"…Naruto…!"

The amount of relief and happiness he felt when he heard her call his name. Three years of pent-up frustration, teenage hormones, and nonstop thinking about her. It was all finally over. But now was not the time to dwell on personal feelings. He had a job to do. Comrades were in trouble.

"It's good to see you too, Sakura." Naruto looked his shoulder and gave her the best smile he could. He turned back to the situation at hand. "I'll handle the rest."

Kakashi could not believe his eyes. Was he being deceived? It was like he was looking at a mirror image of his late sensei. Naruto was the spitting image of the Fourth Hokage, his father. For a split second, Kakashi could see the long white cloak with red flames wisping in the wind over Naruto's shoulders. Once he finally came to his senses, Kakashi could not help but let a small chuckle out. "Perfect timing, Naruto. We could really use you right about now."

"HAHA!" Gai loudly laugh. "The power of youth burns bright in you, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Chiyo was rather confused by this blonde teenager with the whisker birth marks on his cheeks. If her memory served her right, and it was confirmed by the loudmouth Might Gai, this was Naruto Uzumaki. Through rumors and her information channel, she had heard Naruto Uzumaki was the one who stopped Gaara during his rampage when Suna and Orochimaru attacked Konoha a few years back. Even more, this was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. But it was also said that Naruto was killed by the hands of a Kiri shinobi three years ago. It was apparent that was not the case.

But why was Naruto Uzumaki, a target of the Akatsuki, here now? Then it dawned on the elder woman. 'An ill-advised moved, Slug Queen. Sending your own jinchūriki out like this…reckless!'

Neji was highly intrigued by this sudden development. Naruto was his goal over the last three years. He was the one who had beaten him so that gave Neji the drive and determination to train as hard as he could to surpass him. But just like before, he was not surprised to see Naruto come to their aid. "Naruto, huh…"

Kisame stood next to Kakuzu with Samehada still drawn. A wildly smile showed off his sharp, shark teeth. "Well, well, well…this sure does excite me! I've been waiting for you, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Kakuzu glanced at his shark partner then at the teenager in question. "So…this is Naruto Uzumaki? The container for the Kyūbi? This certainly makes things easier. His bounty is quite good. I think I'll turn him instead."

"He's mine!" Kisame glided across the water with blinding speed. Samehada was ready to eat. With great strength, Kisame slammed his sword down onto Naruto. But he hit nothing but the water he stood on. "What?!"

Using his own burst of speed, Naruto appeared in the middle of the three water clones that held the prisons. "Fūton: Toppa!" (Wind Style: Immense Breakthrough) After gather a large amount of chakra in his stomach, Naruto expelled as a strong gust of wind from his mouth. This was powerful enough to destroy the three water clones around him and free Lee, Tenten, and Kaito from their water sphere prisons.

"Katon: Zukokku!"

"Shit!" There was no time for any of them to make an escape. The fire was already on top of them; the heat was searing the air around them. Naruto was quick to counter with his own fire. "Katon: Endan!" (Fire Style: Flame Bombs) Naruto gathered oil in his mouth, spit out the oil, and ignited the oil all with his chakra. At first, the amount of oil was barely enough to keep back the incoming flames. But Naruto added more oil to his flame, matching Kakuzu's intense searing blaze. The flames clashed with fury and violence.

"Raikiri!"

Kakashi capitalized on the opportunity. Lightning arched from his palm and, with the speed of the bolt he once slashed through, he pierced through Kakuzu's monster, shattering the mask. All the threads instantly feel apart and soaked into the air, leaving only a small black puddle in the ocean.

"One down."

Kakuzu grunted angrily. He hated losing, even if this was not the real him fighting. He turned to Kisame. "We have to stall as long as we can. It's nearing completion."

Kisame chuckled. "I know. But I don't think these bodies will last much longer. They can only handle so much."

Lee was finally able to catch his breath from being inside the water prison. "Naruto! It is so good to see you again!"

Naruto acknowledged his comrade's excitement but kept his eyes on the enemy. "Yeah yeah, back at ya." Kakashi landed next to him. "Long time no see, Kakashi sensei."

Conveying his smile through his eyes, Kakashi remained vigilant against their opponents. "Never one to disappoint, Naruto. I'll be honest, I'm surprised you're here. I'm even more surprised you're here without Lord Jiraiya. Seeing how we're going up the Akatsuki and all."

"That was the original idea, but I convinced Baa-chan to let me come alone." He stood to his full height, nearly matching Kakashi.

"Is that so?" Kakashi was curious to here how that conversation went, but that was a story for another time. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Any help is welcomed."

Naruto nodded in appreciation. It felt good to be around so many familiar faces.

"I hate to interrupt the reunion." Kaito interjected. "But we need to end this fight fast if we want a chance to save Lord Gaara!"

"Right!" Naruto smacked his fist to his open palm. "Kakashi sensei, I have a plan!"

"Way ahead of you, Naruto." The jōnin leaned in to whisper into his student's ear. "What do you think? Doable?"

"Oh yeah!" Naruto crossed his fingers. "Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Hundreds of shadow clones burst into existence all over the battlefield, effectively hiding every single one of the shinobi. The clones surrounded Kisame and Kakuzu like a pack of hungry predators. The two Akatsuki members were shocked to see the number of clones a single man could produce. Even Kaito was dumbfounded by this.

'Unbelievable!' Kaito was in complete disbelief. The amount of clones was staggering. There had to be over one hundred, maybe two hundred! "Just who is this guy?!"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki." One of the clones near him answered. "Watch this!"

The clones closed in and began to attack the two Akatsuki members in large waves. To the credit of Kakuzu and Kisame, they were fighting the clones well. If the point were not to distract them then it was possible the two Akatsuki members would have beaten them all. But it was all merely a diversion.

Kakashi slammed his hands on the ground, using the water made by Kisame to his advantage. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu)

Kakashi molded the water into an extremely large dragon and directed it towards the Akatsuki. The dragon crashed into the it was created from, making the two-rouge ninja jump away. But the key was they separated themselves. A fatal mistake.

"Now Gai!"

"Right!" Gai moved into position and began to release the Eight Inner Gates. With each gate being opened throughout his body, his body began to changed. Veins expanded and were visible on the surface of his skin. His skin darkened and turned red. Chakra begin to radiate from his body like a fire. "Six Gate: Gate of Joy! Open!"

With the power and strength of the sixth gate at his disposal, Gai had reached limits that were beyond everyone there. He used his dramatic increase in speed to appear directly in front of Kakuzu. Lee saw the stance his master was taking and knew what was coming. It was game over for him.

'So fast!'

Gai kicked the Akatsuki member high into the air, with enough force that would be an instant kill for most that were not Akatsuki level. Gai jumped into the air and took the distinctive stance and began to punch Kakuzu repeatedly. The punches were so fast and furious that they were set ablaze by the sheer power and friction, which in turn created a peacock-like fan of flames around Kakuzu.

"Asa Kujaku!" (Morning Peacock)

With one final punch, Kakuzu was sent hurling back to the ground and splashed into the water. There was so much heat built up on his body that the water boiled as he sunk to the bottom.

"Way to go, Gai sensei!" Lee cheered.

"A bit overkill, if you ask me." Neji stated. "But a win is a win."

Only one remained.

But not for long.

Kisame stood guard with Samehada, ready to defend against any attack. He watched all his surroundings. He glanced above, left, right, and even behind him. There was nothing. But he missed one direction. Below.

Coming from below the surface of the water, Naruto burst through with a massive spiraling blue sphere of chakra. The ball of chakra was so massive that it took two him and another clone just to hold the technique together. Aiming for the space between Samehada and Kisame, Naruto jammed the jutsu into the shark man's stomach.

"Ōdama Rasengan!" (Giant Rasengan)

This bigger version of the Rasengan used the same concepts as the original technique, only increasing the amount of chakra that is involved. Because there is even more condensed chakra to a higher density, the energy releases on impact and creates more devastation than before. The ensuing explosion absolutely annihilated Kisame to the point there was nearly nothing left. Even the water was blown away and turned to puddles.

"W-Wow…" Sakura knew Naruto had grown stronger but that was something else. She never would have imagined something like this.

Chiyo was utterly floored. "Oh my…this boy…!"

Kaito was completely shocked at the amount of power both Gai and Naruto held. He simply could not believe that shinobi of that caliber existed inside Konoha. He was glad they were allies.

Naruto stood over the shattered remains of Kisame. He was frustrated by what he was seeing. The others joined him and saw what he was looking at. The bloody and battered body was no longer Kisame but someone else entirely. It was Suna's jōnin commander, Yura.

"Th-This is…" Kaito could not believe his eyes.

"Yura…" Chiyo should have saw this coming. "Damn you, Sasori."

Kakashi looked at the elder woman. "You know him?"

"We both do." Chiyo answered. "Yura, he's been Suna's Jōnin Commander and served on the council for the last four years."

"An Akatsuki spy, no doubt." Neji stated.

"Can't be…" Kaito answered. "He might've been a bit mean sometimes, but Yura was no traitor. That I can assure you."

"Then what is this?" Naruto questioned. "A transformation? This is a damn good one if I couldn't tell a difference between the real Kisame and a fake."

"The other body is no doubt another fake." Kakashi figured. "The real ones are back in the Akatsuki lair. They were sent to delay us and gather information. This group is good."

"Yes…it's clear they were buying time. There's no doubt in my mind they've already begun extracting the Bijū! I presume they are going to create a new jinchūriki."

All gasped at the words of Chiyo. While they were all confused, they trusted the woman's words. She was old and wise. Her word was trusted. Sakura could not help look at her longtime teammate. She felt a gut-wrenching fear for him.

"Create a new jinchūriki?" Kaito asked. "And what the hell is a jinchūriki, anyway?"

Suddenly, tensions rose up. And all could feel it. Kaito looked at Chiyo for answers, but he did not realize that there was one standing before him.

"Bijū are large concentrations of chakra with superhuman powers. And each country has sought out that power for military purposes. If you can control the jinchūriki then you control the Bijū. A jinchūriki is created when a Bijū is sealed inside of a person, attempting to harness the incredible power and control it completely. Including Gaara, there have been three jinchūriki in Suna's history."

"So, people have waged wars over using jinchūriki?" Lee asked.

Chiyo nodded. "Yes. Jinchūriki were used as deterrents for war. But were often used as weapons of war. Seeing a jinchūriki on the battlefield was practically a death sentence to those around them."

Naruto's jaw clenched. He held back his words. This was not the time to lash out at ignorance. He continued to listen silently, holding back his growing anger. Sakura could practically feel Naruto's anger. She quietly slipped her hand into his, trying to calm him down. And it seemed to work.

"You said they were extracting the Bijū from the Kazekage." Tenten remembered. "How does…one go about that?"

Chiyo sighed. "Removing a Bijū from the host requires a sealing jutsu that rivals the bijū's power…and quite a bit of time. And once the beast is extracted…"

Sakura unconsciously gasped and squeezed Naruto's strong hand. "…Oh no…"

Everyone realized the answer.

"…they die…"

Sakura had to hold back the tears. Her mind flashed images of Naruto being captured and having the Nine-Tails extracted from him. And then…well, she could not even finish that thought.

"Both of Suna's previous jinchūriki died due to having the Shukaku extracted from them."

"Then we're wasting time!" Kaito shouted. "If what you say is true, Lady Chiyo, then we need to get to the Kazekage now!"

"Right!" Gai agreed in like fashion. "We need to pick the trail back up and resume our chase of the Akatsuki!"

Kakashi was in full agreement. He turned away from the group. "Pakkun? You still out there?"

Peering out from behind the rock the small dog was hiding behind, Pakkun made his way over to the group of ninjas. "Yeah, I'm still here. And lucky for you, I still have the scent."

"Then let's go already!"

The group took off running after Pakkun. The ninja hound continued to follow the scent of their kidnapper. While the others moved as fast as they could, Naruto trailed behind slightly. He kept his eyes trained on the eldest member of the group. So many questions were racing through his mind about her. Red flags were practically sprouting off her. How did she know so much about jinchūriki?

"Keep an eye on her, boy. Her knowledge on Bijū and jinchūriki is extensive and alarming."

'You have a bad feeling to?'

"It's not just a feeling. There is only one way she knew that the host dies. She's completed an extraction before. There would be no other way to know."

Even if it was possible, Naruto glared at the woman harder. 'Completed an extraction…' Somehow, someway, Naruto was seeing a shadow of the Fourth Hokage hovering over Chiyo. He was having trouble telling which one was real and which one was his imagination. He fought the urge to lunge at Chiyo.

'…No…not now, old man.'

"Keep your wits about you, boy. Remain cautious. Her village might be an ally but do not trust her."

-Akatsuki Lair-

"The jutsu was broken?" Pain questioned, feeling the surge of chakra through Kisame and Kakuzu.

"You did not buy us that much time." Sasori retorted.

"There was more than expected." Kakuzu stated. "We were outnumbered and underpowered. An unwinnable situation."

"But the time they did gain was valuable. It was not meant to be winnable. Well done, Kisame and Kakuzu." Konan stated.

"That's easy for you to say." Sasori was disgruntled and annoyed. "The two who were offered were my subordinates. Two good ones. They were members for a short time because of my impersonation technique. I expect recognition for their services."

"Yes…they will be honored once the mission is completed. But enough about that. Zetsu…take care of the bodies. Leave no evidence of them."

"…Of course, Pain." While keeping his projection active, Zetsu's real body disappeared from sight at his current location.

"Kisame, Kakuzu, who and how many enemies were there?"

"Hmm, let me think." The shark man began. "Ah yes. Two jōnin from Konoha, Kakashi Hatake and that Might Gai with their subsequent teams. I don't know their names but I knew the other two. Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki."

"There was also two Suna shinobi with them. An advisor, Chiyo. And another jōnin, Kaito."

Sasori could have never guessed that she would be one to come. 'Granny Chiyo!'

Pain saw the constant flow of Biju chakra from Gaara's body begin to slow down and fade. The extraction was nearing completion.

"Not much longer now."

-Kazekage Rescue Team-

Night had befallen over the team. By Pakkun's prediction, they were only about half a day of travel away from the Akatsuki lair. Despite protests from Kaito and Lee, the two leading jōnin opted to stop and rest for a few hours. They were about to go up against real members of the Akatsuki, not impersonations of them. Their full strength was going to be needed.

Naruto sat with others that were awake. Sakura was at his left while Neji was across the small fire. Kaito sat near Sakura and Chiyo stood on the opposite side. Kakashi took watch in the trees above. Lee, Tenten, and Gai all slept away from the light of the fire.

"You've certainly grown stronger, Naruto." Neji was the first to break the silence.

Naruto removed the pan from the flames. "Yeah, I can say the same for you. I can just tell by looking at you." He split half of the food he cooked with Sakura.

"Everyone has." Sakura chimed in. "In between the missions and extra duties, we've been training our hardest."

Now that there was some time to kill, Naruto could ask some questions he had been wanting to know the answers to. "Has everyone made it through so far?" He looked between Sakura and Neji.

Neji nodded. "So far. We, as in everyone we know, have been fortunate enough to not be assigned to the front lines yet. But I've just only been selected to be a jōnin, I'm sure I'll be sent out there soon. As will everyone else."

"A jōnin already?" Naruto was surprised to hear that. "You've definitely been working hard."

"With Neji leading the charge, everyone we know is a chūnin already. We're all still equal." Sakura added.

Naruto nodded. "How has the war been going? I didn't get told much by Pervy Sage during training."

Kaito finished the food in his mouth before he decided to speak up. "It's been going well, honestly. Recently, we've reached a bit of a stalemate that's caused a cease to the fighting. But it'll pick back up again soon."

Naruto looked at the man, somewhat annoyed that he interrupted their conversation. "Who are you, again?"

"Oh. My name is Kaito. I'm the Kazekage's head of security."

Naruto took the final bite of his food. "Head of security, huh? Considering the mission, good work then." Sakura elbowed the blonde in the arm. "Ow!"

"Be nice!" Sakura berated. "I thought you might have matured a bit in three years."

"I'm just telling how it is!"

"Well, you don't have to say it like that!"

Kaito raised his hand to stop the two bickering. "It's alright, Sakura. I know what I did wrong, and I should have been there. But I'm here to fix my mistake."

Sakura nodded and smiled, causing Kaito to smile affectionately back at her. Something Naruto did not miss. But he tried not to focus on something as silly as jealously. He looked at the stone-like elder. "What about you, granny? Why are you here?"

Sakura was ready to elbow him again but Chiyo burst into laughter. "Granny?! I am not your granny, my dear!" Suddenly, the woman stopped and became serious. "I am merely here as a representative for Sunagakure. I'm the best suited to go up against, Sasori. I mean, I did teach him everything he knows."

Both Neji and Sakura looked at the woman in surprise. Naruto remained stoic. "How do you know so much about jinchūriki?"

A question that nobody knew they needed an answer to.

Chiyo contemplated her next words. She was talking to a jinchūriki, a jinchūriki she did not know especially. "I have lived a long life. I know a many great things."

Naruto was not buying it. "There's no way you know everything you said because you're old. What aren't you saying?"

'Smarts match the strength, it seems.' Chiyo sighed. "Because…I used to be in charge of the jinchūriki development team in Sunagakure."

"Jinchūriki development team?" Sakura was shocked to hear such a thing existed, as were the others. Even Kaito was surprised. She looked over and she could see and practically feel Naruto's anger. "What is that?"

Chiyo hesitated for a moment. "Back in my day, we were didn't rely on other villages for anything. Sunagakure was self-sustaining unit that rivaled Konoha in battle strength. During the previous Great Wars, jinchūriki were what turned the tide in battles. The Third Kazekage created a secret division specifically for jinchūriki creation and development. I was appointed as the head researcher for jinchūriki creation and extraction."

Kakashi, who had only been semi paying attention, put down his book to respond. "Creation? Were you trying to manufacture an artificial jinchūriki?"

The woman nodded. "I was. My research went nowhere. It is impossible to replicate the power of a bijū. But I was able to create a powerful sealing technique that could extract the bijū from the host and seal it in another person."

Naruto stood up in frantic anger. "Why on earth would you seal it inside someone else?!"

Chiyo was perplexed by the question. Had she not just explained that? "Were you not listening? Jinchūriki are weapons for war. They were essential-"

"I'm not a weapon!"

Naruto's yell was so loud, so full of emotion, he woke up the ones that were sleeping and caused the nearby wildlife to awaken and scurry away in fear. By the time he realized what he had done, his breathing sounded like growling. He could practically feel everyone's eyes on him. He needed to get away.

Naruto pulled his orange hood over his spikey blonde hair and walked away from the camp. Silence fell over the camp.

Kaito was the first one to break the quiet. "What's gotten into him? A bit of an overreaction if you ask me."

Sakura glared at the Suna jōnin. If looks could kill, then Kaito was dead where he sat. "You don't know what he's been through. Don't talk like you know everything about him." Sakura took off after her teammate.

Kaito just sat there, noticing that everyone was now looking at him. "What? It's okay for him to comment on my failure but I can't say anything about him? That's totally unfair."

Kakashi dropped down to the ground. "Naruto's been through a lot in his life. Sakura is very protective of him. Give them some time. But it's good everyone's awake now. We need to head out soon."

Tenten rubbed her tired eyes. "It feels like I just went to sleep."

"Then you must sleep train, Tenten!" Lee stated with his usual enthusiasm. "When I rest, I only sleep for four hours at a time, but my body feels like it gets the full eight!"

Tenten barely believed that. "That's a total lie. There's no way you can do that."

"Actually, Tenten, it's a real technique." Neji chimed in. "It's called micro sleep."

"Right, Neji!" Gai added. "It takes years to train one's body to adapt to the method. But it has great time saving benefits! More time for training!"

"Yes, Gai sensei!"

Tenten groaned loudly. She was running on too little of sleep to deal with her master and teammate's 'youthful' antics. She wondered how much longer she could manage before she would request to transfer to another team. Between Gai's speeches about youth and their ever-increasing challenge training, Tenten needed a break!

Kaito stuffed his things into his bag, preparing for the remainder of the journey. Kakashi approached the man. "Kaito…" The man looked over his shoulder. "Don't let those two get to you. They've been through a lot together."

Kaito continued to pack. "Yeah, well, they aren't the only ones who've had it hard. I doubt whatever they've seen compares to what I've seen in the war…"

Kakashi understood that to the fullest. He still had nightmares. But Chiyo was the one to speak next.

"Naruto Uzumaki is the Nine-Tailed Fox's jinchūriki, Kaito. Out of everyone here, he's probably been treated in ways you've never thought imaginable. Consider that."

Kaito's mind instantly put the pieces together. He should have realized that sooner. "Oh…" Then something else came to his mind. "Wait, he's that Naruto Uzumaki? Didn't he get killed by some Kiri shinobi a few years back?"

Kakashi remembered that day vividly. "While it is true that he was attacked. Naruto didn't die. I'm still shocked that he did. That man…Darui…did quite a number on him. If it wasn't for Lady Tsunade, Naruto would have never made it."

"That old Slug Queen saved him, huh? That hardly surprises me."

Kakashi looked up at the woman. "What does that mean?"

"He's the jinchūriki, Konoha's most important asset. As Hokage, there was no way she'd let him die."

Kakashi simply stared at the elder. "Naruto is Lady Tsunade's godson. She treats him like a son. Being Hokage or Naruto being a jinchūriki had nothing to do with her saving him."

Chiyo chuckled. "You go ahead and tell yourself, Hatake. A Kage has to look at the bigger picture. That's why when the Fourth Kazekage came to me and asked for the Shukaku to be sealed inside Gaara, I was happy to oblige."

Kakashi's eye hid his emotions. He did notice that Kaito seemed to be aware of this information. He based his hunch off by Kaito's lack of reaction. "I had a feeling that's where your little tale was leading. I think you should be grateful Naruto, and Sakura for that matter, stormed off before you said that. I don't think he'd like to hear that you're the reason Gaara is in this predicament."

Chiyo narrowed her eyes. "That makes no sense. Those two aren't even from the same village. Why would he care other than being his mission?"

Kakashi seemed to think about his answer. "Naruto…is an interesting person. He's a bit of an enigma. He doesn't care about a lot of things, then there are things he'd go to the ends of the world for. He has this ability to change people without saying much to them. Gaara was no different from the others he has fought. And both being jinchūriki…well, it just makes things more personal for him."

In his mind, Kakashi was talking about his interaction with Haku. Before Naruto, Haku would have no doubt attacked him without a second thought for killing her master. But because of Naruto, Haku spared him. Even if just once.

"How…does that make this more personal for him?"

"They're both jinchūriki…Naruto is probably the only person who understands Gaara's pain and everything he's gone through. Not even Gaara's two siblings could understand."

Kaito was listening intently. Something that the silver-haired jōnin said stuck in his mind. Since being appointed to the head of security, Kaito and Kankurō had become good friends. When they were not out on missions for the war effort, Kankurō and Kaito would exchange stories of their childhood and other experiences. Through those stories, Kaito developed a better understanding of Kankurō's relationship with his two siblings.

Growing up, none of the Suna siblings had a great relationship with each other. Each were brought up differently because of their father, the Fourth Kazekage. The Kazekage family were royalty in Sunagakure. The three of them were given the best training in the entire village. It was not until they were fully fledged genin that were brought back together. But by then, the three were different people. Gaara had changed the most, and for the worst.

But then, Gaara fought Naruto Uzumaki, and everything had changed. Gaara had changed. And now realizing that Naruto was a jinchūriki like Gaara, what Kakashi said made sense. Neither Temari nor Kankurō could understand what it was like to be that person with a bijū. To be treated like he was. Only someone else who went through the same situation could only understand.

Gai turned to his jōnin student. "Neji, go get Sakura and Naruto. It's time to leave."

-With Naruto and Sakura-

"Stupid…"

Naruto was leaning against a tree with his hand while his free hand felt the red fabric of his mother's scarf on his belt. This was one of the few things that brought him comfort in his young life. Ever since he was given the scarf, it never left his sight. It was his security blanket, so to speak.

But right now, Naruto needed to control himself. He lost control over his emotions and lashed out when he absolutely did not need to. Not only not, he exposed a weakness. He hated being compared to a weapon. That's not who he was. He accepted the fact that's what was a jinchūriki's purpose but he absolutely hated being included in it.

He needed to calm down. He needed control.

"Don't be a fussy eater. Grow big and strong. Bath everyday and sleep a lot. Make good friends, ones that you can trust. Study hard and good. Don't belittle people. And listen."

He continued to speak to himself while Sakura slowly walked up behind him. She could hear Naruto speak to himself. "N-Naruto?"

The teenager in question instantly stopped what he was doing, as if he was caught doing something wrong. "Sakura? I didn't hear you. What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you were okay. You kinda left in a hurry…again. "She chuckled. She remembered their mission in the Land of Waves. "What were you saying just now?"

Instinctively, Naruto took his hand away from his scarf. "Just…uh…" He failed to come up with a legitimate reason other than the truth. He sighed. "I can't lie to you, Sakura. That…that was from the letter my mom left me. Saying it out loud helps me calm down."

Sakura was surprised, to say the least. She was unaware that Naruto's mother had left him a letter to read. She thought about it and came up with a good idea of where it came from. "Is that what was in the box Lady Tsunade gave you when you were in the hospital?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. And this scarf she knit for me." He removed the red fabric from his belt to show his teammate. "She made this for me while she was pregnant. It's…the only thing I have of her."

Sakura could not believe it. This was incredibly beautiful and truly tragic. Kushina Uzumaki had left her one and only son a wonderful and amazing gift in the wake of her untimely death. She was not sure why there was such a plan for that scenario, but it did not matter. Naruto was finally able to have something that came from that truly loved him. Even if that was all he would ever have of her.

"That's…that's beautiful, Naruto." Sakura moved in closer, reaching out her hand. She took in one of his hands into hers. "I'm happy that you have something from her. I know that means everything to you."

Naruto smiled softly. He put the red scarf back on his belt. "Yeah. It does." He looked at her directly in her emerald, green eyes. If he stared for too long, he would waste more time than he had. "I've missed you, Sakura."

Sakura was smiling as hard as she was blushing. She could get lost in his eyes; they were like looking out over the ocean. "I've missed you too, Naruto."

The two teenagers were so close that they could feel each other's breathing on their lips. Just a few more inches and three years of teenage hormones and fantasies would come to life…

"Naruto! Sakura! It's time to leave!" Neji called out to them from a distance away, not realizing he had interrupted them.

The two backed away from each other furiously, trying to hide their embarrassment. Reality struck them both and they realized it was time. There was a high priority captive that needed to be rescued. There would be time for feelings and divulging later.

"C'mon, we better hurry back." Sakura nudged Naruto to follow her back.

Naruto was disappointed but knew now was not the time. There was someone he had to save first. His determination returned forcefully. He needed to save Gaara. But he suddenly felt the obligation to tell Sakura what he was feeling. He had never felt this way before. He has never felt the urge to spill out his deep thoughts and feelings. Before he could stop himself, he just started talking. "Sakura…"

The pinkette teenager stopped and turned to her teammate. "Yeah?"

"…I have to save Gaara…I can't…I can't fail."

Sakura cocked her head to the side in confusion. She was not sure what Naruto was getting at. "Well…I don't want to fail either. It's going to take all of us to save him."

"No…I mean…" He sighed. He was not sure how he should word this, or even why he wanted to say such things. "I have to save Gaara. Because if I don't…well, how am I any different than before?

Now Sakura was even more confused. "…What do you mean?"

"Gaara and I are the same, Sakura, remember? I used to be one bad day from what he used to be. We're both jinchūriki. We've shared the same pain and understand what we went through. I've trained for three years! I have to prove to him, to you, to myself that I can be something more than a weapon! That I don't have to fulfill that stupid prophecy!"

Naruto's breath hitched at the mention of what the Great Elder Toad told him. He looked at Sakura and she was staring at him with no sense of what he was talking about. He messed up. He did not want to bring that up now. It was still something he had to wrap his head around.

"…Fuck…" He groaned. He needed control.

"…What on earth are you talking about? What prophecy?"

Naruto hesitated his words, he was not sure what to say. Honestly, he had no idea where to begin. There was so much that went with it. Hell, it took him a few minutes to just to go through everything in his head, let alone explain it to someone else.

"Naruto! Sakura!" Neji came jogging up to the teammates. "C'mon! We have to go!"

The two teens looked at each other. There was a silent agreement between them. This conversation was not over.

-Gaara's mindscape-

Gaara floated there aimlessly. He felt nothing and held no control. He felt no pain. No exhaustion. He merely existed in this plain of nothingness. He raised his hand and looked at it.

'What is this…is this my hand?'

His eyes could only see white beyond his appendage. 'This place…what is this?'

Beyond his hand, he could see something in the sea of white nothingness. The object looked familiar. The clothes were his. The body was his. The hair was his. But the eyes were not the same.

'Is that current me? Or the old me, who wanted to be needed? To exist?'

It was like a mirror. A perfect reflection of himself. 'Why did I want to become wanted? What was the purpose?'

Suddenly, everything drifted away. Consciousness faded away. White was becoming dark. He eyes grew heavier and heavier.

'It just…was a shared consciousness? Was it really me…or just a sensation?'

Falling out of suspension from the jutsu, Gaara hit the ground with a loud, sad thud. The last of the bijū chakra had left his body and was sealed into the Gedō Mazō with the resounding shut of its mouth. The demonic statue returned to its rest position. Pain released his hand seal, as did all other Akatsuki members.

"It is finished. First extraction completed."

-Outside Akatsuki Lair-

All members of the Kazekage Rescue team landed on the surface of the water simultaneously, with Pakkun jumping off Kakashi's shoulder and sniffing around. He sat and stared at the large boulder with the seal tag on it.

"Yup. This is the place. Gaara is inside of this cave."

Neji instantly activated his dōjutsu see what the enemy was doing. He could see the projections of the Akatsuki members on the fingers of the Gedō Mazō. Even more, he saw Gaara's body on the ground. There was no movement. No chakra circulation. Gaara's entire chakra system was destroyed. He could not even see a heartbeat.

"…No…"

"What do you see, Neji?" Tenten questioned.

"…We have to get inside now! There's no more time!"

"Right!" Gai shouted and charged at the large boulder, ready to blow it to pieces.

"Gai, wait!"

Kakashi's warning fell on deaf ears. The green-clad jōnin threw his fist at the boulder to destroy it. When his fist contacted the rock, there was no explosion of pebbles. The boulder absorbed the attack and merely rippled like a rock splashing into a puddle.

"A barrier…"

"I tried to tell you." Kakashi sighed. "That tag is for-"

"It's a Five-Seal Barrier. There are four other tags, just like this one, hidden to protect whatever is behind this fifth tag. All the tags are connected by a chakra network. The only to release this barrier is to find all the tags and tear them all off the surface they are on at the same time. And if it's not done simultaneously, then the barrier will remain until the creator releases it. That means we only have one chance to remove the barrier."

Everyone was looking at Naruto with surprised looks. They were not expecting him to raddle off such an explanation like that. Even Kakashi was a bit shocked, but he quickly moved along with it. "Uh…right, Naruto."

"So, where are the other four?" Lee asked.

Kakashi looked over at the Hyūga jōnin. "Neji. Use your Byakugan. The chakra between the tags are connected and they all run through the one right here. Follow the chakra back to the others."

Neji nodded. "Right!" Refocusing his eyes, Neji saw the flow of chakra into the tag and followed all the branches out. It took him a few minutes, but he found them all one by one. "I have them all."

"Where?" Kaito questioned.

"On top of a rock roughly 500 meters to the north east. Another on a tree trunk 350 meters to the south east. The third is on a cliff next to a waterfall 650 meters to the north west. And the final tag is 800 meters to the south west inside a large grove of trees."

Gai took off his bag and dug out four sets of radios. "Right! If that's our range of communication, then we shall use these." He handed one to each of his students. "Neji will give us directions until we find all the tags." Every member of Team Gai adjusted the radios around their necks and placed the earpiece where it belonged. "Speed wise, my team is better. The frequency will be 179."

Kakashi adjusted his own headset. "Right. I'll be waiting for your message."

"I won't be late, unlike you!" Gai laughed loudly. "Everyone ready?!"

"Radio placement set! I'm good!" Tenten responded.

"I'm good to go!" Neji stated.

"I'm with you, sensei!" Lee tied his headband around his forehead.

"Conduct radio checks as soon as possible! With the power of youth, Team Gai, scatter!"

With breakneck speed, all four members of Team Gai dispersed into the surrounding areas in directions Neji had described for them. Their speed was impressive to Kaito, he was not even sure there was a team in Suna could match their speed.

Pakkun let out a tired sigh. "Well, I've done my part. I'll be heading back now."

Kakashi nodded. "Thanks for the help, Pakkun. I'll get that shampoo you like as a reward."

The ninja hound seemed to like that idea; his small tail wagged happily. "I guess that'll suffice." In a plume of smoke as small as him, Pakkun disappeared and returned to wherever he came from.

Kakashi leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the boulder, directly next to the tag. He knelt and readied his hand to grab it. He looked out over the remaining members. "We'll break in with a button-hook entry. Sakura, on my mark, use your chakra strength to smash this boulder into pieces!"

Sakura pulled her gloves on tight. "Right!"

Chiyo looked at the girl curiously. "Chakra strength? Like that Slug Queen, Tsunade's, technique? How on earth did you learn her technique?"

"Lady Tsunade is my master, Granny Chiyo. She's taught me nearly everything I know."

Chiyo was greatly impressed by the girl. "Ah. Then that explains how you were able to save Kankurō. And for someone of your age to have Tsunade's techniques mastered…you certainly can become much stronger."

Sakura smiled in thanks at the woman's words but remained focused on her task. She patiently waited for Kakashi's signal.

Kaito was blown away by Chiyo's praise. She never praised anyone, especially someone from a different village. 'She's…she's so cool!'

A voice came over Kakashi's radio. It was Neji. "A little further Lee, keep going south and you'll come right to it."

"I found mine." Tenten called out.

"I copy previous radio traffic." Gai added.

"I see mine as well." Neji landed in the field, he could see the tag on the rock. "Lee?"

"I have mine in sight!" Another few moments and Lee was ready. "I'm in position! Ready to pull!"

Kakashi decided to be the one to count down. "Get ready everyone! Counting down from five! Four! Three! Two! One! Pull!"

All removed their tags the second the words rang in their ears, the paper pulled off with relative ease. Kakashi leapt off the boulder and used gravity to pull the tag away from the boulder. "Now Sakura!" He yelled as he flew over her.

"CHA!" With a resounding crunch, Sakura's superhuman strength obliterated the obstructing boulder to pebbles.

Without wasting another second, the team rushed into the dank cave.

From his position, Gai could hear the rumbling of the boulder. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now, he hoped they made it in time. He was about to turn back head back to the lair but stopped when he realized there was something rising from the ground. A creature of some sort began to take shape. Gai suddenly realized what was happening.

"Neji?"

"Yeah…I see it. It's happening here too." Neji was coming fac-to-face with an exact copy of himself. 'This must be the result of breaking the barrier. A trap.'

"What the hell is this?" Tenten questioned, seeing a clone of herself forming from the ground.

"This is the enemies trap, no doubt." Lee chimed in. He was staring at the perfect copy of himself.

"Agreed, Lee." Gai took a battle stance. "It seems like even if you were able to disable the barrier, a trap is activated to prevent the enemy's entry. Thus, separating a four-man cell from the rest, assuming there is more than one."

"These guys are something else." Neji could not believe the lengths the Akatsuki would go to for protection and deterrents. They were worthy of their fear and strength. "We have to finish this fast so we can regroup with the others."

"Be careful." Tenten added. "I don't pretend understand seals like this, but if their copies of us then they probably can use the same techniques. This won't be easy."

Lee flared with excitement. "This is the perfect training opportunity! There is no better opponent than yourself!"

"Take this serious, Lee!" Tenten had just about enough of his antics.

"Get ready!" Gai shouted as he charged.

-Inside the Akatsuki Lair-

"It's been a long time. It's nice to see some old friends…Kakashi…Naruto."

Kakashi stared at the scene before him. He knew it before he even saw it clearly. They were too late. Standing before them were the two assailants that kidnapped the Kazekage. Kakashi had a gut feeling he would run into him again.

Kaito could not believe what he was seeing. He refused to believe it. How could they have been late? They traveled as fast as they could. They beat two imposters and smashed through their barrier. This was not how it was supposed to go. He failed…

Chiyo seemed like she could care less about the Kazekage. Her focus was the hunchback of a man. She knew her beloved grandson was in there. She never would have dreamed that Sasori would join the ranks of an organization such as the Akatsuki. She had failed as caretaker and as a mentor. She was determined to set things right.

Sakura held her fighting stance, ready for any attack from the enemy. Her eyes stayed firm on the body of the Kazekage. She was thoroughly shocked and utterly disappointed. Her medical training told her everything before she even realized what was happening. She thought they could do it. But they were not fast enough. Now, it was time for payback.

Naruto simply stared into emptiness. The only thing in his vision was Gaara. He hated to think it. Even more so to see it in reality.

Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, was dead.

"So, which one of you is the other jinchūriki?" Sasori was determined to get his quota.

Naruto growled from deep within his body. His face portrayed the fury the Kyūbi was known for. "That's me. And you're going to die for what you did."

Sasori glanced down at the body of the dead jinchūriki. "Hm…it seems the Nine-Tails wants the body. I'll hang on to this one. You deal with the others."

Itachi glanced out of the corner of his eye at his Akatsuki partner. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I have experience against him and Kakashi Hatake. I'm best suited to take them."

Sasori had a feeling something like this was coming. "Don't push your luck, Itachi. Our quota is one apiece. Besides, do you really want to make matters worse for yourself by defying our leader? You are already on his bad side."

"You're right. It's exactly why I should be the one to take in the Nine Tails. It'll get me back in his good graces."

"Enough of this!" Kaito went through a flurry of hand seals. "Futon: Hauru!" (Wind Style: Howl) Launching his hand out forward, Kaito shot a powerful bullet of compressed air from his flat palm. He aimed directly for Sasori.

Sasori simply glared at Itachi as the technique approached him. His mechanical tail came seemingly out of nowhere and swiped the wind attack away, completely nullifying the jutsu. And all the while, his attention was on Itachi. Nobody in the room could believe what they saw, other than Chiyo.

'He hasn't changed his technique up very much over the years. But it appears Sasori has upgraded Hiruko's abilities and armor. Hiruko was never able to deflect jutsu like that.'

Sasori's actions only infuriated Kaito more. "Bastard…!"

Sakura was utterly speechless. 'He deflected the jutsu with just his tail…and without even looking at it!'

"Itachi…are you trying to piss me off? Are you wanting to be killed by me over him?"

Itachi smirked slightly. "Despite being one of the first members, you still don't know who's really pulling the strings…and who you should be afraid of."

Sasori, somehow, glared at the Uchiha murderer with more fury and hate. "What was that?!"

Itachi bent down and grabbed ahold of Gaara's body. Sasori raised his tail and was ready to strike. Using his strength and agility, Itachi leapt into the air with Gaara's body over his shoulder. He narrowly escaped Sasori's tail stabbing him in the neck for a killing blow. He landed behind the team of five and jumped out of the cave.

Kaito followed Itachi's path and chased after him. "Get back here, Akatsuki filth!"

"Wait!" Kakashi shouted. But his cry fell in deaf ears. "Damn it! We have numbers here!"

"I'll go with him!" Naruto turned towards the entrance. "We can't face these guys alone!" He ran out of the cave.

Kakashi growled in annoyance. Out of the two of them, Kakashi was more worried about Naruto. He was stronger, but the experience against the Sharingan just was not there. Kakashi needed to be the one to fight Itachi, they knew each other the best. But he did not want to leave Sakura and Chiyo alone against this unknown enemy.

"Go, Kakashi." Chiyo stated. "I know what you're thinking. But I can handle myself. I may be old, but not useless. I can still fight." She never took her eyes of her grandson. "And he's, my grandson. I have to be the one to deal with him."

Kakashi looked at his young female student, as if he wanted her approval to leave. Sakura nodded. "Don't worry, sensei. I'll be fine."

Kakashi nodded. "Just don't do anything stupid until Team Gai gets back." He turned and followed other two out of the cave.

-Outside the cave-

Itachi landed on the top of the large red arch over the entrance of the hideout. He watched as Kaito and Naruto followed him out, then Kakashi trickled out shortly after them.

'Good.' The Uchiha thought. 'Naruto's the one I need.' His Sharingan eyes laid themselves directly on the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit. 'But I need to get him alone. My plan can't work with others around. And if he shows up…it's all over…'

Kakashi moved to stand next to Naruto. He pressed the button on his headset. "Gai, can you hear me? We need you back here now!"

Gai was quick to respond. He sounded tired, like he was fighting something. "In a bit of a bind right now…we were all caught in the enemy's jutsu. It's going to be a bit longer."

Kakashi always hated when a plan fell apart like this. It annoyed him greatly. "Be careful and hurry the hell up!"

Kaito could barely contain his anger. He wanted to rip this man's throat out for what he had done! "I'm going to kill you!"

"Hey! Calm down!" Naruto shouted. "Trust me, I want this bastard dead just as much, but charging in blindly won't do anything. Itachi's too strong for you. And probably me too."

"Wait…this is Itachi Uchiha?! The man that killed his entire clan in one night?!"

Naruto nodded. His mind drifted back to Sasuke, the lone survivor from that horrible night. "Yeah. So, don't underestimate him. A friend of mine…he was in a coma for an entire week just from his genjutsu."

"Kaito…above all, when fighting someone with the Sharingan, never look at him in their eyes. It's game over if you do." He raised his headband to reveal his own Sharingan. "We can't afford to hold back against him. It's going to take all three of us to beat him."

Kaito looked at the two Konoha shinobi and was amazed. Neither of them showed no fear about facing a man with such a terrifying reputation. Whether it be from experience or just their own mindset and will, it was nothing short of impressive. He was jealous. He wanted to have courage like that.

Itachi firmly gripped onto Gaara's lifeless body and took off down the river that turned into a valley with large wood branches stretching between each side.

"Get back here!" Naruto shouted as he took off after Itachi.

"Let's go, Kaito!"

"R-Right!"