A/N: It has been a while, hasn't it? Yeah…I know. Well, that ends here. This is the first of a set of chapters I'm submitting that'll finish off the Part I timeline of Naze?. I hope everyone enjoys it, but I'm well aware that a few of you will find problems with it. I urge you to let me know about these so I can correct them and, more importantly, learn from them.

So, without further ado, I present Chapter 23 ("Author's Note" and "I'm Back" not included) of Naze?, titled "Contrivances".

Contrivances

Everything was too clean. The overly bright floors and walls, the starch-stiff sheets that she lay upon, the stale and sanitized air which clung to the insides of her nostrils like the last bits of flesh on a corpse, the metal prongs pulling open her eyelids so that she could not blink, the man in his immaculate white robe staring at her with curious eyes…

Pain flared up within her eyes and she squealed.

Not again, she thought. Stop it, stop it, stop it!

Tears replaced her rage and the pain subsided. She'd figured out the trick to silencing it a while ago, but her eyes always remained – had the man called them "active"? They were always "active" until she went to sleep. Then the lights disappeared. But when she awoke and became angry and lost, they returned and tormented her.

She didn't know how long she'd been here. All she could remember was fighting in the Finals. Then darkness. Sweet, peaceful darkness. She thought that maybe it'd been a genjutsu, but now she couldn't—

"A little longer dear," the man told her. "Then we'll be done and you can rest. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Yugito glanced up at the man from her prone position on the bed. She tried to make out his face, but her eyes, her wretched eyes! Everything was radiant and flowing as if she were staring into the heart of the sun itself. She hated the Nibi. She hated the man. She hated.

Her eyes exploded in agony. She couldn't take it. She couldn't resist the temptation to collapse and give in. She began to sob.

"I think that will be all for today."

The man's words were a jumble of sounds to Yugito. Why wasn't Kaida here to protect her? Ikazuchi? Kizoku-sensei? Had they left her or had Konoha killed them? Regardless, it was her fault. They'd seen her eyes.

"I hate them!" she snarled out loud, sending tears flying from her face.

The man was by her side in an instant.

"Whom do you hate?" he asked.

She stared at him desperately. All she could see was light. Even when he was right next to her, she could discern only an outline of his face.

"My eyes!" she shouted. "Why do they hurt?"

The man stroked her cheek affectionately.

"Darling child…" he murmured. After a moment, he asked, "Do you truly wish them gone?"

"Yes!" she screamed. "I don't want them anymore! Can you take them out? Please?"

He smiled at her and the radiance of that smile filled with her such hope that the pain almost disappeared. Almost.

"We're doing our very best, my dear," he whispered kindly. "Very soon, you'll never have to worry about them again."

Naruto scrutinized his hair intensely. He ran his eyes over every strand, every tuft that waved gently in the breeze flowing through the barber shop's open window. Sakura had been right about this Yuuto. He was a damn good barber.

Doesn't mean I like being forced to get my hair cut, he grumbled inwardly.

Still, he had to admit the hair made him look…well, he looked different and it wasn't in a bad way. The strands of hair that had once draped across his shoulders now stopped a little over an inch above the nape of his neck in the back, while the sides extended only to the top of his cheekbone. His bangs were also a little shorter, though not as short as Naruto had feared. All in all, he didn't look that bad.

"It's not spiky anymore," he heard Sakura mutter behind him.

He suddenly felt her hand pass through his hair. Naruto twitched, causing her to withdraw in a start.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's just that, y'know, you always had spiky hair. I kind of miss it."

Naruto turned around and looked at her sorrowfully.

"Sakura, I—"

Before he could finish, the door to the shop burst open, revealing an annoyed Anko.

"Are you done yet?" she demanded.

When she caught sight of his new cut, she cocked her head and analyzed it with intense eyes.

"You don't look as much like a girl," she said finally. Naruto promptly fell out of his chair in dismay.

Naruto soon left the shop with Sakura and Anko. Yuuto was a nice enough fellow, though his prices belied a certain avarice that annoyed Naruto. Sakura didn't seem to notice, however, for she talked about him the entire way to their next stop.

If I had to guess, he thought with a wistful smile, I think Sakura has a bit of a crush on him.

Naruto knew better than to bring this up and remained silent as she led them to the tailor's. Sasuke met them there holding three relatively large packs of what Naruto assumed to be his gear.

"These are for you," he said as he heaved one set at Naruto. It landed heavily in his arms, nearly driving him to his knees. "I got sets for you two as well," he continued, tossing a set to Anko and then Gouzen. They caught them with little difficulty. "I don't know what you used in Ame, but these should suffice until our blacksmiths are done repairing your gear."

Naruto kept the sneer off his face.

Repairing? They're probably inspecting every inch of my blade for traces of the Kyuubi or my Kekkei Genkai. Makes sense that they'd keep Anko and Gouzen's too to facilitate the charade.

"When do you think we'll get our stuff back?" Naruto asked as he pulled a kunai belt out of the pack.

"Probably in a couple days," Sasuke answered. "Only them though. You, unfortunately, aren't allowed any other weapon besides standard shinobi gear until you get promoted to chuunin."

"What?" he blurted out.

Sakura looked at him sheepishly.

"It's true," she said. "Only chuunin and up get to have their own weapons."

To emphasize her point, Sasuke whipped out a tanto from behind his back and twirled it around expertly on his finger. It was black, narrow, and covered in chakra seals, clearly placing it outside the realm of "standard shinobi gear".

Naruto suddenly erupted, deep within his head. Was he not good enough to possess a weapon other than some flimsy kunai? What if he was stuck in Konoha forever and they never promoted him beyond genin?

I deserve better than that! he raged, his head pounding and pounding and pounding. I'm better than every one of them! How dare these two idiots presume to command me! I should kill them! I—

"You all right?" Sakura asked. "Hey!"

Naruto blinked in surprise and his rage faded away. He realized he was glaring, so he rubbed at his eyes and then forced a smile onto his face.

"Just tired," he said.

"You'll get your weapons back," Sakura assured him. "With your skill, they'll promote you in no time and then…"

I suppose I really am tired, he thought, ignoring her. I must be if my headaches would act up again over something so…so stupid. I just need to remember the water. I need to remember to be calm. I'm too intelligent for something as petty as anger.

"We're heading to the tailor, correct?" he asked Sakura, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Huh—oh! Indeed we are! I'll try to find you a shirt without, um, those on it and then maybe some neat sandals!"

A gleam of joy lit up her eyes and she grabbed Naruto roughly by the wrist and proceeded to drag him down the street. He heard Anko growl softly behind him, but he offered no resistance. There was certainly no harm in letting Sakura have her fun. Maybe she'd even forget the look on his face as he'd been contemplating slitting her pretty throat.

It only took a few minutes to reach the tailor's and once there, Naruto immediately discarded the ridiculous shirt the hospital had given him and picked out a plain dark blue one to replace it. Sakura tried to throw myriad shirts on him and he forced himself to be as obsequious and cheerful as he could. In the end, however, he wormed his way into buying the one he'd originally chosen. He had to get it extra small, of course, but the fabric felt nice and it matched his pants well.

And it doesn't have flames on it, he thought.

As he tried his new shirt on in the changing room, Naruto chanced a look at his chest in the room's mirror. Curious, he allowed a little chakra to flood into his heart. Within moments, a strange and elegant spiral pattern appeared on his left pectoral.

The Pledge, Naruto thought bitterly.

He tried pumping more chakra into it. The spiral pattern pulsated and grew slightly, but nothing else happened. Naruto frowned in thought, then put his hand in the ram seal.

"Soyokaze no Jutsu," he whispered.

A small breeze blew around Naruto. The pattern pulsated as before, but did nothing else.

Interesting, he thought. That pulse could have been a signal sent to a Konoha sensor, letting them know that I just cast a jutsu. I wonder if they know exactly what kind of jutsu I used.

Naruto glanced behind him at the curtain of his dressing room.

Does every Konoha shinobi have the Pledge? he wondered. Wouldn't I have seen it on them? Would their issui have been different? No, they wouldn't have it. Placing the Pledge on every shinobi would've raised too many eyebrows. There's also the ethical entanglement that Konoha would've been in if the entire continent had found out about this thing. Could it be that only the higher ups know about it? Yes, that would protect the secret. It would also give them the power to place it on anyone they wanted. I guess I should be grateful that it doesn't affect my ability to cast jutsu. At least, not low-level jutsu. I'll have to wait to test a more powerful one. There's just one final thing I need to know.

Naruto took a deep breath, then activated his Kekkei Genkai. He didn't flash it on and off like he had in the hospital, but instead maintained it. The Pledge began pulsating violently. It emitted a vibrant display of issui that reached out towards some unknown place or person.

No pain, Naruto realized.

He turned around and watched the issui of Team 7 and his own team outside the changing booth. The wisps of light danced and played just as they always had.

My abilities don't seem to be inhibited either, he thought with a sense of relief. At least I have that to hold onto. Of course, Konoha will know when I use it. They'll always know so long as this thing is on me. But once I have it off...

Naruto smiled.

It was noon by the time they started the tour, which meant they had to breeze over several less important areas. Given that Naruto and his team had been in Konoha for well over a month, however, Sakura had a feeling they'd seen most of Konoha already. None of them were complaining at least, so she moved onward, always cheerful, always smiling. It was annoying, but she wanted Naruto to feel welcome and happy.

She glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye and frowned. He looked forlorn and angry, not at all in tune with the loving atmosphere she wanted to create.

So he's being Sasuke, she thought. What's wrong now? Is he still suspicious of Naruto?

A couple days ago, Sasuke had expressed certain…doubts about Naruto; namely, his desire to run away to Ame after their battle with Gaara. Sakura had claimed he'd just been exhausted from battle, Sasuke had yelled back that Naruto had wanted to steal a Jinchuriki, and she'd promptly stormed out of the Uchiha Complex and headed home.

Did he really want to take Gaara? she wondered. I remember healing him, but after that…

She shook her head. Such thoughts were irrelevant now. Naruto was on the path to forgiving them. Team 7 was going to be whole again.

"So Sakura," Naruto began suddenly, cutting her off mid-sentence while she was talking about a particularly high quality art store nearby, "is all of Konoha like this?"

He chuckled, but she couldn't help noticing that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well," she answered, "not really. All cities have their seedier parts, right?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Of course, I don't think we've seen Konoha's yet."

"Konoha's what?" she asked.

"It's 'seedier parts'."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Why would you want to go there? It's mostly just old buildings."

Kakashi-sensei had told her to show Naruto all of Konoha, but she'd deliberately been avoiding the more rundown places. She remembered the place Naruto had grown up, so she wanted to steer clear of anything remotely similar to it. Why did he want to see those places, though?

Is he looking for a place to hide Gaara after he kidnaps him?

The thought came unbidden into her mind and she immediately regretted it. Sasuke's paranoia was infecting her, that was all. Naruto would never do such a terrible thing.

"I-I mean," Sakura went on," if you really want to go there, I suppose—"

"No, no!" Naruto said with a laugh. "I much prefer this. I guess I was just wondering if everything in Konoha had changed."

"Not quite everything," she replied with a laugh. "You remember Ichiraku's place? We went there right before—"

Oh gods…

Naruto looked stricken. She remembered so clearly how he'd led her to that sweet little ramen stand right before Sasuke's family had been butchered. Right before Sasuke had led them off into that forest where Naruto was lost.

Anko and Gouzen looked confused, but Sasuke understood perfectly.

"There's a nice restaurant a couple blocks down," he said. "We can take a break there."

He took the lead and led Anko and Gouzen down the street. Anko glanced back at Naruto, but he waved her on.

What is he going to say? she wondered.

She could think of million things she'd say. She could think of million and one things the old Naruto would say. But this Naruto could say or do anything and she wouldn't understand why. He was so different from the boy she'd known. What would he do?

Smiling warmly, he touched her affectionately on the arm. She sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto—"

"Forget about it," he interrupted. "We can't change what happened, but that doesn't mean we have to become mired in self-loathing and grief. Everything will work out."

He grinned encouragingly.

"If you say 'believe it', I'll kill you," she murmured jokingly.

Naruto's grin widened. He then bowed and made an ostentatious wave of his hand towards the ramen shop.

"After you, milady."

Oh Naruto, she thought sadly as she studied his eyes and hands and smile, you would have done that four years ago, wouldn't you? And you know it too. You're doing this for me. Does that mean you want to come back? Or…or are you merely playing a part to make me feel better?

She pulled a small smile across her face and curtsied.

"Why thank you sir," she said. "I do believe I'll accept."

Shouldn't she be allowed to believe that he really wanted to come back? Hadn't she suffered enough sleepless nights when her dreams had been plagued by his burnt fingers stretched out in desperation, begging her to save him? What right did Sasuke or anyone else have to make her doubt Naruto after he'd finally come home to her?

None, she thought. None at all.

It was close to midnight by the time Sakura and Sasuke left them at their new house. It was two stories high and made of a beautiful, almost unnatural wood that shone out dark and rich in the evening sky. The surrounding apartments were made of similar material, but all were unique in their design and appearance. Truly Konoha was a far cry from the wet, grey stone that made up even the wealthiest of homes in Ame.

He waved at them as they disappeared into the night. It was a normal, civilized parting of ways that Naruto knew was necessary to maintain the illusion he was carefully beginning to craft. He had to make it appear as if he was torn between Ame and Konoha, that just a little nudge in the right direction would send him happily back into Konoha's loving arms and all would be as it had been. Yet, he had to do it slowly and carefully. Suspicion would be aroused if he suddenly started acting like the friendly "baka" once again. He already felt as if he'd gone too far with Sakura.

I must tell myself this over and over again, he thought. I must be a perfect model of the Naruto they want me to be: vulnerable and unsure, yet secretly wanting to return.

When they were out of sight, Naruto turned to face Gouzen.

"Let's take a walk," he said.

Gouzen nodded.

Anko glared at Gouzen dangerously, but Naruto shook his head at her.

"Stay here and check out the place," he said. "This won't take long."

"What?" she demanded. "Fuck that! I'm no—"

"Gouzen needs to hear everything from me and I need to know exactly what kind of surveillance is inside that house. That leaves you. Can you do that for me?"

She growled and then stalked off into the house.

When the door slammed shut behind her, Naruto started walking. Gouzen followed close behind, his bulk looming over Naruto like a storm ready to thunder. They ambled along for close to an hour, despite what he'd told Anko. He wanted to make sure they were in a nice and loud place and the ones he'd seen had all been near the center of the city, well far away from their new abode. He found the perfect spot in one of the bars he'd spotted during Sakura's tour. The streets were more packed than they'd been a few hours ago and the bar itself was bursting at the seams, but Naruto simply waved his hitai-ate at the bouncer and they had a seat quickly enough. He ordered them a couple drinks as soon as the waitress came over. She stared at him skeptically when she realized he'd ordered sake, but he showed off his hitai-ate once more and she scurried off. As soon as she was gone, Naruto formed a few hand signs underneath the table and created a simple chakra bubble around Gouzen and himself to blend their voices into the loud noises of the bar. A skilled shinobi would detect the jutsu, but it was too subtle to do anything more than catch their passing attention.

As soon as the bubble had formed, Gouzen said, "Good. Now tell me why we're here. Why would Leader-sama trust this mission to a former dog of Konoha?"

Instead of answering, Naruto simply sat back in his chair and waited. Gouzen glared at him and started to open mouth to speak again, but Naruto held up his hand.

"First we drink."

"Why?" he demanded.

"I'm thirsty."

Gouzen stared at him.

"Fuck this," he growled. "I'm gone."

He started getting up out of his chair. Naruto grinned.

"I wonder how Leader-sama will handle being told to 'fuck this'."

He stopped, half-sitting and half-standing up. His face was indignant and wrathful, but Naruto saw the tiniest tinge of fear within his eyes.

"Before you go off and fuck anything," he continued, "listen to what I have to say. First we'll drink, then I'll talk, and then you can decide to go stick your dick in something. How does that sound?"

Gouzen's face had gone beet red, though Naruto figured it had more to do with embarrassment than anger. Nevertheless, he handled himself relatively well.

"Will I get to leave if I want to?" he asked.

"Of course," Naruto replied.

Gouzen clucked his tongue in annoyance and then plopped himself back down into his chair, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Without Gouzen's help, Naruto realized, Anko and I won't be able to get Yugito and Gaara out of here. There's too much ground to cover for only two people to find them. Even if we did somehow manage to locate them in this massive place, my plan…

His plan was a work in progress. He was reasonably confident about their chances once they got Gaara and Yugito out of wherever they were and into the city. In short, he would disguise both jinchuriki in a Yuutai Henge as bushels of wheat. Anko and Gouzen would carry them in a wagon and would leave under the pretext that they were returning to Ame and had decided to take home food for their families due to the poor crop this year. Since only Jiraiya knew about the Yuutai Henge, Naruto doubted the gatekeepers would stop them. That wasn't the hard part, however. If his suspicions were correct and Konoha was as intelligent as he remembered, Yugito and Gaara were likely in two different locations. As soon as it was found out that one was missing, Konoha would immediately move the other one to a location far, far away. That meant that both jinchuriki had to be taken at around the same time. Since Naruto would be coordinating the plan from afar and Anko couldn't be in two places at once without straining her chakra overmuch and alerting Konoha's chakra sensors, they needed another person: Gouzen.

The waitress brought the sake over in short order, though Naruto waited for her to set down the bottle and walk away before he decided to answer Gouzen's question.

"You asked why Leader-sama trusted a 'dog of Konoha'," Naruto said as he sipped at his saucer. "You would be right to call me such. I was a dog of Konoha and I fought for her as loyally as any dog would. But that changed when I was left to die by my teammates."

Gouzen had begun tilting his saucer up to drink, but stopped.

"They betrayed you?" he asked. "Why? They seemed to like you. A lot."

He emphasized "a lot" with a suspicious glare.

"We were ambushed by a band of Kumo," Naruto replied. "I was downed and the enemy began swarming towards them. They were children and, just as children would in the face of death, they fled. Lady Angel happened to be passing by and she took mercy upon me."

A knowing look passed across Gouzen's face and he sneered.

"How convenient. You expect me to believe the Lady Angel just 'happened' to be there to save you?"

"Are you saying the Lady Angel wouldn't take mercy upon a dying child?"

Gouzen's certainty vanished for a moment. Naruto seized hold of the opportunity.

"She did save me, Gouzen," he said. "She saved me and because of that I will be forever loyal to both her and Leader-sama. Therefore, I will complete every mission that they assign to me without question. It is because of this that they have seen fit to trust me with a task as important as the one we're doing right now."

He stopped in order to allow his words to sink in. By using Gouzen's loyalty towards the concept of "Lady Angel" and "Leader-sama", Naruto had temporarily halted the murderous advance of the boy's thoughts. From there, he'd simply told the truth, which was that he was completely and utterly loyal to Ame. However, it all depended upon Gouzen. No matter how cleverly he disguised himself within religious fervor or spoke of pure and noble loyalty, Naruto had still deceived Gouzen by not telling him his true name and origins. Hopefully the sake was helping him forget that.

Gouzen drank his sake and then put his face in his hands and groaned. Naruto didn't know whether to take that as good or bad, so he simply refilled his own cup and waited.

"I still don't trust you." Gouzen lifted himself out of his hands and gave Naruto an even and calculating stare. "What you're saying…don't bullshit me, all right?"

"I'm not," Naruto said with a frown. He'd been so close. "Why are you so pissed about this? It's not like I betrayed Leader-sama or anything."

"But you could!" Gouzen shouted.

Naruto glared at him and motioned at Gouzen to keep his voice down. He didn't want to strain the bubble anymore than he had to.

"You're from Konoha," he continued in a quieter tone. "What'd prevent you from turning me in to get back in your Kage's good graces?"

"I just told you, Leader-sama and Lady Angel saved my li—"

"Prove it."

"Ask Anko."

Gouzen snorted.

"She'd lie for you."

It was Naruto's turn to groan. His mind raced through different scenarios, but each one he turned to only ended with Gouzen leaving or being killed.

By me, he thought. Should I just kill him? He already knows too much to simply walk away. Maybe it would be easier…No. Konoha would get suspicious if one of my teammates suddenly vanished. And I need him.

"How can I afford to believe you?" Gouzen asked. "Tell me."

"Because you can't afford not to," Naruto retorted.

Gouzen rolled his eyes.

"Explain," he demanded.

Naruto stroked the edge of his saucer thoughtfully. He had a feeling a part of Gouzen wanted to give him a chance, else they wouldn't be having this conversation. Now, what was stopping him?

Fear, he thought. The only thing stopping him is fear. He's afraid Leader-sama will be betrayed. He's afraid he'll be killed.

He needed to make Gouzen feel safe then. Not just that, though. There was something else too. What had sensei said…?

"If you want your subordinates to trust you, you must place trust in them," he murmured involuntarily. "If you want them to follow you, empower them and make them feel needed."

"Beg pardon?" Gouzen asked.

I need Gouzen to know he's needed, he realized. Without him, we'll have to settle for only one jinchuriki. Who knows when we'll get another chance at two?

"Without you, Gouzen," he said, "my plan won't work and I'll fail Leader-sama. We will fail Leader-sama. Do you want that to happen?"

Gouzen narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"It is blasphemy to fail Leader-sama," he said reverently.

"Then that's all the proof you need," he persisted. "Do you really think Leader-sama would let someone of questionable loyalty take on a mission like this? What do you think he would do if someone betrayed him?"

Realization dawned upon Gouzen. Finally, he was at a loss for words. His eyes widened in terror and his mouth opened and closed helplessly. Though he'd proven to be much brighter than Naruto had originally thought, Gouzen was still limited by his upbringing. To Gouzen – to his entire generation – Pain was God.

"I'm guessing it's something similar to what he'd do to someone who failed him," Naruto continued. "Or, to someone who refused to obey his commands."

"I haven't refused anything!" Gouzen shouted.

His calm had vanished completely. Now he was resorting to childish anger.

"You're refusing my commands," Naruto countered, "which were given to me by Leader-sama. Therefore, you're refusing Leader-sama and thus betraying the trust he placed in us."

Gouzen glanced around, searching perhaps for some way to deny Naruto's logic. Naruto felt odd calling his argument "logical" since he was relying primarily on Gouzen's religious fervor, but if it worked he didn't really care.

"Leader-sama did give you the command," Gouzen muttered finally, "and no one can fool God. Maybe…"

There was genuine fear in his eyes. Naruto almost felt sorry for him.

"I'll always follow Leader-sama," Gouzen murmured. "If God put his trust into you, then I can only do the same."

He reached out grasped Naruto's hand tightly to bind his word.

"Thank you Gouzen," Naruto said as he returned Gouzen's handshake happily. "Together, we—"

The grip tightened and Naruto was suddenly yanked forward inches from Gouzen's face. His breath smelt slightly of sake. There was sweat too, and an earthy odor that might have been from the sake saucer.

"If you betray us," Gouzen growled, "if you betray me, I'll kill ya and not even God will save you then."

Gouzen pushed Naruto back away from him, stood up out of his seat, and stalked off into the crowd. Naruto waited until Gouzen's large backside had vanished entirely before he deactivated the chakra bubble. And then he started laughing. He eyed his sake saucer and took a deep gulp. It burned all the way down, but that only made him smile more.

"Guess I'm paying," he chuckled.

"Since when does a runt like you have money for sake?"

Naruto jumped in his chair startled.

Who the hell…?

"Behind you," the voice said.

He turned and found himself face to face with the voice's owner. It only took Naruto a moment to recognize him.

"You!" he exclaimed.

"Me," Jiraiya said with a wink. "What's shakin' little man?"

There wasn't a moon tonight, so he had to light a few extra candles. Sarutobi preferred this anyway. He thought the orange glow the tiny wax columns emitted made his office seem much cozier. He had half a mind to pull out a good, thick book from his ancient shelves and read on and on into the dawn.

More melancholy reading awaits me, I fear, he thought.

A parchment made of thick paper and bound by thin red rope sat in his lap. Within it was Jiraiya's final report on Orochimaru. It was the last bit of information he had on either one of his former students. Orochimaru was locked away in a deep, deep cell and Sarutobi hadn't spoken to Jiraiya for close to two days now, which was quite long considering how closely he'd been monitoring his former pupil.

Ever since the Assembly – a week, I believe – I made sure he's stayed the course, he mused. I talked with him, asked him how he's feeling…all of it. Still, he remained depressed and disconsolate. After my last meeting with the Takai Jounin, I told him that Naruto didn't have the Kyuubi inside him, that he had miraculously survived and that he had to be the one that the Toad Sage had prophesized to save us. I didn't really believe it and I still don't, but I knew it would make him feel better. And it did. I'll never forget the smile that lit up his face. Nor will I forget the gleam that entered his eyes, a look I've seen on Orochimaru's face many times over. Clearly he hadn't believed Naruto was the prophesized one, else his reaction wouldn't have been so strong. Yet what difference could that belief truly make besides moving him to become a mentor to Naruto? But his eyes…hopefully Akira's men can find him and see what he's doing. Until then…

With a sigh, he undid the string and unraveled the parchment.

Just as I expected, he thought when he'd finished. Orochimaru is mine…

He threw the parchment to the side and then took a sip of the sweetened wine they'd imported from Tani no Kuni, the Valley Country. There probably wouldn't be much left of such goods if Kumo was serious about forming an embargo. This latest of threats had come only three days ago, prompting Sarutobi to send back a large portion of the genin he'd been detaining. That wouldn't stop the demands, however. Nor would it stop the spies from attempting to sneak through his walls. Ibiki had already captured and interrogated over a dozen of them.

All for naught, he thought. They'll never talk and my enemies won't stop sending them. They don't care about simple children. They want Yugito. And they can have her as soon as I've wrung the Nibi out of her.

He suddenly heard two hard pounding noises against his door.

Masahiro, he realized.

He glanced down at a small slip of paper hidden beneath a large stack of folders and papers. Fumihiko's neat and precise handwriting covered the entirety of it. He scowled and turned towards the door.

"Enter," he called out.

All muscle and jaw, Masahiro looked to be anything but an expert shinobi. Indeed, his primary weapon was taijutsu and a large katana. Worse, he possessed an impulsive and aggressive temperament that flew in the face of everything shinobi stood for. There was far more to Masahiro than that, however. He was surprisingly proficient in genjutsu and he and his brother, Yasahiro, had studied biology and Kekkei Genkai shortly after passing their Jounin Exams. Yasahiro had even earned an apprenticeship under Takenaka Chizu, the famed "Mother of Genetics", a few years before the war had started when he was only twenty. This expertise had been vital during the war when Kumo had let loose a deadly virus amongst some of the villages providing food and shelter to Konoha troops. Using their knowledge and working in conjunction with Konoha's own experts, Masahiro and Yasahiro had been able to create a complex defensive jutsu that protected friendly shinobi from the virus. Sarutobi had promoted them both to Takai Jounin after the war as a result. Since then, Masahiro had become one of Sarutobi's top lieutenants. Yasahiro, on the other hand, had slowly worked his way up to becoming the Assistant Head of the Konoha Medical Center, as well as the Chief Researcher in the Department of Research and Development.

After observing the necessary honorifics, Masahiro sat down in one of the seats next to Sarutobi's desk. True to his impulsive nature, he opened his mouth to begin relating his report. Sarutobi held up his hand almost on instinct.

Such an impatient one, he thought.

Masahiro blushed and closed his mouth. As a bubble of silencing chakra swept over the entire room, Sarutobi ran his eyes over his lieutenant.

"Now, what news of our guests?" he asked.

"Yasahiro says Yugito is talking about giving 'it' up," Masahiro answered.

"Truly?"

Masahiro nodded.

"And Gaara?" Sarutobi asked.

"He is proving to be more difficult than anticipated," he replied.

That is to be expected, Sarutobi thought. His fool of a father abused him.

"Has he hurt anyone?" he asked.

"Two chuunin were severely injured last week, but Yasahiro was able to get Gaara's eyes to change into something comparable to Yugito and Naruto's. In other words, three out of the nine jinchuriki have displayed those eyes. More than that, we have discovered remarkable similarities between Yugito and Gaara in key segments of their genetic code. Blood samples taken from Naruto as an Academy initiate have shown the exact same thing. In other words, possessing a Bijuu is equivalent to possessing an enormously powerful Kekkei Genkai. This is proof the eyes are a connection to the Bi—"

"Two out of eight," Sarutobi corrected.

Masahiro blinked.

"Milord?"

"Naruto is no longer a jinchuriki," he explained. "Thus far, only two actual jinchuriki have shown eyes similar in appearance and ability to Naruto's Kekkei Genkai. Always remember that. And be careful you don't run away with our current findings. Kekkei Genkai are hereditary, meaning they can't be given to anyone outside of a certain gene pool. However, that the former jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and the jinchuriki of the Ichibi and Nibi demonstrate this power seems to indicate that jinchuriki share a common ability, much like a Kekkei Genkai. Seems to."

You will do well to remember that, Sarutobi thought. To think of what would have happened without Fumihiko…

Masahiro bowed his head and murmured, "Yes, milord."

"Do not mistake my words for criticism," Sarutobi said. "Only caution. You and your brother have done well. Thanks to your efforts, we can begin moving on to the next phase of development."

He noted the elation in Masahiro's eyes, the way his chakra welled up like a wave ready to crash happily against the shore. The boy was oblivious.

"Excellent news, milord," Masahiro said. "We've already drawn up a list of suitable candidates. When would you like us to begin copying? Yugito will be ready sooner than Gaara, milord, so I would—"

"What does Fumihiko say?" Sarutobi interrupted. "I almost forgot his input at our last meeting and I would be remiss to make that same mistake again. What is his report?"

A frown suddenly cracked across Masahiro's face.

"Fumihiko-sama has raised some…concerns about our planned extraction."

At least he's being honest, Sarutobi thought.

"Explain," he commanded.

Masahiro's frown deepened.

"It's very frustrating, milord," he answered. "My brother has tried to convince him otherwise, but he says there are too many things that could go wrong." He sighed and continued, "More specifically, he thinks that the Nibi is 'biding its time'. He discovered a hidden condition in Gaara's seal. The condition causes the seal to completely close the connection between the Ichibi and Gaara if too much demonic chakra pollutes Gaara's own chakra network. The Ichibi must have overpowered this condition early on, most likely due to the poor sealwork. Its defeat during the invasion, however, has weakened it enough for the condition to activate."

"I fail to see the problem," Sarutobi said.

"The problem, milord, is that Yugito doesn't have any such condition. In other words, there should be no reason for the Nibi not to be able to start controlling Yugito like it did during the Exams. Her seal doesn't limit its strength, doesn't inhibit its ability to enter her mind—"

"Neither did Gaara's," Sarutobi interjected.

"But that was due to poor sealwork milord, as I mentioned earlier," Masahiro explained. "The makers intended it to inhibit the Ichibi's abilities and it does just that, in a manner of speaking. Because Yugito's seal actually seems to be written very well, however, Fumihiko concluded that its lack of safeguards was intentional. Technically, this means the Nibi could rise up at any time."

"And you wanted to proceed without informing me of this?" Sarutobi asked. He spoke in a quiet and menacing voice, one that he often used when dealing out punishment.

Masahiro licked his lips nervously and said, "Forgive me, milord. I simply don't think the risks are great enough. My brother has been testing Yugito quite rigorously and the Nibi has yet to attack. I have no reason to assume it will attack while we are transmuting and copying Yugito's chakra network and even if it does, my brother and I have set up numerous binding jutsu that should keep the Bijuu stable throughout the entire process—"

Sarutobi held up his hand and scowled. Instead of feeling angry, however, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. The system he'd built was working. Masahiro was one of his top men, yet Fumihiko had felt no qualms about informing Sarutobi of his mistake. This was because Sarutobi trusted each and every one of them with the responsibility of not only their own duties, but that of their fellow Takai Jounin. In Sarutobi's experience, if you wanted your subordinates to trust you, you had to place trust in them. If you wanted them to follow you, you needed to empower them and make them feel needed.

And now, even though I must punish Masahiro, he must understand how necessary he is to Konoha, Sarutobi thought. I must make him aware of his mistakes and help him learn from them. I'll give him command of Orochimaru. It is a less prestigious holding than experimenting with the jinchuriki, but its importance is great enough that I know he'll still feel trusted. First, however…

"Fumihiko raises legitimate concerns, Masahiro," Sarutobi said, "and your impulsivity could have resulted in severe repercussions for Konoha and her people. Had the Council gotten wind of this, you would have lost your rank and been discharged dishonorably for an indefinite amount of time."

Masahiro's strong jaw failed, letting his mouth gape open in horror.

"M-my Lord, I—"

"Fortunately for you," Sarutobi continued, "you have more than proven your worth to me and to Konoha. I understand the reasoning behind your actions and will not go to such extreme lengths to punish you. Fumihiko will take over the project in your stead. You and your brother will be moved back to your normal duties."

His face pale and stunned, Masahiro bowed his head once more and replied, "As you wish, Hokage-sama. T-thank you, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded and continued, "Do not fret, Masahiro. A failure or two can be quite beneficial. Now, after this meeting I want you to go to Fumihiko and inform him of his new duties. Understood?"

Masahiro grimaced, but nodded and murmured, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Is there anything further?" Sarutobi asked. "If not, we can move on to Jiraiya's report."

"There is something, milord," Masahiro answered. "I…It is my hope, milord, that you will understand that this was neither my idea nor my doing."

Sarutobi gripped his tobacco pouch tightly between his fingers and held it there. Long years of tragic reports being delivered in the same fearful voice that Masahiro was using now had given him ample opportunity to develop methods to brace himself. One of those methods was his pouch.

"Tell me," Sarutobi said, fingers firmly latched onto the pouch.

Masahiro nodded and explained, "Fumihiko has created a jutsu that would essentially prolong a Bijuu extraction over a much longer period, as opposed to releasing the Bijuu in their entirety. With it, we could safely transfer the Bijuu from Yugito and Gaara to two newborns without raising alarm or posing a threat to anyone. The Bijuu simply wouldn't be able to respond in a dangerous way."

"And why would Fumihiko create this?" Sarutobi asked. A growing sense of foreboding was beginning to take hold of his innards. Bijuu extraction was a nasty and dangerous business, usually only done in secret by governments desiring a jinchuriki. Or by a missing-nin hungry for power. Would Fumihiko go rogue? Perhaps he had ratted Masahiro out to undermine Sarutobi's faith in his subordinates. Or maybe—

"It…it was to keep the jinchuriki alive after extraction," Masahiro replied.

His fingers unconsciously released from his pouch.

"Keep them alive?" he asked. "How? Why?"

"I feel the same way, milord," Masahiro blurted out. "I've tried telling him over and over again that such ideas are foolish—"

"Why?" Sarutobi repeated.

To see such a massive man quail before him might have been amusing to Sarutobi had the issue at hand not been so serious.

Masahiro cleared his throat nervously and then answered, "Fumihiko hypothesizes that Ame recognized Naruto as a Jinchuriki when they found him, tried to extract the Kyuubi from him when they saw he was dying, and then…Even Fumihiko is skeptical about this, milord, and he didn't want to tell you about this, eh, idea until he'd learned more, but—"

"Finish what you started, Masahiro," Sarutobi commanded.

"Y-yes, milord," Masahiro mumbled. "Fumihiko believes that during the extraction process, something went wrong. As you know milord, jinchuriki have only a few moments of life left in them after the extraction of their Bijuu. For some reason – and this is what Fumihiko doesn't understand – Naruto survived and the Kyuubi was driven out of his body and back into the Realm of the Bijuu. The aftermath of this was Naruto as he is now."

I…this is incredible, Sarutobi thought. If this is true…

"If I understand this correctly," Sarutobi said aloud, hiding his amazement as best he could, "then Naruto's experience could be replicated? If so, then Fumihiko wishes to extract the Bijuu from Yugito and Gaara, keep them alive, observe the effects, and then repeat the process in one of our own. Is this correct, Masahiro?"

"As far as I understand, milord," Masahiro answered, "that is correct. A far longer and more laborious process than the one we have devised now, as you might imagine milord."

"But much less dangerous, if it works," Sarutobi muttered.

"How?" Masahiro demanded. His eyes widened when he'd realized the tone he'd taken and he quickly said, "Apologies, Hokage-sama. I simply feel that the Nibi will recognize an extraction the moment we begin drawing the symbols. It'll fight to break free, and then—"

"Always remember this when dealing with jinchuriki," Sarutobi interrupted. "They are the eyes and ears of their Bijuu. Without them, the demon can know nothing of the outside world. Therefore—"

"Knock the Jinchuriki out and the Bijuu won't know it's being extracted until it's too late," Masahiro murmured involuntarily. He glanced up at Sarutobi, blushed, and said, "Apologies again, Hokage-sama."

"Quite all right," Sarutobi said. "As long as you understand."

"If I might, Hokage-sama," Masahiro asked, "couldn't we simply then incapacitate Yugito before my experiment?"

Sarutobi frowned and shook his head.

"No," he answered. "Your experiment involves the manipulation of Yugito's chakra network, which the Nibi would sense immediately and react to with its full strength. Fumihiko's design will only alert the Bijuu once its essence is being drawn out. At that point, it will already be trapped by a new seal and thus be unable to react."

"But not by Yugito's seal, milord," Masahiro persisted. "There are no safeguards around it."

"True," Sarutobi said, "but if we can hold the Nibi back with your binding jutsu, that should give Fumihiko's seal enough time to bind it. If we can get a fair portion of its essence into the new vessel then we should be safe from any reprisals. We can have Fumihiko increase the speed of the transfer as much as he can. Worst case scenario, the Nibi's essence will break free of your binding jutsu—"

"Releasing bits and pieces of its essence in the lab like the chakra remnants from the Kyuubi after its attack," Masahiro interjected. His face reddened and he mumbled, "Apologies, Hokage-sama."

"I'm simply glad you understand it all," Sarutobi replied with a smile. "Now tell me in full: why can't we use your method?"

Masahiro nodded and said, "Using my method, the Bijuu could take possession of Yugito at a moment's notice and bring harm to Konoha. The binding jutsu I've designed are poor replacements for an actual jinchuriki seal, so they would do little to hold the Nibi back. Fumihiko's method is safer and more effective because the Nibi is never actually free from a seal at any time. By the time the Nibi becomes aware it's being drawn out and begins fighting, a portion of it will already be in the new seal and vessel. In this weakened state, the Nibi will be vulnerable to my binding jutsu."

"After our meeting," Sarutobi said, "tell Fumihiko exactly what you just told me and inform him of the new changes I want made to his design."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Masahiro asked. "Does…does this mean I'm back on the project, Hokage-sama?"

"No," Sarutobi said. "You must learn from your mistakes before I grant you that honor, especially considering the gravity of your error. However, I require your aid with something else. Will you do this for me?"

"Whatever you wish, Hokage-sama," Masahiro replied eagerly.

Sarutobi picked up the report on Orochimaru and tossed it to him.

"Make the necessary preparations," he commanded as Masahiro read with ever widening eyes. "This is your chance to redeem yourself. Do not fail me, Masahiro. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Hokage-sama."

"You basmmmmmh!"

Jiraiya clamped his hand over Naruto's mouth by trapping him in a headlock. Without batting an eye, he proceeded to drag the boy out of the bar, kicking and biting.

"Now what would your mother say if she saw you?" Jiraiya asked loudly. "Little kid like that drinking in a bar…you'd don't even have a woman with ya yet!"

Anyone in the bar who happened to be watching the scene burst into laughter. As they stepped out into the warm night and left the din of the bar behind, the joking smile vanished off of Jiraiya's face. His pace quickened, so much so that Naruto couldn't keep up. Jiraiya tossed him over his shoulder and kept moving.

"FU—"

Jiraiya snapped his fingers and a bubble of chakra covered Naruto's mouth. He thought he heard the boy scream in frustration, but he paid no mind and continued to descend further and further into the night, past the dim and dying lights of houses and shops and through alleys and backstreets infested with the lowest forms of life Konoha had to offer.

Jiraiya reached out with his senses and felt the two scouts that were trailing Naruto. They were small, precise flecks of light amidst an ocean of stars, but Jiraiya could pinpoint their location with a reasonable degree of certainty.

Not too far away, he realized, but not close enough to have a visual on us. They must be going off our chakra signatures then. Good.

Without a second thought he cast a Yuutai Henge over Naruto and himself, then ducked into a nearby shack and dropped Naruto onto the floor next to a homeless man. The man jerked awake, mumbled something, and then caught sight of Jiraiya. Suspicion and fear lit up the tiny dark spots that were his eyes. He wiped a sleeve against his tobacco-stained mouth.

"Wha'chu want?" the man asked. "I ain't got nothin' and I don't approve of unknown indevijules in my 'ovel."

Jiraiya pulled a smooth stone out of his pocket, tossed it up and down in his hand a few times, and then whipped it at the man's hand in a motion too fast to be seen. The rock collided into the man's forehead with a crack and he collapsed back onto the ground unconscious.

As he guided the stone back into his hand with chakra, Jiraiya noticed Naruto staring at the bum's sleeping form with worried eyes. He snapped his fingers happily and the chakra bubble around Naruto's mouth dissipated. The boy massaged his jaw gingerly. Finding nothing missing, he turned a bright blue stare onto Jiraiya.

"He's not dead," Jiraiya said..

"I know that!" he snapped derisively. "Will he hear us though?"

Jiraiya grinned.

"Why would that matter?" he asked.

"Hell if I know," Naruto retorted. "I can only assume what prompted you to drag me out into a dark alley in a Yuutai must have been of at least marginal importance."

"You're annoyingly verbose for a child," Jiraiya remarked with a frown.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"To break you out of Konoha," Jiraiya answered.

For all of Naruto's verbosity, his eyes still widened as any child's would have.

"Wait, what?" he blurted out. "W-why? How?

Jiraiya smiled. When the old man had asked him to torture Orochimaru, he'd changed irrevocably. Though he hadn't lived in Konoha for years, it had still been his home. The old man had been his kindly and wise teacher, the city's shinobi had been its noble and virtuous guardians, and the people had been bastions of good will. But all that was gone. It had vanished with the first cut of his knife into Orochimaru's flesh. Or perhaps the war had transformed his home into the ruthless city-state it was now.

Maybe it's always been like this, he thought, his smile fading, and my eyes have only now been opened.

Had it been only a week, a mere seven days lying across his bed in a drunken stupor angry and sad at the world? It'd felt like a lifetime, each day passing slower than the last. And the nights…

But now he had purpose. Now he felt as if he was doing something right. He would take Naruto from this ruthless, horrid place and protect him. And there was the prophecy to consider.

Could Naruto really be the one? he wondered. Wouldn't you need divine protection to survive a Bijuu extraction?

That's what the old man thought. Or at least, that's what he acted like he thought. The actual reason behind the Hokage's actions escaped Jiraiya. If he'd been an honest man, he might've admitted that he should have known something was up the moment Sarutobi had told him the other, far more nefarious purpose behind torturing Orochimaru besides bringing Tsunade back. Fortunately for his ego, Jiraiya wasn't an honest man. That didn't help Naruto, though. He had this "Pledge" on him and his every move was being monitored. To think he'd let Minato's legacy be subject to this…

That's precisely the reason I need to get him out of here, Jiraiya thought forcefully. The Kyuubi is gone from him and he's alive. He's the subject of the Toad Sage's prophecy. He has to be, right? What other explanation is there? He survived the extraction, has abilities no other shinobi has ever had in known history, and is the son of the man I originally thought was our savi—could that be it? Do I want him to be Minato? I-it's certainly possible, I'll admit, even likely…what if he's not the one? What do I say when Naruto won't accept my excuses anymore? Do I tell him the truth, that I'm an old and regretful man looking to correct my many, many mistakes through him? Should I say he's the "chosen one" and that I'm here to guide him on a noble quest to save the world? Or could I…could I actually tell him that I want to care about him? He's got problems, yeah, and his intentions might be nefarious, but he's Minato's boy…and my godson. That's my reason: I will protect him because he's family. He's my family and I'm his. That should be enough. If not, then I'll deal with it.

"Let's just focus on that last question," Jiraiya said. "The 'how'. First, we need to get that thing off your chest."

He roughly grabbed Naruto shirt and ripped it open, laying bear the pudgy flesh of Naruto's Yuutai.

Worse than I thought, Jiraiya thought with a frown.

"O-oh gods!" Naruto shrieked.

The Pledge hadn't reacted favorably to the Yuutai. A large crack had formed in its chest, letting black ink ooze up onto the Yuutai. A tendril suddenly erupted out of where the Yuutai's heart would have been and Naruto let out a tiny yelp. It waved back and forth in the air and then drove its edge deep across the Yuutai's skin, leaving a long black stain extending from the Yuutai's heart to the end of its right pectoral. Jiraiya noticed another tendril creeping right behind the first and grimaced. Slowly but surely, a large black kanji symbol was clawing its way up out of the Yuutai's very chest.

"I don't wanna take it off yet," he explained. "Konoha'll go crazy and that can't happen until you're ready to leave. Unless you're ready to leave now. Are you? And make it quick, kid. That thing will break free soon and then they'll know your location."

Jiraiya fixed the boy with an even stare. He had his suspicions about why Naruto was actually in Konoha, which had only been bolstered when he'd felt the chakra bubble Naruto had put over himself in the bar. He didn't have anything concrete though. If there was a deeper, perhaps more nefarious, purpose behind Naruto coming to Konoha, Jiraiya figured the might want to stay here until he'd done what he needed to do.

He watched Naruto's mannerisms carefully. To Naruto's credit as a shinobi, he seemed to have gotten over the fact that something was clawing its way out of his fake chest. He was grimacing, but the wild look that had entered his eyes when he'd shrieked was gone. At the very least, he had calmed himself. For the briefest moment, it even appeared as if he was deep in thought.

"Why should I leave?" he asked. "Konoha is my home and I've done nothing wrong."

"You're too calm, kid," Jiraiya remarked. "Props to ya for coming up with that on the fly. Not a lot of genin would keep it cool under pressure."

Naruto didn't flinch.

"Should I be hysterical and frantic then?" he asked. "And what exactly are—"

Another Pledge tendril shot up through his chest and his eyes widened horrifically.

"Hurry up," Jiraiya said. "The Yuutai will be gone soon and then they'll know exactly where you are. 'Course that shouldn't be a problem since you love 'em and all. Then again, they might wonder how you slipped off their little Pledge radar, so they'll probably keep a closer eye on ya too. A word from me though and that won't happen."

Naruto glared and said nothing.

Let's try another tactic, Jiraiya thought.

He groaned and said, "Look, I know there's a reason you're here. I honestly, sincerely don't give a shit what, when, why, where, who, or how. All I care about is getting you out of Konoha as soon as possible."

"Why?" he demanded.

A good question, Jiraiya thought, but one I can't answer just yet.

"All you need to know is that I want you – and your teammates, I suppose – safe," he said. "Konoha will not be safe for any of you. Therefore, I want to take you out of Konoha. Ya follow?"

"Of course I follow!" he snapped. "Why the hell should I trust you though? For all I know Konoha sent you to test my loyalty or something."

Jiraiya glanced down at the Pledge.

"We have time," Naruto insisted.

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"If I tell you a state secret," he said, "will you trust me?"

Naruto snorted and said, "How will I know what you tell me is true?"

"I think you'd know if the Kyuubi wasn't inside you," he said.

Despite the disaster on their hands if they were caught, the seal bursting through Naruto's flesh, and the small voice in Jiraiya's head screaming at him that what he was doing was wrong, the expression that popped up on Naruto's face elicited the best laugh he'd had in a long time.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the boy shouted finally, his voice now as high-pitched and terrified as a child's.

"They know, kid," he explained. "They kn—"

"Why am I still fucking here then?" he demanded. "Hell, why don't they just fucking kill me and get it over with? I'm useless to them!"

"You curse a lot for a kid," Jiraiya remarked. "And you're not useless. You survived a Bijuu extraction and you're in possession of a new Kekkei Genkai. They're very, very interested in you, have no doubt."

Naruto didn't say anything. He sat there staring up at Jiraiya with eyes full of worry and fear, looking very much like a twelve-year old child.

"I've just proven that you can trust me," Jiraiya said finally. "I can't think of any scenario in which Konoha would want me to tell you they know about your lack of a Bijuu. Hell, I can't think of one that involves me dragging you into an alley to help you escape. Point is, this isn't a trick. But that's ultimately your call to make."

Jiraiya stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands. Naruto continued to stare at him.

"I'm gonna take this Yuutai off you now," he said. "What you do after that is up to you. Way I see it you have two general options. One, ignore me and go about your business. If that business happens to be legal, that's fine and best of luck. If it's not…best of luck regardless. Two, you take me up on my offer and I'll get you and your team home."

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but closed it straightaway. Jiraiya nodded in understanding and snapped his fingers. The Yuutai vanished in a shimmer and the Pledge flew back into place instantaneously. Naruto's chakra signature was now open and free for all to see.

"That's good that you want to think it over, Naruto," Jiraiya went on. "Ya need time for something like this. I'll tell Konoha I sensed something weird with your seal and had to fix it. That should give you some time before they take a break from this political bullshit and start taking a much closer look at ya. A week, I think. Not much, but enough to weigh your options. I'll arrange a meeting between us, say, in five days. Something a little more formal than an alley, maybe?"

He grinned the way a cat might, all teeth and mischief. Naruto merely gulped.

"It's settled," Jiraiya proclaimed. "You keep up your friendly act and we'll talk in a few days. Ah, almost forgot. Our get-together will have to be early afternoon. I have an, er, appointment later that day that'll keep me preoccupied. Sound good?"

Naruto nodded quickly.

Jiraiya winked and then turned away to walk outside.

That should do it, he thought as the the warm air of the summer night rushed to greet him. If I've figured him out – which I have – then he'll have to see me again. And then, if I'm right, he'll agree and we'll get out of Konoha forever. I can train him like I did with his father and if he's the Prophesized One, great. If he's not, that's fine too. I'll save you Naruto, I swear it. I swear it on everything I am, little as that may be. You just gotta trust me.

Birds sang merrily outside his window, preaching the glorious word of spring and the morning wind. Their song was muted only slightly by the wooden panels of his bedroom and house. He'd been grateful to hear the birds and the bustle of Konoha outside throughout his entire childhood, yet this morning…this morning was different for Uchiha Sasuke.

The birdsong was screeching metal in his ears and the flow of wagons and carts across the paved roads felt like drums pounding relentlessly against the sides of his skull. He hated the cool air of springtime, the elegant patterns carved into the wood of his bedroom, and the noise raging inside his head from the outside world. He wished for fire to burn everything, so the throbbing, beating noise would go away.

The pain lessened as his hatred grew. He realized this and, frantic to end his suffering, dedicated himself to hatred. He would hate the world if it made the pain vanish!

Sasuke's eyelids flew open, exposing two dark pupils to the world. Everything was black, telling him that the night was still well under way. There would be no sun to ease his turmoil.

Keeping the rest of his body perfectly still, Sasuke ran his eyes around the entirety of his room in search of the fire and hatred in his dream. All that answered him were shadows and the creaking whispers of his empty and silent room: his desk, ancient and beloved as a relic of his childhood, sat in the far left corner with quill and leaves of parchment resting upon it; training equipment lying on the opposite end clanged noisily from the wind seeping through the narrow slits in the thin doors to his room; and finally, a large closet full of clothes both rich and new (and relatively untouched) loomed over him hiding unknown monsters within its depths.

Sasuke smirked at the thought, though he nevertheless quickly turned his gaze away from the closet and onto the door at the far end of his room. He hadn't been afraid of the shadow beasts in that thing for ages. This had been facilitated by a maid of his when he was five, who had illuminated its murky depths with a mere candle and a wry grin. He'd always liked her…

The maid suddenly stepped through the door, her grin wild and insane and her body lacerated with myriad cuts from a traitor's blade.

"Thank you!" she cried out merrily.

A bird let out a soft trill just like the one in his nightmare. Sasuke bolted upright with a pained gasp, while his heart pounded and throbbed against his chest with the force of a hammer. Without thinking he reached up and clamped his hand around the symbols burning and writhing across his skin.

Black and fiery tendrils wrapped themselves lovingly around his fingers. The pain vanished, as did the maid and her terrifying visage. Pure hatred warmed his innards. He wanted to dive into it and escape—

"No!" he shouted.

He wrenched both his hand and mind away from the Mark. The warmth and hatred vanished instantly, leaving him in the dark once more. Sasuke breathed rapidly and shallowly, while his eyes darted between the doorway and his smoking hand.

The binding seal isn't working, Sasuke realized.

Kakashi had told him that it wouldn't eliminate all of the Mark's effects. He'd said that Sasuke would just have to manage and resist its temptations.

Temptations? he asked, his thoughts once more falling into anger. How is any of this "tempting"? I'm plagued by hallucinations at every turn, my very chest aches from the beat of my heart, and—who's whispering?

Sasuke froze and listened to the creaks and groans of his room. Realizing there was no one, he moaned and angrily slammed his palms into his forehead. Even his thoughts were turning against him.

Relax, Kakashi's voice told him. Focus on your Self. What is your Self? It is the destruction of Itachi. It is a mission…a goal…a force driving you to become stronger.

He exhaled. He exhaled once more. Calm and tranquility, serenity and peace. He must be vigilant so that the snake's poison would not corrupt and destroy him. He would never kill Itachi otherwise.

Breathing out one last time, Sasuke lifted his head up high and prepared for the new day.

The maid stared back at him mere inches from his face, her eyes wide and bloodshot and her mouth spread in a large and terrifying grin.

"Thank you."

Anko smiled and lovingly rubbed the tiny, inch-long scar that ran through her right middle finger. It was from a long time ago, back when she'd been one of Orochimaru's pets. Tayuya had been teaching her how to dodge kunai with her eyes closed. Most of them had landed in her shoulders and arms, but there was one that had only nicked her right on her finger. Out of all them, that had been the one to make her cry. She'd just been so close…and then Tayuya had thrown a piece of chocolate at her.

What an idiot, she thought with a grin. It faded off her face when her thoughts inevitably leapt to Tayuya's current condition. That fucking nurse would only say Tayuya was in "Critical Fucking Care". Sets up a nice excuse in case they want to kill her. Bastards…

Unfortunately, asking about Tayuya was all Anko had been able to do during the short time she'd been conscious in the hospital. Now finally, she had some free time to actively think about how to bust her friend out.

"Where's the remote?" Gouzen growled.

Anko scratched her cheek and glared over at Gouzen. The idiot had returned ahead of Naruto about twenty minutes ago. When she'd asked what had happened, he'd merely shrugged.

"Found it!" he exclaimed.

The television roared to life moments later and Anko found herself wanting to bury her head in the large pile of scrolls littering their kitchen table. Or maybe planting her fist through Gouzen's fat face would do the trick.

Not gonna get any thinking done here, she thought as Gouzen abruptly burst into uproarious laughter. Maybe Naruto's still at the bar. A nice drink would help me think a little…

A loud banging noise sent her hand flying to the kunai at her side. It sounded like the front door downstairs.

"That you Naruto?" she called out.

The quick patter of tiny feet up the steps behind her was answer enough.

"What took ya so long?" she asked. "How the fuck could you get hammered without—"

Naruto's eyes were red. They were red and they were speeding around in his sockets at stomach-churning speed.

"Holy…Gouzen grab a medical scroll!" she ordered. "What the hell—"

"Just grab some gauze and gel, Gouzen," Naruto interrupted. "I'm fine. Just got into a bit of a brawl at the bar. Some fucker cuffed me right above the eyes, got blood all over…"

Blood? Anko thought, her worry mounting. There's not a cut on him. Is he delusional? Shit, he's trying to avoid the bugs in the wall!

The television suddenly grew silent and Gouzen's head popped around the corner.

"What's goin' on?" he asked. "Who—holy…"

"Anko already covered that, I think," Naruto said with a smile. "The gauze and gel, if you would be so kind?"

Naruto's eyes started whirling around so fast his irises became little more than crimson blurs. Anko felt her stomach lurch.

Gouzen blinked nervously and stuttered, "I-I don't think—"

"Of course we have medical gear!" Anko snapped. "Go get some now!"

Gouzen reared back stunned, mumbled something, and then hurried off to obey. Anko sighed and massaged her temples. Thank the gods she'd realized what Naruto was doing in time…

"He can be such an idiot," Naruto joked. "Sometimes I wonder—oi!"

Anko punched him hard in the arm, nearly knocking him over.

"Explain," she ordered.

Naruto rubbed his arm gingerly and then glared at her. "Glare" was a relative term, of course.

"I told ya I got into a fight," he grumbled.

"How'd you get home?" she persisted. "And why the hell d'you get in a fight for?"

"I, uh, felt up this girl…"

Blood rushed up Anko's neck.

"You what?" she asked quietly.

"I had a few drinks and started hittin' on this chick," he explained with a cocksure grin. "Her boyfriend decked me. Buuuuuut…I got her name! Ooh, I should write her a letter!"

He's still acting, she realized.

Anko sighed and, grabbing Naruto's shoulders, directed him into a seat at the table. She snatched a quill out from under a book and placed it in his hand. He promptly began writing on the cover of a book. She slapped his hand to get him to stop and then placed it onto a piece of paper.

"Dear Mi-zu-mi…or was it Mazami?" he wondered aloud, his face suddenly thoughtful and worried. "Masami? Fuck!"

She chuckled and casually took a peak over his shoulder.

What is he trying to say? she wondered. To her dismay, most of it was just scribbles, piss-poor attempts at words that might as well have been written by a drunk.

"I don't think she can read that," she remarked.

She quickly put a new sheet in front of him, filled the quill back up with ink, and then gently wrapped her hand around his and held it firmly against the paper and the table. Naruto blinked a few times and then slowly began tracing kanji.

Once he'd gotten into a rhythm, Anko let go and set about finding Gouzen. She wandered through the kitchen and living room before finally spotting him in the bathroom rifling through their medical kit.

He glanced up at her approach with a worried look on her face and mouthed, "What the hell?"

She shook her head and motioned for him to follow her. As they made their way back over to Naruto, Anko desperately tried to figure out what was happening. Naruto's eye thing was undoubtedly his Kekkei Genkai acting up, she knew, though she'd never seen it that bad. In fact, Naruto's Kekkei Genkai hadn't ever done anything like this before they'd been hospitalized. Could Konoha have done something to him Naruto while he was unconscious?

"Perfect!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly.

Anko twitched at the outburst and glanced at Naruto. His eyes had stopped spinning, she noticed, and they looked as clear and brilliant as ever. Proudly, he picked up his "letter" between his index finger and thumb and waved it at them.

"Check it out," he said.

She snatched it out of his hands and ran her eyes over it quickly. The first half of the page was almost indecipherable. Most of the kanji had been crossed out by Naruto, presumably after he'd gotten his eyes under control. Those that weren't could barely be called words. She quickly moved on to the bottom half and started reading. Without realizing, her mouth slowly began to fall open and her eyes began to grow wider and wider. She almost dropped it when she saw Jiraiya's name. It slipped out of her hands entirely when she read the final, resounding conclusion to Naruto's plan.

"Lemme see!" Gouzen demanded. He clumsily tossed the kit onto the table and snatched the letter off the ground. Only moments later, Anko heard him mutter, "In the name of Leader-sama…"

Naruto grinned toothily and, despite having not activated his Kekkei Genkai, his eyes seemed to glow red with mischief and victory. He leaned back and asked, "So, think I have a shot with her?"

A/N: I'm worried Gouzen might have become willing to help Naruto a bit too quickly. But, I figured he'd recognize that he really doesn't have many other alternative options besides just up and abandoning the mission. Let me know if you feel this is still too abrupt.

The phrase about empowering subordinates that both Naruto and Sarutobi say is identical on purpose. I think it's interesting that a lesson Sarutobi passed down to all the students he had over the years would find its way to Naruto.

Sorry if the dialogue between Masahiro and Sarutobi got too dry or technical. I wanted to make sure what they were doing was scientific and possible (or at least as plausible and realistic as anything in a universe with "chakra" can be). It might seem silly to try and apply logic to a universe that has as many, er, "stretches" as the Naruto canon does, but I think it makes everything more interesting. I also thought it'd be cool to see how Sarutobi is still a teacher to the Takai Jounin, despite how powerful and learned they are now.

As always, let me know what I did well and what I can improve on. For example, I mentioned earlier that I had doubts about Gouzen agreeing too quickly. Another problem could be that Jiraiya's appearance seemed contrived and too sudden (no pun intended). Again, let me know about these problems (in a constructive manner please :]).

Thanks,

Oramo