A/N: I have had pretty good reviews and way more traffic than I thought I would have! Thanks everybody for R&Ring, I'll try not to let you down.

Jiraiya couldn't see anything. The darkness crept its way up to his eyes and then- the world around him was red, the moon was red, the bodies that lay in front of him were red, the blood that leaked from them was red, the rain that fell from the sky and hit his hair was- okay, you get the image. Jiraiya knew his environment even with the color wash on. It was where he had been dubbed a Sannin, where his legacy had been born. But this was not reality. It was a genjutsu, he'd been trapped in a genjutsu by an Uchiha. Fuck. Okay, no big deal. He'd be out in a heartbeat.

He had to give it to the kid, though. For Itachi being only 18 and analyzing Jiraiya's profile so much as to be able to recreate the battlefield was amazing. It was almost just as he'd remembered it, except-

"Jiraiya! Move you baka!" The feminine voice he heard tackled him from behind as a kusarigama flew overhead. What the hell? Orochimaru, a young version, jumped in front of them and cast a fire jutsu at nothing. Jiraiya rolled himself over to see Tsunade, her flak jacket bloody and in distress. She seemed to be looking at something dangerous, something that could kill them.

He froze; He was reliving it like he'd done so many nights before. 'No, It's fake! It's a genjutsu, it's not real. Kai!' He flared his chakra, but to no avail. Metal clanking together made him focus on the chain that suddenly changed directions. The kusarigama came back quickly, intending to catch one of them off guard from the rear. Jiraiya sprang to his feet and caught it by the handle, narrowly avoiding nicking himself with its poisoned blade. He yanked hard on the taut chain.

Out of nothing, like a fisherman pulling a fish out of dark waters, Uchiha Itachi appeared on the back of a giant crow, the chain of the kusarigama wrapped around his right hand. The crow's eyes matched its rider's, Mangekyō Sharingan spinning slowly, hypnotically. Jiraiya looked at his two teammates of old, and their eyes matched the crow's. Jiraiya dropped the kusarigama in shock.

Suddenly, it was all gone. Everything was still red, but now he and Itachi were face to face, alone on an open, desolate plain. A table sprang from the dry earth beside them, two chairs following shortly after. Jiraiya sat down in one, but he didn't know why, he just felt compelled to. Itachi followed suit.

"Jiraiya-sama, I trust that my methods of confirming your identity were not too harmful, yes?"

Jiraiya had so many things he wanted to say, but, "yes," was the only thing that came out his mouth.

"I created the scene based on what I gathered from Orochimaru's mind when I almost killed him, as well as compounding the data of your team's mission reports about the incident. As for here, this place... you are within my Tsukuyomi."

Jiraiya eyed him carefully. Itachi always looked the same, the same dead face. Only now it was thinner than it was when Itachi had defected, his sickness becoming more apparent. Jiraiya couldn't help but smile, though, when Itachi himself gave the slightest hint of comfort.

'Ought to crack the ice first, this is his first report in two years,' he thought, as the boy across from him let a bit of color drain into the world around them. The table was now brown, and Jiraiya's hair was white.

"Well, you did pretty good recreating it considering you weren't there! Not to nitpick the setup but it's pretty, um, how you say, monotone? A little bit of color in there would really spruce it up. Not to mention, the scene was excellent except there weren't any clouds in the sky when we faced Hanzō. Just rain, lots of rain." Jiraiya leaned back in his chair, proud of his faux- critiquing act. It was funny, he was a funny guy.

Itachi didn't move, but the table went back to being red. So did Jiraiya's hair. 'Ever the perfectionist, kid is way too tough on himself. Some things never change, ne, Itachi?'

Jiraiya sighed. "Hey, Itachi, you did well. 'Trapping' me here was a good move; It saves your cover because it appears like an attack, while also gifting us with privacy. You know, I was beginning to worry about you. You've missed a lot of deadlines in the past few years. All of them, actually. I understand it's odd to report to me and not Danzō anymore, but it's safer this way."

No change in his demeanor, no reason to think he'd been turned by Akatsuki. "I apologize. That was when Kisame was assigned to me. He is vigilant and doesn't handle betrayal well. Besides, I told Danzō I would kill him if my brother saw harm from his hand. I need to make sure, now that Hokage-sama is dead."

Jiraiya nodded his approval, then said, "So before you catch me up to speed, I need to know how we're gonna deal with this current predicament we're in. You know, the one where I'm trapped here and Sasuke is about to die and you're about to take Naruto."

It was Itachi's turn to nod. "Hai, Jiraiya-sama. I'm not going to kill my brother, only push him further. But my hand is forced currently; Tsukuyomi leaves the victim physically and mentally exhausted afterward because here, time is my own construct. I can keep you here for 72 hours, though in the real world it will be only a moment. You will not simply rise to your feet."

Normally, Jiraiya would joke about his stamina and offer to give Itachi a list of women who could vouch for him, but this had to do with Naruto's safety. "So, I'll be out of commission, okay, fine. There should be somebody coming to get Sasuke; No way he just shows up by himself like this. What're you gonna do with Naruto?"

"Jiraiya-sama, we're going to have to take him."

"Where?"

"Out of Hi no Kuni," Itachi said. "Leader is based in Amegakure, but we don't have to go there to seal or hold him hostage. There are hideouts in every Shinobi Nation, though I only know of one. I plan our routes, so I will be sure not to visit it. We also cannot seal the Kyuubi until much later, due to its potency. I fear if we bring Naruto in now then-"

"Then they'll torture him," Jiraiya finished coldly. "Itachi, you know this is going to be reported to Konoha and that ANBU will be watching you so closely they'll know when you pick your own nose. So how do we get Naruto back without blowing your cover or forcing you to kill Konoha Shinobi? Because once Naruto is back in Konoha's possession, they lay off."

Itachi sat in silence for a moment. Jiraiya saw the calculating look on his face, the famed Uchiha intelligence being put to use. "I'm assuming that my cover cannot be blown, but also that Naruto is not allowed to be sealed or captured under any circumstances, correct?"

Jiraiya nodded. Itachi furrowed his brow, plans coalescing in his mind. "Kisame's target is the Yonbi. Kisame should be able to win the fight by himself, but I have yet to tell him that my crow spotted the Yonbi jinchūriki traveling with the Gobi jinchūriki in Kawa no Kuni."

"So if you were to happen to run into these two jinchūriki and let Kisame have all he can handle, then I could reverse summon Naruto to Mt. Myoboku without Kisame knowing and it would be plausible that he ran off, correct?"

"I'm not so sure, Jiraiya-sama. That is a risky plan that involves precise timing. Better to let Kisame fight the jinchūriki on his own, tire himself out, and then I will either kill him myself or let them kill him. At that point, I could send a crow alerting you it is safe to reverse summon him and tell Leader that Kisame died from the jinchūriki, like Biwa Jūzō did against Yagura."

"Alright, we'll do it your way. I'll track you to Kawa no Kuni, so we shouldn't be too far behind you. If you're certain you can kill Kisame without risking your cover, then I'd say go for it. I know Kiri would appreciate it; It might actually go a long way with whoever the new Mizukage is. Plus, in case Naruto ever gets into this situation again, we'll have this reverse summoning trick still up our sleeve."

For the first time, Itachi smiled. His wickedly calm face reminded Jiraiya of Fugaku, but he didn't dare say that.

"It shall be done, Jiraiya-sama. Now, I must protect and preserve my identity here in Akatsuki, so I hope you'll forgive me."

"Forgive you for wh- Gah!" Jiraiya gasped in shock as a wooden tanto burst through his chest from behind him. His chair had morphed, like an evil version of Hashirama's Mokuton. Jiraiya couldn't move from the chair as a hundred more versions of Itachi appeared, brandishing kunai. They all took turns slicing him mercilessly, the eyes and thighs being the worst spots.

Just as Jiraiya felt himself slipping away, he popped back to the moment before, the Itachi clones still surrounding him, but this time the chair had restraints on it and locked Jiraiya into place.

The clone closest to Jiraiya spoke, the kunai gleaming red in the moonlight. "Only 71 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds remain, Jiraiya-sama."

Mumbling. Jiraiya heard mumbling. He didn't open his eyes in case Itachi or Kisame had hung around. Maybe Itachi was wrong and Jiraiya out willed the Tsukuyomi? The voices became clearer, a distinct feminine ring among them. 'Maybe it's just the hotel staff. Though I doubt they'd be here this time of night... Only one way to find out!'

Jiraiya sprung to his feet, his hair coiling around him and hardening, forming a defensive shell in preparations for a trap.

"Jiraiya-sama! You're finally awake!"

Jiraiya could've sworn he heard Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice, but that was impossible.

"Oi! Jiraiya you baka, get out of there and thank me before I punch you through the moon!"

Okay, that was definitely Tsunade. Letting his hair soften and the light enter his cocoon, Jiraiya's eyes burned at the sudden brightness. Everywhere was bright, somehow, like it was morning or something-

"Good morning, Master Jiraiya! I see Tsunade's youthful flames have lit you ablaze! I was worried you had been extinguished!" Jiraiya's head hurt, but it wasn't the worst pain in the world. The worst was when he saw Maito Gai clad head to toe in green spandex. He quickly shut his eyes again and tried to shake the genjutsu off, but it was no use. Itachi's Tsukuyomi was getting clever now, torturing him psychologically rather than physically.

"Glad you're alive Jiraiya. Now can you explain to us what the hell happened here?" Tsunade crossed her arms. "I finished up on the Uchiha not too long ago. Go take a look at him if you want, besides that seal on his neck he's right as rain. Never would've guessed that you would take an Uchiha as an apprentice."

Jiraiya rubbed his eyes, the pain not seceding. "I didn't. He came here on his own accord, which is why Gai is here, I guess, to take him back. It would've been nice if you'd have been about two minutes earlier, by the way, Gai."

"Hai Master Jiraiya, I shall never be late again! In fact, I will be an hour early for everything! That way I will always be where I am needed!"

Jiraiya smiled through the foggy brain. He had to turn on the subterfuge and the deception to protect Itachi now. His true loyalties had to remain buried for the sake of Konoha and her future. "Uh-huh, that's great Gai. Where's Naruto? He should be right here."

Gai's face turned grim as the room settled its gaze on him. "I'm afraid that when I arrived, Naruto- kun was gone. It is speculation but I believe Naruto was taken by the Akatsuki!"

"Shit. Well, do we have any leads?"

"None that have been made public," Tsunade said. "Jiraiya, I really think we shouldn't move until the Uchiha wakes up. His mind was torn to shreds by his brother; it was terrifying. I don't know if I'd want to face Uchiha Itachi in this life. Besides, we don't know where they went. We can't track them properly."

"Let's get some professionals then. After I take a look at the kid, I catch you two up to speed and we vote that somebody goes and gets an ANBU Tracking Unit. Naruto is worth the resources, destroyed village or not." Shizune, Gai, and Tsunade all nodded.

'Naruto,' Jiraiya thought, 'we're coming. Hold on, we're coming.'

As the boat rocked lightly amidst the wake that Kisame's water jutsu created, Itachi felt very thankful for the Suiton user. Instead of having to put chakra to his feet all night to stay upright, Kisame summoned a shark that found a boat and ate the people in it so that he and Itachi could rest for a bit before arriving at Kawa no Kuni. It was practical, but a bit thoughtful as well. It was going to be a real shame to kill the Kiri missing-nin, but it would be natural for Itachi, though notably less so than stabbing his father's eyes out after he'd slit his throat.

If there was an inkling of satisfaction to be taken from that night, it was in that bloody moment. Fugaku had never cared about Sasuke; The eyes he was so famous for had missed their family's true hero, the one that was going to lead them to better places. 'Sasuke... It's all up to you, now. Gain the power of the Mangekyō so you can take these cursed eyes from me. My time is coming to an end, and I need the rest.'

The boat gently curved down the river, their destination close.

Tsunade had said Sasuke's mental issues predated his latest injury, so there would likely need to be more recovery time. Shizune had done an excellent job on his arm, though, and it was pretty much back to normal, albeit with likely soreness. Jiraiya wasn't worried about the kid, but he was the hot topic at the moment. They'd been here in this little parlor room explaining the Uchiha situation for the last hour to Tsunade and Shizune, who looked about as done with it as Jiraiya was.

Jiraiya spoke up. "I think we send Gai back without the kid. That way Gai gets back faster to get a tracking team and we have an extra set of eyes on deck in the meantime. I don't trust the kid to run off on him anyway, after the stunts he pulled to get into this mess. Besides, we've got to find Naruto."

Gai nodded his head emphatically. "I agree! I will make it back to Konoha in half the time it took to get here!"

Tsunade chimed in, "What makes you think he's not going to run from us? I'm not a babysitter, Jiraiya." She folded her arms across her chest, and Jiraiya couldn't help but look there when he answered her.

"I know Tsunade-hime, but Shizune is! Right, Shizune?"

"Wha-wha-what! Me? Why do I have to watch the kid!?" Tonton jumped from Shizune's grasp as the dark-haired medic became irate.

"My flames of youth shall carry me when I tire!" Everybody sweat-dropped as Gai kept on with his ranting, the two kunoichi still not used to it.

Jiraiya put his hands on his hips, letting his exasperation show. "Oh, come on ladies! He's gonna be highly motivated since Naruto is with Itachi. Naruto and he are teammates, too! There's every reason for him to want to be here and find his brother, which will lead us to Naruto, which is the most important part! Naruto!"

"He's also a liability, Jiraiya. Itachi might not be so easy on him next time. He's in way over his head on this one," Tsunade shot back.

The four ninjas heard the sliding panel of the backroom open and watched as Uchiha Sasuke appeared, leaning on the frame with a shoulder, his arms crossed coolly. "There's just one problem with that, old man. I don't want to find Itachi now. I want to find out why Naruto is so important to him and why I'm not worth the ground under his feet. I couldn't even touch him... " Sasuke's hands dropped to his side and balled up, the muscles in his arms coming alive, straining against his skin. "I couldn't touch Gaara either, even with the new power I have..."

Jiraiya felt it before he saw it: malevolent, dark chakra, the kind he'd felt many times before. Tsunade gritted her teeth next to him. She knew this chakra as much as he did. The black flames spread from Sasuke's left side to the middle of his face, one of his eyes changing colors as it stared back at Jiraiya. 'So, this is the curse mark Kakashi told me about... Guess I'll have to fix it later.'

"And if Naruto can beat Gaara, but lose to Itachi, then I'm light-years below him. Even you lost, didn't you?" Sasuke took a step towards them, but Jiraiya just laughed.

"No more than Orochimaru did when he tried to kill Itachi. In fact, I think I lasted longer! Shows how strong that hickey he left you is, dobe."

Jiraiya saw Sasuke wince at the name he used to- well, still does call Naruto. They hadn't lost the gaki yet.

He folded his arms and observed the young Uchiha's demeanor. He didn't seem particularly angry, just upset. 'Didn't think I knew anything about you, huh, Uchiha? Let's see what happens when I push your buttons a little bit.' "In fact, the only reason I ended up on the floor in the first place is because you had to rush in and play the avenger. You had to know Itachi wasn't gonna let you run up to him and poke him with your little lightning party trick, right? Geez, kids these days are so dumb."

That must've struck a nerve. Sasuke growled out, "How am I the dumb one for trying to avenge my clan? What would you even know about what I saw that night, about why I have to kill him?"

The Uchiha's voice was fluctuating, and Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder if it was from puberty or the Cursed Seal. Jesus, he hated kids. He let out a sigh that was more from mental fatigue than actual contempt, but he really was not in the mood for this conversation. This Orochimaru bullshit had to wait until they found Naruto, but he might as well address it now.

"You're dumb because you took power from the weakest of us Three Sannin. Seriously kid, Orochimaru's specialty is escaping situations and trickery. How is that gonna help you kill someone like Itachi? Enlighten me, dobe."

Sasuke's flame markings spread all the way over his body, Orochimaru's chakra expanding through his network. He had a snarl on his face as an animal would. 'Hn, so anger triggers it. The more unstable he becomes, the more power he gets. Hell of a combo.' A perfect time to test the limits of the seal with some good acting, then!

Summoning his stage voice and putting himself into a faux-huff, Jiraiya laid into the boy: "And what do I know? In case you don't know who I am, who we are," Jiraiya nodded to Tsunade, "we're the Legendary Sannin. We survived a war! We faced Hanzo the Salamander and lived; He's a guy who would make your brother look like a chūnin, in case ya didn't know.

"To top all that, the same guy that shared those experiences with us decided to beat the shit out of our friends, leave the village, then come back years later to destroy our home and kill our sensei. So, what would you know about anything?" Jiraiya gave him a hard stare to cap off his performance. It was pretty satisfying to put the boy in his place. Maybe Sasuke was actually listening and not-

The energy output from Sasuke exploded. The black marks on him burned with chakra ready to be used, his face more akin to a crazed animal than a human. Just as Jiraiya was about to restrain him, Tsunade stuck her arm out in front of him, blocking his way to Sasuke.

Jiraiya saw Gai and Shizune both tense up, but Tsunade seemed to have it all under control.

"Let me deal with this spoiled brat," she said, "I'm beginning to see why my Grand Uncle detested you Uchiha so much. Arrogant, thinking you can control something from Orochimaru. Stupid is a better word."

"Don't you dare insult my clan!" Lightning erupted from Sasuke's hand. He screamed as he shot towards her, the gap between his hand and Tsunade's exposed chest his only enemy.

In a flash, it was all over. She had stepped around the jab, grabbed his arm and pulled him in close for a left-handed palm strike to the chest. She stood in the finishing move pose while Sasuke was somewhere else in the building currently, after having been blasted through the walls of every room behind him.

The room was dead silent as Tsunade smiled and said, "Well, Shizune, you should probably go get him and make sure I didn't cave his chest cavity in. Those tend to get messy. Gai, you should probably get back to the village if we're going to find Jiraiya's little sidekick."

Gai looked pale but nodded and saluted. "Hai Tsunade-sama!" He jetted out the door before Jiraiya could even move. He turned to tell Shizune to be careful, but she too was gone.

When did Tsunade take control of this situation? When did she decide to be in charge? Jiraiya rubbed his temples; this could make bringing her back to be Hokage either very difficult or very easy...

Oh well. "You've changed a bit, Tsunade. Here I thought you'd be trying to run away from me and everything else, but you healed me and just taught the kid a valuable lesson in humility! If I were lesser skilled, I'd have thought you were someone else! And you haven't had a drink all day. What gives?"

She laughed, but it was playful and sarcastic. "It's 8 in the morning you baka, mimosas don't start until 10. Besides," her tone shifted into a soft whisper, "I remembered the legacy I have to uphold." Jiraiya saw her hand grab the Shodai's necklace, and instantly knew what she meant. He couldn't help but crack a smile. Maybe the time away from the village had been good for her.

Tsunade let her hand fall back to her hip. "So, Gai told me you were coming to find me before you got put under by Itachi. Mind telling me why? And if you came all the way out here to ask me about healing Hatake, I'm gonna tear your head off. I've lost valuable gambling hours on this detour."

This was it: his now or never shot to get Tsunade to come home. Jiraiya gulped and was suddenly hyperaware of his surroundings. The dry, bitter taste of wood particles in the air, the sweat running down his back; Tsunade's index finger tapping her side tap tap tap tap tap tap over and over again, her eyes being soft but somehow still stubborn; The birds from outside whispering sweet nothings to one another in the trees, how the river outside flowed so quickly-

'Itachi, you clever dog. Taking the river to Kawa no Kuni. Well, since Tsunade isn't Hokage yet, I guess I'll have to act like this is all a surprise.' "Shit! Tsunade! That's how they weren't detected by Gai! They took the river." Tsunade tried to get a word in edgewise to figure out what he was talking about, but Jiraiya wouldn't let her. He knelt down and began feeling for his map. "Think about it, Tsu-chan! Itachi's partner is Hoshigaki Kisame, probably the best Suiton user alive right now. Freak with a sword and freakier with water. Plus," he pulled the map out of his vest, slammed it down onto the floor, and pointed out the nearest river, "it flows to Kawa no Kuni. Once they're out of Hi no Kuni, they can just go right through Kawa no Kuni to wherever else they want and not a damn thing will be able to stop them."

Tsunade pulled him from his musings when she put a hand on his shoulder. "Jiraiya? I feel like there's something you're not telling me. Something about the kid, something about the situation, something. What can be so urgent that healing a top Jōnin and getting revenge against Orochimaru aren't top priorities?"

Jiraiya froze. Did she really not know? He didn't want to look up and meet her eyes. He didn't want her to see how irresponsible he had been with Minato and Kushina's child. "Tsunade... I... Naruto is Kushina's son, which means...," her hand slipped off his shoulder. Jiraiya rose, his back still to her.

"Which means he houses the Kyuubi," she finished. "Is that what Itachi wants? Or is it because he's Minato's son?"

"Neither, kind of," he said. He twisted his body around, the terror in her eyes matching his calm orbs. "The Akatsuki's main goal is to gather all the Bijū together. For what purpose, I don't know yet. Power is an obvious candidate."

"Yeah," Tsunade eye-rolled, "he's not only the jinchūriki of the strongest tailed beast, but he's the child of the Yondaime Hokage. Jesus, the kid's got all the tools to be the next Hokage in a few years."

Jiraiya looked at her with the utmost seriousness. "He could also be one of the most highly valued targets in the Shinobi World, but he's an idiot. He needs to learn how to defend himself. I was going to teach him the Rasengan on this trip, maybe take him with me for a while afterward. If no one can pin him down to one place, then they can't get him. That was the idea with this trip, anyway, but look at what happened." His head tilted down in shame, but Tsunade crossed her arms and gave him a sympathetic look.

"Oh Jiraiya, don't beat yourself up. The Uchiha kid is dangerous and you were put in a bad spot. It happens. Let's make it up to Kushina and Minato for being bad Godparents by getting their kid back, yeah?"

Jiraiya paused a moment; It was truly amazing to see Tsunade like this: positive, sober, helpful. It was almost like they were teammates again, like in Itachi's nightmare genjutsu, but without the nightmare. "Yeah, Tsunade-chan, let's do that."

"Uh, one issue guys!"

"Huh?" Jiraiya and Tsunade said simultaneously as Shizune came crashing through the door.

"I think you should seal this mark on his neck now, Jiraiya-sama. It's really hot on his skin, and the heat from it alone is giving him a sort of pseudo-fever," Shizune said as she set Sasuke down on the floor softly, his exposed chest bearing a huge purple bruise in the middle.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Do you think it's because Orochimaru is so close by?"

"That has to be it. It seems like it is controlling his emotions when he's under duress," Jiraiya said. "Kakashi told me he put some sort of willpower seal on it, but judging from earlier, the kid's willpower is pretty weak. Eh, I'll fix it."

Tsunade laughed. "The Uchiha always were the emotional ones."

Birds chirped and fluttered through the trees as two figures stepped off their docked boat and into Kawa no Kuni, the sun shining brightly on their dark robes.

Han narrowed his eyes at the dark-clad pair, the 'monster hunters' as they were often called. The sword on the larger one's back seemed to squirm as the duo turned their backs to the river and started north down a well-used road, going the opposite direction of the Iwa jinchūriki.

He and Rōshi knew the larger one as Hoshigaki Kisame, the Monster of the Mist. It was impossible to miss him with one of the Seven Legendary Swords on his back. Yet, his companion was relatively unknown. Neither he nor Rōshi had been close enough to see the village marker on his hitai-ate after several hours of following them upriver, and the man's lithe frame seemed infantile compared to Kisame's bulk.

Dropping from his perch in the trees, Han landed softly near Rōshi. His steam armor shifted slightly and clicked against itself, the red plates tapping where they overlapped one another. He removed his furnace from his back slowly, being as quiet as he could out of respect for Rōshi. His hat, black gi, armored breastplate, and arm covers followed until only his lower half was still covered. Taking the water in his furnace, he created steam using his Kekkei Genkai. It swirled around his body, cleansing his pores and destroying his scent.

After pulling the excess moisture from his skin, he sat down next to Rōshi and began to copy him. The 'old man' was meditating again, his peace and silence something Han never wanted to disturb. He knew how grouchy Rōshi could get. Despite being only 47 years old, he had the temper and demeanor of Ōnoki.

The mission that brought them to Kawa no Kuni in the first place was checking on the Katabami Gold Mine. In truth, it was a cover for moving the two jinchūriki out of Tsuchi no Kuni for a while, allowing them to train and gain better mastery over their tailed beasts away from Tsuchi no Kuni's residents in case things got out of hand. Rōshi thought some other conspiracies were at play but he had no proof, of course. Missions like these were not uncommon for them.

The two jinchūriki didn't necessarily like each other, but they respected one another and their similar paths. Both had been made jinchūriki by Iwagakure and served in the 3rd Shinobi World War. Both were related to Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage, albeit distantly in Rōshi's case. Both had been beaten by Namikaze Minato and been tagged by the man's seals, permanent reminders of their losses. Han's was on his cheek, the main reason he started wearing a face mask. Rōshi's was on his forehead, where he has since moved his hitai-ate to cover it. They both were visible now, Rōshi taking his headpiece off to meditate, Han sliding his facemask down.

Han drew in a deep breath and shut his eyes, pulling his chakra to the surface. He recited the 'Will of Stone' as best he could remember:

'Immovable will, what is in me.

Day by long day, a rock to me.

Not granite, not quartz, not marble, not lime,

but that which is sacred, that which is mine.

Whosoever believe in thy self,

shall have a quarry to behold, filled with lasting wealth.'

It'd been a say-before-you-die prayer in the war, but it stuck with Han closely, because every day was a war in Iwagakure. After their loss in the 3rd Great Shinobi War, times had been tough in Tsuchi no Kuni. The loss of missions coupled with the weakening of military might in Iwagakure had truly crippled a great nation. Of course, only a few years after the end of the war, a drought suddenly struck the countryside, which forced the village to import food from other Shinobi Nations. The humiliation of it all hadn't helped their Kage's temper or Iwa's political alliances. Kumo was still playing nice, but they did that with everyone.

'Just biding their time...,' Han thought, his hands tightening. His body sweated as his Kekkei Genkai flared, heating the moisture in the air around him tremendously.

He couldn't stop thinking about A, the current Raikage. The man was a few years junior to Han, but his pride and boastfulness had left a sour taste in the mouths of the many Iwa Shinobi he came in contact with that lived, Han included. Memories of the war flooded back, memories of the dark-skinned, blonde-haired boy that led countless Shinobi to their death.

'Remain calm, young one. That was many years ago. The world has changed, A has changed. It is not your fight anymore, be still.' Immediately, Han felt the Gobi's aura envelop him, calming his chakra.

'Hai, Kokuō. I apologize.'

Han was startled from his conversation when a foot jammed itself in his chest and tipped him backwards. He landed flat on his back, opening his eyes to a terrible sight.

"Oi! You mind keeping your sweat to yourself?"

On top of him stood Rōshi, the minuscule jinchūriki of the Yonbi. He looked quite angry, ready to berate Han for his accidental steam usage. Maybe Han had been wrong; Maybe Rōshi didn't respect him as much as Han respected Rōshi.

"I've been here all morning long trying to talk to that big ape and what happens when I'm close to entering my mindscape? The minute you sit down, I start sweating! I'm talking beads of sweat down my neck and back! I ought to melt you for that, you useless giant!"

Han remembered Kokuō's words. "I apologize, Rōshi-san. It was not my intention to interrupt you," he said.

"Feh," Rōshi said as he stepped off Han, "that's what I thought. You're so weak! Sometimes I forget you actually fought in the war; What made you so soft?" Rōshi continued to gripe to himself as he slipped his headpiece back on and stomped into the woods, his voice fading.

Han got up and slipped his armor on, every strap he tightened whined and the armor plating he adjusted clicking together like a symphony. Placing his hat back atop his head after buckling his furnace in, he felt uncomfortable, awkward in his own skin. Was he really soft? He wasn't soft in the 3rd War, where his job was to be a shock trooper and use his Bijū to disorient and confuse the enemy platoons. He had been a good Shinobi; His reputation and status within Iwagakure supported that. Why, then, did he feel so uncertain about the power he wielded?

Suddenly, Rōshi came back, still muttering to himself with his head down. He approached Han slowly, his hands on his hips. "With the two Akatsuki here, I'm on edge. I haven't fought anybody worth the time in a long time. I'm getting old now, old enough to start thinking back to when we were young. Sometimes I feel like-"

"Like you never left the war," Han finished, amazed though he was that he had received an apology, he nodded in understanding. "Every night I fight the same fight that I've fought for almost 20 years. Our... approaches may be different, but we are cut from the same cloth, Rōshi... senpai."

Han never saw it coming: Rōshi picked his head up and smiled. "Senpai my ass! If that's a potshot at calling me old, I'll take you on any time, you ole no brow, sweaty, firework lookin' bastard! I'll light you up!" he exclaimed, a gleam in his eye telling Han he wasn't joking. Then he stuck a small, calloused hand on Han's shoulder, stretching to reach it. "Besides... it's nii. Rōshi-nii."

All of a sudden, laughter filled their campsite, and Han spun to look behind him into the trees.

"Ah, yes. Truly touching!"

"..."

The two dark-clad Shinobi were resting on a tree branch, high above the two jinchūriki. The younger, dark-haired one simply stared. Hoshigaki Kisame, meanwhile, dropped down, coming face to face with Han and Rōshi.

"Hoshigaki! What do you want, tuna-breath?" Rōshi spat.

"Other than a good fight? Your life!"

Kisame's partner's mouth was hidden by his collar, his Akatsuki robe many sizes too large for his small body. "Don't make this difficult."

Kisame smirked. "Better yet, do. Samehada loves Bijū chakra." The sword on his back squirmed around. "We thought we would ambush you when you went for our clones, but you animals didn't take the bait. So!" Kisame unbuckled his sword and smashed it into the ground, a divot forming from the impact. "I'll be your executioner today."

Kisame's wicked grin did little to scare the jinchūriki, but the boy still sitting atop the tree branch was an unknown. Who was he, what were his abilities?

"Kisame," the boy said, "I'm going to take my leave now. Hand me the Kyūbi container; there's no need for him to be damaged during this fight. Secure the other jinchūriki and let's be on our way."

On command, Samehada burst from its wrappings and spat an unconscious orange blob from its insides. Han watched as the boy leaped from the tree branch and grabbed the body. As he landed beside Kisame, he paused a moment. His red eyes appeared, striking fear in Han's heart. Uchiha were much more dangerous than many people realized; He'd fought plenty of them in the war.

"Han, that's-"

"Uchiha Itachi!" Han finished. "I thought he was a myth, one of Konoha's many boogeymen."

"To be merely a boy and have killed so many, kin or otherwise... He reminds me of us. No mercy in this world we live in today. No mercy, just how I'm going to do to this fish-muncher here!" Rōshi ran through seals as he raised his hands to his mouth. "Yōton: Scorching Rocks Jutsu!" Several boulder sized balls of lava shot from his mouth in quick succession, partially solidifying as the air-cooled the molten rock.

Itachi evaded deftly, vanishing into the woods with the unknown boy under his arm. Kisame, however, had more trouble. He threw Samehada straight into the air so it wouldn't be damaged, but he was clipped in the ribs, burning through the Akatsuki robe and his skin easily. As he caught Samehada before it hit the ground, the two jinchūriki could openly see Kisame's left lung pulse as he breathed, the lava not being enough to collapse it.

"Ouch," Kisame said, feeling what was left of his midsection. "Not bad, Yonbi. But I hope you're more than a one-trick pony. Suiton: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

Water poured from Kisame's mouth as Han and Rōshi fled from the clearing, Kisame engulfing the entire area in water. The river that was next to them became invisible, the amount of water atop the current making it nonexistent. Trees were knocked down and destroyed, the water rising higher and higher. Soon, it was just Kisame and the two jinchūriki staring at one another, alone across a vast plain of water. Kisame dropped to his knees, leaning heavily on his sword.

"Welcome to my world, boys! Samehada has been dying to try different flavors of bijū chakra. I'd be careful about getting bit, if I were you. Do you know what they used to tell us in Kiri? 'The weak are meat, the strong eat.' Samehada and I," he wheezed, the blood from his now ruptured wound pouring out from the strain of performing such a taxing jutsu, "we eat!" Slowly, his ribs and surrounding tissue regenerated, the flesh more pinkly colored than the rest of his blue body. Rising to his feet, he swung Samehada up to rest on his shoulder.

Han let some steam puff out his furnace, bending it to his fists in preparation to attack. "Rōshi?"

"What, Han?" Rōshi said as he readied his lava armor, the lava around his legs creating steam with the water's surface.

"I have a feeling that this will not be an easy battle."

"The best ones never are, unfortunately."

Next Time! Lava Meets Water and Makes Steam!