A/N:
Thanks to some attentive readers I could find some minor plotholes and close them. Hope you can enjoy the last chapter of Act 4!
Naruto was standing in front of Jiraiya who was joined by a very special toad.
"This is Gerotora," Jiraiya said as he motioned to the floating toad.
Gerotora is a black-orange toad with dark markings around eyes and mouth, and a circular mark below the mouth. "He is a scroll toad and holds the key to your seal Naruto. After what happened in Kirigakure I think it is time for you and the Kyuubi to try to fully synchronize."
"That Gaki feels more than ready Jiraiya. Usually, I would want to reprimand you for even suggesting such foolishness but this young man." Gerotora started in his drawl that somehow could be described as skeptical before the toad looked at Naruto. "You and your Biju are on good terms, right? You know that there is not only light and dark, and I can hardly feel any fluctuation in your chakra system. Even through the confinement of the seal, you are already working together. Only your body is not ready yet correct?" The toad asked in a more polite tone. As Naruto nodded not even looking surprised that the toad knew of that.
"Kurama and I hypothesize that I could go up to six tails without hurting my system. The rest needs to be trained the hard way and cautiously by circulating that amount of chakra regularly. Increasing it gradually. But with the seal as tight as it is at the moment It takes a long time for Kurama to not only purify that chakra but also for me to draw it without problems." Naruto explained as Jiraiya looked a bit hurt that he was just a bystander in this conversation.
Feeling that this was his moment to get the conversation back on track he coughed. "Exactly, that is why I would ask you, Gerotora to allow Naruto to have the key to his seal. While he may be young he is mature enough to handle the responsibility."
The toad huffed, noticing what Jiriaya was trying to do. "He is more mature than you, Jiraiya, even if you seem to learn in your old years. not all hope is lost it seems." The toad chuckled as Jiraiya pouted at his words before he expanded and showed the sealkey to Naruto who began to study the Kanji intensively. He gulped for a moment.
"Wait a minute you are a scroll toad, right?" The toad nodded with a big smirk. Naruto began to shake his head very quickly.
"No, No, No. We do this the right way. Nothing against you Gerotora-San, but I would like to stay as I am okay." With a big grin, the toad nodded once before Naruto laid his hand on the center of the expanded matrix and used one-handed seals to form his chakra. It looked like the Kanji of the matrix on the toad began to copy to Naruto's fingertips. Jiraiya and the toad looked a bit shocked that the blonde was able to seemingly copy the key. The blonde ninja proved this assumption when, shortly afterward, he pushed his top up slightly and, with blue chakra on his fingertips, virtually reached into his seal and turned it clockwise.
Not far, probably a quarter turn, and immediately he was enveloped in the red chakra of his biju. Four chakra tails formed out of the chakra.
Jiraiya was alarmed but he looked into the still blue eyes of his student who took measured steps back from the toad before he took some deep breaths. "Ahh. That's better" he said without the usual demonic tone.
"The flow is so much better without the seal so tight." He closed his eyes and shortly after, his four tails changed to six. "Ahh, now It gets difficult. As expected." He sounded his usual demonic again He held his hands in a Ram seal and slowly the tails receded before he stood as if nothing had happened. What followed this very event was a month of training as Jiraiya and the toads had a watchful eye.
Still, Naruto just sat there in his lotus position channeling Kurama's chakra, stretching his chakra network. Slowly he was working his way up to seven tails. After two weeks of constant observation by the toads and Jiraiya, the latter left to prepare for the last part of their trip and to get a feeling if his little stunt would be a problem. Fukasaku stayed and watched over the young sage.
They had sparred each day and he had to say that this Naruto-Kun in comparison to Jiraiya was much more disciplined and for his age, more mature. Maybe it was related to his upbringing as the unliked village guardian or the training with Mito and his parents. Either way, Fukasaku was impressed. Again Naruto sat in the clearing with the fountain of the sacred oil and meditated.
The excess of biju chakra he radiated got less with each day he repeated the process. Going up to six-tails, stay there, slowly building up tail number seven. Fail. Repeat. Each day the malice the chakra would spread into its environment got less. Even If Naruto not even had completed the whole tail yet. Time flew by and Jiraiya regularly sent messages with new plans for Naruto to train with and information. It looked like most of the elemental nations would watch him closely now, but the immediate danger of getting attacked seemed to be over.
The blonde boy did not even care as far as the toad sage was concerned. As they both philosophized about Naruto's plan, Fukasku had to seek confirmation several times that the boy apparently wanted to go back to the days of Gamamamru. Back when the Sage of the Six Paths still walked the earth. What surprised him most, however, was how Naruto and the fox demon dealt with each other. Not a constant battle for dominance, but rather a constant exchange and encouragement to perform at their best. One evening, Naruto disappeared only to return with a broad grin, albeit completely exhausted. When he asked him where he had been, he simply said that he had helped a turtle get a new home.
After that, his training had picked up anew but this time the seventh tail was close to getting finished. For Fukasaku it looked like Naruto got over a serious hurdle. How he could not say and was too polite to ask the boy about it.
Meanwhile in Konoha
Kakashi and Anko just got back to their humble abode. Shedding their gear and sealing away their masks after reporting back to the Hokage, a knock sounded on the door. Anko was showing off her sexy curves as she had a towel in one hand ready to get to the shower looked at her fiancee. Kakashi, still in pants got to the door and after some chacks opened them and had a surprise on his masked face as Naruto was standing in front of him.
"Hey Kakashi-Sensei." on Kakashi's questioning look the blonde smiled. "Ahh, I am just a clone. Boss-man is with the toads at the moment. But I have a present for you. Can I come in?" The blonde clone Naruto said with a cheeky smile.
Before Kakashi could answer Anko's voice interrupted his. "Ohh is this the student you talked about? Let him in will you?" Kakashi just nodded as Naruto got wide eyes but followed him either way as both, teacher and student entered the house after closing the door behind them they were met with a stark naked Anko with wet hair looking damn sexy smirking at both their faces. "Oh, what are you doing here."
She nearly devoured the young with her eyes. The muscular build of Naruto in his form-fitting clothes with the Haori over them was just alluring. She licked her lips then she saw the hair and eyes. "Wait you are the Gaki from the exams, aren't you?" The clone nodded shortly still letting his eyes wander over her body. She slowly walked towards Kakashi, teasingly so before she kissed him very passionately. Looking at Naruto as she grabbed the ass of the silver-haired Jonin. Her eyes looking at Naruto she whispered loud enough for both to hear towards Kakashi's ears.
"I didn't know your student was this hot doggy-kun."
Finally, Kakashi got his mind out of the gutter and growled a bit. Shortly after he handled Anko without any problems and managed to wrap the towel around her form to cover her up.
"No seducing my students Anko-Chan." he nearly growled out while eye-smiling.
The Clone blinked twice before he bowed his head but not look flustered one bit. "Sorry about that, getting to witness such beauty of a goddess walking the earth is just too much for me to deal with sometimes." Naruto looked up again to find a gaping Kakashi and a smiling Anko.
"You are good, kid," she said before she closed the still-open mouth of her fiance with one finger on his chin. "See Kashi-Kun this is how you compliment my beauty." She mocked him before she waved at the two of them as she turned. "Be right back you two." She walked with swaying hips towards one of the rooms.
Kakashi turned to his former student. For a second he wanted to scold him for oggling his fiancee. But, he could not. Anko was just a sight and while he was territorial he was not starting a fight over the situation. "So, after you got a good look at Anko-Chan what brings you here Naruto? Are you not busy training?"
The clone nodded. "Yeah, the Boss is training hard. I even heard he will start sage training sounds epic right?" Kakashi blinked but had no time to think more about these words as the clone continued. "Yeah, we came up with a cool seal for your eyes. I mean your style choice to wear your headband like this is great and all. Looks badass but yeah the eye still takes chakra from you doesn't it?" Kakashi could only nod dumbly.
The clone excited, as he was, gave him a thumbs-up pose that would make a certain Maito guy proud. "As the Boss also has those eyes he was able to analyze the right way the chakra needs to flow to activate and deactivate the eyes. Even switching between the stages. With the boss's experience of artificial chakra networks the R clones just need to come up with a replica of a natural Sharingan Network. Well, we used the boss's network as the base and some others to compare and yeah it looks like that it works. The worst thing that could happen is that it won't work and I would need to erase the network again. Interested?"
Kakashi was trying to keep up, that sounded like Naruto was able to replicate and even decode one of the mysteries of Dojutsu. Not thinking twice he nodded. "Alright Naruto, what do you need of me?"
The clone looked like he was thinking before he pointed to the couch. "It would be awesome if you could lie down. The seal has to be placed on the forehead. So the headband has to go for a moment." he explained and Kakashi nodded.
As the two of them just had finished setting up Anko came out wearing just a short Yukata. But she said nothing as she observed Naruto unseal his equipment and begin to scribble kanji starting on Kakashi's forehead and leading down to the sides. It took nearly one hour to prepare everything. Despite Naruto's quick brushstrokes, it had taken this long, which gave Anko a certain amount of admiration. Naruto passed a finger on Kakashi's eyelash directly above his closed eye with one-handed finger signs. Stomping his right foot once, he briefly called out "Seal" before all the kanji began to glow red and focus on the area below Naruto's finger at groundbreaking speed.
Kakashi grunted from the pain that shook him through the process. One Minute took the whole process but he managed to keep lying still. As he opened his left eye he was surprised to witness that he could see just as normal. The draw on his reserves stopped at this moment. He felt lightheaded and blinked many times as Anko pushed herself in front of Naruto's clone. She gasped. "It's gone. It is really gone."
The clone smiled brightly and raised his voice from behind Anko. "Ano Kakashi-Sensei. Try to channel Chakra to your eyes the amount of a good C Rank Jutsu should be sufficient." As The Jonin managed to do so his vision in one eye shifted. The eye was colored crimson with three spinning Tomoe. His Sharingan was back. Anko took some steps back, shocked nearly fell over the clone that was yelling "YATA, I did it!"
The silver-haired jonin watched as Anko grabbed his former student and hugged him so tightly that her breasts nearly caused him to suffocate, or in the case of the shadow doppelganger, cause him to disintegrate.
He himself could hardly believe what had happened. Just what that meant for his chakra reserves, no longer having the Sharingan as a constant consumer. When Anko had finished thanking him and Kakahsi had slowly managed to sit up, he nodded approvingly at Naruto as he dissolved into smoke with a two-fingered salute.
Anko looked at the cloud before her eyes looked back at him. A hunger in them that let Kakashi gulp. "You know doggy-kun. A certain bitch is feeling in the heat all of the sudden let's test your stamina."
Getting drawn into the bedroom Kakashi had a bright smile. He would have to do something nice for Naruto the next time.
In the bathhouse three Kunoichi did not notice the presence of the clone as they relaxed in the warm water of the onsen after a long and hard training session.
First with the Jonin and Anbu and later with Lady Hokage herself. Sakura was washing Hinata's back while blushing as Ino observed the whole situation curiously the blonde girl was thinking about what she should do. They talked about inconsequential topics or training, and Hinata couldn't help but admit how crazy she was as a little girl, almost stalking Naruto. Nowadays, they exchanged messages and training tips or trained together when he was preparing a clone.
But eventually, the three of them got up and moved to the changing rooms. When Ino noticed the brief glance between Hinata and Sakura, her curiosity got the better of her and her father had only recently taught her one of the advanced clan jutsu. When Sakura turned away for a moment and Hinata was not in the room, Ino used the jutsu. She fell into the scene and when she opened her eyes, she saw the situation right in front of her.
Lemon warning: CW: watersports
Sakura was kneeling on the floor that looked like a bathroom or a shower. Hinata's nude body stood over her as the Hyuuga heiress looked down on the Pinkette who was not naked. A leash from Hinata's hand connected to a leather collar around Sakura's neck. In her other hand, Hinata held an empty water bottle. She observed the kneeling girl who was wearing a black shining bodysuit and from Ino's point of view, something that had to be under the second skin and placed directly in the girl's ass.
"I told you to be always prepared Sakura-Chan. I also don't care that your plug distracts you when you train. I tell you to do something and you obey. Just that easy. Now, look where it got you. Again on the floor begging for my forgiveness. This time a bit of feet licking won't be enough though." Hinata smirked as she pulled on the leash. Sakura was pulled towards her and looked up.
"I... I am sorry Mistress." Sakura quivered she was scared. That Ino could see from her point of view. Ino watched on as Hinata called Sakura names.
"You know why I called you here Sakura. I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed again. Now lick my toes." Ino witnessed as her friend started to do exactly that. She did not recognize why but then she saw that Sakura was sweating from something and her abdomen cramped a bit. Hinata looked down at Sakura and smirked as she used her free tows to hit Sakura in the side a bit.
"Look at you. Licking my toes while the seal deals with your punishment. You belong down there don't you" Hinata mocked as Sakura was only able to nod. "Kiss your way up now. I want to feel your lips on mine" Hinata purred as Sakura obeyed again. She still struggled but Ino was mesmerized she wanted to end the Jutsu but she could not look away. Seeing as Sakura slowly kissed her way up Hinata's thighs before she began to suck on her outer lips. It did not take long before Hinata started moaning in pleasure.
Still, Ino held the Jutsu and felt the wetness between her legs rising. After minutes and a shattering orgasm from Hinata, something happened that Ino never believed she would find somehow arousing. Sakura laid on her back. Legs spread as she rubbed herself through the black skin-like material. Hinata standing right above spreading her outer lips before a golden shower rained down on Sakura. The girl screaming in pleasure trying to catch more from the liquid, moaning all the way.
"Yeah, drink all of it you little piggy. Rub yourself." Hinata ordered all the time.
It was enough for the girl she quickly ended the Jutsu. She needed to get away and deal with her own things. Sakura was a bit surprised that she left this quickly but Hinata who had observed the two with her Byakugan had a smirk on her face as she stood on the side before she ordered Sakura to help her dress thinking. "Well Ino, what have you seen? On what side do you want to play?"
End Lemon
Time flew by then, and Naruto and Jiraiya returned to the elemental nations. The route set towards Kumogakure. Jiraiya had needed some time to prepare for the trip. Use his network to establish some identities for the two to use. While Kumo was neutral and the relationship between Kumo and Konoha was much better than that between Iwa and Konoha, Jiraiya did not want to risk anything by two of Konoha's best openly traveling the border. Mostly Jiraiya wanted Naruto to see the world while he trained him. He would not expect to have a quiet time in Kumo, he had learned that much out of the last trips.
Jiraiya had decided to go with the trade caravan disguise. Thanks to Naruto's bunshin it looked believable. Using that disguise they made it to the Land of Lightning without big problems. Naruto erected some of his hideouts throughout the land to establish his network in this part of the nation. He hoped he would get to see the two Kumo Jinchurikii while he was there. As they got nearer towards the part of the land of lightning They happened to see posters of something they never thought to see in the militaristic land of lightning.
An advertisement for a concert. Somewhat perplexed, Naruto took a closer look at the poster, and then his gaze went to Jiraiya. "Sensei? I didn't even know that Kumo could have fun. That always sounded different before."
Jiraiya was just as surprised as his student to see the poster. "I don't understand any more than you do, but we should take a look. It should only be a small roundabout way and it can't hurt our cover to be seen at such events. Merchants like to make detours for things like this, don't they?" Jiraiya looked at his student and grinned broadly. Naruto couldn't help himself and agreed. So the two of them set off to visit the announced concert. Even though the tickets weren't exactly cheap, almost a week later they were standing in the crowd waiting with many others.
As the time came for the performance to start Naruto could not believe his eyes as his target came to the stage. Starting to rap. He blinked in complete disbelief. His flow was offbeat and the rhymes were on the same level as House and Mouse. In his head, the Kyuubi was laughing hard.
"I can't believe it Gyuki stuck with this idiot? And I thought I was stuck with the dumbest of all.."
"Hey that hurt Kurama," Naruto thought back, trying to keep a straight face as around him the people got wild and really into it. Giving Jiraiya a signal he sneaked behind the stage. Waiting for the eight-tailed Jinchurikii to come back. Some clones would leave with Jiraiya while Naruto would tail the eight tails Jinchurikii.
The night the same day, remote mountain building
Naruto had followed this Killer Bee for some hours. His little hunt had led him to a small building on a mountain plateau. Up here with a view of distant Kumogakure, at least that's what Naruto assumed. Various devices suggested that this dwelling up here was probably self-sufficient. Wind turbines, small fields, chickens. Everything indicated that the person up here lived quite secluded. Naruto sighed, another displaced soul. He scanned the perimeter one last time for traps before positioning four prepared seals at the corners. Only then did he let his presence and chakra flare up slightly. It wasn't long before Bee came out armed with a kunai.
"Whoever you are, I will sting you like a bee, because my name is Killer Bee"
Naruto and Kurama faceplanted at the same time before Naruto looked at Bee. "Hello there Bee-San. You mind some talking with Mister Nine?"
Killer Bee looked suspiciously before he just held out his fist for Naruto to bump and so they did exactly that.
Konoha Training Ground 25
"You are doing really well Yakumo-San." Rock Lee said. The Chunin vest-gladded green beast of Konoha was watching as Yakumo got through some Tai-Jutsu exercises. The girl had been given Lee a tutor. As she had been to instruct Lee on the usage of his chakra. Both had to deal with the completely different phenomena.
All thanks to Naruto the two of them got healed of their disabilities. The stimulation process and artificial chakra networks had finally fully synched with the natural ones and they had gotten the green light from the Hokage herself to train. As polar opposites and with the instructors trying to get the Konhoa Twelve up to a high standard while mitigating the following academy years' problems, Sarutobi advised Tsunade to just put them together.
Both had been motivated beyond normal standards to achieve quick success. Naturally, they had trained till they dropped from exhaustion, and that meant something for Lee. Guy was one proud Sensei and could often be seen crying tears of joy in the Jonin bar how proud he was. Explaining to the other how bright the flame in Lee burned and that he managed to ignite the flame of youth in the Kurama heiress.
First, the people had cringed at the mental image of the Kurama heiress in a green jumpsuit, as the ninjas managed to clarify Guy's statement by themselves, seeing that they just trained harder than most they understood what the high priest of the church of Youth meant.
Back with Naruto and Killer Bee
Bee was serious. That was an event that could be marked in one calendar for starters. Bee looked at Naruto and breathed out slowly. "Don't get me wrong Naruto. I am not all against your idea. I also had nothing against Gyuki giving you some of his chakra. But. And that is a big but, I won't let my Bro fight alone."
Naruto sighed. "As long as the Raikage won't use you as a WoD and abuse your partner it won't be a problem. Would it be a problem if Yugito would quit?"
Bee looked thoughtful for a moment. "Possibly. She is more challenged than I am and also I can't see my brother giving up on two Bijus."
Naruto's expression changed and darkened. "I see. I really hope that we will not meet on the battlefield, Bee." Bee had to take a step back as this teenager suddenly leaked killing intent that surpassed even that of the Raikage. "I won't let the Biju get used against their will. Believe it." And with that, he disappeared in a yellow flash.
Bee stood there. "Wheeeh what an intense boy."
Weeks later, back on Mt. Myoboku
Naruto sat near the sacred fountain of the toad's oil. He was bare of any clothing above his waist and showed off his well-defined muscles. Hiero was scratching some ritual markings into the dirt and used a mixture of herbs and small drops of oil provided by Fukasku to prepare little pyres in significant spots. Naruto sat in the center of seven circles.
At the outermost circle, eight smaller circles had been arranged. There the pyres were placed with different things. Most of the time the herbs but also one of Naruto's old orange jumpsuits. As the phönix sage explained the ritual to prepare his body for the nature-based chakra.
"While the toads have their own way of doing things. Our Sage mode changes the body deep within. We trained together to sense nature's chakra, we also trained to synch the chakra with your own. You should be ready." He spoke calmly as he got in his direction and kneeled before the blonde teenager. "Just one last step," he said as he took out a brush and began to paint maelstrom-like symbols on Naruto's chest, and arms.
Fukasku looked at the sage elder. "Hiero-san, do you mind explaining what you are doing?" The phönix in his human form smiled at the toad elder and nodded but said nothing as he finished his work.
"Of course Fukasku-san, I painted Naruto's markings. As you know sage mode often visualizes itself by different kinds of markings. A phönix sage gains those too but we can direct the branding" Hiero said with a smile and jumped back. and as Naruto wanted to say something small green flames erupted along the ink that had been painted on his body. As the blonde wanted to stand up Hiero advised with a booming voice. "Concentrate on the nature chakra Naruto. Focus on the parts of the body that are burning. Three years of preparation for this day you will manage to do it believe in yourself and ignore the flames!"
At this very moment, Naruto was asking himself if he had done the right thing. The flames burned, it hurt and to be honest it was even more hurtful than the wounds the manipulated Sasuke had given him.
While Naruto was questioning his decision the nine Biju come together in the shared mindscape. They sat in a big circle and Kurama started the conversation.
"It looks like the time is near."
Matatabi smiled like a cat that had caught the bird. After all, the subject of Naruto's wise transformation was fire. As a hellcat and mistress of the blue fire element, she had focused her attention on the starting process. Once again, she was pleased to have persuaded her vessel to allow her to give Naruto some of her chakra.
"If he can endure the change big brother. Fire is an unforgiving element and to accustom one body to sage chakra by purifying flames is bold, to say the least."
The others nodded but Isobu was a bit slower in his reactions. The turtle was more focused on the things happening outside. Son was the first to notice. "What is on your mind Isobu? You look like you disagree or have another opinion."
The others now zeroed in on the three-tails.
Isobu grunted. "Why do you all look like that? I've experienced first-hand how your vessel works, Kurama. When he sets his mind to something, he finds a way. I do not doubt that he will get through this. But all this excitement over him may or may not be a sage is worthless if he cannot evolve to the next stage."
While most of the Biju looked thoughtful Kurama was the one that gave out a deep belly laugh. The others switched their attention to him, looking surprised. Kurama used his big paw and put it down. "Naruto is a curious human. He is often underestimated or not taken seriously. But even I had to learn that if he sets his mind to something, he will find a way to make it happen."
Sometime later, Fire Capital
A fit-looking male adult could be seen talking to the fire daimyo. The guardians that should be looking out for the leader of the fire nation were lying around the room unconscious. One crimson eye with three tomoe spun hypnotically. He was whispering words into the ear of the Daimyo who looked at him, frozen in place. Many minutes later the men was seen next on the outskirts of the capital in a dark alley. Panting, He had modified many memories. He had hoped to have Shisui's eyes for this but he had to make do with what he had managed to salvage. A man who looked more like a plant came out of the earthy ground.
"So Danzo, you managed to fulfill your mission? Liking the new body I imagine?"
The man had no resemblance with the old Warhawk. While his skin looked pale he was fit and healthy and no cribble. An eyepatch that would look good on a pirate captain hid his stolen eye. He looked at the plant man. "Yes. Mission accomplished. I really appreciate the new body. Can't think that Pain liked you doing it Zetsu"
"What Pain wants and what not is of no consequence for this part of the plan. Rendezvous with the others at the hideout." Danzo nodded and disappeared in a swirl of leaves as Zetsu sunk into the ground.
Unknown Location
Orochimaru was laughing manically in his eyes two crimson orbs spun. He looked at the broken person right in front of him. A small part of him was disappointed at how little of a fight he was. A broken Chokuto lay near the broken hand of the person. "KuKuKu. Never thought that making another deal with Danzo would prove this successful. Finally, a body that can hold my sage transformation. Not to speak of these beautiful eyes that had foreseen your move my poor failure of an apprentice. Don't you think so too Sasuke-Kun" The Snake Sannin laughed again as he looked again to his feet.
Not that he cared much, but Orochimaru had invested many hours in cultivating this body and while he had transferred to a new one that could hold his full might it was still imperfect. While he managed to reduce the draw of his borrowed Sharingan eyes this body was still bound to the rules of a borrowed bloodline. The higher draw on his reserves was annoying but manageable.
One of Orochimaru's men had entered the arena. "Orochimaru-sama what should happen to him?" he asked while he knelt before his master.
"Take him to Kabuto, I am not fully decided on it yet. Throw him into one of the tanks, while I try to figure out what I want to do with him." Orochimaru said in his cold voice, as his guard nodded before he dragged the broken teenager out of the room.
