your predecessor."

"Him?" The statement caught him off guard and he frowned again.

"Yes. Can you tell me the events that happened the day of the kidnapping?"

"Why? That's been settled a long time ago. I don't want to rehash the past."

"It turns out Danzou has stolen several Sharingan eyes over the years and had Orochimaru implant them in his body."

"And the Sharingan can make people do things they don't want to do…" The Kage was silent for several minutes, lost in thought. "I was accompanying him as his aid. He left to have dinner with some high ranking officials around eight in the evening and when he got back he was rather pre-occupied. While the dinner was hosted by Sarutobi, one of the guests was Danzou. So you think he was tricked… he was…"

"It makes sense, big brother." Bee interrupted. "Everyone knows he had no interest in the Hyuuga and wondered why he would even consider such a thing. It would be like you suddenly deciding to attend a tea ceremony."

"Damn it! I know we got the wrong Hyuuga head from you guys… that you sent his younger brother's head instead but I was willing to look past that, knowing how dear they must have been to each other. It was still a sufficient punishment in my eyes. But this… He wanted our Kage to be killed so we would ask for Hiashi Hyuuga's head. He wanted Hiashi dead!"

"That's my theory, and it's looking more and more like reality." Itachi sighed, then looked up at Jiraiya, who was gazing morosely at the floor. "When Hizashi offered to take his place I think he had to accept it because the entire Hyuuga elder council was present, as well as several village officials."

"Well, at least he failed in that. But this makes me mad! To think that a Kage could fall for his tricks!"

"It was barbaric." Jiraiya spoke up.

"Blood for blood. That's how the ninja live. You're too old to complain about it now." The Kage responded quietly.

Naruto balled his fists again and answered, "It's not the way it should be! He was defending Hinata! His daughter! Why is that a crime? Should he have allowed him to kidnap her?"

"There's more to it than that kid." The Kage defended himself.

"When I'm Hokage, it won't be like that. Sacrificing a life to save a life… that's stupid! Killing because someone's been killed! That's also stupid! You could have seen he was in the wrong and if you would have investigated instead of immediately going after his head you would have seen what was going on! And there are prisons, you know. Just stick the guy in prison for a few years, but don't kill him!"

"Pretty words, for a naïve mind."

"I'm serious! This seriously messed up Hinata's family, and she blames herself for getting kidnapped. And her father blamed her for getting kidnapped. And her cousin blamed her and her father for the death of his father! It's just one great big mess! Neji almost killed Hinata because of it during the Chuunin exams! That would have been one more death on your conscious. If you even have one, that is!"

The Kage opened and closed his mouth a few times, before shaking his head, "As a ninja, I learned not to think that deeply into a situation, Naruto. Assassination missions always leave behind… I remember one of the first few assassinations I was assigned by the previous Hokage was especially difficult, but I still did it. A lord whose wife had left him and taken the kids had paid to have her and his children killed. I killed the mother and one of the kids but by then I was… I was a wreck… I grabbed the other two and dropped them off in another country. He never found out… but…"

Naruto looked at the ground and wiped a tear out of his eye. "My Sensei did one mission like that and refused to go on any more if the village kept accepting those. Turned out the man lied about the woman saying she was a murderer instead of his wife. She was already dead by then. But, when I'm Hokage," He looked up at the other men in the room, his face set in firm determination that spoke volumes about his sincerity, "Shinobi will fight to save those people!"

The Kage laughed, "You keep thinking like that kid, and you'll be dead before you're thirteen."

Killer Bee rubbed Naruto's back and winked as he whispered, "I believe in you, even if big brother doesn't, Naruto." Something about having another Jinchuuriki on his side made Naruto smile, despite the disappointing words of the Cloud Kage.

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Without the Akatsuki following them, the group was able to settle into a hotel for the evening at a small town near the Cloud Village. Although they had been offered accommodations by the Kage, they were itching to get home as soon as possible and politely refused the request.

Naruto dug into his Ramen (having insisted on the "delicacy" after seeing a small shop with delicious-looking pictures of his favorite meal in the windows. Jiraiya and Itachi ate a much more subdued rate, and by the time he had finished his second bowl the others were still only half-way done with theirs.

"So when are you gong to tell me about this epic battle you had the other day?" Itachi prompted. He had been wondering how the boy had fared in his fight.

"Oh yeah! It was great! Deidara and Sasori were fight a person each and then this other guy made a run for Deidara so I jumped in and started fight him because two on one isn't fair, is it?" He laughed, happy at the sudden attention and the chance to brag about his fight.

"He could have handled it." Itachi smiled.

Naruto laughed again, "Yeah, well, whether he could or not… I wanted some of the action to! Why should everyone else have all the fun."

"So you gonna tell the story or just sit here and brag all night?" Jiraiya chuckled.

"Okay, well, me and him started out with Tai Jutsu and then he tried to use an earth jutsu and got mad because the ground was frozen. He called it 'dema frost' or something like that…"

"Permafrost. It's a condition where the soil and subsoil are permanently frozen and never thaw."

"Yeah that." Naruto continued, "Kisame said the frozen water in the ground probably hindered his jutsu even though earth is stronger than water. Anyway, I didn't understand that. He bragged that he could call up the earth to surround people and suck out their chakra and squish them. But it wouldn't work. So we just did Tai jutsu. And he was better at it than me, of course he also had that cursed seal thing that Sasuke does, and he used that. But then I used my Rasengan and wham! It went right through his arm, knocking it off. Blood spurted everywhere and he got really mad and threw me against the cliff wall and broke my arm and a rib and my head hit so hard I was seeing stars. But then I got up and I could feel this other chakra coming out and it didn't hurt anymore so I went after him again with another Rasengan. This time I hit him in the chest, but it didn't go through. It just knocked him against the rocks and he started to go into a higher level of the cursed seal and, well, that's when Jiraiya ruined the fun."

"I saved your hide, you inconsiderate ingrate." Jiraiya laughed, "The amount of chakra that cursed seal was putting out… I was afraid…" His voice dropped, "You were already pumping out a lot of the fox's chakra and if you went any further… you remember what I told you could happen?"

Naruto frowned, the memory was not a happy one, "I could go insane and kill my friends." He was quiet for a minute, "Thanks for that. I guess, as long as I have you everything's okay!"

"That's right, my boy!" Jiraiya agreed.

Itachi smiled, "That was a great fight, Naruto." The boy had been lucky. There was nothing more to it than that and Itachi was suddenly very concerned. If it hadn't been for the frozen ground and the presence of Jiraiya, Naruto could have died.

"I'm not a weakling." Naruto interrupted his thoughts. "That's what you were thinking, right? I know I was lucky. I know I won with the help of pervy sage, but relying on others to help doesn't make you weak. It makes you stronger."

A memory from long ago wound its way through Itachi's head. Fugaku had taken him and Shisui on a hunt for a missing nin, a young Genin who had run away. It was their first clan-related mission. During the hunt the two boys had been told that backing off and letting a teammate handle a situation was good planning and the reasoning behind teams in the first place. And that hadn't been the only time he had been lectured on that. He had even been the lecturer in a few instances.

But he rarely lived up to his own words. Independent by nature, Itachi preferred to handle things on his own so his teammates would stay safe. "I am pleased you are able to realize that at such a young age. It seams I still need it pounded into me." Itachi gave a short laugh.

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Arriving back in Konoha was not pleasant and Itachi found himself walking slower and slower, trying to delay the moment when he would have to tell his parents…. Sasuke's parents… that their son wasn't coming home.

However, Naruto was having none of that. He took off at a run, jumping into the trees and racing through the thick forest that surrounded the village and most of Fire country. Itachi had a sudden image of the blond answering the inevitable "where's Sasuke" question and the resulting shock that would result. He jumped after Naruto, easily passing him and arriving back at his house a full hour before his foster brother. It wouldn't do to have them arrive at the same time anyway, since Naruto was supposedly on a training trip with Jiraiya.

It was late evening and the snow that had covered the ground so thoroughly on his departure was no where to be seen. Entering the house he was confronted in the hallway by both his father and mother, who had heard him come in and hurried to see their wayward son, only to find him conspicuously absent.

"He… didn't want to come… home…" Itachi's words faded into nothingness as both his mother and Sheeta burst into tears.

Fugaku looked at them and watched as they held onto each other and walked back to the living room, "I guess there isn't much more for me to say."

"No." Itachi muttered before turning around and heading to his room. However, he stopped suddenly and reached into his pack, pulling out a plastic bag with a head. "He is very powerful, father. He is not someone for the elders or you to walk on."

Fugaku caught the bag and stared at the dead face of his old nemesis. "So you two had this planned out all along. To get back at me?" The words were devoid of emotion.

"Yeah, but… he wasn't supposed to…"

"Leave? It was inevitable, Itachi. Even I know that, as addled as you may think I am. I knew, in the back of mind that Madara would one day claim his son."

"Then you should have done something to stop him!" Itachi was angry now. "He needed you and instead you stabbed him in the back!"

"I know." The admission put Itachi off guard and his anger disappeared rather quickly and he could do nothing but stare as his father entered the foyer, slipped on his sandals and left the house. He had expected his father to beat him up, even wanted him to hit him. He felt he deserved it and for some reason he wanted someone to punish him for his failure. But he realized that all the punishment in the world would never erase the guilt. And that, in and of itself, was the ultimate punishment.

"I'll get him back." Itachi spoke out loud to the empty hallway, and the house that had always seemed so welcome now seemed empty and cold, as if he was the only left to wander its halls.

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Next week the fate of those Jiraiya sent back is learned and more plans are made to go after Danzou. But what does Kabuto have to do with all this?

I hope the permafrost thing wasn't too off the wall. After all, a mud dome requires dirt and water, and if they are frozen they would have to be thawed first, requiring fire – which he didn't have. I kind of think Jiroubou was the weakest of the Sound Five so I pitted him and Naruto together, then had Jiraiya step in to end the fight since I still don't think Naruto could have won without the foxes help, not against a skilled cursed seal user.

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