Inoichi closed the door behind him. Shikaku's office was small, almost like a closet, but it made due. He sat in the chair across from his old friend.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Shikaku reached across the desk for a handshake. "I wish we never had to meet for business, but that is the nature of our profession."

"Unfortunately." Inoichi chuckled. "I miss our dinners we used to do years back. Back when the kids were younger and times were simpler."

"With Chōza too. Yoshino dreaded making the extra food for him when he and his family came." Shikaku's mind was filled with the memories of their adventures as a team as the Ino-Shika-Cho formation. "I miss Chōza."

"You say that like he's dead."

"He's a shell of his former self, no doubt." Shikaku's personal feelings were getting in the way of objectively doing his job. "He made his choice by voting for Danzō."

Inoichi nodded. "I agree. I never expected him to side with the Warhawk. I share your feeling that something else is going on with our new leader."

"Unofficial leader." Shikaku corrected. "He's simply a stand in until it is decided by the Daimyo."

An outdated system to choose a future leader but nothing could be done about that.

"And it's not just a feeling, I know there's something being executed in the dark. I just don't know what yet. I was expecting some answers from Mizuki when he was returned to the village after being captured. But he was killed by an unknown assailant while in captivity."

Inoichi arched his brow. "He was? That smells of foul play by Kirigakure."

"I thought so, too. But after they let Naruto off the hook, my feeling is that they had nothing to do with it. Especially with what Kakashi learned from a Iwa shinobi during their recent attack."

"What was that?" Inoichi was farther out of the loop than he thought.

"The Jutsu formula to get inside the chakra barrier was leaked to them by Mizuki somehow."

"My god…" Inoichi gasped. "I knew he was a bit of an extremist. But to leak classified information like that? I never thought he was capable of that."

"Neither did I. We both judged him wrong." Shikaku sighed. "For all we know, he could've been the traitor that's been leaking information."

"He very well might have been."

"But that still doesn't add up. How would he know about the Akatsuki informant inside Orochimaru's inner circle? There's only one way I could see that happening…"

Inoichi connected the dots. "If there were two of them."

A dreaded realization. "Quite possible. I fear we are dealing with much more than a simple traitor."

"Higher? Like originally suspected?"

Shikaku's eyes told Inoichi everything he questioned. It was no secret that there was some hostile feelings between him and Danzō. And it appeared that Shikaku was going a step further.

"You think Danzō has a hand in it?"

"…Like I said, something is going on in the background. Lord Jiraiya left me to figure it out. I intend to see it through."

Inoichi nodded. Shikaku had always been one to follow through on his words. There was no doubt in Inoichi's mind that whoever this person was that continued to leak classified information to enemies would face justice. That's just the kind of man Shikaku was.

"So, I have a favor to ask, old friend…"

The real reason he was asked to come here.

Shikaku's mind was a overwhelming place for someone to enter. Inoichi had used the Mind Transfer on the man twice. Once as a teenager and the other as an adult. Both for training purposes and curiosity.

There were literal endless possibilities of what this favor could entail.

"Name it."

Shikaku sighed. "I've never wanted to consider this a possible situation…but we need to keep tabs on Naruto. His latest mission threw up some red flags that, unfortunately, can't be ignored."

"What happened?" Inoichi inquired. He had heard some passing rumors that the retrieval mission for Sasuke Uchiha turned sour.

"He deserted his own mission and high jacked the Uchiha mission. While it was revealed that Sasuke had aligned himself with Orochimaru, Naruto practically just let him walk away. When challenged by Neji as to why, he threatened him and the rest of the team."

"Unbelievable…" Inoichi found it hard to be believe that Naruto would turn on his own comrades. But with recent events and his mental state, it truly wasn't out of the realm of possibility anymore. "Was anyone harmed?"

"Thankfully, no. Naruto did not physically attack any of his comrades. But we can't let him do it again. Frankly, the only reason why Danzō didn't imprison Naruto is because we need Naruto to fight in the war. It's one of the many things him and Tsunade disagreed on."

"We haven't gained much ground recently. It's probably how Iwa was able to get so close without us knowing."

"There were many failures for what happened. We can only correct them and move on."

"So, what's all that have to do with your favor?"

Shikaku didn't want to ask this, but he felt no other choice. "…I'm asking that Ino be assigned to Naruto's team in Sakura Haruno's place. And through her, we have a direct line to Naruto and can act if things go south."

Inoichi's narrowed. "Act how?"

"Mind Destruction." Shikaku stated bluntly, gaining a shocked reaction from the man.

"You know as well as I do that's a forbidden technique, only known to me now." Inoichi stated fiercely. "And it's extremely dangerous to enter a jinchūriki's mind like that. There's no telling what could happen to the castor or the victim."

"I know it's a tall order, for you and Ino. But there's not much of another option. I could use a squad of ANBU but then Danzō would know I'm doing this. I'm trying to keep this as low as possible."

"Why?" Inoichi questioned. "Danzō is, no doubt, considering this very same thing with Naruto."

"I'm counting that. I'm just trying to stay a step ahead of him. We can't afford for Naruto to fall into his hands."

Inoichi stroked his chin thoughtfully. He considers the words of his long time friend. He sighed heavily. "I'll talk to Ino. But I can't imagine she'll take being on a new team well. She just lost her sensei. She'll want to stay with her teammates."

Shikaku nodded sadly. "Asuma was a great shinobi, one of the best we had. Shikamaru's trying to be strong for the others, but I can tell he's hurting. Asuma meant a lot to him."

Inoichi nodded. His death was unfortunate. But they needed to keep moving along. "Is there anything else?"

Shikaku shook his head. "Not at the moment. I'll keep you posted."

"Sounds good."

-Hokage's Office-

Danzō placed the scroll on the desk. "I think you know why you two are here…Jiraiya."

The two Legendary Sannin stared at the man. One out of confusion. The other out of anger. Even Shikaku, who stood behind the man in the chair, was confused about the scroll.

"It has come to my attention that you are aware of the Akatsuki leader's location and who it might be."

Jiraiya's eyes went wide. How the hell did he know? Tsunade looked at her teammate with consternation.

"What the hell is he talking about?"

"…My informant…"

"Spit it out, Jiraiya! I'm tired of playing these games. We all know it was Itachi!"

While it came to great surprise for Shikaku, Tsunade had seemingly put together a puzzle together in her head. So many things instantly made sense. Especially what Jiraiya told her.

"So, that's how you knew so many things about the Akatsuki and their whereabouts."

"Hold on a minute!" Shikaku spoke up. "Itachi went on a rampage and killed his entire clan! Why would he be your informant for the Akatsuki?"

Danzō glanced back at the Jōnin Commander. "There are many dark secrets that Konoha has made. And many those decisions were made by the man who you all held in such high regard."

Shikaku recalled the very thing that Jiraiya had said to him about that man. "The Third Hokage?"

Danzō chuckled. "Not so noble, is he now?" He turned back to the Sannin. "It goes without saying that your mission will be to infiltrate the location and terminate the Akatsuki leader. I can't spare any other shinobi. You two are the strongest we have. Make it happen."

"Now, hold on!" Tsunade shouted. "None of this makes sense! We need data and Intel. We can't just go blindly looking for this person."

"Your intel is right there." He pointed to Jiraiya. "This mission will undoubtedly take some time. Pack accordingly and get your affairs in order. I want you out of the village by sundown."

There was an obvious tension in the air but neither dared addressed it. Without trying to stir up anything that could cause more trouble, the two Sannin dipped their heads to the man in the chair and exited the office.

"What the hell happened in there?" Tsunade finally asked as they both walked out of the building.

"I don't know how but he found out about the Akatsuki leader. That bastard!"

"How did you find out about all that?" She questioned further. "And what's all this going on with Itachi?"

Jiraiya put his finger to her lips to quiet her, pushing her back slightly. The shinobi passing by were none the wiser. "Lower your voice. That information still hasn't been made public. It's highly classified. It needs to be kept under wraps for the time being."

"But I still don't understand." Tsunade had her voice lowered. "What's going on? If he's been leaking information to you, then is he really a traitor? Is he really as crazy as they say? Or is there something bigger going on?"

Jiraiya stared hard. "Something bigger, Tsunade. Something way bigger than other of us know." He sighed. He was tired of keeping this secret from her. "Once we're out of the village and on our own, I'll fill you in on everything."

This was serious. Jiraiya normally wasn't one to care for eavesdroppers. If he was going to wait until they were out of the village walls to spill a secret, then it was big. Game changing.

"We should go pack. Then, find Naruto. He'd be pissed if we left without saying goodbye."

Jiraiya chuckled. He knew that one from experience. "You're right. Let's go."

-With Sakura-

The pinkette felt some uneasy as she waited to be called into her former master's office. It was odd. She was so used to knocking and walking right in. Now, she had sit and wait like everyone else. She never thought she was better or she was privileged, it just wasn't something she was used to. Being the apprentice to the Hokage had its advantages. She had a feeling she was going to miss some of them.

And she was called her by name. Not as a team. That was just as odd.

"Sakura Haruno…Lord Danzō will see you now." The receptionist called out.

The stand in Hokage, Danzō Shimura, was someone Tsunade complained about quite frequently during Sakura's training. Mostly because he was a stubborn man with some extreme ideals that couldn't be trusted.

Sakura didn't want to base her own thoughts on Danzō off her master's. She wanted to figure that one out herself.

Sakura entered the office as a regular shinobi and not the Hokage's apprentice.

"Welcome, Chūnin Haruno. Please take a seat. It's an honor to officially meet you. Lady Tsunade raves about you and your medical talent. And I've read your file. Your accomplishments are rather impressive for someone so young."

A believable statement.

Sakura took a seat in one of the two chairs across the desk. "Thank you, Lord Danzō. And, honestly, I don't think anything I've done is that impressive. Lady Tsunade trained me to be as prepared as possible."

"Regardless, it's still impressive to someone like me. It's rare to come across someone like yourself."

For some reason, Sakura had to force herself to smile as he complimented her again. Likewise, she knew that he saw right through her fake smile. It was blatantly obvious that an absolute moron could see through it.

"Not to be frank, Lord Danzō, but I'm curious as to why you wanted to meet. Especially since you're holding an assembly at the C.O.F in the next hour."

"Straight to the point. I like that." Danzō shuffled a few things around on his desk and handed her a folder. "These are a set of orders and recommendations for medical personnel that would be beneficial to you and your team in Sunagakure. I've vetted them myself."

Sunagakure?

Medical personnel?

Sakura took the folder and read the contents. It was a request from the Kazekage for a team of medical shinobi to come develop a medical center and train their own division of medical shinobi. "Sir? What's all this?"

"The Kazekage sent a request for a highly talented team of medical shinobi to come in and train a division of medical shinobi. Their division overall is lacking in medical personnel in all departments, not just shinobi. He needs a team to help build and train."

Sakura was glad to see that Gaara was taking interest in a functioning medical division for Suna. Her time was brief there but she could tell that the department needed attention.

"That's wonderful news. I share my master's belief that every team needs a medical shinobi assigned to it. I know she put a memorandum into motion to have teams and squads designate volunteers for training."

"I'm aware. It was actually one of the few things we agreed on while she was in office." Danzō was quick to judge Tsunade on her time as Hokage, but not everything she did was wrong. In his eyes, at least.

"Is Lady Tsunade going to lead this project?" Sakura questioned. It made the most sense. She was no longer Hokage, unfortunately, and the greatest medical shinobi in history. It was a no brainer.

"No. You are." Danzō stated.

Sakura's jaw dropped at the revelation. She immediately scanned over the documents again to see what she missed. Clear as day, her name was printed in the slot labeled 'Head Medical Director'.

How did she miss that?

"Me?" Sakura questioned, believing this to be a mistake. "Why me?"

"The Kazekage requested you. You must have impressed him with your heroics when you and your team rescued him the Akatsuki."

Flattered, Sakura it waved off. "Not likely." She nervously chuckled. "I didn't do as much as Kakashi sensei or….well, the point is I didn't do much."

"You defeated the S-Rank shinobi Sasori of the Red Sand. That's nothing to dismiss."

"That was mostly because of Lady Chiyo…"

"Regardless, you've been selected and I am approving it." Danzō was irritated that Sakura kept dodging the praise, it was so rare that he gave it. "I believe you have the capacity for this job. Do not betray my confidence in you, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura barely registered that Danzō had dismissed her from his office. The file remained in her hand as she walked through the village.

She was filled with mixed emotions. Head Medical Director? She was already feeling the pressure and stress, simply by comparing to what it was like to be Tsunade's assistant at the Konoha Hospital. She had no idea how to run a hospital. Or even train another person. Especially not build a program from the ground up. It took her master years to create Konoha's medical system. And now, Sakura was expected to do the same.

How was she going to manage this?

Why did Gaara request her and not Tsunade?

Sakura's anxiety was crashing through the roof. So much pressure and stress suddenly smacked her in the face. Never did she think that she would be in this position. Especially not at this point in her life. Honestly, this was the last thing she needed.

"Forehead!"

Oh, god not now.

While Ino was her absolute best friend and loved her dearly, Sakura was not willing to deal with her attitude.

"Hey Ino." Sakura clutched the folder close, hoping that Ino wouldn't see them pressed against her chest. "What are you doing?"

"Headed to the Division assembly. Apparently, we're deploying soon. Did you hear about that?"

"…I've heard a rumor or two."

Ino noticed the folder that Sakura was holding onto for dead life. "What's with the folder? Got a special assignment?"

Damn it.

"Yeah, you could say that." She sighed. "I've been selected by the Kazekage to train up a division of their own medical shinobi. Lord Danzō approved it."

Ino lit up. "Sakura! That's amazing!"

This was what she was expecting. And dreaded. "…Yeah, I know."

Ino could see the dread in her friend's eyes. "Then why aren't you excited? This is a huge opportunity for you."

Sakura sighed as she sat gruffly on a nearby bench. "I know it is. It's just…I don't know. Something's not right."

Ino sat next to her. "What do you mean?"

Sakura tried to piece together her jumbled thoughts and somehow voice them. Words began to fall from her lips. "Ever since my mom…died, literally everything has fallen apart in my life. I can't sleep. I barely eat. I honestly can't remember the last time I showered. It's just…when something like this came along, I thought I'd have everything put together. I thought I'd be in the best place in my life with someone who I can share it with. Like Sasuke and…" Sakura couldn't bring herself to say his name.

Ino could see right through her friend. It was true. Her life had fallen apart because of her mother's death. While horribly tragic, it wasn't the only reason. Sakura lost her one person that, no matter what, could pull her back together and hold her until she glued herself into one.

Naruto…

Whenever Ino thought of the blond jinchūriki, her emotions mixed into a mysterious mess of something that she couldn't explain. It was odd. And scary. It was just Naruto. He wasn't that special.

"Well, maybe you don't need them, Sakura."

If Ino could put a face next to appalled in the dictionary, Sakura's face would go there.

"Before you take my head off, hear me out." Sakura silence allowed Ino to speak. "Sasuke and him have been with you every step of the way since the Academy. This is the first time you can do something to set yourself apart from them. And with everything that's happened, some time away from Konoha will probably do some good for you."

Sakura sighed again. In some deep part of her heart and soul, she knew Ino was right. But those two were major parts that molded her into the shinobi that she was today. She just couldn't forget them. Depressed and horribly tired but she was still a shinobi. The apprentice of one of the Three Legendary Sannin.

Sakura would rise above this.

"Yeah…I think you're right." Sakura smiled and pulled her best friend into a long hug. "Thank you, Ino."

"Everything will be okay, Sakura." Ino reassured. "Just take things one day at a time."

-C.O.F Assembly Area-

The mass of remaining Konoha shinobi had come together in one equally massive outside area. It was a loud, mess of different conversations that were impossible to follow. The setting sun gave the perfect light for the announcement.

Danzō and the other two elders strolled onto the walkway that overlooked the area. The mass formation quieted down quickly.

"Shinobi of Konohagakure! Lend me your ears and your strength, for this is not something I wished to come. We've been at war for most of our village's history. And this village has always overcome many of the obstacles and trials that have come our way. But now, we are in a predicament that we've never had before…we're losing this war."

While hardly surprising to those who have been deployed, there were still those who were shocked to hear that.

"I know, it's hard to consider. But we are. Our former leader had been holding back our forces and simply fought to maintain, not win. I do not share the same mindset. Now, with our ally in the west finally being at full operational power, we can mount a full scale operation against our enemies on two fronts! Our remaining garrison here will reinforce the Kazekage and fight towards Iwagakure while I will redeploy the rest of our forces towards Kumogakure! Orders will be sent down through the chain of command accordingly for special assignments. But I wanted to be the one to tell you. I know some of you have families to consider. Get them ready. This will be a long deployment. Get your affairs in order. I can't guarantee everyone's safety or lives."

Danzō could see some of the shinobi were crestfallen and were losing whatever hope they had. Maybe he had been too grim too quickly.

War was hell. Plain and simple. He had lived through the previous three Great Wars and knew first hand of the horrors. He did not want to lie to them, but he needed his troops to have the strength and courage to push past that fear and win the battle.

"I won't lie to you. We're facing a tough and determined enemy. I can't promise that will bring all of you home alive. But this I can promise you. I swear to you, and whatever almighty deity you believe in, that, dead or alive, we will all come hometogether. No shinobi will be left behind. No matter what it takes, Konoha will come home together."

There were no cheers. No yelps for joy. This was a grim situation with an even darker reminder. But there was some reprieve that no one would be left behind.

That was the Will Of Fire. Forged through decades of hardships. Even in a man as sharp and brutal as Danzō, the Fire burned deep somewhere in his dark soul. His teacher was the Second Hokage, after all.

It was time to fully integrate into the Fourth Great Ninja War.

-With Naruto-

The sun was nearly sat as Naruto awaited his own orders. A long line of Shinobi impatiently waited for a set of orders from their section commander. Usually one of the elite jōnin, like Kakashi, Gai, or Genma. It was slow but efficient.

Naruto smirked as he saw his sensei lazily hand out papers to each one. Paperwork was never, and never would be, his cup of tea. Surprisingly, Gai was getting through his line much quicker. Though, no doubt he was making it a competition between them.

It wasn't long before Naruto reached the front of the line.

"Ah, Naruto."

"Sensei." He greeted back.

"How have things been for you?"

"Been better."

Probably not the best question to ask, in hindsight. "Right…" He flicked through the stack of papers in his hand. "Hm. I don't a set of orders for you. That's…interesting."

"I'm not deploying with you?" Naruto questioned.

"It seems not." It was faint, but Naruto could hear the disappointment in his sensei's voice. "Apparently, neither of my students are coming under my command."

Naruto's ears perked up. "Sakura is deploying west?"

"Don't think so. Apparently, she's one of special assignments. I have yet to figure out what it is."

Naruto could see that it was bothering Kakashi that he didn't know where his students were. Now that the thought crossed his mind, everything clicked into place.

Kakashi has been there every step of way with their shinobi careers. He was there, guiding them. Now that they were grown, even gone rouge, he was having trouble letting go.

There was probably some guilt mixed in there. Usually was when it came to Kakashi.

"Look Naruto…"

Right on cue.

"Sensei, you don't have to apologize. I know. It's appreciated."

He could see that his words affected Kakashi some, an alleviation of guilt. The man always held so much guilt on his shoulders. Naruto could only speculate on from what. The man was never open about his past.

"…Thanks Naruto. Good luck out there."

Naruto smirked. "You too, sensei."

He exited his line and moved over to another. It didn't take as long for his line to dwindle, mostly because the hall was near empty. Naruto approached the elite jōnin.

"Master Genma." The jinchūriki greeted.

"S'up." The master greeted back. "Naruto Uzumaki…Ah, here we are." He handed Naruto the set of papers. "You'll be placed directly under my command, along with two others. Ino Yamanaka and Sai."

Perplexed, Naruto looked at the elite jōnin. "Under your command with Ino and Sai? What for?"

"Special assignment." Cryptic answers were always annoying. Genma had been known for them. "You'll know more as we get ready to deploy."

"…Understood. I'll be ready, master."

Genma fiddled with the senbon with his teeth. "Go get with your new teammates. Familiarize yourselves together. I'm not dealing with the new genin shit."

Naruto snickered. "Yeah, okay."

Naruto read through his new orders as he exited the area, wondering what kind of special assignment he had now. There weren't many reasons as to why he would have a special assignment. Frankly, he could think of only one that made sense to him.

To fight another jinchūriki.

Naruto sighed. 'This shit never ends.'

He stood alone now, away from all distractions. Naruto found himself atop his father's great stone face. Thoughts raced through his mind.

Or, at least, he thought he was alone.

"Took ya long enough to get up here, brat."

Probably the two most important people of his life approached him, both dressed in their shinobi battle gear from their time. Somehow, it still fit them all these years later.

A strong, overwhelming emotion sunk deep into his stomach.

The two Sannin were going into battle.

His godparents were going into battle.

"What's going on? What's with your getup?"

Jiraiya's towering frame approached the godson first. It was odd to see him this way. Naruto was so used to him dressing casually. "We got a mission, kid. And it's gonna be a tough one."

The feeling got stronger. "A tough one? What does that mean?" These were two of the three Sannin. Tough really wasn't a relevant term to them.

Jiraiya glanced back over his shoulder, looking at his partner. Tsunade gave a slight nod, telling him that he was right in what he was about to say. "We're going after the Akatsuki leader. We got intel about their location. Our new leader…" He was hardly trying to hide the venom in his voice. "…gave us the mission. Dunno how long we'll be gone."

"Akatsuki leader?!" Naruto squeaked like a preteen. "W-Where is he?!"

"South east. They're hiding in a village out there. Amegakure, we think."

"Then let's go!" Naruto tried to hide his fear with determination and strength. Just like when he was a child. In a lot of ways, he still was that same kid. "The three of us, we'd be unstoppable against someone like that!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Tsunade chimed in as she approached. "No one would argue that logic, but you aren't coming with us."

"Why not?!" He felt like a little kid watching his parents leave him. For the briefest of moments, Naruto thought this was how he would feel if his parents survived and they would leave for a mission. Fearful and sad. Fearful that he would never see them again. Sad that he couldn't come with.

"You're too important." Tsunade caressed Naruto's cheek like he was her own flesh and blood. He practically was.

"If we lost you to the Akatsuki, no less their leader, this world would lose its best chance for survival. For hope."

Naruto was at a loss for words. Jiraiya, the man who had raised and trained him, held such a high expectation for him. That prophecy literally changed everything how Naruto saw himself and how Jiraiya viewed those expectations.

Tsunade had brought him back from the clutches of death. Twice. And even after she left and came back into his life, she never stopped caring for him like a parent.

Jiraiya was his father and Tsunade become his mother.

Crestfallen, Naruto's head dropped down. He couldn't bare to look at them as they left him one more time.

"Am I…really that important? Do you think I can be this person? Even after everything that's happened…"

"Hey, look up at me, son." Jiraiya lifted his godson's head to level their eyes. "You know, better than anyone, the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's horribly nasty and awful place. And it doesn't matter how tough and strong you are…it'll beat you down to the ground and leave you there. Nothing isn't gonna hit as hard as this life…But it's not about how hard you get hit, or even who hits you. It's about how hard you get it and keep getting up. It's about how much you can take and keep moving forward! That's how you win! That's how you survive! You never give up!"

Naruto truly felt like a little kid in front of his father. Learning a great lesson from him.

"You are strong and wise, Naruto. We are very proud of you. We have been with you since you were a small boy. Jiraiya and I have tried to teach you everything we know. And we know you'll become a far better shinobi than either of us ever hoped to be." Tsunade placed a small kiss on his whiskered cheek. "You are our son. And we love you."

The dam burst and the tears fell. Naruto wrapped both his arms around both of them. Clutching with all his might, hoping that they would never leave him again. The two parents pulled their son in close, praying that this wasn't the last time.

"I love you guys. I wouldn't be anything without you."

They finally broke apart. The family shared a laugh of how ridiculous they were being.

As the sun set, the two loyal Sannin left Konohagakure. And for one of them, it was for the final time.

-Deployment Day, Day Zero-

Two division sized elements formed into mass formations outside the main gates of Konohagakure. It was silent. Hardly a word was spoken between all the shinobi.

Danzō stood at the front, like the commanding general. He stood stoically before them, waiting to give the order.

The sun peaked over the horizon and the tips of the trees, shining down on them.

The time is now.

"Shinobi of Konohagakure…" Danzō projected his voice loud and proud, for all to hear him. "…Move out!"

In the matter a three seconds, thousands of Shinobi suddenly vanished. Traveling across the Land of Fire and far beyond. To fight the enemy. To protect their home.

The Will of Fire burned inside them all.

And they will burn them all.

Finally! The Fourth Shinobi War is in full swing!

I know this has been a VERY long time coming. But other things had to be developed and flushed out first before I could truly dive into. Truthfully, I still have a few things to get into, mainly Sasuke stuff, but that'll run alongside the War. There's a lot of stuff coming for our dear Uchiha Avenger.

This chapter was difficult to write at times because it was trying to set up things to come while closing the previous arc, it was not easy. At one point, I had a whole scene completed with Ino and Inoichi. But it just didn't fit for what I was trying to do.

There was even some Naruto and Sakura interaction, too. But that'll come later in Suna, I decided. Heads up on that.

Sadly, the time has come for Jiraiya to make his fated trip. But he is not alone this time. Tsunade has joined the fray. Obviously this changes things. But how? Remember the Butterfly Effect? We shall see.

Also, I've been rolling around the idea for creating another story. A Naruto Sensei Story. It's in early development still, even though I have nearly three chapters done. There's a preview at the end of this Note. Let me hear some feedback and your thoughts on a possible title.

I'm drawing some inspiration from two fics on this one, Patriots Dawn by Dr. Snakes MD and The Yellow Fang by Policy. Both great stories. Gritty and dark. Love them.

Here are some working titles:

Naruto: Generations

Naruto: Reborn

Here's the preview:

The door slid shut, quicker than Konohamaru would've liked. Iruka probably wanted him gone. They never really got along. It was no wonder as to why. Besides his grandfather, Konohamaru really didn't get along with anyone outside his age group.

The three genin looked at each other, wondering who was going to make the first step.

"Well, let's go. We better not keep sensei waiting."

Kai walked off first. Katsuro looked at Konohamaru and shrugged. "I don't wanna piss her off." And he followed suit.

Konohamaru sighed. "Yeah…it has nothing to do with who our sensei is."

The breeze hit Kai's black hair gracefully, pushing it all out of her beautiful young face. Katsuro and Konohamaru appeared from behind her, shielded from the breeze. All three covered their eyes to the blinding sun.

"'Bout time you three got up here. Come take a seat."

There he was…

The three genin sat before their jōnin sensei, each on a different step that led down to the small patio on the roof.

Naruto Namikaze…

The man flicked a toothpick off. His green flak jacket was clean, like it had been dry cleaned. His black pants were clean and dark as could be. His black headband cloth trailed long with wind.

The Legion….Chain Master…only to name a few of his monikers…

"Sit up straight and look at me." The authoritative tone caused the three to do just that. "Welcome to Team 13. My name is Naruto Namikaze, your jōnin instructor. First off, I'm going to congratulate you three on graduating from the Academy. Take some time to celebrate your accomplishments thus far."

The man could see pride spread across the three fresh graduates. It was a good accomplishment. It should be celebrated.

Just not now.

"Enough of that. Your work load has just tripled from here on out. Your time for celebration will come later. For now, seeing how we're going to be a team, we should get to know each other."

Kai raised her hand and waited patiently for their new master to call on her. Naruto nodded to her, telling her to speak.

"What kind of things, sensei? We were in the same class and know each other already."

"First note: you don't have to raise your hand. This isn't the classroom, speak when you have something to say. Second note: is that so? What's his…" he pointed to Konohamaru, "favorite food? What's his…" he pointed to Katsuro, "least favorite thing about life?"

Kai looked like a deer caught in headlights. She had nothing to say.

"Exactly. You may have gone to the Academy together, but there's no way you three already know each other on such a level that real teammates do. And I don't expect you to suddenly become perfect teammates either. Bonds and trust take time to build." Naruto continued on. "Also, I don't care if you were the prestigious 'Rookie of the Year' or dead last in the class. From now on, you three are equals. I don't wanna hear petty bullshit of who's better. Save that for sparring and then we'll see who's got the stuff for this job."

Katsuro went to raise his hand but quickly dropped it back down. Naruto noticed and motioned for him to speak.

"What's training going to be like, sensei? Are we going to be doing basic drills and stuff like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Depends on you three. Training centers on how well the three of you can handle things. But that stuff will be decided at a later date. For now, introductions. Uchiha, go first." He decided to just go down the line.

Katsuro had eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "How'd you know I was an Uchiha?"

Naruto looked bewildered. "Seriously?"

It processed in Katsuro's head that it was a stupidly obvious question. Not only were his eyes and hair a dead giveaway, there was a giant red and white fan on his back. The Uchiha clan symbol. "Right…sorry, sensei." He cleared his throat. "My name is Katsuro Uchiha…" He trailed off. "What am I supposed to say?"

Naruto sighed. "Just your general likes, dislikes, dreams…stuff like that."

Katsuro nodded. "I like to train with my dad, hanging with friends, and to relax and watch clouds…"

Sounds like Shikamaru. Naruto thought to himself.

"…I hate boring stuff. I like to be entertained. My dream is to someday visit all the Great Villages."

"World Traveler, eh?"

Katsuro chuckled and smiled brightly. "Kinda! I'm just fascinated by the world and wanna see it all! That's one of the big reasons I wanted to be a shinobi."

A good dream. Simple. I like that.

Naruto couldn't even count how many genin he's met that have goals and dreams of great achievements and glory that only come once in a lifetime. While good to have goals like that, they almost never happen. And those genin either get killed or stall out after making to Chūnin.

"Not bad. But remember, a shinobi isn't just about traveling or seeing the world. We have a commitment to this village and are sworn to protect it at all costs. As an Uchiha, you should know that better than anyone. You next, girl."

Kai straightened up more so. "My name is Kai Yūki. I have a general liking for everything, I really don't have favorites or consider anything as my favorite. And I'm a pretty open person, I'll try anything before I say I don't like it. My goal is to live up to my family name."

Naruto's head cocked to the side, confusingly. "Family name, huh? Interesting…" The name sounded familiar. If his memory served him right, he knew her parents. "Your father…Haku Yūki, right?"

"…Yeah." Saddened, Kai dropped her eyes. Both Konohamaru and Katsuro looked at the girl in confusion.

"Your father?"

"What happened?"

Kai shrunk back, hesitating to say something. Naruto glanced between the new team. He figured something like this would happen.

"That's a story for a different time. I don't expect you to share your life stories on the first day. Last guy, you're up."

Konohamaru was the whole reason why the Third Hokage made him become a Jōnin instructor. Something that had been decided a long time ago.

Konohamaru instantly jumped into a proud stance. "My name is Konohamaru Sarutobi! Honorable Grandson of the Third Hokage! I love chocolate covered bananas and ramen! And I hate onions!"

Naruto was intrigued by his choice of information. He hardly revealed much about himself. An interesting way around the objective of this session.

Either he's playing it smart or hiding something big. Probably both.

"And your dreams?"

Konohamaru smiled triumphantly. "I'm gonna take the title of Hokage from my grandpa! That way, I'll finally get out of his shadow!"

Naruto smirked. The age old dream. Every class had, at least, one kid that dreamed of being Hokage. "Taking the hat, eh? Well, get behind the other hundred ninja that wanna be Hokage. What makes you stand out over the rest of them?"

"He's my grandpa. Of course, he'll choose me!"

Naruto chuckled at the kid's arrogance. Time to rock this little bastard's world. "Konohamaru, let me tell you a little secret. Nobody cares that you're his grandson." The look of speechless devastation crossed the young Sarutobi's face. "You may have used it to get yourself out of trouble or got the occasional free meal. But now, it doesn't mean shit. If anything, you'll have a target on your back." Shock spread between Kai and Katsuro. "There a lot of people out there who hate your grandfather. And I can name a few that'll love the idea of getting revenge on him through you."

Konohamaru's mouth fell wide open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. That was the harshest thing someone had ever said to him! Unbelievable!

Who does this guy think he is?!

In a hasty swell of emotions, Konohamaru sprung from his seat and threw a kick at his new sensei. While it was fast to the other two genin, Naruto watched Konohamaru in near slow motion.

A simple hand blocked and held him in place, gripped at his bandaged ankle.

"Konohamaru?!"

"What the hell man?!"

Konohamaru's shocked face told all. "EH?!"

Naruto smirked. "Slow, weak, and completely open. I could've killed you five times over while you were airborne."

The Jōnin flicked his wrist and threw Konohamaru's body directly back to his seat. He landed roughly.

Konohamaru jumped back up. "How could you say something like to me?!"

"Sit down and shut the fuck up!"

Konohamaru froze. The absolute authority in Naruto's voice boomed over them.

"I don't care who you are and nobody else does! You are about to learn the consequences of your actions. Ever hear of group punishment?"

He wasn't sure if it was fear or stupidity, but all three shook their heads in unison.

"Group punishment is when one of you fuck up, everyone pays the price for it! You have…fifteen minutes to meet me at Training Ground Seven! I wasn't going to administer this test for another week, but your teammate has just moved it up with his actions. Don't be late…or it'll make it worse for y'all!"

The three hesitated. Unsure of what to do. Fear held them like vise grips.

"Go! Clocks ticking!"