Chapter 20

Paths

Tengoku

Inari threw the shuriken at the target for the hundredth time, his fingers releasing the weapon at the perfect apex of his swing, spinning it with a flick towards the closest he had come to dead center so far today. He glanced towards the other students in this section of the training field. There were maybe ten, eleven other students who had gotten this far in the chambers. It had been a grueling couple of months, but Inari had, with fierce determination, kept pace with the top students in the academy.

Tenchi had remarked to him once that his resolve was second to only one student he had ever had. Inari smiled at that thought, bringing another shuriken to his palm, ready to strike. His goal was to be a ninja like Naruto was, and he was well on his way.

Today though, today was special.

He looked around again at the other students, and saw it; the thoughtfulness in their eyes. Today the decision had to be made. Inari himself thought he knew which way he wanted to go, but maybe after the demonstrations today…

Tenchi walked over to his top twelve students, having watched them practice with targets for the past hour.

"Gather round," he said quietly. As one they stopped training and formed a line in front of their Sensei. He appraised each one of them, looking into their eyes one at a time.

"Today you will decide which martial art path you will walk down. At the start of the program, we told you that we have many different styles here; the way of the Ninja, the way of the Samurai, the art of Lucha Libre, Mabry's style of street fighting." He paused at the excited chatter of some of the students.

"Now I asked you to research these styles in the library, as well as any other, and I repeat, ANY other style that you might be interested in. Even if we do not have a teacher here who can be your sensei, we might be able to find you one. Both myself and Mabry have an extensive network of connections and friends."

"First though, we are going to have a series of display matches to show the strengths of each style so you can fully understand. Head on over to the practice field on the other side of the tower. I've gathered all the other students there as well for this demonstration."

"Hai sensei!" they all shouted as one, and turned to go in that direction.

"You ready for this?" Jiraiya asked. He had requested several of Naruto's clones to come assist with this demonstration. All of the students had gathered on some temporary bleachers that Guerrera had constructed. They hadn't realized that the entire village would come out. There was very little by way of entertainment here in Tengoku, Jiraiya thought wistfully. So he supposed a martial arts demonstration would be something out of the ordinary for the small populace that they had.

The Naruto clones nodded with large identical grins plastered on their faces. Mabry acted as the announcer for the demonstration.

"Citizens and students of Tengoku! Welcome to this important rite of passage for our top students. The day that they choose their fighting style. To that end we have several demonstrations for you today. First up, Jiraiya will demonstrate Ninjutsu!" Mabry nodded and got out of the way.

The first Naruto clone entered the center of the field and faced Jiraiya who smiled at the boy and charged.

A flurry of kicks and punches, which Naruto was hard pressed to block and avoid. As a clone he was more fragile than a normal opponent, but that would suit their purposes here just fine. Jiraiya wasn't world renown for no reason. Within a few seconds he landed a punch to Naruto's gut that exploded him into a puff of smoke. This was greeted by applause from the gathered crowd.

Jiraiya smiled and waved at the crowd, enjoying the attention. Mabry chuckled and spoke loudly.

"Ninjutsu is the most famous of the Eastern martial arts. Although in most territories, it is broken into three general separate categories. Taijutsu which is hand to hand combat, Ninjutsu which are special chakra attacks, and Genjutsu which are illusionary attacks."

"Jiraiya, the famous toad-sage, who is a master of all three, displayed for us what was a demonstration of Taijutsu." With a nod to Jiraiya, a squad of five Naruto clones charged. Jiraiya made only a single hand-seal before he spit out a lake of oil, which trapped them. He then launched himself into the air, arching his neck and then snapping forward, spat out fireballs at each Naruto clone. It was a flashy move meant to showcase the chakra attacks more than anything else. Each clone disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"There are also some other, rarer techniques, such as the ability to summon animals or objects that you forge a contract with. Jiraiya has the contract with Toads, which I think you all already know. Thank you for the demonstration Jiraiya!"

The crowd gathered was very appreciative and cheered wildly as Jiraiya walked off the field. The students were all smiles looking on, some of them even more sure of their choice now.

"Next up, we have Guerrera! We all know the friendly and kind hearted mason and blacksmith. His combat skills lie in Lucha Libre, a grappling and wrestling art. What many of you don't know is that he defeated our very own Naruto in a Kumite a little over a year ago with those skills, so don't dismiss this fighting form."

Guerrera cracked his neck muscles and looked intently at the Naruto clone standing before him. He could see the same energy as he did in that match a year ago, but something was different. This Naruto was not just energetic, he was confident. The Naruto clone ran towards Guerrera, who also ran towards him. He wondered at the strategy as it was just a clone and would burst upon impact.

As he thought, they collided in a puff of smoke. What he didn't expect though was the fist that suddenly clipped his chin. His head snapped back at the impact, it was a good punch. He looked down to see a Naruto clone leaping into the air in front of him. Guerrera realized that Naruto must have come from under the ground, right where he had impacted with the other clone. They used the puff of smoke to hide the attack. Clever, he thought as he grabbed the Naruto in midair.

The crowd gasped as Guerrera turned and twisted Naruto then leapt with him in a bear lock into the air. It was a perfect arc as they came sailing back to the earth, Naruto's head slightly higher than Guererra's as he held him from behind. It was a move that would kill any man. It puffed the clone into oblivion.

Two more clones rushed Guerrera. The giant man's leap flipped over the first one as he heel kicked the second. He landed on his back, flipped over and swept his legs to take the first Naruto off his feet. Naruto leapt over that attack and came down in an axe kick to Guerrera's head.

Guerrera caught the foot and twisted, pulling it towards his face but pushing with his own legs against Naruto's body. It was a perfect arm lock, except Guerrera was not going for a tap out. With a twist he pulled the arm out of the socket with a crack and the clone exploded into smoke. It was a brutality he would use in a life or death fight, and he wanted the students to see what was possible.

The crowd cheered again as he got up, the applause coming from some of the students showing that his point had been made. More of Naruto's clones grinned though and rushed the giant.

As the fight continued, Ali and Yoshi walked over to where Mabry, Tenchi and Jiraiya were watching. Old man Tora was also looking on at the fight with glee in his eyes at each punch. Tsunade hadn't bothered to come, busy with something at the Hospital.

"Why have you not asked my clan to demonstrate?" Ali asked, clearly upset. His eyes flashed dangerously from one man to the next.

Mabry looked at him and shrugged, pointing at Jiraiya. "We didn't think your clan would teach your martial art to outsiders," he said.

Ali sniffed. "We will not. But that does not mean that we would shy away from a demonstration." He turned to look at the crowd. "Besides, who's to say if anyone wants to join our clan? We'd certainly consider any interested parties."

Jiraiya smiled nodded. Ali huffed up and turned to watch as Guerrera dove and clotheslined two Naruto's at once in a move that would certainly remove an enemy's head (if he wasn't a clone).

"I , Yoshi, would certainly like to demonstrate my style as well," Yoshi said, then looked confused at his own words, then smiled at himself.

Tenchi was a little taken aback, but asked anyway. "What fighting style do you know Yoshi? I,...we…never knew you could fight."

Yoshi looked at him and nodded vigorously. "Yes yes, I will fight, thanks for asking."

"But what's your style Yoshi?" Tenchi asked again but Yoshi was preoccupied taking notes of the battle with Guerrera and the last of Naruto clones.

A few seconds later and a series of smoke puffs, it was over. The crowd cheered relentlessly at the display. Naruto's clones didn't use any chakra attacks, preferring to keep it a Taijutsu battle, so Guerrera had the advantage even though he was outnumbered.

"Thank you Guerrera for that spirited display!" Mabry shouted to applause.

"Now since the Naruto clones assigned for this battle were all destroyed, Tenchi our Samurai will fight Ali, the leader of our Spirit Wolf guild and master of Kalarippayattu."

The two men walked into the field and drew their swords. Tenchi a traditional, but ornate samurai sword, Ali his urumi. The crowd was dead silent. Several heartbeats went by; then it began in a clash of steel. Tenchi stabbed forward only to be batted away by Ali whose uruni curved around the sword, edging towards Tenchi's hand guard. Tenchi spun and stepped right, the attack missing him by inches. He swung his sword parallel to the ground, low, in an attack that would remove a lesser man's legs. Ali leapt over it and reached out with his own sword, snaking it towards Tenchi's chest in a corkscrew attack.

Tenchi bent backwards at the waist and slapped it away with the broadside of his sword. Ali landed and pulled back for another attack. Tenchi snapped back up straight and sheathed his sword in one fluid motion. His right shoulder leaned towards Ali, and his left leg pushed backwards into the soil.

Ali's eyes grew wide. A sword drawing Batoujutsu in the middle of a fight? He stretched his sword in an arc towards Tenchi's head, but knew a second later that was a mistake.

Tenchi launched forward impossibly fast, drawing his sword mid-stride, his forward motion adding momentum and speed to the draw. The resulting attack would have been devastating, but Ali drew his small dagger with his left hand and blocked the attack at the last second. The dagger shattered a second later, but by then Ali had moved fully out of the way and Tenchi had passed him already. With a sigh while shaking out the numbness of his hand, he looked at Tenchi's eyes, which were serious, yet not menacing.

"You know, if that had connected you would have taken my head," Ali said quietly.

Tenchi shrugged. "If you were fighting at full speed instead of keeping your true power secret from all of us, I doubt I'd have gotten even this close." With a wink though, he added. "Maybe."

Ali laughed loudly. "One day we should have a full out battle. One swordsman to another."

Tenchi grinned and nodded. "Deal."

Mabry's voice announcing the end of the display brought cheers from the crowd. The two combatants walked off the field. Mabry turned to Yoshi. "You ready Yoshi? To go up against me?"

Yoshi smiled and nodded. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged off his lab coat. Those close enough to see were stunned. Under his clothes, Yoshi was rippling, lean muscle. Not an ounce of fat existed on the man's body. Various scars adorned his flesh, some were probably from lab experiments, but most were definitely from blades.

He stretched then walked out into the middle of the field, waiting on a stunned Mabry.

Mabry cleared his throat and announced. "The last match today is myself- the Magnificent Milford Mabry- and my street fighting style, against…Yoshi!"

The crowd cheered and laughed simultaneously. They all knew Yoshi. To think the man could fight was...well preposterous. Wasn't it? But the lean hard looking man in the middle of the field certainly appeared different from the Yoshi they all knew.

Mabry looked at the man before him and knew, instantly, that this was not going to be a piece of cake. Yoshi then smiled up at him, "I left a bottle simmering, let's get on with it yes?"

Yoshi struck first, an impossible kick, right at Mabry's head. Mabry blocked it with his left forearm. He snapped his fist forward in a straight punch, but Yoshi wasn't there anymore. He had sidestepped and pulling his leg back kicked out and hit Mabry in the ribs. Yoshi brought his leg back, foot straight up in the air, balancing on one leg looking on as Mabry stumbled back from the blow.

"Shit…Savate." Jiraiya mumbled. "Mabry's in for a hell of a time." Tenchi nodded. That particular style was meant to keep some distance between the opponents, while Mabry was a close combat street fighter. But Savate was also a type of street fighting, so he personally didn't think it would be that unbalanced a contest.

Mabry had the size and reach on Yoshi. The man who had once fought the Third Hokage to a standstill took the attacks from the smaller Yoshi, but he felt every kick. Yoshi may have been small but his hits had major power behind them.

Mabry suddenly rolled towards Yoshi and came up in an uppercut, catching Yoshi off guard. He flew backwards. Many thought the fight was over, but Yoshi flipped in midair and landed on his feet. He seemed to be happy to taste the blood in his mouth, a feral grin spread across his face. Keeping low he burst forward, his legs coming over in a crescent kick. Mabry crossed his forearms overhead to block and felt his feet sink into the ground slightly from the impact.

Yoshi bent at the waist, grabbing Mabry's shirt. In one fluid motion he arced his legs, bringing them around and in between the two of them. He kicked out and twisted backwards, sending Mabry stumbling backwards.

Yoshi landed on his feet and lunged forward faster than a heartbeat.

Mabry was on the defensive, the flurry of high kicks becoming faster than most of the spectators could see. The crowd cheered at the onslaught, the high level of skills that both men were displaying. Mabry finally decided he'd had enough of being on the defensive. He allowed a solid kick to his abdomen to land, taking the hit. He grabbed Yoshi's ankle and pulled him off balance, his fist raced towards Yoshi's face…

An alarm went off and Yoshi dodged, standing up straight. "Ah! It's ready… gotta go, nice fight. Statistically though your guard is consistently lower on the left side so you should raise it three inches. See you at dinner." He ran off to his lab, leaving everyone speechless, but…not all that surprised.

Mabry rolled his head back in out loud roaring laughter. "Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our demonstration! Thank you for coming out!"

The crowd cheered appreciatively and began to disperse.

Tenchi smiled and walked up to his top students. "OK, so you've seen what we have to offer. Let's talk about your choices now."

Konoha

Forest of Death

"How is he?" Chouji asked Shikamaru. The candles they had lit in the room flickered as if in response to the mood in the room. It had been two days since the rescue and their situation while tenuous, seemed to be settling down, at least somewhat.

The ANBU and ROOT had searched the area above their bunker the day before. A very thorough search according to Shino. His bugs had monitored the activity discretely. The entrance to this facility was hidden perfectly. An extremely low powered seal camouflaged the door as just another rock in the middle of a river. Any scents were washed away by the water, and the power of the seal couldn't be detected from the shore. Konoha had forgotten this place's existence generations ago.

However, Shikamaru's family had been in charge of the grounds for those generations, and so had not forgotten. Of course those that knew now were just Shikamaru himself and his father.

"His fever broke, just resting now," he told Chouji. Both Asuma and Anko lay on cots, blankets over them. Anko was covered in the injury cream that Hinata had given Shikamaru before the rescue to use on Asuma. It was clear the moment they were safely hidden that Anko needed it more. Her body battered and bruised to an extent that shocked them all. Her pallor suggested major blood loss and dehydration. Grimly, Shikamaru realized she could die at any moment. It was only her will to live that kept her broken body functioning.

Asuma was better off. He was beaten, but hadn't suffered the abuses that Anko had. Apparently Danzo held a hatred for Anko as the former apprentice of Orochimaru. They had both been unconscious since they arrived.

Shikamaru sighed and stood up from his position kneeling besides Asuma's bed. The plan he had put together had them staying here for months, using the bunker as a base of operations to perform guerrilla tactics against Danzo, and plot an assassination. Asuma would probably be alright without medical assistance. But Anko…

"Shino. Kiba." He called out across the bunker. The bug user walked over, a map of Konoha in his hand, while the dog clan boy just tilted his head slightly towards them, not leaving his guard post near the entrance, but paying attention nonetheless.

"We need to get Anko to a doctor. A really good one." Shikamaru said somberly. "She does not seem to be getting better."

Shino nodded. "That's correct. Her fever has not broken and her breathing seems even shallower. If this rate of decline continues she could have days, maybe at most a week to live."

Kiba grunted. "There isn't a doctor in Konoha that we can trust to treat her. So where does that leave us?"

Shikamaru frowned. "The closest friendly village would be Suna."

"Friendly?" Chouji asked incredulously.

"As friendly as we're going to get within a hundred miles." Shikamaru said matter of factly. "We have to hope that they will help. They helped in the Sasuke retrieval, the Kazekage there considers Naruto a friend. Maybe things haven't gotten so bad that we can't turn to them for medical assistance. It's the only chance Anko has."

"How?" Kiba asked quietly. They all turned to look at him, the sadness in his voice. "At full speed me and Akamaru could probably get there in three days. But by the time we find a medic who's willing to help and return, Anko could die."

"And we can't move her either." Shino chimed in. "It's a miracle she survived the escape."

Shikamaru sighed. "Kiba, you will need to move faster than you ever have before. If we assume she has one week left, and we can't say for sure because none of us are medics, then the latest you can return is seven days from now, probably six."

"Giving you three days to get there, a half a day to find a medic, and another three days to get back with them. I surmise the medic would not be able to move as quickly as you can. Also factoring in the need to avoid ROOT and ANBU patrols." Shikamaru concluded.

Kiba grunted in exasperation and cracked his neck, walking over to the group. Shino automatically shifted close to the entrance, taking over as guard.

"Well if one of us can do it, it would have to be me," he said. Akamaru quietly yelped from on top Kiba's head. "Us." Kiba agreed with a small smile.

He pulled out a small compass and compared it to the map on the wall. "The only way will be a straight line. I'll have to rely on speed to avoid the ANBU. As little rest as I can manage, probably popping soldier pills along the way."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. It bothered him. This was barely a plan. It was desperation.

"Good luck," he said to Kiba grimly.

Kiba scoffed. "Luck? Ninja rely on skill. See you in a week." He looked to Shino who cocked his head.

"My bugs say the way is clear at least five hundred yards in every direction. Beyond that I do not know." Shino said stoicly.

Kiba nodded and with a breath he and Akamaru vanished through the entrance.

Konoha

Hokage's Tower

Danzo's fist slammed into the desk. "How can there not be any trace?" Spittle formed on his lips, his unbound eye bulging in its socket. The search for the escaped prisoners and their rescuers had been futile. They had vanished like ghosts in the night. Or more appropriately, a fart in the wind.

The ROOT member in front of him remained emotionless. His two compatriots were similarly stoic. Off to the side was Ino and a few ANBU officers. Ino was there in her capacity as a mind reader for the Hokage. The plan Shikamaru had made months ago to move her into this position had been successful. Danzo did not trust anyone, and clearly felt that she was inferior enough to him as to not pose a threat.

Ino was furious at being dismissed, but glad the plan had worked. Now she had access to the inner workings of this office, even if it did mean she had to be more careful.

"There was a faint scent near the Forest of Death training grounds, but it proved to be a phantom trail. They have made their escape completely," the ROOT member said in a dead pan manner.

Danzo furiously threw a Kunai and embedded it in the left eye of the messenger. The man slumped to the ground to the shock of the ANBU present, and Ino. The other ROOT members gave no indication that they'd even noticed.

Danzo swore violently. "Too many think they can escape this village. Our borders are closed but perhaps another public demonstration is in order. This time nothing will deter the example from being made."

He nodded to the ANBU next to Ino. They went outside and retrieved a Konoha nin whose hands had been bound. With a start Ino recognized her old teacher, Iruka–Sensei. His face was bloodied and his hitaite had been removed.

"You will pay for this Danzo. Somehow you will pay." Iruka spat out. Ino did her best to remain emotionless as her mind raced.

"Fool," Danzo said, reaching across the Hokage's desk to backhand Iruka. "You think to stand against me? To teach the academy students to rebel against me?"

Iruka spat blood onto the floor. "You're a tyrant Danzo. And tyrants always meet a gruesome end."

Danzo laughed. "In one week we shall see who meets a gruesome end. You will be executed on the steps of this tower for your blasphemy one week from today. I am your Emperor, your leader, your Hokage. I will not be defied!"

It was Iruka's turn to laugh. "You will be reviled, not just defied. Kill me as you wish you coward. You will pay for your crimes soon enough."

Danzo waved his hand dismissing them all. "That's some tongue you have there, Iruka." He sneered. "Remove it for him," he told the last ROOT member as he was leaving.

Sunagakure
Three days later

The noise was deafening in the Kazekage's office. The argument between the two Spirit Wolf clan members and Kankuro over the division of treasure; The retelling of Nagi's and Senjii's trials in the cave; The questions over the two immaculate swords. Finally, Gaara couldn't take the noise anymore.

"Silence!" he shouted, his voice booming in the stone walled office. Everyone grew quiet.

"I am glad you all made it back. And the treasure you found is truly amazing. Our curators will have their work cut out for them." He then glared at Kankuro and the Spirit Wolf brothers.

"Take your bickering outside to decide which treasures are kept by whom. I care not. Unless you find something that looks important to Sunagakure heritage of course Kankuro," Gaara said matter-of-factly.

The three men walked outside and their muffled voices could be heard through the heavy oak door. Random gold coins had fallen out of the shoes of one of the brothers, prompting another tirade from Kankuro on fair dealings.

Gaara sighed and turned to Naruto. "So your treasure hunt was a success in more ways than one." He stared intently at the swords in Senjii's hands.

Senjii was cradling them like newborn babies. Now that they all had a chance to really look at them, they were beautiful. Slightly shorter than normal katana, the twin kodachi were gleaming in the sunlight. The scabbards were black, inlaid with gold and jade. The hilts were tightly wound silk with jade stoppers in the handles. They would be at home decorating any member of royalty's mantle. However the most surprising thing was the blades.

They were black as night and sharp as if newly forged. Yet, they seemed to have a glow, almost imperceptible to the human eye.

"Those are magnificent," Temari said quietly.

Senjii beamed with pride. "Yes they are."

Naruto looked at his friends. "This was a good trip. Senjii found what he came for and we are leaving with some profit. I… I am sorry about the ninja who died though."

Gaara nodded. "They were ninja of Suna. They died as they lived, serving our village. Their families will be taken care of I assure you."

"Good I'm glad," Naruto said. "Now I need to talk to you about something Gaara." His voice suddenly getting very serious. All conversation in the room stopped and eyes turned towards Naruto curiously.

"My friends have been trying to keep a secret from me, not very well. I understand why they did it, thinking I'd be confused or rush off," Naruto said plainly. Senjii and Nagi were startled. The only thing they were keeping from Naruto was…

"I heard about the expansion of Konoha. The defeat of Iwa. The massacre at Death Valley," Naruto said, his eyes gone cold. "My village may be on the other side of the world, but people talk, and I have so many clones all over that I was bound to hear about it sooner or later."

"Naruto I…" Nagi began.

Naruto held up his hand. "It's OK. It's my old village, and everyone thought I'd rush off to try to... well do something I guess? Honestly I'm not sure what I could or would do. Danzo is in charge, and the village went to war. It's not what the old man wanted for his village, but he's gone and other people are running the show now."

Naruto shrugged. "It's got nothing to do with me. My village is all the way on the other side of the world now. My life is not in Konoha anymore."

He turned to Gaara. "However, you are my friend. Your family," he said turning to Temari, "are my friends. So if you need help or anything, contact me, and I will come running. Someone who abandons his friends is less than trash."

Gaara nodded at him. "We too had decided not to broach the subject. Our council is pushing us to fortify our defenses for when Danzo is ready to move again. We estimate that to be two years. He has to recoup his losses from the war with Iwa, and fighting us in the desert at less than half strength would be suicide. When the time comes, Suna will stand against Danzo. We will not lose."

Naruto smiled. "I know you won't. My offer stands."

Gaara extended his hand and Naruto plainly ignored it and hugged his friend. Gaara hugged him back, then they parted and coughed as one.

"If you plan to leave today, wait until sunset. It's far easier to travel in the desert at night." Gaara said.

Naruto sighed and then turned to his team mates. "I say we get an early dinner, and then start heading back home. It's almost evening. Who says ramen!"

Later that evening Naruto, Senjii and Nagi watched as the Spirit Wolf Clan members walked next to the camels they had bought. The camel's themselves looked distraught at the weight that was in high bags on their backs.

"Four camels, more than a few million in gold and jewels. Even with Suna taking half, and the Spirit Wolf brothers there taking the other half, Tengoku will have enough money to run for a year." Senjii said out loud.

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "When we get back, I'll ask Tenchi-Sensei to teach me about the finances. How do we spend money to run a village? I can think of some basic ideas. Salaries for our warriors, food. But there probably is a lot more that I don't know."

Nagi and Senjii smiled. Naruto sure was taking his role as village leader seriously. The two of them had apologized profusely for not telling him about Konoha when they heard about it back in Tengoku from shopkeepers. The general consensus had been that Naruto needed to be protected.

The two Spirit Wolf Clan members muttered as they grew closer about the negotiating tactics of a certain puppet user. Kankuro had followed Gaara's orders and made sure the priceless artifacts were kept in Sunagakure. He'd also tied up one of the brothers and threatened to keep him as part of the fifty percent deal if they didn't stop giving him so much trouble.

"Hey Naruto," Nagi called his attention. He pointed towards the sunset. "Do you guys see that?"

They all turned and looked. A small black dot was approaching very, very fast over the sand dunes. As they watched, within a minute it looked like it had traveled more than a mile.

"It's a ninja," Senjii said negligibly. "Probably a Suna messenger or something. It's coming from the East, we need to head West, so we should probably get going." He started to walk off and the Spirit Wolf brothers followed suit.

"Wait," Naruto said. "There's something about that ninja." He didn't move from his spot, watching intently as the dot became an outline. It took a few more seconds before Naruto could make out the full shape of the body.

"Kiba!" he exclaimed. They all saw as the boy became more visible and were shocked. He was racing at full speed, his dog in his arms. Blood streamed freely from a cut on his shoulder behind him. His face showing signs of strain, then shock and recognition as he saw Naruto.

He stopped just shy of running into Naruto seconds later and collapsed to one knee. "Na…Naruto?" he managed to squeeze out between gasps of breath.

"Kiba!" Naruto said and hugged the boy, one of his friends from Konoha. "What, did you run all the way here from Konoha?"

Kiba nodded and fell back to both knees. Senjii sprang forward with a water bottle which Kiba drank hungrily. He stopped and offered the rest to Akamaru, pouring it down the puppies throat.

"Naruto, what…what are you doing here?" Kiba asked incredulously. Of all the people he expected or hoped to see, Naruto hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Never mind that, what's wrong?" Naruto asked seriously, seeing the wound and the fatigue on his friend.

"I need to find a doctor. We rescued Anko from Danzo's dungeon, but she is not regaining consciousness. She's… we think she's dying," Kiba said.

Naruto's eyes grew hard. "Dying? What did Danzo do to her?"

Kiba shook his head. "Unimaginable things…I…I can't say. I don't want to. I'm sorry Naruto but I need to find a doctor. We'll catch up some other time." Kiba made to get up but his legs had cramped and he needed to pause to rub them.

"Hold on Kiba," Naruto said reaching out for him. "Senjii, fast as you can find Gaara and tell him we need a medic-nin, here, in five minutes." Senjii nodded and disappeared with his signature quick step.

Naruto formed ten clones in a puff of smoke. He turned to the Spirit Wolf Brothers. "Tengoku needs that delivery. My clones will help you get it there." The brothers looked at him and the one on the left, Rasheed, spoke up.

"If it's a fight you're headed for, the Spirit Wolf clan does not run away."

Naruto shook his head. "No, Tengoku does need that money to reach the village safely. That's your responsibility right now."

They looked at Naruto carefully then nodded in acquiescence and turned to head West. It would be a month long trip back to the mountains.

Kiba looked confused as Naruto ordered people around. He stared at Naruto carefully, and saw changes. Aside from the loss of his hideous orange clothes and some very nice new white ones, this Naruto seemed…serious. A bit harder even. Kiba had recognized that same look in most of his friends. That was the look of someone who's seen battle and people die. But had Naruto been through what he and his friends been through? Kiba had a lot of questions and no time to ask them.

"We'd need to travel fast. Shino, Shikamaru and Chouji are in a secret place. The ANBU saw me running from a distance and a long range shuriken nicked me as I ran. They'd never catch up to me from that distance," he said proudly.

Naruto nodded. A second later Senjii, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari and Baki appeared with another Suna nin who Naruto assumed was the Medic.

"Naruto," Gaara began. "I thought you said mere hours ago that this wasn't your fight."

Naruto smiled and shrugged. "Still isn't. But I can't abandon my friends." He made four more clones. Each one went behind Nagi, Senjii and the medic-nin clutching a bag.

"Now the fastest way I can think of to get there is to Hiraishin over and over again. You guys can't keep up if I do that, well except for you Senjii," Naruto didn't let Senjii interrupt. "…but when we reach I'm going to be exhausted and we might meet some resistance. So you guys would have to fight."

Nagi and Senjii nodded at the logic of it. Kiba grumbled. "I can keep up with whatever speed you go at baka. Shikamaru and the others are hidden in the Forest of Death. I'll show you where when we get in the forest, but we need to get past the ANBU Patrols."

Naruto looked at Kiba for a second then laughed. "You have no idea how long it's been since someone called me that!" He grinned. "Gosh I missed you guys. Let's go."

His clones let Senjii and Nagi clamber onto their backs in a piggy back style. The Sand siblings looked on in amazement…and slight discomfort at the sight. It was…unsettling.

Kiba protested but was scooped up in one of the Naruto clones arms. With a final nod, they disappeared in white flashes. Gaara and his siblings saw them reappear for a second a mile away to the East only to disappear again.

"How is he doing that?" Temari asked in wonder. "I've read about the Hiraishin, doesn't he need to have a seal to teleport to?"

Gaara shook his head. "When he told me about his training, he said Jiraiya emphasized visualizing your target. He realized that he could jump anywhere by picturing the seal there. So he can go as far as he can see clearly."

"That's not the Hiraishin then… it's something else, something new!" Temari exclaimed.

"That's insane!" Kankuro said.

"That's Naruto," Gaara replied.

Kiba was astounded. They were popping into and out of existence at a ridiculous speed. It was like blinking.

Blink…sand dune.

Blink…rocks.

Blink…sand dune.

Blink…edge of the desert.

If he wasn't part of it, he'd have thought it was impossible. The distance Naruto was covering in seconds, not hours, was incredible. Still, Kiba wondered how long he could keep this up. He estimated it would still take a couple hours to get there. Could Naruto keep up this 'Hiraishin' as he called it, for that long?

He hoped they made it back in time. Anko really didn't look good when he'd left.

It took them just under twenty four hours to reach the Forest of Death. It was pitch black, a quarter moon in the night sky. They'd been moving so fast that they hadn't seen any patrols. Naruto had to slow down when he reached a forested area because he couldn't see that far ahead, but they still appeared and disappeared faster than anyone could follow.

Soon they were at the edge of the Forest of Death and Naruto stopped. The clone holding Kiba puffed into smoke, too exhausted to continue. The others looked like they were about to as well.

Naruto himself fell to one knee panting. This wasn't as bad as when Tenchi had made him move those rocks all day using the Hiraishin, but it had been a while since he'd done it.

Senjii, Nagi and the medic-nin clambered off of the Naruto clones who all puffed out of existence. The medic-nin's face was pale.

"Tha... that anyone c-could do something like th-that…" he stammered out. "Maybe the Fourth Hokage…"

Naruto stood up and bent at the waist, resting his hands on his knees. "Yeah that was my dad. This isn't the same…but it's all I got for now." He blew out a tired sigh heavily.

Kiba stood rooted to the spot. The Fourth was Naruto's dad? What? How was that secret kept from everyone! He'd never have been run out of the village if people knew that!

Kiba shook his head to clear it. Not now. Now we need to get to Anko.

"There," he pointed. "We follow that stream. It becomes a river a couple of miles in, and there's a special entrance." He moved forward, but then froze in place, sniffing the air. Akamaru growled. Kiba turned and threw a Kunai towards a tree. It hit with a thunk.

"Ahhh…" a voice whispered from behind them. "Is that where you've been hiding? Danzo-sama will be pleased."

A face appeared out of a tree trunk inches away from Kiba's Kunai, slowly followed by the rest of the body. Kiba cursed, it was one of the ROOT bastards who had been prevalent since Danzo took over.

"Since there are so many of you, I'll just go get some backup and come back and, maybe you can join the teacher for the fun tomorrow." He giggled perversely and shunshin'd in a swirl of leaves. Before he could finish the shunhin though Senjii was behind him and impaled the ghostly image that existed mid-shunshin with his twin Kodachi. The man flickered back into existence before them, the Kodachi sticking through his stomach. He gurgled in disbelief.

"Wha...?" he died on the blades, slipping off them into the soft ground. Nagi walked over to the body.

"I'll hide it." He grabbed a foot and dragged it into the large shadow of an oak tree. He sank into the shadows, pulling the body down with him. He reemerged a few seconds later, without the body.

Naruto nodded and looked back at the stream. "Didn't know you could do that Nagi…creepy."

They jumped into the water and headed downstream as fast as they could.

"They're coming," Shino told the others. "My bugs say Kiba brought four others. One, is familiar… I don't know what they mean, they're buzzing with excitement. The level of Chakra is like when…"

The entrance burst open and the first person inside was…

"Naruto!" Chouji, Shino and Shikamaru all exclaimed at the same time. Naruto was closely followed by Kiba, and three other ninja.

The medic-nin took one look at the room, the two cots and ran to Anko. He cursed loudly and scrambled in his bag. He pulled out instruments and syringes and began to examine Anko, injecting her with a few liquids.

Naruto saw her body when the medic removed the blanket to check her. Shikamaru and the others hadn't dared move her enough to dress her, leaving her under the blankets for propriety. But now with the blanket thrown back, Naruto and the others could see the marks. The bruises and cuts. Shikamaru had cleaned the blood off as best he could and applied the cream he had gotten from Hinata for Asuma. But it did nothing to hide the amount of damage.

Naruto grew angry, seething that something like this could be allowed to happen.

Shikamaru was stunned. Of all the people, he had not expected Naruto. He took in the newcomers quickly. The one with the swords stood like someone highly skilled. So did the dark skinned one with the dreadlocks. They looked like chunnin, possibly jounin, level ninja.

Naruto however, barely looked like his old self. This Naruto seemed, positively deadly. Of course the expression on his face at the sight of Anko may have skewed Shikamaru's insight at that moment.

"Naruto, it's good to see you," Shikamaru said quietly, breaking Naruto's intense concentration on the fast hands of the medic.

Naruto turned to Shikamaru and smiled. "It sure is! How's it been Shika?"

Shikamaru was taken aback by the change, Naruto was the same Naruto after all. He just had an added intensity.

"We've been managing," he replied. "What're you doing here?"

While Kiba filled in the others on how he fared, and found Naruto and his team, Naruto's mind drifted back to Anko and Asuma. Konoha was so different now. So changed by one man.

"Wait," Naruto interrupted. "What did that ROOT guy mean by, 'join the teacher'?"

Shikamaru's face paled slightly. "We have a system of getting information from outside using Shino's bugs. We only found out a little while ago. They're planning to execute Iruka-Sensei at noon tomorrow."

"What!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why?"

Shikamaru sighed. "The official story is that Iruka was teaching the students at the Academy the ways of the Third still. But I surmise he needed to have a show of authority to bring any dissenters into line. He rules by fear and needs to remind people of that."

Naruto paced exasperatedly. "We need to rescue him!"

Shikamaru nodded. "I agree. But Danzo may be expecting a rescue attempt. Security will be heavy. The guards will be experienced ANBU and ROOT agents. I have a plan that now that you're here maybe can actually succeed."

Naruto listened intently to Shikamaru's plan. He personally thought Shikamaru was the smartest guy he'd ever met. This plan was insane, and genius at the same time.

"I have some techniques that could probably improve your plan a little bit," Naruto added. "But after we've done it. What will you do?"

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked. They saw the medic cover back up Anko and start bandaging up her shoulder where her curse mark had been sliced off the skin.

"Will you stay in Konoha? You could come to my village. There you'd be safe. No hiding, no plots. We're now starting up but we've come a long way." Naruto said.

Shikamaru thought quietly for a second then shook his head. "No. Konoha is our home. We have family, friends. We will defend it. We will take it back from Danzo. There are several hidden bunkers like this in the forest. All over Konoha in fact. We will fight from here, until we can kill him and free Konoha."

Nods from Shino, Kiba and Chouji greeted Shikamaru's pledge.

Naruto nodded in understanding. He felt conflicted inside, but hid it as much as he could. Konoha was his first home, but he had a new one now. And Konoha had exiled him…but his friends needed help. Naruto didn't know what else to do, but he knew he could do this.

He would rescue Iruka-Sensei and take him back to Tengoku. Believe it!