To say the three left behind in the hotel were worried would be an understatement. While the punk ninja did blow up a rogue S rank enemy, it was likely more than half of his chakra was depleted in the act. Itachi, on the other hand, seemed to still be in a fighting condition. The wisest thing for their enemy to do would be retreat in the face of two Kage level opponents, but the opportunity to secure their prize was still a possibility.

"How the hell did you even find out they went to this town?" Anko asked the Uchiha boy.

Sasuke walked over to the path Naruto blew into being and scanned the footsteps with his Sharingan. "They left prints in the dirt road." He waved for them to follow his lead, accurately making out the path he took.

"I forgot how scary the Sharingan can be," Jiraiya said as he obeyed. His eyes narrowed. "Lot of secrets in that dojutsu."

No further words were exchanged. They jumped over a crowd of gathering, curious civilians on to the wall of the opposing building and ran up it. His trail was long yet predictable thanks to its messiness. More than halfway through it and on a dirt trail, the boy they were looking for approached.

"Naruto!" Sasuke ran towards him but stopped at the sight of him stiffening. "I'm so–"

"Shut up." His eyes narrowed at his closest friend.

Anko skidded to a halt between them. "What happened?" She raised an eyebrow when he glomped her. "Uh?"

"Nothing." Smiling, he kept his eyes on the target of his ire. "Just reminding you how much better I am." His gaze shifted to her breasts. "Remember how good my hands felt?"

She looked down at his suggestive face to the distraught face of his teammate. "Did you say we were fucking or?"

"Hold on, what about your hands?" Jiraiya asked, arms crossed and tilting his head. His eyes squinted as she blushed.

"N-Nothing!"

Naruto chuckled before nuzzling her navel. "Come on, Anko-sensei! Don't be so modest. I mean." He locked eyes with the Uchiha again. "We do sleep in the same bed together."

"Seriously, what the hell happened?" She set him a step back by his shoulders.

He smirked. "I'm just letting him know not to get used to you. After all, you are my sensei, and this is just some orphan loser, right?"

"Knock it off!" She flinched as he jumped. "...You're worrying me."

"You don't have to worry about anything!" He smiled at her and laughed. "My head is clearer than it's ever been." His lips thinned into a line. "I just don't want you to leave."

She looked to the Sannin. "Well, I am already here."

"No." Jiraiya frowned. "You know Orochimaru as well as I do: he'll make a move to get them both if they're near each other."

"...I know." She focused back on her favorite genin. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to split ways for now." Shifting her gaze to the Uchiha, she nudged her head back in the direction of the Leaf. "Let's go back before it gets dark." She turned and started walking.

Sasuke lock eyes with his teammate one more time before going with her. "Right."

"Do you know where what's-her-face is?" Naruto asked, watching them flicker away.

"Not right now." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at his angered glance. "But I have a pretty good idea on where she's headed."

"And that is?"

"The Tanzaku Quarters: they have a gambling scene and there's a festival either happening or already going on."

"Then let's get going." He frowned when the middle-aged man pointed at the sky. "So what?"

He lowered his hand. "Not everyone has stamina and chakra reserves for days. I need some rest. Why do you think I paid for a hotel room?"

"Fine. But we head out when I wake up. Deal?"

"I guess?" He stared at the boy walking back to the town, spiraling chakra in an outstretched hand.

"Hurry up!"

Shaking his head, the legendary ninja followed. "You really need to learn how to relax."

While the retrieval party for Tsunade returned to their first stop, Anko and Sasuke rushed back to the Leaf. There weren't many sources of light in the middle of the night. One of them could see with their kekkai genkai, but the other would have some difficulty without letting her eyes adjust. A brief time frame like that was still a good moment to attack.

"What happened?" She glanced at the boy and frowned at his silence. "Oh come on! It couldn't have been that bad." She grimaced at him wincing. "Seriously, what could you have possibly said to make him go from saying he'd care about you forever to looking like he wanted to kill you?"

"It's just…something stupid my brother said."

"Why would he believe something his enemy probably lied to him about?"

He sighed. "I was shaken up when he said it, and he took it as proof," he half-lied. "It was stupid of us both."

"What did he say?"

"It's personal."

She kept her eyes on him for a minute before shaking her head. "Okay; if this blows up in your face, don't come crying to me about it: no one can help you, if you don't tell anyone what your problem actually is."

It was almost a certainty no one could help them even if they knew what occurred. The trust that built up between them was destroyed in a second. What was respect and care became disgust and maliciousness. No method of communication could let him know his feelings were genuine. He didn't want to kill him, no matter what power could awaken within. As far as he was concerned, that would be nothing more than a lie to get him to drop his guard. Too many people withheld the truth from him already, so he was long past tolerating more of it. Their bond was broken.

On a hill some ways from the town, Itachi Uchiha rested in the grass with his eyes closed. They were throbbing from his use. It was necessary despite the damaged it did to them: Kakashi Hatake was not an easy opponent, especially with a Mangekyo with abilities he was not aware of, and the flesh wall Jiraiya conjured was resistant to fire, a quality his eyes could perceive. He intended to use his most powerful genjutsu to cement his brother's hatred, but he never had the chance. If the jinchuriki went all out, he would need to use one of his eyes as well.

Kisame, fully healed, in red and blacks rags emerged from the ground, Shark Skin unwrapped in his hand. "Seems like we missed our chance."

"There will be another time, albeit more difficult."

"Boss is probably going to send some other team." He kicked a foot against the soil and did the same with his other. "We're not exactly a good match up."

"Effectively immune to genjutsu, prefers his own powers over the tailed beast's, specializes in ninjutsu that consume heavy amounts of chakra, and he has a fondness for the Explosive Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"Deidara and Sasori?"

Itachi's eyes inched open. "One would be ecstatic at the idea of defeating an opponent I could not, and the other's abilities extend past my knowledge. While Deidara's expertise in explosives would come in handy, there may be a chance for him to be done in by his own art."

"Finishing the job you started!" Kisame burst into laughter. "I'd pay good money to see that!" He paused. "Speaking of money, what about the angry puppet man?"

"I don't know the extent of his abilities either. But if he did put up a fight against the First Hokage, I can't imagine it going well for the jinchuriki."

"They just need to find someone he won't kill."

The Uchiha nodded. "Unlike us, he wouldn't give up in the face of such unfavorable odds. I'd like to think he'd know better due to his age, but his temperament doesn't suggest as much." He hummed. "There's a good chance he would've died in our place."

"I thought old folks were wiser and calmer too until I met that geezer."

"His inclusion was decided on his skill alone rather than any ability to behave like a shinobi. It's possible Hatake could have handled him alone."

Kisame laughed again. "Was he really that good?"

"I once was on the same anbu squad as him: he's no doubt the most powerful jonin in the Leaf by now."

"Oh, that poor vegetable." He sat down beside his partner. "I understand why you used that eye of yours now, if that's the case."

All things considered, it could've gone far worse for them. The Akatsuki's goals were not short-term enough for their failure to have much effect. To Itachi, there was much to be desired. He could not regain his eyesight, and he had no desire to. A battle to the death between him and his brother would have to wait a little longer, so he'd need to adjust his usage of the Mangekyo. His message was more than received to the Leaf Village.

Neither the boy nor the middle-aged man got much sleep through the night. They managed to find another hotel to take them on short notice. Eyes one was grateful for being absent returned to punish him for his explosive self-defense. He had a new jutsu he gained massive progress with and thoughts he wanted to not have, so he spent most of his time practicing rather than sleeping. It was only when the Toad Sage had enough of the whirling sound of chakra did he stop to rest. The same sound was making him twitch on the road.

"Why is healing Ninjutsu incapable of undoing exhaustion?" Jiraiya yawned. "I could use that right now." He glanced at the swirling in his apprentice's hand. "I'm surprised you've already advanced to the last stage."

"There were stages?"

"For rotation, I'd start you with water balls. Power, I'd give you rubber. You're on containment: keeping all of that in check."

Naruto scowled as his swirly-death-ball spiraled out. "I'm a hands-on learner."

"That's what the balloons were for."

"No, I mean I do better when I'm actually fighting." He recalled the 'Rasengan' he made to protect Sasuke and his latest attempt sputtered away. "Dammit!"

"Using a jutsu you don't know in combat is dangerous."

"I know but everything makes sense. You fought in a war, didn't you? Don't you get it?"

Jiraiya's looked at him in concern. "Get what?"

"There's no failure: it's do or die." His blue eyes were illuminated by a flimsy ball of chakra.

"All three of us failed against Hanzo, and we're still alive."

"But you did enough to live."

"Really, it's not that simple."

Groaning, he shook his head. "Never mind." He tried another ball. "So 'Tsunade,' right? She was your medic? Was she basically your cheerleader most of the time or something?"

The Toad Sage scoffed. "She'd break one of your ribs with her pinky and heal it, if she heard you saying that."

"A super strong sensitive bitch; got it."

"I'm serious." He shot him a look. "She almost killed me when I did some research on a bathhouse she was in."

"The Super Strong Sensitive Bitch then."

Jiraiya laughed. "Nice knowing you, kid."

"I just exploded some weirdo shark guy: some dried out super strong hag isn't going to faze me." He spared him a glance, focusing away from an attempt. "Who was he and why was Sasuke's brother with him?"

"First, Tsunade can control how old she looks. Second, they were a group called the Akatsuki, and I'm pretty sure they're after what's inside you."

He squinted. "Why?"

"Probably because it has the biggest amounts of chakra we have ever seen and likely ever will. If you mean Tsunade's age, it's because women don't like getting old; don't say that in front of her face."

"...Wait, if she can control how old she looks, how are we going to find her?"

"Trust me, I can tell if it's her from a mile away." He chuckled perversely. "And she has a really bad gambling habit."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That's why we're going to a gambling scene?" He blinked. "We're giving the village to a gambler? Is she at least good at it?"

"You can't be good at gambling, but her luck and inability to admit defeat is so terrible she's known as the Legendary Sucker!"

The swirling in his palm stopped. "…She's going to suck off our enemies?"

Jiraiya burst into laughter. "No!" He held on to his sides. "Oh, hell no! I haven't heard anyone with the guts to make that joke since Anko!" Lifting his head into the air, he kept laughing.

"Looks like someone else might beat me to the punch," the boy muttered.

"What?!"

"Nothing." He channeled chakra into his palm again. "The Leaf's just fucked."

It didn't take much longer for them to reach the next town over, one very close to where their target was likely headed. Chances were she already passed through there. While they could wait at Tanzaku, they could meet her nearby and sooner rather than later for the better. The Leaf Village needed leadership at that very moment, after all.

Jiraiya hummed. "Alright, I'm going to ask around the local gambling dens for any sign of Tsunade." He glanced at his charge, specifically the swirling ball he was creating to the amazement of all passerby. "You should relax; get a feel for the place! Don't you have money?"

"I'm not giving you any, and I don't see any ramen stands around here." Naruto's eyes scanned the ogling crowd and smiled at their interested faces.

"You ate ramen for breakfast!"

"And I want it for lunch and dinner." He blushed at a woman's coo. "Do you know where I can find the nearest ramen stand?" He ran off in the direction she pointed at. "See you, Pervy Sage!"

Shaking his head, he went his own way. "Minato." A sad smile formed from his lips. "Deep down, he's a lot like Kushina." He hummed. "Didn't you say something about her being angry until she fell in love with you?"

They spent the day almost entirely apart. Occasionally, they ran into each other doing one odd thing or another: showing off his failing Rasengan to curious women for Naruto, and showing off money to attract street-walkers for Jiraiya. It was invigorating to the two tired men. The Toad Sage tried copying what was working for the boy but lacked the novelty of youth he had. His mastery of the jutsu played out of his favor too, incapable of showing the same improvements and growing differences. Both stopped scrambling when it was dusk.

"Nothing?" Naruto asked, creating dissipating swirly-ball attempts in one hand and a squid skewer in the other.

Jiraiya shot his leathery palm a look. "Seriously, kid, you're going to hurt yourself!"

"Let me worry about that." He took a bite into the chewy, fried flesh. "Nees mo tng."

"Don't talk while you're eating."

Swallowing, he rolled his eyes. "Now you sound like the old man."

"I'm not that old!" He frowned. "It's just basic etiquette and how you avoid choking to death."

"Did you find Tsunade or not?"

"Not yet. It's going to take me some time to see if she really isn't here. Let's rent a room and rest." Jiraiya began walking in the direction of the nearest hotel he saw earlier that day.

The boy followed and smiled at the awed looks he was still attracting. His swirly failure looked beautiful in the dark, like fading blue embers. "I like this place."

"I noticed."

"Are other places in the Land of Fire normally like this? The other town seemed to be busy."

"It's always busy: it's where tourists stop before going to the Leaf Village." He looked out at the stands. "There's a festival going on in Tanzaku, and this place isn't that far, so it's having a festival too. Helps line the locals' pockets."

He eat the rest of his fried squid and toss aside the leftover wood stick. "Guess it's normally a lot boring."

"One of the more lively places in this country, actually."

"It would still be better than the village, if it wasn't."

Jiraiya spared him a glance. "You weren't too quick to leave when were there; I know it was because of your people, but still, you shouldn't be so quick to write off your home." He focused ahead and yawned. "Seeing the world is fun, exciting, and unforgettable." His eyes softened. "But I still dream of it."

No more words were exchanged. One didn't want to let his festering resentment show too much of itself, and the other didn't want to prod him. They rented two separate rooms to not repeat the mistake of the other day. Jiraiya tried to see where he hid his money, but the amount he needed was already in his pocket. At the very least, he got to sleep soundly while the boy ran himself ragged again.

The swirling blue of Naruto's chakra illuminated the room. "Come on, come on, co–" It faded, leaving him in darkness. "Shouldn't I be used to this by now?"

"Rest. Forsake your father's imitation of our greatness."

"I never give up. No matter what." He concentrated his chakra again.

"That fool may know other jutsu you can perform."

"Nothing like this. I can tell how much control it actually takes. Tree-walking was hard, water-walking was a bit weird, but I know exactly what I did wrong now." The ball began to form. "I needed to get the ratio, like Anko-sensei said about the vacuum shuriken. Water-walking had the ratio change almost every moment. The Gale Palm Jutsu needed me to concentrate it." It began sputtering out. "This is all of that but way more. I just…" He drifted off as it faded. "The rotation's off."

"If you used my chakra, you would have no issues."

He yawned and fell down on his customary futon. "I don't want to." His eyes closed. "No...shortcuts." Sleep took hold of him.

The day after was very much the same. He was beginning to be recognized as The Kid With the Swirly Thing. Many already knew he was a ninja by the forehead protector alone, though younger children thought he was magical. It didn't seem like they had shinobi around enough to see what they were for themselves. He realized not long after that was by design: other settlements in the Land of Fire having shinobi of their own would threaten the Leaf's supremacy.

Both saw each other outside the hotel when it was dark.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Jiraiya asked, tilting his head at his eye-bags.

"...Training." The boy was too focused on creating the bright Rasengan to look at him. "It's pretty."

"Seriously, you need to rest."

"I'll rest when I'm dead, finished, or you find Tsunade, which you obviously haven't…" He drifted off before walking back up to his room. Instead of training any more, he dropped unconscious on to his bed.

On the third day, the people around could recognize him by attire alone rather than swirly-ball. He bought snacks from new stands, ran around, showed off for attention, and was constantly training his use in his father's jutsu. Newcomers to the festival would remark when seeing him, having heard about him from one person or another.

"Dad!" A child pointed a finger at him and cried. "It's the magic boy!"

The grown man looked with a smile. "He's a ninja, remember? He lowered a double-sided and sticked popsicle between them.

"Where are your mom and dad?!" He tilted his head as he froze.

"They're probably ninja too and have responsibilities." Taking hold of his boy's hand, he knelt down, moved it to one of the sticks, and closed it. "Like how I go to work." The popsicle split between them. "One of these days, you're going to have responsibilities of your own." He laughed as he pat his confused head. "Times like this will seem like a strange dream. We probably won't see each other much, but know that, no matter what, your mom and I will always love you." He stood up and turned. "Speaking of your mother, she's making lunch at home by now. Let's go."

Naruto stared as the two faded in the distance. He'd seen it time and time again in the Leaf Village: what an actual family looked like. The man with the Sharingan took it from him. Everyone else lied about the truth in an effort to stop him from hating the villagers as much as he should've. Minato, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Kakashi prioritized their responsibility to them before his well-being. That hurt him.

"It's pointless to envy such things."

"I can't help how I feel," he whispered, walking away.

"Then you will only suffer."

He hummed. "Thought I'd be used to it at this point."

"Pain can be tolerated, not accepted."

"I get it." He held out his hand and resumed swirling his chakra. "Nothing I can do but keep going." The skin peeled, oozing blood.

The rest of the day went by without more complications. Looks of amazement became concern when his blood began mixing into the swirly-death-ball. Parents hid their children's eyes from an ever-growing gruesome yet beautiful sight. One could would see the muscle underneath the blood pooling in his palm. Jiraiya gaped at it when they saw each other again outside the hotel.

"Okay." He took out a bandage roll from one of his belt pouches. "You really need to take a break from training." He beckoned him with his fingers. "Hold out your hand."

Naruto obeyed and began using channeling chakra into his other. "Fine."

He twitched as he wrapped the bloody hand neat and tightly, just like his teammate showed him long ago. "Not what I meant." Tearing off the completed bandage, he shook his head. "You're getting better, but you need to take care of yourself."

"No sign of Tsunade, huh? Any other towns nearby or are we ready to move on to Tanzaku?"

"This is the closest town to it: she has to stop here, if she hasn't already." He put away the bandage.

"Only a matter of time then." The boy stared at his latest failure. "Itachi recognized this jutsu, you know. Called it the Rasengan."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "He did?"

"Yeah. Was this a secret or something?"

"Not really, but the only ones that could perform it were me and Minato." He raised a hand to his chin. "But he might've shown it to…" He drifted off, remembering who the sole surviving student of his was.

"Kakashi, right?"

"…He told you?"

Naruto shook his head. "I asked around," he lied. "The other jonin knew, but he never liked hearing talk about the Fourth, so they never brought it up." He knew enough about his least favorite sensei to know that was likely the case.

"He's...lost a lot of people throughout the course of his life. It might seem like he doesn't care, but he's not the type to outright say it. There are times I wonder if he's bottling down his emotions or really isn't sure what to feel anymore: I've seen what grief beyond what you can bear could do to a person, and it's not good."

"So he knew Itachi?"

He nodded. "They were on the same anbu squad years ago. Kakashi's a fast learner, so he could've used it in a fight."

"Oh, okay." The boy paid for another night alongside his guardian and began walking up the stairs to his room ahead of him.

"Are you sure you want to be alone?"

He spared the man glance. "What's the point of being around someone who makes me feel alone?" He left him there to process his words The inky blackness of his rented room enveloped him as he entered. Chakra from his imperfect Rasengans let him see, and his eyes were drawn to his bandages, recalling the first person that ever dressed him with them.

"You and that girl."

"Oh, shut up." Blood rushed to his face. "You know I like Anko-sensei."

"That woman dotes on you like her mewling babe rather than a lover."

He scoffed. "What the hell would you know about sex? I don't see any other huge nine-tailed foxes running around."

"I know because of your parents."

"…Please don't; I really, really don't want you to tell me what you saw."

"So long as you never bring up the Old Sage, I will forgo informing you of your vermin progenitors' breeding habits."

"Deal." He sighed in relief. "And Anko-sensei let me rub her tits." He held out both his arms and kneaded the air, Rasengan forming in his uninjured left. "She was definitely ho–" Blinking, he pulled his swirly-death-ball back. "Hold on." He began pawing at the orb of chakra with his injured hand. "Holy shit!" A near perfect Rasengan stood in the center of his left palm. "I did it!" Happiness washed over him for a moment before it died with a frown. "But I didn't actually do it."

"Move on already. There are surely more effective jutsu than that one."

"Don't make me say it again." He dispelled the Rasengan and tried another without forming it with his palm. "No shortcuts. If I can get this right, I'm pretty sure it will be way easier to do other jutsu." The attempts continued until he fell asleep again.

On the fourth day, people returned to admiring his swirly-ball again. He improved so much and garnered enough attention people were handing ryo to him, not that he needed it: Wave's bridge building fiasco left him with more than enough to last a long time. A portion of that was in a secondary pouch on his belt. Only his team and Anko were aware of its purpose. He was pocketing money in it when he ran into the Toad Sage with a double-stick popsicle in his hand.

"You didn't steal that, right?"

"I might have a future as a street performer." Naruto raised an eyebrow at his treat. "Aren't you a little too old for those?"

He squinted. "I got it for you: I was too busy telling you to stop to tell you what a good job you've been doing." He held out the other side of the popsicle. "Here."

Blinking, the boy inched towards the offering and took hold of the free stick. "Were you spying on me?"

"Did something happen?"

"...No." He broke off the other side. "Nothing happened." He began slurping.

"What do you say we get out of here for a bit? Get some fresh forest air?"

He broke off the top off the ice and pressed it apart with his lips before swallowing. "Did you find Tsunade?"

"Not yet; just want some fresh air away from all of this." Jiraiya turned in the direction of the town exit and began walking. "You coming?"

Shrugging, the boy followed along. "Sure."

They walked into the outskirts of the lively place. Just outside of its walls was the vibrant greenery belonging to the Land of Fire. It was the most hospitable land in the known world, albeit somewhat plain. Most people would prefer it over the treacherous domains of the other major villages though. The young one lay in the grass while the other sat.

"What are other countries like?" Naruto asked, staring up at the blue sky and forming his Rasengan. "I've only been to Wave."

"Heard about that, actually; nice work taking care of Gato."

He shook his head. "That was Zabuza." Frowning, he glanced at his dissipating jutsu. "I didn't really do anything except lose my shit."

"You did what you had to do."

"Well… I didn't like it. I was too weak, so I relied on something else. What's going to happen when I can't fall back on anything?" His gaze steeled at the ball of chakra in his hand. "I know I can't do everything by myself, but there's going to be times where I have to."

Jiraiya nodded. "Doesn't mean you have to run yourself ragged over it. Aren't already dealing with a lot?" He frowned. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're kinda beating yourself up."

"What?" He raised his upper body off the grass.

"The Rasengan is a jutsu requiring tip top chakra control. Of course you're not going to get it in a few days like I did. Instead of pacing yourself, you keep going like there's no tomorrow. Maybe it's because Anko isn't here, but I don't remember you being like this when you were training for the Chunin Exams. Hell, I can barely recognize you as the same kid you were then."

He fell back down, took a deep breath, and sighed. "...I felt like I was together after Wave, but I fell apart after when my past popped up. Then I felt together training with Anko-sensei to end it, and I did." He laughed, happy and bitter. "Right before I lost it completely. Took me a few days to come back again…" He drifted off, remembering Itachi's words. "Still together, I guess. Think….I'm done losing it. What else is there left for me to really lose it over?" His blue eyes grew cold as he ate what was left of his popsicle and flung the stick aside. "I want to be happy, but it doesn't matter if I change when everyone around me stays the same." The Rasengan formed in his grasp, nearly at the same level it was when he fought the eldest Uchiha brother. "Yeah." A grin spread across his face. "I understand now."

The blue sky was in the palm of his hand.

AN: A breather after the previous two action-heavy and training-filled chapters. I have a surprise or two waiting in the next ones. After all, I've made a lot of changes already. The thematic popsicle of feels has a different meaning thanks to everything else going on.

Never quite liked how Naruto took a shortcut with the Rasengan. Now that's going against your own word, Mr. Knucklehead. Never mind how that stifled his chakra control when you think about it. Shadow Clone training was also a poor plot device, especially when they made it so having more clones makes it difficult to concentrate on something. I won't be using it. He's already got insane levels of chakra, so he can spam jutsu until he gets it unlike most other ninja.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.