Chapter 20 is up too ^^
Everything will be explained in this chapter :) Or a lot will be xD

Previous chapter:
Naruto makes sure that Sasuke and Itachi are reunited. Then his clone goes to Jiraiya as he ask him to look after the Uchiha siblings. Saying his farewell to his sensei his clone disappeared. Well at the Akatsuki base Pain-sama finds out that Naruto and Itachi had left the base. Only to find that Naruto was still there.

Chapter 20:
The Sacrifice

Konoha:
Jiraiya:
Jiraiya stood there in shock. No this couldn't be true. Everything in his body was screaming. He needed to get after Naruto, he needed to make sure that the blond wouldn't do something stupid. He ran out of the office and ran past Kakashi who was standing near the wall.

Kakashi was shocked to see, Jiraiya run out of the office, when Kakashi looked inside the office through the open door he noticed it was empty, the girl was gone. "What the.." Kakashi said, as he ran quickly after Jiraiya.

When they came outside. Jiraiya saw some of the rookie nine. They all looked up at him, seeing his distress. Sakura asked: "Jiraiya-san? What happened?"

Hinata looked down. Something was wrong with Naruto she just knew it.
Then Sasuke and a strange but familiar male came walking towards them. Jiraiya remembered that male though and he thought back at Naruto's words.

"Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke saw Jiraiya and the others looking towards them. Sasuke looked back at Itachi, who was also looking in a kind of shock. Something was wrong. Sasuke ran forward and Itachi followed him.

Jiraiya looked at both of them when they stopped in front of him.
"We have a problem…" Jiraiya whispered a bit. "Naruto…"
"Naruto!?" Everyone almost screamed, looking in shock. Hinata looked at the sannin, her eyes wide with fear. It had indeed been Naruto and now he was in trouble…

Kakashi's eye widened. That girl..? had been Naruto
"Jiraiya. What is wrong with Naruto?" The brown haired male asked. Jiraiya could feel the worry in the other's voice. And Sasuke looked back up at his brother, also feeling worried about the blond.

Jiraiya looked up at the male. "He has been lying. He was never in Konoha. It was a clone."
Everyone stayed silent, no one understood. But Sasuke and Itachi both realized it.

"He told me to lie, to keep you here in Konoha. To keep you safe…"
Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Naruto had lied to him. And now he was gone.

"He said farewell. He is not coming back…" Jiraiya said softly, knowing that his words hurt more than he could know.

Tears rolled down over Itachi's cheeks, as he cried. Sasuke grabbed his brother's hand.
"Itachi…" Sasuke said. Everyone backed away and looked in shock at that name.

Itachi shook his head, not caring anymore, he let the disguise fall off. Naruto had left, he wasn't coming back. What had went wrong…
He had noticed that 2 weeks ago Naruto had changed a bit, but he didn't think much about it, but now… he wondered the timing was too perfect.

2 years back, Naruto had told him about a conversation he had had with Pain-sama. About the time when the kyuubi could be extracted, that Naruto would die. Itachi had told Naruto he wouldn't allow that to happen, not anymore. He wouldn't care who he had to fight, if he could keep Naruto safe, he would keep him safe. He had said he wanted and would go to talk to Pain, but Naruto had said to keep it quiet, since Pain had said to keep it a secret.

Itachi had kept quiet, cause Naruto had wanted it but now. Naruto had been playing all his cards.

Jiraiya eyed the Uchiha's in front of him. "He wanted both of you to be happy." Jiraiya finished, letting them know the information that Naruto had entrusted to him. Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the sannin.
"I can't be happy." Itachi said softly, not caring who heard him right now. He was saying the truth.
"Not without him, I can't be happy without him…"

"When did this happen?" Sasuke asked, still looking worried at Itachi.
"His clone disappeared a few minutes ago. That is why I ran out of the office." Jiraiya answered.

"We need to get him back." Sasuke said, then Sasuke looked back up at Jiraiya.

Sasuke pulled at Itachi's hand, Itachi felt it and looked up at his younger brother.
"We will get him back. No matter what, Itachi" Sasuke said, Itachi noticed that Sasuke seemed so sure about it.

Jiraiya moved forward, grabbing both Itachi and Sasuke's hands. Both Uchiha looked up.
"You guys aren't alone. We will all fight to protect Naruto." Jiraiya said with a small smile.

Jiraiya then looked at the other ninja's there. The shock was gone, the light in their eyes said. We will go and save Naruto. Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

Itachi noticed that they were all willing to fight the Akatsuki for Naruto.
Itachi looked back at Jiraiya. They were right. And Itachi couldn't stand the thought of losing Naruto. He would not accept the blonde's choice. Itachi couldn't be happy, not without him.

Itachi's eyes changed. The pain and hurt gone. Itachi activated his sharingan. Itachi knew, he had a feeling he knew who was behind this. Madara…

Akatsuki base:
Pain looked at the blond jinchuuriki standing in his doorway, walking inside and closing the door behind him.

Konan looked at both of them, as she started walking backwards to make room for Naruto.
Naruto gave a small nod at her, with a small smile.

"You knew, Naruto?" Pain asked, getting the blonde's attention back to him.
"Yes, I got warned. I got a warning that my time was running out..."

"Who was it that warned you?" Pain asked.
Naruto looked at the ground. "Tobi, or should I say Madara." Naruto said while he looked back up at Pain, seeing no reaction. Pain had known about Tobi being Madara. Of course he had known.

Pain sighed, as he let himself fall back on the chair. "Then explain me what you have been doing, Naruto…" Naruto gave a nod, as he started telling about Madara, who had warned him 2 weeks ago.

Naruto told him he had kept it a secret from Itachi and everyone, as he started to make plans to destroy Konoha. But in fact he was going to try to get Itachi and Sasuke together. And it was fun to leave Konoha with one last prank, before the curtain would fall.

When Pain understood what Naruto had done. He had done it all for Itachi, so that the raven could be happy.
"Naruto, you are willing to die here..?" Pain asked then.

"Well you were the one who told me that day would come one day, so here I am", Naruto said, raising his arms.
Pain felt that there was something else.

"Naruto what are you keeping from me..?" Pain asked, although it was barely a whisper, both Konan and Naruto heard the question.

Naruto looked at Konan. Konan noticed it and knew it was time for her to leave. Konan smiled and gave a nod towards Pain before leaving the room.

When she had left Naruto looked at Pain.
"Can you try and promise me something, Pain-sama?" Naruto asked, he was looking quite serious.

"Yes. I can try, but it does depend on the promise you want me to make."
Naruto smiled. "Of course... Promise me you will keep Sasuke and Itachi out of harm's way."

Pain looked at him, his eyes looked a bit tired. "That's a promise I might not be able to keep…" He answered silently.
Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. "Madara has threatened me, Pain. To make sure I would stay. He said he would hurt Itachi if I would leave."

Pain's eyes widened. Madara threatened to hurt Itachi to make Naruto stay. This was awful.
"When did this happen, Naruto?" Pain asked, a bit shocked by this information.

"2 weeks ago, he warned and threatened me." Naruto answered.
Pain looked at him and then looked back at the scrolls. This changed everything… Naruto had gone so far, just to make sure that Itachi and Sasuke would be reunited and then he would ask him to protect them both. Inside Konoha, there was no safer place they could have.

But the blond before him, would be willing to give his life away, to just throw it away, while he had been happy with his life now. Pain had noticed how Naruto had changed through these 3 years. That broken boy bit by bit disappearing, changing into the fine shinobi in front of him.

Naruto stayed silent as he watched the struggle he had put Pain in.
"Pain-sama…?" Naruto asked a bit unsure.

Pain looked back up. "Nagato."
Naruto rose his eyebrows. " Call me Nagato, Naruto. That's my real name."

"Nagato…" Naruto said.
Nagato smiled. Madara had been pulling the strings behind the curtain, playing with the blonde's life. Playing with Itachi's life. Somehow Nagato didn't want it to end like this.

"Naruto…"Nagato said softly. Naruto stayed silent as he watched the other, but he didn't expect to hear the words that Nagato said then. It was like a dream. This couldn't be.

"Naruto…. Run. Run away and don't look back…" Nagato said, while he watched the shook inside the blue eyes.

Nagato stood up and walked towards the blond, putting his hand on the other's shoulder.
"Run and live, Naruto." Nagato smiled. "You changed into a fine shinobi."
Nagato shook his head and closed his eyes. "Don't throw your life away like this…"

Naruto touched Nagato's hand on his shoulder, feeling the pressure of that hand on his shoulder.

"Nagato…? But what about Madara?" Naruto asked.
Uchiha Madara. His strength was too great. How could Nagato survive going against him.

"Don't worry about me, Naruto." Nagato smiled.
"I have been dead for a long time now, so just go. Go before I change my mind." Nagato said as he pulled back his hand.

Knowing he would have to deal with Madara, but also knowing he didn't have a chance against the Uchiha.

Nagato looked at Naruto. "If you don't want to hurt Itachi, go back. Go back to him and stay by his side this time."

Naruto looked at the orange haired male.
"You have hurt him with this. How do you think Itachi would feel when he finds out…?" Nagato asked him.

Closing his eyes, Naruto let the tears run free again. If he had been in Itachi's shoes when he found out. He would have been hurt, hurt a lot, cause of the lies, but also hurt cause his lover was gone… was dead.

"Nagato…" Naruto whispered.
Nagato saw that Naruto had it difficult, but he knew that the blond would make the right decision.
"But I can't believe you never intented to destroy Konoha." Nagato said softly.

Naruto looked back up, he laughed a bit. "Yeah, I guess I had you all fooled."
Nagato laughed. "Yeah, you had us all fooled. But now go. Before Madara finds out about this."

Naruto walked backwards not breaking eye contact with the rinnegan user.
When he reached the door he said: "Thank you, Nagato. I will never forget this. Stay safe…" Then Naruto turned around and ran. Konan looked slightly taken aback when she saw Naruto ran away from Nagato's room and to the entrance of the base.

When she looked inside, she saw that Pain looked sad.
"How could I kill him, Konan?" He whispered.

Konan knew that Pain had taken a liking to the young jinchuuriki. And now when Naruto was faced with dead and he had come here willingly, Nagato couldn't kill him.

"What about Madara-sama?" Konan whispered, walking into the room a bit.

Pain looked up. "Leave this base. The Akatsuki will disappear. Say that to all the members, leave and don't ever come back. And avoid Tobi, at all cost."

Konan gave a nod, before running away, knowing it were her last orders to follow.
They couldn't possibly escape a fight with Uchiha Madara. Nagato would fight him, but could he win? Konan would help him, of course she would, but still.

Nagato looked at the open doorway, where Konan stood seconds ago. He smiled softly.
Now time was running out for him. 'How ironic, isn't it Naruto?'

"Stay safe, Naruto. Make sure this sacrifice is not for nothing." Nagato said as he turned around and moved his hands towards the scrolls, relating the kyuubi sealing.

"This is like signing my own death…" He slowly whispered. The scrolls landed in his hands and he run towards the entrance of the secret base, feeling everyone already outside.

When he reached it, everyone looked at him. Konan walked up him, worry was in her eyes.
Tobi was standing next to Deidara, no saying anything.

Pain closed his eyes briefly, then he turned around, destroying the base and letting the scrolls fall into the burning fire, destroying the scrolls with it.

"What do you think you are doing?" a cold voice asked.
Everyone's eyes went towards the man, wearing the orange mask.

Naruto:
Naruto ran as quickly as he could, he knew he needed to get away from the base.
He was running back towards Konoha. He had a feeling he had indeed been wrong. He had made the wrong choice, letting Madara threaten him like that and then even not thinking about how Itachi would feel about it all.

Of course Naruto knew if Itachi had known he would have done anything to stop it.

Naruto closed his eyes while he jumped forward. His speeds increasing, while his chakra was running lower and lower, but right now he couldn't care. He needed to get away. Nagato… Nagato would buy him time, but still fighting Madara.. he couldn't buy him much time.

Then Naruto heard an explosion, it was enormous, he stopped and looked back one second, he saw smoke rising to the sky. Something was destroyed, something was burning or a fight was going on. Naruto turned his head.
"I'm sorry, Nagato…" He whispered.

Naruto was really grateful that the rinnegan user was given him this chance, another chance to make things right. Nagato was right, no one should throw his life away like that. Nagato had opened his eyes again.

Naruto didn't want to die. He wanted to life. To life with Itachi. To life anywhere he could. Leaving the past behind him. He had long since forgiving Konoha and the villagers. Those 3 years with the Akatsuki had showed him.

It had showed him that not all people were the same, and when he returned to Konoha and got into contact with his former friends and sensei's. He saw the pain they had been through. They had believed that he was dead. He had seen those tears that some people had shed when he had returned.

Tears of happiness, of relief.
How could he even think about dying right now…

Naruto stopped for one second. He had come a long way. But it was still a long way to Konoha.
He sighed and looked back. He wondered if he should have stayed. He wondered if he had needed to fight Madara together with Nagato.

Naruto shook his head, nothing he could change now. He needed to go and he needed to be quick.

Tsunade:
Tsunade jumped in front of the gate of Konoha, she was glad she was back home. But a lot needed to happen. Naruto would be wanting to destroy Konoha.

"Hokage-sama!" The guard screamed, noticing her. She smiled a bit, she was tired. It had been one hell of a road. She ran forwards and walked into the city. The people who noticed her smiled and came to greet her, but she told them she didn't have much time and walked towards the Hokage's Tower.

When she arrived she saw Uchiha Itachi standing there, with some of the Konoha nins.
"What the hell happened?" She asked, when she was sure the others could hear her.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya said, shock and also a smile was visible on his face.
Itachi turned around, his sharingan activated.

"Itachi!?" She asked him. She wondered what he was doing her, she also noticed Sasuke and Jiraiya holding their hands together with Itachi's.

"Hokage-sama." Itachi said back, as he pulled his hand free from Sasuke and Jiraiya. Sasuke too pulled his hand back that moment. Jiraiya looked at the younger Uchiha. It all had become so messed up.

Jiraiya walked forwards. "Welcome back. I am glad to see you are well."
Tsunade gave a small nod towards Jiraiya. "Explain this situation." She said, not caring about anything else right now.

Jiraiya wanted to start but Itachi put his hand on the sannin's shoulder stopping his explanation. Jiraiya looked at the Uchiha, and stayed quiet.

"Hokage-sama.." Itachi started. "I want to ask your help and Konoha's help."

"With what?" She asked, as she looked at Jiraiya, who had already been ready to help the raven.

"To destroy the Akatsuki and save Naruto." He answered.

"What!? Save Naruto? What do you mean?" Tsunade asked, her eyes wide in shock as she tried to understand what the Uchiha meant.

Itachi shook his head. "No time for full explanation. They most likely found a way to extract the kyuubi. Naruto kept this a secret from me." Itachi said, while he briefly closed his eyes. He couldn't stand the thought that Naruto had kept such a thing a secret.
When he opened his eyes again to look at the Hokage, she was shocked. "Naruto turned himself in. if we don't help him now he will get killed…"

Tsunade looked ta Jiraiya, wanting to know if this was true. Jiraiya gave a sad smile.
"He came to me, or his clone came to me.. He wanted to wait for you too Tsunade, but he said his time was up."

Tsunade's vision began to blur as tears started forming. Naruto dying. The kyuubi extracted. Naruto had kept this all a secret, even from Itachi.

Jiraiya smiled sadly. "Naruto is quite clever, he really played his cards right…"
Tsunade shook his head. "We will save him. We won't let him die!" She said as she looked at the other ninja's around her.
They all seemed to agree. They all wanted to save the blond.

End of this chapter :)
major cliffhanger o.o. am so sorry :(
Well i am updating really fast xD, so it won't be long before chapter 21 will be up :)
I may need a break after finishing this story xD, never have i written or typed so much in my life o.o

Well anyway xD till the next chapter :)