Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto

Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! Answer to the reviews are at the bottom.

So this chapter was supposed to be shorter and cover more things, but thing got out of hand while I was writing. I hope you don't mind XD

By the way, you are all awesome. I am close to reach 300 follows and favourites, and I love your reviews. Thanks!

PLOTTING IN THE DARK

"So..." Naruto started to say.

He was sprawled on the soft carpet that covered the "residential area" of the vault, where Akimi (or a clone of hers) could be usually found studying seals. That day, though, five Naruto and two Akimi were busy reading scrolls and books, writing down furious notes and talking furiously to each other with muffled voices. The true Akimi, sat very close to the great bracer that lit the underground room, raised her eyes from the book she was examining.

"So?" she repeated.

"Time for a recap, what you say? We have been here since after the funeral. I think it's already nightfall by now."

"Recap it is, then." Akimi nodded, beaconing to her clone. The Kage Bunshin duplicated and the new one took a new book and started to read, as the old one dispelled.

Naruto's clones just popped away. He was a stamina freak, after all. The two kids spent few moments going through the info that flowed to their mind.

"I read the books Inoichi-dono sent at least two times." Akimi explained.

Naruto chuckled. "Without counting the dozens of times you went through it before the Finals."

"So, there are two ways the first true nightmare could have theoretically come to be... either Kuroken's entered my mindscape, or I was dragged into his. That's what I thought."

"But now you think something else." the boy said."Because this time Kuroken didn't even seem to know you were there... isn't, it?"

"Yes, what I think is that there is a connection between us. So maybe this time I was the one to enter his mindscape, somehow, while the first nightmare it was him entering in mine."

"How can you say this?"

"It's difficult to say. The dreams gave me different sensations... and Kaera was able to react more quickly the first time."

"Because you share a mindscape." he nodded. "So you suppose Kuroken has a way to create a connection with someone's else mindscape."

"Correct. The mind is less protected and more vulnerable while sleeping, so using the connection is easier..." she mused. "And what makes it even easier are emotions."

"Negative emotions. That happened to me and Kyūbi as well." Naruto replied. "You were stressed yesterday."

"You could say!" Akimi exclaimed. "But clearly not distressed enough for Kuroken to try something. It was me entering his mindscape. He was too busy feeding to even notice me."

"'mi-chan, did you think about him?"

"Not particularly. Although..." she murmured. "... although there really hasn't been a moment I haven't thought about him since the first nightmare. It was at least in the back of my mind."

"After everything that happened yesterday, you were afraid he was coming back to ruin everything." Naruto surmised. "And that actually projected you into his mind. Like your fear..."

"... my fear materialised itself." Akimi concluded for him. "Naruto, the first Trial!"

"That strange test you are supposed to pass to be allowed to speak with the Tiger Sages?" he asked. "You said it was... mastering your fear, right?."

"Maybe Kuroken is more intertwined with my family's history than I first thought." Akimi crossed her arms. "After all, that contract is two hundred years old and has always been kept by the Enkounkin."

"So it is your fear that gives him power over you." Naruto continued. "It's strange. You are usually quite fearless."

"You don't understand... that night was... " her eyes widened in terror.

"The only thing you told me about it is that you remember golden flames and darkness. Although I always found that last bit strange, since it happened at night."

"There is always some light even in the bleakest of nights. That darkness was different. It was all encompassing and complete. Inescapable..."

"Genjutsu?"

"Perhaps. Although it didn't simply affect the mind, it... scared me. A irrational, terrible fear."

"A genjutsu that heavily affects emotions. Seems to fit with we know about him." Naruto mused. "Question is, can it be dispelled like any other illusion?"

Akimi was deep in thought. "I think it would be harder. To break it, you would need to possibly use an opposite emotion. Master your fear... how the hell do I do that?"

"If fear paralyses you, then you must think of what will happen if you keep staying still. If you are afraid he will kill you, at least moving can give you a chance to survive. If you are afraid he will destroy your world, at least reacting can give you a chance to stop him." Naruto looked at her with his intense eyes, his gaze blazing. "Akimi, you fight back. This is how you master fear. This is what we do. We have been doing it since the day we met. Fight back. Never give up."

Akimi nodded, although she still looked a little shaken. "'to-kun, I..."

"And when you fight back, I shall be right at your side."

The girl couldn't muster any word to answer that, so she just kissed him. Naruto smiled as he happily reciprocated.

"Then, of course, we can still figure something out with seals." he said, a little breathlessly, after a little while. Oh, all right, it was a long while.

"Absolutely." Akimi nodded. "That was the next thing I started to look into. Somehow, Kaera is the perfect protection against Kuroken. I think Gramps knew this very well when he made that Telepathy Seal... what I have been able to reconstruct is, well, quite amazing."

"You studied this when we elaborated the Loyalty Seal. And maybe that's where the solutions lays." Naruto shrugged. "What about we tell Ero-sennin..."

"I am not sure I would ever be comfortable showing that seal to anyone." Akimi replied, lowering her eyes. "It's so... private."

"Yes, but he could help us a lot." Naruto was much more trusting that she was, after all. "Just think about it, right?"

"I will." Akimi tilted her head. "There is another angle we aren't considering."

Naruto guessed what she was thinking about immediately. Akimi always got that strange note in her voice when she wanted to talk about his seal. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"The Yondaime definitely did something to stop the fox from talking to me." Naruto replied. "Which I am very happy about, since I saw what the influence of a Bijū can do. Poor Gaara."

"What's strange, though, is that even though we studied your seal so many times I can replicate it with my eyes closed on this blank scroll if I wanted to... I never noticed one stroke that would suggest something about mindscapes. Where did he put that protection?"

"Somewhere else. He must have placed it somewhere different from the main seal."

"Yes." Akimi nodded. "And where is the most logical place to put a seal that has to protect your mind?"

Naruto touched his forehead. "Somewhere around here. It must be hidden just like yours and Kaera are. After all, there is no reason for it to become visible when I mould chakra."

Akimi placed her hand over his. "I'll prepare a chakra viewing seal then. We should really have thought of this sooner."

"We were kind of busy preparing for yesterday, remember." Naruto smiled as got up to prepare the sealing chamber. "Which reminds me, there is something else I'd like to do..."

Akimi had already started to draw a first draft on a spare scroll, so she raised her eyes in a silent question.

"... talk with Kyūbi again."

"I will step down as Hokage." Sarutobi said.

Danzō barely managed to keep his mouth from opening in surprise. Jiraiya didn't even try to restrain himself.

"Sensei! What are baffling about! You can't..." he shouted.

"I knew you would be reasonable in the end." Danzō conceded himself an half-smile.

"But sensei! Think about Konoha..."

"I am thinking about Konoha." Hiruzen smiled bitterly. "Danzō is right, it is because of my past mistakes Orochimaru managed to do this... I should have died to end that problem, but here I am. However, and I am sure you will agree with me on this, old friend, the village needs a strong leader now. If we suddenly change leader without me being dead, overall we'll give a weaker impression."

Danzō mentally scowled. That damn monkey. "I see."

"I will step down as Hokage... just not yet." Sarutobi said. "We will wait until our defences are up to par again and possibly until the dealings with Suna are over. I trust you will keep things down, Danzō. I can't imagine what our enemies would do if they suspected a political internal struggle among us."

Danzō nodded, swallowing that bitter pill. "Don't worry. I am good at keeping myself in the shadows."

"Yes, we know how much you enjoy living under the roots, old man." Jiraiya acidly spat.

Danzō ignored him. "I will come by tomorrow, Sarutobi, with the other Honourable Elders. We have much to discuss about how you intend to conducts the talks with Suna."

The crippled man turned on his heels and walked away, slowly. Hiruzen frowned and stared at him, while Jiraiya was still gaping.

"Are you...?"

Sarutobi shook his head. 'Not like this'

Jiraiya sighed and nodded. "Your office, then, sensei?"

"That would do."

And the two men disappeared with a swift Sunshin.

"You want to talk with Kyūbi again... now?" Akimi repeated, showing him the seal she had just drawn. "Any particular reason?"

"Lots." Naruto shrugged, starting to study the piece of paper. "But above all, if the fox didn't really want to attack Konoha it means someone ordered it to do it, thirteen years ago. Someone powerful enough to control the strongest of the Tailed Beast."

Akimi unconsciously swallowed. 'Now that is a scary thought.' "And now the village is weakened again."

"I feel like I must try to get Kyūbi to talk about it. Maybe it will help" Naruto continued, starting to make a couple of corrections in the seal. "Maybe jiji doesn't know it and this is why he never said anything."

"It's possible." Akimi conceded. "Oh, that is smart, 'to-kun! Now the seal should work. Let me draw it again."

"Then, I suppose that seeing and fighting against Shukaku made me even more curious about the fox."

"Curious?" Akimi asked, with a strange smile. "Now that's a surprise. I always thought you hated even the idea of talking about Kyūbi."

"And you were right, of course." Naruto scratched his head. "I suppose it was really a shock to discover the truth, when we did..."

"I remember."

"I am lucky I didn't actually learn it before I was ready to... comprehend it, because I had your support and all that knowledge of Fūinjutsu. I think one of reasons Gaara was so messed up is because he knew what kind of burden he carried since he was a kid."

Akimi tilted her head to look over her work better. "Ignorance is bliss, sometimes."

"Now, though, I've also learned to accept it. Like you said, I can harness Kyūbi's power to be a positive force. To protect my precious people... and the village. Therefore I am curious."

Akimi presented the finished chakra viewing seal to him. The kid was already sitting bare-chested in the middle of their sealing chamber. The area was perfect for something like this, because it reduced to a minimum external chakra interferences.

"You are confident you can... exit your shared mindscape at will, yes?"

"Pretty much." Naruto nodded. "I am also sure that you can stop anything should happen, even without Ero-sennin here. I saw how powerful was your Five Elemental Seal yesterday."

"Kyūbi is more powerful than Shukaku, you know that." Akimi placed the seal-tag she made on the boy's forehead. "You should lie down... I think it's gonna tingle, by the way."

"I'll survive."

Akimi giggled and activated the seal with a short sequence of handseals. From Naruto's forehead, a extraordinary complex array of seal exploded into existence, covering most of the sealing chamber's ground.

"That man was a freaking genius." Akimi whispered. "I am gonna need a while to transcribe all of this down."

"Are you sure it was a good idea, Sarutobi-sensei?" Jiraiya asked, his arm crossed, as he leaned against the windows of the Hokage's office.

The Sandaime, covered his face with his hands. He was sitting at his desk, having just activated the Yondaime's protective seals. That man was a freaking genius, to quote what Akimi said every time they talked about his Fūinjutsu work. The girl didn't know that Minato had also Kushina's help to boost his own ability, after all.

"No, but it is the only thing I could do." Hiruzen said. "We don't want to start an actual war with Danzō."

"Why? He is only one man, after all." Jiraiya said. "We could have taken him together... easily."

"It would have undermined the village's stability. Danzō holds more power than you know, Jiraiya."

The Sannin rubbed his chin. "I don't have spies in my own village, seeing as I am busy enough covering the rest of the Elemental Countries. Is there something I need to know?"

"I have some strong suspicions, just hints here and there..." Sarutobi replied. "... not every ninja in Konoha is loyal to me. Even among the ANBU there may be some..."

"... traitors?" Jiraiya thundered.

"Now that is a strong word. I think it's just some questionable loyalty."

"You mean they are Danzō's lackeys, instead of being your soldiers? That's treason all right." Jiraiya spat back. "Why didn't you call me back?"

"I didn't think it was that bad." Hiruzen sighed and lit his pipe. "Sometimes I am too indulgent for my own good. But the village had almost be destroyed by Kyūbi's wrath. I couldn't risk a civil war. I still can't."

Jiraiya placed an hand on his face as well. "There is a but in your voice..."

"I honestly thought I had a firmer grasp on my position. But lately things have been strained between me and Koharu and Homura. They are probably plotting with Danzō right now."

"I never trusted those old coats..."

"Jiraiya! They are still the Elders, you know."

"Then they are elder coats." the Sannin chuckled bitterly. "What did you three argue about, anyway?"

"Lots of things. Kyūbi... and Naruto too. Then Orochimaru, of course, and there was also that old matter..." Sarutobi let out a sigh and a puff of smoke.

"Sensei, I think it's time for a little trust here. You need to tell me everything or we won't get out of this on top." Jiraiya looked deadly serious. "Spit it out."

"The Uchiha's massacre."

"What has this to do with everything?"

"At that time, we had strong suspicions the clan was plotting a coup d'état on Konoha. Itachi-kun confirmed those doubts. I tried to find a peaceful solutions but..."

"Don't tell me it was Danzō that ordered..."

"Yes he did. But I am and I was the Hokage. It's ultimately my fault."

"And if Danzō comes clear with it..."

"... it will be mutual destruction. In fact, it's a card I may play as easily as he does." Sarutobi smirked. "After all, I seem to have already decided to leave my hat to a Godaime."

"You plan to use your right to name a successor to stop Danzō from getting it, I assume?"

"It's quite obvious, isn't it?" Hiruzen smiled a little. "So of course Danzō knows it as well. The only question is... who am I naming?"

"I hope you are not thinking of me." Jiraiya said, disgusted. "You know I won't ever accept the position."

"Yes I do and my old rival does too..." Sarutobi sighed. "Still, please take into consideration what will happen to Konoha if Danzō succeeds. What will happen to Naruto... you know how many time the Elders tried to make that sweet boy into a ruthless weapon?"

Jiraiya's narrowed his eyes. "Political struggle it is, then."

Sarutobi took another deep breath of smoke. "However, there is another thing you must do. I had planned to die, Jiraiya, so to end Orochimaru once for all. Now I am alive, true, but so is he."

"And that snake is out there plotting his next move against us." Jiraiya murmured. "And if you consider they must be on the move too with the village on this state..."

"The situation is critical. We can't deal with both internal and external threats like this. "

Jiraiya got a bad feeling in his guts. "You don't mean?"

"It's past time that the last of the Sannin returns to Konoha."

"I really hope you aren't asleep, 'to-kun." Akimi said. "You need to be wide awake to properly look at this."

Naruto jumped on his feet with one single, fluid sweep. He yawned. "I was actually meditating. Never thought that skill would come so in handy."

Akimi spread the big scroll she had just finished filling with seals, near another two open ones.

"So, here on the right is what we knew about mine and Kaera's Telepathy Seal. On the left is the draft of our Loyalty Seal, and here in the middle the one that stops Kyūbi from talking to you. Shall we call it Mental Protection Seal?"

"Yes, nice clear name." Naruto, being taller than her, looked at them from behind her shoulder. He rubbed his chin. "So we have a seal creating an effective communication channel through mindscapes on the right, one to stop communication in the middle, and one trying to set up a connection n the left." he tilted his head. "It's amazing. Can you see it?"

"I think so." Akimi opened her hands as if shrugging. "Very different minds created these seals, yet they all share something. It means we are on the right track. Now, I can definitely create something that can stop Kuroken from reaching me... or at least make it more difficult."

"And I can use a modification of your seal with Kaera to set up a steady channel between me and Kyūbi."

"Sorry, what?" Akimi exclaimed, shifting her eyes from the seals she was still studying. "Are you crazy?"

"A controlled one, 'mi-chan. I don't intend to get rid of Yondaime's Mental Protective Seal and I doubt I would be able to anyway." Naruto smiled "I simply want to slightly breach it."

"You mean overwriting parts of it? Could work, although it would need a lot of chakra to work." Akimi nodded. "But why?"

"Well, if the fox has been imprisoned for decades, then it possibly would love to have a connection with the word again."

"Leverage. It makes sense." Akimi crossed her arms. "But if you want to talk with Kyūbi now, you won't have it. We need a lot of works to make it work."

"Yes, but I can promise the fox to do it."

"And Kyūbi would trust you because...?"

"Because how can one not trust me?" Naruto smiled goofily. "Have you see me?"

Akimi swatted him. "Baka... but, yes, you are quite limpid. Although Kyūbi is possibly more paranoid than me."

"Yes, but I think his wish may be big enough for it to take the risk and trust me."

"Your guts are usually right, so let's do it." Akimi tilted her head, pensive. "None of this seals is completely effective. Kaera and I can block each other out if we want to. It actually happens naturally if one of us is very upset. And we know Kyūbi was able to reach out to you..."

Wave and the Forest of Death. They remembered those times even too well.

"Emotions." Naruto said. "It all comes down to that. The Loyalty Seal wouldn't work either, 'mi-chan, not so well... if we weren't really that loyal to each other."

"So watch out. Kyūbi is smart and subtle. If you open a connection, it will try to sway you."

"The fox doesn't know how stubborn I can be."

"It lives inside you. It can exploit your moment of weakness... when you are emotional unstable."

"It already can and did. So it wouldn't really make a difference, right?"

"Well, it will probably make things easier for Kyūbi. All right, how about a compromise? Just make sure to clearly state it's going to take a while, a long while, before you can complete this seal." Akimi murmured. "I'll look into some security measures we can take."

"Very well. Are you up to do it now? Talking to the fox?"

"Why not? I am not sure I will be able to sleep at all tonight. So, yes, let's do this."

Naruto smiled and touched her cheek. "Once we are finished, we are going to sleep. We fight back, remember? If Kuroken gets in your dreams again, Kaera and me will stop him. You'll be fine. You need to..."

"... fight back." Akimi smiled. "And now, I am not letting you contact that furball until I set up some kind of protection. Let's get to work."

"Sarutobi chose to buy time." Danzō announced, gravely. "I had to accept the compromise."

The two Elders nodded.

"It was to be expected." Homura replied. "Hiruzen is smart."

"Indeed." Koharu agreed. "By the time the Great Council is summoned, he will have had time to prepare a strategy. Last time, the successor he named was voted by almost everyone."

"That Minato boy was too young and idealist to become Hokage." Danzō shook his head. "Even though I admire the sacrifice he made to stop the Nine Tails, Sarutobi should have name a Godaime then."

"Namikaze Minato had charisma. Most of the jōnin fought with him during the war and owed him their life. There is nobody like him now. Danzō, you have a fair chance of winning if we play things right." Koharu said. "We must expose Hiruzen and the great mistake he made when he let Orochimaru go."

"With the memory of his attack fresh on the village, Sarutobi's position will be greatly weakened." Danzō nodded. "Only ANBU accompanied him on that mission, but I was able to obtain a report of it, with a seal of authenticity."

"It's illegal." Homura frowned. "And it's high treason to steal ANBU reports."

"Yes and I assure you that the man who will deliver it to the Council will pay the price for his actions." Danzō's face didn't change when he said those harsh words. "I know what you two think, but it's for the best... remember."

"We will try to petition for imprisonment only." Homura mused. "Since the bravery this man will show, betraying his own Hokage to expose his mistakes."

Danzō restrained a smirk. "And given that Sarutobi has let Orochimaru escape once again, he will lose even more support. And so shall the candidate he'll nominate lose credibility. All in my favour."

"Especially if he nominates Jiraiya." Koharu whispered. "I mean, I know he is likely the strongest ninja in Konoha, but his attitude doesn't fit with the position. Can you imagine, a blatantly perverted Hokage?"

"Besides, Jiraiya is likely to turn down the position." Homura murmured. "He did it last time."

"Jiraiya of the Sannin hates my guts enough to accept the nomination just to spite me." Danzō replied. "We need to observe him carefully, because if Sarutobi indeed chose him, they are likely to be plotting right now."

"What about the hime (princess)?" Homura asked then. "She would make a strong candidate."

"She hasn't stepped into the village in decades." Danzō replied. "We don't even know where she is... and neither does Sarutobi... but he did choose to by time, so..."

"Who else could he name?" Koharu replied. "Hatake Kakashi? He would be a eerie perverted Hokage. It would be madness."

"No, Hiruzen is going to nominate one of his students. This much is clearer... Not even the exposure of his old mistakes would shade the fame the Sannin name carries." Homura mused. "They are beloved."

"And the fact that Sarutobi has agreed to step down willingly will help his cause." Koharu warned as well.. "You are not popular, Danzō. Most of the ninja will think you aren't... well, strong enough."

"Fools." Danzō murmured. "In a world like this, keeping anonymity is a true statement of power, not showing off like idiotic children. But I've played in the shadows too long, it's time to come out at the light of the sun."

Homura fixed his glasses. "Our support with buy you great sway with the jōnin, yes, but to win you need to show off your power."

Danzō looked pensive as he leaned on his cane and looked out, on Konoha's sleeping outline. "Somehow I think the right occasion will present itself very soon."

Naruto fell into his shared mindscape with more ease than the first time he attempted it. He wasn't certain if that was a good thing or not. At least, he was prepared and landed with grace and without problems.

The landscape had definitely changed since his last visit, that's for sure. He was expecting it, of course, although he thought he would find himself in a forest of something like that. It was weird. The mindscape had became... void. It was this huge, apparently infinite, opened space, glowing of a bright light with orange reflexes (his own influence on the thing he bet).

'Now, this is curious. Why would the fox choose a place like this? I was expecting something more sullen and dark.' Naruto moved forward. He had to walk for few minutes, then suddenly saw it. Once again, the colossal demon was being restrained by a likewise colossal fence with closed gates. Naruto now knew that that delimitation wasn't simply the result of his main containment seal, but of the Mind Protection the Yondaime gave him. It stopped Kyūbi to actually entering his side of the mindscape.

"What do you want this time, gaki?" Kyūbi roared with his deep, scratching voice. "Didn't I give you enough chakra already?"

"Yes you did." Naruto smiled his goofy smile. "So thank you, furball."

Kyūbi roared. "You are a weird one, gaki. I'll ask you again: why are you here?"

"I decided to pop by and chat. Aren't you happy about it?"

"No." Kyūbi deadpanned. "I amend my statement: you are clearly insane."

"And you aren't. Which I am kind of glad for, since I've met your little one-tailed cousin."

"Shukaku, that fool. I trust you gave it a suitable lesson?"

"I did. We stopped it from influencing its jailer, that ought to have it pissed him off. And it used Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Ball) against us before we sent it back."

"Impressive. And what is with all that plural, do you have a split personality?"

"No, I meant me and 'mi-chan, she is my... well, teammate."

"Ridiculous. I can see from your idiotic smile she is more than a teammate. How useless. That is the problem with your human, always feeling these stupid emotions. They make you weak."

"Debatable. But I am curious. What would make me strong?"

"Hate. Anger. Ambition."

"Wrong. Those would make you stronger." Naruto smiled. "Nice try, though."

"You aren't as stupid as you look." Kyūbi snarled. "Have we chatted long enough? Will you finally free me of your despicable presence?"

"No." Naruto deadpanned the same way the fox had done with him. "Not yet. I have a couple of questions."

"Which I won't respond to, so you may as well go now."

"I am too stubborn to do that." Naruto yawned. "Besides, I thought you would be bored. Being imprisoned for decades... having nothing to do but plot your own escape. With little success, I may add."

Kyūbi roared and tried to hit him, but the kid easily jumped back and ducked the blow. "It's better than listening to your annoying voice."

"You are really lovable, furball." Naruto gave it a thumb up. "So, will you tell me about Bijūdama? It was an impressive attack."

"Shukaku's is weak. Mine would have caused much more destruction."

"No doubt. But how is it done? That chakra felt... different."

"I am not answering that. Why would I reveal such a secret to you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Well and here I thought we were becoming friendly. Never mind, I will figure it out somehow." the kid started to causally walk around. "Shall we talk about your... involuntary attack on Konoha, then?"

Kyūbi narrowed its eyes, causing the flaming red chakra around them to flare up. "You noticed that. I always admire a smart opponent... even if they are annoying, stubborn gaki."

"Yes, yes... so I was wondering who would be able to control the mighty Kyūbi no Yoko, uh? Unless you aren't as mighty as you like people to believe."

"FOOL!" Kyūbi roared, attacking him once again, this time with two paws. Naruto didn't flinch. "You don't understand... those eyes, even I could not resist them."

'Eyes. Kekkai genkai. But which one? The most famous dōjutsu are from Konoha, I don't know of any notable one in the other villages...' "And do you know why this person wanted Konoha destroyed?"

"Why do you care? Why would I tell you for that matter?"

"Well, I care because this person is clearly out there still... in the shadows, plotting against my village. And you should tell me because I bet you would love as well to see this nice fellow destroyed, right?"

Kyūbi started to chuckle. Then it burst into a booming, amused laughter. It was quite the appalling and terrifying spectacle. "AHAHAHA! Midget, not even in a thousand years could you defeat this man! Stop speaking such nonsense."

"What if I prove you wrong?" Naruto said. "I am just thirteen and I've already defeated one of you mighty Tailed Beasts."

"That is irrelevant. The level you are now is irrelevant. Come back in a few years, although I doubt you could have a chance."

"So do you think there is still time before this man attacks again?"

Kyūbi didn't answer, just staring at him with its intense, dark gaze.

"That was informative." Naruto shrugged and turned on his heels. "One last thing. I was surprised to understand I am not your first jailer."

"I thought you said you were Uzumaki. Don't you know what that means?"

Naruto frowned. "That my completely destroyed clan was so good with Fūinjutsu they became too dangerous to be allowed living..."

Kyūbi roared in laughter again. "Look at you, annoying me with all these questions and not even knowing your own history."

"So, I gathered my family was involved in your sealing, uh?"

Kyūbi laughed even harder, without answering.

"Answer me!" Naruto shouted, furious. "What do you know about my family?"

"Go to hell, midget. I don't have to say anything to you." it roared. "Especially if it is about your annoying, damned spoilsport family. I should have destroyed them myself."

Naruto felt his anger increase and clenched his fists, trembling. He had a quick temper yes, but he somehow comprehended that hot-headed rage didn't simply belong to him... it was Kyūbi's negative influence. That realisation didn't make the fury easier to control. Quite the opposite, it made him being even angrier with that damned fox.

Kyūbi smiled in the delight, as Naruto unconsciously started to call its orange, malign chakra. The demon had long waited for such an occasion to come. 'It's time to see the world again.'

"So, two things, sensei..." Jiraiya started to say. "First, Danzō can easily figure out you would want to call her back and stop you. And second..."

Sarutobi inhaled a deep breath of smoke.

"... what makes you think that she will accept to come back? Not even if you built a casino here you would be able t—!"

"You." Sarutobi stopped. "You will able to convince her, Jiraiya. You need to find her and convince her."

"You are crazy."

"What the hime needs... is hope." The Sandaime let out a puff of smoke. "And you happen to have two new stubborn apprentices, one of which is especially good to give hope to people. You saw what Naruto and Akimi did to Gaara... kami's sake, the kid is actually sane now. Sort of."

Jiraiya sighed. "Fair enough. And taking Naruto out of the village now may be a smartest move in any case."

"And about your first concern..." Sarutobi continued. "... let Danzō think what he wants. Besides, it's best if Naruto isn't here to become a political pawn in this deadly game."

"So, we will use the fact that Naruto needs protection to get me and him out of the village."

Sarutobi nodded. "Moreover, you need to contact all your spies around. Some of them at least..."

"Yes, I need to set up a momentary communication system. I would also need a reliable substitute to train." Jiraiya shrugged. "Konoha can't stay without a spy master... if I were to become Hokage."

"That's why you are taking Akimi too."

"No. She is only a genin..." Jiraiya said. "... well, a chūnin, but sill she can't become Spy Mistress."

"You'll start to groom her into it. In the meantime, I would love to cover for you... or her."

"That is a little... weird. So weird it would actually be believable."

"Danzō would love to have me out of the village, so it's very likely he would believe it, yes." Sarutobi smirked. "People tend to believe the strangest things because they want them to be true, or are afraid they are true."

"The old man will have his cronies follow us though. I am certain of it."

"Then don't let them. You are a master of camouflage and you will be on a trip to actually hide from and avoid contact with those trying to harm Naruto."

"It may work, all right." Jiraiya massaged his temples. "I hate mind games, they always cause headaches. You know Danzō will do anything in his power to gain approval from the jōnin?"

"I am more concerned about the damage he may do in Fire Capitol City. Feudal Lords are easily corrupted and can sway many votes."

"Then it is a good thing I have plenty of trusty spies and friends in Fire Capitol City..." Jiraiya smirked. "... and that I am taking Akimi to meet some of my most important contacts."

Naruto's anger was fuelled by the flow of Kyūbi's chakra to him. The demon gladly gave it to the boy, hoping to finally manipulate him. The kid was soon enveloped in a familiar blazing chakra cloak. One tail formed immediately, another could already be glimpsed. Just a little a while more and he would attack, possibly destroying the seal in the process...

Kyūbi frowned in anger and surprise as the orange cloak was breached from inside, starting from the boy's right shoulder. It was a small gleam of golden light, then Naruto unleashed his own bright, blue chakra and broke the fox's influence completely.

"Don't you ever try that again, bastard!" Naruto intimated, with such determination the fox was reminded of the man that sealed it. Which was normal.

"I will, if you keep annoying him with your chattiness." Kyūbi spat. "Now get out of my sight, we finished talking for today."

"Answer my question, you damn furball." Naruto bellowed. "And I will give you something in return."

"What possibly could you give me, uh?"

"Vision." Naruto replied. "There is a seal here..." he pointed his forehead. "... stopping you from entering my thoughts, from seeing through my eyes. A cautious precaution."

"And?"

"And I may be willing to try and change this. Maybe some small modifications to the seal that would allow you to see what is happening to me. What do you think?"

"That you are crazy. The Yondaime was too smart to allow something like this to happen."

"Like you pointed out, I am an Uzumaki. Sealing is in my blood." Naruto shrugged. "It will be though... and I will need time. But I am very likely to be successful."

"Then come back when you have and I will answer your questions." Kyūbi smirked. "Happily."

"So you think I will go through such a work, doing something that may result in you having a easier time manipulating me, without any assurance?" Naruto chuckled. "You are a Kitsune, treachery is in your nature. I don't trust you."

"And I don't trust you. I don't trust you to keep your word... nor I am sure would be able to, Uzumaki or not."

"So we know where we stand. What I ask, is a little insurance. Tell me something now, the rest will wait until I've created that seal."

Kyūbi roared again. "And what if I lie to you?"

"Well, I will have time to crosscheck the info you give me." Naruto shrugged. "So tell me, what do you know about my family?"

"Ah. What you promise is interesting... but inconsistent. So I will give you something like that as well." Kyūbi roared. "Only someone peculiar could keep me prisoner. I would also think about the curiosity of how and when this last sealing happened, if I were you."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Figure it out, boy." the fox snarled. "If you do, then I'll know you truly are your parents' legacy... and that you may have a chance."

And with that, Naruto was thrown back into reality, more confused than ever. One instant after he opened his eyes, Akimi launched herself at him, making him fell on the ground.

"Baka!" she exclaimed, burying her head in his chest.. "Do you know what kind of heart attack you gave me?"

Naruto held her back. "I am sorry. Did the chakra..."

"... yes, he leaked! It was incredibly strong too. We only have to hope the killing intent didn't leave the sealing room. What happened?"

"It insulted my family. I got so angry... it wasn't natural. The only time I felt angrier in my life was when Haku and afterwards Orochimaru almost..."

"Kyūbi is a monster made up with negative emotions, like all Tailed Beasts. Its very presence can influence you, fill you with that darkness. Why did you think Yondaime drew that complex seal for?"

"And anger fuels anger. The more chakra he gave me the angrier I became, and the more powerful it became." Naruto shook his head. "I can't believe I feel into its trap."

"It's a thousand years old demon. He knows one trick too many." Akimi smiled at him and caressed his cheek. "The most is important thing was that you were able to stop it..."

"We were able to stop it. You sent chakra through the Loyalty Seal! You also said something but... I don't remember." Naruto scratched his head. "What did you say?"

"I was hoping that would work." Akimi sighed, ignoring his question. "At least now we are sure that even if we can't manage to find a way to enter your shared mindscape, I can still be at your side when you meet Kyūbi. It's going to make me feel a lot better. So what did the fox sa... what's wrong?"

Naruto was smiling widely. "Oh, 'mi-chan..." he murmured.

And Akimi, realising he had remember what she said through the Loyalty Seal, blushed, making him chuckle a little. "Listen, I was..."

"Me too." Naruto said, locking his gaze with hers. "I love you too."

In the meantime, somewhere in Ta no Kuni [Rice Field Country]

"Damn old man!"

"Orochimaru-sama, please calm down." Kabuto said, with his mellifluous voice. "You have killed the Kazekage one of the most powerful ninja in the five Great Countries... and you would have killed the Hokage too if..."

"Shut up!" the Snake Sannin shouted, pushing Kabuto and sending him clashing against the wall. "Do not try to patronize me. A genin, a genin stopped me! I should have made sure that damn bitch had died in the Forest of Death."

"Orochimaru-sama, I am sure that another chance to destroy Konoha will soon present itself."

"SHUT UP!" Orochimaru thundered. "I am sick and tired of your ass-licking. Had I been able to attack the Leaf alone I wouldn't have needed to manipulate that foolish Yondaime Kazekage."

The Sannin started to pace. "Konoha is half destroyed, yes, but strong. My old idiotic teammate is there and with Sarutobi-sensei still alive I won't be able to attack for a long time if things stay like this..."

"What about internal struggle? I would say my old master is likely to make a move soon."

"Worse." Orochimaru exclaimed. "Danzō is less predictable than Sarutobi-sensei and, above all, less honourable. Who knows what kind of genetic modifications he has undergone after I left the village... His ascension to power would be terrible."

"What do you think the Sandaime will do, then?"

"Quite easy. He will make sure to strengthen the village defences and to make me desist from attacking again..." Orochimaru replied. "Jiraiya won't stay in Konoha for long, he hates it, so sensei will call back the only one who can face me. Another Sannin..."

Kabuto nodded. "So what do we do?"

"We kill two birds with one stone." Orochimaru smirked. "Say, do you still have your old Root gear?"

The next morning, Konoha – Katora residence...

"Peculiar... mmm, a peculiar host." Naruto mumbled, while his breakfast's milk was warming up. "How and when this last sealing happened..."

"Still thinking about that?" Akimi asked, entering the room. "We'll figure it out. How do you feel?"

"Rested. We slept plenty of time. All considered."

After their mutual declaration last night and considering the emotional rollercoaster they went through, they just spend some quality time together – had Jiraiya peeped on that he would have likely fainted again from blood loss – and then went to sleep. They didn't rest for long, though, waking up some time after dawn. After Naruto had told her what happened, Akimi said she wanted to check something and disappeared, leaving the boy to make breakfast.

"What did you find out?" Naruto asked.

The girl shrugged, helping herself to some orange juice. "You know academy records are awfully easy to access?" the girl said. He chuckled. "I checked them. Civilians record are even easier to get to, so I went there next. In total, I found there are around 30 babies born during the first days of October 200 and four that were born like you on October 12th..."

"... the day Kyūbi attacked."

"Indeed. Out of these, only seven plus you made it to Academy. They others all dropped out before the fake graduation test. Now, you can either surmise Yondaime-sama choose causally among them..."

"... which I doubt." Naruto replied. "He was too much of a genius to do something casual in such an occasion."

Akimi shrugged. "Well, if you think about it, it would be logical to assume that he choose the baby with more chakra. You. And it's not simply this."

"Of course! If what we read about my clan's is true, Uzumaki always had a stronger and denser chakra than most people." Naruto murmured. "Which means that whoever was the jailer of Kyūbi before me was an Uzumaki too. I thought the fox meant they had a part in the sealing itself, given the mastery of the Art, but this is it."

"I wonder who was your predecessor though." Akimi said. "It must have happened before Uzushiokagure was destroyed..."

"The way Kyūbi is bitter, it makes you think it has been prisoner continuously for the last decades." Naruto observed, finishing his milk. "Maybe the jailer escaped the massacre."

"Or maybe they weren't there when the massacre occurred." Akimi sat down and started to eat as well. "Who knows. Your best chance is to actually get the fox to tell you."

"You are probably right." Naruto nodded. "I suppose Yondaime-sama was somehow lucky I was born that very same day the fox attacked."

Akimi looked a little pissed a those word. "It was fortunate for Konoha, yes, a little less for you. Sure thing is, it was quite a curious coincidence."

Naruto chocked on his breakfast and Akimi blinked in surprise. "Kami." she murmured. "Could it be...?"

Naruto ran towards the vault, Akimi following suit few second after. When she caught up with him he had opened the door and was going though the Uzumaki Legacy's chest.

"Here." he said. "Kenshin's diary and this is the entry that allows us to discover about my Ka-san. 'I still remember the day Kushina, my beloved sister, left for Konoha. At the time I was angry she had to go away, but now I am happy, for I am certain she found precious people there. I am glad she didn't have to witness the destruction I saw. I wonder how she is doing... but I am sure she found good friends in the Leaf. Her special chakra never looked like such a burden until we learned she had to assist Mito-sama. I've always knew how important that task is and I am very proud it is my sister who now keeps all of us safe. That doesn't change the fact that I miss her a lot. I hope I will be blessed enough to see her again...'" Naruto's voice wavered at the end. "How did I not see this?"

"She was the jailer before you." Akimi said it aloud. "It has to be... but how?"

"She died and released the beast?" Naruto murmured. "That is the big mystery? Did the fox lied when he talked about that man controlling it? So she likely died in childbirth... it's my... "

"No, 'to-kun! Someone could have broken the seal she used to keep the fox contained. The only thing the scrolls we have say for sure is that if a tailed beast is released its jailer dies, not that the only way to release it is to kill the container."

"So the bastard who attacked the village did also likely killed my Mum in the process?" Naruto growled, his eyes becoming red. "I..."

"'to-kun." Akimi softly said, taking his hand. Her touch seemed to calm him down, so he hugged her. She didn't say anything, just held him as well.

Eventually, his gaze became determined. "I guess this is just a reason to train even harder... sooner or later I will face this person, and when that happens, I will be ready, dattebayo."

Akimi smiled. Now that was the Naruto she knew and loved. "And I will be right besides you, Naruto-kun."

"... my priority right now is to build back the walls." Sarutobi let out a puff of smoke, staring at his most important advisors, the honourable Elders. Jiraiya, being the village's spy master and sealing expert, was there too. In truth, the Sannin could have hold as much political power as the other three, had he wanted to. He was there to remind them of it.

"It is paramount that missions resume as usual. That will make us look as strong as before." Homura said. He, her teammate and Danzō were standing in front of the Hokage's desk, showing a united front against the man.

"Hai." Sarutobi nodded. The old monkey wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "I've already asked Iruka-kun to assign D-ranks, which are mostly requests of help with the rebuilding, and C-ranks out. The majority of the chūnin should be already deployed out of the village. Shikaku Nara is going through B-rank and A-rank for me now, I will meet with him later and decide which jōnin teams we can afford to send away."

"So I gather the entire ANBU is taking care of security in the village?" Danzō asked.

Sarutobi nodded. "One third of the secret forces are out, patrolling. That is of course not counting our normal patrol force at the border. The rest is guarding key points in the village. I have also assigned ANBU captain Tenzō and various jōnin to watch over the breach in the wall."

Koharu looked worried. "Do you have an estimated time until that damage is repaired?" the kunoichi asked. "I don't like the idea of the village so exposed."

"One to two weeks. Maybe sooner. It depends." Sarutobi replied. "I can't assign all our forces to that, rebuilding shops and houses it's important as well or our economy will collapse."

Danzō didn't look completely satisfied with the answer, but the other two elders did.

"What about Suna?" the bandaged man asked then.

"No words yet. I assume they are following the advice my son gave them: looking for their late leader. They will have no choice but to surrender, although they will likely blame Orochimaru."

"We should take this chance to completely destroy them."

Sarutobi frowned. "We haven't enough men to hold Suna and defend Konoha. I prefer to let the Sand surrender and take care of my own village."

"I know that." Danzō replied. "But we hold their Jinchūriki prisoner. We can demand anything from them... effectively destroying them without a true military attack. That would be an effective demonstration of our power, intimidating other villages as well."

"It would also risk to get the Wind Daymō to attack Hi no Kuni. Nobody would want that." Jiraiya said, crossing his arm. He was standing behind his sensei's chair, towering on all the presents with his height. "While it's true we received several missions from the Land of Wind lately, they wouldn't like us destroying their ninja village, unless they specifically asked it."

"The same way our Daymō didn't like them invading us." Danzō observed. "I am sure he would support us if we decided to take countermeasures."

"But Suna will blame it on Orochimaru." Sarutobi said. "It is undeniable he took on the appearance of the Kazekage, possibly it was him that ordered the ultimate attack."

"Excuses. If we let this go, Suna will betray us again."

"I won't start a war!" Sarutobi shouted. "And I won't indiscriminately destroy an entire village, because they fell into the manipulation of Orochimaru!"

"You are weak, Sarutobi." Danzō replied without showing emotions. "You'll lead the village to its downfall."

"I am still the Hokage, Danzō." Hiruzen hissed. "I will lead the peace talks as I'll like. If you don't agree, you'll have the chance to show it once the Great Konoha Council is summoned."

"Oh, and when you exactly plan to do that?" the bandaged man asked, derisively.

"As soon as things cool down." Sarutobi puffed smoke out. "I will keep my word, Danzō, so don't worry. Now, the next matter we need to discuss is... promotions."

"I wouldn't normally agree on so many of them." Homura said. "But given the circumstances and their action in the face of war, I approve."

Koharu nodded at his side. "Yes. So many new chūnin, especially coming from a rookie class, will show Konoha strength."

"Why aren't you considering the Uchiha?" Danzō asked. "As the last heir of his clan..."

"Don't you dare!" Hiruzen leaped on his feet. "Don't test my patience too much, old friend. Sasuke-kun isn't emotionally ready to become a chūnin. I won't allow it. Something else?"

Homura and Koharu looked at each other. "What about the Nine Tails?" the woman asked in the end. "What do you plan do to with its Jinchūriki?"

"His name is Naruto." Jiraiya spoke again and his voice sent chills into the three men back. The Sannin was the most ninja in the village and was impulsive enough to attack them if angered. "And he is my apprentice. So watch your mouth."

"You are allowing the boy too much freedom." Danzō hissed. "He is becoming a danger for the village, not knowing where his place is."

"He stopped Shukaku." Jiraiya replied. "The One Tail would have enough to destroy the village, together with Orochimaru's summon – both the snakes and the revived kage."

"Jiraiya will take care of Naruto-kun. Don't worry about it, Danzō." Sarutobi replied. "And if it isn't clear, I am still the Hokage. My word is final."

"Careful, Hiruzen..." the bandaged man replied.

"Or...?" the Sandaime challenged. "As I thought. The conversation is over." he said, going through handseals to release the privacy seals of his office.

Danzō obviously was seething at being dismissed so easily, but didn't show it. Koharu and Homura sighed a little. Jiraiya smirked. And then the window of the office shot open.

"It was about time, jiji!" a voice shouted. "I've been waiting for ages, dattebayo."

In the meantime, somewhere in Hi no Kuni (Fire Country)

"We should have already reached Konoha by now..." a huge, blue skinned man said. He wore a long black tunic decorated with red clouds. "Any reason for all this caution?"

"Yes." The other man, quite smaller than the first, had black hair and two startling red eyes where three swirling tomoes rotated. "There are two, if not more, S-rank shinobi there who could defeat us, especially if working together. We can't afford to be detected."

"That is what your job is, isn't it, Itachi-san?" the blue skinned man replied, smirking. He showed some shark-like teeth in the process.

"It is." Itachi Uchiha closed his eyes and fixed the large conical hat he had on. A couple of bells tingled as a result. "Which is why you should follow the pace I set, Kisame."

"All right, I will." the shark-like man said, raising a colossal sword from the ground and placing it over his shoulder. "how long since we actually arrive there?"

Itachi sighed. "ANBU patrols are constantly passing in the area next to the village. The Sandaime would probably have them cover an area of two of three miles radius. We'll need extra caution."

Kisame looked annoyed. "So?"

"A while. I can't say. Tomorrow we'll definitely get there." Itachi replied. "Now let's go."

Kisame nodded and followed suit. "How are you feeling? It has been a while since you saw your home village, after all."

Itachi Uchiha didn't answer. "Keep walking, Kisame. In silence if possible."

The blue skimmed man shook his head. 'This is affecting him more than he would want to ever admit. He actually sounds a little annoyed.'

The two partners kept going, getting closer and closer to the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Strange clouds would pass over Konoha the next day.

REVIEW ANSWERS

Guest: thank you for reviewing. Hope the rest of the story doesn't disappoint you!

Clearhorse: I was aware chapter 12 through 18 still had the old formatting for speech. Now it's been changed.

Skeleus: thank you so much for your review. I am glad you liked the chapter =) Hope this one wasn't too bad.

DarkNamikaze: thank you a lot for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter as well.

Undeen: thank you so much for reviewing. Thanks again for the edits. I hope you liked how I started to implement some of the "politics" ideas we discussed.

Guest:thank you for reviewing. I never realised that was such a problem, anyway I changed the chapters now, so I hope it's better.

mg4of6: thank you so much for your review. I am glad you liked!

NeitherSaneNorInsane: thank you so much for reviewing! =) Now, it's a good relief to know the part about Edo Tensei worked, I was worried about that. About humour, thanks (btw I have this scene stuck in my idea of a stoic Gaara calling Kankurō "makeup-chan" and Kankurō being too terrified to even answer him. I keep laughing because of this.) Yes, Danzō's arrival was the start of AU. This chapter is setting things up for AU-ness to ensue, actually!

Anarchy in Dark Places: thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter as well. =)

Molly Grace: thank you a lot for your review. Yep, the part about Gaara will be actually next chapter... this one just became massively long on its own and I decided to spit it in two. XD Bringing Danzō into the scene had some unexpected consequence. =) I hope you liked the chapter.

Strife666: thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you liked last chap and hope this one is good as well.

DarkFlareX: thank you for reviewing! Well, you make a good point... but Danzō losing control was just a tribute to Jiraiya. In my story these two hate each other, so the Sannin does everything in his power to annoy Danzō – and I let him succeed because I've a soft spot for him. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! =)

ExecutionerKain: thank you so much for reviewing! Yes, Tsunade should pop and say hello soon. I think. Yes, I am in college, even though I believe the experience is much less demanding here in Italy than it is in the States. I am not required to attend lessons, for instance. And writing just happens to me, I guess. I am glad you liked the title. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

CHAPTER NOTES:

Well, I'll try to keep this short.

The title of course refers to all the plotting in the chapter. Sarutobi and Jiraiya, Danzō and the Elders, Orochimaru and Kabuto, Kisame and Itachi. Of course, we also have Akimi and Naruto plotting to talk with Kyūbi and successfully answering some of the mysteries of Naruto's past.

First thing, I really need to know if the plotting between the old cronies, so to call them, is somehow clear. Overall, I mean. I did try to make things vague on purpose at times.

Which remind me, what Hiruzen says: "People tend to believe the strangest things because they want them to be true, or are afraid they are true." is a citation from Wizard's first rule, from the Sword of Truth Series. Amazing read.

Second thing, Kyūbi... how was the second meeting between Naruto and its tenant? I hope I didn't make Kurama too OOC.

Last thing, is the talk about seals at the beginning confusing? It's just that when Akimi and Naruto start talking about it, they just don't seem to stop. XD

Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading! Until next time.

PS. I am closing the poll about Rasengan tomorrow. So last voters... it's your chance.