Disclaimer: I do not own anything Naruto or Zelda that is mentioned in this plotline.
Chapter Nine
Sarutobi died, but not after inflicting a wound that rendered the snake's arms unusable. His death was sacrificial, because he was hoping the Shinigami would devour Orochimaru's soul as well. Somehow, he escaped, but not without paying a heavy price. It was discovered that Suna had been betrayed by Oto all along, once after finding the body of the real Kazekage, which was decaying within one of the Hokage's sealed Safe Rooms. Things were bad as it is, because the village was on its highest priority in defense, with others helping out all around mending repairs.
It had been the day after the funeral for the Sandaime Hokage, and three people were leaving the village; the Toad Sannin Jiraiya, Uzumaki Naruto, and Tsuchi Kin. Kin still wore the same outfit as before, but now the colors have been switched out for woodland camo, and the gray was switched out for a dark green color. Jiraiya never heard of Kin before, however said nothing to insult Naruto. Kin stayed close to Naruto, as Midna hovered behind the duo, keeping herself invisible.
The Council had demanded that Jiraiya become the Godaime of Konoha, however he refused, saying that he had someone else who could take that position. This explained why Jiraiya was leaving the village with two Genin... Jiraiya however did not say that he was going by himself. Sarutobi and Jiraiya two weeks ago talked about Naruto, and once Akatsuki finds out that the Kyuubi was gone, they would either leave him alone or kill him. They worried that he may be killed by Akatsuki for not holding the desired object they want, so Jiraiya planned on taking Naruto as his apprentice.
Kin just wished to tag along because she did not wish to be alone in Naruto's apartment, not after the rest of his friends found out that she was betraying her village to stay with Naruto after she was rescued from a date with death.
"So, where in the world are we going, anyway?"
"Well, the first place we are going is Otafuku Gai. The person we're going after, she is Lady Tsunade. She is also sometimes called the Slug Princess. She too is one of the Sannin of Konoha, and she is also my team mate."
"We're going after an old lady?"
"Well, not exactly... you'll see when we meet her," said Jiraiya.
Naruto and Kin were confused, but said nothing.
=0=0=
A day later, they were at a village, resting after a weary travel. Jiraiya had left the two alone at the hotel, where he had gone off somewhere, having stolen all of Naruto's money. It was just the two of them, Midna too if you include her. Of course, before Jiraiya left, he told Naruto to don't try anything with the girl before running off giggling perversely.
Naruto! Stop thinking those thoughts, pervert! Midna yelled at him, causing Naruto to wince at the loud voice. Kin of course was taking a shower in the only bathroom they had in this one bed hotel room.
What thoughts?
Perv...
Blushing over the implications of adult love, he takes off his boots, belt, sword, and shield, before laying down in bed, also taking off his hat. He soon dozed off, and Midna lays back hovering close to the ceiling. However, before Naruto could fall in a deep restful sleep, he heard knocking, which rouses him awake. He got up grumbling, and to be cautious, takes his sword with him. He opened the door, and there stood Itachi and Kisame.
Itachi looks down at Naruto, before taking out a photo. It showed Uzumaki Naruto with the whisker marks, and his orange jumpsuit clothes, minus the hitai-ate. Here stood the same person, but in a green tunic, and carrying an odd double-edge sword. No whiskers. The eyes however matched the ones in the photo he holds.
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Hai?"
Naruto... something doesn't feel right.
Naruto agreed with Midna.
"Who are you?"
A sigh is heard. "I am Itachi, and this is my comrade Kisame. Now, please come with us..."
"You want Kyuubi, don't you?" He leaps back, narrowly avoiding Kisame's slash with the sword. Naruto had grabbed the shield and holds it ready in defense, "well you're a little too late. Jiraiya told me about you people tracking down people who hold demons in them... that blasted fox is gone, and good riddance to that cursed demon kitsune."
Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"You're lying! You're probably just wearing skin makeup to cover your whisker marks!" Kisame yelled, caching Naruto off guard with a Suiton jutsu that allowed the shark man to expel a blast of water like a cannon. Naruto was sent crashing towards the wall, and Kin had run out, but froze upon seeing two S-Rank Nuke-nins at the door. Plus, she was clad in a towel, but survival overpowered modesty.
Naruto coughed, and Itachi watched for this skin make up, but saw nothing melting away, revealing the whisker marks that identified Naruto a the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko. But it couldn't be... Naruto stood up anyway, ready to fight back, or stall for time. Right now he was cursing Jiraiya for leaving him. He may have the Triforce of Courage, but he doubt he could content with two strong ninjas like these two.
"ITACHI!"
Itachi looks down the hallway, and saw a snarling Sasuke, Sharingan blazing with rage, and already forming what looked like dark blue lightning within a compressed sphere. This was known as the Chidori. Sasuke has rushed, following his brother's path, when he had overheard that Itachi was in the village looking for Naruto. He had also learned that Kakashi had been defeated in a matter of seconds after exposure to his brother's red eyes and the technique he too experienced: Tsukuyomi.
"Sasuke..."
"Who's this kid?" Kisame questioned whether or not to focus attention on Naruto and the nearly naked girl, or the newcomer.
"My otouto..."
"Really? I thought you killed your entire clan?" Kisame questioned Itachi.
"All but him..."
"DIE!" Sasuke roared, rushing Itachi, however before he could shove the Chidori through the older sibling, his wrist was caught, and effectively snapped. Both them were struck by an invisible force, which was Midna who was still invisible. Naruto at by now reattached his belt, and managed to slash Kisame's back. Kisame was shocked when he saw the sword that Naruto was now using against him.
"Zubuza's Kubikiri Hocho... where the hell did you get that!?"
"Zubuza died, and told me to take it..."
Kisame growled. This kid was now one of his brethren, if he now wields Zubuza's fabled weapon. Suddenly he heard the sound of flung kunai. Jiraiya had appeared which Kisame blocked the kunai that was thrown at them. Sasuke was tossed aside, and was knocked out cold, after he was placed under Tsukuyomi.
"About time you got here ya perverted ass!" Naruto yelled. He and Kin had managed to slip by the two Nuke-nins and now joined by Jiraiya, "I don't feel like dying today!"
"These two Naruto, are part of the organization I told you about. I think they now realize they won't be getting the Kyuubi anytime soon since you no longer hold the fox within you..."
Kisame glared at Naruto. "I don't know how or why Zubuza would give you his weapon, but that now gives me a challenge to take you down, kid... and when I do I shall take that sword form your cold dead hands."
Itachi however held up his hand, halting Kisame from attacking. "Kisame, we're leaving, the mission is a failure. Naruto is no longer a Jinchuuriki. How he survived death I may never know. We must report back to Leader-sama."
Jiraiya however shifted through hand signs before slamming his hands to the floor, and turned the entire hallway into the insides of a mountain toad. However the two who were escaping, left by using the black flames Itachi unleashed with his Mangekyou Sharingan. The hotel hallway returned to normal, and after Jiraiya sealed the black flames away into a scroll he whipped up and written down the necessary kanji in less than a minute Naruto walked up to Jiraiya, while Kin had dove back into the room to get dressed quick enough.
"Now what? They want the fox, but after that guy had ripped it form my body..."
"Well, I don't know what we can-" Jiraiya started and stopped when a kunai flew past them and landed in the ground some ways behind. Everyone who could turn to look, unaware of the shadow flying above them...
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
"Gai?" Jiraiya asked as the said Jounin slammed his foot into the Toad Sannin's face.
"Huh?" the Jounin muttered as Jiraiya fell backwards. Gai laughed a little and started to scratch the back of his head.
"Sorry," he said, "I was using my forehead protector as a mirror because I forgot mine... so I used my hitai-ate instead!"
Jiraiya's eye twitched, sporting a nice shiner and bruise.
=0=0=
Kisame and Itachi were far away by the time they had stopped.
"The Kyuubi is gone, and Leader-sama will not like this..."
"Meh, he must have merged with his demon."
"No, if he did, I would have noticed it with my Sharingan, Kisame... somehow, someone has beaten us in claiming the fox, however, left Naruto alive. The Power of Human Sacrifice, the human host dies when the demonic soul is extracted from the host... yet he still lives."
Kisame scoffed a bit. "Either way, that brat will be real good to kill... since he is carrying the Kubikiri Hocho; it's now my life mission to kill him. I will not accept that a brat like him can just claim that sword."
Itachi did not acknowledge it. They however must get back to Leader-sama, and inform him of this new detail. Back with the trio, Gai had rushed off back to Konoha, taking the injured Sasuke so he could get medical treatment. They however had to leave the village, because during Jiraiya's leisure time, he had discovered that someone who matched the descriptions he's been issuing was found to be at a village which was hosting a festival.
Meanwhile, a black haired young lady with a vest-wearing pig tried to persuade her blonde haired friend with big assets to not go inside the expensive casino; however the woman said to not worry, before going inside. The men inside all recognized the woman, as she opened up a briefcase filled with ryo.
"Ero-Sennin," Kin whispered after the Sannin's explanation of Akatsuki, "I just keep hearing about Tsunade, but how will we find her?" she asked.
"Yeah!" Naruto shouted in agreement and to Jiraiya's annoyance, "If we're looking for her, wouldn't she be around your age or so?"
"My age, yes," he replied, as they were on the road again.
"What is Tsunade-sama like?" Kin asked slowly.
"She is a power house. At times, some ninjas who have ever fought against her call her the Megaton Woman due to her immense strength. However, just don't take on her nickname..."
"Her nickname?"
"Other nickname... she's known as the Legendary Sucker." He sighed again, "But it's going to take a few days, so, we're going to focus on training as well. However, you I do not know what to do with you." He points at Kin.
=0=0=
For about three days, they have been traveling, while Sasuke was still in the hospital, as was Kakashi after he suffered under the same attack. Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai were training their teams stronger now, just to take their minds off matters involving Itachi, Kisame, and their desire to kidnap Naruto. Away from the village, thanks to a successful lead, Jiraiya had taken Naruto and Kin to Tanazaku Town. This was where the guy Jiraiya spoke to at the bar last seen Tsunade head towards. Also, in the three days, Naruto had spent learning how to use the Rasengan. Right now, he had completed Stage One: Molding his chakra to the point that the spiraling motion breaks the water balloon.
Now, Stage Two was different. While they were relaxing for the night, unfortunately having to camp in the wilderness, Naruto was forced to start on Stage Two, which was to break a solid object, a rubber ball that kids use to play this civilian game called Hockey. As he sat down, quitting after the process couldn't be replicated, he leaned back against the tree he was sitting under. Kin was asleep, leaning against him, and to the other side of him was Midna, also asleep. He closed his eyes, hoping to get some shut eye.
The morning came, and after eating some rations, they were coming over the hill that soon gave them a view of a ruined castle, and their next location, Tanazaku Town. Midna stayed in Naruto's shadow, while Naruto himself was listening to his Ninpod. Of course, Jiraiya was explaining what they should do, but Naruto didn't hear him, until the earphones were taken out, and the white-haired Sannin yelled.
"Did you hear what I just said?" He questioned the blonde in green.
"Eh? Did you say something?" was the reply.
Damn it, he sounds like Kakashi...
Jiraiya headed off to the town, and Naruto followed Kin, who filled Naruto in about what was going on. Of course, with only eight hundred ryo left... some cash Ero-Sennen did leave for Naruto, it wouldn't be enough for a hotel room, and to spend on food. Kin was still training to perfect her kunoichi skills, but has foregone the use of her bells, and now instead used them as decoration when she's not doing anything. Those bells reminded her of Otogakure anyway. Now, she accepted to train how to skillfully use Senbon. It was also discovered that she could use Suiton jutsus well enough.
Anyway, the two got separated from Jiraiya who went off searching for Tsunade. They were in one of the gambling sections of the town. Elsewhere, Orochimaru and Kabuto were in the area, searching for Lady Tsunade. Jiraiya too was searching for the blond buxom woman and her fellow black-haired apprentice. And in this village, was a plot waiting to be sprung by the Twilight King who sealed Midna away centuries ago... he was waiting for his time to unleash his trap upon Naruto.
Back at the Akatsuki Base, Pein, or known simply as Leader-sama, dismissed the two, and was left alone. It didn't take much to shock this near emotionless man, but when something does, most of his plans start to go up in flames, and right now one of them did. With the fox gone, but the host still alive, many of his plans had suddenly been setback. However, who was it that beaten thme into stealing the Kyuubi no Youko, and just how did this unknown person steal the demon energy without killing the host in the process? As a Jinchuuriki, you were a living human sacrifice. How did the Boy Who Lived cheat death?
For now, all he could do was keep his eye on the boy who lived through a demonic extraction. If things got too rough, he could simply find the former Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and kill him.
"Hm..."
This was a mystery he was determined to figure out. He just never knew that he was but a pawn to someone else's game.