25 - That Dark and Lonely Place

"Look around, sweetheart," Kushina said with a smile. She bounced the adorable blond boy nestled against the crook of her arm up and down. "This used to be our clan's territory, ya know."

"Cooool!" Naruto said. He took in the sights around them, captivated by the mysterious ruins.

Decayed stone pillars littered the wetlands that were once the beating heart of The Land of Eddies. Most were overgrown with plantlife and half submerged in the knee-deep waters. Where most would have seen a marginal plot of land with poor settlement potential, Kushina knew there used to be a sprawling community full of life, a strong sense of camaraderie, and hope. The soil held generations of ancient secrets and was the birthplace of countless powerful jutsu. On the contrary, it was now little more than a cemetery full of forgotten deeds and dreams.

Kushina recalled weeping many times in this very spot for the loss of her people, wondering how she could ever recover from having her entire culture uprooted. Becoming a wife and mother, however, brought purpose back into her life. She discovered a new way to remain in touch with her clan and its memory. Kushina could hold onto whatever artifacts and knowledge withstood the decimation of the Uzumaki Clan. She could instill these facts and memories into her son. Bestowing what remained of her people to Naruto would be her way of restoring what she once considered lost. He would carry the history of the clan with him into the next generation. This was her most precious gift to her sweet boy.

"What's that, Ma?" he asked, peering at the artful etchings in a large stone slab peeking above the water line.

"That used to be an offering platform, Naruto."

"What's an offering platform?" The boy's wide eyes drank in every bit of her response with youthful excitement.

She pressed her cheek against his and smiled. "Well, back when Founder Ashina was around, we used to give offerings in celebration when we had a prosperous year."

He cocked his head. She could tell she had lost him.

"If we hunted and collected a lot of food, or defeated powerful enemies," Kushina explained more slowly, "this is where the clan used to come to honor the year of good fortune."

"Like when you and Dad went to a restaurant for his Hokage anniv-anni…?"

"Anniversary," she finished with a giggle. "Yeah, in a way it's like that."

"Oh. It's pretty!"

Kushina bent down and examined the timeless symbols and patterns inscribed on the stone surface. Her son had a point. The decorative markings were faded, and most of the dye had chipped away, but they still retained a trace of their breathtaking artistry. Naruto took advantage of his closer proximity to the water and dipped a finger in, trailing it across the surface.

"Sure is," his mother said. "And there's more where that came from, ya know. I'm gonna teach you so much more about this place."

"'Kay! Let's go explore, believe it!" He beamed, warming her heart. Kushina just wanted to squeeze him and plant kisses all over his cheeks and forehead. He was getting older, though. She had to let him become more grown up, even if he was still less than half her size.

Focus, Kushina! You two made the long journey out here for a reason, ya know.

Setting off again, she stepped out of the deep water and onto a stretch of tall grass leading further into the Land of Eddies. Damaged or totally demolished remnants of buildings, wagons, fences, and statues consumed by the heretofore unchecked plantlife surrounded her. Seeing the ghost of a once vibrant and booming settlement sparked untapped memories of residential areas she knew as a girl.

Naruto frowned. Kushina noticed and gave him her attention.

"What is it, sweetie?"

His voice came out small and sad. "Why aren't there more of us, Ma?"

Her heart almost broke, but she stayed strong. "It's complicated, honey. When the Land of Eddies was attacked, those of us who survived scattered all across the world. Technically, the Uzumaki Clan still exists. We're just not a unified people anymore."

"Did you have to run away too?"

"Not exactly. I moved to The Leaf shortly before our land was overrun."

"Because you're a Jinchurry? I mean, J-Jin…" Naruto gave up trying to say the complicated word and ended with, "because of the fox in your stomach?"

"Right. I was chosen as the second vessel for The Nine Tails. I moved to our new home so I could become the next Jinchuuriki."

"Didn't you miss everyone here?"

"Oh, terribly. I cried for weeks when my attendants first brought me to the village."

"I'm sorry you were sad, Mommy."

He wrapped his arms around her neck in an earnest attempt at consoling her. Somehow, children could be so innocent, yet so well attuned to emotion. Kushina felt an overflow of love for her tiny blond gift of motherhood.

She wiped away a tear. "It's okay now, Naruto. Thank you." Their path was obstructed by a sculpture that, by some miracle, was still standing tall. "Ah, here we are."

An elaborate fountain designed to funnel water through helical channels was built around the statue, which depicted a man in archaic armor. The artifact from times long past had ebbed to a dry and cracked version of its former self; it was now overrun by vines and a variety of insects. Several birds sat perched atop the head and shoulders of the statue. They had no doubt been roosting here for years, as they showed little concern for Kushina or Naruto's presence. Humans were too rare a sight anymore to qualify as serious threats.

"Who's the old guy?" Naruto asked, peering up at the face of the man.

Kushina put him down and wiped the dust and grime from an aged plaque at the foot of the statue. "Read that, Naruto."

He craned his head forward, deciphering the engraved characters as best he could. "Ashi…Ashina…U-zu-mah-kee. Ashina Uzumaki!"

"Good! Keep going."

Pleased with his accomplishment, Naruto puffed up his chest and bent down to read the rest. "Founder of The Land…of W-Whirlpools." He looked up and gasped. "Wow, and he had swords?"

"He did. Back then, having weapons was a necessity, ya know."

"I want swords too, believe it!" Naruto picked up a couple of sticks and danced around, making swishing noises like he was a samurai dual wielding sharp blades.

Kushina crossed her arms. "I'm not getting you swords, Naruto."

"Aww." He dropped the sticks and looked up at her. "Why not?"

She sighed. "The Warring States Period was dangerous. Even when the world entered peace times, Founder Ashina cautioned our people never to let their guards down."

"But they did, right?" He looked around at the abandoned wasteland. "Because most people died."

Kushina frowned, looking for the right words. "Well, yes. All it takes is one moment of weakness to become vulnerable to enemies."

The impressionable blond poked out his lip in concern. "We're not gonna die, are we?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kushina flexed her bicep and made an exaggerated angry face, causing Naruto to laugh. She scooped him up again and started back the way they came. "I still try to live by the teachings I grew up with. They're the reason our clan was so influential when I was your age. I'll pass everything I know on to you when you're old enough. That way we can be sure our people are never truly gone."

They walked in silence for a while. Then out of the blue, Naruto said something that stopped her in her tracks.

"Does that meanie fox still talk to you?"

"What?" Kushina looked into his captivating blue eyes and saw there a familiar spark of intellect. Like Minato, Naruto was inquisitive and smart for his age. Something was on his mind, and she was dying to know what. "Where'd that come from?"

"'Cause Dad said he's a big bully and tells people really mean things."

"He told you that?"

"Mhm!" Naruto puffed out his cheeks in offense on her behalf.

"What?" she stammered, still a little caught off guard. "When?"

"Last week. We were learning about the history of the ninja villages at school. Iruka-sensei told us stuff about the tailed beasts and people in class were whispering about you, so I came home and asked Dad about it."

"Really? Why didn't you just come to me?"

"You were with Grandpa Hiruzen making the big walls."

'The big walls' was his way of referring to the ninjutsu barrier layers she designed to reinforce security around the village perimeter. She and Lord Third were in the middle of implementing the blueprint for the system, so she was spending a lot of time out of the house these days.

"I…see." Kushina didn't know what to say. Her chatterbox of a son was talking again before she had a second to think. Didn't take much to figure out where he got that from.

"Do you know how to make him be quiet?"

"Oh, sweetie. Don't worry! Those days are over, Naruto. I don't hear The Nine Tails anymore. He's not inside my seal."

"Really? Did you make him pack and move away like you had to from here?"

Kushina lost all willpower and broke into a giggling fit, setting Naruto down to ensure she didn't drop him. "No, no. That's not how it works."

"Then where did he go?"

"I've told you part of the story before. An enemy came to the village when you were born, remember?" She continued as Naruto nodded. "That person took the fox from me. A Jinchuuriki dies if their tailed beast is separated from them for too long, but your father and Godmother saved me by putting some of its chakra back in here and reviving me in time." Kushina crouched and lifted the hem of her top to show proof. Faded scar tissue remained where Tsunade applied additional measures to stabilize the Eight Signed Seal, along with a boatload of chakra courtesy of her powerful healing ninjutsu.

Naruto touched the skin around Kushina's belly button after a moment of hesitation. "It doesn't hurt?"

"Nope!" She smiled. "Feels just fine."

The energetic redhead knew better than to mention her nightmares or the aversion to hospitals she suffered from ever since that day. In fairness, everything was fine physically, which was the question he asked, so her answer wasn't an outright lie. Besides, she didn't feel like having that sort of conversation with her own husband, let alone her 9-year-old.

"Ma, you said you and Dad's love was what stopped the fox from breaking out, right?"

She took his hand and led him through the ruins as they talked. "Yes. Lady Mito told me this when I was about your age, and she was right: love is the way to survive the pain of being a Jinchuuriki."

"Oh. Will I ever meet other Jinch-Jinchurries?"

"Jinchuuriki. And I don't know, Naruto. But not all of them are like me, ya know."

"'Cause of your pretty hair?"

"Ha, no! Thanks, but I'm not talking about that. Naruto, being a Jinchuuriki is lonely in ways you'll never have to experience. You live every day knowing you're the only thing standing between peace and chaos for your village. But at the same time…people are often afraid you."

"Ya mean because they know you could kick all of their butts?"

"Well, I was the Red Hot Habanero long before I ever became a host, but…" She marched proudly, head held high, then dropped the act. "But no, it's not that either. Even though Jinchuuriki are still people, throughout the years we've been treated like nothing more than weapons. Mere tools to be used by others. It's a hard life. If you ever do meet another Jinchuuriki, no matter if they're friend or foe, remember that they've probably been through a lot of pain. Do you understand?"

"Uh huh." He gave her a vigorous nod. "I promise, believe it!"

Naruto grunted, hand pressed against Gaara's seal. He grit his teeth as howling winds caused the surrounding grains of sand to tear through his face like mini razors.

Damn it, that smarts! This must be how it feels to get a thousand paper cuts at once.

He persisted, even as Gaara's tailed beast set to work trying to overwhelm him with sheer force. If what Mom said was right, then this kid wasn't a complete bad guy. He was just dealt a rough hand like she was and needed someone to help him, not repay hatred with more hatred.

Naruto's body sank, like he was falling into an abyss. He looked around and saw that he was no longer in the forest. Darkness embraced him and prickles of fear ran down his back. He couldn't see a thing. In the back of his mind, the faint voices of Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, and even Kiba called to him. Begged him to fight.

Then he remembered his time at The Training Cave with Pervy Sage. The pact he made with himself that he wouldn't need to be saved by others anymore. He couldn't let those just be empty words.

Whatever primal survival instinct lay dormant in Naruto came alive. He tapped into his stores of chakra, willing himself not to break under the pressure. The seal was losing form, but slowly reconstituted itself.

The wind in his lungs was all but gone, replaced by something else. Something that crept beneath the skin and festered like a cancer eating away at his soul. His body became cold and unresponsive. He could do nothing but bear witness like an outside observer.

In his mind's eye, Naruto saw a salivating, crazed Gaara. Half of his face was mutated into something inhuman. His sclera flooded with a dark and unsettling substance, much like the one invading Naruto at this very moment. The young Uzumaki used his dwindling strength to try and say call out to Gaara. However, the darkness relished in this opportunity, pouring itself into his mouth and expanding throughout his body.

He was relieved to find that the thick sludge was tasteless, but revoked this thought when a searing pain overtook him. Naruto's eyes burned as the dark substance flooded his every cell from the inside out, spreading to his eyes just like it had with the projection of Gaara. The latter looked on with sick glee.

While The Sand Genin's victim continued to struggle, Gaara's face morphed until he was much younger. Apart from the familiar red hair and the black rings around his eyes, there was little resemblance to his older, callous self. His face still retained a measure of innocence at this tender age. He was making a sad, silent expression that seemed like a cry for help. Nothing about the boy screamed evil psychopath yet. In another life, Naruto mused, maybe they could've become friends.

He felt himself slip away, falling deeper and deeper. Somehow Naruto knew he was destined for the same place that claimed Gaara. His body had grown heavier than a block of lead, and he was tired. So, so tired.

When he came to, he was once again looking at the more sympathetic past iteration of Gaara. The boy was curled into a ball within a neverending expanse of white.

I can move again, Naruto realized, looking down at his hands.

He froze. His hands were different. He was different. He panicked, feeling around to confirm what he suspected was true.

"I…I'm a kid now, too?"

"Hm?" said the younger Gaara. The sound came out as a weak sniffle.

Naruto flinched. The reality of where he was and what was happening clicked. He calmed down and stepped closer to the Jinchuuriki. The boy seemed afraid to turn around, and continued to cry in solitude. Standing half a pace away from Gaara, Naruto sucked in a breath and touched his shoulder with what he hoped was a believable smile.

The boy sat upright, speechless. He turned with timid slowness to see who was calling out to him. His eyes met Naruto's, and he sat paralyzed.

Taking the initiative, Naruto said, "Hey, Gaara!"

"Gaara?" the boy whispered. "Who's that?"

A lengthy, bloblike limb grasped Naruto's outstretched arm. It was the color of sand, except it felt more like skin. All along the surface of the strange limb were a wavy line pattern and what could best be described as dark prongs. He tried to free himself, but its grip was far stronger than his due to his diminutive size.

"Naruto!" called a crystal clear voice. One he would know anywhere.

Sasuke?

He glanced in the direction of Sasuke's voice. A large, monstrous looking tanuki was creeping up behind his brother. Naruto's heart sank.

In his concern for Sasuke, Naruto failed to react in time to the malicious blob extending from Gaara's shoulder. Its strange material spread to his face as if trying to overtake him. He looked down at Gaara and saw a sand clone of the boy staring back at him instead. The clone gave him a chilling grin. The entire realm quaked after a raucous roar from the tanuki. Darkness enveloped everything.

The next time he opened his eyes, Sasuke was gone. Naruto was now suspended in a cocoon made from packed sand. Everything except his face was covered. Calling this gross and uncomfortable would be a major understatement.

Good thing I'm not claustrophobic.

A textured, soft voice spoke. "Why did you come here?"

Naruto found himself face to face with the more docile version of Gaara again. "I'm here to save you, Gaara."

"Save?" The word came out slow and unsure, almost like The Sand Jinchuuriki didn't know what it meant.

"You've gotta stop this pointless violence."

His expression remained unreadable. "Killing is the only way I feel alive."

"That's not all there is, Gaara. You don't have to be alone!"

Gaara grunted, narrowing his eyes with an intensity mirroring his present day self. "What could you possibly know about me?"

Naruto frowned. "Y'know, that's a good question. I can't honestly say I understand what you've had to go through. Not really. But growing up, my mom told me a lot about what it was like to be a Jinchuuriki. Even though it sucked, she found a way to get past all that hate."

"Oh?"

"She told me that the only way to heal wounds that come with being a Jinchuuriki is to fill your heart with love."

"Heart? Love?" The boy stood still for a time, almost seeming to reconsider. Then he raised a hand toward the sand cocoon. "If you believe nonsense like that, you're a fool."

Gaara made a fist and the sand responded, applying more pressure. However, before any true harm was done, the Sand Genin fell to his knees and trembled. He clutched his forehead, uttering incoherent whispers. The world around them vibrated. This jostled Naruto free from his already weakening sand prison. He landed on the floor in front of Gaara. A looming shadow caught his attention. He looked up and saw the giant tanuki glaring down at them both.

"Well, well," said the large beast, "you aren't the usual runt, are you? I sent that other one away no problem, but you're still here."

"I'm not leaving!" Naruto shouted. "Not till you're back where you belong and the seal's airtight. Believe it!"

The creature cackled. "You've got some nerve, kid."

"Yeah, what of it?"

Shukaku's laughter morphed into a bitter growl. "I'm gonna enjoy toying with you just like this pathetic excuse for a host."

Naruto threw a concerned look at Gaara, then turned back to Shukaku. Now that he thought about it, Gaara's splitting headaches and screams of agony were eerily reminiscent of the Hyuuga Clan's disgusting practice of weaponizing the caged bird seal on Branch Family members' foreheads. Puzzle pieces fell into place.

A pot of anger deep within Naruto boiled to the surface. "You're the one doing this to Gaara, aren't you?!"

The tanuki narrowed its eyes. "I'm gonna break free of this place sooner or later, and you're not gonna get in my way!" He looked from Naruto to Gaara. "Like I always say, it's only a matter of time. You won't get a single good night's sleep as long as I'm here, and when you slip up, I'll take over your body and destroy everything!"

Shukaku belted out grating laughter once again. Gaara was unresponsive, reduced to a curled up, squirming mess as The One Tail taunted him.

"Like hell you will!" Naruto yelled back. "Gaara, you gotta fight this. He's got no right to make your life a living nightmare."

"What do you care?" Shukaku snapped back. "You puny humans are nothing but a joke. Other than that guy, you're all self absorbed ingrates!"

"I dunno what or who you're talking about, ugly, but I know he didn't ask to become a Jinchuuriki!" Naruto pointed to the groveling boy behind him. "If there's somebody you should be mad at, it's the ones who let this whole stupid system continue, believe it."

Gaara went quiet for a moment, as if he registered Naruto's defense of him despite the numbing fog of pain. Then his twitching and grunts resumed.

"You brat! You don't know a thing. Just die!"

Shukaku sucked in a large amount of air. Naruto made a hand sign and summoned droves of clones, sending them at Shukaku like a tidal wave. The tanuki smacked his distended stomach, expelling the stored air in one giant burst that crashed into the ocean of clones, scattering them like a pile of leaves.

"Love," Gaara muttered.

Standing sentinel next to a few of the surviving clones, Naruto heard this and gasped. "Gaara? Gaara, snap out of this!"

"A wound of…the heart," the writhing boy said. "Why, Yashamaru? Why?"

There was no time to dig into the meaning behind this, as a large clawed arm swooped down and devastated more than half of the leftover clones. The real Naruto used one of them as a foothold and leapt clear of the attack. Meanwhile, Gaara was sent tumbling backward from the sheer force of the resulting wind.

Naruto attacked again and again and again. His much younger and weaker body was no match for the creature, even having retained his present day arsenal of techniques. Whenever he managed to form a half decent Rasengan, the clone holding it was wiped from existence moments later. Still, the Uzumaki youth fought on. He would keep his promise to his mother no matter what!

The forest lay ravaged in the face of Gaara's unchecked power. Standing upon the scarred land poised to attack, Sakura and Hinata listened to Sasuke's plan with rapt attention. Kiba, Akamaru and Shino had taken to monitoring a set radius around them so that no one could sneak up on the other three while they helped Naruto.

"Okay," Sasuke said, quieting his mind so he could convey his ideas with clarity. "Hinata, I'll need you to be our frontrunner. Then my arrows will open a path for us." I hope, he thought, leaving that part out as he bit his lip.

"Right!" Hinata nodded, any trace of her usual lack of confidence absent.

"Sakura," Sasuke went on, "once I've neutralized his sand, seize that opportunity! Don't forget to pull me in with you."

"Okay, Sasuke," Sakura said. She was visibly more nervous than Hinata for a change, but stood in formation with conviction.

The three of them took turns inching forward. When they were within a few yards of Gaara, the sand hovered and formed protective rings around him. The substance wiggled in response to their movements, ready to lash out if necessary, though much slower than earlier according to Hinata.

"Hold…" Sasuke cautioned.

He dug a sandal into the dirt and moved an imperceptible amount closer. The sand concentrated toward the area where he was pointing his arrow. He signaled with his eyes when it was time to proceed.

Hinata stepped forward in sync with Sasuke. Sakura moved in behind her while maintaining a hand sign to mold chakra. The sand shook and adjusted to account for them as possible threats.

"Hold," he said again.

No one made a sound. Tension escalated while they waited amidst the cacophony of faint chirps, growls, and other sounds of the local fauna. Then, on his command, they moved in.

Hinata took small, calculated steps while tracking Gaara's sand with her Byakugan. The veins in her face bulged, chakra ablaze within her. She allowed no room for hesitation.

Sakura paused and froze up. She gave the sentient sand cloud a fearful look. Sasuke settled her nerves with a nod of encouragement. Reassured by this, she took point behind Hinata.

"Hold," he said one final time. They all became like statues, not daring to tempt fate. "Go, now!"

Gaara's sand sprang into action as Hinata rolled forward to engage. She ducked under a wave of sand, then launched herself at Gaara to ensure it all converged on her. Several Gentle Fist strikes later, the sand splattered to the ground. She made sure to sever its chakra flow in as many places as possible, buying Sasuke more time to set up for a shot. Time she would soon find out he didn't need.

In tune with his breath, Sasuke loosed an electrified arrow on the exhale. The charged projectile let off a spark and ripped through the weak point in Gaara's passive defense. A clump of sand shielded Gaara's body at the last second. Kiba and Shino gasped.

"The plan," Kiba whispered. "It failed?"

Sasuke smirked. "Hmph. Now, Sakura!"

The buried arrowhead let off a bright flash, sending electricity cascading across the area. Gaara and Naruto both took collateral damage, but nothing serious. The important part was that all of the former's sand lost its mobility. Any attempts to reshape itself ended in failure.

Sakura ran over to Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder. She then concentrated her Genjutsu onto Gaara and let an invisible current of her chakra fly. A direct hit by Lightning Style left Gaara wide open without his pesky sand to get in the way. Now there was nothing to protect him from harm or dampen the effects of whatever techniques came his way.

Sasuke really was a genius, Sakura mused. He made eye contact with her. The deep red of his two tomoe Sharingan demanded her attention, pulling her in with its near-hypnotic effect. Blinking back into focus, she activated the Genjutsu and prayed for the best.

Naruto stood panting in front of Shukaku with a defiant glare. Wave after wave of clones had met their fates and only the original remained. The enraged Tanuki fired a volley of sand bullets with a swing of his arm.

"This'll show you," Shukaku declared with a triumphant cackle. "Begone!"

The bullets slowed and fell apart before hitting their target. Sand rained down and coated the area. Naruto swam to the top of a mound of sand. Breaking through with a noisy sputter, he looked around in confusion.

Gaara was now back to his original age. He walked past Naruto, arms crossed as he stared down Shukaku. "That's enough," he said in a calm, assured tone. "Your tantrum ends now, Shukaku."

"Gaara!" Naruto said with a smile. He looked down to see his familiar orange outfit and no-longer-tiny body. "You did it."

His words went unanswered. Bracing for an attack from Shukaku, Gaara lifted himself into the air on a cloud of sand and waited.

Shukaku growled and fired several small air projectiles, putting his host on the backfoot. Naruto intervened whenever Gaara's sand was too slow to respond, sacrificing another batch of clones.

"It's gonna take a lot more than two snot nosed boys to handle me!" the beast declared after the last clone was defeated.

Naruto cursed under his breath. They weren't getting anywhere. In fact, at this rate…

"Then it's a good thing they're not alone!" said a far-off voice.

Naruto and Gaara spared a look behind them, the former smiling from ear to ear. Sasuke and Sakura came running onto the scene, taking stances beside their teammate.

"Sasuke!" Naruto patted his brother on the shoulder. "You're back! Sakura, you're here too? How did you guys-"

"Talk later," Sasuke interrupted. "Fight now."

"Incoming!" Sakura alerted, indicating a shower of sand spikes headed their way. Behind this wave of projectiles was a large gust of wind stronger than any of Shukaku's previous attacks.

Gaara answered with a volley of his own spikes. Sasuke backed this attack with a large fireball, amplifying its destructive power by leaps and bounds. Molten glass fell around them, rendering Shukaku's efforts ineffective. Far from discouraged, the giant tanuki opened his mouth and gathered dark, dense chakra. His chakra coalesced into a ball that floated near his mouth. Naruto and Sasuke shared a panicked glance. They'd heard enough stories from Minato and Kushina to know what this was. The boys stepped forward simultaneously, bumping into one another.

"I got this," Naruto said. "Don't worry."

"Back up, Naruto! I've been waiting for the right moment to test out this new technique," Sasuke countered.

Grumbling, neither of them relented.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "I'll decide, then. Both of you work together. Whatever you're doing, do it fast!"

The very fabric of reality in Gaara's inner world began to shift as the infamous Tailed Beast Ball attack took shape. A crispness was infused into the air around them, making every breath feel heavy. Sasuke weaved hand signs as Naruto donned his new mask. They molded chakra in sync with one another. Shukaku descended on them, intending to fire a blast at point blank range.

Naruto and Sasuke were certain they wouldn't die if they failed, but they weren't about to risk this monster hijacking Gaara's body. If the One Tail's seal was released in The Forest of Death, everyone in the exams would be at risk. They needed to stop him here and now.

The siblings locked eyes and nodded as if to convey the message, "It's on us."

Shukaku's chakra was nearly stabilized as he hovered above them, dropping diagonally onto the group. Sasuke slammed a palm into the ground. Naruto's Konran mask sent out a radial wave of power, destabilizing the massive ball of chakra at the same moment that it smashed into a glowing red wall summoned by Sasuke. Gaara added his sand defense on top of Sasuke's while Sakura crouched behind the three of them, given she had nothing to contribute to a crazy clash like this.

The three techniques crashed together with incredible force. Multicolored light flooded the space as an explosion set off with a boom akin to the force of a meteor touching down. Sasuke and Naruto grimaced alongside Gaara, whose face remained unemotional. The Hokage's sons were almost certain of Shukaku's victory, and yet they stood against the towering force of nature as one.

Rumbling reverberated throughout the seal dimension and everything went white.

Sakura's eyes shot open and she took a moment to catch her breath. She sat up and looked around. Naruto and Gaara were still interlocked, except without the violent sandstorm. She waited for a bout of lightheadedness to pass before injecting chakra into Sasuke with a soft finger tap. He flopped in place and woke with a start, quicker to reorient than she had been. His breathing sounded irregular, but he pressed on like nothing happened. His next words were snappier than she expected.

"Where's Naruto? Did he make it out?"

"No. I'm not sure what happened, but we were the only two who came back."

Sasuke stood up and headed straight for Naruto with a determined look in his eyes. Grabbing the blond's shoulder, he pulled one of his eyelids up. Naruto's sclera were back to normal and his chakra had settled. However, his mind remained somewhere else.

"He's still strengthening the seal," Sasuke said, "but it seems we made a difference, at least."

"I'm so relieved," Hinata said with a smile and sigh. She laid both hands against her chest in silent thanks.

"But what else can we do?" Shino cut in.

"Yeah, what he said," Kiba agreed. "I feel like a sitting duck here!"

"Nothing," Sasuke admitted. He clenched his fists. "The rest is up to Naruto."

Sakura frowned, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Come on, Naruto. Pull through!"

Naruto and Gaara stood across from one another, bathed in white light. They were still in a separate plane of existence, but something was different now. Gaara raised an eyebrow.

"What is the meaning of that mask?" he asked. "I don't sense any power coming from it, but I saw how easily you dispatched Shukaku's blast."

The blond stowed the Konran mask away and shrugged. "Long story. Let's just say it's a family heirloom. Speaking of Shukaku, I'm not finished subduing him yet." He turned away. The seal he created in the real world manifested in front of him. "Come on! We've gotta hurry before he reconstitutes himself." Gaara said nothing, giving him a blank stare. "Well? You gonna join me or what? It's faster with two people."

Again, Naruto received no response. Gaara walked up to the hovering seal. He stood shoulder to shoulder with the boy who should have been his enemy. Meanwhile, the remnants of Shukaku's head and tail were lying melted on the floor nearby. His eyes blinked, though he was too weakened to speak. Gaara spared the creature a single concerned glance, then adopted an impassive expression.

"Why?" he asked with genuine confusion. "Why would you help me?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "Why wouldn't I? You sound just like a girl I met in this forest. She couldn't understand why I helped her either." He raised a hand to the seal and started pouring chakra into it, gesturing for Gaara to do the same. "That's just who we are. Team 7 helps people because it's the right thing to do, believe it!"

"Such a juvenile philosophy." Gaara was about to follow Naruto's lead, but stopped to look him in the eye. "By no means does this make us allies."

Naruto only smiled back at him. "Didn't think so! But hey, give it time."

The Sand Shinobi scoffed. He pressed his hand to the seal and watched as it hummed to life. When the process was complete, the world around them changed. They both turned around to see Shukaku reassembled and bound by restraints made from a string of sealing formula characters. His former chunky body had shriveled to half its usual size, thanks to constant chakra drain. An Uzumaki swirl emblem was stamped on his forehead.

Capping the experience off with a casual handwashing motion, Naruto declared, "You should be able to rest easy now, believe it!"

Gaara grew contemplative and unresponsive. Naruto was more than ready to leave this subconscious realm. He marched away, unaware that Gaara had fallen behind.

The latter looked up at his village's tailed beast. "Farewell for now, Shukaku."

Sasuke shifted from foot to foot, waiting for Naruto to emerge. He was beginning to doubt his choice not to go back in and check on things. Using his surroundings as a distraction, he observed as Hinata pulled a flask from her pack and offered it to a weary Shigure. Instead of hogging the entire flask's worth of water, he passed it to his teammates. Baiu drank some, then offered the container to Midare before it made its way back to Shigure. He stopped and handed it back to Hinata with a look of slight reluctance.

"It's okay," she said, holding her hands up. "You can finish the rest. Shino's insects found a place where we can refill our supply."

Once again dumbfounded by her generosity, Shigure nodded and passed the gift down the line. Each of them took liberal gulps until there was nothing left.

"We'll give ya a five minute head start," Kiba cut in, "but after that it's every team for themselves!"

Akamaru contributed a warning bark.

Refreshed and less uptight, Shigure led his team back into the forest. He waved over his shoulder. "Thanks."

Then they were gone.

The moment they disappeared, Naruto and Gaara broke apart, panting from exertion. The boys reacquainted themselves with their surroundings, surprised to see Team 8 standing with Kankuro and Temari.

"W-What're you guys doing?" Naruto started, but Sasuke hurried over to him before they could reply and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Oh, hey Sasuke! It worked, by the way. We did it."

Sasuke growled, examining his injuries. The two dozen or so scrapes he had were shallow and already healing thanks to his Uzumaki genes. Satisfied, the raven-haired boy backed off. "You idiot! I thought I'd lost you."

Naruto looked away nervously and laughed. "Oh! Uh, sorry." He stumbled and winced, confusion lining his expression. "What's goin' on? I feel really sore all of a sudden, and it's not because of chakra depletion. I've still got a good amount in the tank." Noticing Sasuke's hanging facial features, he waited for an explanation.

"I…kind of hit you two with my lightning jutsu," Sasuke murmured. His brother gawked.

"YOU WHAT?!"

While they bickered, Gaara stepped toward the others. They all tensed — his siblings included. He stared the fellow Sand Ninja down with an expression devoid of malice. "Temari. Kakuro. We're leaving."

His brother looked from him to Teams 7 and 8 and back again. "Ya mean we're not gonna fight them?"

Temari shared a nervous glance with him before adding, "What happened, Gaara? Are you alright?"

Kankuro froze. "Wait. I don't sense that chakra anymore."

Gaara nodded. "He strengthened the seal."

"What?" Temari gasped. "Who, The Yellow Flash's kid? Why?"

Saying nothing, Gaara turned to leave. "When next we meet," Gaara said, "I expect you not to go easy on me. I will crush you regardless of your deeds here."

"That's my line," Naruto said with a bright grin. "See ya, Gaara!"

Team 8 watched with disbelief as Gaara's squad left the battlefield. Somehow, this ended without one side beating the other into submission. Hinata was quickest to snap out of the shock, throwing herself at Naruto and giving him a vice grip of a hug.

"I was so worried!" she whimpered. Tears stained her cheeks.

"I'm alright, I swear!" her best friend wheezed. "Too tight, too tight."

"Sorry," she said, relinquishing her hold.

Shino looked up in casual contemplation. "Kiba, Hinata, we need to move out. It's getting dark."

"What?! Already?" Sakura whined, verifying Shino's words with a glance. Clouds were rolling in and blotting out most of the daylight. "We never even found a second scroll." Standing out in the open under an overcast sky that made visibility even worse than it was in broad daylight seemed like a recipe for disaster, though. Shino had a point.

"By the way," Naruto said, "We were looking for you guys because we wanted to team up."

"Team up?" Kiba asked, sounding insulted. "I'm not scared of this forest or the other teams. We'll kick their butts if push comes to shove!"

"It's not about that," Sasuke interjected. "There's strength, and therefore safety, in numbers."

Hinata nodded. "Right. Good idea."

Kiba shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Naruto forged ahead with a spring in his step. "Let's go, everyone!"

Shino hunched. This caught Naruto's attention. "Naruto," the mysterious boy said in a wafer-thin tone, "you didn't wait for my vote."

Face flushed, the Uzumaki stammered to explain. "Oh! It wasn't anything like that, Shino!" Seeing the skeptical arch of his ally's brow, Naruto said, "Majority rule."

Sasuke groaned. "Quiet down. You're broadcasting our location."

"We blew up half the forest already, Sasuke! I'm pretty sure people know where we are."

Sakura sighed. "Naruto does make a good point."

The six Genin departed as a unit. Shino brought up the flank, muttering to Hinata, "This truly is a solid strategy, but deep down I know you just want to stay near Naruto."

The Hyuuga heiress turned pink, unable to say a word.

"Lord Kazekage," said a Sand Village Chunin with dark hair draped over one side of his face. "Are you ready to depart?"

"Yes," said Rasa from beneath his Kazekage uniform and large hat. "Let's head to the observatory, Yura. Baki is waiting for us."

They strode out of a temporary apartment secured for them in the Leaf Village. Yura locked the door and turned to gaze out at the tops of the shorter buildings. A picturesque scene of villagers going about their lives in blissful ignorance while sunlight hit at just the right angle took his breath away. This place stood in stark contrast to their less forgiving homeland. No constant dryness, scarcity of water, or risk of heatstroke. No overabundance of dust and sandstorms choosing to impose on people's lives at nature's whim.

Yura knew he spoke too soon when a dense cloudfront descended from the heavens. Its sudden appearance on such a nice day felt like a bad omen. However, whom the omen applied to was anyone's guess. Rasa called to him and he hardened his expression.

Unseen by the dutiful guard, dark eyes with white pupils dissected him from beneath the canted Kazekage hat. "Don't dally, Yura. We wouldn't want to miss the big event."

"Of course not, Sir."

The trusted subordinate trailed behind his leader, grappling with thoughts about what was to come. About the heinous acts he and his comrades had been tasked to carry out. This idyllic land was on the cusp of annihilation and its soft, contented populace was none the wiser. Part of Yura found it sad. In the end though, what mattered most was that this mission would benefit The Sand long term. That made all of their sacrifices worthwhile.

At least I hope so.

He killed his feelings and pressed on.

Kushina awoke in her seal dimension and sighed. She smiled at the wiggling mass of red chakra that once struck terror into her. Every time she visited here, the subjugation process felt easier than the last. Sure, this feat was still very demanding, but it seemed less out of her reach than when she first tried it with Gerotora.

"Okay," she said. Best to throw herself headlong into this rather than let anxiety creep in. "Here I go, ya know!"

In a single fluid motion, her hand sign to activate the Temporal Distension field was up and the space around her grew lighter. Kushina suspected she could have flown up to the ceiling if she so chose. She squinted and called the dense chakra back to the center. The jutsu stabilized in record time, just the slightest hint of tension requiring her conscious intervention. Holding everything together by making herself the tether was a minor inconvenience, but with a few more days in here, she was confident she could master the technique to its fullest extent. Chances were good that Minato could have helped her reach this point of her training in a fraction of the time if she had consulted. No matter. Succeeding at this would lack any meaning if she didn't work things out herself.

Scarlet torii gates manifested from above and snapped into place, standing sentinel around the flaring chakra cloud. Kushina projected long chains that looked to be carved out of pure sunlight from her back. They curled around her like living whipcords, rife with refined chakra. A single thought was all it took to send them darting in the direction of the formless chakra. They set to work creating a complex geometric prison around the vestige of The Nine Tails' essence. She smiled in spite of the intensity of her training.

Before long, I'll reach the light at the end of the tunnel, Tsunade.

Jiraiya trudged along. Moisture was in the air. He turned his nose up at the cloying stink of standing water and several years' worth of clay deposits. All around him, a ravine stretched on for as far as he could see. His mission to track down the man he'd come so close to catching many times before had at last led him here, to the shallow water at the base of a massive canyon. A delicate breeze wafted downwind from the nearest cliffside, carrying the fresh stench of blooming rabbitbrush on a direct path to further torment his nostrils.

Ugh. The universe must have it out for me.

Amidst the foul air he had no choice but to breathe, Jiraiya detected something else. Something that didn't belong here. There was no way such an unusual concentration of chakra was natural. The sage smiled, realizing he must be getting closer.

He took a moment to send feelers out and try to pinpoint a source. A jutsu caster? A hidden trap mechanism? Perhaps a Ninjutsu barrier? The Toad Sage strained to find anything that might provide clues.

Alas, this proved fruitless. Jiraiya walked along the rock face of the canyon, resorting to good old fashioned touch. He just knew he was onto something, even if it was impossible to prove. His hand dragged along the wall in search of abnormalities.

Thoughts of the brutal aftermath of the fox's attack flashed through his mind. Minato and Kushina almost lost their lives. Almost left Naruto orphaned. All because of this mysterious person masquerading around with a Sharingan and pilfered cells of The First Hokage. Jiraiya swore that today was the day he would honor the vow he made to himself and Minato. The slippery bastard was going to pay for his crimes.

The determined Sannin froze when his finger dipped a tad further into the wall than should have been possible. A mixture of panic and excitement left him scrambling to keep his thoughts on track. A quick glance showed him that part of the rock wall was fake. His hand slipped right through it, which had to mean one thing.

Genjutsu, he surmised, scoping out the area of the illusion by continuing along until he touched solid stone again.

A disguised space at least ten paces wide blended into the otherwise unremarkable location. Impressive as it was, this was no match for the lady killer himself, the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!

Jiraiya smirked and made a hand sign, channeling enough chakra to dispel the technique.

Release!

Like a mirage at the heart of a smoldering desert, a section of the faux rock face melted away, revealing what was so carefully concealed. A staggeringly tall boulder towered over him, wedged into the mountain behind a torii gate doorway. A sealing tag was affixed to the boulder, displaying a formula far more advanced than Jiraiya had seen in quite some time. This masked guy really knew his stuff.

Jiraiya flattened a palm against the boulder and reached out to his surroundings again to scan for anything that felt off. Where there was one trick, there was bound to be another. Yet he sensed nothing alarming, which meant this was a plain old entrance. One that someone took extra special care to secure so nobody wandered inside. He swore under his breath. There had to be a detail he was missing.

Whispers from the nearest settlers had the infamous sage on edge. On top of all of the signs this was where he could find the one who stole The Nine Tails and bring him to justice, word on the street was that individuals wearing the standard Akatsuki cloaks were also spotted around these parts. Could they be working in coordination with that man? That last part was only conjecture. Still, it seemed like too big of a coincidence that Jinchuuriki had gone missing one by one over the past decade ever since Kushina was attacked.

All of the pieces were lining up to support his hunch. In the years since that day, he had a feeling Kushina was but one of a series of attempts to aggregate the beasts' power for some nefarious purpose. Minato was warming up to the idea, but neither of them had any definitive proof. What Jiraiya found today might change that.

Then it hit him. He had half a mind to slap a palm against his forehead from his sheer stupidity. Maybe nothing appeared unusual at first glance, but there were other ways to root out hidden elements. Jiraiya swung his long mane of hair out of his face and took up a wide stance in front of the boulder. Concentrating chakra in an even ratio throughout his body, he pulled in small quantities of nature energy. Slow and steady. He couldn't afford to mess up when for all he knew, an enemy might be watching from the shadows.

His body grew sturdier and more hardy. Every breath exuded more power than the last. Jiraiya peeked at the toadlike visage in his reflection on the surface of the water, regretting the decision the instant he did. A less than pleasant malformation of his nose marred his killer looks. This indicated beyond any doubt that the transformation was complete.

What was abnormal about this place became impossible to ignore as his world opened up. The perception boost afforded by his honored Sage Mode transformation saw through the illusions keeping him at bay with ease. A powdery substance supercharged with powerful chakra hung in the air. Given he had already dispelled the initial Genjutsu cloaking the boulder, this had to be something different layered on top of that. A non-combative Ninjutsu of some kind? Its energy thickened around the boulder and thinned out the further away one traveled.

Jiraiya smirked.

Whoever set this up REALLY doesn't wanna be found, huh?

Unfortunately for them, the Sannin thought with a mischievous chuckle, he couldn't resist a challenge.

Jiraiya focused his attention on the rock wall and found not one, but two points of interest. Some distance to the right of the boulder was another entrance, this one narrower and about two regular-sized humans high. Jiraiya was on the taller side but even he wouldn't have to duck to clear the passageway.

The veiled entrance appeared to fit in with its surroundings at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was a camouflaged slab that functioned as a sliding door. Taking a few steps toward the false wall, Jiraiya stopped cold in his tracks. Tightness in both temples made keeping his eyes open more difficult. His limited vision honed in on the narrow doorway. He gasped, realizing the true purpose of the chakra particles around him. They were magnetically drawn to both the boulder and the second entrance!

"But why?" he whispered, pausing to analyze the situation. "Hmm."

Cautious at first, Jiraiya walked closer to the doorway. His headache intensified. Taking note of this, he formed a hand sign and gathered chakra. Just as expected, the supercharged powder was pulled toward him in large quantities. Now that he was certain what kind of technique this was, he made a hand sign and repelled the particles with a simple burst of Lightning Style chakra. He stood in front of the door with a triumphant sigh. His pounding headache ebbed to a dull throb, then vanished. The door slid open. A translucent wall of chakra behind it served as a silent warning against anyone considering walking through uninvited.

Jiraiya flew through hand seals with a confident grin, effortlessly dropping the A-Ranked Ninjutsu barrier. A fancy parlor trick like this, while clever, was child's play for an esteemed ninja such as himself. He crouched and crab walked further in, entering a cavernous space of staggering size. The hideout was large enough to house Gamabunta, unsheathed sword and all, several times over. Still more hidden rooms connected to this one via several tunnels.

Perhaps most breathtaking of all was a tall and ominous statue sitting against the back wall. Far from a beautiful sculpture, the figure was monstrous enough to strike fear into the hearts of children and seasoned Jonin alike. Complete with dozens of teeth as sharp as the finest blade and half as many eyelids, the statue loomed like a watchful wraith. The sage mused that this abomination made his imperfect transformation look like a handsome prince by comparison.

He stepped out of the shadows. His sensory abilities were picking up more than one powerful chakra signature. All of them converged on him from different parts of the complex. He made a Shadow Clone and sent it away to deliver information to the village in his stead. Whatever was about to happen here would require his undivided attention. Jiraiya praised the usefulness of his underground spy network. They had come through for him big time. Now he was paying the favor forward to Minato. Soon, The Leaf Village Council would have the answers they sought.

"Successful infiltration in just under two minutes, eh? Impressive."

Ice filled Jiraiya's veins. He jumped away from the voice at his back. A large weapon came crashing down a split second later, scraping the cave floor and leaving behind a deep gash. Staring back at the damage wide-eyed, the sage thanked his lucky stars the attack didn't connect.

"A Legendary Sannin in the flesh," hissed a man with blue skin and sharp teeth. "I can't wait to see if the outlandish rumors are true." He wore a Mist Village headband with the emblem struck through—a sure sign of a rogue shinobi.

"You're in for a reckoning, Toadman!" said another man's voice, this one much more unhinged. His maniacal laughter bounced off of the walls, which was far from pleasant given Jiraiya's extrasensory abilities. "Lord Jashin'll have your soul, and that idiot partner of mine is gonna cash your corpse in for the jackpot of a lifetime."

"Remember what our leader said, Hidan," cautioned a wooden voice from behind a shroud of shadows. "Don't underestimate our intruder."

Sage Mode made seeing the source of the hidden speaker's chakra a cinch. Jiraiya noted with morbid fascination that this person's chakra was stored inside a small, oblong object buried in their chest. Almost like…a battery compartment?

Jiraiya infused a substantial amount of chakra into his palms. He grinned and weaved hand signs like lightning. "Well, well, well! Good to know someone out there is showing this old man proper respect." Once the sequence was complete, he struck an extravagant pose. "Prepare to be overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring might of Jiraiya the Gallant!"

Flattening both hands on the cavern floor, he performed the jutsu he'd been building up. Jiraiya chuckled darkly; he was now the predator and the Akatsuki members boxing him in were the prey. They just didn't know it yet. Smoke billowed in all directions, eliminating visibility and plunging the gang of rogue ninja into a hell of his own creation.