As the spiral appeared Jiraiya's senses went haywire the spiraled orange mask and Akatsuki cloak looked threatening. As the joyful voice of the person appeared the veteran was questioning his instincts though.
"Kakuzu-Sempai. You look hurt. Tobi is a good boy and come to rescue you!" He jumped around. He took hold of the rumbling Kakauzu and looked at the rushing Jiraiya who fought out his stupor and wanted to end this threat to Naruto and passed through them.
"YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT KILLED MY STUDENT!" Jiraiya turned and looked at Tobi only for him to melt onto the floor taking the exhausted Akatsuki member with him.
Fukasku and Shima looked around as did Jiraiya but none of the three could sense him. Just seconds later Tobi appeared again. Behind them grabbing Hidan's ring and the downed Sora.
"Tobi thinks he will take those. See you" Using his joking voice he evaded the punch from Jiraiya that got through him simultaneously. Shortly after he vanished with Sora without a trace, he would be found in a month free of the Kyuubi chakra but for the moment Jiraiya looked at the elders.
"What happened?!"
"Oh we can tell you Sensei." The two remaining clones with the blog monitoring scroll came forward and Jiraiys gave a glance at the unconscious Naruto.
"Astounding that he can hold you active while being knocked out." The Sannin mentioned only for both clones to smile and scratch the back of their heads in perfect synchronization.
Both focussed and looked at each other before looking back to the Sannin. The left one started.
"We should have gotten most of those Jutsu. While the Boss said he will not try to learn every Jutsu he said he loves to have the Data available for the research team. But yeah that last person. Spiral mask guy... The boss will look into that one for sure. Uses some kind of space-time stuff. Parts of it are similar to the Hiraishin But only so much that we can say it is a space-time thing at the moment."
The other clone picked up the talking. "Yeah, and with the Akatsuki cloaks I think they want Sora as reassurance of they can't get the Boss because we are just too awesome!"
Jiraiya sighed and nodded shortly. "Yeah that sound reasonable how long will he be out. Looking at his clothes and the blood he got hit pretty badly."
The right clone answered again.
"Yeah. Those threads from that Kakuzu guy. Scary."
The clone looked at the main body and shrugged. "A day or two maybe? With all the chains, barriers and us the boss was around 3% percent into his reserves. Mr. K. will juice him up after healing the serious wounds leaving the rest to the natural healing. We have to dispell now tho speed that up" Both gave him a two-finger salute and with their scroll puffed out of existence.
Jiraiya spoke with Chiriku and was impressed that the monk was so resilient to power through his chakra exhaustion. He was ordering a small team to be on the lookout for Sora at all times. Coordinating the repairs and resetting of the defenses all while using a stick to help him walk. Naruto was brought back to his chamber and Jiraiya had a show clone on guard duty while he and the head monk talked.
That Akatsuki lost one agent was a good thing. So much was clear, that Naruto would have lost against the standard two-man cell despite all of his skills giving Jiraiya much to think about. Of course, he was still a boy. his body had not matured and because of that had handicaps in reach and power, nonetheless the Sannin was proud.
He did kill one of the immortal members. He had planned to go to River Country next it would be good to give Naruto some time before the young knucklehead would need to fight Akatsuki again. For that, his network told him that River and Kaze no Kuni were considered without Akatsuki activity at the moment.
Before that, he would wait for Naruto to get back on his feet again. Maybe they could use one of Naruto's shortcuts. Somehow Jiraiya had the feeling that Naruto would have a marker in Suna.
Four days later Jiraiya and Naruto could be seen walking out of the temple gates, unfortunately, he had no marker in that direction in reachable distance. Both were in a state of constant awareness with Naruto using sensing and clones to establish a moving perimeter but they took their travel slow and steady.
After the activity of the last few days, Jiraiya ordered Naruto even to stop his daily training regimen for a week so his body would get enough rest. The blonde was annoyed for some time but relented in the end. Enjoying the scenery and peaceful walk they camped out in river country and had a great time. Jiraiya and given him some lessons on the road. mostly concerning the workings of the nations, also he got into a bit of detail about the history of Konoha and Suna. It would take them some days to reach their destination but at the moment they had no rush so they just tried to enjoy the walk.
Outskirts of Kirigakure
"I don't know who you are but you made a mistake," Yagura said, already in his version 1 biju cloak with two tails out.
While on the other side of the field stood Itachi and Shisui both masked and without identification markings. Luckily they could use their Sharingan and abilities as long they would have not outside visibility because the masks would not show their eyes.
Both Uchihas did not waste time with an answer and in perfect sync attacked in a pincer like style with Great Fireball Jutsus. Yagura just laughed and unleashed torrents of water. The resulting steam was pushed aside without much trouble by the Jinchuriki. Shortly after Yagura attacked wildly parts of the ground. "You can't escape me rebel scum!"
Shisui and Itachi knew that it would not be an easy task to weaken or even beat a perfect jinchurikii without having access to the strongest attacks they would normally use to subdue such opponents. But neither Shunshin Shisui nor the infamous butcher of the Uchiha Itachi Uchiha were known to focus on one or two moves alone
. Both were accomplished shinobi with a wide skillset. Using layered Genjutsu, Kunai, Shuriken and different Ninjutsu they misdirected Yagura as much as possible. Their strategy was to let him burn through his biju empowered stamina. Both ninjas knew that even thanks to their seal empowered training and Itachi's renewed body after they had "forced" a certain blonde to heal the illness that had taken hold of him.
Yagura shot Jutsu after Jutsu at seemingly nobody before he shook his head and looked around. "Do you think your illusions can help you?"
He raged before he unleashed a strong chakra pulse that shattered the Genjutsu Layers. Itachi and Shisui were not shocked, they are seasoned Shinobi for a reason. Both used a short body flicker to get out of range for a moment and used kunai with paper bombs attached to attack the three-tailed turtle.
Debris, smoke and explosions shook the grounds as the Jinchurkii jumped out of one of the dust clouds only to be surrounded by three Itachis that smirked before they exploded thanks to the clone explosion technique. Yagura was blasted away but he did not look like he was hurt. Turning in flight and unleashing another water Jutsu at both masked attackers. Using a quick substitution both Uchiha could dodge the attack.
"Raven." Itachi signed for the next part of their strategy to start. Shisui used his Shunshin mastery to rush at Yagura planting a paper seal on his stomach before he bursted into leaves. The seal extended quickly and bound the biju chakra. That left Yagura panting for a moment. Yagura's appearance was that of an unusual mix of youthfulness and maturity; despite being relatively young-looking, there were several unique characteristics about him.
His short stature only added to this contrast. He had unconventional gray hair that fell over his right eye and spiked up on the left, giving him a distinct appearance. Another notable feature was his lack of pupils in his pink eyes which added an eerie quality to his gaze. The stitch-like scar under his left eye down his cheek only served to heighten Yagura's mysterious aura.
.
In terms of clothing, he wore a gray sleeveless shirt with the Kiri forehead protector pinned to it - an indication of his affiliation with Kirigakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Mist). He also donned short-sleeved mesh armor and a turquoise sash around his waist, adding some much-needed color to his otherwise drab attire.
"Do you think cutting me of the Sanbi will help you win?" Yagura was joined by some clones of his and they attacked shortly after. Using their staves they clashed with the Tantos of Shisui and Itachi. The Uchihas worked against the clock, unfortunately, the Sanbi would be able to break through the seal in the next ten to twenty minutes. Now they would need to inflict as much damage as possible, and after that guerilla attacks till the reinforcements would arrive.
At the same time Outskirts of Suna
Jiraiya and Naruto were walking toward the wall of Suna. Located in the Land of Wind, Sunagakure no Sato or simply known as Sunagakure is one of the major shinobi villages.
It is surrounded by vast sand dunes and mountains that form an impressive backdrop. The village itself is built into the side of a large sand dune, with long ramps leading up to its entrance.
The architecture of Sunagakure no Sato reflects its harsh desert environment; most buildings are made from sun-baked bricks and have thick walls that provide insulation against the heat. One of the most distinctive features of Sunagakure is its massive sand wall.
Upon entering Sunagakure, visitors are greeted by an open courtyard dominated by a large fountain in the center. Surrounding the courtyard are various shops and businesses catering to both locals and tourists alike. The village marketplace is bustling with activity, offering everything from exotic foods to unique shinobi tools and weapons.
Moving deeper into Sunagakure, one can see that the homes of its inhabitants are built into the side of the sand dune as well. These dwellings consist of single-story structures made from sun-baked bricks with small windows covered in mesh screens to keep out blowing sand. The interiors are typically minimalist and functional, reflecting the shinobi lifestyle's simplicity and focus on efficiency.
As a shinobi village, Sunagakure has extensive training facilities hidden beneath its surface. These include sparring arenas, obstacle courses, and even underground chambers designed to simulate different climates or environments for training purposes. The village also boasts an impressive library filled with scrolls containing valuable information about shinobi techniques and the history of their world.
Overall, Sunagakure no Sato is a vibrant and bustling community that seamlessly blends into its harsh desert surroundings. Its unique architecture, rich history, and focus on shinobi training make it an important hub for those who live in the Land of Wind and beyond.
"Damn Sensei, that are some huge walls. I hope Gaara is in the village I would love to talk with him." Naruto was excited about the prospect of meeting with his old friend. After the invasion of Konoha they had not much time to make conversation but now?
"Hold your horses Gaki. First we have to do the stuff we are here for. If there is time for you two to talk thats okay. You remember what I told you about our relations to Suna at the moment" Jiraiya asked the blonde Ninja.
"Sure Sensei. They are strained but Granny and the old man had this idea for us to investigate if the mood is still problematic and report back. If it is we are ordered to wait for reinforcements before we move against Suna. If everything is how it should be and there no tension, we should stretch out the hand of friendship." Naruto answered but paused after that before he looked Jiraiya in the eye while stopping.
"You know Sensei, this whole passive threats game, while I can understand the necessity sometimes." He paused for a second "Is that really needed? Suna was in a very tight spot and manipulated by Orochimaru."
Jiraiya nodded and sighed. "Yeah Naruto, I would love for us all to live in peace but my loyalty is first and foremost for Konoha and to protect those people living in there. If I have to rattle some councilmen and women. So be it. Now. Mission mode okay?"
Getting a nod from the blonde the two of them switched to shinobi speeds above the typical Chunin and after arriving at the gate and chekin in made their way to the Kazekage tower.
Itachi & Shisui vs Yagura
"... Shit! move Itachi" Shishui called out and Itachi was able to dodge the reflected Fireball but only barely. Both Shinobi hat cuts and parts of their uniform had darkened from the blood seeping from some wound under it. Even with modified armor to withstand more kinetic energy they hit to often for them to be unharmed. But, it had saved their lives once or twice.
Yagura was looking only slightly better, well he was before he transformed into the Sanbi.
The Sanbi primarily resembles a large turtle, but with an even more formidable crab-like shell covering its entire body. The shell is adorned with countless spikes, making it virtually impenetrable to most attacks. Its muscular red underbelly reveals the true strength hidden beneath its hard exterior.
The beast also possesses three shrimp-like tails that propel it through water or land with ease. Its face is concealed between a massive forehead and lower jaw, both of which are adorned with additional spikes. Its eyes are an eerie red color, with crimson pupils that seem to glow in the darkness.
Despite its intimidating appearance, Sanbi bears clear signs of battle scars on various parts of its body. The constant reminder of past conflicts serves as a testament to its strength and resilience. Its right eye remains closed most of the time, possibly as a defense mechanism against potential threats or an adaptation from years of combat experience.
In the animated series, Sanbi's appearance varies slightly with redesigned spikes on its shell and yellow pupils in place of crimson ones. However, these minor changes do not detract from the overall menacing presence that this creature exudes. Overall, Sanbi is a formidable opponent, both visually striking and physically imposing.
This biju had some scorch marks on him but overall looked still better than the two ninjas ore the field they battled on. Holes in the ground, that were the remnants of the attacks from both sides.
Both shinobi had to focus attack that was charging up. The ball of energy in the bijus mouth looked bad to the Sharingan of them. It felt worse. Itachi and Shisui looked at each other before they could hear the cry of a crow at the same time as the attack was let loose. Using nearly the last of their reserves they put everything in an overpowered Shunshin.
The Explosion of the Bijudama and the resulting shockwave rocked not only the earth but also the ocean that was nearby. Seconds later, from their lookout, they saw a woman in a blue dress and red hair descending on the recovering biju.
"Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu" A slimelike substance quickly covered the biju. Screams of the big turtle could be heard all over the place. The woman did not relent on her offensive. Landing straight before the biju she rushed through handseals "Futton: Kōmu no Jutsu"
The acidic mist blew directly into the bijus mouth. Visually affecting its structure. The shrieks and wails could even heard by everyone around. The rebel forces looked on as their leader dismantled the three tailed turtle. The generals of the army knew why that even was possible. While the more experienced ones saw the holes in the ground and had some speculations, that they got help in reclaiming their home.
As the turtle broke down still in pain. Mei took out three Sealing tags and threw them at the biju. Getting joined by her second in command and one of the last loyal seven swordsman they got through twenty hand seals before holding a Ram seal.
Three cries of Fuin: Kai! echoed before the tags glowed and expanded thouds of fuin kanji that spread around the turtle. Destabilizing its form the turtle lost its coloring and moved back to a version two cloak before the chakra seemingly spread into the air.
All this time the three ninjas held on and pumped chakra into the tags. The swordsman passed out as the Sanbi reached the Version one state. The other got to one knee as it was only one tail left.
Only Mei stood strong. Sweating, but pouring everything into the release of the biju. With a final cry from the woman the last of the chakra dissipated into the air. leaving a completely broken Yagura behind. Her two companions were exhausted. She was too but she was walking to the Yondaime Mizukage and checking his vitals. As she knelt beside him she could see that he was in his last breaths. His voice hoarse and barely above a whisper.
"Mei… you… you came in the end."
The leader of the rebel forces was shocked, that was not that evil and vicious kage that sounded like her former friend. "You.. thank ... thank you." Yagura spit out some blood his eyes already slowly closing. "Fulfill… our… d..dr..dream." With a last long sigh Yagura Karatachi, fourth Mizukage did his last breath. Finally free of the manipulations that led to him attacking his own people. nearly eradicating the Bloodlines of the Hidden Mist. Recognizing what had happened Mei Terumi knelt at his side crying silent tears before rushing through hand seals while standing up. The rubber-like slime engulfed the corpse and Mei looked at the people who had come to her taking a deep breath.
"The Mizukage is dead. The village will be reborn out of the Mist of this battle and will be never be known as the bloody mist from this day forth. Anyone who want to challenge me may do so if they are brave enough" She released her Killing Intent on the assembled ninja. for a short moment, the tension could be felt, but then like a string that teared up the shinbi began to celebrate, crying out the name of the new Mizukage. Tired of their bloody past and with the hope to start anew. Unknowingly, two Shinobi left the celebrations before they could be found. A scroll waiting for the new Kage on her desk.
Meanwhile Suna Council chambers
"I can't see any problem Jiraiya-Sama," one of the councilmen said to the veteran Sannin.
Naruto stood to the side while the Sannin was here to mediate and watch the election process for the new Kazekage.
"Why should we let an outsider influence the vote for our kage", another intervened.
Before Jiraiya could say something Naruto stepped forward looking to Baki.
"Say Baki-San. Is there more than one option for the Kazekage at the moment?"
The bespoken person and Sensei of the Sabaku siblings shook his head.
"No Uzumaki-San, just one but it would happen to be a problem, that this person misses a certain amount of missions to meet the specified criteria in our laws." The Jonin answered calmly, like most shinobi he loved to cut of those civilians or former ninjas that lost their connection to the present time over the years.
"So if there is only one option and Sensei and I just want to make sure that the new Kage of yours upholds the treaty and agreed on regulations, how can we influence that selection of yours, if their is no selection? Instead only a matter of Stipulation discussion?" The blonde had clones read up on anything. One of those things was books on how to speak.
"That is… " the councilmen that wanted to raise a complaint before started before Baki thundered into his speech.
"completely right and you are wasting our time! The Invasion of sound on Konoha is now nearly one year in the past and we still have to recover from our losses. The treaty with the leaf is very generous and the only thing they had asked of us was to work more closer together regarding shinobi training. Exchange information and pay for some of the damages. Since the seal on Gaara was fixed he had risen through the ranks and is now acknowledged by nearly everyone as not only one of Suna's finest but also as a calm and collected person. Protective even. You",
He looked at three of the council in particular. Yuura was one of those three who had some visible reaction of disagreement with the Jonin.
"are blinded by your bigotry and the assumption that the Yondaime Kazegake was in right in what he did to his own son!"
Jiraiya followed the looks with some suspicion. At last, he looked at his student with a proud expression. Jiraiya was assured that if Naruto had not intervened like he did this would have mostly cost them more time than ever.
After some further discussions in the chamber, Naruto and Jiraiya left with Baki. Jiraiya would have to follow up on some leads while Naruto would stay and train with the Sabaku siblings. A show of trust from Konoha that had some of the council back paddle on their beliefs.
Naruto was a happy ninja, he would meet Gaara again it sounded like Gaara was the apparent choice to be Kazekage.
Two days later Naruto was standing with Temari and Baki on a training ground. Using a one handed warfan, often seen by the samurai as an offhanded weapon, going through katas with the blonde and eldest of the Sabaku siblings.
After reconnecting with Gaara who had to shadow Baki most of the time in preparation for his appointment as Kazekage. After some consideration of what Naruto could learn and do for the time he was here, they checked for his affinities and while it was shocking that it looked like he had all the base elements down his wind affinity was still slightly stronger than the rest.
Using this as a foundation they retreated to the training area where the Fan Dancers of Suna would often hone their skills. After establishing, that Naruto was using a sword now, efficiently and better than those available in Suna, it was decided that a supplementary offhand weapon would be the best choice. After some impro inventory, Baki found a neat warfan. While the much bigger and two handed version of Temari would be a better voice for wide area attacks, Naruto's one-handed version was much more suited for quick wind style moves.
"Okay enough for the moment. You adapt quickly to the moves Naruto" Baki commented while Temari nodded in agreement.
Naruto smiled brightly and used a small amount of chakra unleashing a small cyclone into the empty space. "I have had good teachers. Temari-Chan is really great with a fan"
the blonde praised his fellow blonde who blushed a bit. Temari was surprised, the last time she really had some form of contact with the blonde maelstrom was at the chunin finals. He was skilled then, and now, now it seemed he was even better. His Kenjutsu could beat Suna's best.
Okay, nothing her village was known for, but Kankuro and the other Puppeteers had no chance against him. With him being not only a sensor but also now armed with the Sharingan and a chakra conductive sword, he could cut chakra strings efficiently. Add his knowledge in the sealing arts and Suna's more than weak forces at the moment Temari was sure, that even without his Sensei the blonde could wreak havoc on them. So, she was more than happy to show him that Suna was a friend. For the girl, it was a fact even. Thanks to Naruto, she got her youngest brother back and now she had the opportunity to thank him.
In a way, she could agree to. Not like what those councilmen had thought out. Marrying her off to strengthen their bond to Konoha, or even better gain a new ally in the process.
After that particular meeting and those lecherous glances she got from councilman Yuura she felt so dirty she had to shower twice that day.
Now with Gaara this close to being the new Kazekage she hoped that this topic would not be followed up upon. Looking at Naruto as he was instructed by her Sensei on how to hold the fan to increase effectiveness. The idea of a political marriage, while overall repulsive, while looking at the developing blonde she was sure that Naruto would be one of the people she would be offered too. Would it be a bother?
"...Temari!" Baki's voice shocks her out of her inner rumbling.
"Hai Sensei?" She asked while looking at him. Getting a nod from him.
"I want you to spar against each other. No Jutsu besides fan-based ones, pressure without blades. Understood?" Baki ordered and Temari nodded moving her battlefan from her back to her hand and opening it to the one moon configuration.
"Are you ready Naruto?" She asked in his direction witnessing him sealing his blade away and getting a nod. Both swung their fans nearly at the same time after Baki gave the go. Only the barrier around those special training grounds would hold the little sandstorm from spreading into the village.
Both blondes could be seen swinging their fans regularly. Also, Gaara and Naruto could be seen talking. If that was the case the only ones that somehow had the guts to come near the duo were the Sabaku siblings or Baki. Even if the latter would only do so if Gaara missed one of his appointments with his other trainers. This routine had settled in after Naruto's arrival in Suna two weeks ago. He had regular meals with the siblings and even joked with Kankuro.
Everything looked good and peaceful. Jiraiya had daily checked in with a messenger toad but for the moment gave no hint for the return of his.
But as it is in Naruto's life he was alert. He had modified Kankuro's puppets with seals. Did the same to Gaara's gourd and Temari's and his fans. Hardening, weight-reducing seals mostly. With Gaara, it was increasing its capacity while reducing its size. Easy to say that the siblings thanked him as did Baki. Sitting together for something they started to call family meals they were interrupted by a knock on the door. A messenger nin brought a scroll and handed it to Baki. The Jonin read through it before he threw it to Gaara who did the same.
Shortly after Gaara looked at Naruto and gave a small indication of a smile.
"How about we screw with the council a bit Naruto. Are you in?" At the same time, he handed over the scroll for him to read.
The blonde ninja read through the scroll the smile on his face moving from the pleasant, eat something good to the let us screw with the local idiots variant also known as a version of the foxy smile. "A Rank mission you can't take any Suna nins with you as support. That smells like somebody who let his ramen go to waste. Count me in Gaara. A ruin of the temple that was once Shukakus's place sounds interesting enough, I will write down a message for Jiraiya and send it by summons."