Author's Note: Welcome back readers to ABoaL!

Thank you all for being patient with me on these bi-monthly releases. The support means a lot.

This chapter is a bit unique; it ended up being so long that I had to split into two parts. It's the first time I have even done something like this, so let me know what you think.

As always, writing progress is available on my profile. Feel free to drop a review with your thoughts. I'm also reachable in the discord server - PM me for the link.

Thanks again and enjoy!

Chapter 48: Iustitia Praevalebit - Part 1

Tiger surveyed the damage, his expression hidden behind a mask. He dropped down to one knee and ran his gloved finger along the soot-covered floor and rolled the dark substance between his fingers. The layer settled on the scorched wood was thick enough that there was a sizable indent in the spot that he took from.

"The precision needed to contain the damage within this apartment despite such large amounts of charges used is quite high." Tiger spoke loud enough for his ANBU team to hear as they scoured the apartment for any useful evidence. "Why go through all this trouble to do such a thing? Did the people behind this want to limit casualties?"

"No…. I don't think that's it."

Tiger looked over his shoulder to see none other than Shikaku Nara standing over him. "Commander; I'm glad you could make it. My men are investigating the area meticulously."

"Glad is not a word I would use in this situation… I can't believe this could have happened." The Jonin Commander took a deep breath at the sight of what was left of the blond's apartment. "Where is Naruto? I was told that he managed to escape."

"Yes, sir." Bird confirmed, to which Shikaku then gave the new voice his full attention. "Once a report of the bombing reached us, we responded promptly and arrived on the scene in exactly three minutes and fifty-six seconds. According to witnesses, just prior to our arrival Naruto Uzumaki was recovered by individuals matching the descriptions of Sasuke Uchiha, Suigetsu Hozuki, and Karin headed eastward. A rescue team was sent after them and we are currently awaiting a status update."

"I have a bad feeling about this; we should have heard something by now." The Nara spoke gravely. "Send another team after them immediately!"

"Yes sir!" Bird saluted before body flickering away.

'Could this day possibly get any worse?' Fearful of a jinx, he didn't dare utter it aloud. 'Shouldn't there have been ANBU closer to this location that we assigned to watch Naruto and Sasuke? What is going on?'

Tiger pushed himself to his feet and turned to look at his commanding officer. He almost didn't want to know, but he had to ask. "Earlier you said you didn't think the attackers cared about collateral damage. If that's true, then why would they be so meticulous in limiting the explosion?"

"Don't you think this entire situation is strange?" The genius asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason that Naruto was able to survive was because they took extra steps to contain the blast. Had they not done that, his narrow escape out of a window would still likely have been fatal." Shikaku stroked his beard and let out a deep breath. "If the goal was to kill him, why make it easier for him to survive? It doesn't make sense."

"Are you saying whoever did this wanted him to live?" Tiger asked. "Do you think it is because of his status as a Jinchriki?"

"Who knows? But that possibility is currently at the top of my list." Shikaku admitted. "To put him out of commission? To send a message? There are several possibilities beyond the Nine-Tails; Naruto has made waves as of late… and upset a lot of powerful people around the world along the way. The only way to know for sure is to find who is responsible and have them tell us themselves."

"Commander!" Bird landed in front of them, clearly having gone at a frantic pace to get back to them. "During our search, we discovered the bodies of the ANBU sent after Naruto…. And also another team that we believe were the first responders stationed in this area at the time of the attack."

"What did you say?!" Shikaku blurted out as his mind raced through countless scenarios. "We have to inform the Hokage; this runs much deeper than I initially thought!"

"Sir, she has already been made aware of the situation and is on her way!" Bird explained. "In the meantime, what are your orders?"

This time Shikaku didn't have time to express his frustrations "Lockdown the entire village; there won't be a single civilian to step foot out of their homes until we have this under control. I want at least a dozen ANBU and Jonin squads patrolling the streets within the next five minutes. Find the people who did this, and find Naruto at once! He and his team are in serious danger!"

"Sir!" Bird said before disappearing once again.

"Commander… this is." Tiger's face was hidden, but his body language betrayed his apprehension.

"Now I'm sure of it. Dammit, this is just what we need right now." Shikaku ground his teeth together in frustration. "Whoever this was, they wanted Naruto alive so they could capture him."

"See; what did I tell ya?" Naruto looked over his shoulder while he slipped his arm through his new jacket sleeve. He had made it a priority to always have a backup set of identical clothes on him in an event like this. It was pure luck that his storage scrolls had survived the bombing. "All I need is a little bit of rest and I'm ready to go!"

"Oh, is that so?" Sakura responded in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"N-No, uh, some rest and a medical genius to patch me up! Heh, heh…"

"That's better."

"Jinchuriki or not, medic or not, it's still remarkable how quickly you're able to recover from your injuries." Karin pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Besides some bandaging around his midsection and minor bruising, the blond showed no signs of nearly dying an hour ago. "There has to be something else that could explain this phenomenon, but what could it be?"

"I started eating more vegetables recently," Naruto answered dryly. "Do you think that could have something to do with it?"

"No."

"Oh."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and let out a sigh from his corner of the room. "Can we cut the small talk and stay on task?" He looked at Naruto, then at the most recent guest in Sakura's room. "Don't the two of you have an important matter to address?"

Sai blinked from his cross-legged position next to the barely conscious Suigetsu. "Me?" He pointed at himself for effect. "I've been ready this entire time."

"Yeah, I know. Naruto?"

"I know, I know. It's not like I got blown up, or anything…." The blond in question waved off the Uchiha's stern glare. "Let's take a closer look at what we're working with." Naruto said as he sat down across from Sai with a book in hand. "Open your mouth, please."

Sakura leaned forward in her spot on the bed. She was aware of the Curse Mark on the mysterious stranger's tongue but had yet to see it like the others.

Sai obliged and revealed the mark that bound him to Danzo.

"Yup… that still looks like a pair of pants." Suigetsu said with a nod. He quickly felt all the disapproving eyes on him. "What?! Are you all gonna sit there and tell me that it doesn't look like pants?"

…

"You're all lying to yourselves."

…

"Right, anyway..." Naruto leaned in close and analyzed the marking of the restrictive seal, then flipped open his book and started rifling through its contents. After a moment of searching, he stopped on a page about halfway through the book and dragged his finger along with the words while muttering to himself. "Yes, here it is; that's just what I thought!"

"What did you find?" Sai asked.

"I thought it might be a Hexagram Seal, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure. They aren't something that you see every day." Naruto turned the book around for his new ally. "Look here." Stylistically, the diagrams within the book looked very similar to what was on Sai's tongue. "Now I'm very confident that I was right."

"What is a Hexagram Seal?" Sakura asked.

"They are somewhat complex six-pointed seals that can be configured to do any number of things. For instance, this one is most likely the Hsien, or 'Influence' mark. It's typically used to bind or restrict the movements of the recipient when special conditions set by the caster are met.

"I see…" Sai seemed downcast by the news. "That seems to match up with my understanding of it. Is there anything that you can do?"

Naruto frowned and tucked his hand underneath his chin. "Not sure yet; I've never dealt with one of these before. I've read that they can be quite tricky.…"

"You said it was a six-sided seal, right?" Sakura asked intently. "Can't you just place an odd-numbered seal over it like you did to the Akatsuki's trap seal in the Land of Rivers?"

Naruto shook his head. "With a normal seal, yes, that would work; however, Hexagram Seals work a bit differently." The group's look of confusion prompted him to continue. "They are linked to, and contain, a portion of the caster's chakra. In this case, Danzo. If I were to try and just slap a five-point seal over the Hsien, it's very possible Danzo's chakra could release and kill Sai."

"I would prefer that didn't happen." Sai chimed in calmly. "I want to regain my freedom, not lose it in its entirety."

"It's faint, but I can definitely feel someone else's chakra coming from that mark…. Must be that Danzo guy's." Karin added. "Is there any way you can remove it without hurting him?"

"Oh yeah, there's one surefire way to do that," Naruto responded evenly. "The only problem is that's much easier said than done…"

"Let me guess… we would have to kill Danzo." Sasuke listened to the entire conversation with his eyes closed and finally decided to jump in to present his theory. "If he's dead, then that link would sever. Right?"

"Heh, that's right," Naruto said with a heavy sigh. "With the connection to Danzo gone, the Seal would be way easier to take care of. It's just that we aren't in a position to do that."

Suigetsu sat up and let out an irritable groan. "That old bastard is probably locked somewhere strapped from head to toe in suppression seals by the Torture & Interrogation Divison, and he's still causing us trouble. Tch, I say we just take a stroll over there and take care of him nice and quick. What do ya say, guys?"

Naruto blinked. Suppression seals…

"You idiot!" Karin chided. "The whole point of doing this is to bring his crimes to light. That will never happen if we just kill him!"

The Hozuki shrugged. "Hey, it's just a thought that I'm throwing out there."

The blond's mind raced

'Danzo… Sai… Curse Mark… Hexagram… Chakra… Suppression Seals…'

"I think I figured it out."Naruto quickly took out a scroll and started to frantically scribble something. "Of course; how didn't I see it before!"

"Was it something I said?" Suigetsu asked.

Naruto didn't even hear him; he was too busy putting the finishing touches on his work. "Sai, I need you to stand up and listen to what I'm about to say."

Sai's eyebrow arched, but he complied and rose to his feet.

"Start talking about Danzo."

Sai blinked. "Wha-"

"Just do it; you need to trust me. Tell us something about him that he wouldn't want us to know."

He paused for a moment, then sighed and nodded his head.

"...Lord Danzo and Orochimaru have been in… in…-"

Thud

Team Hebi watched the boy with the midriff top collapse to the ground.

….

"Well, that was hilarious." Suigetsu resisted the urge to cackle at the teen's expense. "But I'm guessing you had a reason beyond that brilliant piece of comedic relief?"

"Danzo's chakra is what allows this thing to work the way it does." Naruto got down on one knee and examined Sai's eerily still form closely. Sai was staring at him with wide, responsive eyes, but the rest of his body had effectively shut down. "If we deal with the seal first, then the chakra has nowhere to go… and will flood the host's body, poisoning them to death." He pulled a suppression tag out of his pouch and placed it on Sai's forehead. "However, if we purposely trigger it to activate the caster's chakra while the Seal is still intact, we can seal it all away. That way we deal with the threat directly, sever the link, and bypass any harm done to the host."

"Alright, Professor." Suigetsu huffed sarcastically. "Wait, why did you have him stand if he was just going to fall down?"

Team Hebi watched Sai as he let out a sharp breath and clutched at his chest. "I-I… don't understand." He trailed off and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist. It was a struggle, but the lingering effects of the Curse Mark would fade in a few minutes. "I can move again; is it truly that simple?"

"Not quite." The blond reached out a helping hand that Sai grabbed readily to pull himself up. "Danzo isn't stupid; he wouldn't use something that is that easy to disable."

"No, ignore me; that's cool." Suigetsu huffed.

"Then… how?" Sai asked.

"I have this guy to thank for that! He helped me figure out what to do." Naruto smiled and wrapped his arm around Suigetsu's shoulder. The Hozuki immediately flashed a confident grin, but on the inside, he was even more confused than everyone else.

What had he done, exactly?

"Under normal circumstances, a suppression tag wouldn't cut it for this kind of mark." The Jinchuriki explained. "Because it's linked to Danzo and his chakra, he would be made aware of our tampering instantly. All it would take is a pulse of chakra to disrupt our suppression tag and re-establish the link, effectively bringing us back to square one."

"I see." Sasuke appeared to be on the same page as his friend. "Danzo is being detained by T&I and most likely has his own chakra suppressed with tags as Suigetsu said. That means that condition isn't being met. He can't re-establish a broken link right now. All of Danzo's chakra has been eradicated from that Curse Mark."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Exactly."

"I guess this Danzo guy never saw getting imprisoned as a possibility," Karin added. "Seems kind of stupid if you ask me, considering all of the crap that he's done."

"He might not be aware of this loophole." Naruto retorted. "Hell, even I barely know it; and reading up on Fuinjutsu is one of my favorite hobbies!"

"Or, he's a cocky bastard that made a fatal error due to his own overconfidence." Sasuke spat with a venom-laced tongue. "I choose to believe the latter."

"Regardless, we can continue with the plan," Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Now I just have to remove the Curse Mark itself and Sai can lend us his help." He glanced at the Uchiha. "While I'm at it, I could remove yours, too. What do ya say?"

Sasuke rubbed his neck and shook his head. "No, it hasn't fulfilled its purpose yet; I still may need it."

"Fine." Naruto shrugged, having fully expected that answer. "...have it your way. No two-for-one special today."

"Ah!"

Karin's shriek alerted the group to a masked figure staring at them through Sakura's bedroom window. It was the ANBU 'Cat.'

Naruto's eyes lit up immediately. "Uddo?! Long time no see!" He exclaimed excitedly. "I was wondering when ANBU would show up here. You guys sure are slow, ain't ya?" The boisterous blond continued before Cat could even respond. "I know Granny is worried and wants to see me, but do ya mind just coming through the front door for a bit? I only need ten minutes; I swear."

Yamato sighed uncharacteristically, then nodded before moving away from the window. He didn't have the energy or the will to argue with the Uzumaki today.

Naruto couldn't suppress a smile while the other members of Team Hebi and Sakura looked at him with varying degrees of confusion. "Oh, sorry; that's my friend Uddo… great guy, he's just a little quiet."

Suigetsu laid back down on the floor and smirked. "Heh. Never a dull moment with you, blondie."

"Sakura!"

"For crying out loud…." The Kunoichi pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in exasperation. "Send him up, mom! He's a friend!"

This land was unlike any other, and that was especially true in comparison to the Five Great Nations. The architecture was crude and harsh in its design, where buildings were put together with what appeared to be recycled scrap metal and building debris. Exposed piping ran throughout and connected the entire city. It was a steampunk, dystopian-like Ninja Village housed in between the Great Nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth.

Most notable in this war-torn land was its tallest tower. At its peak were four humanoid faces at each side. One, in particular, was an eerie sight to behold; looking out over the city, the face had familiar ripple-patterned eyes with several pipes attached to the sides of its pierced face. A long tongue protruded out of its open mouth that was pulled down into an angry frown. To the average passerby, it mimicked the image of an angry God that would smite those who disobeyed it as it looked down upon them.

And there he sat on the extended tongue, one leg tucked tightly into his chest, the other dangling loosely over the edge. The mysterious man called Pain watched over the Land of Rain with an impassive, yet protective gaze. The rain, by way of his Detection Jutsu, relentlessly downpoured on his home with no signs that it would cease. It was increasingly unlikely that someone would be foolish enough to enter his domain, but he would remain ever-vigilant just in case that day might come.

This was a pivotal moment for not only the Akatsuki, but the world. Their plans had been met with surprising resistance from the Leaf Village… to the point that drastic measures may have to be taken to combat these unforeseen developments.

Pain sighed deeply. The world would soon understand what true pain was, he would be sure of it.

"Pain." He turned to see Konan standing just inside the entrance to the tower. The torrential rain splashed on the ground in front of her and lightly wet the bottom of her cloak. She didn't seem to mind all that much.

"What is it, Konan?" He asked.

The woman paused for a moment and simply stared at him. "You have been summoned. He has returned and requested an audience with you."

Pain turned back to look down at his beloved city. It was brief, but a frown tugged at his lips. "I understand." Though he made no effort to move just yet. "Tell him I will be down in a moment."

Konan nodded wordlessly and left to relay the message from her leader.

The feeling in the air was shifting, ever so slightly. He didn't know how or why, but the world was about to go through a profound change. Pain would do everything in his power to make sure that the Akatsuki was the reason behind the world's inevitable metamorphosis.

…

Moments later Pain joined Konan and Madara in the underground caverns; they turned to look at him. The Rinnegan bearer could not see the Uchiha's face but could immediately tell the man was not happy.

They convened in a massive room underneath Pain's tower. It was an open area they used to house the Gedo Statue used in the sealings of Tailed Beasts.

"I take it that the mission to secure the Three-Tails did not go as planned." Pain surmised. "Am I correct in assuming that?"

"Perceptive, aren't we?" Madara said with a scowl beneath his mask. "We were intercepted by a team from the Leaf Village that consisted of Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya, a Hyuga, and an Eight Gates user. Deidara was killed quite easily by Jiraiya, and I thought it best to cut our losses and regroup for the next move."

"I see. Jiraiya-Sensei and the Copy Ninja… quite the formidable pair."

"Indeed."

Madara's gaze couldn't help but linger on the eyes of the Gedo Statue. The mere sight of it reminded him of all of the failings they'd had up to this point. The second, fifth, and seventh eyes were wide open while the first eye was only partially so. The chakra of only three and a half Tailed Beasts were currently in their possession… which meant they were not even halfway to reaching their goal.

"I can't believe we've been pushed to this point, and the main reason for that is a still wet-behind-the-ears brat." The Uchiha glowered. "If it wasn't for that damned Fourth Hokage and then his oaf of a Master, the Nine-Tails would already be in our grasp and no longer a thorn in the side."

Pain shared similar sentiments, but they had to be focused on continuously moving forward. "I recently received word from Kisame. He has secured the Four-Tails and is making his way to one of our hideouts. We should be able to start the extraction before today's end."

"Hmph, I suppose not all is lost." Madara added.

"I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you." Black Zetsu said as his form suddenly rose from the ground. "I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but we have a problem."

"Black Zetsu," Pain addressed. "What happened?"

"It must have happened while I was away with Deidara during the hunt for the Three-Tails… but it appears that Itachi Uchiha has been killed."

"What?! That's not possible!" Madara could not contain his disbelief; even Konan and Pain had expressions of shock on their typically stoic faces. They would not have believed such words if they had come from anyone else. "How…. who….?"

"Itachi's little brother Sasuke teamed up with the Nine-Tails and a couple of Orochimaru sideshow experiments. Apparently, that was enough to take him out." Zetsu remarked with agitation. "To make matters worse, they took his corpse back to the Leaf Village, which means we can't get our hands on it."

The Uchiha felt his body go cold. 'This should not have happened, not yet.' He thought frantically. Itachi still had time before his illness advanced to the point where he would be forced to act. 'Could it be possible… did Itachi anticipate my plans for Sasuke? That damned bastard… It will be difficult to reveal the truth and pit him against the Leaf as long as he is tucked away behind the walls of the Leaf Village.'

It seems Itachi's final parting gift was to throw a massive wrench in their plans.

"What of Kisame?" Konan asked. "I was under the impression that Itachi was with him in the hunt for the Four-Tails. How could he not be aware of this?"

"I just spoke to him." Black Zetsu continued. "He had no knowledge of Itachi's fate; apparently, Itachi had convinced him that they should split up to cover more ground during their search. Kisame went on to find and capture the Four-Tails, and… either his little brother found and killed him, or Itachi specifically sought out that fight and lost. It's hard for me to know for sure without having been there." He exchanged a quick, knowing look with Madara before finishing; one that the others did not seem to pick up on.

"This is truly a massive blow to the Akatsuki." Pain said solemnly. "Deidara and Itachi were valued and irreplaceable members of our cause, but we must make sure that their sacrifices are not in vain. We will continue with our plans, and we will succeed."

"Even so," Konan didn't sound as sure. "We're now down multiple members with many steps still to go. Something has to change, or we could very well fail."

The Uchiha's mind raced. With Itachi now gone, it opened the door for more aggressive retaliation against the Leaf Village. They no longer had to worry about the double agent in their midst potentially turning on them if he deemed his beloved home was in danger. Yes… now it was time for the Leaf to pay mightily. They would enact that plan.

"What is the status of the One-Tails?" Pain turned to Konan for an answer.

"Our sources say that Might Guy is still stationed in the Sand Village. He is by the Kazekage's side at all hours of the day as a part of his guard detail. He would need to be eliminated to secure the target."

"Hm, I see. I don't believe securing the Kazekage would go as smoothly a second time. As long as the Kazekage remains within the village under the protection of Might Guy, he is essentially untouchable." The ripple-eyed man digested those words for a moment. "Given that the One, Three, Eight, and Nine-Tails are all that remain… It seems that the logical next step is to hunt down the Six-Tails, the rogue Shinobi named Utakata. Yes… I will-"

"That will be my job. I shall hunt the Six-Tails myself."

Pain raised an eyebrow and glanced at Konan. She seemed equally surprised by Madara's self-nomination. "Oh, is that so? Why dirty your hands with something like that?"

The man smiled beneath his mask. "Because I have an even more important job for you and Konan." Pain gestured for him to continue his thought, and he would do just that. "It is time to initiate Project Matsuura."

Pain and Konan's eyes widened in unison. "Ah, yes, of course. I understand." The Rinnegan user nodded.

"Naruto Uzumaki is no longer some troublesome brat. He's a capable Shinobi with the ability to defeat the likes of Sasori of the Red Sand, and he will only continue to get stronger." Madara spoke with barely contained contempt. "We must act with haste and strike while our window of opportunity is still upon us."

"You need not worry about him," Konan said confidently. "Once Project Matsuura is complete, Pain will be utterly invincible. The Leaf…. and the rest of the Great Nations will bow to the Hidden Rain."

A sinister chuckle formed at the bottom of Madara's throat. "Soon no one will be able to get in our way. Minato Namizake, Jiraiya of the Sannin, Kakashi Hatake, and… Naruto Uzumaki." Unbeknownst to Pain and Konan, he mentally added Itachi Uchiha to that list. "They will regret the day they decided to stand against us."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Tenten whispered. "It's been more than a few minutes already."

Their arrival back in the Leaf Village had been greeted by none other than the Jonin Commander. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikaku Nara were conversing intently with one another firmly out of earshot for a non-Inuzuka.

"Do you think it could be about our successful mission?" Lee whispered loudly. "We no doubt dealt a strong blow to the Akatsuki and their plans. What do you think, Neji?"

Neji frowned. "We lost a valuable member of our team on my watch; I would hardly call this mission a success. If anything, it was a failure to the village and Kotetsu."

Tenten and Lee immediately realized their mistake. "N-No, Neji; that isn't what we meant." The Kunoichi protested.

"Tenten is right!" Lee followed. "We were only-"

"It's fine; I know what you meant by it. I just can't pretend that I was effective when a subordinate of mine lost his life due to my own ineptitude." There were cracks in the usually stoic Hyuga's facade. "The only thing I can think about is the death of a comrade, and that is something I won't ever forget… that way I can be sure it will never happen again."

Tenten nodded. "Do you want us to come with you when you tell his family?"

"...Thank you, but no; this is my burden, and I will handle it alone."

"Okay, just know that we are always here if you need us."

"Thank you; I will, Lee…"

"Hey, you three!" Jiraiya ushered Team Guy over. He continued to talk as they hurried to him. "Change of plans; Neji, Kakashi, and I have to go with Shikaku somewhere for an urgent matter." He focused intently on Tenten and Lee. "You two will have to go on ahead straight to the Hokage Tower to be debriefed."

"Is everything okay?" Tenten asked worriedly. "You seem… tense."

Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance. "If I'm being honest, we're… not entirely sure." The Sannin admitted. "I'll have to get back to you on that one. We'll see ya later, okay?"

"Okay…"

The four Jonin quickly left, leaving Tenten and Lee alone at the Village Gates. With Lee around, the uneasy silence only lasted a moment.

"I am usually quite optimistic, but I am not sure how to feel about that."

Tenten sighed. "You and me both, Lee… you and me both."

…

…

…

Neji took in a deep breath as he walked through the grand doors of the Leaf Village's seldom-used courtroom. The vaulted ceilings made him feel small and insignificant. The center of the room was an open area with three sets of chains lying connected to the ground. At the back of the courtroom, there was a massive desk elevated high off of the ground; large oil paintings of each of the Five Hokage were on the wall directly behind it. Rows of elevated seats surrounded the room's center on its remaining three sides.

As a brand new Jonin, he was responsible for leading a team, lost a subordinate due to his own error, and was now expected to take part on a committee representing the village in one of its most uncertain times in recent memory.

The courtroom was connected to the Police Force headquarters located on the outskirts of the village not too far from the Uchiha Clan Compound. Despite the years of vacancy, the building was still well-maintained. It had always been the Fifth Hokage's plan to recreate the force in her own image, but other things had gotten in the way until the idea was inevitably put on the back burner.

Neji's nervous eyes scanned the room. Several Jonin were already seated; some he recognized, others he didn't. They, along with Kakashi and Jiraiya, seemed to be in their natural element. Did they not understand the gravity of the current situation, or were they such seasoned veterans that it didn't phase them? Was it only him that felt an enormous weight on his shoulders?

For the first time in a very long time, the genius of the Hyuga Clan felt uneasy and out of his element.

"Relax, kid." Jiraiya's words made him blink. Had he really been that obvious? "You're not the only one feeling uneasy. Take a deep breath to calm yourself, then look around more closely."

Neji did as instructed and attempted to relax his nerves. He scanned the room with more scrutiny. He noticed a man with brown hair lightly tapping his foot against the ground with his arms tightly crossed at his chest. A young woman was idly picking at her nails while fidgeting in her seat. Once the Sannin mentioned it, Neji could see cracks in the expressions of many of the Jonin in attendance. He wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the moment. His body language relaxed, and he let out a deep breath.

"I've heard great things from the people that have worked with you, and I've seen it myself firsthand." Jiraiya dropped his heavy hand on the teen's shoulder. "The jitters are normal. Don't worry, you belong here."

Did he, though?

"What of you and Kakashi? You two don't seem worried in the slightest."

"Master Jiraiya and I are special cases." Kakashi walked over and placed his hand on Neji's free shoulder. "We've… been around the block; probably more than any one person should. Stay sharp, be your usual self, and you'll do just fine. Think of it as an honor. You're one of the youngest Leaf Shinobi to be selected as a member of the Jonin Council."

Neji nodded and even managed a smile. "Thank you both, truly."

Jiraiya placed a hand under his chin and squinted. "Say, Kakashi, weren't you the youngest?"

"I was." The Copy Ninja closed his visible eye and nodded. "I'm glad that you remember that, Master Jiraiya…. Considering you were the deciding vote in my selection."

"Hahaha!" The Sage's booming laugh turned heads in their direction. "I'm not getting any younger. Just be lucky that I remember your name, brat."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh. "...Aren't you only fifty-four?"

…

Kakashi noticed that Jiraiya was no longer paying attention to their conversation. He followed the man's line of sight and immediately realized why.

Naruto, Sasuke, and their two teammates had just walked through the doors. All was silent as every eye in the room was locked on the newcomers. Team Hebi paid little mind to the extra attention as they walked their way through the crowd.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya shouted. He could see the boy stop dead in his tracks and scan the room for the sound of his voice. "Over here!" He followed up with a wave.

The teen's eyes lit up when he located his Master. He whispered something to Sasuke, then broke off from the group. Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Karin went on ahead without him.

"Master, Kakashi-Sensei, and, oh, Neji!" Naruto waved while weaving through the crowds of people. "It feels like it's been forever since I last saw you guys!" Jiraiya wasn't smiling, he couldn't tell if Kakashi was smiling, and Neji never smiled. "Heh, heh…" He audibly gulped.

"You've really done it now, you idiot." Jiraiya thumped his cherished student in the back of the head with the metal guard on the back of his hand.

"Ow! Hey, that hurt!"

The Sage's eyebrow twitched. "I don't want to hear your whining! I'm gone for one mission, and this is what I come back to?! I thought it was pretty clear the last time we spoke that Tsunade and I wouldn't tolerate any more of you doing whatever you want with no thought to the potential consequences."

Naruto rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head. "Believe me, Granny already let me hear about it. I've agreed to accept whatever punishment you two come up with…. this is completely worth it."

"This isn't just about Danzo, brat!" Jiraiya huffed. "Don't think I didn't hear about your new book." Naruto's posture withered under the Sannin's glare. "You and I are going to have…. A really nice conversation about that." He finished with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Oh…. right, heh heh." He leaned over so he could see past the hulking figure of his mentor. "He Kakashi-Sensei, how ya been?"

"Hey, Naruto," Kakashi responded with his signature eye-smile and lazy wave combo. "Better than you're about to be, that much I know."

"R-right, good talk." Naruto felt a chill. "Neji," The Hyuga seemed surprised by his sudden addition to the conversation. "I'm going to need your help. You're with us; follow me!"

Neji glanced at the other Jonin, they both simply shrugged and nodded for the teen to go.

"Alright."

Jiraiya watched the two of them go with his hands crossed tightly at his chest. "What are we going to do with him? Every time I think I have him reeled in he goes out and does something even crazier than before…. There's a point of no return, and I'm scared he's right at the edge. I'm just not sure what to do…." He was never cut out to be a teacher, and that reality was abundantly clearer in moments like this.

"You do what you can," Kakashi advised. "Naruto is at a point in his life where he's the only one that can direct where his path will go. You can't force him to do what you think is right for him; but as his mentor, you can guide him on that journey. If you want my honest opinion, it seems like you and Lady Tsunade's words are finally starting to get through to him."

Jiraiya cracked a smile. "Thanks, Kakashi. The Third Hokage was right to put Naruto and Sasuke in your hands."

The Copy Ninja didn't hear those words of praise…. He, and the rest of the room for that matter, was focused on who just walked through the door.

Whispers and murmurs erupted amongst the Jonin while they watched Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane escorted in chains and surrounded by a guard detail of the Hokage's elite unit of ANBU Black Ops.

Danzo's head was held high; his signature mask of stoicism was ever-present. The other two Elders did not appear to share the Shinobi of Darkness' unshakable confidence. Their posture was slumped and hunched over in a defeated manner; they didn't dare look any in the eyes, instead opting to look at the ground as they walked.

That didn't stop the chatter in the room from gradually increasing.

"Is this really happening? I was just relaxing at home when all of a sudden, I got summoned here. This has never happened since I've been on the Council."

"Same here…. I can't believe it either. What do you think happened?"

"Who knows? I've heard multiple different stories. All I know is that we're about to find out."

…

…

…

"If what I heard is true, I'll never forgive those bastards!"

"What did they do?"

"Didn't you read that book that recently came out? The guy with the bandages has been carrying out operations behind the Hokage's back for years…. They're finally getting what's coming to them!"

"Wait… that's him?!"

"Yes!"

…

…

…

"Did you hear about the explosion that went off in one of the residential areas today?"

"Yeah, I did…. It was only a couple of hours ago, right? Do you think that has anything to do with we're here?"

"It has to be… you see that blond kid down there? That's Naruto Uzumaki, he's the author of that book everyone is talking about. I heard from a reliable source that it was his apartment that was targeted in the blast while he was inside; he barely made it out in time."

"You're kidding!"

"I swear on my headband."

"And the Elders are involved...You know what that means."

"Yeah… I do…."

The ANBU walked the three prisoners into the center of the room and connected their chains to the ones connected to the ground. Every scrutinous eye in the room now looked down on them from their elevated positions of authority. All the tension, anger, and frustration that whirlwind through the Leaf Village as of late was now concentrated in that room.

All of it was directed at Danzo, Homura, and Koharu.

The chatter started to get louder, angrier, and more chaotic. It felt like anything could spark a chain reaction, and they were ill-equipped to do anything to stop it.

"This isn't good," Kakashi whispered in Jiraiya's ear. "If we don't get these guys under control, the lid is going to blow off this place."

Jiraiya appeared unbothered. "And I know just the thing that will whip everyone back in line."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Alright, that's enough! I'd better not hear another word!" Tsunade shouted as she stormed into the room. She took a seat at her desk that oversaw everything from its high perch. Everyone went completely silent to the point you could hear a pin drop.

"That." Jiraiya nodded in the Hokage's direction."

"Ah, yeah. That will definitely do it."

Tsunade looked down at the three accused with a frown. Homura and Koharu remained adamant about becoming familiar with the ground… It was only Danzo who dared to look into her eyes.

"You've always been good at whipping obedient dogs into line…. Princess Tsunade."

"Danzo…. Is it really a good idea to antagonize those that will decide your fate here today?"

"Fate is not a concept that most comprehend…. Do not worry, you will understand soon enough."

Author's Note: The stage is set for one of the most pivotal moments in the Village's recent history. Danzo vs the World. Will he be able to get himself out of this one?

Naruto shows off his knowledge of Seals, and finally manages to give Sai the freedom he wanted. Let's just hope it lasts...

And what are the Akatsuki planning? What is Project Matsuura?

Only time will tell...

Join me again next time for Chapter 48: Iustitia Praevalebit - Part 2.

Thanks for reading!

Nithi velu - I love writing Team Hebi. It's good to know others enjoy their dynamic. No comment on Karin.

ImHellaUgly - Considering Danzo is chained up in front of the Jonin Council, I think that it's safe to say that they didn't let that slide. Will it stick, though? That's the question.

auraarzadon07 - Yeah, Naruto is alive. Sasuke Shippuden is delayed yet again. The 5 Kage Summit will be absolute madness if Naruto is there. He's too chaotic.

Ky111 - You're right, nothing is confirmed as of right now. If I say anything I may accidentally hint, so I guess you will just have to wait and see if that information is revealed. Great theories though!

The Shinobi World hasn't been ready for someone like Naruto. He's not afraid to make waves but also has a set of morals that can keep him tied to a village without getting thrown out like an Orochimaru. So, he's a chaotic force that wants to make changes fast but oh, by the way, he's being protected by the Hokage and Leaf Village so the other nations can't touch him without calling a Summit. The Leaf's relations with other lands would go into the toilet if Naruto became Hokage.

vikraal - I'll address some of your points here.

If you recall when Pain initially attacked the Leaf, it took quite some time for everyone in the village to know what had happened. And that was because Pain attacked multiple parts of the village simultaneously. It's reasonable for the blast to not be heard by most of the village.

It may feel long, but the walk from Naruto's apartment to Sakura was only a little over 5 minutes. Kurama's Negative Emotion Sensing ability only lasted 5 minutes, and it had run out for Naruto right when they reached Sakura. The ANBU near the blast were killed as explained in this chapter, and they alerted the assassins betting that they wouldn't attack. It's known that Sasuke killed Orochimaru. Their only hope to not be killed is element of surpise.

Allheaven Paragon - Why no like Sakura? ):