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.

Hi! So I am still alive. I am so shamefully late there is no excuse for it. I had problems with my university careers and I couldn't seem to find a way to write down the start of this contort political struggle I planned. I hope the end result – which is finally here – isn't too bad.

I apologize deeply for the deadly and I thank you for your patience and your constant support. I've reached almost 300 reviews, which blows my mind. I also got more than 350 alerts and 340 favourites which also blows my mind. Ultimately it was your support that prompted me to finally start writing again. I will be thankful if you'll bear with me and this new chapter despite the tremendous delay. THANK YOU FOR READING! Love you all, both old and new readers.

I hope you enjoy:

SECRETS AND REVELATIONS

"I am going to take you two out of the village." Jiraiya smirked, anxious to see the reaction of his apprentices. "On a training trip..."

Akimi and Naruto looked at each other, still half embraced. There was silence. Then, the blonde hinted a smile, but didn't start to jump like Sarutobi and Jiraiya had hoped.

The girl folded her arms. "Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you two are awesome and I want very badly to train you and..." Jiraiya replied. His voice faltered a little in the end so that his statement sounded more like a question.

The two kids realised it at once.

Akimi scoffed a little. "Listen, this is very endearing, but—"

Naruto interrupted her. "We are flattered all right..." He muttered, with gritted teeth, letting Akimi go. His voice became darker. "But I am tired to being lied to!"

Akimi covered her eyes. 'That was so not the right time to be mysterious. 'to-kun is a little too stressed right now.' She tried to calm him down, sending several comforting pulses of chakra to the Loyalty Seal. It didn't work that well, because his shoulders were still tense.

"Naruto-kun," the Sandaime said, "I..."

"Don't even try, Hokage-sama!" the boy snarled, interrupting him. "Why the hell do you want us out of the village? We just became chūnin and you need manpower now and I can use my clones to help rebuilding! And Ero-sennin is a bloody S-rank shinobi whose simple presence here strengthens the village. Then why-the-hell-do-you-want-us-out-of-the-village?"

There was a small disruption in his chakra, spreading out an unnatural pressure in the air. Killing intent: very strong... and Naruto wasn't even aware of it. Hiruzen frowned and Jiraiya tensed as well, readying for action.

Then Akimi yanked him back. Naruto saw a warning light in her eyes, right before she hugged him. Just like when the gentle caress of her chakra had stopped Kyūbi's chakra from corrupting him, his anger faded. It didn't disappear, mind you, but it was subdued. He closed his eyes and held her close. He was panting. 'What has gotten into me?' he wondered.

"What just happened?" Hiruzen asked, mirroring his thoughts.

"It has been a couple of tense days." Akimi flatly replied. "We are on edge."

The Hokage frowned. "That isn't an acceptable answer."

Akimi didn't bulge. "Neither was yours."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, then narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, let's stop this nonsense, sensei." Jiraiya exclaimed, as the old man was about to open his mouth. "The kid deserves to know and he has proven himself sensible... at times."

"So be it." Hiruzen conceded, breathing in a very large intake of smoke.

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his face a stone mask. "You are in danger, Naruto."

Naruto froze in shock and paled, looking at Akimi as if asking for help. She was horrified. Their mind immediately went to what Kyūbi had revealed. He tightened his grip around her.

"It's the fox, isn't it?" Naruto darkly murmured.

"There are many out there who desire the power Kyūbi can grant them." Hiruzen softly explained, before his voice hardened in a determined reassurance. "But we aren't going to let them get to you, Naruto-kun."

"I thought it was supposed to be a military secret." Akimi observed. "How did the information leak? Unless..." her eyes widened.

Naruto gasped as well, then clenched his fists. "Bloody bastard!"

"You lost us again." Jiraiya said, crossing his arms. "What has gotten into you?"

Naruto steps back. "I..." he started, scratching his head.

"You better come clean, you two!" Sarutobi exclaimed, with his 'I am Shinobi no Kami' voice. "Right now."

Akimi looked up at him. "Negotiation." she said through the Loyalty Seal.

Naruto nodded, kissed her forehead and let her go. It was time to let the older men into some of their secrets, then. In a way, he was happy about it. He turned his attention towards them. "Listen, I've the uttermost respect for you two, even though I call you jiji and Ero-sennin." he said, breathing slowly to calm himself down. "But I don't fully trust you."

Yes, it felt liberating to finally get it out.

"What?" Jiraiya asked, stepping back. He looked quite upset. "Why...?"

Hiruzen massaged his temples. "I thought we went through this already." he murmured. "You know why I didn't tell you about the fox."

"Yes, yes... I do." Naruto took a deep breath. "But I don't understand why you won't tell me about everything else."

"Everything else?" Sarutobi asked, puzzled. "I am not sure what you mean."

"You are the Professor, aren't you?" Naruto spat. "Figure it out."

Hiruzen frowned. 'When did Naruto became so bitter...? Or has he always been this way and hidden it with his happy smile and childish behaviour?'

"Naruto-kun." Akimi softly said.

The boy frowned and nodded. "Yes, you are right, 'mi-chan."

"Damn it, I wish I knew how you were doing that!" Jiraiya whined then. "But above all, you two are behaving even more strangely than usual. What the hell is going on, uh?"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, looking intently at Naruto's appearance. His gaze stopped on his right shoulder. 'When I gave him his first orange jumpsuit, I made sure to include the symbol of his clan so he could honour his mother without knowing. Yet he has put it on all his new clothes as well. I thought it was because he liked it, but... ?' he looked over to the boy's left shoulder. The Enkounkin golden flame was there. Gasping in surprised shock, he quickly turned to examine Akimi and... sure enough the same symbols were there, just swapped. It was an ancient custom of closely allied clans to display each other insignias in such a way. 'Each other insignias... he knows. Damn it!'

"You know we can't tell you that, Ero-sennin." Naruto exclaimed. "It's a secret."

"You two are so mean." Jiraiya complained in a childish tone. He frowned. "And you are also avoiding my question..."

"How long have you known?" Hiruzen whispered.

"Known what?" the Sannin asked, looking from the old man to the two young shinobi back and forth. He was starting to feel quite confused. He didn't like it.

The Sandaime took pity on him.

"Look at his right shoulder." Jiraiya did so. "Now, please look over Akimi's left shoulder. What do you see?"

"Holy shit!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Brat, why didn't you say anything...?"

"The same question was on my mind." Naruto replied, with a cold voice. "And for your information, Hokage-sama, I've known for several years."

"How...?" Hiruzen was speechless. "Nobody talks about it anymore. There aren't books about it either."

"Jiraiya-sensei did mention Uzushiokagure the other day." Akimi observed. "But it wasn't that big of a surprise anyway..."

"We got it. You know about it." Hiruzen replied, far from amused. "But it's how I want to kn... of course, how did I not realise this?" he sighed deeply. "I am really getting too old...!"

Jiraiya crossed his arms, frowning. "Sensei, you lost me again."

"The Enkounkin where wanderers always in search of new knowledge. It makes sense they knew about Uzushiokagure... and it's very likely they were friendly with the village."

"A shared love for Fūinjutsu brought our clans close." Akimi solemnly proclaimed. "Naruto-kun and I aren't the first to have sealed such an allegiance."

"So Akimi told you at the very beginning, didn't she?" Sarutobi asked, looking suddenly very, very old. "I would have expected you to say something about it sooner..."

Naruto pointed at his girlfriend. "She is paranoid."

Hiruzen turned to Akimi, a certain degree of hurt on his face. 'Is there someone this girl truly trusts?' he thought, his eyes passing briefly over her hand, intertwined with Naruto's. 'Besides him, of course.'

Akimi held the Hokage's gaze without breaking her cold expression. "I like my secrets." she murmured, quite stubbornly.

"It's just the way she is." Naruto chuckled. "You shouldn't be too shocked. Besides, she does care, wouldn't you say?"

Hiruzen sighed, thinking back about his fight with Orochimaru. He wouldn't forget Akimi's determination to save him anytime soon. "Yes, I would." he smiled. "I think I understand where you are coming from... and as the head of a ninja village I am quite secretive myself."

"I think any goodshinobi likes to keep some mystery around themselves. It's both necessary and fun." Jiraiya quipped with a small smirk. "But right now we have a chance to come clean with each other, what do you say?"

Akimi lifted the corners of her lips. "Yondaime's privacy seals are very powerful, after all."

The air became suddenly more breathable.

"So tell us," Hiruzen breathed another intake of smoke, more relaxed, "what do you know about the Uzumaki clan exactly?"

"I have a chest full of scrolls." Naruto said. "So I know enough about its history and a lot about its Fūinjutsu style too."

"Well, that does explain how you two broke down Naruto's seal. It's still quite impressive, but a lot easier to believe." Jiraiya exclaimed. "You found the design for the Four Pointed Seal, didn't you?"

"Yes, that's how we figured out that my seal was nothing but a gigantic chakra storage space." Naruto nodded. "We put two and two together since my birthday is..." he stopped, his face darkening. He didn't even realise that his iridises flashed red for a quick second.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes again and looked ready to ask what was sure to be a very compromising question, when Akimi hastily picked up the tale, her voice steady and serene. A little too forcefully serene, the Hokage noted. What were those two up to now?

"I had the idea to check the Uzumaki chest because his seal looks awfully like the spiral symbol of the clan, the timing was quite fortunate..." she squeezed Naruto's hand forcefully and the boy barely contained a low menacing growl. "... because everyone is talking about Kyūbi at the beginning of October, so we figured it all out. Graduation was shortly after, so we didn't have much time to dwell on it, didn't we, 'to-kun?"

Hiruzen sighed. They were definitely hiding something. Something to do with Kyūbi, he would wager, if Naruto's display of killer intent was any indication. He didn't like this, at all... with Akatsuki on the move, he couldn't allow the kids to have such a secret. He would have to force it out, one way or another.

Sighing, the Hokage let out a puff of smoke. "But you have had reason and time to dwell on it later on, am I right?" he pensively mused. "You released Kyūbi's chakra in Nami and in the Forest of Death and learned to freely use it during your training for the Chūnin Exam..."

Akimi cringed silently. Sarutobi had seen right through their deception, she should have known they couldn't fool someone as wise and smart as the old monkey. She could still do some damage control, though. But before she could think of a suitable diversion, the Sandaime spoke again.

"You have come to terms with it, haven't you, Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen finished, casually.

The question seemed innocent enough, but Naruto had been pissed ever since his last chat with the fox. The nonchalant tone the Sandaime used set him off once again. Akimi wanted to face palm herself, desperately wishing she could speak privately with her boyfriend.

"Do you really think it's something you just come to terms with?" Naruto thundered and his eyes flashed red once again, for a longer time. "You can't even imagine what it's like to deal with having a fucking demon inside your belly every dam minute of every damn day!"

Naruto took a step forward, fury clouding his mind and tainting his chakra. Hiruzen and Jiraiya exchanged a worried glance.

"Kyūbi killed countless people and destroyed entire nations...! That's what kind of evil lies inside of me!" Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, baring two fangs that looked more animalistic than human. "But I've come to terms with it, of course I did! I had no choice after all. I've even accepted that most of my fellow villagers just see me as the fox. What I cannot accept is..."

The boy started to heave, his whole body trembling with unadulterated wrath. You could see the tension ooze off in waves from him, like he was struggling to control himself and failing miserably in the process.

The Gama Sennin prepared himself to knock his apprentice out, unable to understand what was going on. Naruto used Kyūbi's chakra during the invasion yes, but he had looked fine immediately afterwards. What happened to suddenly make him so easily swayed by the fox's pull?

The same puzzlement could be seen on Akimi's face. She had known Naruto had been very upset ever since learning the truth about his mother's death. Probably he was even feeling guilty, although he actually had no part in it, being just a newborn and all, so she figured it was easy to just be angry. It was good, after all, it would fuel his determination to train and become powerful enough to defeat the true monster behind the whole story. But why was he so angry with Sarutobi-sama and Jiraiya-sensei? Clearly, she needed to talk to him right now, even though they had an audience. The conversation would not finish well either way... and she had to chose the lesser evil.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to stand between him and the older men. "What's going on?"

The blonde stopped, looking bewildered. Even in his strange, altered state he found difficult to be angry at Akimi, at least not without reason. Why was he angry again? Then he remembered.

He growled deeply. "They are messing with us again, 'mi-chan! Always mysterious and everything. I can't keep up with this..."

"So what?" Akimi hinted a smile, trying to calm him down. "We have secrets as well, 'to-kun. Besides, I thought we agreed Hokage-sama probably has his good reason to be secretive, right? Why are you so angry?"

Naruto didn't know how to answer. That made him even more furious... it was a vicious circle. "It doesn't matter." he exclaimed with a contorted smirk. "I am just sick to be always made a fool of."

"You know this isn't the real reason." Akimi shook her head gently. "This isn't you, Naruto. Jiraiya-sensei and Sarutobi-sama aren't the enemy, you should take heart to remember that."

"Shut up!" roared Naruto, menacingly. "You don't know a thing! You don't what it's like..."

"I do know you though." Akimi whispered, raising an arm to touch his right shoulder. Her palm landed right over the Loyalty Seal and she sent chakra into it through that direct connection. "You need to let this anger go, 'to-kun. Or are you going to release Kyūbi after all? Are you going to attack Sarutobi-sama and Jiraiya-sensei, Naruto? Are you going to attack me? Do you want to..."

"Stop it!" Naruto shouted back, holding his head as if in pain. "I won't." he answered, his voice resolute and serene. He was still breathing heavily, but the malevolent killing intent of the fox disappeared.

"What did just happen?" Hiruzen asked, standing up. He slowly walked to flank Jiraiya, facing the two recently promoted chūnin.

Naruto looked confused. Akimi sighed.

"Can you just give us a moment, please?" the girl replied. She didn't wait for an answer, her focus solely on Naruto. She cupped his cheek with a hand and stared into his eyes. "What are you so angry at, 'to-kun?" she murmured softly.

Naruto lowered his eyes. "Everything." he answered.

Sarutobi and Jiraiya gasped. Akimi nodded softly and her expression invited him to continue and elaborate. "Let it out."

"Kyūbi." Naruto said aloud, rasping. The rest he couldn't bring himself to voice, so he used the Loyalty Seal which was still pulsing warmly where Akimi's hand was resting. 'The one who killed my mother... and who probably is hunting me down right now... I am so angry at him. What if they attack Konoha again...? I can't...' Naruto wanted to cry his eyes out because it was so unfair and to smash his fist against something because he was so bitter about it. For the first time he considered killing someone without feeling regret.

'Kyūbi can sway you more easily if you hold on this bitterness. Sarutobi-sama was right. You have to come to terms with this. I know it won't be easy.' Akimi saw the shadow of something dark in his eyes. She knew he was thinking about revenge. And Konoha had enough of one avenger. 'Do not let revenge cloud your judgement. Think of Uchiha-san.'

Naruto shivered. Now, that was a scary prospective. He couldn't let that happen. He sighed. 'We have to tell them. They can help. No more secrets.'

Akimi cringed. There was going to be some serious scolding in their future. Her ears hurt at the mere thought of it. "We do." she said aloud. "So, should I start or do you want the honour?"

Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. It's the same."

"We are still here, you know." Jiraiya whined. "You could have some consideration for us."

Hiruzen's vast patient was running low as well. "Start talking you two, now! Since when does the fox's chakra leak so easily? Did it happen during the invasion?"

"No." Naruto swallowed and braced himself. "It happened just afterwards. I spoke with Kyūbi again."

"You did WHAT?" the Hokage thundered, sputtering all around. "Are you out of your freaking mind?"

Meanwhile, Hyūga Clan Compound, Main House Resident

Hinata Hyūga felt she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She wasn't like her younger, but bright sister. According to her father and most of the clan elders she was too weak to be the worthy successor of the mighty Hyūga clan. Hinata doubted she could even make it past graduation the next fall.

But young Hinata had a resilient spirit, much more resilient that even anyone – especially her – could even fathom. A weaker spirit would have broken already. What Hinata needed was hope and she had finally found it.

Although she was a year younger that the new rookies, she had always noticed the bright orange blur that was Uzumaki Naruto. The boy's stubbornness had amazed and inspired her... perhaps she even had a small crush on him, she wasn't sure, besides she didn't see him that much. She had known Naruto struggled during the Academy, yet he performed greatly at the Chūnin Exams, ultimately earning a promotion. Her admiration grew exponentially while watching Naruto's fight with Neji, who was extremely talented.

Her father probably thought Neji should be the clan heir, if only he belonged to the Main House. No matter: he had chosen her sister Hanabi over her, such a failure she was in his eyes. Her gentle nature and her kindness caused her to struggle while learning how to fight. The constant pressure her father and the Elder Council exerted on her made her become unsure and shy. She couldn't maintain her Byakugan activated for more than few seconds, after all, and that made everyone think she was basically useless.

Hinata was beginning to convince herself it was indeed true, when she saw Naruto soundly defeat Neji during the finals. Her cousin, whose own talent had made Hiashi Hyūga himself gasp several times, had been beaten by a so called dobe. Naruto's words after his victory were carried by the wind in the spectator's booth and had shaken her to the core.

"Stop complaining about fate and saying it can't be changed! Fight it!"

That was the moment Hinata decided she wasn't going to give up. That was the reason she was still training, alone, even though it was almost past sunset. She didn't delude herself that her effort would impress her father, although Hiashi had seemingly been shaken by what happened during Neji's fight. Hinata was trying to keep her Byakugan activated, to no avail. Several members of the Main House, including a couple of Elders, had passed by looking at her with barely hidden disdain. She hadn't seen her father yet, though. She hoped she may be able to be successful before he arrived for his evening tea. In fact, the training ground she was using was just outside his favourite tea-house.

Hinata held her hands out in the Snake Seal, with the right index finger lifted straight up. "Byakugan!" she murmured, firmly but quietly.

The veins around her eyes bulged out and she was granted the powerful sight her kekkai genkai granted. As always, she felt a little dizzy as the sensation and information bombarded her brain. She narrowed her focus and observed what was happening inside the main house, training how to see through walls, objects and physical obstacles.

She was startled when she saw a somehow scary old man walk besides her father. Half of the man's body was bandaged and he wore a deep scowl on the visible part of his face. He was walking with the aid of a cane, seemingly struggling with each step. Despite his frail appearance, Hinata sensed her father's guest was a dangerous and powerful ninja. Hiashi himself looked even more annoyed than he usually was when dealing with his disappointing daughter.

"Thank you for seeing me, Hyūga-dono." the man said with slow and deliberate words.

Hinata could follow the conversation between the two through lip-reading.

"It is always an honour, Honourable Elder." Hiashi replied with a nod. He looked very stiff despite the politeness of his answer. "Your efforts in helping the Clan defend the Byakugan are not going to be forgotten."

"I was certain of it." the mysterious man nodded. "I do hope your daughter is well."

Hiashi barely restrained a frown. "Her health is impeccable." he evenly commented.

With a moan, Hinata was forced to release the Byakugan. She probably had kept it up for longer than she ever managed before, but she was panting from the strain. She sat down, trying to regulate her breath. It wasn't long until she could hear Hiashi's steps and the rhythmic thud of his guest's staff. Hinata looked up to see them enter the small training area.

The two men stopped to look at her.

"I see what you mean, Hyūga-dono." the bandaged man observed, blankly. Yet Hinata could detect the mockery in that comment.

If Hiashi noted it, he did not show it nor was he disturbed by the fact. "Indeed, Danzō-dono. Do not worry about my daughter, she won't be able to listen to our conversation." he replied quietly. "Please, follow me. We shall have privacy in my tea-house. I was about to take my evening tea anyway. I'll be privileged to share it with you."

Hinata watched them enter the small white house, feeling both dejected and defiant. Her father had shown once again how little he thought of her. She normally wouldn't even think of spying someone, she was far too much respectful and kind for that, Hinata wanted to prove to herself she was capable.

With a determined smile, Hinata turned to the tea-house. "Byakugan!"

Back in the Hokage's Office

"What possessed you to do something like that?" Hiruzen was besides himself from rage. He had never been so disappointed in the young boy he cared for as much as he did for Konohamaru. "Do you realise what could have happened if Kyūbi broke out from the seal? How could you two be so irresponsible?"

Akimi closed her eyes, cringing. She had never seen the Hokage so altered, perhaps not even while he was fighting Orochimaru.

"I..." Naruto tried to say, but was interrupted.

"You two aren't invincible. Kyūbi is a damn demon! A thousand years old demon. A very smart thousand years old demon." Jiraiya spoke lowly. His voice was deeper than usual but he wasn't screaming. Despite this, there was no trace of his usual cheerfulness and that made clear how serious he was about the matter at hand. "You risked a lot talking with him unsupervised, gaki. Are two that overconfident in your own abilities? Have you two learned nothing?"

"We thought about it!" Akimi protested. "It was a calculated risk."

"Don't say a word more, Akimi!" Hiruzen boomed. "This is even worse than learning you two had been using Kage Bunshin for years... this time you didn't just endanger yourself, but you put the entire village in peril too. I can't tolerate this. I am afraid I will..."

"SHUT UP!" roared Naruto. They all looked at him in earnest, trying to discern whether Kyūbi was influencing him again. His eyes were crystal blue. "We both were and are willing to die for Konoha. We fought against a released Shukaku for this village, how dare you say that we don't care?"

"Because your actions clearly show me you two are reckless! You didn't think and that's as good as say you are uncaring about Konoha." Hiruzen was breathing heavily, his words harsh and unforgiving. "Why didn't you talk with us before doing something like this?! If Kyūbi had broken out..."

"It didn't!" Akimi exclaimed. "The seal it's still strong. Nothing happened. Do you think Naruto-kun wants Kyūbi free? You are the one out of your mind! Are you insinuating we wanted to conspire with the fox or something? We had reasons you know."

"Let's hear about them then!" Hiruzen sarcastically exclaimed. "I am curious to know what could have possibly justified doing something this stupid!"

"Because I felt that it was what I had to do." Naruto shouted, stepping forward. "My gut told me that the fox held very important information, especially in the light of the invasion... And I was right."

Despite is worried fuelled rage, Hiruzen saw the determined shine in Naruto's eyes. He remembered seeing that fire before, in a man with the same unruly blonde hair the boy had. "What information?" he asked, frowning.

Naruto made to speak, but he honestly didn't know where to start. "Did you tell me everything you know about Kyūbi's attack the day of my birthday?"

The Hokage mentally started to sweat. "What did Kyūbi tell you?" he shot back.

"Right, we need to stop doing this." Jiraiya said, a little freaked out. "Gaki, we are on your side. No need to play though with us. Just tell us and we'll figure something out."

"Are you?" Akimi quietly asked. "On our side?"

"Of course." Jiraiya smiled gently. "I am not really sentimental, but I can tell you that after the Fourth died I thought I wouldn't take another student again, let alone two, and that in the remote possibility I would, I wouldn't have done so happily. I am glad to be your teacher, kids. Although your stints will make me age more quickly."

"You already are old, Ero-sennin." Naruto smirked. He saw Akimi's shoulders relax. She trusted the Sannin, then. It was good enough for him. He briefly glanced at the old man Hokage, who was still breathing heavily: he was hurt about the harsh words he had thrown at them, but knew it was provoked. Sarutobi really looked old right now, as if he were carrying too many burdens.

"Very funny, Naruto." Jiraiya replied, with mock indignation. "Tell me, gaki, why did you want to talk with Kyūbi?"

"I'll tell you, I swear." Naruto replied, feeling exhausted. "But please answer my question as well: do you know why Kyūbi attacked us? I mean, I actually never wondered about that until very recently, I always supposed it was random. You know, scary evil demon wandering the world, stumbling across Konoha and attacking us. But it wasn't, was it not?"

Hiruzen took a deep breath. "It wasn't." he solemnly confirmed. "Naruto, truly, I am not sure what really happened that terrible night, but Kyūbi... Kyūbi in a way was already in the village."

Naruto nodded. "Within the former Jinchūriki that held the fox prisoner." he murmured, staring blankly ahead of him. A tear appeared in the corner of his eye. "My mother. Uzumaki Kushina."

Hiruzen had expected the duo had guessed the truth, but that they even knew the exact name of Kushina surprised him. "Yes." he replied as quietly. "I am sorry, Naruto-kun."

"Someone killed my mother to release and control Kyūbi." Naruto murmured miserably, looking down at his shoes. "And now they are after me again and I am placing in danger the people I love."

Hiruzen frowned. "Did the fox tell you that?"

"Not exactly. Kyūbi leaked some information out, the first time I talked with it. I am not sure if it was voluntary or if it slipped out because I made it angry." Naruto explained. "I knew Kyūbi hadn't attacked Konoha voluntarily and I also know I wasn't the first jailer."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jiraiya asked softly. "I was there."

"Would you have answered?" Akimi replied, her face blank. "Besides, we were busy thinking about the final and the possibility of an invasion."

Hiruzen sighed deeply. "Akimi, your paranoia is really bothersome sometimes, you know."

"Well, I can't help it." the girl shrugged. "You didn't say a word about the Uzumaki Clan to us, after all."

"I was going to." Hiruzen said. "You may not believe it now, but I was. The fact you are basically the last heir of Uzumaki is dangerous, I didn't think it would safe for you to know it until after you became chūnin."

"You thought I would brag around I had a family." Naruto deduced, as always surprising the old man with his insight. "But if you really wanted to protect me why did you gave me that name?"

Hiruzen sighed again. "Not many people still remembers the truth about the Uzumaki clan, so I decided to honour your mother and her sacrifice by using her name. She was a great kunoichi and her loss still pains me greatly – and that has nothing to do with the fact Kyūbi was released."

"What about my father?"

"I made a promise, Naruto." Hiruzen gravely explained. "I promised him I wouldn't say a word about him until you were a jōnin. For your safety."

"My safety? I am the last Uzumaki and I hold Kyūbi prisoner. I am not exactly safe as it is." Naruto complained. "And I proved to you I can keep a fucking secret, damn it."

"'to-kun. A promise is a promise. You of all people should understand it." Akimi placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Respect that. We just have to work hard to get another promotion and it's a done deal, right?"

"Right."

The boy looked exhausted and he leaned towards her, half hugging her small frame again. He was surprised she was willing to let the matter go so easily. It wasn't like her usual inquisitive, paranoid and curious self. But he was tired of arguing as well.

Akimi squeezed his hand in support. 'I believe Sarutobi-sama told us more than he wanted to do, saying that the identity of Naruto's father is secret for his own protection.' she mused. 'I must remember this.'

"All right, back on track." Jiraiya cheerfully said, grateful the tension hadn't escalated once again. "Gaki, why did you choose to talk with Kyūbi right after the invasion? First of all, you two were dead tired and second... you could have talked to us."

"We figured you would be extra-busy with the aftermath of the invasion." Naruto shrugged. "Which is precisely why I wanted to act immediately. The village is weakened and if the one who controlled Kyūbi thirteen years ago is still out there..."

"So you wanted to see if Kyūbi had information about them." Hiruzen smiled sincerely and tiredly. "It seems that indeed you held the good of the village at heart, despite the recklessness of your actions. You really carry the Will of Fire on."

Naruto shrugged. "Well, it didn't make that much of a difference, really. The fox didn't really talk, you know. But it looked scared... it mentioned that whoever controlled it had powerful eyes."

Sarutobi sighed. "Yeah, it makes sense." he closed his eyes. "Do not repeat this words to anyone else, children, not even your teammate."

The duo nodded.

"The highest levels of the Sharingan are rumoured to grant the power of controlling the Tailed Beast through genjutsu." revealed the Hokage.

"A member of the Uchiha did this?" Akimi asked, bewildered.

"No. No one in the clan did it. We investigated it prior to... the tragedy." Hiruzen clenched his fists. He was still furious with Danzō for the unfolding of the Uchiha massacre. "Maybe someone stole the Sharingan or there is a rogue out there other than Uchiha Itachi. Or another dōjutsu powerful enough to control the fox. Who knows."

"Did the fox say anything else?"

"It insulted my family." Naruto trembled with rage once again. Akimi quickly tightened her arm around him, sending chakra through the Loyalty Seal. "Short long story, we were able to deduce that only someone with a special chakra, an Uzumaki, could hold the fox. The rest was simple deduction... we knew Kushina was my mother already. Spotted the name both in the chest and on the Memorial Stone. My Uncle mentioned in his letter she was to help keep the world safe."

"Just like you are." Jiraiya smiled and stepped forward to ruffle his blonde hair. "She would be proud of you, gaki. Your personality is much like hers. She was as sunny, carefree and hot-headed as you are. You just don't have her red-hair."

"My mother had red hair?" Naruto whispered in awe.

Jiraiya nodded, his own eyes watering in remembrance of Kushina and Minato. "Yes. And her spirit was as fierce as her flame coloured hair. She had a very aggressive fighting style and used unique ninjutsu she became famous for. I believe you inherited that from her as well as your personality." he explained. "They called her the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero."

Hiruzen nodded and took a deep intake of smoke in. Seeing the pure joy in Naruto's eyes made his heart clench. He should have talked to him sooner... Naruto was mature enough to know about this at least. Another mistake to add on his already long list.

"It's all right, jiji." Naruto said. "I am not angry at you, not really. It was Kyūbi's influence. Just... tell me about her as well."

"She was a dear child and became a remarkable woman. My wife and her were very close." Hiruzen started his tale quietly, a wistful smile on his lips. "Kushina was one of the bravest kunoichi I ever met. I still remember the day I met her at the village's entrance. She was younger than you two are and she just had been forced to leave her whole family behind, to became the host of the most terrible of the tailed beasts... Yet, she smiled at me and looked eager and happy. She had a verbal tic, much like you do, Naruto-kun: she finished her sentences with dattebane. Eventually she grew out of it, but it still came out when she was flustered or excited."

Naruto laughed a little, despite the melancholy he was experiencing. "Yeah, I can image. Happens to me though."

Akimi giggled.

"Kushina struggled with ninjutsu in the beginning, but never gave up. Thus she became one of the most powerful kunoichi in the village." Hiruzen continued. "She had a very special chakra, which allowed her to both keep Kyūbi at bay and materialize chakra chains out of nothingness."

"Chakra chains?" Naruto repeated, excited. "That sounds awesomely cool, dattebayo!"

The other three laughed, glad to see him back to his carefree antics once again.

Akimi smiled brightly. "I know that look. You are thinking of creating a new technique."

"You bank on it. Something to honour my mother... and it sounds extremely useful on top of it!" Naruto threw a fist in the air. "You are up for it?"

"Absolutely." Akimi winked. "What did you expect?"

"I know!" Naruto smiled back. "Sounds like we have already something to look forward to during our training trip."

Jiraiya smiled. "I already had ideas, but we can incorporate this in our schedule. You do have all those handy Kage Bunshin to help, after all. I'll be happy to help you. I knew Kushina's fighting style well."

"You did?" Akimi asked, curious. "Was she your student as well?"

"No, but she was basically the only competent Fūinjutsu user in the village." Jiraiya explained. "If you don't count the Fourth, of course."

Akimi nodded. Fūinjutsu was the least used ninja art, so it would make sense that expert seal users would stick together. 'Stick together, mmm...'

"It seems we are almost set." Hiruzen observed with a relieved sigh. "You two are reacting with proper excitement to the news of your training trip. However, it seems we have an issue to straighten out yet. Kyūbi's influence on you, Naruto. That is dangerous. Especially considering there are individuals out there hunting the fox down."

Naruto lowered his head. "I know. I am not sure what happened. I've been angry since I discovered my mother was killed to release the fox. And I guess that the invasion, war, had a bigger impact on me that I thought. You add to that the fact that I learned I was being hunted down and that Akimi has to deal with that Kuroken fellow once again... I exploded."

Jiraiya scratched his head. "We'll have to examine your seal again, in detail, and work for a suppression seal to counteract the fox's chakra. It's a priority right now." he said. "Tell me, did Kyūbi's chakra leak while you were talking with it?"

The duo exchanged a worried glance, unsure on how to answer.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Well..."

Meanwhile, Hyūga Clan Compound – Tea House

Hiashi sat down, kneeling on his feet, and stared at his much undesired guest with an impassable stare. On the table in front of him the water warming up for tea started to hiss slightly. The sound was as disturbing as the hardened look on Danzō's face.

"You wonder why I've came." Danzō said, with a small smirk. He sat down as well. "I shall explain at once."

Hiashi nodded. "Good." he replied. "I am intrigued. You have been laying low for a while now, some almost began to wonder if had disappeared altogether. Your request for an audience was a complete surprise."

"What happened during the Third Exam was a shock for us all." Danzō said. "It is a clear sign that things must change in Konoha."

Hiashi looked pensive. "I am not sure what you mean, Honourable Elder."

"Orochimaru is a terrible threat to Konoha and once again my old friend Hiruzen has failed to deal with him. I fear his leadership is somehow lacking right now."

"Sarutobi-sama is still the Hokage." Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "You would do well to tread carefully while speaking about him."

"I apologise, Hyūga-dono." Danzō bowed his head slightly. "I meant no offence, but I know for certain that Hiruzen himself is considering stepping down from his position."

Hiashi restrained a sigh. "I am sure the Third will do what is best for the village, as he always did."

Danzō wanted to snort. "Indeed." he said. "I wonder what your thought would be about a change of leadership. A change of directions in the politics of this village. A more aggressive style, maybe, especially when dealing with traitors... like Suna."

"It is my understating that the Sand was manipulated by Orochimaru." Hiashi observed. "However, it is indeed a disturbing breach of our alliance."

"It is a chance to affirm our strength. We have to retaliate harshly against Suna. And again, I know Sarutobi doesn't intend to... he wants peace. He is probably going to lose time and effort in never ending talks and negotiations."

Hiashi nodded. "Our village was weakened a lot during the Invasion, a careful approach is not to discard at once and without thought. Hokage-sama's ideas hold a certain measure of wisdom."

Danzō smirked. "Of course you are right, Hyūga-dono. But I am sure you all of people know the danger of trusting people who have proved to be enemies. Not always peace talks finish well, right?"

Hiashi clenched his fingers. "Be careful, Danzō-dono."

"It was Hiruzen's weak leadership that ultimately caused your brother's death, Hyūga-dono. There is no use denying it."

"You shall not talk about this matter again, Danzō-dono." Hiashi exclaimed.

"The Honourable Elder is right, Hiashi." a voice interrupted.

Hiashi turned to the door, where a tall and distinguished nin stood. He obviously had the features of a Hyūga, long black hair and white-violet eyes. His face was stern and resolute. He bowed to the lord of the clan and his guest. "The Elders have sent me to greet our esteemed guest, Hiashi. I apologise if I interrupted, but I was certain that what Danzō-sama wanted was too important to ignore."

Hiashi swallowed his annoyance. "Please have a seat, Hitoshi. This time, I shall let this interruption go without consequences, but do not try my patience."

Hitoshi nodded stiffly and joined the two men at the table. The decisive hiss of the tea pot indicated the water was ready.

"Since you are here, you can make us tea, Hitoshi." Hiashi sternly ordered. "Please continue, Danzō-dono."

"Gladly, Hyūga-dono." Danzō watched as Hitoshi, who he knew was the most influent member of the Hyūga's clan elders, started to pour the boiling water into elegant porcelain cups. "With Orochimaru still out there, we are constantly in danger of a new attack. Using an iron fist with Suna shall demonstrate our still standing strength to the Elemental Nation. I am sure that the Fire Daymō will support us if we chose this venture."

"What do you mean we, Danzō-sama?" Hitoshi asked.

Danzō took the cup the man offered him and sipped his tea. "Ah, no sugar just as I prefer." he nodded in thanks. "It means exactly what you are probably thinking. I desire to take a more active role in the leadership of this village. When Hiruzen steps down..."

"... you want to ascend as Hokage yourself." Hiashi concluded for him. "And you want our support."

"I believe that an alliance would be mutually beneficial to both of us." Danzō replied. "Sarutobi has let Orochimaru escape unscratched once again, at least this time it was because he really couldn't keep up with his old apprentice."

"What are you insinuating?" Hitoshi asked, curious. "Are you saying that...?"

"I shall not tolerate such allegations in my house without proof." Hiashi frowned openly.

"I apologize." Danzō opened his hand in a sign of peace. "It was a slip of the tongue, I did not mean anything with it. However, you cannot deny that some of Hiruzen's choices lately have been... questionable. Take his leniency with the Nine-tails Jinchūriki for instance."

Hitoshi didn't hide his contempt for the argument. "Yes, I understand what you mean, Danzō-sama. The boy is out of control. It's unacceptable."

"Uzumaki Naruto is hot-headed, but his a good shinobi." Hiashi replied. "He defended us against Shukaku, after all."

"Nothing ANBU couldn't have handled." Danzō snorted. "The boy has no respect for this village and for authority. Don't you remember he promised, and I quote, to change the Hyūga clan for your nephew once he became Hokage? Do you think Hiruzen will take measure to punish his insolence? A clue: no, he adores the boy. I can't believe you would tolerate such an offence, Hyūga-dono."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists. "I suppose you would instead, Danzō-dono."

"Of course. Measures shall be taken to control and subdue the boy." Danzō reassured.

Hitoshi seemed pleased. "Good. What a nonsense. Our traditions are precious and are what have made us strong. Hiashi, you shouldn't let this pass."

"What I shouldn't do..." Hiashi replied, stone-faced, "... is make such an important decision like this on the spot. I need to think about it and discuss it with the whole Council, Hitoshi. Do not presume you can speak for me."

Hitoshi bowed his head. "I would not, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi nodded. "Very well." he turned to Danzō. "Your words have been listened and shall be remembered. I thank you for brining such matters to my attention."

"And I thank you for your time and for your excellent tea." Danzō raised and took his cane back. "I am sure the future shall bring many change for Konoha, while keeping some thing... unchanged. We agree on that. The Hyūga clan, as it is, shall always be the more powerful in Konoha and as such I will always hold your opinion high. I hope to hear from you very soon, Hiashi-dono."

Hiashi nodded. "Letting you wait would not be polite, Danzō-dono." he said. "I must think about this and I always think better when I drink my tea alone. Elder Hitoshi shall escort your outside."

"I am in excellent hands then." Danzō bowed his head in greetings. "Enjoy your tea, Hyūga-dono."

Hiashi nodded again and watched them go, letting out a deep sigh. He felt an headache coming.

What none of the three man had noticed, despite their powerful sights, was that a fourth person had listened to the conversation. From her place near the opposite end of the garden, Hinata Hyūga gasped with the knowledge of what she learned, before running away to think about what to do about it.

And this is why, no one should ever be underestimate, no matter how weak or useless they look.

Hokage's Office

"So, did the fox's chakra leak?" Hiruzen pressed.

"Yes, it did." Naruto confirmed. "But Akimi was able to stop it."

"Five Elements Seal?" guessed Hiruzen. "Your skills are really remarkable, Akimi."

"No, she just talked to me." Naruto explained, squeezing her hand. The two kids exchanged an affectionate gaze.

Hiruzen noticed just then that – for how improbable it sounded – they looked even closer than usual. It was uncanny. Jiraiya got an half perverted grin instead then frowned.

"She talked to you? How? Weren't you in your mindscape?"

Naruto shrugged. "We are very resourceful. We told you I didn't just talked to Kyūbi, we took precautions." he said. "Akimi drew as many protective seals she could think of around and put a chakra absorption seal merged with a suppression seal on my belly, she was also ready to use the Five Elements Seals as noted."

"Something still happened." Akimi sighed. "We were a little reckless, 'to-kun."

"We'll figure it out, 'mi-chan." Naruto squeezed her hand again. "You always calm me down, your influence is stronger than anything the bastard fox can do." 'Love you'

'Me too.'

"Wait, wait, wait..." Jiraiya was gaping. "Akimi was able to talk with you while you were in your mindscape? How...?"

"The same way we annoy you by talking silently with each other, sensei." Akimi smirked.

"A seal." Jiraiya mused. "A seal which allows you to communicate silently even while one of you it's in a mindscape? You must show—"

"It's private!" the both exclaimed.

"I am sorry but we really..." Akimi continued, hesitantly.

"We are not comfortable in showing that seal to anyone, not yet, perhaps not ever." Naruto explained resolutely, his voice serene. "Please drop it, sensei."

"You drew it with chakra and blood though? Perhaps some of..."

"Yes and yes. Please drop it now." Naruto answered, sharply, seeing Akimi's was tensing.

Jiraiya sighed. "All right. The fact remains, gaki, Kyūbi can sway you much easily now. We must work on your ability manage your anger. Meditation will help and I will seek council of two old allies of me, the Toad Elders. Although I doubt they would directly speak with you right now, I am sure they will help gladly."

Naruto's eyes shined. "Sugoi."

"So this training trip..." Akimi started, sitting down again. She was a little tired as well. "... you are taking us out of the village because someone is hunting down Naruto to get the fox. Since they actually know Naruto holds the fox, it means they are connected to the one behind the attack thirteen years ago. Any details you can tell us?"

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded. "It's a group of S-rank shinobi. Uchiha Itachi is one of them and Orochimaru was once a member. This to make you understand how powerful they are. They usually wear black robes with red clouds. Akatsuki it's the name, by the way. So if you see red clouds... run. Get me and I'll take care of it."

Naruto and Akimi looked at each other.

"Ok." Naruto nodded. "How are you explaining that Akimi is coming with me?"

"Really? You two are always together." Hiruzen smirked. "It would be suspicious for the general population if you left alone, Naruto, and everyone knows you are both Jiraiya's apprentices."

"What about a very specific part of the population?" Akimi asked, narrowing her eyes. "How are you explaining it to your political rivals, Sarutobi-sama?"

Hiruzen let out a heartfelt chuckle. "Your words confirms entirely the pretext I came up with." he replied, merrily. "Jiraiya feels it's time he starts to train his successor as a Spy Master."

"Me?" Akimi frowned. "I am just a gen... a chūnin."

"The sooner we start your training the better. Don't tell me you don't like the idea. You have the blood of a wanderer inside you, it's your clan tradition. And let's not start talking about your paranoia." Jiraiya chuckled as well. "You are perfect."

"He is right." Naruto smiled too.

"I like living in Konoha." Akimi mused. "But meeting your contacts sounds interesting. It does sound believable."

"About this political thing, can you tell us something?" Naruto asked. "I am worried. I do not like that Danzō at all."

"And figured out who it was in my office, uh?" Hiruzen said. "You two are really... resourceful."

"Shino helped." Akimi explained. "His father is savvy. You should contact him, he is going to be a powerful ally for you, Shino tells us that the Aburame don't like Shimura-san at all, because of Root recruiting so many from their family."

Hiruzen nodded. "You have a very political mind, Akimi. I already planned to ask Shibi to help, but knowing it is basically a done deal is reassuring. Team 7 is a force to be reckoned with, isn't it?"

Naruto smirked. "You bet on it."

Akimi scratched her head. Now, here there was something to think about.

"Danzō wants me step down as a Hokage and I agree. I am getting old." Hiruzen said, tiredly. "Orochimaru almost killed me and I fear that is the best for Konoha to get a new leader."

"Jiji!" Naruto protested. "You aren't that old."

"A new Hokage will strengthen the village." Sarutobi said. "Problem is, Danzō wants the position for himself. Now, it would be very... unfortunate if that happens."

"Things would change, especially for you, Naruto." Jiraiya explained. "For the worse. That old bastard would transform you in a mindless weapon."

"We don't want that to happen." Hiruzen restrained a soft growl. "I made promise to your mother and I will keep it, by ensuring your safety and happiness."

Akimi nodded. "Does this mean you'll become Godaime, Jiraiya-sensei."

"It's a strong possibility. It'll depend on the outcome of the training trip really." Hiruzen explained. "Let's just say that you will not only train. There is going be a mission too... an A rank mission."

"What about? What about?" Naruto started to shout, jumping around in excitement.

"I'll tell you once we are in the road, take it as an exercise in patience." Jiraiya smirked. "But know that is has to do with the strengthen of the village."

Akimi looked pensive. "Interesting. You got us intrigued, sensei. Is this payback for our own secrecy about our communication system?"

"You are smart, you'll figure it out." laughed the Sannin. "Now..."

"I can help you. I have a contact in the Great Council." Akimi casually said, studying her nails. "I am pretty sure they do not like Shimura-san at all, but I'll be sure to stress the importance of not helping him."

"You have a contact in the Great Council?" Hiruzen asked. "Who?"

"It's one of the Civilian Representatives." Akimi replied. "And really, I feel not comfortable telling who it is, at least without consulting them before."

"I don't know either." Naruto offered. "Don't take it personally."

"But how?" Sarutobi frowned. "No offense, but you were just a young genin before today... you don't just make a contact within the Great Council like that?"

"I did not. But I inherited my resourcefulness from my Grandfather. He set up this contact, I simply cultivated it once I arrived here."

Sarutobi nodded. "Ah smart old Katora. He always had a new trick up his sleeves. Damn him."

Akimi smiled sadly. "Yes he did."

"Well then it's settled. You may go, prepare yourself for a long trip. I'll come to your house soon so we can leave." Jiraiya said. "We will discuss diversion methods in your vault. Start thinking, you two are smart enough to come up with something I may not think of."

"About that." Akimi spoke up. "I have a quick question: who says that there is to be just one Spy Master?"

Hiruzen shrugged. "No one and we also have an ANBU division that patrols Hi no Kuni so..."

"So, why don't you prepare two successors, Jiraiya-sensei?"

"What do you mean?" the Sannin frowned.

"What I mean is, that I think Shino should come with us."

"Yep, that's a great idea." Naruto exclaimed.

Hiruzen sighed. "I am not sure I can grant your request, but please tell me your reasons."

"Right." Akimi nodded. "Here it is..."

REVIEW ANSWERS

Amberwish: thank you for reviewing. You know, I started this story exactly because I wanted to explore the ideas behind Fūinjutsu, so I get your meaning exactly. You reminded me of this and it helped find inspiration for this chapter. So thanks. I hope you liked this chapter

Tahari: thank you so much for reviewing. I hope you liked the chapter.

AkashimaUchiha: thank you so much for reviewing. I suppose the story was indeed on hiatus, but I hope I can keep writing steadily now. I hope you liked the chapter.

Rain-of-Jazz: thank you a lot for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Amidamaru88: thank you very much for reviewing. I suppose in a way I had lost inspiration, but right now I seem to have found it again. I hope to keep it up. I would like very much to hearing from you again. =)

kvothe08: thanks so much for reviewing. I am always happy when I get positive responses for Akimi's character in general. I know I used a little too much the word dattebayo last time, because I wanted to show how upset Naruto was. The issue will be addressed directly next chapter. Danzō will be fighting sneakily... he is taking a chance, especially when he'll fight directly against as someone as smart as Itachi Uchiha. The issue about Hiruzen keeping secrets has been central in this chapter and I have a whole sub-plot dedicated to the mystery surrounding Naruto's father. I hope you liked the chapter and sorry for the delay in posting it.

Guest: thank you so much for reviewing. I hope you liked the chapter.

heavydestro: thank you so much for your review. As you read, Naruto's heritage has been one of the focus of this chapter. I think that that Naruto and Akimi need to stick with Hiruzen and Sarutobi and not keep secrets just for the sake of it. More dots will be connected in the next chapters as well. I hope you liked this chapter.

chibianimefan26: thank you so much for your review. I think I almost blushed reading your compliments. XD I am sorry I was so late writing this new chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. (The bell test chapter was one of my favourite moment to write ever as well)

Coolestbee: thank you so much for reviewing. I am so sorry I was so late, but I really couldn't find inspiration to continue for a while. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Itachi is arriving soon, I promise.

Zeek: thank you for reviewing. I am sorry I was so late updating the story, but I had problems finding the right inspiration to write. I hope you liked the chapter.

DarkNamikaze: thank you for reviewing. Naruto will learn Fūinjutsu – he already knows it actually – but it will not become his specialty. Naruto will remain the ninjutsu junkie he is in canon. I think Akimi is balanced enough as a character and she considerably less strong than Naruto is and I am sorry you feel she is too powerful. I am not going to change the entire story now.

.HHR: thank you so much for reviewing. I am very happy to read your compliments. Making a character believable is one of the most important things I want to achieve as a writer, so your opinion was very welcome. I hope you liked the chapter (and sorry I was so late)

8BitNinjaFox: thank you so much for your review. I will try to find a beta very soon, at least I hope, and I am so glad you like the concept of the story. It was precisely because I wanted to explore Fūinjutsu that I started to write it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Nomad: thank you so much for reviewing. You aren't the first one to address the fact I used so much dattebayo last chapter. I've edited it and I am going to post the revised version soon. It was because I was trying to show he was upset, but I tried to limit it. I am so glad you liked my Team 7 and Akimi. I hope you liked this chapter as well.

Juliedoo: thank you so much for reviewing. I am very happy you liked the concept of this story so much. I am sorry I was so late posting this chapter. I hope you liked the role of Jiraiya here, I was surprised when he became the voice of reason in the screaming much between the kids and the Hokage, but somehow it fits.

Friaku: thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you liked the story and Akimi's chapter. It's always good to hear she is well liked. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story and how Naruto beat Neji. =)

ANON: thank you so much, you are so kind. I am not going to stop, I'll just be late time to time. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am pretty sure there will be a Shippūden version yes.

NATSUxERZA 123456: thank you so much for reviewing. I am sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. You are right, I actually did use dattebayo to much, it was because I wanted to show how much Naruto had been upset by the conversation with the fox. The issue has been addressed a little in this chapter and I will talk about it again next chapter. Thank you for pointing it out, I will post the edited version soon.

TheNotSoPedoBear: thank you so much for reviewing. I am sorry for being so late in posting this chapter but I hope you liked it all the same. Mmm, yes, even this smart Naruto will be quite scared by tenzo's jutsu. I always enjoy that kind of humor. Itachi won't threaten Danzō directly, I think, but he will play a part in the struggle against the old man, yes.

Skeleus: thank you so much for reviewing. I am sorry for being so late reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter as well. =)

Anarchy in Dark Places: thank you so much for reviewing. I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I hope you like this new chapter. I am glad you liked the ANBU HQ. Yes I know, I thought the same thing about the time skip... especially later when Naruto becomes stronger in such a short time learning wind manipulation. So they will definitely get very strong during the time-skip. I'd say at least jōnin level. About Sai... yes, I've plans for him. I am planning to have lots of fun writing Akimi and Sai talking. A little bit of bloodshed too, who knows ;)

ExecutionerKain: thanks you very much for reviewing. I am sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I hope you like it.

Strife666: thank you so much for reviewing. I am so sorry I was so late posting this new chapter and I hope you liked it.

Molly Grace 16: thank you so much for reviewing! I apologise again for my delay, I hope you liked the new chapter. Kankurō scared is so funny, isn't it? I am so glad someone gets my sense of humour! I am always afraid to write stupid scenes instead of funny ones XD. I am happy you like the "filling" parts. About Rasengan, we should start with the training next chapter or the one after that, if everything goes as planned. He will have an easier time, sure, but he will still struggle. Especially because I don't plan to have my Naruto, which is much more perfectionist of the canon one, be content with the shortcut of having a clone help. I am glad you like the politics, let me know what you think of the Danzō-Hyūga confrontation. More to come in the next chapters (including some Kakashi and Shibi in action)

CHAPTER NOTES:

Thank you so much for reading the chapter even though I was so monstrously late posting it. I am apologizing again and I am stressing how much your support and appreciation is important to me. YOU ARE GREAT! So thank you, my dear readers.

Now, about the chapter.

Naruto is struggling with Kyūbi's influence. That will be a bother with Akatsuki on the hunt. What did you think of his confrontation between the kids and Hokage? I hope it wasn't off or anything. It was difficult to convey the tension I wanted them to feel and writing an angry Hiruzen is quite more difficult than I thought. Everybody is very stressed right now, with invasions and politics and all that b******t!

What about my introduction of Hinata? I am not very familiar with her character, so I am not sure I was able to capture her personality well. And what do you think she will do next chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

And do you think Shino should go with Naruto and Akimi or not? I am actually pretty certain what the answer will be, but I am always open to hear your reasoning and thoughts about it. Maybe I'll change my mind.

I am once again sorry for the delay, but writing this political intrigue is really a bitch. I have some ideas on how to keep the thing going without making it too heavy, but I am in need of influential clans/ or jōnin to implement into the story. If you have an idea for a new clan or jōnin you'd like to share with me PM and I'll put it into the story with all due credit.

Thank you for reading the chapter and my note! I hope to post the new one soon and not, like, next year. Damn it, I am really terrible.

Best regards. Patty-AES