The Takeover

by sinisteruto

What if Haku, Zabuza, Minato, and Kushina had a much more profound impact on Naruto as a shinobi than they did in canon? What if Naruto realized early what a waste of time his training trip with Jiraiya was and took matters into his own hands? What if Naruto stuck to his original plan of taking it over, not to prove himself or make everyone love him, but for his own ambitions?

4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other series I might use for inspiration.

Reviews:

NarutoManiac2400: Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

jmabin121104: I hope this was soon enough.

ethan.lukkar: Thank you. I hope I continue to impress.

YeagerMeister31: I feel like the Akatsuki had insane potential that Kishi didn't fully explore. Kakuzu and Sasori in particular were extremely powerful but died in copout, obviously plot driven ways as opposed to being legitimately defeated. Hidan had mad potential too but was nerfed and so did Zetsu, I mean he is freaking mokuton incarnate. I intend to showcase the full power and potential of the Akatsuki, and with Hidan in particular I might add more variety to his jutsu arsenal.

Crzycommunism: Thank you for the advice. I will take it into serious consideration in the future. I might not agree with everything you said but I don't disagree with everything either. Thanks again.

Izanagi-MS: I have been hearing that a lot. It's a hard one for me. Because when I read other people's stories, I personally hate stories with short and shallow dialogue where it looks like the author is speeding through the story to get to the next scene or the next arc. The stories I have enjoyed the most like scorpion's disciple and consequences of an honest enemy' all had in depth dialogues and deep exposition into each character's thoughts and motivations.

I wouldn't dare say I'm anywhere near the level of those authors, because I'm not, but I was inspired by them and I like the kind of story with those kinds of features. It will be extremely hard for me as a result to change my writting style, especially when changing it doesn't even feel like the right move.

Ariadne Venegas: Anko is in quite a precarious situation. I think the bigger question, or at least just as big, is how the hell Tsunade will explain the situation to the villagers, because it was only three years ago that they were terrorized by Orochimaru's invasion and there were giant snake summons everywhere.

Primarx: My pleasure.

Oxy27: I'm not sure you realize how big the Buddha Statue is. No way it fits into that cave they were fighting in. It's bigger than Manda, and Manda is damn huge. Although I suppose theoretically Naruto could maybe make a smaller version if he tried, but he might have not tried a smaller one yet since the jutsu, by design, appears to have been made for fighting boss level summons and bijuu.

As for wanking Sasori, I don't think that's necessarily it. I just haven't had Naruto fight other Akatsuki members yet in any of my stories, so you don't actually know how I would write them in battles against Naruto.

Tsuki katsureta: Thank you. I feel that Sasori is a shinobi to the core and fully embodies the principles and philosophies of what it takes to be a successful shinobi. With Naruto learning from Haku and especially Zabuza, and having Minato pass on his knowledge to him from inside the seal, I felt that he would have an appreciation for Sasori's talents and abilities, even if he was ultimately in disagreement with Sasori's choices as a person.

dbtiger63: Thank you. I just wana give props to you and to show my appreciation. You are always reviewing and giving me encouragement to continue my stories. You are one of the first readers I worry about when I have writers block or am too busy with life to post an update. You are one of the reasons I am able to push through it all and produce a chapter even if it has been a long time. I just want you to know that even if I am not always able to respond to your reviews, each and everyone is read and each and everyone of them gives me joy and motivation.

SPark681: Yes he killed him. He may have developed a soft spot for Sasori but he isn't naïve enough not to recognize what a dangerous foe Sasori could be if left alive, especially with his unwavering loyalties to Akatsuki.

Binge Reader: Lol, I genuinely cannot tell if you meant that as criticism or praise.

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thank you. Lets hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Guest: Indeed. True warriors, genuinely trying to kill each other but honorable enough to acknowledge one another's skills and discipline. Glad you enjoyed the battle.

HyperA2019: Well, scroll down and enjoy kind sir.

Alexander4443: Thank you very much. Hope you enjoy chapter 4 as well.

Volcasiron30: Yes, Tsunade is going to have a major political headache trying to deal with the backlash from this incident. Even if Anko turns out to be 'innocent', ultimately, her actions were extremely dangerous and the villagers might still be traumatized by Oro's invasion.

Aftermath

"You called for us, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said warily, wanting nothing more than to run away to the other side of the elemental nations right now, all because of the scathing look that the Godaime Hokage was giving him.

He and Naruto had been summoned to the Hokage's office, and given the urgency and hostility with which the ANBU had summoned him, Kakashi knew that Anko's actions were somehow going to fall on his shoulders, after all, he was the team captain and as such, although he never asked Anko to summon Manda, it wasn't out of the question that Tsunade might want an explanation from him more than anyone not named Mitarashi Anko.

"What the hell happened Kakashi? How could you allow her to summon Manda of all people…of all snakes smack in the middle of the village? Do you have any idea the untold horrors that thing is capable of? If you think Orochimaru is evil, well, I have news for you. Orochimaru might as well be a nice guy compared to God damn Manda!" Tsunade exclaimed angrily.

"G-Godaime-sama, I….I had no idea she even had the ability to summon him. I don't know what she was thinking. Forgive me, but I'm as clueless as you are on the matter. Please remember that this was her first day as a member of my team. I have no idea what motivated her to do such a thing." Kakashi said carefully but clearly and concisely, wanting to make sure that there was no misunderstanding whatsoever about his position on the matter.

"……."

"Why do you think she did it?" Tsunade finally asked, releasing a long, tired, and exasperated sigh, unable to deny to herself that Kakashi made a damn good argument, which meant that she, at least at the moment, did not have an outlet for her anger.

"I cannot think of any particular logical reason to do such a thing, unless she's a traitor…" Kakashi trailed off gravely.

"She's not a traitor." Naruto spoke for the very first time, catching both Tsunade and Kakashi off guard with not only his declaration, but at how confident he sounded in it.

"At least, that's not why she summoned Manda." Naruto added.

"Oh, and why is that?" Tsunade asked incredulously.

"I….." Naruto trailed off, a little wary not only about revealing his secret but also at Tsunade's reaction to it seeing as he hadn't told her about it when she asked him about his abilities the previous day.

"What? Spill it out God damn it!" Tsunade demanded impatiently.

"I….I can sense negative emotions, all emotions actually, but especially negative emotions. It's one of my sensory abilities." Naruto said warily.

"What! Naruto, I vividly remember asking you about your abilities yesterday, why didn't you tell me about this, if it is even true?" Tsunade asked furiously.

"A ninja never reveals all of their secrets. That's what I was taught." Naruto replied, Kakashi sweating nervously as he couldn't believe that Naruto, again, was using his own words against him, the situation not made better at all by the look that Tsunade gave him after Naruto's response, Tsunade automatically assuming, correctly, that Kakashi was the source of those little words of wisdom.

"Is there any other secret ability you wish to tell me about?" Tsunade asked with venom on her tongue, giving him a look like she was daring Naruto to lie to her face again.

"No, Hokage-sama. There isn't." Naruto deadpanned, internally smirking at Tsunade's folly. After all, she didn't ask if he was hiding any other secret abilities from her, she asked if there were any other secret abilities that he wanted to tell her about. As far as he was aware, there weren't any other secret abilities that he wanted to talk to her about, which meant that his answer was objectively not a lie.

"……."

"What did you sense from her, with your so called emotion sensing abilities?" Tsunade asked finally, after subjecting Naruto to a very long and uncomfortable staring contest.

"Fear. She was scared when I turned my eyes on her, or at least her shadow clones was. And then surprise, shock, and confusion after she summoned Manda, followed by fear again when she fell off his head and realized that she was about to be eaten." Naruto explained calmly.

"That makes it sound like she unintentionally summoned Manda. How the hell does someone unintentionally summon Manda of all people? Do you know how much chakra it takes to summon Manda?" Tsunade asked incredulously.

"More or less the amount it takes to summon Gamabunta-dono." Naruto deadpanned.

"Exactly! It takes a ridiculous amount of chakra. Which goes back to my question!" Tsunade said incredulously.

"Do you think it is possible that someone was controlling her?" Kakashi asked gravely.

"I don't know, I wasn't there God damn it! The two of you were! What do you think?" Tsunade said in frustration.

"If Kakashi-sensei didn't see any indication of her being controlled with his sharingan, and I didn't sense anything with my sensory abilities, then it is very unlikely that she was being controlled. I think that she was scared and intimidated after I took out Sakura. I think she didn't see any other way for her and Kakashi-sensei to win except to summon a boss level summon. I don't think she intended or expected to summon Manda himself. We have three boss level summons in Mt Myoboku, I think it is safe to say that they have more than Manda at the Ryuchi Cave of the snake summons, I mean, we saw a three headed one attack the village three years ago." Naruto explained patiently.

'Anko is going to owe me big time after this if she manages to get away without a jail sentence.' Naruto thought.

"……"

"Fine! Whatever! I'll have Yamanaka Inoichi interrogate her. Your testimony is the only reason I'm even giving her a chance and not sending her straight to a black site and making her disappear forever. Mistake or not, she risked the entire Konoha with that little stunt, and by little stunt I mean big horrible stunt! If she does anything like this again, I'm holding both of you accountable!" Tsunade said angrily.

"M-me? Tsunade-sama, I…." Kakashi trailed off, wanting nothing more than to point out that it was Naruto vouching for Anko and not him but then remembering his own words before he could.

Those who betray the village are trash, but those who betray their comrades are worse than trash.

'Damn it!' Kakashi thought in frustration.

"What? Spit it out damn it I don't have all day!" Tsunade said angrily.

"N-nothing. Please, Godaime-sama, forget I said anything." Kakashi said with resignation.

"……"

"Naruto, what the hell was that thing you used on Manda? And what the hell did you do to Sakura? She's in critical condition because of you! You practically destroyed her liver!" Tsunade said furiously.

"Ahem, Tsunade-sama, Sakura is dangerous. She has your super strength. Holding back was not an option, especially when I still had two other elite jonin to deal with. I tried by all means to defeat her without killing her though, which it seems I succeeded." Naruto replied almost like he had rehearsed the whole speech, which almost sent Tsunade over the edge if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to believe that Naruto could control his emotions better than her, at the very least, she didn't want to lose to someone young enough to be her son in that department.

"You've changed. The Naruto I knew would never have hurt Sakura the way you did." Tsunade said with disappointment.

"True. But you have to understand Tsunade-sama, I was basically her cup holder, her little pet craving her attention, her little pet that would do anything for her no matter how absurd or demeaning. Because of this, she developed a spoilt, obnoxious, controlling, and superior personality complex towards me. Not to take any accountability from her, because everyone is responsible for their own actions, but in that same breath, I was responsible for allowing her to treat me like that. I basically begged her to…"

"So now you're punishing her for it?" Tsunade asked with displeasure.

"No, I'm disciplining her. Understand this, in her mind, I'm inferior to her and she cannot believe that I have the nerve to defy her. I spent years unintentionally conditioning her to treat me this way. Of course, I'm not that boy anymore, so now it is my responsibility to recondition her to understand that I'm my own man, with my own personality, my own dignity, and my own respect. I'm not trying to punish her, I'm just treating her like I would anyone else. She attacked me with deadly force, and I attacked her with…not deadly but aggressive force. It might take time, but eventually, she will realize that I'm not someone to be trifled with." Naruto replied honestly, Tsunade not knowing whether to respect Naruto, fear Naruto, or beat the shit out of him, eventually deciding that this whole Naruto/Sakura situation was just too much bull shit for her.

"It was a team sparring match, so I can't do anything about it. Ninja techniques and abilities, by nature, are deadly techniques, so it's not actually a surprise that sometimes people end up in the hospital. It actually happens a lot. Doesn't mean I'm happy about any of this though…" Tsunade said with a threatening undertone, not knowing which side to take between her surrogate son and her surrogate daughter.

In a perfect world Naruto and Sakura would get along. In fact, they would fall in love, get married, and give her lots of grand children. Part of the reason she even accepted Sakura as her apprentice was because she had thought she was grooming Naruto's future wife. However, Naruto came back married to two women and didn't seem to give a rat's ass about Sakura, and Sakura, despite everything, was still obsessed with the spoilt Uchiha deserter. This whole thing was just a big fat reminder to her that she was living in the furthest thing away from a perfect world.

"…..the gigantic chakra Buddha Statue, what the hell was that Naruto? When and how did you learn to do such a thing?" Tsunade asked incredulously.

"I….trained. I mean, how else does someone develop new techniques?" Naruto asked rhetorically, a tick mark appearing on Tsunade's forehead as her rage began to boil, Naruto however not giving her a chance to explode as he continued speaking before she could say or do anything.

"Rasengan is said to be the pinnacle of chakra shape manipulation right? I'm a master rasengan user with a nigh unlimited chakra reserve, plus, the Hiraishin no Ken's abilities are based on high level chakra and elemental manipulation. One plus one plus one is equal to three, or in this case, it's equal to the Buddha Statue." Naruto replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"……"

"Honestly, Naruto, your growth rate has been insane. It's hard to believe how powerful and competent you have become over just three years. However, if the purpose of the training trip was to prepare you for Akatsuki, then I have to say that it has been a monumental success. You've done well for yourself, Naruto. At least I can rest a little easier knowing that you can handle yourself, though if I were you, I wouldn't take anything for granted. No one, no matter how powerful, is invincible. The Hokage Monument should tell you as such. All four of my predecessors died in battle despite their power and experience. Stay vigilant, Naruto." Tsunade said with concern and an air of caution.

"Thank you for your kind words, Tsunade-baa-chan. Your words have reached my heart and I have fortified my mind with them." Naruto replied sincerely.

"Good. You're dismissed. I would like to have some words with your sensei…in private." Tsunade said firmly.

"As you command, Hokage-sama." Naruto bowed respectfully before disappearing with a shunshin technique.

"So, what do you think?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi asked, not sure exactly what the nature of the question was.

"What is your assessment of Naruto's abilities? We already knew he was strong enough to go toe to toe with the Five Kage, but today, he showed a completely different but equally dangerous skill set to the one we knew about, in fact, given how big and how powerful his lightning Buddha showed itself to be, I would argue he showed much greater power today than he did against Lord Raikage. So, what is your assessment? I want to know your true feelings. Is he ready to succeed me as Hokage? Is he strong enough to survive the no doubt soon to be coming Akatsuki onslaught? And….is he, in your opinion, the strongest ninja in the village?" Tsunade asked curiously, Kakashi deciding to take the time to seriously consider the question as he didn't want to give an inadequate answer.

"….."

"I cannot say for sure. I do not know yours or Jiraiya's-sama's true ceiling, and then of course there is Gai to consider. His power is only temporary, but when he opens the seventh gate, he is….terrifying, to say the least. Also, power without skill and strategic intellect is meaningless in the shinobi world." Kakashi began, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing.

"However, having said all of that, I do believe he has the most firepower without much of a doubt, even without the power of the Kyubi. When you factor Kyubi's power in, then it's really no longer in question. He also has a highly versatile arsenal from what I have seen, and I have a hunch that he hasn't shown us everything yet. He might possibly be the most versatile ninja in the village too, even more than Jiraiya-sama and I." Kakashi continued, hoping that Tsunade found his answer to be satisfactory.

"I cannot say if he is ready to succeed you. Being Hokage is not just about having individual strength, you also need to be able to co ordinate an entire army in battle. You need to have a good head for team strategy and battle tactics, and you also need to have won the love and admiration of the people. The people do not know about any of Naruto's feats. Naruto doesn't seem particularly keen on teamwork. He seems to, his wives notwithstanding, prefer to fight alone. I'm also not yet satisfied that he can even be trusted given the shroud of secrecy around him, his abilities, and his activities over the last three years. That is the gist of my thoughts, Godaime-sama." Kakashi concluded his explanation.

"Most of what you said, I agree with. However, didn't Naruto fight and defeat Shukaku and his jinchuuriki in the war between Konoha and the Suna-Oto Alliance three years ago? Surely the people remember that?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but he and Gamabunta-sama used a combination transformation technique in that battle. They turned into the nine tailed fox. The people believe that Naruto transformed into the fox itself to fight Shukaku, some even believe he and Shukaku collaborated to destroy the village, all of the latter being civilians of course." Kakashi replied.

"So the civilian council have convinced the people that Naruto transformed into the fox in order to re-enact what happened sixteen years ago? Those stupid assholes!" Tsunade thought as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"……"

"Okay, that's fine. Naruto will have many chances to prove himself I'm sure. In fact….." Tsunade trailed off as a light bulb went on in her head.

"What are you thinking, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"It's a risky gambit, but I was thinking, maybe all the shinobi and civilians of the village should get to see Naruto, Tayuya, and Fu's battle against Lord Raikage and his elite guard. I mean, why not? All of the Kumo shinobi and civilians saw the battles, so why can't the same happen for Konoha? Surely that would earn Naruto and his wives a heck of a lot more credit within both the civilian and shinobi ranks of Konoha. At least no one would be surprised when he is named Hokage after seeing what he can do." Tsunade said with a confident smirk on her facial features.

"I don't know. No offense, Hokage-sama, but they call you the legendary sucker for a reason. You don't do well with gambling, and this would be a very big gamble." Kakashi said warily.

"Only when I gamble with money. Every time I have bet on myself or on Naruto, I have enjoyed success." Tsunade said confidently.

"There are still some other issues. I'm concerned about Naruto's ability to protect others. He's a great fighter, but what about teamwork, what about the destructive nature of his abilities? Can he fight an enemy while protecting the village from harm, both from his own and the enemy's abilities?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"Tell me, Kakashi, how was his teamwork before he left the village on his training trip?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"It…it was actually very good, surprisingly good, especially in the most dire circumstances." Kakashi replied.

"Then we have nothing to worry about. If his teamwork was good when he was mostly incompetent as a ninja, then it cannot be any worse than it was back then now that he is a highly competent ninja. When it is required, he will use that skill. Also, if he could protect the village from Shukaku as a genin without causing any harm and destruction to the village and its inhabitants, than I'm pretty sure he can do it far better now, after all, according to you, he is arguably the most versatile ninja in the village." Tsunade said with confidence and self assurance, Kakashi realizing right then and there that nothing anyone said was going to change her mind.

"If I may ask, Godaime-sama, are you planning to step down any time soon?" Kakashi asked warily.

"Of course not. I still have a few years in me. However, I have to prepare the seat for Naruto. That was after all, the initial reason for my return, to hold the position until Naruto was ready to ascend. I came back because I believed in him. That hasn't changed." Tsunade said with unwavering confidence.

"….."

"I see. By your leave then, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said as he bowed respectfully.

"You may go. Thank you once again for your input." Tsunade said as Kakashi bowed one more time before leaving the office.

Border of Suna and the Land of Rivers:

'Wow! That's a very big explosion! That's freaking big enough to destroy a hidden village! Is this the same jutsu he used to defeat Gaara?' Naruto thought with a little concern, concerned because of the fact that he was sure that Fu-chan was caught smack at the center of that explosion, after all, he had sensed her chakra right next to where the explosion originated.

'Wait! Something's moving underground! Wow, that's insanely fast. Is he riding some kind of underground clay creature? No, he must be inside of it. It would explain why I can't sense him but can sense his jutsu. I can't believe that explosion release guy managed to escape! Damn it!' Naruto thought in a little bit of frustration, wanting nothing more than to go after the explosive Akatsuki fiend and finish him off but right now too concerned about Fu-chan to worry about anything else except to make sure she was okay.

'That totally goes against the shinobi code. I should be prioritizing the mission, but screw that! Fu-chan comes first!' Naruto thought as he increased his flying speed until he had reached the battlefield, arriving at the center of where the explosion originated with a sonic boom, unable to sense if Fu was alive or not because the entire area was saturated with the explosive release guy's chakra.

"Fu-chan!" Naruto shouted, trying to see passed the smoke and debris.

"Naruto-kun is that you? I'm here! Don't worry about me, I'm safe!" Fu shouted, Naruto releasing a huge sigh of relief as he flew closer to where the sound was coming from, surprised to see Fu trapped inside her own particle release: atomic dismantling jutsu, a cube like, three dimensional, transparent chakra construct.

"Hey uh…Fu-chan, you wouldn't be having any suicidal thoughts would you? Because you know, you can talk to me about it. You don't have to do this." Naruto said gently.

"Psshwhat? Hahahaha! Wait…oh…you mean….?" Fu trailed off as a light bulb lit up in her head, realizing how her current situation might look like to someone who knew about how the particle release works.

"Hehehe! No silly I'm not suicidal." Fu laughed heartily.

"That damn Deidara actually helped me come up with a new jutsu on the spot, at least, a different application of my jutsu. You see, this cube, as you know, disintegrates everything trapped inside of it. However, by reversing that application and channeling it outward, I made it that the jutsu disintegrates anything touching the cube or coming towards the cube from the outside." Fu said excitedly.

"You turned a previously offensive jutsu into a defensive barrier ninjutsu in the heat of the moment? And I thought I was a ninjutsu genius. You're amazing, Fu-chan!" Naruto said with childlike awe, looking at Fu and her jutsu with stars in his eyes, like a toddler who just received his first Christmas present.

"Thank you Naruto-kun. That means a lot coming from a genius like you." Fu said with genuine, unfiltered joy and bashfulness, a small blush appearing on her facial features.

"Yeah uh…by the way, how did you end up getting caught in that explosion?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Deidara substituted himself with an explosive clay clone….I think. I don't actually believe he would just off himself like that. I do not believe I had pushed him that far back into a corner yet. Plus, I sensed something underneath the sand, felt like his chakra." Fu replied, Naruto nodding his head in understanding, after all, Fu was echoing his thoughts on the matter almost word for word.

"Okay so how did you find out his name?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I asked him, duh." Fu deadpanned, Naruto rolling his eyes in response.

"Ha…ha…ha. Just shut up and come here so that you can give your husband a big, warm hug." Naruto said lovingly, thanking the Gods that his wife was alive and fine.

"Kay!" Fu exclaimed, cancelling her atomic dismantling barrier as she flew fast, hard and recklessly into Naruto, not caring at all about potentially hurting him as she knew his body can take it.

"I'm glad you're safe, Fu-chan. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you. I love you." Naruto said passionately, holding his wife tightly in his arms as he poured his heart out to her.

"I love you too, and so much more Naruto-kun. You are my sunshine and my everything. I will never leave you, I promise. Please don't ever leave me, okay?" Fu said passionately.

"Never"

Back In Suna:

"So why don't you tell me what the fuck is your problem, Kazekage-teme?" Tayuya asked angrily, both Chiyo and Ebisu holding their teeth at not only the girl's language, but at whom it was directed to, knowing very well how dangerous and unstable the jinchuuriki of Shukaku could be.

Sure, they had heard nothing but good things about him in the last two years, ever since he somehow became Kazekage. However, they had been under the assumption that he had taken the village over by force or at least intimidation, and that people only spoke kindly about him because they were too afraid of what he might do to them if they somehow earned his ire.

So far, they had seen a completely different Gaara to the one they knew growing up. He was calm, calculated, and unnaturally patient, in a way that was scary in itself, a different kind of scary to the crazed maniac he was before, but scary nonetheless. However, they could see that the people around him did not fear him at all, but instead, admired and respected him…loved him even.

To say it was a jarring experience would be an understatement, but at the same time, it was a surprisingly good experience. They had a lot of regrets and heartache about Gaara's upbringing as a shinobi, in fact, they had regret about his upbringing as a person period, after all, they, especially Chiyo, were heavily involved in the decision to seal Shukaku into Gaara, and then, instead of taking responsibility for what they had done, they had isolated themselves from the village and refused to involve themselves in any happenings inside the village, essentially running away like cowards.

"I do not take your meaning." Gaara deadpanned.

He had a relatively quiet and calm return to the village, because after all, the masses did not even know about his return. In fact, most of the shinobi force itself did not know about his return, only a select few people having been made aware.

It had been Tayuya's suggestion that the ANBU silently and discretely escort them back to the Kazekage Tower. She believed that the people would celebrate and relax when they heard the good news, whereas now was the time to be vigilant and cautious in case of a second phase attack from Akatsuki.

To that effect, she had summoned her three Doki and her chamelion summons that Naruto had gotten for her from a previous mission, and had them patrol the village borders of the village after getting information about the border patrol routes and protocols from the Kazekage.

Gaara had been, quite honestly surprised by her forcefulness, and to some extent, had felt like she had essentially hijacked the Kazekage position from him. He also didn't trust her at all, after all, whether she knew it or not, he was fully aware of who she was, after all, his sister had bragged about saving that lazy Nara bastard from the crazy psycho sound bitch for a whole month after the incident three years ago, so much so that Gaara could never forget her.

He didn't understand however how she was even alive, much less how she was now a Konoha jonin and according to her, Naruto's wife. He had no doubt that she was a Konoha jonin because not only was she wearing the Konoha forehead protector, but she was also clearly on good terms with Naruto. However, hell would freeze over before he believed she was Naruto's wife, not until Naruto confirms it himself at least. And even then, it would take some measure of time he was sure before he could truly accept it.

"Don't take my meaning my foot! You've been staring at me like I'm going to slit your brother's throat or something! I'm the one who saved your ass and took you back home remember? Why the fuck would I kill your weird doll loving brother now, huh? Teme?" Tayuya asked defensively, and quite rudely if one might say.

She had her chakra chains out and formed a barrier around Kankuro, with Kankuro floating inside the barrier as his entire body was immersed in green medical chakra. However, that wasn't all that was happening, as the poison inside of him seemed to be seeping out of his pores and began forming a mass of liquid inside a bubble like barrier, also within the chain barrier.

It was an incredible medical technique, unlike anything anyone in the room had seen, and between Baki, Yura, Chiyo, Ebisu, and the Kazekage himself, they had enough experience to have seen many things in the shinobi world.

Tayuya had explained that this jutsu could only be used by someone with the Uzumaki bloodline limit, and that Naruto had taught it to her. Chiyo and Ebisu didn't know who this Naruto was, but given the surprise Yura, Baki, and even Gaara had at the mention of Naruto, she imagined that this Naruto person wasn't particularly known for his medical prowess.

Upon asking Baki about it, he had explained that Naruto was the first person to ever defeat Gaara and that he was the jinchuuriki of the nine tails. He also explained that Naruto was the reason for Gaara's change of heart, the reason Gaara decided to be Hokage and protect the village to atone for his past actions. Hearing all of that, Chiyo couldn't wait to meet this strange jinchuuriki, especially since Baki explained that he had thought Naruto to be a talentless idiot the first time he saw him fight.

How could such a guy have defeated Gaara, who, alone, had defeated platoons of ANBU and Jonin who were specially trained to kill him? How could he have developed such a unique medical technique that could heal injuries and remove toxins that even she couldn't remove? It was just unfathomable. These were the thoughts running through Chiyo's mind before she was interrupted by the Kazekage's calm and emotion deficient voice.

"……"

"You're a former Orochimaru loyalist and extremist. You were one of his elite and most trusted." Gaara said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you were a crazed psycho killing maniac, remember? You remember that right, or has killing random people on whim made you senile in your young age?" Tayuya asked incredulously.

"You're implying that I am a hypocrite." Gaara said thoughtfully.

"Oh I'm not implying it." Tayuya retorted, Gaara taking that to mean that it wasn't a theory or suggestion, but rather a matter of fact, at least from her perspective.

"You…might be correct." Gaara grudgingly admitted, not willing to lie to himself, not that he would be able to even if he tried, it was just not in his nature to do that. Besides, he spent so much time listening to Shukaku insult him and throwing harsh truths at him growing up that he had become accustomed to it.

"You know damn well I am! Listen, I don't like the things I did in that snake bastard's name no more than you like the things you did because of your fucked up situation. However, we both care about dip shit. He saved us both from our hell and our own darkness. So let us at least try to get along. I'm his wife, and he sees you as a brother. That makes us brother and sister in law. He wouldn't like it if he found out we were not getting along." Tayuya said, surprisingly without cursing at all, well except for the part where she referred to her husband as a dip shit.

"That is fair, I suppose. However, what of your feelings about my sister? If I am your brother in law, she is your sister in law. She not only defeated you three years ago, but from what I understand, she humiliated you. That can, I imagine, cause some uncomfortable feelings." Gaara asked gravely.

"Your sister….fuck, that bitch! I…fuck! Okay, I kind of hate her. However, I'm willing to work on our relationship. I saw how much Dip shit values her in his life when we were in Konoha. She's important to him. I also saw how she stood up for him with no hesitation. She's the real deal. I can't justify hating her anymore. Besides, I don't care anymore how our battle went three years ago, because I know, without a shadow of doubt, it would go the opposite way if we fought again. So, it's cool, I guess." Tayuya said grudgingly.

"….."

"I accept your feelings. Let us get along from here on out." Gaara said eventually, causing everyone to release a breathe they didn't even know they were holding.

Later: Konoha Prison Medical Wing

"Yo, crazy snake lady. You really lived up to your name today you know. You truly are the Crazy Snake Lady of Konoha." Naruto said as he entered Anko's secure medical ward, after handing over to the guards a scroll from Tsunade granting him permission to visit Anko.

"Fuck off, foxy brat! I've been shouted at and lambasted enough for one day." Anko said with a hoarse voice, as if she had spent the whole day screaming at the top of her lungs.

"You look and sound like hell. That chakra exhaustion is quite a pain in the ass huh? Not that I would know anything about it." Naruto said as he sat on the single chair that was next to Anko, after propping his sword up against the wall of course.

"What do you want? I feel shitty enough about what happened without having to have you throwing it at my face." Anko said irritably.

"Is that an apology? If it is, it's a very crappy one." Naruto retorted.

"What do you want? You want me to go down on my knees and suck your cock until you cum in my mouth? Or would you rather I go down on my knees, give you my back, and let you mount me like a stallion?" Anko retorted.

"I would have taken your offer in a heartbeat if I was still single. A chance to mount the crazy and sexy Mitarashi Anko? Who would say no to that?" Naruto replied as he imagined the whole scenario in is mind, a dreamy look appearing in his eyes before quickly shaking his head to get rid of the images.

"I always knew you were destined to be a nasty, depraved bastard." Anko said, shaking her head in dismay at how she just couldn't manage to off put Naruto no matter how much she tried.

"I am the nine tailed demon fox after all." Naruto said amusedly.

"And I am the Crazy Snake Lady." Anko replied with an involuntary smile.

"Exactly." Naruto smiled warmly, a comfortable silence settling between the two pariahs of the village.

"….."

"I'm sorry Naruto. I wasn't trying to kill you or destroy the village. There are other boss level summons for the snake contract. The one I was trying to summon is called Garaga. I only summoned him several times before, before he became a boss level. Based on a snake summon's growth rate, I predicted he would be a boss summon by now. It was a long time ago when last I summoned him. He was very co-operative with me despite potentially risking the ire of Manda by doing so. Manda won't allow me to summon the hire tier snakes. He says I'm too weak and I'm a disgrace to his clan." Anko apologized sincerely.

"Apology accepted, and I already figured out most of what you said. I didn't know about Garaga in particular of course, but he sounds like a cool dude. Honestly, given my bad experiences with snake summons, I thought all of those guys were grade A pricks, with Manda being an S class prick of course." Naruto retorted, causing Anko to laugh at how ridiculous it was for Naruto to actually compile prick rankings for the snake summoning clan.

"You're crazy, crazier than me." Anko said with amusement.

"I've been called worse, and so have you. Nevertheless I'm curious, why summon a boss level? Why not a bunch of smaller snakes. With the chakra you used, you could have summoned five or six house sized snakes. Why go for a large one like that?" Naruto asked curiously.

"The house sized snakes might have been faster than a boss level, and the numbers would have helped. However, I was also concerned about durability. No matter how fast they were, I highly doubt that would have meant anything against your speed. You showed speed and strength comparable to the rasen chakra no yoroi with your hiraishen no ken chakra cloak. I felt that, even if I couldn't match your speed, but if I at least had something big enough and durable enough, it would give you lots of problems. I was also hoping the surprise factor would give Kakashi an opportunity to maybe take you out or incapacitate you with one of his 1000 jutsu." Anko explained, Naruto surprised at just how well thought out her plan of action was.

"You were counting on the size and therefore wide scale range of Garaga's attack to counter against my speed, and his power and durability to counter against my strength. That's quite an impressive strategy Anko-san. Wouldn't have worked though, as you no doubt know by now." Naruto retorted.

"I heard you made quick work of Manda. They wouldn't tell me how though. If it was any of the boss level summons of the toads, they would have told me, and if you had simply defeated Manda with your tai-kenjutsu, then it wouldn't be much of a secret, since I already saw your chakra cloak against Sakura. The only reason to hide anything is if either you used the kyubi to win, or you used some other secret technique. Since I am under suspicion of being a traitor, they would not tell me in order to keep your secret technique from leaking out." Anko replied eloquently.

"I keep forgetting you were…are a torture and interrogation expert. It must have made it difficult for them to interrogate you with you knowing all about torture and interrogation tactics." Naruto pointed out.

"Not really. It's not like I wasn't co operating, nor like I didn't understand why they didn't trust me anymore. Besides, there is no way to stop Inoichi-san from reading your mind when you're completely immobilized, especially when your chakra is suppressed." Anko retorted.

"I see. So when are they letting you back in the team? I mean, we're kinda like the new sannin now aren't we? I'm sure Sakura must have signed the slug contract, or will at some point. I'm a toad summoner, and you're a snake summoner. Our sensei is a master of many jutsu, like the third. We're the nèw legendary sannin. We need our snake summoner to complete the team." Naruto said jovially, Anko looking at Naruto with a surprised facial expression, not having expected the blonde Uzumaki to think that highly of her.

"I…I'm not sannin level. I don't even have the respect of my summoning species and I almost died just summoning Manda." Anko said in frustration.

"Well, you won't be with that attitude. Look, take things one step at a time okay? I said I would fix your curse seal didn't I? That alone should boost your capabilities considerably. Once you've mastered the cursed seal, you'll be able to summon Garaga or whoever you want and still be able to fight at your full potential. Instead of passing out from chakra exhaustion." Naruto said encouragingly.

"You think so?" Anko asked, not really sure she believed she could ever summon a boss level summon again without dying. It was a miracle she was even alive right now.

"I do." Naruto said with conviction.

"….."

"Alright, whatever. I better kick some major ass after all this. I'm putting my faith in you." Anko said, hoping beyond hope that Tsunade would give her another chance to be with team 7, because even if she was set free and allowed to continue as a Konoha jonin, there was no guarantee she would be allowed to return to Naruto's side, not with how over protective Godaime-sama seemed to be when it comes to him.

"Trust me, you'll be awesome." Naruto said with a genuine smile, however not getting the reaction he expected as Anko seemed sad for some reason.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked with concern.

"It's just, you're so much more different from what I expected. When I was briefed about you, I was told your training trip had changed you. That you were cold, distant, and antagonistic."

"However, in the short time I've known you, you've been kinder to me than everyone has ever been to me. Not even Sandaime-sama or my best friend Kurenai have been this kind to me. Earlier you referred to yourself as the nine tailed fox, doesn't that mean that somehow, the hate of the villagers has convinced you that you really are the nine tailed fox? It's just makes me so sad, how people, even some shinobi, cannot tell the difference between a kunai and a scroll. The scroll doesn't turn into a kunai when you seal a kunai into it." Anko said with both anger and sadness.

"That's not true Anko-san. I mean, it is true that the scroll doesn't turn into a kunai when you seal a kunai into it, but that has nothing to do with a jinchuuriki. A jinchuuriki can actually turn into the thing sealed inside of it. I can turn into the fox, and Fu-chan can turn into the demon beetle inside of her. Kazekage-sama can turn into Shukaku too. He did it when I fought him three years ago." Naruto said matter of factly, Anko's eyes widening in surprise as she didn't expect that response at all from Naruto, even more for it to make perfect sense.

"So you're saying the hate of the villagers is justified? That they were right to hate you and treat you like a pariah?" Anko asked, still not believing that was a fair outcome at all, after all, Naruto didn't choose to be a jinchuuriki.

"Of course not. Their hate and scorn is completely underserved, but their fear and concern? Not so underserved. They'd have to be stupid not to fear me. Back then they should have feared me because of what might happen if I lost control and the Kyubi took over my mind and body. Now, they should fear me because I have the entire might of the Kyubi under my full control and at my full disposal. Fearing me was not foolish, but hating me and treating me like scum on the other hand was unbelievably stupid. Kami-sama must have been smiling on them for me to have turned out the way I am, things could have been so..so different." Naruto explained.

"I suppose, in their own twisted way, they trusted Yondaime-sama's seal enough to believe that no matter what they did, the Kyubi could never break free, or from their perspective, the kyubi, which is you, would never be able to unleash its sealed power." Anko retorted amusedly, Naruto chuckling at the irony of it all.

"Thank goodness the Kyubi turned out to be such a nice guy huh?" Naruto retorted, now Anko's turn to laugh at Naruto's retort.

"So, when is the kyubi going to fix or redesign my curse seal like he promised?" Anko asked excitedly.

"As soon as the crazy snake lady is released from jail for good behavior." Naruto retorted, Anko spitting out the water she had just began to drink as she laughed uncontrollably, or would have, had she not started coughing uncontrollably instead.

"It looks like I am not very good for your physical health at the moment. Get well soon Anko-san. I'll see you soon okay." Naruto said gently, getting up, placing his sword on his back again, and making his way out of the med room.

"See you soon, foxy brat!" Anko shouted, or at least tried, her voice too weak and too dry for her to succeed, although Naruto heard her all the same.

That evening: Suna

"Those lights in the sky? What are they?" Kisame asked curiously.

He is a very tall, muscular man who literally looks like a genetically half human/half shark man, spotting blue skin, fin shaped hair, and a pure white, razor sharp set of teeth. On his back is a gigantic sword wrapped up in white bandages and he is wearily the full, standard Akatsuki uniform.

"Celebratory fireworks. It seems that Sunagakure is celebrating the safe return of the Kazekage." Itachi said as he folded his telescope and put it back into his ninja pouch, which was hidden underneath his cloak.

He is a very handsome young man, spotting black long hair styled in a pony tail with two bangs around his face. His normally black eyes were now blood red with three tamoe circulating each eye and he has two tear trough marks running from each eye. He is also wearing the full standard Akatsuki uniform just like his partner, complete with a long, black turtleneck cloak with red clouds on it.

"Hnhnhn! A little premature isn't it?" Kisame laughed amusedly, wondering how Sunagakure will react to their Kage getting kidnapped twice in the span of a few days.

"They wouldn't be celebrating like this if the Kazekage himself did not permit it. Certainly, he must feel confident in the defenses that they have erected around the village." Itachi replied analytically.

"So what's the plan then? Infiltration, demolition? Distract, divide, and conquer?" Kisame asked excitedly.

"None of the above. The village is heavily fortified. From what I could tell, the village is surrounded by hundreds of Uzumaki Naruto's shadow clones and a multitude of toad summonings. Also, there are a couple of other strange summoning monstrosities and if I'm not mistaken, signs of chameleon summonings. Infiltration is impossible, and if Sasori-dono's death and Deidara's defeat is anything to go by, then attacking Sunagakure right now, by any method, would likely amount to a suicide mission." Itachi explained patiently.

"Even for us?" Kisame asked skeptically.

"No one is invincible Kisame-senpei, that goes for us too. Overwhelming power and skill can be defeated with numbers and strategy. Unfamiliarity with the terrain can also play a factor, even for someone like you who can change the terrain at will to a large extent. Not to mention, based on the information we have about Naruto, Tayuya, and Fu, and the Kazekage's own power and terrain advantage, one can comfortably conclude that the enemy is in possession of not only a numbers and tactical advantage, but that they also, like us, have overwhelming power and skill on their side." Itachi replied.

"That's not something one expects to hear from someone who single handedly annihilated the great Uchiha clan." Kisame retorted.

"I had a tactical advantage. My attack happened unexpectedly, and I was already on the inside. We, Kisame-senpei, are on the outside, and our attack is expected." Itachi countered.

"I guess even the Akatsuki has its limitations huh? So it's a retreat then? What do we tell Leader? I hope you're planning to be the one to give him the bad news, because I'd rather go up against these odds then to give Leader the bad news after everything that has already happened." Kisame said with the almost ever present amusement that he seemed to always have in his tone no matter how grave a situation.

"Leader-sama is a powerful man. He can do things on his own that no other people can, which is why he has such high expectations for us. Yet, despite that, Kisame-senpei, Leader is not a man driven by ego or haughtiness. He is a very intelligent and patient man. He will understand our decision." Itachi replied as he turned and began tracking away from Sunagakure, Kisame catching up to him and falling in step with him.

"Why are we going the opposite direction?" Kisame asked confusedly.

"I do not take your meaning." Itachi replied calmly.

"We know where the Kyubi and the Nanabi will be going once they leave Sunagakure. They'll be heading back to Konoha. In which case, wouldn't it be more prudent for us to set up an ambush for them on their way back? That way, we can hit two birds with one stone." Kisame suggested.

"A very good idea, Kisame-senpei. It has one important flaw though. There is an order to capture the tailed beasts. The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path requires that we seal the beasts in order from one to nine. Capturing the nine and seven tails now is therefore not…." Itachi trailed off as he heard Samehada wriggle in excitement, turning around to look at Kisame with an inquisitive stare.

"Someone's approaching very fast, someone with an especially delectable chakra nature. It's the kyubi jinchuuriki." Kisame said as he turned around and faced the direction of Sunagakure again, his right hand on the hilt of Samehada as he braced himself for battle.

"Is he alone?" Itachi asked gravely.

"He is. He has become quite the arrogant little brat now hasn't he? Meeting us out here, dead in the middle of the night, all alone. On that note, our hand is being forced isn't it? Hnhnhn! We have no choice but to capture him now." Kisame laughed amusedly.

"So it seems…" Itachi trailed off as the blonde Uzumaki arrived with a sonic boom, causing a crazy amount of wind and sand to wash over the Akatsuki duo, the blonde Uzumaki flying and stopping at such a great speed that it created a mini hurricane in the area.

"He really can fly after all. What a troublesome ability!" Kisame shouted through the wind storm, covering his eyes with his left hand to protect them from the sand, however not completely as he wanted to keep track of the kyubi's position.

"Indeed." Itachi said, eyes narrowed at the blonde Uzumaki.

"Itachi-dono, Kisame-dono. It's been a while hasn't it?" Naruto said as he slowly descended until he was standing a very short distance from the Akatsuki duo, his guard completely down as it didn't even remotely look like he was ready for battle.

"Good evening Naruto-kun. It is a pleasure to see you again." Itachi greeted politely.

"Samehada and I have missed you dearly. Rarely do we ever get a taste of as sweet a delicacy as your chakra." Kisame said amusedly.

"Well you won't be getting any of that today unfortunately. I'm not here to fight, besides, I'm just a shadow clone." Naruto said with his hands in his pockets, not a shred of concern whatsoever in neither his demeanor or his tone of voice.

"How did you find us Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked curiously.

"I sensed your presence. Not many people have the amount of chakra your friend here has, and not many have chakra as potent as yours, although I must say, based on your chakra and life force, it doesn't feel like you're all that healthy Itachi-san. Are you terminally ill? Is it possible that I won't even have to lift a finger to dispose of you?" Naruto asked curiously, and also with quite a bit of relief really, although there was no way he was going to underestimate the rogue Uchiha, terminally ill or not.

"Is this true, Itachi-san?" Kisame asked, eyes wide in surprise, after all, not only was he, along with Samehada, a sensor type, but he was also Itachi's colleague and work partner. How was it even possible that he hadn't discovered that his partner was terminally ill and yet the kyubi brat, no, actually, not even him, but his clone, had figured it out with just a mere glance.

"……."

"Itachi-san…"

"Do not believe everything you hear, Kisame-senpei, especially coming from an enemy." Itachi replied, calm as a cucumber, even though he was actually feeling extremely nervous right now as Naruto was threatening to expose one of his most closely kept secrets.

"Tell you what Itachi-dono, if you kill Kisame-dono now, or even later, so long as you can provide proof of the kill, then I will cure your illness. I promise." Naruto said diabolically, Kisame's eyes widening in surprise before narrowing again in both displeasure and concentration, keeping his attention on both Naruto and Itachi now, after all, this was the man who killed his own relatives, he would be a fool to believe that their friendship meant more to Itachi than his own mother, father, uncles, aunts, and cousins did.

"Akatsuki does not tolerate betrayal. What would be the point of me betraying my comrades if it meant they would hunt me down and kill me? If I'm going to die anyway, why not die serving our cause?" Itachi retorted.

"Funny, because Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki and he is very much alive. If Orochimaru, whom you defeated, can survive Akatsuki, I'm quite certain that so can you." Naruto retorted.

"……."

"Tell me Naruto-kun, you're a powerful and skilled shinobi aren't you? You singlehandedly defeated Sasori-dono, and you held off the Yondaime Raikage. Your wives, as we are told they are, have achieved similar feats. Why not kill both Kisame and I yourselves? Why go this round about route?" Itachi asked curiously.

"Your boss, Uchiha Madara, has the ability to teleport to any location in the world. If we leave the village now to fight you here, miles and miles outside of the village, who is to say he wouldn't teleport himself or any number of Akatsuki into the village while we're away and cause untold amounts of death and destruction, while capturing Lord Kazekage along the way?" Naruto asked rhetorically, the surprised reaction he got from Itachi and Kisame telling him not everything he needed to know, but a lot nonetheless.

"Assuming that Madara is alive, and has high level space-time ninjutsu to that effect, what makes you think he won't do that anyway when you return to Konoha?" Itachi countered, successfully avoiding any direct confirmation of whether Madara was alive or not, or at least, of whether he knew of Madara being alive or not.

"That won't be as much of a problem as you think. I've made contingencies for just such a scenario. Besides, Lord Kazekage didn't become a bum over night. Deidara had a tactical and stylistic advantage, that's all. That will be remedied by the time the next wave comes, believe it." Naruto replied.

The contingencies he was referring to, of course, was the fact that Kankuro was now in possession of both the puppet of the Sandaime Kazekage and that of Sasori himself. Naruto knew that those two gifts wouldn't automagically make Kankuro an S tier ninja overnight, but with enough training and enough preparation, it could be achieved within two weeks at the earliest, a month at the latest. The power was in his possession, all Kankuro needed to do was to get used to using it and to develop battle plans and battle tactics for it.

That could be achieved with either sparring another S tier ninja or two, or sparring a large number of elite jonin consecutively or simultaneously, and to do it consistently. Naruto also felt that, because Kankuro had seen Gaara use sand jutsu for years and had likely been Gaara's sparring partner many times over the last two or three years, that Kankuro would, theoretically, find it easy to master the Sandaime Kazekage.

The other contingency, of course, was to have Tayuya's chameleon summons discreetly watch over the village and reverse summon her if the village was attacked. Her chameleons were more suited for the task than the toads, because toads don't do well at all in dry landscapes like the desert. They couldn't stay here for an extended period of time, and of course, they didn't have the ability to become invisible like the chameleons.

He also was planning to get the Kazekage to accept his jinchuuriki status, by that meaning that he was planning to get the Kazekage to master his jinchuuriki powers. It wouldn't guarantee victory, after all, Akatsuki are S tier shinobi who likely spent years preparing specifically to do combat against a jinchuuriki, but it certainly would diversify his skill set and allow him access to more raw power.

Finally, the hiraishin no jutsu. Naruto, thanks to his shadow clone patrol team that was watching over the village, had already marked every area of the village with his jutsu. For him, aiding Lord Kazekage was going to be the easiest thing in the world, although actually winning against Akatsuki was definitely one of the hardest things in the world, if not thee hardest thing.

"You're quite the troublesome jinchuuriki aren't you?" Kisame said with displeasure.

"Of course. You screwed up when you approached me three years ago. You should not have retreated. It was a grave mistake because the power that you displayed and the fear it put into me gave me a clear goal for me to aim for, and the result, well, one of your own is dead by my hand. That alone says a lot doesn't it?" Naruto asked rhetorically, not giving Itachi or Kisame a chance to reply as he quickly moved to redirect the conversation back to Madara.

"Itachi-san, what is Uchiha Madara to you? I know you have no obligation to answer me honestly, but if you do, I can give you something in return." Naruto asked with a serious tone.

'Most people would have ridiculed me for the mere insinuation that Madara is alive, much less saying it as a matter of fact, but not these two. They also haven't rejected my insinuation that he is the Leader of Akatsuki. They know something.' Naruto thought suspiciously.

"Even if I knew something, what could you possibly do for me that would make me reveal that information?" Itachi asked neutrally.

"It's not something I would do, but rather something I would not do. If you answer my question, I won't tell Sasuke that you're ill. In fact, apart from my wives, I won't tell anyone. It's a fair deal isn't it?" Naruto asked rhetorically, Kisame looking at Itachi with unhidden curiosity as he too wanted to know the answer to Naruto's question.

He knew Madara was alive, of course, how could he not know, when the guy was his best friend and the only one he trusted in the world. However, he had no idea that Madara was the one actually running things in Akatsuki. Sure, it was Madara's suggestion that he join the organization, but he obviously failed to mentioned that he was the founder and leader of Akatsuki, and he certainly failed to mention that he had any relation to Itachi whatsoever apart from blood relation, although to be fair, the last time they met, Kisame hadn't even known who Itachi was.

"I'll tell you if you promise not only to keep my illness a secret, but also that you won't tell anyone about my answer to your question, or about Madara's existence." Itachi replied calmly, Naruto's eyes lighting up as that was basically confirmation that Itachi had some kind of connection to Madara, which meant that Akatsuki had some kind of connection to Madara.

"Fair enough. I promise I won't reveal to anyone, apart from my wives, that you're ill, and I won't reveal Madara's existence or your connection to him to anyone apart from my wives. I also promise not to reveal any of this even to them if they do not swear an oath to me that they will not reveal any of this information." Naruto said, Itachi using his sharingan to assess Naruto's chakra and body language in order to determine if he told any lies, pleased to find that no lies whatsoever appeared to have been told.

"Uchiha Madara is my master, and I am his protégé. He is the one who mentored me into becoming the shinobi and the man I am today. He is also the one who recruited me into Akatsuki, and he was the one I asked to help me to slaughter my kin. He was more than happy to help after the clan's betrayal and banishing of him." Itachi deadpanned.

"I see." Naruto said thoughtfully, satisfied with the answer to his question but a little frustrated because the answer raised so many more questions now.

'Dad told me that Madara was responsible for the Kyubi incident that lead to his and mom's death when I was born, but now I find out that Madara was directly involved in the Uchiha clan massacre and mentored Itachi? Just how many other incidents in Konoha was he involved in? What is his end goal? I can understand hating Konoha, hell, I have many reasons to hate it myself, but why go about it in such a roundabout way?' Naruto thought, confused, however, ultimately, deciding that the only way to get any answers was to get them from the horse's mouth.

"I have another offer for you. Tell me where Madara is right now, and if you cannot or won't do that, then set up a one on one battle between he and I at a location of your choosing, and I'll heal your illness." Naruto offered much to the surprise of both Kisame and Itachi as, of all the possible prepositions Naruto could have offered, they didn't expect something as crazy as this at all.

"Going straight for the head huh? Cut off the head and the rest of the body shall fall? Do you really believe that? Do you believe you are ready for Madara? His powers and abilities are too vast and advanced, so is his knowledge and experience. Why take such a risk?" Itachi asked curiously.

"Why not? If you are not willing to risk death for victory, then you are not worthy of being called a shinobi." Naruto retorted.

"Being a shinobi means the opposite Naruto-kun. Being a shinobi means taking the least risk with the highest reward as much and as often as possible." Itachi countered.

"Not if you're an elite ninja. Elite ninja go on S ranked missions. S rank missions are intrinsically high risk/high reward missions. The low risk/high reward mentality is for low tier shinobi. Take you guys for example, going after the nine jinchuuriki alone or in just two men cells. That's high risk/high reward isn't it?" Naruto retorted.

"I take your meaning Naruto-kun, but my answer is no. If you somehow know about Madara-sama and are prepared to take such a risk, it must mean that you are pretty confident in your ability to defeat him. You must have one special trump card, or a number of them dare I say. Which is why I cannot accept your offer. Madara-sama is a prideful man. He will certainly accept your offer. I will make sure he never hears of this." Itachi retorted.

"Even at the expense of your health?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"Even so." Itachi deadpanned.

'Is he really that loyal to Madara? I mean, he killed his own clan and his own parents, why would he be loyal to someone like Madara then?' Naruto thought confusedly.

"Strange, Itachi-san. I was under the impression that your sole obsession was to become the strongest ninja there is in the world. The words you spoke to Sasuke three years ago implied as much. I thought you wanted him to mature and awaken the mangekyou sharingan so that you can take his eyes. However, what would be the point of that if you died of illness some time after that? For all we know, you could die even before your battle with him. Even if you never die, the way your life force feels right now, you would always be compromised. So why deny yourself such a good deal and opportunity?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"You presume too much Naruto-kun. Everything you said about my so called illness is based on the presumption that I do not have the means to fix the problem myself. That is a rather bold and reckless assumption isn't it?" Itachi countered.

'He's very good. Now that I think about it, apart from the question about Madara, he hasn't actually given me a direct answer to any of the hard questions that I have asked. His answers have only been leading statements to make me assume the meaning behind his words. It's a good way to lie without actually telling a lie. I suppose I should have expected as much form arguably the best genjutsu master in the world.' Naruto thought.

"Alright, I'll back off. For now. Thank you for entertaining me, Itachi-dono, Kisame-dono. Next time we meet, it probably won't be under friendly circumstances. If we meet again, prepare for Mortal Kombat." Naruto said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Kisame-senpei, do you sense any oncoming shinobi?" Itachi quickly asked.

"No, nothing. Why?" Kisame asked curiously.

"It was possible that Naruto-kun was keeping us talking in order to set up an ambush for us. I just wanted to make sure we were safe." Itachi said as he turned around and began walking away, Kisame this time walking in step with him from the get go so that he wouldn't have to catch up to his partner like last time.

"He doesn't seem like the type to do that. He's….he's very direct in his approach." Kisame replied thoughtfully.

"So it seems." Itachi replied, a comfortable silence settling between the two shinobi, even though neither one of them were stupid enough to let their guard down in enemy territory, or around each other for that matter.

"……."

"Tell me, Kisame-senpei, how do you know Madara-sama?" Itachi asked the question that Kisame was dreading.

"He is a former acquaintance." Kisame replied, not bothering to play ignorant as he knew that the fact that Itachi was asking that question was because Itachi had already figured out that he had some sort of connection to Madara, although, without knowing exactly what Madara revealed to Itachi, protégé or no protégé, Kisame was not about to reveal that Madara was the Sandaime Mizukage.

'Should I maybe have shown more surprise and incredulity when the fox brat started name dropping Uchiha Madara?' Kisame thought, wondering what he could have done to prevent any suspicion from coming his way.

"Did you know he was the true leader of Akatsuki?" Itachi asked tensely.

"No, I had absolutely no idea, though in hind sight I should have seen it. Nevertheless, that is hardly the most important question is it? More important than whether I knew or not, is how did the kyubi brat know any of this? Whether it's knowledge of Madara-san's very existence or knowledge of his role in Akatsuki, that is not knowledge that even some of the best spy masters in the world can easily get their hands on." Kisame asked with both confusion and suspicion, but also as a way to get Itachi to stop asking him questions about Madara. He didn't know if Itachi knew that Madara was the real Mizukage or not, but he sure as hell was not going to bring it up if Itachi didn't.

"Naruto-kun is a puzzle that I must admit I am struggling to solve. A very good ninja is hardly ever surprised by anything, because he plans for any and every possible eventuality. However, the number of times Naruto-kun has surprised me over the last three or four years is quite frankly unfathomable. He is not someone to be taken lightly." Itachi said gravely.

"……"

"We really should have captured that little shit three years ago." Kisame said irritably, which is something that was rare for him as he rarely was ever fazed by anything.

"He is not a little shit anymore. He's almost as tall as you now, another surprising development." Itachi retorted.

"All the more reason for me to shave him down with Samehada." Kisame retorted, the duo settling into another moment of silence as they continued their track back to the nearest Akatsuki rendezvous point.

"……"

"Say Itachi-san, that illness of yours, how long exactly have you had it? Why haven't you told me? Why haven't you told leader? With his abilities, he could…"

"You of all people should realize my reasons." Itachi said, cutting off Kisame before he could finish speaking.

"Take for instance you and I. Do you think it is a coincidence we were assigned to the same team? We're both known for killing our friends, family, and comrades without hesitation. I was put in this team to kill you and you to kill me if one of us went out of line. Telling you was obviously the last thing I would ever do." Itachi replied sincerely, Kisame nodding his head in understanding as that seemed to make a lot of sense, especially when he thought about their first meeting, in which he basically told Itachi exactly that, that Itachi should be wary of him more than anyone else.

"Also, I have enemies even within Akatsuki. Orochimaru betrayed us, and me, and tried to capture me and steal my body, Deidara has made it clear that he will take any opportunity he finds to kill me, and his partner, Sasori-dono, like Orochimaru, is someone who wouldn't hesitated to add a powerful bloodline limit like mine to his human puppet arsenal. Who knows who else is after my scalp within the organization?" Itachi asked rhetorically.

"I see. I guess you're only confiding in me because the kyubi brat gave you practically no choice huh? He just may have helped you though. Here, take Samehada, well, don't take him, just touch him a little." Kisame said, quickly thinking better of handing over his trump card to not just a kin slayer, but a kin slayer whose biggest secret he just discovered.

"What is the meaning of this?" Itachi asked curiously, frowning slightly when Kisame removed his living sword and pointed it at him, the situation almost feeling like a touch my dick moment to Itachi, because that's how closely attached to Samehada Kisame was.

"Samehada is not just a chakra consumer, he heals all of my injuries, even fatal ones. He can heal and regenerate any injury, as long as you don't die instantly. I don't know if he can cure terminal illnesses, but this is as good a chance as any to find out. You'd be doing me a favor too, this could be vital information for me to know about my own limitations." Kisame explained much to Itachi's surprise, not having known that Samehada had such advanced healing abilities, especially because he had been travelling and going on missions with Kisame for years now.

'Come to think of it, neither of us have ever sustained any injuries in any of our missions.' Itachi thought, quickly realizing the reason he didn't know about this ability.

"Are you sure curing me is what you actually want to do? It could come back to bite you if I turned traitor." Itachi retorted.

Truthfully speaking, he didn't really want to be cured, because he was planning to die at Sasuke's hands anyway. However, if he explained that to Kisame, he'd have to explain his reasons for wanting to die, and if he did that, then Kisame would definitely kill him for it, or at least try to kill him. He knew he was powerful, but even he wasn't foolish enough to believe that he could defeat Kisame without being at full strength, especially when Kisame knew he wasn't at full strength.

He could maybe reject Kisame's offer on the principle of distrust, tell him that there is no way that he could know for sure if Kisame wouldn't just drain him of his chakra instead of healing him. However, after that, their partnership would be damaged beyond repair, and most likely, Kisame would see through his façade and begin taking steps to figure out the real truth and eventually eliminate him.

'You've made my life really complicated, Naruto.' Itachi lamented.

After Midnight: The Real Naruto

"Well, that was quite a celebration wasn't it? The people here really love you, man, and it's not even fake, I'm talking real love. I should know, I'm an empath after all." Naruto said, genuinely impressed by how Gaara managed to completely turn around the attitude of the people of Sunagakure towards him.

They were in Gaara's family home, a large mansion that spanned a very large surface area, showing just how rich Gaara's family were. Of course, they couldn't be anything but, given that Gaara's family was Royalty in the Sand Village, not only because Gaara's father and he himself were the Kazekage, but because from the first one to Gaara himself, all the Kazekage came from Gaara's family. In other words, Gaara's family was the founding family of Sunagakure.

"Yeah, I've never seen such genuine love and devotion before. The way the people love you, it's like you're their family or something." Fu added, causing a very small but very warm smile to appear on Gaara's facial features.

"None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you, Naruto. You're the one that changed me for the better, and because of that, I was able to in turn change the people of Sunagakure. None of this happens if I never battled you that day. It's ironic, I thought I would find meaning to my existence by fighting and defeating Uchiha Sasuke and dismissed you completely, but it was in you in the end that I was able to find meaning to my existence." Gaara retorted.

"Who the fuck wouldn't have dismissed dip shit back then? He looked like a stupid, ignorant little snot nosed brat. Heck, he even sounded like one." Tayuya retorted.

"Hehehe! So true. I legitimately thought Konoha was pulling some kind of big prank on the other ninja villages by letting him participate in the chuunin exams." Kankuro retorted, causing everyone to laugh at Naruto's expense.

"Ha..ha…ha…very funny coming from a guy who puts make up on his face and plays with dolls." Naruto retorted, successfully turning the tables on Kankuro as everyone started laughing at Kankuro instead of him.

"Damn it Naruto! It's not make up! It's war paint! And they're not dolls, they're deadly weapons of war. Kugutsu is a respected and lethal form of ninjutsu!" Kankuro exclaimed indignantly, but only succeeding in fueling even more laughter at his expense.

"Hehehe! Alright alright, I concede, at least, to the latter part of your argument. Speaking of kugutsu though, I couldn't help but notice that your puppets don't seem to be anywhere around, I don't even see sealing scrolls on you. Akatsuki could still attack any time you know." Naruto asked curiously.

"Sasori completely dismantled my puppets. He was their inventor after all, he knew all of their weaknesses. Tomorrow I'll begin working on repairs, and maybe even improvements and redesigns if possible." Kankuro replied.

'So he doesn't have any of is own puppet inventions. Despite his passion for the art, it really doesn't seem like he has the creative juices that Sasori has. However, he has the aptitude and talent to wield puppets. That should be good enough.' Naruto thought, as, with a puff of smoke, three scrolls appeared on his hand.

"What the hell is that?" Kankuro asked curiously, and suspiciously.

"Repairing your broken puppets is all well and good. You managed to become a jonin with them after all. However, Kankuro, if you're going to protect your brother, your family, and your village from Akatsuki, you're going to have to level up considerably. These are heirlooms I confiscated from Sasori after I defeated him, spoils of war and all. I would like you to have them." Naruto said as he threw the scrolls at Kankuro one by one, Kankuro hastily catching them and quickly looking at the kanji on the scrolls.

"Sandaime, Sasori, book? What are these exactly, Naruto?" Kankuro asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Sasori killèd the Sandaime Kazekage and turned him into a human puppet, a puppet with its own chakra circulatory system that can also use all of the jujutsu of the person it was made after. In other words, Kankuro, by using that puppet, you'll have full access to Sandaime-dono's magnetic release bloodline limit. You'll become a magnetic release user like your brother, and an iron sand user. It's a significant power up, one that will help you protect everyone you care about, and one that will help you protect the village that your beloved Sandaime Kazekage loved and fought so hard to protect." Naruto said sincerely, but also manipulatively.

"T-that….that is sacrilege you evil child! Sandaime-sama was a great, great man! He deserves to have a proper sending off! Do you even know the potential ramifications of what you're suggesting?" Lady Chiyo exclaimed indignantly.

"She's right, Naruto. This is…absurd, and quite frankly sick." Kankuro said with a certain level of disgust, unable to believe that Naruto of all people would suggest he participate in such a disgusting, sacrilegious act.

"I know the ramifications, or potential ramifications, Chiyo baa-sama. I know what this can lead to. Human puppeteering is banned in Suna, even though up until now, only Sasori-dono, you, and Ebisu-sama even knew of its existence. If Kankuro is allowed to use a human puppet, then it would mean that Kazekage-sama has to lift the ban on the human puppet arts. If such a thing happened, we might see, in the future, puppeteers killing their own comrades who have bloodline limits or some other special abilities, or even just intentionally allowing them to die when they could have saved them so that they can get their corpses." Naruto said, pausing slightly to let everyone digest the information before carrying on from where he left off.

"However, there is a very easy solution to this. Sandaime-dono was Kankuro and Kazekage-sama's grandfather. Therefore, his body is a heirloom passed down through the clan, and the human puppet technique is a Sabaku clan forbidden technique. That solves everything doesn't it? No one else in the village knows about the existence of human puppets or that the practice was banned, and no one knows how to make one, except Kankuro, who now has Sasori's journals and guide books." Naruto explained patiently.

"That doesn't make it any less sacrilegious than it is though, Uzumaki Naruto, which of course is the real problem. Sandaime-sama was the most beloved of all the Kazekage. He was recognized as the most benevolent and also as the strongest. The people would not be happy if they heard about this." Baki retorted.

Baki is a very tall man. He has two distinctive, red markings on the right side of his face, the only visible part of his head, with the rest being covered by his turban-like head gear and by a sheet hanging from it on the left side of his face. He dons the standard attire of a Suna-nin, complete with a forehead protector and flak jacket.

"The people do not have more of a say about what happens to his corpse than the grand children of the man. They have no say in the matter. This is a family matter." Naruto counter argued.

"Why are you do hell bent on this, Naruto?" Gaara asked curiously, eliciting a deathly silence in the room as everyone tensed up when the Kazekage himself finally spoke up.

"To protect Suna, and to protect you. Without the intention to disrespect Suna, but you are the only S ranked ninja in this village, compared to say, Konoha, which has me, Tayuya-chan, Fu-chan, Jiraiya-sensei, Hokage-sama, and possible one or two others." Naruto said gravely.

"This all means that an Akatsuki two man cell is stronger than the whole of Suna combined. However, if Kankuro can master the powers of what is recognized as the strongest Kazekage ever, then all of a sudden Suna has two S ranked ninja. The strength of your village will be almost double just by that alone. Sunagakure cannot afford to lose you, and if it did lose you, it would still need a new Kazekage. Who would replace you right now as things stand?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"……"

"You make a compelling argument, Uzumaki Naruto. I will be the first to admit that Suna was left in a very vulnerable state when Lord Kazekage was captured. I would have risen to the position of Kazekage, but just thinking about the strength and skill of Gaara-sama and his father, I would be no match for them. I know I'm not weak, not by any means, but I also know my limits. Kankuro, if he could master Sandaime-sama's power, that truly would be a game changer." Baki said, applying pure logic to the situation.

"What about you, Lady Chiyo? Are you still of the same mind as before?" Gaara asked curiously.

"I….I don't know. I loved and respected Sandaime-sama more than anything in the world. Not being able to protect him or even find out what happened to him was one of my greatest regrets, it is even more of a shame and a regret for me to find out that my own grand son was responsible for his death, and even turned him into his own personal ninja tool…." Chiyo trailed off with a pained tone of voice.

"But….if something good and positive can come out of all this, then, I won't get in the way. Naruto-chan said it earlier, Sandaime-sama is your grand father, and on top of that you are the Kazekage. No one has more say in this matter than you and to a lesser but also significant extent, your brother and sister. I will support you no matter what you decide." Lady Chiyo said sincerely.

'It's the least I can do to atone for the suffering both I and my grand son have caused for your family and the village as a whole.' Chiyo thought.

"So, Kazekage-sama, Kankuro, what say you?" Naruto asked quickly, not wanting to give the two brothers too much time in case they ended up talking themselves out of the situation.

"Kankuro, you have my blessing, as a direct descendant of Sandaime-sama, and as your Kazekage. However, you also have a choice in the matter, as it will be you who has to use and maintain the puppet corpse of your grandfather. So decide….now." Gaara said calmly.

'Damn that Naruto. It's not like I don't understand the need to get stronger. No one understands that more than I do, I'm the one that got my ass whooped by Sasori damn it! Even worse I had to find out that the puppets I was so proud of were created by him, and now I am forced to accept that I cannot get stronger and match his level without using another one of his puppets?' Kankuro thought furiously.

"I have a very good idea what you're feeling right now, Kankuro, and therefore a good idea of what you're thinking. However, you're going to have to decide which is more important to you, the safety and security of your pride, or the safety and security of your village and your family." Naruto said with a grave undertone, wanting to make sure that Kankuro understood exactly what the potential ramifications of his actions were.

"I hate you!" Kankuro snapped angrily.

"Is that a yes? You'll do it then?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"Yes I'll do it, asshole! It's not like I have a choice!" Kankuro said irritably.

"Good." Naruto said with satisfaction.

"What about the other scroll with Sasori's name on it? How does Kazekage-sama explain that one? Assuming it is what I think it is, have you considered asking Chiyo baa-sama if she is okay with Kankuro using her grandson as a one of his prized weapons? He was a criminal, a terrible one at that, but he was still her grand son." Baki asked sagely.

"True, Sasori-dono was Chiyo baa-sama's grand son, but remember, he was also the cousin of Kazekage-sama's mother, which makes him his uncle. The same explanation given for Sandaime-sama therefore applies. Besides, Sasori-dono did not have a human body anymore. He turned his entire body bar a small, heart sized portion of it, into a puppet. The small living flesh he had was destroyed in the battle, what remains is only the puppet." Naruto explained for everyone's benefit, everyone surprised beyond belief by what they just head, not quite able to comprehend at all what the final product looked like, or how it even worked. Could a person really remain alive with 99 percent of their body gone?

"Sasori…." Chiyo trailed off, tears falling from her eyes as she lamented the life and the choices of her grandson.

"Chiyo baa-sama? Are you okay? If you want his body back I…."

"No, Kankuro-chan! Keep it! If there is anyway that my grandson can atone for his deeds, then I will accept it. If his chosen body is to live on as the shield that protects you, your family, and Sunagakure as a whole, then who am I to get in the way of that." Chiyo said sternly, even though her heart was breaking into a million pieces at the mere thought of it.

'Sasori, the death of your parents opened a wound that ran deeper than I could have imagined. I thought I could fill that gaping wound inside of you, but I couldn't do it. You wanted to be immortal and not end up like your parents who died in war, that is why you turned yourself into a puppet isn't it?' Chiyo thought mournfully.

"Well, anyway, Kankuro, you should know. Sasori designed himself to be controlled from within the puppet. You might have to make some adjustments to his body in order to use him in a more traditional way of puppeteering. I know it's a sore topic, and its probably something you're not looking forward to, but Tayuya healed you completely. I expect you to start training tomorrow morning, and I expect you to spend the afternoons making the necessary modifications to Sasori." Naruto said with authority.

"Why are you talking like my sensei, teme? Did you and Baki-sensei swap bodies anytime recently?" Kankuro asked angrily.

"Because for the next two weeks, I'll be the sensei of the Sabaku siblings. Temari-chan and the rest of team Yamato should arrive tomorrow. I'll be training Kazekage-sama how to master his jinchuuriki abilities, and I may make some modifications to his seal if need be. I'll help Temari-chan to further enhance her wind style, after all, I am a supreme master of wind style ninjutsu." Naruto retorted, causing surprise to everyone at the fact that Naruto had just taken it upon himself to declare Lord Kazekage of all people to be his student.

"And what about me, huh? You may be a wind style and jinchuuriki master or whatever, but you don't know anything about Kugutsu!" Kankuro said pridefully.

"True, I don't know much about Kugutsu. But I'm the only one who fought Sasori when he was going all out. Also, since I'm the only one thus far who has defeated an Akatsuki member, I think sparring against me would provide you with good combat experience don't you think?" Naruto retorted, Kankuro stunned into silence as his mouth kept opening and closing but with no words coming out, eventually looking to his brother to bail him out.

"It is my order that, for the duration of Uzumaki Naruto's stay in Sunagakure, that all of us, myself included, will do as he says not without question, but without resistance. Sunagakure will not fall to Akatsuki or anyone else again, and if this is what has to happen for Sunagakure to stand tall, then so be it." Gaara declared with finality, no one daring to question his declaration, not even Chiyo baa-sama and Ebisu-oji-sama.

"Tell me, Uzumaki Naruto, why go through such great lengths for the sake of Kazekage-sama and Sunagakure? I know we are allies, but it's not so long ago that we were at war with one another. Alliances are formed and disbanded all the time. Ninja villages betray each other all the time. Suna's weakness is a market gap that you can exploit for Konoha's benefit. So why go to such great lengths to strengthen a potential enemy?" Yura asked curiously, speaking for the first time since he arrived.

Yūra is a short man with black hair that hangs over his right eye, a goatee and dark eyes. On missions, he wore a standard Suna shinobi attire, including a face-guard which covered his cheeks. He is also wearing beige robe on top of his jonin attire, effectively concealing whether he has any weapons or not under his attire.

"I'd rather you tell me why you betrayed Sunagakure, your own home village?" Naruto asked curiously.

"W-what? I don't know what you're…argh!" Yura cried as chakra chains burst out of the floor and wrapped around him.

"I can sense emotions Yura-san, especially negative emotions. Besides, Sasori-dono gave me his journal that details his memory suppression seals and how he controls his spy network. He also gave me a journal containing the names of all of his spies in Konoha and Sunagakure. Your name happens to be there, on top of the fact that I have been sensing sinister intent from you the whole time I have been in the same room as you. So please, explain yourself." Naruto said with a cold and unfeeling tone, a tone that promised no mercy whatsoever for the traitor, who suddenly found himself wishing he was dead than going through whatever hell the Kazekage and the kyubi jinchuuriki were about to put him through.

"……."

"Nothing? Fine, I'm actually happy about that. I'm going to enjoy making you squeal…"

Chapter End.

Not a very action packed chapter, but the story continues.

I wonder how Tsunade will react to Naruto leaving the village behind her back and defeating Sasori.

Fu-chan reverse engineered her jutsu in the heat of battle to save herself. How insane is that? A true genius I say, good genes to add to the Uzumaki bloodline.

Didn't really think about it until I was typing the chapter, but Naruto has a point. They kind of are the new sannin with him, Anko, and Sakura, the whole toad/snake/slug thing.

Thank you all for the reviews and the continued support. Much appreciated.