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Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

Blah Blah Blah Thought or some transaction within someone's mind

Blah Blah Blah Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH BLAH BLAH yelling or emphasis of some sort

Naruto of the Nine Tails

Rated M for language, violence, adult content, and graphic imagery

Chapter 32:Revelation

Konohagakure…

"Sensei, who was the man who attacked Kushina?" Sarutobi asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea," the Nidaime replied, sounding strangely pleased by that notion.

"That's um… not particularly helpful, Nidaime-sama," Jiraiya pointed out.

"Helpful? No," the Nidaime agreed. "However, when the alternative is that Uchiha Madara still walks this earth and is capable of fighting your strongest ninja? I would say we should count our lucky stars."

Sarutobi and his students stiffened at that.

"But… sofu killed him," Tsunade whispered, the faintest tremor in her voice.

Tobirama turned, fixing his gaze on her. "…Tsunade-chan?" he asked, his previously cool visage cracking as he studied her with open interest.

"Yes, ojisan," Tsunade acknowledged with a respectful nod.

"You've grown up," Tobirama observed before glancing curiously between her and Sarutobi. "Though, not as much as I would have expected."

Jiraiya choked on his own spit.

Tsunade glared at him before returning her gaze to her great-uncle. "Yes, well, a woman must have her secrets," she responded primly. "But why are you bringing up Uchiha Madara? Sofu killed him at the Valley of the End. You dissected his body! I've seen your notes!"

Tobirama sighed, shaking his head. "Not my finest moment," he admitted. "However, in my defense, it was… incredibly informative."

"That still doesn't explain why you would be worried about a man you vivisected walking around and causing havoc," Tsunade pointed out.

"If anyone could manage it, it would be him," the Nidaime responded. "By the time he died, Madara was an absurdly powerful shinobi. Ignoring his heritage, he was the sort of man who feared nothing because he could turn the tides of battle on a whim, face down armies alone, and walk away under his own power. Under the right circumstances, he could wage an entire war by himself. With his eyes? With sharingan and the form it had evolved into, he had access to abilities far beyond what most would consider possible, even his own kin. Abilities that defied logic, warped reality, and summoned powers that could reshape the world."

"Well, that was… dramatic," Jiraiya muttered.

The Nidaime glared at him. "The place we refer to as the Valley of the End?" he responded, his voice once more cool and deadly. "That used to be a flatland with nothing but forests and a river until Madara and my brother fought there. I watched him use his abilities to make a mortal wound simply vanish. Like he was dispelling a genjutsu. Worst of all, his predictive abilities bordered on prophecy. If ever there were a man who could find a way to so thoroughly fake his death and live, it would be Uchiha Madara."

"But it's not," Sarutobi interjected. "You said so yourself. The masked man was not Madara."

"No," the Nidaime agreed. "And thank all the gods that are for that… but, whoever your masked man was? He has met Uchiha Madara."

"…What?"

"The summoning technique," Tobirama explained. "That was something unique. It was not a summoning contract in the traditional sense. He didn't sign anything with the Kyuubi. In fact, there's no record of the technique anywhere in the village, and even with years of research I have no idea how he was able to summon the damn thing."

Sarutobi did not like where this was going. "So, we are either dealing with someone that was able to replicate the technique. Someone who found some secret cache that contained the information. Or…"

"Both of which are incredibly unlikely."

"Which means we are dealing with an individual that has had access to Madara himself," Sarutobi concluded with little comfort. A student of Madara? Even a student of a student was a… daunting prospect.

"Are we assuming that the masked man had something to do with sabotaging Naruto's seal?" Tsunade asked, looking to the others for confirmation.

"Having access to Madara's knowledge would explain some of how he was able to account for some of the variables in the seal's behavior," Jiraiya responded, stroking his chin in thought. "Then, considering he's already shown that he can bypass our defenses and shown interest in the Kyuubi? I'd say it's a safe assumption."

"Have you not patched the village's defenses?" the Nidaime demanded.

"That would be difficult considering he used some sort of… teleportation jutsu," Sarutobi replied, only to be overtaken by a thoughtful scowl. "Jiraiya… Tsunade… the man from Akatsuki who attempted to take Naruto. Could you describe for me how he escaped?"

Jiraiya blinked, glancing at Tsunade then back at his sensei. "He used a Jikukan technique of some kind? He just sort of twisted into the air and disappeared?" he explained a moment before his eyes went wide. "You don't think—"

"That is the same technique used by the man who attacked Kushina," Sarutobi confirmed gravely.

"That…" Tsunade began only for her voice to trail off as she failed to reconcile the image of a masked murderer unleashing a biju on a populated city with the utter bafoon that had accosted them on the road. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Why doesn't it?" the Nidaime queried. "If he tried once, surely he would try again."

"The man we're talking about played ninja tag with Naruto," Tsunade explained.

The Nidaime blinked, nonplussed. "He… what?"

Tsunade sighed and then, with Jiraiya's help, spent the next few minutes explaining their bizarre encounter with the Akatsuki on the road and fielding various questions.

"I am… confused," Tobirama admitted, stroking his chin.

"About what exactly, sensei?" the Sandaime sighed.

"What confuses me," the Nidaime began, "is how this man could have developed such familiarity with your Naruto without accomplishing his goal."

Sarutobi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tobirama blinked. "Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" the Nidaime asked, looking around at them. "The boy—Naruto—his reaction was… out of character. From what you've told me so far, unless he is taking cues from others, his reactions mirror those of a wild animal. However, the way you described things, he was not wary of the man as his allies were or a fox would be with a potential threat. He was—"

"He called Tobi "New Friend,"" Jiraiya said, his mind racing.

"…Yes," the Nidaime agreed, seeing that he had been understood.

"Naruto doesn't call new people new," Jiraiya muttered, his eyes flicking rapidly from side to side. "He always at least attempts to use the name they give him. He only starts calling them something else when he's had time to—Oh… Oh no no no."

"Jiraiya?" Sarutobi called as Jiraiya turned on his heel and started rushing toward the village.

"I'll be back!" Jiraiya threw over his shoulder as he started to run.

"Jiraiya!?"

But Jiraiya had already vanished in a burst of leaves and chakra.

"Naruto? You with me buddy?" Jiraiya asked, uncharacteristically seriously as he unceremoniously snatched Naruto away from his friends amongst several protests.

Naruto blinked, looking around for a second, then shrugged. "Uh huh?" he responded, seeming confused by the question because obviously he was right here. Where else would he be?

"Right, okay?" Jiraiya started, licking his lips. "Do you remember when we were on the road just a little bit ago? We were coming home?"

Naruto nodded. "Uh huh. Lazy-time and cranky Teme."

"Yes, that," Jiraiya agreed. "Do you remember the man you played with?"

"New Friend!" Naruto crowed happily.

"Right, New Friend," Jiraiya agreed again as he took a deep, fortifying breath. "How long has New Friend been New Friend?"

Naruto blinked uncomprehendingly. "New Friend is always New Friend."

"Yes, but how long has he been New Friend, Naruto?"

Naruto blinked again before lifting a claw to scratch thoughtfully at his chin. "How… long has been New Friend?"

"Yes," Jiraiya prompted. "Like… Hinata-chan has been Beta since you went to live with her? And Sasuke has been Teme since… forever?"

Naruto nodded several times. "How long. How long. How long?" he repeated to himself still nodding distractedly.

"Yes, how long, Naruto? Since when?" Jiraiya pressed.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin once more. "Since? Since since since," he repeated as if tasting the word, rolling it around until it felt familiar. "Since… dirt bed?"

Jiraiya blinked. "Dirt bed?"

"Hmm," Naruto responded affirmatively. "Played tag in rock house. Then snacks and lazy-time."

Something like cold water trickled down Jiraiya's spine. "Naruto… where was Hinata for all this?"

"No Beta. Just Naruto," the young Jinchuuriki replied. "Just Naruto and funny tree people. Then New Friend. Beta later," he explained with a confident nod.

Horror like nothing he could remember spread through Jiraiya as Naruto's meaning became clear.

Whoever this Tobi was? He had been interacting with Naruto for years.