Training was awful. Fukusaku had completely changed from trying to be patient and ease him into it to taking away the safety nets, and throwing him off the cliffs to learn to fly alone, which wasn't too far from the truth. After mastering being still it was time to put it all together. They had cheated, with the oil, with the two other clones that he had to put a limit on and stop at two. Being still and getting the right balance was hard to do, and apparently even Jiyraiya couldn't do this and needed Shima and Fukasaku to help him stay balanced. That was the last resort. Naruto didn't want them to have to fight Pain again if he could help it. So being constantly hit across the head by a surprisingly strong Fukusaku was what he had endured for the last two days. By day four he had it mostly and the nature energy was a good way to complete the rasenshuriken, which he tried to complete through the night as the others slept. The giant rasengan was terrifyingly powerful so he was sure the Rasenshuriken was likely going to be more so if he could get it to work
I think this is what was missing Kurama agreed and by day five he was sure he would get it perfect if he only mastered the control on Sage mode.
He lay on the floor breathing heavily and lightly rubbing the bump that had been the longest minor injury he had ever had for so long.
"Damn Geezer Sage! He has one hell of an arm" he complained which was amusing since frogs didn't have arms. He wondered how Sasuke and Sakura's training was going, or if they'd changed their plans thanks to his interference with Danzo. He wondered if they had gone looking for Itachi. He tried to avoid thinking about Shikamaru, because he wasn't sure he'd stay put. He was surprised at how much he wanted to go back so soon, how much he wanted to see him again. Despite the countless unknowns about their future, what if they'd made a mistake letting their feelings take over like that? Shikamaru was the Nara clan hier it wasn't as if he could just leave with Naruto if he couldn't stand being in the village. And was it fair? Naruto had a few homes but none he felt truly were, despite Gaara's best efforts. If they left he would make Shikamaru essentially homeless. Shaking his head he sighed. Fukusaku had given Naruto a book, one of Jiyraiya's. It hurt to read it because it was his dream come to life in the story he wrote. It hurt because it was clear now why he believed he would change the world and create the peace he truly wanted, but more because Naruto wasn't sure he could. He was angry. Angry at his life, at the cruelty of people, at the suffering of the few he cared for. And that Jiyraiya was gone when it was clear how much he had loved Naruto. Someone filled with so much anger couldn't possibly achieve what Jiyraiya had hoped for, right?
-
He had it. It lasted only five minutes but he had it. No word had come from the leaf yet so he could only assume that meant Pain hadn't come yet. He had the idea to leave two clones here to wait as back up if his fight went on too long. The scroll was big and heavy and with the sage jacket Naruto couldn't help but think if his now blonde hair was white... he'd look like Jiyraiya. He had been tense, keeping himself still for as much as possible in the event he was summoned by Shikamaru, because if it happened quickly chances are they'd be in the thick of the fight, he didn't see Shikamaru summoning him unless it got bad. He hated that idea, but if he didn't summon him it meant they were holding their own... or they weren't. The idea that they were struggling made him nauseous.
"I'm going to get things for dinner" Shima said "I'll be near the leaf so I will update you"
Naruto thanked her and she smiled dissapearing. That was a comfort. To know the village was in one peice or of they needed to go. The toad Fukasaku left hadn't come back either but for some reason that didn't make Naruto feel better.
-
Shima returned in a blind panic. Naruto couldn't really understand her but he got the gist. The leaf was under attack she didn't even get close before she heard the fighting.
"Dammit Shikamaru!" Naruto hissed standing up and grabbing the scroll attaching it to his cloak
"Chief!" Naruto yelled
"We're ready!" He said with Gamaken and Gamahiro behind him. Fukasaku and Shima jumped onto his shoulders
"You guy-"
"We want to be there. In case you need us" Shima said sternly in a tone that said it wasn't up for debate. Naruto felt his leg heat up and his heart dropped. Shit.
"I'm going now! Meet me there!" He said to them and the elder toads held his shoulders he hissed as his leg began to burn. Before he could blink he was in a cavern... The village was decimated and he felt so many gaps in Chakra. Shikamaru was behind him he sensed him and the relief almost made him cry. The toads appeared at the same time. Gamakichi too. He didn't sense Kakashi and it took all he had not to panic. Because ahead of him... was Pain. He definitely looked like Yahiko... five other Pains came and then landing in front of him was Tsunade
"Naruto" Shikamaru whispered and he nodded
"I got it. So stay back and do not try to help" he said softly "Gamakichi?"
"I'll stick with him" he promised and Tsunade was devastated her voice shook with the urge to cry and he felt bad for her. This was her grandfather's creation and it was in ruins. Pain completely disregarded her and Naruto felt utter rage... this destruction? The death of all these people was just to get to him? He didn't see Itachi but he sensed him
"Itachi?" I asked Shikamaru quietly.
"He's... with them" Shikamaru said and Naruto nodded as he sensed Sakura and Sasuke close by. He'd leave him to them.
"You don't interest me at the moment!" Pain said clearly to Tsunade "the one I want is the Jinchurichi!" He didn't even spare Naruto a glance. It pays to be forgotten he thought
"I won't forgi-" she cut off as the bald Pain came at her. Naruto moved in a flash and demolished him. He was... a robot? Naruto didn't let himself focus on the surprise or how he broke apart.
"Tsunade... I can sense everyone now... Is Kakashi out of the village on mission?" He asked and her silence was answer enough. His heart beat furiously as rage overcame him. Thats two people. Two, this asshole has taken from him and almost three he'd imagine if Shikamaru hadn't summoned him. That thought made him feel sick.
"I see" he said flatly and looked at Pain "The Hokage doesn't need to bother herself with the likes of you, go have some tea Grandma, you look a little tired" he said "Gamakichi! Get them someplace safe" Naruto ordered
"Wait!" Shikamaru objected but Tsunade cut him off
"Take Katsui, she will be of help she has the Intel on all the Pains" she held out a slug and Naruto took her and put her on his shoulder
"Don't let anyone interfier" he said
"Alright" she scoffed "damn you Jiyraiya" she huffed as Gamakichi took them both and leapt up to the ruins of the village above. He looked to Pain
"I have no interest in you" he responded with no emotion and Naruto nodded. He supposed that made sense.
"The Jinchurichi. I heard" Naruto shrugged "Let's see if you can get the information from me" he challenged
Pain looked bored but his eye squinted slightly
"You know the identity of the Jinchurichi?" He asked calmly
"Oh yeah" he smiled cocky "we're real close so don't think you'll be getting anything from me"
The Rhino beast charged at him and he caught the horn throwing it into the air while Chief, Gamaken and Gamahiro took on the others, Shima and Fukasaku creating a path. The first few Pains were easy, but he figured the leader would be the struggle. He needed to get close and get a marker on him. Shadows were almost useless given there was nothing but themselves casting shadows. But Naruto was up for the challenge right now. The Nature energy had him moving fast. But he didnt have long before the Sage mode wore off. He needed to end this quickly. He couldn't waste three rounds of Sage mode on the fakes. If Jiyraiya's message wasn't at the front of his mind he'd be sure Yahiko was the true Pain, that he had taken the eyes but Jiyraiya would have known. He saw something else, something that made him sure that it wasn't the orange haired man, who looked scarily like himself. He focused on the fact this guy was trying to kill him, trap Kurama away and use him for god knows what, on the fact he had just decimated the leaf, that he was a criminal. Because if he let the fact this guy took Kakashi from him he might lose all sense he had and let Kurama loose.
I'd be glad to tear him apart Kurama offered but with the anger and borderline hatred that was consuming him right now... he didn't like it. Its the opposite of what Jiyraiya wanted to accomplish.
Now it was just him and the last Pain, Who proved difficult to even get his hands on to land a marker. He was going on about peace on earth using the tailed beasts to destroy the world and start again. He was talking about a dream he supposedly shared with Jiyraiya yet had killed him. Yet killed thousands. It made Naruto sick that Shukaku had been taken from his brother for this bullshit! That he had died for it. That Kakashi and Jiyraiya had been killed for a grand lie he wanted to make. This bastard was delusional and Naruto had had enough. He was pinned to the floor he couldn't move thanks to the rods embedded into his hands, arms, shoulders and back. Hurt like a bitch but it mostly made him feel weak. He couldn't access his chakra or Kurama's. Katsui was hidden in his collar
"Naruto, Hinata wants to help" she whispered he didn't know who Hinata was but he didn't want anyone to get involved in this. He shook his head.
"Enough!" Naruto's heart dropped as he heard the voice yell. Actually yell.
"Idiot!" He roared turning his head as far as he could to see Shikamaru stood there. He was glaring at pain
"And you are?" Pain asked
"I'm who you're looking for. Alright I'm the Jinchurichi"
"What are you doing?!" Naruto screamed as the man walked to him
"I'm done watching. This is going to end now" he said looking at Naruto with an annoyed expression. He had a plan, right? No way he would come down here without one.
"You? You're the Jinchurichi?" Pain asked doubtfully. Naruto almost growled at him
"It's why my compound was unaffected by your jutsu" he said gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder "got to keep me emotionally balanced and all that" he shrugged. A shadow loomed over the cavern and Shikamaru took his stance and Pain was stuck. Naruto was too surprised to look up and see what had cast the shadow
"Hinata, now!" Shikamaru ordered and Naruto saw a woman likely their age land in front of him. She was obviously a Hyuuga and even Naruto was surprised at her beauty. What the hell was this girl doing as a Ninja? He wondered. Chakra filled to her hands and she broke the rods one by one. He sat up clenching his jaw so not to make a sound as the pain wracked through his body. Kurama was already healing him at a speed that Naruto thought was a new record
"Thank you" he nodded to her and the girl could barely speak. She gave up and bowed as he walked to Shikamaru
"I'm going to kill you" he said quietly but Shikamaru only shrugged he looked as pissed off as he felt.
"You will come with me Jinchurichi. The Nine Tails will be mine" Pain said and Naruto glared and stepped in between them walking to Pain
"Where are you?" He asked
"I have no interest in you" Pain said only looking to Shikamaru. The look had Naruto feeling a little panicked. He'd lost enough this week.
"Well tough. I have an interest in you, Nagato" he said watching his face carefully. His brow twitched as he looked to Naruto sharply. He was right. He was using his teammate as a powerhead using the rods to boost his chakra. Connecting them like the other Pains as Katsui explained. He could see that he wasn't going to get an answer. He'd have to kill him. Which he was fine with. He pulled out a Kunai swiftly striking across his throat. He choked but no blood came. Naruto frowned, already dead? Like the others? He was using his teammate like this? Naruto was even more angry by this. To trample on someone's memory this way, use them to do these unspeakable acts so he could hide his identity in the background was just unforgivable. Naruto wasn't one for teams, he'd never really had one but even he knew he would never!
Keep your head Kurama warned if you kill the real Pain you may not get Kakashi back
Naruto didn't have time to question him. He held his hand up and built up the chakra for his rasengan before plunging it through Yahiko's chest.
"Sorry Yahiko" he whispered as he lowered the body. He pulled out a rod from his arm and walked to the scroll summoning the last clone. Once released it he felt the chakras around. Looking at the rod he stabbed it through his hand. Immediately he could feel the location. Just outside the leaf
"N-Naruto!" Hinata cried coming forward waving her hands in panic. He blinked at her and was surprised she knew who he was.
What are you talking about bringing Kakashi back? He asked Kurama
The rinnegan allows the user access to immense jutsu. That head they came from earlier is part of a jutsu that could bring back everyone in the vicinity if the timing hasn't been too long. You'll have to use words, convince him
Naruto nodded
"I got the real Pains location" he said to Shikamaru and Hinata "I'm going to go-"
"You can't go alone" Shikamaru said
"I have to. You can't come now you've just announced you're the Jinchurichi" Naruto said "I'll be fine, I promise" ignoring the still healing wounds he took off
-
The woman stood in front of the man who looked so weak you'd think a breeze would end him. She was no doubt Konan, she'd grown beautiful no doubt strong to be a part of the Akatsuki. Naruto felt his chest tighten at the thought of the children Jiyraiya had saved and taught stood before him today. The power and strength they had should be used to make him proud, should have been used to help people instead of so much destruction. Naruto wasn't naive not one Ninja was innocent. They had all killed and it would always be for the villages sake, but to the victim, there was always someone who saw you as the villain. Of course some were evil, some were cruel and needed to be stopped. But like this? And to kill so many more after? He just couldn't understand how you could achieve the peace he wanted with so much blood. He let Nagato talk, he steeled his expression to one of only determination. He would not let his hate consume him right now.
"I killed Jiyraiya and now you want to kill me! You are no exception to the cycle" Nagato scoffed
"You're right" Naruto agreed "I want you dead, you have killed people I care for... Even now I struggle to stand here and talk to you" he swallowed back the bile rising up his throat at the sheer fury he was holding in. He pulled the book from his pack and it helped him to focus on Jiyraiya's dream. On the fact these were his students who he cared for.
"But Jiyraiya told me about you, how he thought you were the child of prophecy. How he took you in and helped you learnt to fight" he pulled out the picture and held it up to them. He didn't miss Konan's brows turn up in guilt. Or Nagato's eyes widen. "But this isn't what he wanted. What you've done, what you're doing won't break the cycle of hatred" he glared at the man who was only upright because of the contraption around his lower body "He believed I was the Child of Prophecy in the end. This book, it was the first he'd ever made and do you know the characters name?"
Nagato wasn't even looking at him anymore his eyes only on the book.
"Naruto" he whispered
"My name!" Naruto almost yelld and then Nagato glared up at him
"You're no better than I! I can feel the hatred you have, the anger you have buried in you! What makes you think you can achieve it?!" He was getting worked up. And Naruto sighed
"I'm not. But if I kill you here today it won't be for revenge, or to satisfy my hatred, it would be to save the hundreds of thousands of innocent people you will go on to unnecessarily kill. That's the difference! I won't let my pain and anger lead to killing for no good reason. I'm not sure I will make Jiyraiya's vision a reality. But I know I will always be true to it! To strive to help those who can't help themselves"
He wasn't entirely sure he believed his own words, but they were Jiyraiya's words even if paraphrased a little.
"You took his vision, twisted it up and destroyed it with your own pain. And I won't allow you to go on believing that you're right!" He yelled his anger getting the best of him for a moment it allowed Kurama's Chakra to leak out for a split second before Naruto controlled himself. But Nagato saw it. He knew he did and cursed his own emotions.
"You!" He breathed but he made no other move, he looked at Naruto as if he was measuring him up, searching for something within him "I see" he bowed his head and pulled his arms from the contraption
"Nagato!" Konan gasped stepping closer
"It's okay" he said gently smiling down to her "I think this is the way, this was supposed to happen" he nodded almost in reassurance
"Please?" She begged
"It's time, I'll be reunited with Yahiko, we will wait for you to return home" he said clasping his hands together. Naruto felt his heart leap into his throat. If he thought he could just get away with all he had done he had another thing coming. Naruto went to move
Stop! Kurama yelled and it caused all of his body to freeze in place.
"I shall choose to believe in you after all, Naruto" Nagato said and chakra built up as he yelled in pain and effort. His red hair slowly turning white until no red was left to be seen. Katsui came up from his collar
"The villagers, more and more are coming back to life" she said and Naruto realised his Sage mode had depleted during the conversation. The hope he could bring back Kakashi almost had his legs go from underneath him
"I still have time..." Nagato choked out "to revive all I have killed since I arrived"
Naruto felt light headed and wished he had Sage mode, he wanted to know right away if Kakashi was a part of the people who were revived. He wanted to know exactly where he could go to be there. It felt like hours had passed just standing there waiting for Nagato to finish, he barely noticed the cover Konan had slowly come apart letting the sunlight in. When Nagato fell forward the contraption the only thing keeping his body up Naruto knew it was over. Konan didn't shed a tear, Naruto imagined it would be done in private. He helped her take Nagato out, and she told him about how it got this way. How Yahiko was the leader, how they followed him and when he threw himself on a Kunai to save her Nagato was never the same. How when a masked man approached them with the plan to bring the world peace.
The same masked man? Naruto had wondered
She wrapped Nagato in her jutsu and asked to be taken to Yahiko to do the same. He gave her some seals to protect Nagato's body, altering it to protect his eyes from being stolen. After Danzo he wasn't taking any chances of having someone steal something so powerful
"Personally I would destroy them now" he told her "but I understand if you can't. This will stop any thieves taking them"
"Thank you" she nodded "and you're secret is safe with me" she said handing him a bouquet of paper roses before dissapearing with her two lost teammates. He hoped Jiyraiya could see, that he knew Yahiko died the man he hoped him to be, that Nagato saw his mistakes. He may not forgive Nagato, but he felt like Jiyraiya would have. He was exhausted, his body suddenly aching and stiff. Damn I need to sleep, he thought turning back to the destroyed village.
This isn't over Kurama said and Naruto nodded
"Yeah... looks like the true mastermind is still out there" Naruto said aloud his throat tightening at the thought the man who destroyed his life the moment he was born was responsible for such chaos. Still trying to take people who loved him away. As if his parents and any chance at a normal life wasn't enough. His legs shook and he knew he was about to fall as his body gave in to the exhaustion and pain. A flash of warm protective chakra came over him before he felt a firm back on his chest. He couldn't stop the tears as he forced his arms up and around the man's shoulders the bouquet hanging loosely in his grasp.
"You did well" Kakashi's smooth voice came, the smile and pride clear "your parents would be proud"
Naruto shook his head and buried it into the Copy Ninja's hair tears falling. He was alive. He was here and real and Naruto couldn't keep his emotions together. If he was here Fukasaku would have been revived too and for that he was glad.
"I thought I lost you!" He sobbed as Kakashi patted his arm over his neck and lifted him up
"You're not getting rid of me that easily" he teased and Naruto gave out a half laugh half sob. They walked through the forest, managing to calm down and that's when Kakashi looked back to him
"Someone wants to see you"
Naruto frowned and was not interested in whichever higher up wanted to talk to him right now.
"You're never where you're supposed to be little one" a familiar silky voice spoke and Naruto widened his eyes and he was five years old in the tree again. Goosebumps rose over his skin, the bouquet falling from his fingers and his body moved of its own accord to drop down from Kakashi and whirl around to see him up on a branch in a tree above them. His eyes were black and a very small smile on his lips.
"Itachi!" He gasped out and almost fell on his ass when he leapt down and landed in front of him. His hand going into the blonde locks above his head.
"I'm proud of you and owe you thanks for what you did" he said and Naruto was at his emotional limit
"Welcome home" he smiled up to Itachi before falling back into Kakashi's arms unconsciousness taking him.
I am awful at fight scenes I am so sorry!