(And here's the next installment.)
The sound of water dripping was heard as the scenery was dark. Naruto was laying on the floor covered with water in his Shredder armor minus his helmet, "Kid wake up, come on kid wake up already!" Kyubi called from his cage.
Naruto turned a bit groaning, "Hun please leave me to sleep in."
Kyubi sighed as he took a deep breath, "WAKE UP ALREADY!" he screamed causing Naruto to panic and toss and turn until he woke up.
"I'M UP, I'M UP!" Naruto called panting heavily, "I'm up!"
"Well it's about time!" Kyubi called.
"Kyubi, what happened, why am I here?" Naruto asked getting on his feet and looked around knowing he's in his subconscious like before.
"You took a Chidori spear from the Tengu. You should consider yourself lucky, if it had aimed a little bit higher not even I would've healed you enough." Kyubi explained.
"The Tengu?" Naruto asked but remembered, "Oh Kami the village, what happened?"
"Well after you took the blow they all had to evacuate the village, the ninja, and the citizens." Kyubi explained.
"No, that can't be!" Naruto called.
"I'm afraid so, the Tengu drove everyone out."
Naruto frowned and started punching the floor, "Why didn't I stop him when I had the chance? Kami I looked like a total loser!"
"You are not a loser Naruto." A new voice said which echoed throughout the area getting the boys attention.
He noticed the seal on Kyubi's cage glowing and stepping out of it was the Yondaime Hokage. He was at first transparent until his body turned solid, "It's good to finally see you son."
"Dad?" Naruto gasped.
"Yes Naruto it's me." Minato said.
"But how did you, is this really you?" Naruto was confused.
"Only a portion of me actually," Minato explained, "Years ago when I sealed Kyubi inside of you, I encoded an imprint of myself within the seal. A backup that could be released at anytime you needed someone to talk to the most outside the living plane."
"Well it's good to see you for the first time, father." Naruto said hugging the Yondaime.
"Same to you my boy." Minato said hugging him back.
"Mush fest." Kyubi mumbled.
When the father and son let go, Naruto looked at him, "Dad I'm sorry but Konoha has been taken over by a Tengu demon."
"I've noticed, through your eyes I saw it all." Minato explained.
"Everything?" Naruto gasped.
"Yes." Minato nodded.
"I'm sorry dad. I just wasn't strong enough to fight him." Naruto said looking down until his dad ruffled his hair.
"Naruto, just because you and the Tengu were both Shredders battling for supremacy for the title doesn't mean you had to take him on your own." Minato explained.
"That Tengu took the body of my old comrade, even though Sasuke wanted his power for himself, he did not deserve to have his own body over taken by a demon." Naruto replied.
"I agree, which is why to help you is someone you never met before but have read about him." Minato said turning to the side as a figure was walking out of the darkness.
When the figure came into the light it was a figure that looked like Saki only his Foot robe was black. "Master Saki?" Naruto asked.
The man shook his head, "I am Oroku Nagi."
"You're Nagi." Naruto gasped knowing he was the brother of the first Oroku Saki.
"Yes. It seems the paths of you and my brother have crossed, and he certainly did a number on you." Nagi said.
"Master Nagi, I tried fighting him as hard as I could, but what did I do wrong?" Naruto asked how he could've lost this one fight.
"It is because you believe beneath the Tengu's body lies your old comrade," Nagi explained, "But you have to understand, no help can come to the Uchiha boy now. His soul and heart was removed to become the vessel to my old brother."
"But when I saw Sasuke's face on his body." Naruto started until Nagi interrupted him.
"He was just tricking you. He has the boys memories and abilities. He knew how to get to the sensitive side of your heart the friendship you sort of shared with the Uchiha."
"So then he really is gone?" Naruto gasped.
"I'm afraid so Naruto," Minato answered.
"Well I knew before destroying the Tengu won't bring him back." Naruto admitted.
"True, however destroying him will put the Uchiha's soul to rest," Nagi replied, "Although doing it alone like before will accomplish nothing. You've pushed everyone away because you fear them getting hurt, and yet they're still willing to go through with it no matter what."
"I know that but…" Naruto tried but was interrupted by his father.
"Naruto, when I was Hokage I also was afraid of putting others in my affairs. Afraid of them getting hurt," Minato started, "But they were willing to stand with me despite my objections. Even though you said about how friends and family support makes you stronger, you still casted them aside. Nothing personal, but you were being a bit of a hypocrite telling them to leave before."
Naruto realized even though he said those words he still wanted them not to get involved, "Yeah I was. So what should I do now?"
"You can start by letting others help you and not deal with the minor problems." Minato explained.
"Your father speaks the truth. The village can still be saved, just not by one man." Nagi added.
"I understand now, arigato dad and Master Nagi," Naruto smiled. The two men smiled as the scenery started fading, "What's happening?" Naruto asked.
"It seems you are regaining consciousness." Minato said.
"Is this goodbye?" Naruto asked.
"Not really," Minato replied, "A father's spirit will always watch over his boy. Goodbye for now son, and tell your mother I miss her so."
"Sure dad." Naruto smiled as Minato and Nagi's essences vanished.
Suddenly Naruto's vision was blurry but he was hearing voices, "I think he's opening his eyes."
"Mistress don't move him so much."
"Hey he's coming to."
Naruto's eyes finally regained focus, as he saw Ino, Hun, his mother, Tsunade, and Kakashi above him, "Naruto, are you ok?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto sat up seeing he was out of his armor, and on a mat with his torso bandaged up from the wound he received from the Tengu, "Where are we?"
"We're in the forest far from the village." Ino answered.
"Sorry master, but the Tengu Shredder struck you hard. We had to fall back and treat you immediately." Hun explained.
"I see, is everyone safe?" Naruto asked.
"Everyone's fine." Kushina answered.
"Good, because this fight won't be over yet." Naruto said standing up.
"Naruto, you shouldn't move so fast." Kakashi tried to stop him.
"I have to see everyone," Naruto said as he walked for the exit of the tent, "And mom, dad says he misses you." He said before exiting.
Kakashi was surprised, but not as much as Kushina herself, "Minato?"
Naruto exited the tent seeing numerous other tents where the citizens were taking shelter in having been forced from their homes. While the Chunin and Jonin and a few Genin were monitoring the area in case of intruders, "I can't believe all of us were driven out of the village." Naruto sighed looking at everyone around.
"Well it did happen, Naruto." Ino replied as she walked to him.
"Yes, I can see it. But this isn't the end of us." Naruto said as his eyes firm until he heard voices not to far, voices he knew belonged to Tsunade and the teammates of Sarutobi.
"We've just been driven out of our own village Tsunade! You were the Hokage, how could you have let this happen?" Koharu asked.
"Let it happen?! Do you know who you're talking to or about? This Tengu controlled magic and power beyond ninja understanding!" Tsunade argued back.
"That is no excuse Tsunade, because of your lack of responsibility for the village we no longer had a home to return to." Homura lectured her.
"What would Sarutobi have said if he saw one of his students failing as Hokage?" Koharu asked in disappointment.
Tsunade was just about ready to break their heads, but someone beat her to it. Naruto who had been watching from behind a tree listening in on their conversation got angrier and angrier as the two old fossils disciplined Tsunade. Finally he dashed forward pinning the two against a stone wall with his bare hands, "Naruto Uzumaki, release us this instant!" Homura ordered.
"Not until you hear what I have to say about you!" Naruto growled which scared them. "You two have no right to go around disciplining someone of not doing there job when you two are just as guilty of!"
"What are you saying?" Koharu asked with a scowl.
"Protecting Konoha was a village effort all ninja were doing their job all except you two fools!" Naruto shouted.
"You don't expect ninja of our age to!" Homura started but was pushed further into the wall.
"Don't give me that old age crap! Jiji was old just as you two and he ignored that fact to fight against Orochimaru!" Naruto reminded them, "Makes me wonder how your squad managed to be a team at all, both of you seemed to forget how the Will of Fire worked or anything the village and your sensei taught you. Well I'm not gonna sit around and let you two old fossils play the blame game while you did nothing while everyone else did!" He then dropped them and they fell to their feet panting from almost being choked, "Besides the war is far from over. We're not giving up the village without a fight," Naruto continued, "He took it from us, and now we're going to take it back. You two old geezers do what you want, but the Foot and I are going to do something about it with or without you!"
The two old council members looked in shock from being told off by someone so very young. Naruto walked past Tsunade and smiled. Tsunade smiled back as the two went back to camp. As they walked around seeing numerous villagers getting ramen from Teuchi who set up his ramen stand by a tent with just a few pots and heating equipment.
Naruto then approached Chouji, Lee, Shikamaru, and Hinata, "Guys." Naruto greeted them.
"Naruto!" they gasped.
"You're ok." Hinata said in relief.
"Yes. That blow I took really took it out of me, but I'll be fine now." Naruto assured them.
"Naruto what can we do now? That Tengu took over our home." Chouji explained.
"Trying to take it back will be like impossible now." Lee added.
"Don't be so sure about that, Lee," Naruto said getting their attention, "Gather up all the ninja and the Foot for a meeting, we're not finished with the Tengu Shredder yet." Naruto said turning to leave for his tent.
Half an hour later, the Foot, and the Konoha ninja were standing before Naruto who was back in his armor, with the area that was hit with the Chidori spear repaired. At Naruto's side were Tsunade, Hun, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Hinata, Zabuza, Kushina, and Guy, "Listen up everyone, I called us all here because we're not going to surrender to the Tengu." Naruto explained.
"Are you suggesting going back to the village?" a Chunin asked.
"I am. Tengu Shredder got the best of me and all of you once, but this time we're bringing the fight to him," Naruto continued, "That village has been our home since the days of our forefathers. The Shodaime and Nidaime built that village putting their hearts into it. And we're not going to disappoint them by letting that Demon Lord take it away from us. You can sit around all you want out here, while that demon rules all of the ninja lands, but I won't have it!"
"Is there even a plan?" a Foot ninja asked.
"Yes. We storm the village while Chouji, Hinata, Lee, Shikamaru, and I take on the Tengu, while the rest of you deal with whatever guards he has stationed out." Naruto explained.
"How is that any different from last time?" a Jonin asked.
"Last time I wanted to take the Tengu on myself like it was my fight alone," Naruto started, "It was my mistake to go that one solo, but this time I'm fighting him with my team. We're going to defeat the Tengu Shredder together just as the Tribunal did centuries ago."
"Well if you're going to do that, you may need all the help you can get." Another voice spoke up.
Everyone turned to find the source of the voice and when they did they were shocked to see it came from Kisame who was with Itachi. Both of them were covered in scratches and their Akatsuki cloaks were shredded, "Kisame!" Zabuza gasped.
"And Itachi?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto approached them, "Well if it isn't two members of the Akatsuki. What happened to you?"
Kisame and Itachi sighed, "Look what he did to us, that accursed Tengu!" Kisame grumbled.
"So the Tengu did this to both of you?" Naruto asked.
"Not just us Naruto, but all of the Akatsuki members," Itachi explained, "He thought he got rid of the two of us, but what he didn't know was I used what energy of the Mangekyo to produce an illusion of us getting killed by him. I'm thankful he hadn't seen right through it or we really would've been in trouble."
"After he left we checked to see if the other members had survived, unfortunately they hadn't," Kisame continued, "We then swore we would make that demon pay for what he did."
"A very amusing tale." Naruto replied.
"So did you come here just to try and beat us to the punch?" Zabuza asked.
"No, we're here to help you." Itachi answered.
"Help us?" Hun asked.
"Why would two members of the Akatsuki want to help us?" Kakashi asked skeptically.
"The Akatsuki no longer exists with just the two of us. We have no desire to collect the tailed beasts now." Kisame explained.
"So what do you two hope to gain from helping us defeat the Tengu Shredder?" Naruto asked.
"We will be able to sleep peacefully knowing that that treasonous demon is put to death." Kisame answered.
"Besides, he took my brother's body." Itachi added.
"What should it matter to you Itachi? You didn't care for your brother or your family." Ino said.
"That's a lie," Itachi said getting there attention, "The truth is, I loved my family, especially my brother, but I couldn't bring myself to kill him."
Naruto and the others looked confused, "I'm lost here." Chouji replied.
"That's because Itachi never did betray the village." Koharu said approaching with Homura.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked.
"Tsunade we were promised by Hiruzen that the Hokage's that came after him would not know the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, but seeing as how things are different now the truth has to be said." Homura explained.
"Truth?" everyone wondered.
"The Uchiha clan was planning to overthrow Konoha," Koharu explained, "Originally its founder Madara Uchiha who wanted to rule by war and destruction was abandoned by his people who wanted a peaceful way of life. However as the years went by the Uchiha clan began to feel like they were inferior to that of the Senju clan as for the other clans in Konoha. Itachi was led to spy on his family by us, Hiruzen, and Danzo."
"We wanted him to find out what they were planning, and what we discovered was that they were planning to overthrow the Hokage and the rest of us and take the village for themselves," Homura continued, "While Hiruzen tried to reason with them, it proved too little effort, so Danzo suggested a massacre on the Uchiha. Hiruzen was at first against it, but saw there was no other option. So he had Itachi murder off the Uchiha leaving only Sasuke as the survivor."
"I wanted Sasuke to get stronger in hopes one day he would truly kill me, and avenge our family. When he thought he had acquired the power from the Tengu it would've been my end. However when the demon Shredder took over him I knew Sasuke was long gone. I did not want to die by the hands of a demon." Itachi explained.
"And neither did I." Kisame put in.
"So now you want to partner up with us to defeat the Demon Shredder, what will you do after that?" Tsunade asked.
"I wished to become part of Konoha again, now that Akatsuki is destroyed and you know that I was assigned to massacre my family by the Sandaime." Itachi answered.
Tsunade wondered until she turned to Kisame, "And what about you?"
"Nothing matters to me now. I can't go back to Kiri even if I wanted to. All I care about is seeing that demon destroyed." Kisame answered.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune wondered what her lady's answer would be.
Tsunade approached them, "Very well you two shall join us in restoring Konoha to what it once was."
Itachi and Kisame looked overjoyed to hear that, until Naruto approached, "However since me and my four dragons are the ones who're in charge of this matter you shall follow our lead, do you accept this?" he extended his hand to the nuke-nin.
Itachi and Kisame looked at each other, knowing that they can't start making enemies at a time like this. So they nodded and put their hands on top of his, "Yes Master Shredder."
'I want to bite my tongue.' Kisame thought after calling Naruto master.
"All right then it's been decided. Get yourselves ready because we leave to return to Konoha in twenty no later than that, got it?" Naruto asked everyone.
"Hai!" they all agreed.
Naruto looked into the direction where Konoha was, and could automatically feel the Demon Shredder's aura pulsating from that direction, 'Dad, Master Nagi. I won't let you two or the village down. I promise.' He thought.
(And now they've rested and healed. Time to get back to the village.)