-Memory Fragment-

Iruka held a stack of papers in his hands. "Alright class, listen up." He handed half the papers to his fellow teacher, Mizuki. "I'm handing your tests back out. They have been graded. Now, remember, this test counts towards your overall score for graduation in a few years. I hope you all did your best." The two teachers walked around the room and gave the test back to the matching student.

As the papers reached their respective students, there were soft cheers of happiness, meaning they had passed, or groans of sadness, meaning they failed. While this exam was the first true test of their knowledge, it certainly was not easy. In fact, each exam would only get more increasingly difficult. This exam is what normally separated those who were going to graduate and those who would be held back. Being a ninja was for those who could handle the pressure, those who could handle high stakes.

Iruka set down another test. "Good job, Sakura. Keep up the good work."

The pink haired girl smiled with pride. "Thank you, Iruka sensei!" He cheered quietly to her best friend, Ino, who cheered with her. She had passed as well.

"Heck yeah! I passed!"

"Quiet down, Kiba!" Iruka yelled. The boy sat back down in his seat, quietly conversing with his dog partner.

Mizuki handed the test to the laziest student in the entire academy. "Another good score, Shikamaru." The boy groaned in annoyance. He hated being woken up. 'If he spent more time awake then sleeping then he'd probably beat the Fourth Hokage's records.' He shook his head with amusement.

Then Mizuki reached the student he hated the most. His overall strength and smarts were all above average of that everyone else in the class, which made him annoyingly arrogant. He always talked back, if he did not like the answer he would make it known. Every time he opened his mouth, Mizuki would roll his eyes. Most of all, he was the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. "Here." Mizuki spat, letting the paper drop.

Naruto glanced at the exam and noticed the score. "Wait a minute…" He looked up at the instructor. "This isn't right. There's no way my score should be this low. I know I did better than this, sensei."

"Maybe you're not as smart as you thought, Uzumaki." Mizuki continued with handing back the graded exams to the rest of the students.

Naruto examined each individual question and answer. He did not miss a single question. And that was not out of arrogance. He knew he answered the questions right! This was the first true test. This was a test of all the basics! This was stuff he already knew! There was no way he failed. Absolutely impossible.

"Hey!" Naruto jumped out of his seat and stood in front of the chūnin instructor. "I know I passed this test! Why was I failed?!"

"Naruto, sit down!" Iruka shouted. "If you have a problem with your test score, you can see myself and Master Mizuki after class."

"But…!"

"Now, Naruto! Or you'll be on cleaning duty for a week!"

Iruka was the only instructor at the academy that Naruto would listen to. He was fair and made no inclination about being biased against him. Begrudgingly, Naruto sat back in his seat. He was fully aware all the students were looking at him. Some were confused by his actions while others simply jumped to conclusions about the situation.

"As usual, Naruto is arguing with the teachers." A student whispered to another. "Like dude, c'mon, get over yourself." The other student nodded.

Kiba watched on a shook his head. 'Arrogant asshole. Just accept it and move on.' Akamaru whimpered in agreeance, as if he read his master's mind.

Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha glanced away from his thousand-yard stare for a moment to watch the scene unfold, only to return to his deep stare. Even Shikamaru Nara lifted his head momentarily to see what was happening. He slightly shrugged his shoulders and went back to sleep.

Sakura Haruno looked over her shoulder to the blonde boy. No matter how hard she thought about it, there was something familiar about Naruto Uzumaki. She had met him before, somewhere outside the Ninja Academy, but she could not remember. She usually ignored her feeling to try and talk to him, his arrogance was extremely off-putting.

Mizuki snickered in a whisper as he walked by. "Good, fox boy. Maybe you can be taught."

Oh, how he hated being called that. A stupid nickname. Mizuki began calling him that the day he started teaching in the classroom. He never called him anything else. And it was clear what it meant. Mizuki was taunting Naruto about being the Kyūbi's jinchūriki. The more time had passed, the more Naruto realized how many people actually knew of his secret. It was mostly the adults, the kids just followed the crowd or listened to their parents.

As the day passed and it was time for the school to be released for the day, Naruto waited for his time. He remained in his seat until all other students left the room and all who remained were himself, Iruka, and Mizuki.

"So, you think your exam was graded wrong? Why?" Mizuki was quick to ask first.

"I know I answered all the questions right. There's no way I failed that badly."

Iruka shook his head. "Naruto…it's natural for everyone to fail. It's how we learn."

"But I didn't fail!" Naruto crumbled up his test and threw it at the two instructors. "Look at it yourself, Iruka sensei! Every question is right!"

Iruka bent down and grabbed the balled-up exam. He flattened it out as best he could and read every question and answer thoroughly. He immediately noticed that the test he was reading was completely different from the rest of the student's test. Naruto had been given a different test. And all the answered were marked wrong. Iruka did not remember grading Naruto's test either, meaning it was Mizuki.

'He was given the wrong test? But how is that possible? I was in the room while Mizuki…' That's when the realization hit the man. Mizuki had been the one to hand out the test. He must have deliberately given Naruto a different exam to try and screw him over. But there was something more. 'This exam is apart of next year's curriculum. And all the answers are correct. There's no way he should know any of this by now.'

"Well?!" Naruto was annoyed and restless. He kept to himself and followed the rules, just like the Hokage told him to do. Why was he being punished for it and treated like this?

"Calm yourself, fox boy! There's no way someone like you should even be in the academy! If I was the Hokage, I would have you-"

"Enough, Mizuki!" Iruka shouted. "There's no reason to say something you might regret." The chūnin took in a calming breath. "Naruto, you may leave. I'll look over the test again tonight. We'll talk tomorrow about it."

Naruto let out a deep sigh. This was not the result he wanted but he would take what he could get. He knew something was wrong the second he read the first question of the test. While it was still easy enough, none of the questions were relevant to the lessons they had been learning. Most things they were teaching were things Naruto already knew or studied from his time with Jiraiya. The Sannin drilled him to study as much as he could. "Whatever. I'm gonna go train." The boy left the classroom silently.

Iruka locked the room to the classroom as soon as Naruto had closed the door. He was not happy with his fellow instructor.

"Would you mind telling me why you gave Naruto a more difficult test than the rest of the class?"

Mizuki seemed unfazed by the question. "Isn't it obvious? That demon brat doesn't belong here. He shouldn't be a ninja. He should be locked up in a cage somewhere."

"Now, that's not our decision, Mizuki." Iruka stated. "Lord Hokage blessed off on Naruto being here. He specifically enrolled Naruto in my class personally. If Lord Third trusts him enough to be here, then I trust Lord Third's judgement."

Mizuki shook his head in disapproval. "Fools, the both of you. The blind leading the blind. The Hokage is old, past his prime. That brat is Konoha's deterrent. He's obviously unstable and hates the village. There's no telling when he'll snap and unleash the fox back on the village. He deserves nothing because he is nothing!"

Iruka took in a deep breath. Naruto, through and through, was a decent kid who was dealt a terrible hand for life. Naruto was left in Konoha by his caretaker and was forced to stay in a place nobody wanted him. Iruka kinda felt sorry for Naruto. Though, he would not outright admit that fact, in fear of the judgment and possibility losing his position as an academy instructor.

"You're starting to sound like that traitor, Orochimaru."

Mizuki let out a dark chuckle, sending a cold shiver down Iruka's spine. "Now, there's a man who knew what needed to be done. I always admired Orochimaru and what he tried to accomplish. He should have been named the Fourth Hokage."

Iruka was not liking where this was going. He was getting a bad feeling about Mizuki. He needed to report to the Hokage immediately. "Right…I think I'm going to turn in for the night…" He turned and headed for the door.

Mizuki watched the chūnin instructor leave. He did not care about the consequences. He would continue to sabotage Naruto in any way he could.

Iruka reported what had happened to the Hokage. The elderly Hokage was quick to remove Mizuki from the classroom and put him back on active service, hoping that it would fix the issue. It unfortunately did not. Every new instructor, in some way shape or form, would sabotage Naruto's assignments and exams. It got to the point that Iruka was teaching the class on his own. But it was too late.

Naruto's attendance was practically zero. He rarely attended class most days. There was only one day of class that the boy would show up for, physical training and taijutsu matches. Once or twice a week, Iruka made it a point to bring his students outside to get some legitimate physical training. Naruto would be there, train with the others and participate in the matches, then leave as soon as it was all over. He never bothered to stick around for the rest of the day.

-Months later -

Iruka knocked on Naruto's apartment door. He was careful to not knock too rough, he did not want to make the door's condition worse than it already was. There was no answer so Iruka knocked again. There was no answer. Iruka could not hear any movement inside the apartment either. Realizing the boy was not home, there was only one other place he could be.

The sun was nearly set as Iruka approached the training grounds. He could hear grunts and sounds of vigorous training off in the distance. Once he was close enough to the training, Iruka was speechless to was he was seeing.

Naruto stood in the middle of a large group of shadow clones, he was battered, beaten, and seemingly utterly exhausted. He was battling wave after wave of the identical clones. And on the opposite side of the field were around group of clones, roughly ten, with scrolls. They were studying.

"Unbelievable…" Iruka was completely stunned. He was not sure there was a word good enough to convey to what he was seeing. 'For someone so young to be able to control this many clones and retain the memories of them all…Naruto Uzumaki…you're simply amazing…!'

Naruto noticed the completely overwhelmed chūnin and was instantly annoyed. He hated being interrupted while training. He knew that Iruka was here to talk to him, probably about returning to the academy. Why else would he be here at this time of the day? In small increments, the clones were dispelled. He did this so that his mind would not be overwhelmed by the high volume of memories from all the clones. Still, releasing that many clones in a short amount of time did put a great strain on the young boy's mind. It would tire him further, meaning this probably be the end of his clone training.

Iruka waited for Naruto to get his bearings before approaching. "Y-You create that many clones, Naruto?!"

The blonde wiped the sweat from his brow. "I actually can create more, but I use too much chakra and completely drain myself. Right now, I'd say fifty shadow clones are my maximum."

"FIFTY?!" Iruka could not believe it. For a standard jōnin, ten clones were pushing limits. And those clones were not regular clones, those were shadow clones. Normal clones were illusions and would disperse from the smallest of damage. Shadow clones were solid copies of the user and would retain the memories of their own experience and pass it on to the original user. Also, shadow clones could take a hit and not disappear. "That's…that's crazy, Naruto! Your chakra levels must be off the charts!"

"According to Ojisan, I have the most chakra in the village. Even more than him."

"Ojisan?" It took a moment for it to click in Iruka's head. "Oh, you mean the Hokage." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Naruto, you shouldn't call Lord Hokage something so casual. He's our leader. Give him that respect."

"He's never once told me to stop." Naruto shrugged. "I don't think he minds it." The sun was nearly gone, Naruto was ready to go home. "Is there a reason why you are here, Iruka sensei? I'd like to go home now."

"I came here to try and talk you into returning to class." Iruka saw the boy roll his eyes. "C'mon, Naruto. The other classmates are asking about you. They want you to come back."

"Don't lie to me." Naruto stated roughly. "I know they could care less if I was there or not. They barely know who I am."

"That could change." Iruka saw an avenue to try and convince him. "If you would come to class, the other students would get to know you. You would make so many new friends."

"Why? Just so that my exams to be graded wrong and failed on purpose? Yeah, I don't think so. Every single one of you in that building prefer it that I never come there."

"I'm the only instructor in the classroom now. It has been that way for weeks. Lord Hokage has punished everyone that's sabotaged your class work."

Naruto's ears perked, that was a piece of information that he did not know. It seemed the Third Hokage had been withholding information from him. There was probably a reason for that. Still, he knew nothing would change how he felt. How everyone felt about him. "It doesn't matter. Why would that matter? I'm not wanted there."

Iruka moved back slightly, the words hurt him. Here he was, after a long day of teaching, trying to convince a single student to return to a class that he, truthfully, did not need. He did not need to be here. He was doing this because he thought it was right. It was obvious that he was leagues and bounds above the rest of them. But that was the thing that did not matter. Naruto needed companionship. Friendship. The boy was a social pariah. It was a miracle he had any social skills at all.

Naruto did not want to stay and listen to another speech from an adult who did not understand. "Whatever." He brushed past the chūnin instructor. "I'm going home."

"You're just proving them right by not showing up." Iruka said. Naruto stopped, his back facing him. "If you don't try, then everything they say about you is right."

Naruto remained for a few moments, before continuing. The words resonated in his mind all the way to his apartment. As soon as the door was closed and locked, he could not hold it in any longer. The tears broke through.

-Present day, Sunagakure-

The newly appointed Kazekage stood stoically on the rooftop balcony of the massive Kazekage Mansion that overlooked Sunagakure in its entirety. He watched villagers go about their days and shinobi enjoying their deserved time off from constant mission due to the Fourth Shinobi War. Even though the village was at war, calm and confidence filled all those who in the village. And according to his advisors, it was all because of him.

"Lord Kazekage…it is time for the meeting."

Gaara simply turned to his messenger. "Very well."

Leading the back into the council chamber, the Fifth Kazekage took his seat at the head of the table. The table was filled with his advisors and head clan members. Kankurō stood behind his younger brother on the right-hand side. Another male, maybe a year older than Gaara, stood next to Kankurō. He had shaggy, brown spikey hair. A pair of brown eyes to match. He wore the standard Suna shinobi vest but no undershirt, keeping his arms exposed for maximum air flow in the heat, but one could see bandages wrapped around his waist. There was even a freshly stitched scar on the left side of his rather handsome face.

"Let's begin the meeting."

-Hours deep into the meeting-

"Over the past few years, our relationship with Konoha had flourished. Suna's power has stabilized to the point where we can actively send shinobi out to engage the enemy farther out. And this is all thanks to adopting Konoha's training programs. The recruit department has never been better. We are producing roughly the same numbers as Konoha."

Another advisor chimed in. "The Chūnin Exams are approaching again. Lady Temari has been hard at work in Konoha for the past few months. I look forward to the results and what the new generation can do."

"There are other things approaching as well. Unsavory rumors lurk around." The man known as Yura, Sunagakure's Jōnin Captain and head of the Intelligence division, spoke up.

Baki, Suna's Jōnin Commander and Gaara's former sensei, questioned his words. "Rumors? Such as?"

"This comes from the mouth of Jiraiya the Toad Sage, a member of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. There's a group known as the Akatsuki. An organization of S-rank rouge ninja that hunt the mythical Tailed Beasts. It seems they have begun to move for the first time in three years."

Murmurs and small talk amongst the council members erupted, relaying the shock to each other. But all were glancing at their own Kazekage, who housed the One-Tailed Beast. Kankurō could not tell if it was out of worry for the safety of their leader or fear they'd be without their ultimate power.

"I've already issued a state of emergency." Yura stated. "Black ops will be pointed at every key point in the village. And Lord Gaara has been expanding his abilities to be able to sense out into the desert with his connection through the sand. No one will enter this village undetected."

"That's a very smart move, Yura." The man that stood to Gaara's left stated. "Good on you for taking initiative to tighten the security."

Yura glanced over at him. "I don't need your approval, Kaito. I have been on this council longer than you have. And my source is Lord Jiraiya. Perhaps a bit too hasty for simple rumors but we are also at war. I thought it was prudent."

Kaito heard the slight hostility in Yura's voice. "That wasn't an insult or anything. Geesh…calm down."

"Enough Kaito." Baki stated with authority. "You're new to this council and to your position as head of security for the Kazekage. While impressive for someone so young, you need to respect those who have been here longer. Check yourself before you get into trouble."

Kaito nodded, somewhat begrudgingly. "Yes sir." But his mind betrayed what his mouth had said. 'I speak up for the first time in one of these meetings and this is how I'm treated? Good to know…'

"Alright…let's adjourn the meeting."

Kaito followed the Kazekage and his brother out of the meeting hall and they headed back to the office. It was later in the day now; the sun was setting, and everything was cooling down. The night could be quite lively for the people of Sunagakure.

"What was Yura's problem? I wasn't being hard on him or anything." Kaito still had trouble letting go.

"Ah. Don't let him get to you." Kankurō stated. "Probably just jealous that you took his place as youngest on the council, next to Gaara that is."

"Yeah, but still…" Kaito did not like having someone disliking him for simply doing good in his career.

"Don't sweet it, man." Kankurō slightly nudged his friend. "You've been doing amazing lately. Gaara wouldn't choose anyone to be in the position you're in. It's an incredible honor. I wouldn't have recommended you for the job if I didn't think you'd be good at it. Gaara trusts you and so do I."

Kaito smiled, realizing the brother of the Kazekage was right. "Thanks, Kankurō. Though, I do find it somewhat ironic. Lord Gaara has the ultimate defense but requests a constant guard." He chuckled. "One can never be too careful, I guess."

Gaara chose not to say a word to either of his subordinates, but he was listening. It made him feel happy that Kankurō had someone to befriend. Kankurō was a hard worker and usually stayed with him most nights, when he was not out on missions, that is.

"Kankurō…Kaito…" The pair stopped at the Kazekage's words. "Go home. Get some rest."

"What about you?" Kankurō asked. Kaito was already halfway down the hall, he took the opportunity for some time off quickly.

"I have some…paperwork to catch up on."

Kankurō sighed. "Okay. Just don't stay up all night again. Try and get some sleep."

Gaara's mouth curved to a small smile. "Of course." He entered his office alone.

Gaara stopped. Something had triggered his senses. There was a disturbance somewhere out in the desert, and it was closing in. He could not tell who or what, but it was a threat.

-Suna Desert-

Sand. It was grueling, rough, and annoying. It was course and got everywhere. It never seemed to go away once it entered. It was just a bothersome time walking through it. Trudging through the scorching heat of the desert and feeling the sand between toes for miles was nearly unbearable. Or, at least, that's how Itachi felt about it. He hated sand.

New orders had come down from the Akatsuki leader. A team change for the first retrieval attempt in three years. Neither of them was pleased about it. In fact, they both hated the notion. And each other But who was going to challenge the almighty god of the Rain Village, Pain? His word was final and absolute. And Itachi had to go along with it. There was no avoiding it.

"I almost forgot how big this desert is. It's been so long since I've seen my home." Sasori shifted along sand, leaving a thick trail behind.

"This desert is the reason Sunagakure is such a difficult village to infiltrate. Its exact location is hard to pinpoint. I was there once during my ANBU days in Konoha. I was impressed with the security."

Sasori could see the village walls in the distance through the windy sand. He could start to make out the shinobi that were standing guard. The two-rouge ninja approached the entrance as if they were welcomed.

The Sand shinobi on guard duty were quick to realize who was coming up on them.

"Black cloaks with red clouds…"

"It's the Akatsuki…!"

"Sound the alarm!" The jōnin turned back to the enemy. Only to have a kunai stabbed in his throat.

Itachi made quick work of the shinobi. He moved faster than any of them could react. Stealth was their plan, and each ninja died quiet and quick. A specialized talent Itachi had perfected during his ANBU training.

Sasori continued to move towards the entrance, which was a long, tall hallway into the village. It was riddled with bodies and a single man stood with the blood of the dead of his comrades staining his jōnin vest. Itachi jumped down from the top of wall and landed next to Sasori.

"Commander Yura…" Sasori greeted. "I'm glad to see you still remember me."

"Of course, Lord Sasori!" Yura greeted, kneeling in respect. "I would never forget serving you!"

Itachi was impressed. "That's some jutsu. Once memories are restored, they become your loyal servants again?"

"All of my followers had their memories wiped after I defected. They only are restored when I need them. After, they will be cast out."

"As is my purpose, Lord Sasori." Yura lifted his head to look at his leader. "I live to serve."

Itachi moved past the man and continued into the village. "Our target is the One-Tails. This won't take long." A flock of crows emerged out of the Uchiha's body and flew into the village air.

"Don't keep me waiting Itachi."

Sasori watched the flock of black birds fly high into the air and disperse. When they received the order for the team change up from their leader, Sasori was indecisive about the decision. He was curious as to know why the teams had been switched up. When Konan talked to him privately about it, many things suddenly made sense to the former Suna shinobi.

Itachi had been making uncharacteristic moves over the past few years. Mainly, a rogue trip to a small remote village named Tree Felling. Konan had been using her ninjutsu to track his movements, secretly monitoring everything and reporting it back to their leader. She did not go into extreme detail about his habits, but her parting words stuck with the former Suna shinobi.

"If Itachi shows his true colors, then you must protect the Akatsuki."

'Let's see if he actually proves his loyalty.'

-Kazekage mansion rooftop-

The flock of crows convened at the top of the biggest building in Sunagakure. Itachi's frame slowly appeared as the crows came together. The Uchiha murderer glanced around. "No rooftop guards. No barrier jutsu to detect intruders. Suna has been more affected by the war than I originally thought."

"It is because I am all my village needs."

Sand swirled around and quickly formed into a person. Gaara of the Desert, the Fifth Kazekage, dressed and ready for battle.

"It seems my infiltration has failed…at least, I don't have to search for you, One-Tail." Itachi pointed his finger directly at Gaara. Unknown to his opponent, Itachi made his first move. "Today is the day I capture you."

"Crows do not travel this far into the desert." The red-headed Kage stated, his eyes staying low and avoiding the Sharingan. "And I already know of you, as well, Itachi Uchiha. Our intel says to never look into your eyes." Sand swirled around Gaara, his ultimate defense taking shape. "I have fought your brother. I wonder how you will compare."

Itachi paid no mind to the comparison to his younger brother. Instead, he used his Sharingan to analyze his opponent's sand to try and discover a weakness to it.

'Chakra flows through the sand, causing it to have a will of its own. A kekkei genkai or biproduct of being the Shukaku's host, no doubt. Amaterasu will be able to burn it away, but in my current situation that is a last resort. My assumption is that he can control all the sand in the area, possibly the entire village. A home field advantage. Using Susanoo is another possibility. Another last resort. For now, I'll try and capture him in a genjutsu with the Sharingan. '

Itachi made a series of hand seals. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

A massive ball of raging fire grew from Itachi's lips and flew towards Gaara. The sand made a wall to protect the Kazekage. The sand and fire fought a brief moment until the sand gave away to the flames. Gaara had already jumped into the air and used the sand as a platform to stay afloat.

Itachi went through all the avenues of approach before realizing the jinchūriki was above him. "That's a neat trick. Good advantage against someone like me." That is when the Uchiha realized Gaara's eyes were closed. He was relying on his other senses. "Another good counter to my Sharingan."

"As I said before, I have learned to keep my eyes shut against an Uchiha. And that is it hard to fight one alone, nearly impossible. A second person is needed to break one out of a genjutsu. But in this case, I don't need another." The sand swirled around him. "The sand acts as my eyes and ears. I know everything that comes in and out of my village."

Itachi began to formulate another plan of attack. Gaara was a long-range fighter. His sand acted on its own for offense and defense. He did not need a direct line of vision to defend against attacks. And it was reasonable to believe that Gaara's senses were increased due to the terrain and location of their fight. All major disadvantages for the Uchiha.

Sand quickly began to rise around Itachi's feet, rising up his legs. The entire building, and the village for that matter, were made of sand. Gaara could control all of it. The sand was too fast for Itachi to react, it engulfed him entirely.

Gaara raised his open hand, lifting the captured Uchiha. "This is where you die!" He closed his fist. "Sabaku Kyu!" (Sand Coffin)

There was no scream or cry of pain. Only the sound of crushing bone. Blood soaked the sand, turning it red to tan. The Uchiha murderer, Itachi, finally had been killed.

Or so Gaara believed. His eyes were seeing one thing. But reality was something else.

Itachi placed Gaara under a strong genjutsu without him even knowing. With just a single finger. Underneath the blanket of darkness in the night, Itachi had Gaara captured. He was bound by chakra enhanced ropes.

"One Tails capture…completed."

-With Sasori-

"You're late, Itachi." The hunched man hated waiting. And the Uchiha was never late. Never. There was the first check Itachi earned. Konan wanted a detailed list of Itachi's behavior and performance during the mission. "I don't like to keep others waiting.

Itachi had the captured jinchūriki hoisted over his shoulder. "I apologize. I had to use more discretion on my exit. I could not move as fast while carrying him." Itachi placed the body on the ground.

Sasori realized on how Itachi had captured Gaara without either of them receiving any injury. "You have him under a genjutsu I take it? Must be a strong one for him to be in this state." A massive A long, mechanical scorpion-like tail emerged from Sasori's backside and picked up Gaara. "Hiruko can carry the body easier."

Itachi glanced at the man, realizing something that was painfully obvious now that it had been pointed out. "Hiruko…I should have known that wasn't your real body. A puppet I presume."

The pair began walking away, leaving Sunagakure without a trace…

"You're not going anywhere!"

Kankurō landed directly in front of the two Akatsuki members. Anger filled his eyes. He was determined to get his brother back. "Gaara! I'm taking him back!

Sasori growled in annoyance. "It seems you were detected." Another check against Itachi. It was not looking good for him. Sasori dropped Gaara's body on the ground. "I will handle this myself."

Kankurō undid the straps on his back and rolled the three scrolls in front of him. A single hand seal and three puppets appeared in plumes of white smoke. Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouo came forth, clacking and moving to Kankurō's chakra threads.

Sasori knew the puppets well. "Puppetry…

"Go! Karasu!"

The puppet flew towards Sasori. He was going for the kill straight away. He was not going to play around. He wanted to end this quickly. But Sasori was not to be taken lightly.

Using the long tail, Sasori simply caught the puppet and crushed it with his tail. "I don't like to keep people waiting…So, I'll make this short and sweet."

-Konoha, Hokage's Office-

"So, this is what you've been able to come up with?" Tsunade closed the folder and set back down on her desk. "This isn't very much."

"This is three years of work, Lady Tsunade. We had no leads and no idea where to start. We're lucky that we've been able to make it this far with the investigation." Shikaku sighed. "Whoever this insider threat is has been one step ahead of us. Me and Inoichi are using whatever free time we have to investigate."

Tsunade sighed just as deeply. "I appreciate the effort, Shikaku. Frankly, you and Inoichi are the only ones I completely trust with this."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. Though, I'll be honest with you, this would be a lot easier if I had access to Lord Jiraiya's network of information. I'm sure there's plenty of leaked information out there that can help narrow down my search."

"He's been busy with Naruto's training, but I know he's done what he can. I'm sure he has some leads by now."

The Nara clan leader looked out the window, watching the village. He saw a bird soar by the window. It was Sunagakure messenger hawk. "With strategy meetings and clan meetings, I barely have enough time to investigate this. The war has been the biggest inconvenience. The fact I've been able to narrow it down this much is nothing short of a miracle."

"Well, we know, whoever leaked the information has access to it. That means they are important in our shinobi hierarchy. Honestly, that doesn't narrow down the search much."

Shikaku nodded. "I've already thought about that. There's no telling who. We can't even rule out the possibility that the person might be dead."

Tsunade sighed, her frustration mounting. Despite this matter being private, this situation was the front most problem in Tsunade's mind in the last three years. There was a possible double agent in Konoha's shinobi hierarchy. No one was safe, no matter their reputation. Dead or alive, everyone had to be vetted and checked.

'Wait a minute…' The gears were turning in the Hokage's mind. She reached down and opened the bottom drawer of her desk. She shifted through some papers and other contents to find what she was searching for. "This…could help." She set the book on the desk.

Shikaku realized what the book was and who it belonged to. "Isn't that…?"

"The Third Hokage's journal." Tsunade said solemnly. She handed it over to Shikaku. "Here. See if anything comes of it."

The Nara clan leader held the aged leather in his hand. "How will this help?"

"…A hunch…"

"You haven't read it yet, have you?" Shikaku stopped himself from saying anything further. He knew it was a sensitive subject. He recalled his conversation with Jiraiya about the Third. Maybe this book was what he needed. "I'll see what I can come up with." The man turned and left the office.

Out of frustration, exhaustion, and restlessness, Tsunade tore her hair ties out of her hair, letting her long light blonde hair flow freely. She ran her hand through her locks as she compared the numbers for her lottery ticket to the winning numbers. A perfect match. She won.

A bad omen. Something horrible was going to happen.

There were rapid knocks at her door.

"Oh fuck…"

-Konoha hospital-

Sakura let out a somewhat exhausted sigh. She was nine hours deep into her twelve-hour shift at the hospital. She had just finished her rounds of healing in the ICU. She still could not believe that it had already been three years since the start of the war, and there was no clear end in sight.

According to her master, there had been no real ground won or lost to either sides in recent months. Everything was at a standstill for the time being. Hopefully, that meant the number of injured would calm down and there would be a legitimate break for those coming home.

Speaking of a break, it was about time for Sakura to take her own break. She entered the break room that was on that floor and breathed a sigh of relief. Her feet were utterly killing her, the soreness of being on them constantly was beginning to wear her down. She noted to start looking for new boots, as her current ones beginning to wear out.

Just as soon as she sat down at the table, a voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Sakura Haruno to the main desk on first floor. Repeat. Haruno to main desk."

Sakura groaned loudly. "C'mon! Literally every time!"

Quite begrudgingly, Sakura left the break room and made her way down to the first floor. While she was curious about this unique call, her annoyance was prominent on her face. Though, her annoyed look quickly disappeared when she saw who was standing at the main desk.

"Kakashi sensei? I did not know you were back in the village. Did you call for me?"

The silver-haired jōnin nodded. "Yes, I did. I only just returned yesterday. But there is no time for talk. We have to leave ASAP. Our mission demands quickness."

There was a profoundly serious tone in Kakashi's voice. "What's going on? What mission?"

"I'll explain everything later. For now, go get a bag packed and meet me at the main gate in one hour."

Sakura nodded. "But what about my shift? I still have three hours left."

"It's already been taken care of. Now go!"

Without a second thought, Sakura quickly closed out everything she needed to and left the hospital. It was a good thing Sakura was prepared for such a sudden mission like this. She always kept a go-bag packed full of gear, clothes, and provisions.

Running through the village, she reached her destination. Naruto's apartment.

At first, Sakura used Naruto's apartment as get away from her parents when they proved to be too much for her. But lately, Sakura was practically living there. She kept extra clothes there and had bought food to keep there as well. And with what little time off Sakura would get, she used it to clean and fix up the apartment. She even went as far to decorate a bit, so it was not as gloomy and dank. She hoped Naruto would like it.

As the time approached for her meet with Kakashi, Sakura stood at the main gate. But she was caught off guard when she saw that Temari, who had been in Konoha helping Shikamaru with the Chūnin Exams, was walking up with her sensei. She was curious as to why Temari looked so worried. Something bad must have happened. She knew her confusion was about to be silenced.

"Okay Sakura," Kakashi began. "Here's the situation. Early this morning, we received word that the Kazekage had been captured by a member of the Akatsuki." Sakura's breath hitched at the news. "As of right now, we are all the help Lady Tsunade can spare for Sunagakure that are currently in the village. Team Gai is being pulled from their current mission and will meet us in Sunagakure. And with Temari's help, we will be able to navigate our way to Suna with no problem. Our mission is to assess the situation and report back. Then follow whatever guidance Suna gives us. Now, lets go!"

-With Kankurō-

Bits and pieces of puppets were scattered throughout the area. Each one was systematically defeated by Sasori. And Kankurō laid face down on the ground, clinging to life. It was small cut but filled his entire body with a lethal toxin. It had barely been a minute and his body was completely shut down.

"Don't worry, the poison will take your life in roughly two to three days. You won't suffer for long."

Kankurō struggled to look up. "No one has ever seen through the mechanisms and defeated these puppets! How did you know?!"

Sasori chuckled. "It's elementary…you see, I knew these puppets so well because I am the master who created them."

Kankurō gasped with what little strength he had left. "T-Then…that makes you…!"

"I will say that it was interesting to fight a junior version of myself. You've taken good care of my hand-me-downs."

"Sasori of the Red Sand!" Kankurō yelled out.

"I feel honored." The man stated. "My name is known to those of your age."

"You deserted the village over 20 years ago…how could do this to the Kage of your former village?!"

The scorpion tail whipped wildly then slowly retracted back underneath the cloak. "What's the point in me telling you? You're going to die soon." He turned and began to shift away.

Twitching his finger, Kankurō used the knife of Karasu to launch at Sasori. Sasori nudged his head back to miss the attack, but not without having the cloth in front of his face cut. The piece of cloth was caught in Karasu's hand.

"Almost." Sasori snickered, continuing to walk away. "You'll die soon. There is no point to struggle. We both know you're going to die."

Sasori was the last thing Kankurō saw before he lost consciousness. And all he could think about as he drifted away was his brother. And how he had failed to protect him.

"There! He's over there!"

"My god! What on earth happened?!"

"He's unconscious! And all his puppets are destroyed! We need to get him medical attention right away!"

-With Team Gai-

"Hm." Gai thoroughly read the scroll that had just been delivered by messenger hawk. "An interesting turn of events."

"What is it, Gai sensei?" Rock Lee questioned. His two teammates, Neji and Tenten, approached as well, ready to hear what their teacher received.

"We have a new mission!" Gai enthusiastically proclaimed.

While Lee joined in on their master's antics, Neji snatched the scroll out of his hands to read it himself. "I see…"

"What is it, Neji?" Tenten asked.

"The Kazekage has been kidnapped. We are to abandon our current mission and link up with Kakashi and his team in Sunagakure and help complete their mission."

"Right!" Gai began to stretch. "Let's make it in a single day!"

"No sensei, in half a day!" Lee added.

"In our current location, it'll take us two days no matter how you slice it." Neji stated, already annoyed with their constant 'youthful' outbursts. "And according to the scroll, Kakashi already has a day of traveling done."

"Then we have to get a move on."

"Everyone! Let's go!"

-Konoha, Main Gate-

A constant flow of villagers, shinobi, and traders walked through the main gate of Konoha. And it was Izumo and Kotetsu's job to keep a watchful eye for any suspicious persons coming or leaving. From the heightened security due to the ongoing conflict, any and all personal were subject to be stopped and searched for any possible weapons or contraband that would be harmful to the people of Konoha.

While conducting a randomized search of an individual, a sudden cloud of white smoke drew all the guards' attention. Even the travelers stopped to see what was happening.

"An attack?" Izumo questioned.

"Be ready for anything!" Kotetsu shouted. The guards on the top of the village walls were ready to jump into the fray.

The smoke began to clear, and three individuals were becoming visible through the dissipating smoke. The first was a tall man with just as long white hair. The Toad Sage, Jiraiya. He had not changed a bit in three years. And sitting upon his shoulder was his master, and leader of the toads, Fukasaku.

The third person had changed the most. He had grown taller, much taller, than most would remember. His spiky, blonde hair was even more untamed and more closely resembled his father's iconic hair. His shinobi vest was completely unzipped, showing off his orange hooded sweatshirt. His black pants remained the same with his black shinobi sandals. Almost hidden underneath his longer hair was his headband with a black cloth. Instead of a single pouch on his back side, he carried a larger sack. And tied to the right side of his waist was a red scarf.

Naruto breathed in the fresh air. "Konoha…I'm back!"