Wesker: So, what's the deal, man? Where the hell is Darth? The girls are getting crazy.
Naruto (Downing the glass of vodka): Yeah, Darth is having a… mental breakdown.
Sephiroth: Is that why he just sits in his room, constantly yelling something like "your bunny wrote"?
Naruto (Spitting his drink): Not exactly what he says, but yeah.
Trish: I wish he would stop that, it's getting boring…
Wesker: Are you saying we're not entertaining enough?
Trish: Nah, you guys are fine. But Darth always brings all the fun and…
SLAM.
Darthemius (Kicking the door open): FINALLY DARTHEMIUS HAS COME BACK… out of his room!
Sephiroth: Very classic, Darth…
Trish (With sparkling eyes): Fuck classic! He's back!
Naruto: Oh hell yeah! I've been missing you, man! We all have!
Wesker: Damn right! What took you?
Darthemius: Well, that's a long story, guys…
Sephiroth: We're not in a hurry.
Darthemius: Tch, okay… The truth is… I died.
Naruto: You what?!
Darthemius: Yeah. Apparently I got too much vodka… Too much even for me. So I got knocked out, and when I woke up, it was some fucking garden.
Trish: Garden?
Wesker: Wait, you mean heavenly garden?
Darthemius (Nodding): That's the one. And I was like "Where the hell am I"? That's when he appeared.
Trish: Mundus?
Naruto: Madara?
Wesker: Nemesis?
Sephiroth: Jenova?
Naruto, Darthemius, Trish and Wesker (Turning to Sephiroth): …?
Sephiroth: What?
Naruto: Since when is Jenova a he?
Sephiroth: W-Well, she can be anything she wants, so…
Naruto: No matter. Go on, Darth.
Darthemius: Fine. So here he appears and says "Do you know who I am?" And I said "Bully Ray?" And he said: "No, you idiot!" And I said that I have no idea then. So he offered me four possible answers.
1 – House Elf.
2 – Matrix Agent.
3 – Woody the Woodpecker.
4 – God.
Trish: And? What did you answer?
Darthemius: Well… I asked if I can use the 50/50 lifeline.
Naruto: And he?
Darthemius: And he said that I'm an impossible moron and added: "I am a God!" To tell the truth, that moment I thought that it's you trying to fuck up my mind, Wesker. But then I remembered that you don't have a halo over your head. So I asked: "Am I really dead?" And he said: "Yep."
Trish: How come you ended in paradise after everything you've done?
Darthemius: That's exactly what I asked as well. And the God said: Haha, no fucking way, pal! You've been the meanest, baddest, worst scumbag I have ever set my eyes upon! So you're going to the lowest pit of hell and you're gonna stay there for eternity!" I felt really down that moment, but then an idiotic idea came to me! So I asked: "Hey, since you're a God, you're supposed to be the absolute best in everything." And he said: "Yeah, I am!"
Naruto (Grinning evilly): Let me guess, you challenged him to a cola drinking competition!
Darthemius: I would… If I wouldn't have such a bad hangover after new year's celebration. So I said: "Hey, let's have a alcohol drinking match? If I win, you'll let me go back." And he said. "Oh yeah? And what will I get if and when I win?" And I said: "Trish will suck you off." "DEAL!"
Trish: What?
Darthemius: Umm… Nothing?
Trish: Fuck nothing! I'm having your ass tonight!
Darthemius: Fine, fine… Still, the God agreed, so we started drinking beer… and vodka… and martini… and more beer, and more vodka, and tequila, and rum, and whiskey, and wine, and some more vodka, and some more beer. And then the God said that we actually drank all he had, so we went to another room, and there was some cologne. And we started drinking that… until he finally hiccupped and fell face first in his salad. And I just sat there thinking: 'Shit, I've just outdrank a God… So I guess now there's only Stone Cold Steve Austin…' And next thing I know, I'm already in my bed, smelling like shit, but feeling like a million bucks! So go and get me some fucking cola! And girls of course…
Wesker: Fucking finally! I'll get the drinks.
Sephiroth: And I'll get the girls. I'm the best at it.
Naruto: And I'll get… Something… I don't know.
Trish: Yeah, and I'll get Darth's ass.
Darthemius: What?
Trish: I'll show you how to use me as a bargaining chip.
Darthemius: Oh shit… Wish me luck…
...
Chapter twenty nine: Never trust a Rattlesnake.
"Shin-ne!" – talks.
'Nah.' – thoughts.
"You will." – demonic/jutsu.
...
Konohagakure no sato. Hokage's office…
"Fuck! I'm sick of signing those damn papers!" Minato yelled in anger, placing his head on his fist. "Perhaps I should think about retirement… or at least dumping this job onto someone else and return to my jounin days…"
Taking a long breath, Yondaime Hokage looked into the window. The day looked great. Shining sun, clear sky, clean air… Nothing to worry about…
"But if so…" Minato muttered. "Why do I feel so uneasy…?"
SMACK.
"Hokage-sama!"
THUD.
"Hiccup!" Haruno Sakura chocked on her breath when a kunai hit the door a mere inch away from her ear.
"Are you stupid, girl?" Yondaime asked, relaxing his stance. "Do you have any idea what place you just barged into?"
"U-Umm… Your office, Hokage-sama…" Sakura said weakly.
"Exactly." Minato stated, walking closer and pulling his kunai out of the door. "And you probably know who I am, right?"
"Of-f course I d-do… You're Yondaime Hokage-s-sama, Konohagakure's leader and protector…"
Minato raised an eyebrow. "Is that what they teach you in the academy these days?"
"H-Hai…"
The blond man held a pause. "I guess I should pay them a visit… But first, let me correct you, girl." He said, walking back and sitting down in his chair. "Leader and protector? Sure, but those are responsibilities. These qualities are not what makes the Hokage." His look hardened. "The strongest fighter, the top assassin, the best shinobi in this god damn village! That's what makes the Hokage. Be sure to remember that."
"A-Alright…"
"Great." Minato leaned on his elbow and stared into the window again. "Now you can start explaining why you came here in the first place."
"Hai…" Sakura gulped the lump in her throat. "It's Jiraiya-sama. He's back…"
"That's excellent news." Yondaime interrupted, actually sounding somewhat pleased. "Tell him to come straight here."
The pink haired kunoichi took a deep breath. "I'm afraid it's not possible, Hokage-sama."
That actually got Minato's attention. "Really? And why is that?"
"He's…" Sakura paused. "He's in a really bad shape. Tsunade-sama is treating him as we speak. I'm afraid he won't be able to leave the hospital in his condition."
"In bad shape?" Minato asked worriedly. "What happened?"
"I… I don't know, my lord. He said he'll speak only with you."
"Damn it, sensei." Minato cursed. "I knew letting him go alone was a bad idea… Alright, lead the way."
Several minutes later. Hokage tower…
"I'm not really sure it's a good idea…" Sasuke muttered quietly, looking left and right at people giving him surprised glances.
"Don't worry about it." Tsubaki waved her hand at him, continuing to walk down the street. "These people wouldn't be able to do anything to you even if they tried. Besides…" She glanced at him with a grin. "They don't even have a reason now. You're a good Konoha shinobi again!"
"Hm." Sasuke smirked, looking down at Konoha headband that was wrapped around his waist. "I can't believe you kept this thing all this time… Still, you seem way too sure about your father's decision. For even if I agreed to join the village again, doesn't mean that he'll let me…"
"We already talked about it, didn't we?" The red head interrupted. "I told you daddy won't be able to refuse if I ask nicely."
"Still, I don't feel quite right putting this thing on without him actually doing it yet."
Tsubaki rolled her eyes. "Will you stop that already? Look around you, no one even looking at you with hostility. Besides…"
"SQUEAL!"
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. "D-Don't tell me…"
"Yep." Tsubaki confirmed with a predatory grin. "You still have some of your previous… admirers. Hahaha!"
"Not funny!" The Uchiha snapped. "I thought my betrayal will finally free me from some of them…"
"Oh, but it did." The red haired girl stated. "Remember Sakura and Ino? They were with the team that brought you back."
"Really?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I guess I just didn't really care at the time. I was too deeply in my own thoughts after…" He didn't finish the phrase, but there was no need for it.
"Tell me something, Sasuke…" Tsubaki began, stopping in the middle of the street. "What happened during your fight?"
The Uchiha hesitated. "I… I don't really want to speak about…"
"Sasuke, please."
Said Sharingan user took a deep breath. His hesitation was completely understandable. Not everyone would like to talk about their biggest failure.
"It was… unbelievable." The raven haired teen started. "I trained non-stop for three years, I even brought three allies… and he crushed all that in less than three minutes." He closed his eyes. "The strongest jutsu in my arsenal, Kirin… It strikes with the speed of lightning and it has enough power to obliterate everything in its path. But Naruto just raised his hand and it simply disappeared. I couldn't believe it even when I saw it with my own eyes. But what was the most shocking, was that he fought like he wasn't even trying; like he didn't give a damn; like we were nothing more than a couple of insects…"
"That's because you were."
"W-What?" Sasuke asked with wide eyes. "What are you…?"
"Jin… Naruto, he cares only about one thing." Tsubaki explained. "And that is getting his revenge on the person who he hates the most. I'm sure that's not you. Not only that, but you can neither bring him closer to his goal, nor stand in his way. No wonder he treated you like that."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Do you know who the person that he hates is?"
"No…" Tsubaki whispered, shaking her head.
"Do you know what he's planning to do?"
"No…"
"And what are you planning to do?"
Tsubaki's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Stop him."
"What?" The Uchiha asked, noticing the sudden change in Tsubaki's mood. "Stop him? Isn't it better to just give him what he wants?"
"No, it isn't." Tsubaki said in low voice. "Come on, let's go. We have yet to inform my father about your reinstatement."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Nice choice of words…"
The remaining path towards Hokage tower was spent in silence. Both teens were deep in their thoughts… unknown to them, their thoughts were almost identical. Still, Tsubaki managed to come out of her trance once they entered the building.
"Hello, is my father in his office?" She asked.
"Oh, Tsubaki-sama. Nice to see you again." Hokage's assistant responded. "But I'm sorry to inform you that Hokage-sama is out."
"Strange." The red head muttered. "Where could he go in the middle of the day?"
"I don't know that for sure…" The assistant began. "But earlier today Sakura-san came in, and five minutes later Hokage-sama ran out of the building after her, telling me to cancel all his appointments for today. So my guess is they ran into a hospital."
"Hospital?" Tsubaki asked, not liking it already. "Did something happen?"
"I don't know, Tsubaki-sama. But Hokage-sama had a very worried look on his face."
"I see, thank you." The red head frowned and turned to leave. "Come on, Sasuke. We'll meet him there."
Konoha hospital Tsunade's office…
"OUCH! Careful dammit!" Jiraiya yelled in sudden pain. "I feel bad enough as it is!"
"Shut up!" Tsunade replied, pressing wet cotton harder into the place where Jiraiya's arm was not so long ago.
"YEOW! I said stop it!"
"And I said shut your mouth!" Tsunade yelled, bumping her old teammate on the head. "Between the two of us, I'm the medic here! And I know better what you need right now!"
"It still hurts…" The toad hermit mumbled.
"That hurt?!" Tsunade asked mockingly, picking up a syringe. "Wait until I do this then!" And with that she stabbed said syringe right into Jiraiya's shoulder.
"YEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOWWW!"
"Jesus, you're like a big baby!" The medic stated, putting already empty syringe down.
"What the hell was that?!" Jiraiya hissed through gritted teeth.
"That was a very powerful antiseptic, created by me." Tsunade explained. "Unlike many others, it has to be applied inside the bloodstream. As a result, it has the ability to prevent such things as blood disease, and even heal the earlier form of cancer."
"Wow, that's awesome!" Jiraiya stated in awe. "Why haven't I heard of it before?"
Tsunade waved her hand. "That's because I have just created it. It hasn't been through the test stage yet."
Jiraiya's awe immediately disappeared. "Say what?!" He asked, becoming paler by the second.
"Well, we actually tested it on mice…" The woman began. "But since we're short on prisoners, I couldn't force Minato to make one of his men a test subject. And sadly no one was stupid enough to volunteer to take antiseptic in their bloodstream. Thankfully, you came along…"
"Thankfully?!" The hermit yelled at her. "THANKFULLY?! Do I mean absolutely nothing to you?!"
"Of course you do!" Tsunade said, giving her old teammate a wink. "You are now a valuable experiment!"
"God damn you, Tsunade! If I die from that, I'll…!"
"Oh, shut up!" The woman interrupted, starting a healing jutsu to close the reopened wound. "Not a single mouse died during the experiment."
"Really?" Jiraiya asked hopefully.
Tsunade paused. "Well… no, not really. But I'm sure you'll make it through."
The grey haired man slapped his forehead with his only palm. "Thanks a lot, Tsunade! That was very reassuring!"
"Anytime." Tsunade replied. "But if it wasn't for that, you'd have to be put into intensive therapy for several weeks to make sure that no diseases have spread. By the way…" She stared at him intently. "Care to tell me why were you running none stop for several days with an injury like this one?"
Jiraiya immediately forgot about his still unclear fate and frowned. "I'll explain once Minato gets here.
"Minato?" Tsunade asked in surprise. "Don't tell me it has something to do with Jin."
"It does."
Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed. "Did he do this to you?"
"No… No, he didn't."
"Then…"
"I'm not going to repeat that, Tsunade." Jiraiya stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Besides, Minato needs to hear it more than you."
"Alright, alright." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "But whoever it was, he really did a number on you."
Jiraiya said nothing.
"Not even a comeback that you can beat him in sumo?"
Still nothing.
"Che, you're no fun…" Tsunade already resigned herself to spending some time in silence, when…
SMACK.
"SENSEI!"
CRACK.
"Hiccup!" Yondaime Hokage chocked on his breath when a fist collided with a wall right next to his ear, leaving several cracks in it.
"Are you stupid, boy?" Tsunade said dangerously, glaring at said… boy. "Do you have any idea what place you just barged into?"
Minato's eyebrows rose. 'Now where did I hear it before?' Ran through his mind. "Umm… your office?"
"No! You're in a hospital!" Tsunade yelled. "And hospital is a place for rest and rehabilitation! So no yelling is allowed! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am…"
"Good." Tsunade removed her fist and returned to healing Jiraiya's torn shoulder. "Now you can start explaining why you came here in the first place."
"I came here because Haruno Sakura told me that Jiraiya-sensei has returned and…"
"And there was no reason to create such commotion." Tsunade interrupted. "You could've simply walked…"
"Enough." This time she was interrupted by Jiraiya. "Stop pestering him, Tsunade."
"Tch." The woman scowled, returning to treating his wound. "Fine, fine. Always ruining my fun…"
Jiraiya looked at his student. "Come on in and shut the door."
"Sensei…" Minato said, doing what was asked. "Who did this to you?"
"That was… one of my former students." The sannin stated, closing his eyes.
"One of the students?" Minato raised an eyebrow. "Is he in Akatsuki?"
"He is." Jiraiya nodded. "But that does not matter right now…"
"Of course it does!" Minato countered. "You've lost an arm, sensei!"
"Yes, I have…" The old man paused. "But I would've lost much more if not for your son, Minato."
"Naruto?" Yondaime asked carefully.
"Huh?" Tsunade stopped her doings to look at her teammate again. "You mean he actually saved your ass?"
"He did…" Jiraiya took a deep breath. "And it cost him?"
Minato's eyebrows furrowed. "Cost him what?"
"…Everything."
A syringe fell from Tsunade's hand. "You're joking… right?"
"Afraid not…" The hermit replied. "I wouldn't believe it myself… if it didn't happen right in front of my own eyes."
"You… You mean…" Tsunade stuttered in shock. "You mean that Jin's actually…"
"Dead." Jiraiya finished. "He sacrificed himself to let me escape…"
"No way…" Tsunade muttered. "Impossible… He's so strong and cunning and…"
"Enough." Minato raised his voice for the first time since the announcement of Naruto's death. "What exactly happened? I want to know every detail."
"Very well." Jiraiya sighed. "I managed to track down the Akatsuki leader and engaged him in battle. However I underestimated him… Or more like he took me by surprise when I thought it was already over. That mistake resulted in this…" He pointed at his missing arm.
Minato continued to glare into space stoically. "Continue."
"Sigh…" The toad hermit took another deep breath. "Apparently my former student discovered a very… unique ability about himself. And quite frankly, I already started to think that was it for me…" His eyes opened sharply. "That's when he came."
"Naruto?"
"Yes." Jiraiya nodded and smiled sadly. "Can you believe it? He actually told me that I will only be a burden, and that I should leave. And… I will be honest with you, Minato… When he started to fight, I actually believed in that. He looked so strong… I thought he was invincible. Kind of reminded me of you when you were younger."
"If that's true…" Tsunade interrupted. "Then how the hell did he…?"
"It was that red haired girl… Tayuya I believe." Jiraiya exclaimed. "She appeared out of nowhere and stabbed him in the back. Then she explained that Naruto's goal was suicide, and she didn't wish to go down with him. Also she said what he wanted to do with biju and… that his healing factor wasn't working."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "Then what?"
"Then… The real Akatsuki leader told Tayuya to prove herself by finishing Jin off… Which she did." The sannin finished.
Silence.
"I see…" Yondaime said stoically.
"You see?" Tsunade snapped at him, standing up. "You see?! What do you fucking see?! He was your son, for fuck's sake! And now he's dead!"
"If he was my son…" Minato slowly turned to her and stared right in woman's eyes. "Then what are you so upset about?"
"I'm upset because I…"
"Be quiet." Minato said sternly, making Tsunade's eyes widen. "I've heard enough. Get well, sensei. I will need you in action soon. Patch him up as quickly as possible, Tsunade." And with that he disappeared in a flash of yellow.
"You know…" Jiraiya began, staring at the spot his student occupied just a moment ago. "I expected a different reaction as well…"
"Yeah, something's wrong…" Tsunade muttered quietly.
"You mean with Minato?"
"No, Jiraiya. I mean with this entire situation." Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed. "Something is definitely wrong."
Outside of the room…
"…"
Tsubaki stood frozen in the very spot the shocking news reached her ears, with her hand inches away from touching the door knob.
"You… You mean that Jin's actually…"
"Dead. He sacrificed himself to let me escape…"
"T-Tsubaki…?" Sasuke muttered carefully. The news shocked him too, though not as much as it did Tsubaki. He wanted to say something… anything. But just seeing her face stopped him.
She had the same look he had when he saw firsthand the destruction of his clan.
'Dead… Dead… Dead…' The single word was running through red haired girl's mind again and again.
"Tsubaki, I…" Finally after what seemed like hours, Sasuke grew enough courage to speak again.
"Sorry, I need to be alone right now." She replied quietly, disappearing in a flash of red.
"Wait!" Sasuke called, but it was already too late. "Dammit." He cursed, gritting his teeth. 'You are wrong about that, girl. The exact thing you don't need right now is to be alone!'
Akatsuki hideout…
"So, what now?" Tayuya asked, sitting cross-legged in one of the armchairs.
"We continue obviously." The masked man stated. "There is a sad part however. Since we were too quick to dispose of Kisaragi, we'll have to do the job ourselves."
"He couldn't die too quickly if you ask me…" Pain muttered to the side.
Tayuya's grin went to her ears. "Oh? And here I thought that you actually liked him."
"You thought wrong!" The man snapped. "There is not a single person that I hated more. Hell, I even hated Hanzou less…"
"Really? And he always said that he actually enjoyed your company…"
"Well, he won't be enjoying it much longer." The masked man interrupted. "Enough chatter, you can do that in your free time. What's important is that with Zetsu's death we suffer a severe lack of information…"
"Can't you use the other ones?" Pain asked suddenly.
Tayuya's smirk dropped. "Other ones? What other ones?"
"That's not important." The masked man waved his hand. "And no, I can't use them to this extent. They are only good for a direct order."
"It doesn't matter." Pain stated. "I told you that I will do the job myself. Besides, there are only two jinchuriki left. Just tell me where they are."
The masked man sighed, and, out of the corner of her eye, Tayuya saw that he raised his hand to slap his face, but then realized he has a mask on. She wanted to laugh, but stiffed it.
"That's what I was trying to tell you." The masked man replied.
"Wait, you mean you don't have any idea where they are?" Tayuya asked.
"At least with Hachibi, yes." The masked man nodded. "I tried to gather information on him myself, but it was useless. It's like he has disappeared from the face of the Earth."
"Hmm…" Pain looked in the window. "And what about Kyuubi?"
"That is easy. She's still inside Konoha and doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon." The masked man responded. "If we want to capture her, we'll have to lay down a full ground assault on the village."
"Count me in!" Tayuya said immediately. "I have a bone to pick up with that bitch."
"I'm afraid you're not going, Tayuya." The masked man informed.
"What?" The girl made a sad face. "Why?"
"Because I will need you to gather information on Hachibi." The man answered. "Besides, you're the only person available…"
"Hey, what about his girlfriend?" She pointed at Pain. "Cannon or something…"
"It's Konan." Pain corrected. "And she will be coming with me for support."
Tayuya raised an eyebrow. "Why can't I be your support, and Miss Cannon search for the information?" She asked in disdain.
"Because she is the only one I trust with this."
"Enough, you all have your objectives now. This meeting is adjourned." The masked man stated, walking away.
"Just one question." Tayuya called after him. "What are you going to do?"
The masked man looked at her over his shoulder, and Tayuya could swear he was smirking right now.
"Someone has to announce the start of the war."
Hokage monument…
"I knew you would be here."
Tsubaki slowly turned her head to see Sasuke standing behind her.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I need to be alone for no…"
"No." The raven haired teen interrupting walking over and sitting down beside her. "That's exactly what you don't need."
Tsubaki decided to ignore that and returned to simply staring in front of herself.
"Sigh…" Sasuke took a deep breath and leaned back on his hands. "Do you remember that day, Tsubaki? All those years ago when our roles were reversed?" He smiled sadly. "It was the first day we actually talked, and… the day you became me first real friend. So if you think that I'm just gonna let you sit here alone, drowning yourself in your sorrow, then you're sadly mista…"
His monologue came to an abrupt end when Tsubaki suddenly wrapped her arms around him, now crying openly in his shoulder.
"W-Why?!" She screamed between sobs. "How… How could he?! Sob… He promised… He fucking promised!"
Of course Sasuke had no idea what she was talking about, so he did the only thing left to him – hugged the girl closer to himself and let her be.
"I don't know how…" He muttered under his breath, staring somewhere in the distance. "He looked untouchable when I fought him. I doubt anyone could outdo him in a fair fight." The Uchiha paused. "It's kind of ironic… With all his treacherous past, in the end he was stabbed in the back himself… And by his own partner of all people."
Tsubaki's eyes snapped wide open.
Flashback. Hoshigakure's canyon…
"Why are you fighting me, Jin?" She asked quietly, almost whispering. "Why? I could've helped you…"
"And how exactly could you help?!" Naruto asked in amusement, interrupting her.
"You could've taken me with you! I…"
"No." The blond shook his head slowly. "You are not fit for the task."
"But why…?"
"You are too kind."
End flashback…
"Naruto is dead…" Jiraiya's voice echoed in Tsubaki's head.
'Not happened.' The girl suddenly moved away.
"Tsubaki?" Sasuke asked in concern.
"Not now." Tsubaki exclaimed, staring into distance thoughtfully. 'What did he want? That's easy, revenge… Then why join Akatsuki? Perhaps because the one he seeks revenge against is in Akatsuki…' She turned back to the only other person in the vicinity. "Say, Sasuke… Do you know how many members they had in the Akatsuki?"
"Actually yes, I do…" Sasuke paused, remembering. "Originally there was Orochimaru…"
'Dead.' Tsubaki counted in her head.
"Then there was his former partner, Aka Suna no Sasori…"
'Dead.' Tsubaki counted again. 'Killed in a fight with Chiyo and Sakura…' The girl rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, right. My guess is Jin had a hand in that.'
"Then there were, of course, my brother Itachi and his partner Kisame…"
'Dead. Killed by Jin… I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.'
"I already told you about what happened to Deidara…"
'Killed by Jin as well.'
"The last ones I know about are Hidan and Kakuzu." Sasuke finished. "There are at least three more. Why are you asking?"
'Hidan and Kakuzu were reported dead by Kirigakure about a month ago.' Tsubaki thought, ignoring the question. 'If so, that means that the person Jin seeks revenge against is among the last three. If so, then why not just kill them? If he actually faked his own death, what reason must he have?'
"I want to destroy his purpose…"
Tsubaki's eyebrows disappeared in her hair line. 'Of course! A simple killing will not be satisfying. Not for Jin. He wants to destroy the man both physically and mentally. Now think about it, what Akatsuki were after? That's right, biju.' She concluded. 'Hachibi jinchuriki was reported missing about the same time as Hidan and Kakuzu. That leaves only…'
"Never trust a rattlesnake."
'Alright, I won't.' The girl concluded. "Sasuke, I'm gonna need your help."
The Uchiha leaned back in surprise. "My help? With what?"
"I think that Jin is still alive." Tsubaki stated. "I will be leaving the village to find him."
"What?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "But Jiraiya said that…"
"I believe he was fooled." The red head replied. "The reason behind Tayuya's actions is completely wrong. Besides…" She paused. "I saw how she looked at him. She couldn't kill him even if she wanted to…" 'Just like me…' She added in her head.
"Even if it was like you said, why would you run away?" He asked. "For what purpose?"
"I…" Tsubaki bit her lover lip. "There is a thing he must know. I won't be able to live with myself if I let him die just like that, without doing anything…"
"Why do you think he'll die if you stay here?"
"Simple. He will have no reason to live."
"Tch." Sasuke shook his head. "Women… Okay, fine. But know that I'm doing it for you, not for him."
Tsubaki glanced at him with a smirk. "I would've been surprised if it was the other way around."
Namikaze mansion…
"Kushina…"
"You're early, dear." The woman came over and hugged her husband as usual… However not everything was usual as he leaned back when she did. "Is something wrong? You look stressed."
"Yes, sweetheart, something's definitely wrong." Minato said and sighed. "Jiraiya came back this morning… And he said that he witnessed firsthand the death of one Jin Kisaragi."
"Kisaragi?" Kushina's hands went to her mouth. "That's the boy Tsubaki was crazy about? Oh my god. Did you… Did you tell her?"
"No, I did not tell her." Yondaime stated, walking to his favorite armchair and sitting down. "And I will not tell her… And you won't either."
"But why, Minato? Isn't it better for her to hear it from us then…"
"No, it's not." Minato interrupted harshly. "As for why… I guess it's simply because Jin Kisaragi's real name is Uzumaki Naruto."
Kushina's eyes widened to their limits. "Say what?!" She yelled out in shock. "And you knew?! You knew all this time?!"
"Not really. I learned only when he escaped." The Hokage confirmed.
"And you waited all this time to tell me?!" Kushina shook her head. "Damn it, Minato. What possessed you to…" The woman suddenly stopped as a look of realization appeared on her face. "Wait a second."
"Realized it, haven't you?" Minato smirked sadly.
"You… You said he died…" Kushina whispered.
"Yeah, I did…"
"B-But that's… That's im-impossible…" The woman stuttered. "He cannot die, because if he would…"
"I know he can't…" Minato nodded. "And I know what happens if he would."
"I…" Kushina bit her lower lip. "Look, Minato. I know you're probably blaming yourself right now, but the decision we made that day was the right one. And besides, it was I who refused to let you go. I didn't let you sacrifice yourself for the village."
"I'm not blaming anyone." Yondaime responded. "You are as much to blame for this as I am. We are the only ones who know what actually happened, even Jiraiya couldn't know. But perhaps… perhaps we were wrong in our decision to cast him aside? Perhaps we should've kept him close instead of trying to drive him away from the village…?"
"No!" Kushina interrupted him this time. "It was way too dangerous. If he would've gotten through your restrictions, he could destroy anything and anyone. Me, you, the village. It wouldn't have mattered to him." She exclaimed. "It was an experiment, Minato. A successful one, yes, but you still couldn't know for sure."
"Yes, you are right." The blond man smiled sadly once again. "But even if you're wrong, it won't change anything. Too little too late. Besides, that's not even the problem."
Kushina's eyes widened. "His death?"
"Yeah, his so-called death." Minato snorted. "A great spectacle, judging from Jiraiya's words. I'm even sad I missed it. And since we're still sitting here in peace, I'm one hundred percent sure it was just that, a spectacle. Which brings me to the actual problem."
The woman thought for a moment. "Why fake your death?"
"Exactly." Yondaime nodded. "He single-handedly defeated the group of our best, and looked like he wasn't even trying. That should be enough to take on anyone, or at least escape if things got bad. I think his show was not meant for us, Jiraiya simply happened to be in the right place at the right time. No, he needed Akatsuki to believe he was dead. Which brings me to a thought that Naruto was playing against Akatsuki the entire time."
"Perhaps…" Kushina rubbed her forehead in thought. "So what are you going to do, Minato?"
"This may be a perfect chance to end Akatsuki once and for all." The Hokage stated. "I could simply send my forces to hunt the last remaining members down, but first I want to know each great village's stand on this matter."
Kushina raised an eyebrow at this. "You actually think that some of them can side with Akatsuki?"
"I'm not sure about Kirigakure…" Minato said honestly. "Iwa is also known to use their services. Besides, they still hold a grudge against us for their loss in the last war. It won't take much time, I just need to be sure."
"I understand, and whatever happens, I'll…"
PUFF.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Hokage-sama." A single ANBU member said, kneeling down in front of his leader. "But an important message has just arrived for you."
Minato nodded. "Very well, what is it?"
"It's from Godaime Mizukage, Hokage-sama." The ANBU stated. "She requested a Five Kage meeting."
"Oh?" Minato tilted his head to the side. "Did she explain her reason for it?"
"Yes, the letter mentioned Akatsuki problem."
"Talking about perfect timing…" Kushina muttered. "Too perfect if you ask me. I think something is wrong."
"No matter." Minato replied. "Even if it's a trap, I will still learn every village's standing." He turned to the ANBU member. "When and where this meeting will take place?"
"In the land of Iron in three days." The ANBU responded immediately. "Each Kage is allowed to bring only two guardians."
"Very well, sent her a reply that I'll be there."
"Hai!" The ANBU bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"I'm gonna bring Kakashi and Jiraiya with me in case anything goes wrong." Minato turned to his wife with a smile. "Will you keep the village safe in my absence, dear?"
The woman smiled back. "Do you even need to ask?"
Unknown location…
"The last reply has just arrived. Everything is just as you have foreseen."
"Hmhmhmhmhm. Have you doubted for one second that it will be otherwise?"
"Of course not. I know you don't rely on chances when it comes to that. Though I was wondering, why you needed all four of them? I could understand the 'fat and ugly', but why do you need the old man and the kid as well?"
"No reason. I just wanted for him to have no doubts about leaving the village."
"Indeed… Say, why is that? Wouldn't it be better to just let two morons fight each other?"
"No, it wouldn't. As you said, I don't leave things to chances… or at least I don't like to do so if I can help it. And while I don't care about the first moron, I need for the second to lose at all cost. Not just that, I can't allow anyone to find the body."
"But what if…"
"Don't ask about that, I have my reasons. But for everything to work just as I have planned, the first moron needs to be out of the village."
"Hm. Another gambit of yours I know nothing about."
"Oh, don't tell me you're saddened by that."
"And what if I am?"
"Then you're wasting your time. I'm too far gone…"
"Stubborn idiot… Still, not everything went as you have planned."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. It seems the girl has left the village as well. Searching for that special someone again no doubt."
"Hmhmhmhmhm. And who told you that wasn't a part of my plan?"
"Huh?"
"I'm sure you've heard the details, right? Well, let me add another one. Tsunade's office has a soundproof walls. Nobody could hear anything from the outside… unless someone actually released the seals."
"You mean you wanted her to leave? Why?"
"…I don't want her to be inside when the shit will start."
"Haha… If you were someone else I'd actually think that you became sentimental."
"You know me better than that."
"Yes, I do… Be careful."
"Don't forget who you're talking to. Oh, and tell our friend I said hello! HmhmhmhmhmhahahahaHAHAHAHAHA !"
...
Whew, now that took a while. Sorry for the delay, guys, and no. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dead… not yet at least. The reason for the delay was that I had to rewrite not only this chapter, but the next one as well.
And I did it five times!
Yeah, each time I was unsatisfied with something. Whether it was the ending, the beginning, somewhere in between oh, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH PART IT WAS! I didn't like it, so I have to redo it all the time. In the end, I realized what was wrong. Originally I was planning to add Pain's invasion in this chapter. But then I just realized it doesn't fit here. For Pain's invasion ends up with a really good twist, and it fits better in the last chapter.
Yeah, you heard me write. Next chapter will be the last. So get ready for all the secrets to be revealed. I have thought everything through several times in order to not miss anything. And the ending… Well, I'm satisfied by it. I hope you will be as well.
So next time, the last chapter "Retribution" will finally conclude Rattlesnake's story and…
...
…He has come back…
"FINALLY NARUTO HAS COME BACK…!"
…Why?
"Because everyone has darkness…"
…How?
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU PEOPLE THINK!"
…Where?
"What the hell?!"
The perfect antihero…
"…And I'm gonna kill you all, laughing like an imbecile!"
You thought he was defeated?
"THE PEACE HAS COME!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
You thought he was cast down?
"Farewell, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Oh shit…"
You…
"Hmhmhmhmhahahahahahaha!"
…Were…
"What?"
…Wrong.
"OH HELL YEAH!"
The jabrini beating…
"LLLLLLLALALALALALAAAAAAW!"
…Pie eating…
"If you wanna see Naruto fuck this girl sensless, give me a HELL YEAH!"
…Trail blazing…
"You're trying to act like Naruto, but obviously you're not…"
…Eyebrow raising…
"Do you like bondage?"
"If I say yes, will it be enough to pass your test?"
…Best in the present, in future, in past…
"Because I'm just that damn good."
...Finally gonna come back with a blast…
"KAAAAAAAAAAAATSU!"
…Uzumaki Naruto.
"IF YOU SMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL LLLLAW WHAT NARUTO IS COOKING!"
EVERYONE HAS DARKNESS: COUNTDOWN TO APOCALYPSE.
COMING SOON…