Chapter 23: A Homecoming?

"This is a bit harder than expected," Sakura muttered. "Who knew it was so hard to find one person in such a big forest?"

"Oh, I dunno... Maybe super hard," Sasuke scoffed. He glared at the kunoichi. "Why are you so oblivious?"

She shrugged. "Beats me."

"Quit fighting," Kakashi snapped. "Our priority is Naruto right now. We can't afford time to be wasted."

Sasuke snorted. "Hn."

Sai jumped down from a tree branch upon jumping down from his ink bird.

"Ah, good. Have you found anything yet?" Kakashi asked.

He nodded. "I did. I saw some people traveling in our direction. They should be here any sec—"

But Sai was cut off when a man in a kabuki mask jumped down from a tree. The newcomer stared in shock.

"Oh shit..." he muttered.

Suddenly, eleven people and two wolves landed behind him.

Sasuke, Kakashi and Sakura stared in shock, for there stood all of Akatsuki.

They got out their weapons, getting into battle stance.

Both of the masked men pulled up their masks, exposing the face of Naruto and Tsukiyomi Uzumaki.

"Where's Ero-sennin when you need him...?" Naruto grumbled.

Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi stared in shock. "...N...Naruto...?!"

The blonde grinned, waving with a nervous tick on his forehead.

"W-what's going on? Isn't the Akatsuki the reason all the Jinchuuriki disappeared?" Kakashi asked.

"Wha—?! Don't ignore me!" Tsukiyomi shouted.

"Us," Konan corrected.

"Yeah, us!" the brunette agreed. "Hello! Tsukiyomi here!"

"Hi, prick," Sasuke growled. "Now, explain: why the fuck is Itachi here acting like nothing happened?!"

"Has no one told anyone anything!?" Naruto growled. His eyebrow twitched. "That slaughter was an order."

Everyone—except for Itachi, of course—looked shocked or surprised.

"Sensei, is that true...?" Sasuke asked Kakashi.

The Jounin sighed. "I don't know."

"Well, it is; just ask Danzo," Naruto stated. "Hi, by the way."

Everyone sighed.

"Really?" Sakura grumbled. She sighed. "Anyways, let's just go to the Hokage..."

"No!" Tsukiyomi and Naruto shouted. "If we go, she'll kick our ass's!"

She glared. "Too bad! I just might kick your ass's!"

Kurama sighed. You guys suck at getting along...

Shut it, you stupid fur ball.

Hn.

Naruto pulled out a notebook, and started writing.

'Remember (super important): Sasuke's color is gray, indicating a dark past. Sakura's color is yellow, showing a bright but oblivious personality. Kakashi sensei's color is dark blue, meaning he lived a dark and bright past. Tsunade-baa-chan's color is dark brown; she has lost many and lived on. Yamato's color is light red, meaning he went through hardship and some kind of experimentation. Sai's color is a very dark shade of cerulean, meaning he is still in the darkness of his past.'

"What are you writing?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shut the book, tucking it away within a holder in his sleeve. "Nothing that concerns anyone."

"Hn," Itachi muttered.

"Oh, shut it, sensei," Naruto shot back. He pushed against the Uchiha's face with his hand. "Don't give me that look."

Everyone in the office of the Hokage stared at him, wondering how he knew.

Currently Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, Sasuke, Tsukiyomi, Ban, Yoru, Naruto, Hidan, Kakuzu, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori were all cramped in the office with Tsunade sitting at her chair with a look of shock, surprise and irritation.

Kisame grinned in amusement, showing off his shark teeth. "Sometimes I doubt whether or not you're blind."

"Believe me when I say I'm blind," Naruto stated.

"Okay...l-let's get to the point," Tsunade interrupted. "I know why Naruto is here, but why are you all here?"

"Because orders," Sasori rumbled. "Pain-sama ordered us to accompany Naruto. Our enemy is a lot more dangerous than you might think, Hokage-sama."

"How so?" Tsunade asked.

"He can hide himself, un," Deidara explained. "His chakra coils, presence, signature...all of it, un."

"His name is Tobi," Naruto explained. "Better known as Rei, though. His chakra is special. In a split second, he can gather up all nature energy around him and blend in with the world like he is never there. I have learned it, but I can't gather up nature energy as fast as him."

"Oh, so is that how that fucking traitorous bastard got past me? Man, that little snake!" Hidan shouted.

Konan hit him in the face with a paper pan, making the idiot shut his mouth from intimidation and pain.

"It's not like he would need it, though. You're just too stupid to notice," Kakuzu muttered.

The Akatsuki and San—technically Nii now—Rei snickered or smirked in amusement.

"That explains how he got all of the Jinchuuriki so easily," Sasuke muttered. "But how would you guys make a difference? You could miss him for all we know."

"We've been hanging around that moron for three years," Tsukiyomi pointed out. "Even Pain picked up one or two things on how to detect Tobi and he barely leaves his office."

The Konoha nin stared at him.

"Yes, he's that clingy."

So they know. He thought. No...not they...he knows...

His eye narrowed. "How..."

His voice trailed off for a few moments, thinking about a word that could fit what he was thinking.

A smirk spread across his face. "...miraculous."

BAD BOY. VERY BAD.

Peace! :3