Soooo... For anyone who didn't catch who the council were, (I see I didn't name some of them) We have: Shikaku, Shikamaru, Obito, Kakashi, Hashirama, and Tobirama. Kinda random, but I tried to pick the smart peeps. So yea. And yes, the bijuu will be there, or at least two. Everyone knows which two right? Probably. Shukaku and Kurama.

Disclaimer: I no own anything (hey! That's a lot less to type!) Plot belongs to me.

A/N: Incorrect usage of Greek mythological figures. (I just realized how wrong that sounds...)

A/N 2: All flames will be used to sacrifice to Jashin-sama...yeah

The Value of a Soul

Chapter 17: Intel Fluctuation

"I'll go fetch you some breakfast. It's past dawn, so work should've already begun," Naruto informed, before walking off without a reply. Itachi's shoulders relaxed.

"I knew he wouldn't die so easily," he murmured, before saluting the emperor, and leaping out of one of the nearby windows. Not a word was uttered as the six council members stood, and filed out of the room. Neji was left staring out a window at the warm coloured sun.

He frowned slightly as he remembered the last time he had watched a sunrise with the blonde. He couldn't help but remember back to his sister's death. It seemed to always replay in his head like a haunting melody. He gritted his teeth.

True to his thoughts, the kitchen servants were bustling around doing their work, blissfully oblivious to the council that had just taken place. Looking around, he headed to the corner where the dishes were being cleaned.

"Hi Kiba!" he called to the brunet, completely prepared for the brown-haired cannonball that latched onto him.

"Naruto! Naruto! Oh Zeus, Naruto! NarutoNarutoNarutoNarutoNarutoNarutoNaru-"

The blonde placed two fingers on the brunet's lips, silencing him, shaking silently in mirth.

"Kiba, I think you got the point across," Naruto said pointedly. Kiba grinned his head off, moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"You're back! You'rebackyou'rebackyou'rebackyou'rebacky-" Naruto shot him a warning glance. His face looked about to slit from the size of the smile pasted on it. Naruto smiled, and the brunet instead pressed their lips together.

Naruto didn't respond, but didn't pull away as the brunet captured his lips. Naruto internally sighed. He wished he could get the point across that he couldn't return the dog-boy's feeling's. Gently, he pushed the brunet off, him, his face flushing slightly to see more than one pair of eyes on them.

"I've come for-" The brunet pointed to a silver tray, and sighed.

"I know. It's over there. But Naruto," The blue eyes aligned with black to see the other's expression completely serious. "What happened? What did he do to you?" The blonde lowered his eyes and bit his bottom lip.

"He...he...I can't tell you," the blue-eyed youth murmured, before walking away, the brunt watching him from behind. Sighing, Naruto picked up the tray, and walked out of the kitchen, flashing a last glance at the brunet, who was still staring at him.

Naruto caught sight of the Inuzuka's hands, and mentally facewalled himself for being so obliviously selfish. Quickly, he walked back in, and set the tray down.

Strolling quickly over to the brunet, he grabbed his eyes, mumbling a muffled apology. The hands of the youth were in worse shape than the last time he had seen them, which was because he hadn't been there to do anything about the injuries.

After they had healed, he flashed a quick smile, before grabbing the tray, and heading out. Walking to the throne room, he blinked, seeing no one there. Sighing, he continued walking. The two guards opened the doors for him. Stepping inside, he glanced around the room, and sighed again, seeing no one.

"Do any of you know where Neji is?" Naruto asked the two guards. He ignored the surprised looks they gave him, and shook their heads. They hadn't seen the prince ever since he stepped out of the throne room.

"He left the throne room and was headed in that direction," one of the soldiers informed, pointing to Naruto's left. Something lit up in the blonde's head, and he nodded in thanks, heading in the assumed direction of the emperor.

After about two minutes of walking, he stepped through an arch, and relaxed, seeing the familiar figure of the long-haired brunet.

At the sense of another presence, the brunet turned to see the blonde holding a tray filled with his breakfast. Naruto walked up to him and placed the tray before him on the grass, before kneeling next to him.

"I was worried, you know! Next time, at least let someone know where you are," Naruto admonished. His voice lapsed into silence, alongside the silence already maintained by the emperor.

Opalescent eyes drifted to where the tray lay, before trailing back to the sky.

"Eat," was all he said. Naruto looked at the tray, before shaking his head.

"No. You are the one who needs to nourish your body. I don't need to eat, although it is nice to I admit," he replied. Neji shook his head, hair swaying from side to side.

"Eat," he said again. Naruto glanced at him.

"Neji, I don't need to eat. You on the other hand have to," he informed. Neji shook is head.

"No. I don't think it'll stay in my system," he said, in a perfectly bland voice. Naruto shook his head and sighed.

"You Romans. I'm not exactly...accustomed...to your cuisine." An elegant eyebrow arched quizzically, although the face on which it belonged to would belie the silent questioning. "Yes. I'm not Roman," he answered.

"Then where are you from?" was the respond. Naruto shook his head, light glinting off his golden hair.

"My history is classified. Not mine to say," he answered. "In due time, you will find out. I fear you may not think of me the same once you know what I am."

No reply. Naruto closed his eyes. He sighed.

"I guess I should head off to training now. Will you be coming?" Neji shook his head.

"I must attend to my duties," he replied as the blonde stood up. Naruto looked at him, an unreadable expression on his face as he walked off. The brunet stood up, and was about to head off, when the blue-eyed youth returned, a feline padding along in his wake.

The feline held an undeniably regal posture as it gracefully stepped forward. The animal was the regular sandy golden colour of savannah wildcats, and was roughly three and a half feet long. It gazed at him with an almost intelligent stare.

"Since I can't stay with you, I asked Charis," Naruto informed, introducing the cat to the emperor. "She will stay with you, and inform me if anything happens," he continued. "She's a serval, so she can jump quite high. You'd be surprised. I told her to always keep an eye on you, so she'll be staying with you until I get back from training," he finished, stroking the cat between the ears. Her eyes narrowed and she purred before padding over to the emperor.

He was quite surprised, but before he could question, the blonde had left. He sighed, and looked down at the medium sized feline. Tentatively, he reached down, and stroked her neck. She stepped over until she brushed his clothing.

Sighing, he began to walk back to the throne room, the serval stalking regally beside him.

Wasting no time, Naruto dashed for the arena, not stopping until he reached it. Panting, he coughed. Instinctively his hand flew to his mouth. When it came away, it was stained with blood. He sighed, and ended up coughing again.

He sat down to rest momentarily. Moving his hand down to his neck, he held it there, until he was sure his neck, and everything inside it was completely healed. Looking up, he saw five others watching him silently.

Gaara wordlessly stepped towards him, and held out a flawless porcelain hand out to him. Naruto took it gratefully, completely unprepared for what happened next.

The redhead pulled him up, before quickly wrapping his arms around the blonde in a friendly hug. He could practically see the other gladiators' jaws unhinge and fall to the ground, as the most emotionless, and ruthless out of all of them showed affection to another being.

"You survived," the redhead stated, his voice, as usual, devoid of emotion. Naruto chuckled and returned the hug.

"I couldn't die," he replied. "My mission was still incomplete." The redhead took his arms off the blonde, and his lips curved upward in a barely noticeable smile. Naruto let go of his fellow vessel.

"As stubborn as your parents, Lord Naruto," he responded. Naruto shook his head.

"Please drop the title!" he said, exasperated. Gaara shook his head.

"It is habitual. Made even more so seeing how high you are." Naruto shook his head. This guy was hopeless.

"Anyways, we came here to train, didn't we? However, this time, I must ask that we train for a different purpose." Itachi nodded in agreement.

"I had yet to explain. We must prepare for war," he stated. Hidan twirled his scythe like a baton, anticipation written on his face.

"Oh fucking good! I've been itching to fucking well be in a fucking fight that wasn't for fucking show!" he yelled. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Is it even possible for you to not swear?" he asked. Deidara shook his face.

"No, yeah." Naruto laughed. Kisame nudged the long-haired blonde.

"I think he meant no, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Moving on, it turns out that Orochimaru has declared war on us with four fifths of Rome and all of Persia on his side. We must strengthen our abilities to the most it can reach," he said in a perfectly calm voice.

"All right...wait...you want to what?"

They all turned to Naruto, who was murmuring to himself, or so it seemed.

"Transaction of energies? Naw do you really think that's a good idea? You always end up possessing me like that." The demon rolled his fiery eyes.

"Kit, this is serious business! The only way other than direct summoning is that, and I can give you my word that I won't posses you!" Naruto gazed up at the towering nine-tailed fox, indecisiveness clear in his eyes.

"I'm not sure..." Kurama barked in frustration.

"Look, Kit! Actually separation could kill you, you're not even immortal! I don't want to kill you, get that into that tiny brain of yours!" Naruto held up his hands defensively.

"Okay, okay, sheesh fox! Patience is a desirable quality! We'll do it all right?"

The orange beast sat on his haunches, smirking in satisfaction.

"There we go. Now go back and train with your little friends. You'll find that they have more power than meets the eye."

"All right. Let's do it," he said. And so, training progressed. Naruto found that Kurama wasn't stretching it after all. Before, none of them were fighting to the most of their ability. But then again, neither was he. And he still wasn't. After all, he didn't want to hurt anyone.

As fighting progressed, Naruto learned how to better hone his weapon-less techniques, and was enjoying it, despite the true reason for having to train.

Leaping off the ground right before it exploded, he gracefully landed atop of Hidan's shoulders, whilst said man fell ungracefully to the ground, swiping at him with his scythe.

"Why you little bastard!" he yelled from underneath the blonde. Naruto jumped off of him, and allowed the albino's skin to get sheared by a large sword. "Fucking fish," Hidan muttered. A layer of flesh got shaven cleanly off his back, and he cursed.

Meanwhile, Naruto was in the middle of hand to hand combat with Itachi, who proved to be quite skilful even without a weapon. As they fought, they didn't realize the sand crawling up their bodies, until it began to constrict.

Looking down, Naruto sighed, and shot a glance at the indifferent redhead. "Damnit," he muttered. The sand collapsed around them, and immediately, he began to gain engage in combat with the crimson-eyed raven.

Lord Naruto! The blonde started at the voice, and Itachi received the upper hand, knocking him to the ground. The raven was about to deliver a so-called incapacitating blow, but Naruto held up a hand.

"Stop!" he ordered. Immediately, the fighting ceased as five pairs of eyes turned to face him.

Charis? What's going on? he asked.

The emperor has received word from a patrol rounding the outskirts of the city. They say they sighted a pennant with a large snake on it, she replied.

Orochimaru. So what now?

Apparently, they say that he delivered a message, saying that prepared or not, he will be attacking soon, she answered.

But it doesn't say when, right?

Right.

I see. Thank you, Charis. I'll be back as soon as possible.

He looked up at the five other gladiators.

"We need to head back to the palace. The prince has received word from Orochimaru."

Is it just me, or does it seem like these chapters are getting short? Ah well.

-Jeya-