TWENTY
War: Part III
Naruto slowed down at the voice in his head but his secondary instincts kicked in and he quickly picked up speed once more.
The fuck…?
I'll explain later. Use the Hiraishin and head to underground base. If I remember correctly there are chakra-suppressing seals. You should be fine there.
Although, his first instinct told him stop and investigate, Naruto knew better, so he nodded and flashed to the underground base as he was instructed. It was a long since abandoned base. It was empty and the roots of the plants were starting to over grow it. Naruto found his way to the small room he used to use for mediation with Sasori, before they abandoned this base. As he was told there were still chakra suppressing seals all around this room, and it was highly likely they were around the base as well. The blonde lit the candles to light up the room; strangely enough the roots of the outside plants had not found themselves to this room yet. It was still exactly how he remembered it. It was a small concrete room. It had to solid wooden benches on each side with several various candles placed on each. The door was in the center of the main wall. The wall across had two large oil lanterns on it, which Naruto lit. On the center of the floor was a large complicated seal. He sat down in the center of the seal in an Indian style position. He could still hear Sasori's voice saying; this is the optimal seated position for mediation! It allows all the chakra channels to open and flow freely! Hence the chakra seals, they are incase the chakra becomes out of control! Naruto chuckled to himself at the memory. He was so young and innocent then and although he was in a criminal organization, he enjoyed the company of his comrades. They may seem like harden criminals to everyone else, but he got to see the lighter side of each one when they would train him individually.
Once Naruto reached his mindscape, he opened his eyes to find himself face to face with the fox he once knew.
I repeat… the fuck…?
Yes, Naruto. I am alive and I still dwell with in you.
How…?
Once the extraction began I knew I had little time to save both our lives. You were out cold so you were no help at all.
Wait… we talked before your were extracted… so why didn't you tell me you were up to something?
I couldn't tell you, we spoke for a little over a minute, and there was no time to explain what I was doing.
What exactly were you doing? Or did I should say.
I stopped the exaction mid way through…
You stopped it?
Yes…
H-How?
I'm not exactly sure myself but, it had something to do with your will to live and you also had a strong will to keep me inside you. I played off of that and was some how able to over come the Gedo Statue's power.
How is that possible? I mean, not that you stopped the extraction, that I believe since you are standing here before me! But how in the world did no one notice?! How come I didn't know until now?
I stopped the extraction of my soul, not my charka.
I see… Is that why you are like the size of a human?
Unfortunately, yes.
So how come no one noticed your soul was still inside me?
Well, one they did. Sort of. Do you remember when you woke, they said something like it didn't take as long as they expected? That is because the longest part of an extraction is the soul, so it was cut short when I stopped it. Also, without my chakra, no one could sense me.
I see, well this is going to be a problem…
What? That you are alive!? You wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for me! You should be thanking me!
Kurama…
Kid, you called me by my first name.
I know, Kurama. We are partners, we always have been even if we didn't know it. And even though you don't have much chakra left, I am going to need your help. I am very thankful to you for keep both of us alive; however, this will ruin what I had planned. Since your soul is not in the Gedo Statue, the ten-tails will not be revived once the last two beasts are extracted.
I know. I have a plan to compensate for that.
Go on…
Do you remember when you spoke with your father because the seal broke after you had joined the Akatsuki?
Yes… it was a few months afterwards, his chakra was finally released and we were able to speak for a short while. It's not a memory I like to think of often, Kurama.
Well, as you two were fighting, I over heard him say that half of me was inside of him. He only sealed half of me inside you. I am the Yang half, Minato has the Yin half.
And…? My father's dead. Sealed actually. How's that going to help?
Orochimaru, or rather the Nidaime, Tobirama Senju, came up with jutsu called Edo Tensei.
Reanimation?
Yes, its reanimates the dead.
Well, there is still the whole, he is sealed problem…
I know…
Do you have any idea how to fix it?
One, I believe Orochimaru may have something up his sleeve.
Of course he does… but he's dead, its not like I can go an ask him…
Of course he is… Let me guess you had something to do with it?
It was Itachi actually, but that reminds me… where have you been?
Asleep? I guess would be the right word. The work I did to keep us alive kind of knocked me out for a while. I woke up to see you fighting with the Kages. Would you like to fill me in on why you were fighting with your two senseis and four of the five Kages?
Meh, in a minute… why do you think Orochimaru has something up his sleeve?
Think about, Naruto. It's Orochimaru. I saw him battle the third Hokage with the Nidaime and Shodaime, but the third sealed both of them, as well as himself and Orochimaru's arms into the stomach so, I assume he's got something up his sleeve to get him arms back as well as to use all the Hokages to battle again.
I see, however we still have the problem that he is dead.
He was working on immortality. Do you think he didn't have a way to be brought back to life after someone killed him?
I believe he did but I'd rather not bring him back to life.
Okay, so do you have a plan?
I've been thinking… we can just go to his layers and search for information.
You realize this man has be researching longer than you've been alive and there are a ton of layers… Do you know where any of the layers are?
…well… no… Naruto then got a smile on his face… But I know someone who does.
Sasuke?
Yes.
All right, now will you fill me in on everything now?
Of course, Naruto nodded and filled him in on what he had done in the past three years, almost four years now since the two had been separated.
I see, so almost all the beasts have been sealed but you have been reviving the Jinchuurikis after the extraction?
Yes.
And you have picked up four variations of the Rinnegan powers, one, which you use to revive the Jinchuurikis?
Yes.
Ok, now you want to tell me about the brunette and this Itachi?
How did you...?
I saw how you kept glancing towards him while you were fighting the Kages. Plus when you were speaking about Itachi, you had the lustful look on your face; it was hard not to put two and two together. So what's going on?
Yeah, I have feelings for both, but this is more important to handle right now. I will handle them when it comes time.
I see.
So what is our plan? I need to get back to base or they will notice I am not there.
I think our first plan should be breaking Sasuke out of Konoha and forcing him to show us each base, until we find what we are looking for.
I agree, however I believe we should wait until this last fiasco dies down.
Plus you need to explain why you will be absent for while to the Akatsuki.
Yes… wait…I have a question… how did you know about my conversation with my father if you were asleep?
Well, I was able to see a few memories from your mindscape but I wasn't able to see anything outside.
Oh, ok. Kurama…
Yes?
Thank you.
Hmm?
For saving my life.
Hn.
Lets get back.
Alright.
Naruto opened his eyes, and blinked a few times to clear the haze. He had no idea how long he had been talking to Kurama for, but it had to have a while since the candles had gone down quiet a bit. He tried to stand but found himself quiet stiff. He stretched then made his way over to the candles to blow them out.
Naruto made his way out of the base and headed out with his reunited friend.