Yahiko placed the cup of tea back on the saucer, a smirk resting on his face. Konan's eyes rested on her husband.

"You're quite content with yourself."

"How could I not be," Yahiko stated. He threw his hands behind his head; the smug look on his facing growing more pronounced as words left his mouth. "Naruto finally agreed to train Ame shinobi. That's what I wanted in the first place."

"You wanted a lot more than just that Yahiko."

"And I'll get it," the man said. His voice was confident. "He's training shinobi now. Soon he will agree to train others. Those shinobi will train others. Our fighting force will be bolstered. Enough where we won't need to rely on Nagato."

Konan frowned; her eyes sharp.

"Careful. Your words..."

"I'm not talking treason Konan," Yahiko reassured. "I would never do something like that. But Nagato is too idealistic to see the truth. Ame is fragile. I intend to ensure we will not be. Strong shinobi are a central part of that."

"Be careful what you ask for Yahiko. Strong shinobi strengthen a village, but they also make it a target."

Yahiko was silent, but his mind burned. His thoughts went to the border of Ame and Konoha that was currently a hotspot for Konoha shinobi activity.

'We're already a target. Why can't either you or Nagato see that!'

Naruto leaned against the wall of the Tower, looking at the three Chunin that stood before him. Only one, the wielder of the assassination technique, had the courage to look him in the eyes. The other two squirmed underneath his gaze. An interesting sight. Clearly his showing had installed some respect in them. Some fear. That wasn't particularly his goal, but he could work with that.

"Alright, let's get off on a better foot than me smacking you around," Naruto stated. "Introduce yourselves. I'll go first, even though I'm sure you all already know me well enough."

The blonde yawned. It was early and he had not slept well.

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki, obviously. I'm a new Ame shinobi, formerly of Konoha. Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. I like ramen, training, and my staff...when I had one."

The blonde's eyebrow twitched. He was still extremely annoyed that Shukaku had destroyed Trickster. It had been a gift from Hiruzen. He would never get another. Even if he could create his scythe without the staff anymore, it was still a frustrating loss. The emotional attachment meant far more to him than anything else.

"I dislike people who are lazy, overconfident, and the time it takes for ramen to cook. My goal is to protect those that I care about."

Naruto nodded his head, seemingly satisfied with his introduction. He looked at the assassination specialist. He had looked him in the eyes throughout his entire introduction. He could go first if he wanted to be so focused.

"You."

"Name's Midare Fujiwara. I'm a Chunin, born and raised here in Ame. I like training, puzzles, and fighting against strong opponents. I dislike weaklings and anyone else who does not pull their weight. My goal is to become the greatest assassination shinobi in Ame history!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the young man's introduction. His eyes had cut over to the kid in the jumpsuit when he had mentioned weaklings. Clearly there was some animosity there. He would have to iron that out. He didn't need infighting among his team, especially not in a war.

"Greatest assassination shinobi in Ame history huh? Wouldn't that mean you would have to surpass Hanzo?"

"Who says I can't," Midare stated firmly. Naruto raised an eyebrow. The kid certainly was confident. No, arrogant. His skills didn't back up that talk. It reminded him of...well of him back when he was younger. He had a smart mouth when he was a kid. Sure, no one in his age range could make him eat his words, and he doubted anyone the age of Midare in Rain could either, but there were plenty of people who could. Naruto learned that the hard way. Some of the scars on his back were painful reminders of that. He would beat the thought process out of Midare lest he not be so lucky.

Naruto turned his head, ignoring the comment for now.

"You."

The green haired kunoichi paused, clearly nervous being the center of attention. She began to speak, her black mask shuffling slightly at every word spoken.

"I am Suiren Trott, rank Chunin. I was raised up north, in the Land of Frost. My family settled here when I was young. I like Ame shinobi, and my parents. I dislike other shinobi from the Great Powers."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. The woman met his eyes, but she said nothing. He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking. Would she have a problem with him, with his birthplace being Konoha? He assumed not, considering she had volunteered to learn from him. But maybe she was simply being practical. Yahiko was like that, it wouldn't surprise him if many more Ame shinobi were given their history.

"My goal is to become a powerful kunoichi. One that can defend Ame from any invasion."

Naruto nodded. Then, he turned to his final member.

"My name is Kagari DeMita, Chunin. I was also born here in Rain, although I was born in one of the smaller villages in the country. I like money, salmon, and genjutsu training. I don't like people who look down on others. I also don't like people who look down on genjutsu. My goal is to become the richest shinobi in the world!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. Richest man in the world? That was...surprising. There weren't many shinobi that operated with money truly as their goal. Sure, many had that as an ancillary goal. Shinobi were paid quite well considering the line of work they participated in required they risk their lives most of the time, but the only man he knew whose goal was truly money was Kakuzu. Maybe the man would find a kinship with Kagari, if he gave him the time of day at all.

Naruto clapped his hands.

"Alright! Now that that's done it's time I get a better read on all of your abilities. But first, feedback from the fight yesterday."

Naruto looked at Kagari.

"Impressive genjutsu. It was smart to try to use my main known weakness against me. You prepared ahead of time?"

"I didn't know what the challenge was, but I figured fighting would be involved. I read up on you in the Bingo Book. Didn't work though. Guess I just gotta improve on my illusions. If I can get a guy like you stuck, I'll be rich!"

"Right," Naruto muttered, dragging the word out. "It wasn't a bad idea. Your skills just aren't good enough to affect me. But you will see that the more dangerous opponents you face off against. Every genjutsu specialist needs to have a backup plan, for example, Sakura Haruno."

"Konoha's Mad Titan," Suiren whispered.

Naruto nodded.

"I grew up with her. She couldn't keep up with me or my teammate in taijutsu for a long time, so she developed genjutsu skills to compensate. When we learned how to get by some of her genjutsu she struggled against us again. So, she addressed her weakness."

"I saw," Kagari mentioned. A smile kicked up on his face. The sash that covered his eyes ticked upwards. "She became a taijutsu specialist. A legendary one, trained by Tsunade Senju! Her Bingo Book entry says that she's one of the best taijutsu specialists in the Elemental Nations."

"She's better at taijutsu than I am," Naruto admitted. "Although I don't think it would be easy for her. But you're right. You certainly do your research."

Kagari smiled, pointing at his head. "It pays to know things."

Naruto frowned. This kid was giving him Kakuzu vibes. Still, he nodded.

"Correct. Which means you have an idea of what we'll be starting you off with."

Kagari frowned, squirming underneath Naruto's gaze. The blonde raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Is that a problem?"

"No," Kagari muttered, unwilling to speak. Midare snorted.

"The weakling is horrid at taijutsu," Midare stated plainly. " That's why he uses that Doton (Earth Release) jutsu of his."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking at the boy.

"That jutsu. What is it?"

"Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu (Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique)," Kagari responded. Naruto nodded, pausing to think.

"You have a Doton chakra nature?"

A nod.

Naruto nodded to himself, thinking.

"It was fairly impressive I'll admit. I'll try and work that into your fighting style, but I need to see where you are in taijutsu regardless of how much you don't want to. There's almost no shinobi that can effectively force long distance combat, even if they prefer it. Someone will eventually close the distance. You at least have to be good enough to force them back."

Kagari nodded, a somewhat dejected look on his face. The blonde then turned to Midare.

"You're next smart mouth. Your assassination jutsu, what's its name?"

"Shichi no Kata: Shizuku Hamon Tsuki (Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust). It's a kenjutsu utilized by Ame shinobi."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Kenjutsu? But you used an umbrella."

"I refuse to use a mere sword," Midare stated plainly. "The umbrella to an Ame shinobi is a symbol of our resilience. It protects us from the downpour of the heavens, just like Ame shinobi are supposed to protect the village from external and internal threats. A sword is a weapon. An umbrella is a symbol. Weapons can be broken, symbols last forever."

Naruto found his logic to be interesting. It was impractical from a combat perspective. An umbrella would be at an innate disadvantage against a sword in combat by mere definition, but he wouldn't argue with the passion that Midare had just displayed. If that was what he believed the blonde would simply have to cultivate it into a strength.

"I see. Well, regardless, your assassination technique wasn't bad, but your eye for opportunity isn't great."

"You were bound."

"I was baiting you," Naruto stated. "Only Kagari here read my Bingo Book entry it seems, and the rest of you either didn't hear the stories about me or didn't care. My wind armor would have shredded Suiren's water whip even if she tried her hardest to maintain it. It functions as an armor, an armor that is one of the most complete on the continent. There's a reason I'm considered a nin-taijutsu expert on par with the Raikage."

Naruto tilted his head, continuing to lay into the Chunin. "Which brings me to another point. If you had known about that armor, you wouldn't have leapt in so recklessly in the first place. You said you want to be an assassination expert? That's fine. The first step of that is knowing your opponent and knowing their strengths and weaknesses. Countering them. For example, I was hunted by Kakuzu not too long ago."

Midare's eyes widened. That clearly caught his attention. It was no surprise. A bounty hunter of his renown was bound to have been known by someone who wanted to become an assassination expert.

"He waited to attack me until he was positive he had a way to counter my wind armor and actually land blows on me. He accomplished the first step of defeating me. He capitalized, nearly killed me."

Midare's eyes were wide, visibly through the dark glasses he was wearing. Naruto had his full attention.

"He didn't because he hadn't completely found a way around my armor. Only a partial method. As a result, he fled. Fighting an opponent without knowing their abilities as an assassination expert is often the difference between life and death. Finding out how any shinobi's techniques work can be. Let this be a lesson to all of you. The faster you figure out how your opponent's technique works, the faster you can take a tool out of their toolkit. It only takes a moments surprise, a moment's shock that you figured them out, to win the battle. But to know when to do that and how to do that requires analyzing them carefully. And waiting for the right moment to strike. Clear?"

Midare nodded. He was bouncing on his feet, clearly eager to get to work. The blonde smirked. The kid may be a bit rough around the edges, but he was clearly passionate about growing stronger. That was something he could respect.

"I'll be working with all of you on understanding how to pick apart opponent's techniques. Luckily for all of you, I know quite a few. In the meantime, let's see if we can't incorporate some more attack potency in that kenjutsu of yours. You say you want to utilize an umbrella, that's fine. What's your chakra nature?"

"Suiton (Water Release)."

Naruto frowned. "Not the ideal elemental nature for kenjutsu. Futon (Wind Release) is best for swords, Raiton (Lightning Release) for spears or lances. Katon (Fire Release) is a healthy medium. But it's not unheard of. Zabuza Momochi is a Suiton specialist, and he's also one of the best swordsmen in the world. I'll see what I can do."

The blonde paused.

"As for yesterday...I broke your umbrella's. Sorry about that. I'll see if I can get you one made out of some better stuff. I'm sure we can get some chakra metal to help you out there."

"I have other umbrella's," Midare stated. He pointed to his back, where another umbrella rested. "Although, for now it's just the one."

"Any reason for dual wielding?"

"Insurance in case I miss."

Naruto frowned. Insurance wasn't necessarily bad, but assassination shinobi needed to strike true the first time. Insurance helped, but at this stage it demonstrated a lack of faith more than anything. Additionally, insurance needed to be flexible. One that was the exact same style as the first attack would be noticed and avoided with the same weaknesses. They would have to work on that.

"I see. Well, in any case, I'll get you a new one to make up for my mistake."

Naruto turned to Suiren.

"As for you. I'm impressed by your skill with water. I assume Suiton is also your element?"

"Yes sir."

"Hm. Good for you and Midare. I'm quite proficient with Suiton techniques. I'm no Kisame, but I'm better than most. Still, you made the same mistake as Midare. Not enough research. If you know who you'll be fighting first there's really no excuse for mistakes like that. I understand you didn't know you'd be fighting me, but Kagari's approach works best here. Prepare, just in case."

The blonde sighed.

"That was really your only flaw. I was impressed by your ninjutsu capabilities. But that was all you relied on. How are your skills in taijutsu or genjutsu?"

"...Sub-par."

Naruto nodded.

"I figured. That type of skill to ninjutsu at your age requires either a prodigy or dedication, dedication that takes away from the other aspects of being a shinobi. For now, you should focus on being well-rounded. You can specialize later."

"But doesn't specialization allow a shinobi to slot into clean roles? Define their position on teams? Everyone has a role. I must play mine."

"Sure, but the more specialized you are the more dependent you are. Shinobi work in cells to make up for each other's deficiencies, but they also must be able to compensate for themselves as well. Think about it this way, a high-level jack-of-all-trades will almost always beat a master specialist. They simply have too many options. Like I said, the more tools you have in your toolkit, the better. We'll expand yours to the best of my ability. Still, I want to work with you. If you want to be a Suiton master, I can help with that."

Suiren nodded.

Naruto sighed, cracking his neck. He formed two clones, getting a shock from the Chunin from the ease he had created them.

"Now...let's get to work."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he looked upon the crater that should have held a Konohagakure fortress. This was where Mikoto and Sasuke had been sent. This was their last known location. And there was nothing left here but a crater. His eyes burned as the worst-case scenario filled his mind. The realization of a hard truth he did not want to accept. It took a moment for the Uchiha to steel himself. To refuse to accept the situation he saw before him. There were no bodies. Just a massive crater. That was a sign of battle, but not a sign of death. They could be recuperating. He just needed to find them.

The former Uchiha Patriarch bit his thumb, and with a quick application of the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) a small cat stood before him. The creature stretched, a yawn escaping its mouth before it looked up at Fugaku. Slitted, yellow eyes stared deep into his burning crimson.

"Fugaku. What do you require?"

"I need your help. Search for any trace of Mikoto or Sasuke."

The cat turned, tilting its head. Its white fur bristled.

"In this place...there is a vile chakra here. A remnant of battle."

"Do you know who it belongs to?"

"...No. But whoever they were, they are likely the cause of this crater. I will try my best to find out where Mikoto and Sasuke have gone. They did give me good treats."

"This is not a game!"

The cat glanced back at Fugaku. The rage in the man's heart had boiled over. His voice was cracking with frustration. He was worried. He had left Konoha to confirm a hard truth, and now was faced with the first real sign that the worst may have come to pass. The cat bowed its head in response.

"My apologies, Uchiha-sama. I was crass."

"Just...find them."

The cat nodded, sprinting away into the crater to look for any trail. Meanwhile, Fugaku looked around himself. His crimson orbs saw through the landscape, carving through it to see any missing detail, any imperfection. He knew there had to be just one tell-tale sign that would reveal itself. Just one that would tell him which way Mikoto and Sasuke had gone to escape this hellish onslaught. He knew it! He knew it!

There was none.

The Uchiha's heart sank. He could find nothing, even with his eyes. A complete mystery. There was no detail in the ground. No trace in the air. Nothing. A completely empty space.

They were gone.

Fugaku dropped to his knees and his eyes burned once more. This was not the familiar burn of the Sharingan activating or utilizing the powers of the Mangekyou. No, this was the burn of pain. A burn of realizing that the last time he would ever see his wife and son would be back in Konohagakure. He hadn't even said that he had loved them before they left.

The man bit his lip, blood spilling. His throat burned. His heart ached. The trail was cold. Where could he go?

"I may have found something Uchiha-sama."

Light pierced through the darkness and for a moment Fugaku remembered how to breathe. His head snapped towards the feline, desperation in his eyes.

"Tell me, quickly!"

"It is not much. A detail so slight I doubt you would have been able to pick up on it for it is not visual in nature. However, there is a distinct scent here. It smells of...turtle and...snake?"

Fugaku's eyes narrowed. An odd combination. Turtle and snake? There was a body of water north of here. The Wagner Ocean. It separated the Land of Snow from the rest of the Elemental Nations. But as far as he knew turtles did not reside there. The water was too cold. Snakes also shouldn't be in this area. Snakes in the Elemental Nations were mostly constrained to Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water. Lightning didn't have too many and anywhere further up was far too cold to be hospitable to the reptiles.

Whatever this smell was...it certainly was not natural.

"Did it leave a trail?"

"Yes, my liege."

"Lead the way."

The cat nodded, sprinting into the distance. Fugaku followed, his eyes hard. There was a lead. A trail.

Perhaps Mikoto and Sasuke weren't dead yet.

"Thanks for coming Karin."

"It's fine. You would need me to tell if he's lying or not."

The two Uzumaki stood in front of a cell, looking at the captured Konoha shinobi from before. The man glared up at the two of them. Naruto stared back at him. The blonde entered the cell, followed by his redheaded cousin. The man spat at their feet, stopping their advance from his shackled position against the wall.

"Not one step closer traitor."

A soft frown formed on the blonde's face.

"Traitor," he whispered. "I suppose that's what I am to Konoha."

"You suppose," the man stated, spitting the words as if they were venom. "You abandoned the village! And then you participated in a force that resulted in the deaths of the Nara Clan Heir! You have killed Konoha ANBU. What else could someone like you be?"

"Right," Naruto stated.

Karin glanced at him, detecting the subtle shift in his emotions. Something about those words had struck something in the blonde.

"You don't know anything about the fuinjutsu," Naruto stated. "Correct?"

The man refused to answer, causing the blonde to sigh.

"I see you're going to make this difficult."

"You don't have a technique to make me talk like the Amekage."

"No, I don't," Naruto admitted. He closed his eyes frustration seemingly building beneath them before his eyes snapped open and a demonic killing intent filled the room. The shinobi's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat as he stared into the crimson eyes of Naruto.

"But I also have to prove my loyalty to Ame because I'm a traitor you know? Who knows what I'll do to you to get information?"

The Konoha shinobi went deathly silent, fear flashing across his face no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Naruto stalked closer to him, directing the full weight of his killing intent against the man. He raised a hand, his claws gently tracing against the man's neck. Karin stared at the blonde, shock on her face.

'Naruto...he really gives it his all huh?'

"Now. Do you know anything about the fuinjutsu on the other shinobi's tongue."

"N-No."

Naruto glanced at Karin who nodded. That was the truth. The man had no idea. Interesting. So, something else was at play. If the blonde had to guess it was due to Danzo. He had been in the ANBU and unless there was some new rule, they didn't have fuinjutsu planted on their mouths. Jiraiya's informants didn't either. But he wouldn't get any more information from the man down that path.

"Who leads the Konohagakure force attacking Ame's borders?"

"I don't know."

Karin frowned. Naruto followed soon after. A lie.

The blonde's eyes swirled as he released just a bit more of the Kyuubi's chakra. The Konoha shinobi whimpered but still held strong. Naruto smirked. Impressive. A Bijuu's chakra was overwhelming, even for a shinobi. For the man to keep his willpower throughout all of it was commendable. If Naruto was still loyal to Konoha he would have been been honored to serve with a man like this.

He was not still loyal to Konoha.

His claws bit just slightly into the man's skin. A practiced skill, a measure of control he had perfected to help with his training with Futon. It drew just a sliver of blood from the man's neck. Color drained from his face. Naruto smirked. Torture wasn't his fortee. He wasn't good at it, but he didn't necessarily need to be. For someone like him, letting his prisoner's imagination do the work was far more effective than thinking of inventive and painful ways to convince them to talk. Besides, fear made people more honest than pain did. He just needed one more push.

"Talk."

The man squealed like a rat. The words made Naruto still. A flash of worry came to his eyes. He glanced at Karin who nodded at him.

Shit.

"Shikaku Nara is leading them..." Naruto whispered. That brought with it a slew of new variables. Shikaku wasn't a threat in direct combat, being nothing more than an above average Jonin in strength. That was something Naruto could deal with with ease. Even for the Clan Heads of Konoha he was abnormally weak compared to the other wielders of the position. The only person weaker than him was Inoichi to his knowledge. But both served specialized roles in the defense of Konoha that made them integral to the power of the village. Inoichi's ability to unify and communicate across large distances and even in the village made them a nightmare to invade. He by himself was an entire defense force.

Shikaku?

He was the most brilliant strategist in the Elemental Nations, bar none. Shikamaru may have surpassed him if he had lived long enough to. It was Shikaku's plan to blow up the Kannabi Bridge in the Third Shinobi World War, his father had simply acted on it. That mission by itself turned the war in the tide of Konoha even when they were at a disadvantage.

For that man to be here now was worrisome. Danzo was not taking any chances against them, even with Konoha surrounded by enemies. Whatever information Konohamaru had given the man was certainly enough to make Danzo spooked. He wanted the threat of Ame gone. His own presence likely only made things worse. Naruto needed information. Badly.

"Do you know what he's planning?"

"No."

True.

"How many spies are in Ame?"

"Don't know."

True.

"How many Konoha forces are at the border?"

"At least 100."

True.

"Any notable shinobi among them?"

The man shrugged. How was he to know who was notable and who wasn't? Similarly, Karin shrugged. She didn't know if he was telling the truth or not. Naruto frowned. Vague questions like that were no good. Too up for interpretation for a lie detector to work appropriately. Therefore, too complex for Karin to be able to accurately gauge. He needed to be more specific.

"Are there any A or S Rank shinobi among them?"

"No."

True.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. That still wasn't definitive. The man said at least 100. That wasn't an exact count. Combined with the fact that he didn't know how many spies were in Ame or the plans of Shikaku, it was likely that he didn't know everyone there. It was a good guess that there weren't significant threats other than Shikaku, but not a guarantee.

"Who sent you here?"

"Danzo Shimura."

"True."

"What was your mission?"

"Gather information on the Amekage."

True.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. The man continued to be truthful. He must have truly scared him. The faint smell of urine made it clear the impression he left. His nose, enhanced by the Kyuubi's chakra, could detect it easily. It was putrid.

"Where's the location of the base?"

"Close to Kusa," the man whispered.

Naruto frowned. Close to Kusa. He knew that area well, having conquered his way through it. He glanced at Karin, seeing the mix of emotions that flashed across her face. Then it was hidden away in a mask of stone. She gave a nod. The answer was true. A base in former Kusa was fine. At least he knew what to expect. Additionally, it gave him a point of reference for the average shinobi there. Kusa shinobi that swore fealty to Konoha were allowed to stay in their former country. The ones that didn't were either killed or imprisoned. The Kusa shinobi that did surrender were still split into smaller groups surrounded by Konoha shinobi to ensure their loyalty. A revolution from within wasn't in the villages best interest. But those shinobi were weak. High chunin level to low Jonin level at best. Something that he could handle. It gave him a good benchmark for the forces Shikaku was working with.

There would be no head on battles here unless he forced the issue. That was to be expected. Shikaku and Danzo had already ensured any spy know extremely limited information so that they couldn't disrupt their operations. A smart strategy. If only you had all the pieces to your plan, kidnapped operatives couldn't give it away for freedom or their lives. It was a ploy he expected from the shrewd men.

It didn't make his life any easier though.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, a frown forming on his face. His mind raced, trying to put together the puzzle out of the limited pieces he possessed. The blonde let the Kyuubi's chakra recede, too deep in his thoughts to pay it any mind. The sudden existence of air graced the Konoha prisoner. He greedily gulped in as much air as he could, but his eyes still looked at Naruto in fear. Naruto glanced at the man, a frown on his face. The man looked terrified. Never before had he thought he would make a Konoha shinobi experience such terror, at least, not since Wave. A sickly feeling washed over the blonde, one that made him wish to retch. His insides felt like jelly and his legs were weak.

He truly was a traitor.

The blonde turned on his heel, leaving the man there. Karin followed, closing the cell behind her.

"Are you alright?"

"...I think so."

"You know I'm a walking lie detector, right?"

Naruto sighed.

"I'm...not sure. It's a strange feeling, being truly recognized as a traitor. Sure, I already knew many people in the village thought I was, but I could always comfort myself by knowing I never truly acted out against them. I never hunted Konoha. I never revealed village secrets. But now...I have to go fight Konoha shinobi. I have to go kill them not in defense of myself, but in the defense of another village. I have to fight against a man I know. A man whose house I've eaten at. Whose son I grew up with. It's...it's a lot."

"It can't be easy," Karin stated. "I've never had to experience anything like that. But I can tell you that I support you the entire time. You're putting yourself through a lot to protect us. Thank you."

Naruto gave a soft smile, shaking his head. "It's you I should be thanking. You protected Sakura from Fuka."

"Clearly it wasn't that helpful."

"It was better than nothing," Naruto stated. "Thank you, Karin. I mean it."

The pregnant redhead waved the blonde off, clearly not interested in his thanks. She was interested in what he had to say next.

"That's why I wanted to ask you to watch over her while I'm gone. Obviously, I can't bring her to the border, and I can't trust Fuka around her. I'll need someone to watch over her while I'm gone."

"And you want me to..."

"If you can't I-"

"I can do it," Karin stated, shrugging. "Although I live near Fuka. I don't see this not becoming a problem. Nagato dressed her down about the situation but...well...a mother is a mother."

The woman turned to face Naruto.

"But I'll do what I can. I promise you no one will harm her while you're gone. But somehow, that strikes me as the least of the problems you'll be facing right now."

"What do you mean?"

Karin smirked.

"You haven't told her why you'll be leaving yet, have you?"

Naruto's heart sunk as he realized what she meant. He would have to tell her. Even if he didn't, she was too intelligent for her to not figure it out on her own. The thought brought a fear to him he hadn't thought he would feel in a long while. The fear of disappointing someone he cared for. Sakura would not be happy with him going to war with Konoha.

"Shit."

Itachi frowned as he looked at the corpse of the man before him. This was the second one he had found this week. The third he had found in two weeks.

The bodies of dead Uchiha.

It had started after Fugaku had left. Bodies had started dropping, typically younger Uchiha. The gender was not consistent, but all were shinobi. Chunin specifically. Hiromi, Hiro, and Nana Uchiha. There was no connection between the trio beyond the fact that they were all Uchiha. Their immediate families weren't close, a thing that was becoming more common as the clan had grown larger and expanded beyond the artificial border of the compound. Nana's mother in particular wasn't even an Uchiha, rather an outsider who had married in. A civilian no less. No, the only thing tying them all together was that they were shinobi Uchiha.

And that they all were missing their eyes.

That was what enraged him. To steal an Uchiha's Sharingan was desecration one would expect from a foreign village. Kumo had grown famous for attempts at stealing their eyes, along with other Kekkei Genkai, during the Second and Third Shinobi Word Wars. Lightning had a relative lack of Kekkei Genkai compared to other villages, specifically when compared to Water which had the most. Or rather, Water had the most, but their blood crusades under the orders of the Yondamie Mizukage had quickly changed that. Then, Suna surprisingly had the most.

Suna's distance from Kumo made acquiring their Kekkei Genkai difficult, so Kumo focused on Water and Fire. Fire's 3 Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, Byakugan, and Mokuton (Wood Release) were mostly protected. Water was not so lucky. They did whatever they could to get blood samples or rip out organs of Water shinobi to steal their Kekkei Genkai. Kidnapping wasn't off the table either. Their efforts were mostly unsuccessful. Clans were ferociously protective of their Kekkei Genkai, fighting toothe and nail to defend it.

Kumo had attempted such a move on Konoha only two decades ago when they tried to steal Hinata Hyuga for the Byakugan. But they were not successful.

Still, their actions had engrained a modus operandi when Kekkei Genkai users were found dead and mutilated. And this one was clear. Whoever was hunting Uchiha, they were targeting their eyes. Fully developed Sharingan eyes.

The new Uchiha Clan head frowned, feeling the eyes of his clansmen on him. Two people stood with him, Fayami Uchiha and Shen Uchiha. They were the ones to first report to him the dead body found a week ago. He had placed them in charge of hunting down who was responsible. That was when he had thought it was one individual murderer about, but the situation was clearly growing out of control. They were being hunted, and he would have to handle it.

"Report this to the elders," Itachi stated. "Inform all Uchiha shinobi that they are to move in groups of three unless given special permission by me."

Itachi's crimson eyes glanced over the corpse. The body was new. Perhaps it had been killed a few hours ago. Night most likely.

"Institute a curfew. When the sun goes down, all Uchiha must be in the compound. Go."

The two Uchiha nodded, disappearing in bursts of speed in the direction of the Uchiha Compound. Itachi's face soured. That wasn't enough. Someone was hunting their clansmen on Konoha soil. Regardless of his fathers, of his own, feelings towards Danzo Shimura he knew he had to at least mention the incident. Danzo Shimura was not someone to trust. But he would put the best interest of Konoha first. Dead Uchiha, after the Accords, were not in the best interest of Konohagakure. He had to believe Danzo would help.

And if he didn't...well...Itachi would have his first suspect.

After all, one did not simply break into Konoha soil with no one detecting them. Something was going on.

He would find out.

They had prayed that water would come to put out the flames that were destroying their crop yield. The villagers were screaming into night, throwing bucket after bucket of water onto the fire to no effect. At this rate the yams, bananas, and breadfruit would all burn to the ground. They could not afford that. Kiri had quotas that they demanded, and the Water Daimyo ensured that they met them. If they didn't his samurai would come, and they would...

They dared not think it. They simply had to focus one bucket of a water at a time. They could fight these flames! It raged. It seared. It scalded their skin. But they could fight it! When water didn't work try sand! When sand didn't work try mud. Try whatever they could to snuff out the flames as best as they could. At least, that was their thought. But as the flames raged, they quickly began to realize that nothing was working. There was simply too much flame. In fact, it was spreading. Engulfing the entire island. They had no shinobi to fight flames like this. It was a death sentence. They couldn't fight. They would have to pray for help from the Water God, or they would have to flee.

As if in response to their prayers rain began to fall from the sky. Not a normal rain, for that would have had little impact on the blazing heat that raged forth. No, this was a storm, one that came from the sky above. No warning. To the Water citizens it could only mean that the Water God had blessed them. He had heard their prayers and responded with a torrential rain that would sweep away the flames and allow them to rebuild. If they could salvage even a percentage of their crops, they should be able to make the quota, although they would have to ration until next planting season.

Unfortunately for them, it was not the Water God who answered.

The coastline began to lower, a sure sign of a flood. Their eyes widened as they saw the sea that surrounded their island swirl before surging towards them in a violent torrent of death. Hope left their eyes. Men sunk to the ground, lifeless. Women clutched their children who screamed helplessly at their approaching doom. The leader of the village could only stare, a tear falling from his eyes.

"...Forgive me everyone," he whispered.

Trapped between a rock and a hard place some chose to leap into flames to hasten their fate. The rest waited for the sea. It was not long until it arrived, crushing all who refused the peace of the flame into a fine paste before the entire village on the island was flattened. The fires were extinguished, as were their lives.

On the water, out of sight of any civilian, a single man stood. His lone visible eye looked dull. A sigh escaped his lips, stifled slightly by the mask on his face, before he turned on his heel and began to walk across the water, away from the now destroyed island.

"That's another one."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at Amado.

"I thought this would take at least another week?"

"I work fast," the man said.

Naruto admired the craftsmanship, running a finger across the prosthetic. Amado, eager to talk about his creation, took that as his que to explain how the machinery worked.

"It's perfectly aligned to the proportions of your biological arm, to ensure no strange imbalances in combat. Made from chakra metal and titanium composite it should be able to withstand even the toughest clashes. That being said, don't go swinging it at physical freaks of nature like Kisame Hoshigaki. It's strong, but their strength will overwhelm it."

"How does it connect to me?"

"The Chakra Network Expansion Stilts inside. They attach to your chakra network and your neural pathways handle the rest, just like if it was a real arm. That's not all. The stilts will allow you chakra from your own body to flow seamlessly into it. It should be able to use jutsu just as easily as you could naturally. Due to your chakra nature being inherently less likely to melt the material, it will not release steam like Kashin's does. However, it does have wider channels to ensure your wind or water chakra natures do not cause damage."

Amado would have continued, but it was clear he was beginning to lose the blonde. His face had become deadpan. He knew nothing of the complicated science. Rolling his eyes, the scientist gestured.

"Well try it on."

Naruto gripped the prosthetic, eyeing it over. He glanced at Amado and Kashin, the two looking at him expectantly. As he reached up to place it the words from before echoed in his mind.

'Traitor.'

The blonde hesitated, thinking of those words once more. Back in Konoha this type of thing would be frowned upon. Back in Konoha this type of tech wasn't possible. And he was going to equip it to do what? Kill Konoha shinobi? The echoes of his teacher's sentiments howled through his mind. The Will of Fire. He had forsaken it long ago and had risen again to create a new credo to live by. Protecting those he cared for.

But...did this tool help him do that? Or did it just have him serve the interests of Ame?

"What's the holdup?"

Naruto glanced upwards, realizing how long he had been lost in thought. "Ah it's nothing I just uh..."

"You don't like it."

"That's not it," Naruto insisted, his voice placating. "I just...there's something else."

Amado snorted, snatching the prosthetic back, muttering something about "all his time and effort, wasted." The scientists looked back at Naruto.

"You go make up your mind about whether or not you actually want my services Uzumaki. And don't come back until you do."

Konan tapped on the desk of the man, drawing his ringed, purple eyes to her own.

"Konan?"

The woman stared down at him, eyes peering deeper into him that he much enjoyed.

"You've sent Naruto to the border to fight against Konoha."

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

Konan's eyes betrayed nothing, but a slight crook in her mouth did. She was growing annoyed. She would have to be blunt.

"You're doing it to keep him and Fuka from being in the same room together."

Nagato leaned back into his seat. He crossed his arms as his eyes analyzed the kunoichi before him.

"Yes. Do you disagree with that decision?"

"No. The two can hardly be in a room with one another. It's a good decision."

"I'm sensing a but coming."

"The decision is unlike you. It's more like Yahiko than you would care to admit. So, my question is, why? Why do this instead of continuing to pressure them to be in a room together?"

Nagato sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "They've avoided every attempt to do that Konan. They are not leaving me with much choice. The sooner they can work out their anger apart the better equipped they will be to doing it together."

"Maybe that works for Fuka," Konan stated. "But you're sending Naruto to another emotional battleground. That won't help him."

"I didn't have much choice," Nagato admitted, although he had a defeated look on his face. One that displayed a lack of conviction in his words. "Yahiko is too emotionally volatile to lead a war effort right now. He already has brutalized Konoha shinobi in front of me. He would drag us deep into a war with them. We cannot reveal that we have Kisame. Kiri would lead an assault to kill him. Likewise, I cannot send Fuka. She would refuse to leave Ashino, and she possess all of the same flaws as Yahiko. I cannot leave. This leaves only you or Naruto. He knows their strategy better than you. It was the only choice."

"So, you ask him to kill his former friends and family as your first task as his kage? You deal a heavier hand than I thought."

"It is not desired. But Konoha knows Naruto, they do not know you. They understand his power. It will force them to retreat with the least amount of bloodshed possible."

"Or they operate in a more clandestine fashion. They assaulted our borders knowing Naruto was within Ame. They will be ready for him."

Nagato frowned, looking at his desk in shame.

"What would you have me do Konan?"

"Nothing," she stated. "This is the life of shinobi. This is the life of a nukenin. Naruto knew what he would be asked to do. But knowing and experiencing it are two different things. The same could be said for yourself. You wanted to bring your family together, but in doing so you have brought us to the center of the world stage."

"You are critiquing my dream?"

"No," Konan stated. The woman placed the stack of papers in her hands on Nagato's desk, the original reason why she had come to visit him in the first place.

"I am merely hoping that both you and he remember that everything has a cost. Even dreams. You must be prepared to pay it."

Karin's eyes widened as she looked at Ashino. Her eyes shifted to Fuka. Her open mouth was clear evidence.

"I guess it usually doesn't occur that fast?"

"No," Fuka whispered.

Ashino tilted his head, perturbed by their reactions. He raised his hand, two small chains flying from his body with ease.

"It's not that hard. The other jutsu was harder."

"Oh, the little brat thinks the Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) are easy," Fuka stated. "It took me two months to even get a good grasp on the technique to create one chain, yet here he is on his third attempt making two?"

"Maybe Nagato's gifts were genetic," Karin muttered.

"Let's not get carried away," Fuka muttered. "Ashino, just because you can manifest the chains doesn't mean they're combat ready." Fuka placed down a bottle on the ground. "Try slashing this."

Ashino nodded, his eyes locking on the bottle. Then, with a grunt of effort, his twin chains shot forwards in a bolt of speed, slicing the bottle clean in two. Fuka's eyes widened.

"Like that Kaa-chan?"

"Y-yeah."

"Well...looks like you gave birth to a prodigy," Karin muttered. "Should've known after his ease at getting the basics of the Kagura Shingan (Mind's Eye of Kagura)."

Ashino kept playing with the chains, whipping them about in wild directions. Fuka watched, her face a mix of fear and curiosity. Her son being this capable was never something that she had expected. They had been rather lax with his training until the attempted kidnapping, but this, this was something else entirely.

"Good job honey," Fuka stated after her amazement wore off. She knelt before the child, placing her hand on his head softly. He looked up at his mother, eyes expectant. "You want to learn how to use them more?"

"Mhm!"

Fuka smiled, a chain trickling up from her own palm. Soon the chain was alite with fire. Ashino's eyes widened at the sight.

"Woah, can I do that?"

Fuka smiled.

"Of course, you can."

Itachi stepped into the office, a cold sense of dread filling his body. His eyes scanned the walls. Three ANBU, all poised at the corners of the room. They were trying their best to hide, blend into the environment, but whatever jutsu they were using wasn't enough to bypass his senses. They were too tense. He could tell. The reason why was a mystery. A Clan Head meeting with the Hokage was nothing out of the ordinary.

"You wished to speak with me, Itachi."

"Yes," Itachi stated, sitting down in the chair in front of Danzo's desk. The man did not look up to greet the Uchiha, his eyes instead looking over his desk where some documents lay.

"I hope it is an apology to do with your fathers' traitorous actions. You have yet to do so."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. He had expected this. There was no need to rise to the barbs thrown at him. He knew who the man before him was. He had come to confirm a theory. Nothing more, nothing less.

"My father's defection is...disappointing. I had hoped he would acknowledge the truth. My mother and brother are dead. It is a painful reality, but it is reality. Perhaps seeing their corpses will give him peace of mind."

"I will not welcome him back to this village even if he begs."

"I would not ask you to, Hokage-sama," Itachi stated, bowing his head. "Traitors deserve punishment as you see fit."

"As it should be."

Danzo quickly wrote something on a piece of paper, handing it to the lone visible ANBU member in the room. The man disappeared in a flash upon receiving it. Danzo then turned his attention back to the documents on his desk.

"Why have you come?"

"There have been...disappearances, Hokage-sama."

"I do my best not to beat around the bush Itachi. I would advise you to do the same."

"Very well sir." Itachi's eyes snapped up, looking at Danzo even if the action was not reciprocated. "Three Uchiha have been found dead, their Sharingan gouged out of their eyes. All within the village limits. Someone is hunting Uchiha."

Danzo didn't seem to react to the news. He continued to read his documents, clearly not particularly bothered by the news that someone was hunting down one of the most prestigious clans in the village and stealing their Kekkei Genkai.

"I see. Have you instituted countermeasures?"

"I have implemented a curfew and mandated all Uchiha move in groups of two."

A lie. An intentional one. But analyze as he might, Itachi could see no trace of a response from the man before him.

"I see. A good idea. I shall have my ANBU watch over Uchiha and look for such an intruder. This is a significant threat."

"Hokage-sama," Itachi stated. "An attack like these reeks of Kumogakure involvement. Has there been any breaches in the barrier around the village?"

"If there were breaches, I would have handled them by now," Danzo stated plainly. "If this is Kumo, it is not an agent attacking from outside of our barrier."

"If so, may we at least run a background check on all citizens who came from the east?"

Danzo's eyes finally left his document, looking up to meet Itachi. They were cold and seemed altogether uninterested in what the man had to say.

"I shall. Is that all?"

Itachi stared back at him. Such a lack of response when village Kekkei Genkai were for all intents and purposes being robbed by a foreign power was not how a Hokage should behave. The most he did was institute a background check and have patrols watch over the Uchiha? Danzo seemed to notice the lack of a response. A sigh escaped his lips.

"I shall have the Yamanaka Clan double check the barrier. Additionally, I shall have scouts look for any potential Kumo bases hidden in our territory. Will that be enough to satisfy you?"

Itachi bowed his head.

"Of course. Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Indeed. We shall root out the threats facing your clan, and in turn facing the village. If there is a threat, the village will grow stronger for it. I can assure you."

Itachi nodded, standing from the chair.

"I shall leave our defenses in your capable hands."

Danzo nodded, eyes drifting down to his document as Itachi left. The Uchiha Clan Head eyed the ANBU before he closed the door when he left. A frown formed on his face.

'Father...hurry and return home.'

Konohamaru stood in the center of a large room, eyes scanning every corner. The inky blackness was suffocating. The small amounts of light generated from the candles in the room simply were not enough to illuminate it. To most children such a place would haunt them. To a shinobi it would be nothing. And yet, Konohamaru felt unnatural trepidation here. As though he was being watched. His eyes snapped up towards Orochimaru, the Sannin looking down on him from a balcony. Sasuke sat next to him. The Uchiha, like he, had been forced to come due to their inability to deny the Sannin thanks to his accursed jutsu.

"Sasuke-chan here showed promise during our little spat at the fort," Orochimaru stated, his slippery voice echoing across the room. Disturbed sounds followed it; ones that did not sound entirely human. Konohamaru's body tensed.

"You, Sarutobi, did not."

"Gee, thanks."

Konohamaru relished in the barbs. They were the only thing he could do to voice his defiance against the man.

Orochimaru didn't much care.

"I am giving you another chance, Sarutobi-san," the Jinchuriki stated. "You will be tested. I hope you can impress me. Your grandfather was no disappointment."

Konohamaru's eyes snapped upwards, rage burning in them. Orochimaru smirked.

"Yes, I knew you grandfather well. He was my sensei after all. It broke my heart when he died. You see...I wanted to kill him."

Konohamaru's eyes flared, and he opened his mouth to speak only to see Orochimaru standing next to him in an instant. He hadn't even seen him move! The Sannin turned to look at him, a smirk forming on his face.

"You bastard! Don't you dare talk about my grandfather!"

"I shall talk about him however I like," came the response, a feigned outrage audible in Orochimaru's voice. "I knew him longer than you after all. If anything, I was more of a grandson to him than you ever were."

Konohamaru saw red, leaping at Orochimaru regardless of his lack of ability to activate his chakra. He was swiftly brought back to reality when he was smashed into the ground effortlessly by the Sannin. Orochimaru stared at him, the crimson orbs that were his eyes glowing in the darkness. The bestial noises from before were louder now. Closer.

"Ah, ah, ah. You should pick your battles, Sarutobi-san. Sarutobi-sensei should have taught you that."

Slowly Orochimaru let the descendant of his teacher rise, eyes mocking his every movement. He knew that Konohamaru could not harm him. Konohamaru knew he could not harm him. Any attempt at doing so would lead to a swift death, or perhaps a painful one if the Sannin was feeling particularly interested in dissection that day. Either way, it was not an opportunity the Sarutobi would leap at.

Of course, Orochimaru held no preference. Either would assist him in his research.

The Sannin raised a hand, tapping Konohamaru's head. The Sarutobi's eyes widened as a surge of power rushed his body, as if he had just taken a hit of a powerful drug. His muscles vibrated. His body thrummed. His eyes snapped to Orochimaru, ready to use the surge of power to attack the man. He lashed out, feeling the rush of chakra pumping through his body only to miss.

"Ah, ah, ah," Orochimaru stated, once again back on the balcony above the Sarutobi. He was a blur this time. "Shouldn't you be worried about them?"

Konohamaru turned in the direction the man pointed, eyes widening as he saw a claw reaching out at his face. He ducked underneath, barely avoiding the blow. A loud crack rumbled through the air and a surge of force shot outwards. The Konoha shinobi rolled, quickly rising to his feet, and making some distance with the monster that was shrouded in shadow. He couldn't see much of its form, only that it was large, about chest level with him with glowing red eyes and a muscular frame. Its claws had indented into the wall.

Sarutobi quickly brought his arms up in defense, eyes narrowed. Some sort of creature. But what? He had never seen anything like it. The beast roared, a deafening sound that pierced the Sarutobi's ears. He recoiled, stunned by the shrieking before it charged. It was a blur of motion made even harder to see from the darkness in the room. Konohamaru snarled, leaping away from the beast. Whatever it was he had no idea of its physical stature or its abilities. It was best to be cautious against such a beast.

And then it moved.

The beast sped forwards, wisps of orange energy bleeding off its body. Before Konohamaru could react, the beast barreled into him, fangs and claws lashing out. He hissed as he felt the claws rip into his skin and fangs sink into his flesh. It burned. Whatever this creature was, it was powerful. He reached down, thumbing its eyes, and forcing it backwards, spitting blood and hissing in pain. The Sarutobi took that moment to glance at his wounds. They were deep. Not deep enough puncture anything major, but he would bleed out if he wasn't given medical treatment.

'Can't let this thing get near my neck or legs or it's game over with those fangs and claws it has. It's animalistic.'

The beast shook its head, clearly recovered from Konohamaru's desperate play. Its jaws snapped, blood dripping from its mouth into the inky blackness of the room. Slowly the creature slipped into the darkness, leaving its red eyes as the only indicator of where it was. Konohamaru grunted, weaving through handseals. Every creature had a natural aversion to fire.

Why would this one be any different?

A gout of flame burst from his mouth, drowning the room in light and heat. The beast squealed, sprinting away from the fire desperate. Its black fur singed from the flame as it scrambled away. Konohamaru eyed the beast, redirecting the gout towards it once more. It was a tiger-like creature. He had seen nothing like it before. But it held the instinctual fear of fire all animals had. The creature cried out, drowned in the flames. The rotten scent of burnt skin filled the air, a nauseating smell that made Konohamaru sick.

But the creature stopped moving.

He ended his spout of flame, instead looking back up at Orochimaru. The Sannin was clapping, a pleased look on his face.

"Impressive, you survived one. But what about the others?"

Konohamaru's head snapped to the side. His eyes widened as he saw more red eyes. Three more pairs eyed him from the shadows before they howled their existence to all who dared listen. Konohamaru winced but kept focused as they charged. Their attacks were flashes of fang and claw that he could barely perceive in the darkness. Wounds ripped open on his body as he delicately weaved between the threats to his life. Every glancing blow brought a wince, and he could feel the threat of lightheadedness near. This was not a winnable situation. There were simply too many threats. They attacked from all directions, leaving him no direction to rest and they left no time to counterattack.

One slash ripped at his arm, causing him to wince and grasp at the wound on instinct. That instinct nearly cost him his life. His senses screamed at him to leap upwards, letting him just barely avoid a slash to his throat that would have pierced his jugular vein. The Sarutobi kicked off the ceiling, rocketing downwards towards the beast below him. A snarl left his mouth as he quickly formed twin orbs of chakra in his hands that he smashed onto the ground. A storm of dust kicked up, filling the room. The shockwave forced the creatures to stumble, and he capitalized.

The dust cloud glowed with heat as he unleashed another storm of Katon ninjutsu. The screeches of the beasts were loud, but they failed to cover up his next move. Orochimaru's hand snatched up, grabbing Konohamaru by the throat before he managed to smash his knee into his face. The Sannin smirked.

"Nice try, Sarutobi-chan. But this test isn't over with yet."

Orochimaru casually threw him back into the testing chamber, a smile on his face.

"You're not weak. I've seen other test subjects fall at the hands of my experiments. So let's see how many you can truly handle."

Before Konohamaru had any time to react he saw pairs of red eyes glaring out at him from every direction in the room. His eyes widened. Orochimaru grinned.

"Good luck."

The waitress left the group, leaving them to their chatter. Midare turned, his attention taken by Fuyo's constant nagging.

"What's he like?"

"I don't know what you want them to say," Ajisai interjected. Her faded brown hair dangled in front of her face as she spoke, green eyes glancing at Fuyo. "They just met him."

"Oh, come on. They passed his test! There has got to be something you can tell me about him?"

"He's strong," Midare stated plainly. "A lot stronger than what he showed at those exams."

"Well, I knew that," Fuyo stated, waiving the statement off. "I've heard his stories! Plus, I've heard the rumor that he fought Nagato-sama! Obviously Nagato-sama won, but still, apparently, he came the closest to beating him out of anyone!"

Midare shrugged. That was all he cared about. The blonde was strong, stronger than any teacher he had before. There was no doubt in his mind he would quickly grow underneath his training.

"He's kind," Suiren stated, getting a look of surprise from Midare. Ajisai's eyes narrowed at her words, but Suiren continued despite all the attention shifting to her. "He offered feedback in a polite way. He even offered to replace Midare's destroyed umbrellas. Someone of his power taking on students at all is surprising, but to be so encouraging a sensei is nice. He plays his role as sensei well."

"You're already calling him sensei," Ajisai spat, speaking up instantly. Her eyes were daggers that dug into Suiren, forcing the girl to squirm underneath the pressure. "Him? An outsider inside of Ame. Of course, you would be so willing to accept him."

"Ajisai!"

"No Fuyo," Ajisai stated, glaring daggers at the girl. "Suiren here is so willing to accept an outsider like him. One from a Great Power no less. He's a threat. We can't trust him, you understand that?"

"Isn't that what Midare is doing?"

"Midare is using him for his strength. The only justifiable reason to associate with an outsider. She's trying to get to know him. But what else could I expect from someone like her?"

"That's no reason to say that! You should apologize!"

"Why should I," Ajisai stated, rising to her feet. "To appease her? She's an outsider, just like him."

Suiren glanced at the table, her eyes hidden by her dark green hair. Fuyo looked sharply at her companion.

"That's enough Ajisai! Apologize!"

Ajisai stared at Fuyo as if she had been struck.

"For what? Stating the truth?"

"Ajisai!"

"Whatever," the girl cried out, raising her hands. "I'm not apologizing for saying the truth. If you can't handle that I'll just leave."

"Ajisai!"

Before Fuyo could get out another word Ajisai stormed out of the restaurant, a frown marring her face. Fuyo turned to look back at Suiren, a sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry for that. She didn't mean anything by it. You know how Ajisai is, always so...impulsive with what she says."

Suiren gave a weak grunt, but the words had their effect. She refused to look up from the table. Fuyo glanced to Midare who shrugged. This wasn't his responsibility. Fuyo frowned but turned to the lone other participant at their table, Kagari. The teen was frowning, clearly unhappy, but otherwise quiet.

"Well..." Fuyo stated, trying to fill the awkward silence. Other people in the restaurant were looking at them. "What about you Kagari? What did you think of him?"

Kagari shrugged. "He acknowledged how great I was, so I can't complain."

"How great you are," Midare stated, snorting. "Please."

"I don't remember him praising you."

"You did two seconds worth of research and think that makes you hot shit huh," Midare stated.

"More than you did!"

Midare glared at his teammate, eyes hot. "Let's be clear about one thing Kagari. You're pathetic. A weakling that couldn't even defeat a Genin if it came down to it. I have no idea how you became Chunin, but you're fodder at best. Last in the Academy. Last to become a Chunin from our graduating class. All you can do is pathetic genjutsu. At least Suiren has some skill to her! So, congratulations, your crowning accomplishment is getting trained by Naruto Uzumaki. Hopefully, you don't waste his time like you waste everyone else's!"

"Kagari," Fuyo stated. "That was out of line. That's your teammate."

"Genjutsu is a perfectly fine branch of jutsu, that's why it's taught in Academy's, idiot," Kagari stated.

"And yet you can't even use good genjutsu."

"It tricked him!"

"For a whole of two seconds, congratulations. No wonder you didn't grab Yahiko's attention for training, but Ajisai did!"

"You're just jealous," Kagari stated. "That's what it is! Upset mister high and mighty was shown up by a genjutsu specialist."

Midare's eyes narrowed. "I'll show you shown up."

"Enough," Fuyo cried out, standing at the table. Her shout drew more attention from onlookers, but she couldn't find it in her to care. "This was supposed to be a gathering between friends to talk about our lives and here you both are bickering. Midare, what has gotten into you and Ajisai! These are your comrades. Your friends. Act like it."

Midare snorted, sticking up his nose like he was offended at the very insinuation of friendship.

"Please. As if I'd be friends with such a weakling."

"Midare!"

"Bah whatever," the man stated. "I'll go see where Ajisai went. I don't want this loser to rub off on me."

He stormed out afterwards, leaving another awkward silence. Fuyo watched him leave, a look of disbelief on her face. Kagari and Suiren sat before her, each awkwardly looking at the table. Fuyo sighed, looking at them both with pity, but her attention was especially focused on Kagari.

'At least Suiren doesn't have to deal with Ajisai all the time. But you...'

Fuyo sighed.

'Naruto sure has his work cut out for him...'

Orochimaru picked up the unconscious body of Konohamaru from the ground, glancing around at the dead beasts around him. The Sarutobi had killed a sizeable chunk of them, but alas he had failed. Over half were still alive when he fell. It left him no choice but to cut them down himself, lest the Sarutobi be killed. He was weak after all. Sure, stronger than your average shinobi, but nothing unique. He had no potential for exponential growth when faced with a fight or flight response, not like the Uchiha did.

Well, it was to be expected. He was not his grandfather.

But there was always use for research subjects.

"You're back later than usual."

Naruto gave a nod of slight acknowledgement, but otherwise ignored the words of Sakura, instead approaching the kitchen. His hands moved before his mind did. He stumbled together, sloppily trying to make some food. Sakura gave a soft chuckle.

"What's wrong with you blondie?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, don't give me that," Sakura stated. "I've known you since we were kids. Something's eating you."

Naruto glanced at the pinkette, a frown flashing across his face. The words from before echoed in his head again.

"I found a Konoha spy in Ame today. Interrogated him."

Sakura frowned. She crossed her arms, looking at Naruto with a skeptical look on her face.

"Go on."

"I didn't hurt him." He was quick to shout the words, as if he was looking for some form of approval. "Just used the Kyuubi's chakra to intimidate him a little. You know the effect it can have even on seasoned shinobi."

Sakura grunted. She was well aware. Naruto didn't have great control over the Kyuubi's chakra. She had been around a couple of times when he was attempting to learn how to control it, with varying success. Usually, Jiraiya had been around then to reign him back in before things got too dangerous, but the chakra that the beast emitted was noxious. Something she was certainly not comfortable with. She had heard the tales from Neji about what it felt like when Naruto almost fully released the beast as well. It sounded...unpleasant.

"He...he called me a traitor."

Sakura's eyes flashed, some complex stream of emotions rushing through her on a moment's notice before Naruto was able to detect it. The blonde looked at her, and she saw some vague sense of hope in his eyes.

"I...I guess I just wasn't expecting that."

Sakura bit her lip. She hated to be the one to rain on his parade.

"You are a traitor Naruto," Sakura stated bluntly. Naruto looked at her as if he had been struck, but Sakura held firm. Despite how much she cared for the blonde he had to hear this if he was going to move on. "You refused to help in the war effort for three years. You all but ran away. Now you've joined another Great Power. Naruto...what else would you call that?"

"I guess...I just..."

"You were grieving," Sakura stated. "And there's nothing wrong with that. But that doesn't change the reality either."

Naruto's eyes dropped to the counter. His blonde hair covered his eyes, giving away no emotion and yet telling everything that needed to be said. Sakura's heart ached at the sight. This was her friend. A boy she had grown to view as a brother. A man that she had fought back-to-back with on the front lines of war. A man she had celebrated with when he developed his prized jutsu. A man she wanted to beat up when he developed his most lethal jutsu. She had been at his wedding. He had seen her be acknowledged by Tsunade as an equal. He had seen her become head of the hospital in Konoha.

And now she could only watch as he realized that they would never get those moments again. A realization that despite how much both of them wanted to be friends, it would not change the reality that currently, she was a prisoner of war. And he, her warden.

"I suppose you're right," Naruto whispered, the pain in his voice hidden. It didn't matter. Sakura could still detect it. Naruto sighed. "I am training a trio of Ame shinobi now."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and Naruto felt her judgement. Sakura was tolerant. She was not a proponent of the war and would much rather have the villages work together or ignore each other entirely. But she was also loyal. Not to Danzo, but to Konoha. Naruto training enemies, especially when he was what he was, when he meant what he did to her, when he knew what he knew about the village, was certainly not something she could be altogether tolerant of.

"I see."

"That's all you have to say," Naruto questioned. "You're not going to call me a traitor?"

"It's the reality of the position you're in. The second you became an Ame shinobi we both knew there would come a time you would act against Konoha's best interest. You've done that for a while. We both knew you would eventually have to help Ame's military. But...I don't think you need me to remind you of the conflict you feel."

"I care about Konoha Sakura," Naruto stated. "It's still where I grew up. Where I met you and Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei. Where jiji and Ero-sennin trained me. Where I hung out with Konohamaru and where I married Hinata. Some of the happiest memories of my life are there. I don't want to destroy it."

"But you have to," Sakura stated plainly. "That's what you signed up for. You can't play both sides Naruto. You've chosen Ame. Either you honor that agreement, or you betray them too. Those are the options you have."

Sakura stared at him.

"I will always welcome you back in Konoha. But you must make that choice. You can't fight for two sides of a war at once."

Naruto bit his lip.

"Shikaku is at the border."

Sakura's mind instantly connected the dots.

"Revenge for Shikamaru..."

"In all likelihood," Naruto stated. "But he's dangerous Sakura. He's threatening Ame. He isn't someone I can take lightly. If I head there and do that...not just Ame civilians, but the trio in my charge could die."

"Then take him seriously."

"What about Shikamaru," Naruto cried out. His eyes pleaded with Sakura, desperate for any of her wisdom to provide him with an answer. "Our friend died. Because of me. How can I go then kill more Konoha shinobi and spit on his grave?"

Sakura stared at Naruto, and for the first time since she had been a prisoner here, he saw a flash of annoyance on her face.

"Do not pretend this is about Konoha shinobi," the girl exclaimed. "I know you've killed Konoha shinobi before. This is because you know Shikaku."

"Is that so wrong," Naruto questioned. "I don't want to harm people I know. People that I care about. How can I face Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, a man I've eaten with, on the battlefield? How can I go face him in the name of the village that murdered him and tell him to leave, or I'll do the same to him?"

The frown on Sakura's face grew more pronounced.

"Did you cry when Shikamaru died?"

Naruto paused, confused. His mouth opened for a brief moment before Sakura shut him down.

"I already know the answer."

Naruto closed his mouth, before shamefully opening it once more.

"...No."

"You didn't," she confirmed. "Did you blame Nagato for killing him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I understood," Naruto whispered. "I understood what I would do if I were put in that position. If someone had kidnapped Ashino...or even my own child...I cannot guarantee I'd be merciful either. And Nagato was apologetic. He...he..."

"He let Konohamaru live," Sakura stated plainly. "And that meant something to you. So, you could live with that. It's no different here."

"But it is different Sakura! Konoha was the aggressor there, and there was no time for a peaceful resolution. That isn't the case anymore. I don't need to fight and kill people I know-"

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, grow up Naruto," Sakura exclaimed. A sigh came from her mouth. Exasperation. "You know what war is. You're not a child. You chose this. You abandoned your post, and you should have thought about the consequences of that when you did it."

"I didn't ask to be brought back in!"

"But you were," Sakura yelled. "You were and you accepted it. We didn't ask for the responsibility of fighting a war without your strength. But we had to accept it because that's life. You know what war is. People die, even the ones that we care about. People are snuffed out too soon. Shikamaru knew that. So does Shikaku. But you chose to change sides during a war. If that's the choice you made, then you have to life with the knowledge that your actions now will harm people you still might care about."

Sakura walked up to Naruto, a hard look in her eye.

"I've seen this war Naruto. I've seen children as young as twelve die on the battlefield. I've tried to save them. I've failed. I've seen poison I couldn't cure ravage platoons of soldiers. I've seen innocent civilians starve or be tortured for information they didn't have. We're all going through something. We have to fight through it. You're one of the lucky few that get to choose their side. You want compassion? Move on. You want fair? Tough shit. This is war Naruto. It's despair. A battle that ends in victory or death, paid for in blood."

Sakura turned on her heel. She walked to a wall, a frown forming on her face.

"You're a traitor Naruto. You're my friend, but you're a traitor. You would do well to remember what that means."

Naruto stared at her, shocked at her words. Sakura was rarely that direct. Being subtle was her way of communicating with people, likely because Sasuke and he had always taken all the air out of the room being direct when they were but Genin. Now...for her to say that to him...

The blonde had nothing to say.

"I...I organized for Karin to take care of you while I'm away. She should protect you from Fuka," Naruto whispered.

Sakura nodded before walking off, letting the tension between the duo sit for a moment. The blonde watched her leave, his mind filled with her words. Filled with images of the scars that covered her body.

'Sakura...'

"Is it true?"

Naruto glanced down, surprised to see Aika next to him. The little girl had rushed to him after the commotion of the argument and was now clinging to his leg.

"Are you really going to be leaving Naruto-nii?"

"Only for a little while," the blonde stated, rubbing her head. "I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

"Okay...but bring back toys," Aika stated. "Ashino won't share with me! He's mean!"

Naruto gave a light laugh but it was distant. Absent. Makino, having come with her granddaughter, stared at the man, a frown on her face.

"She was right you know...that little friend of yours."

"You were listening to that?"

"Well, you two were yelling," Makino stated as if it were obvious. She approached Naruto with a small, wizened smile plastered onto her face. "You've made your choice Naruto. But are you prepared to live with it?"

The blonde looked through the window, staring up the sky above. A frown came to his face.

He wasn't sure.

A smiled as he saw the platoon of soldiers marching towards his camped army. The experimental weapons from Kumo had finally arrived. He had planned to save these until they had been more thoroughly tested. The Heal Pill was experimental, made from their R&D team, but it had been tested in the field enough for them to know of its efficacy. It could restore an injured soldier back to full fighting capacity for a short time, mainly through a combination of pain suppressants and chakra restoration similar to a soldier pill, only significantly more powerful. It also released several chemicals that forced the body to produce more fibrin than normal to cause clotting. The downsides were that the effects were magnified when the pill wore off, to the point where a soldier was completely unable to fight at any level for a series of days afterwards. The strain on the body and chakra network was simply too much.

These were different. They had not been tested nearly as thoroughly. It was why he was so reliant on the force piercing through Konoha's fort and making them spread their line even more. When they worked, they fired lethal bolts that could pierce through any substance they had put up against it. However, they were extremely chakra exhaustive, and they were prone to explosions. The material they were made of simply could not withstand the forces the weaponry generated consistently. That, and the requirement of three soldier's chakra supply to effectively fire the weapons consistently was something that made them impractical at best.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

A smirked, turning on his heel.

"Kumo! Time to move out!"

A/N: Naruto's chunin squad are the kids from the Chunin Exam from the show. I just de-aged them. In canon Midare is like...7 years older than Naruto? He's also dead.