Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't kill off everyone.

Chapter 27: The Road We Take

"We have a lot to talk about before we reach Konoha," spoke Jiraiya, as the group made their way for their village.

"I suppose so. First of all, what are we going to do with him?" asked Minato, while pointing to the bound Madara.

"How about let me go?" asked Madara, sounding like he did as Tobi.

"Right after Ero-sennin stops being a pervert," replied Naruto.

"I tried..." muttered Madara.

"Shouldn't you be in excruciating pain right now?" asked Sasuke.

"I would be if it weren't for the pain killers Sasori had. It's just a dull pain," replied Madara.

"Remind me again why we had to do that?" asked Sasuke.

"As much as he deserves to suffer, he's still a person. Once his fate has been decided, there will be more than enough time for him to atone for his crimes," replied Naruto.

"I suppose," spoke Sasuke.

"That still leaves us with the question of what to do with him," spoke Minato.

"Given the scope of his crimes and those of Akatsuki, he'll likely be brought before a council composed of members from all the Five Shinobi Countries, as well as the village leaders of the lesser villages," replied Jiraiya.

"That would make sense. I suppose the world has become a little more stable since I was hokage," spoke Minato.

"To some degree. Even though the current Tsuchikage wasn't the one leading Iwa during the Iwa-Konoha conflict, there are those in the village who would kill you on sight. I'm sure knowledge of your being alive is bound to stir up their village," replied Jiraiya.

"Even when I was in Iwa, you were constantly referred to as our greatest enemy, hm," spoke Deidara.

"That's right, you're a missing-nin from Iwa, right? I guess I'm not surprised," replied Minato.

"If I were you, I would avoid Tsuchi no Kuni for the rest of your days," spoke Deidara.

"Fair enough," replied Minato.

"Now that Tou-san is back, will Tsunade baa-chan still be Hokage?" asked Naruto.

"That does pose an interesting situation," spoke Jiraiya.

"I never would have imagined Tsunade being Hokage. If it weren't for my ability to see the world through Naruto's eyes, I wouldn't believe it if I saw it," replied Minato.

"She'll probably hand the job over to you on a silver platter; she only took on the role out of a sense of responsibility," spoke Jiraiya.

"I don't doubt it. I wouldn't mind taking on the role again. I might need to practice, though. It's been a few years since the last time I had a good spar," replied Minato.

"I wouldn't mind," spoke Naruto.

"Not so fast, kid, you forget already?" asked Itachi.

"Forget what?" replied Naruto.

"You owe me a spar. Remember, two on two, you and Sasuke, me and Yamato. You forget already?" asked Itachi.

"I have to admit, even I forgot; wasn't on the top of my priority list," spoke Sasuke.

"Okay, okay, we'll have our little contest. But give me a chance to rest, okay? Its hard enough to move. That fight took a lot out of me," replied Naruto.

"It took a lot out of all of us. Two days after we arrive in the village, though, prepare yourself," spoke Itachi.

"I don't suppose I'd be lucky enough to get a mission?" thought Naruto.

"I wouldn't count on it, Kit," replied Kyubi.

"Oh, and no Kyubi," spoke Itachi.

"That's not fair," replied Naruto.

"Oh?" asked Itachi.

"I'm kidding, I know the rules. No jinchuuriki abilities, and no Sharingan," replied Naruto.

"No Sharingan? That's a relief. Bad enough I was pulled into this to begin with," thought Tenzo.

"How did you get the Sharingan, anyway?" asked Kawazaki.

"Kyubi," replied Naruto.

"I should have known. She did have some rather unique talents," spoke Kawazaki.

"You mean not all of you can do that?" asked Naruto.

"Kyu is the only one," replied Kawazaki.

"She seemed a little too proud of that fact..." muttered the rokubi.

"I don't suppose you guys can hide your appearances? Bijuu aren't exactly a welcomed site in Konoha," spoke Minato.

"Right, you're the one who sealed Kyu. An impressive feat, to say the least. I can, I'm not sure about the others. I hate doing it, though," replied Kawazaki, "It's so... bothersome."

"Best to do it; just to be on the safe side. You can return to your current forms when we reach the Hokage's tower," spoke Kakashi.

"Very well," replied Kawazaki, "Can the rest of you do it?"

"Yeah, we can," spoke the hachibi.

"I'm with Kawazaki, though. It's such a pain," spoke the rokubi.

"If you don't mind my asking, do any of the rest of you have names?" asked Naruto.

"Shukaku."

"Anyone else?" asked Naruto.

"No," replied the rokubi.

"I don't either, in case you're wondering," spoke Kyubi.

"How come?" asked Naruto.

"Well, we really never had a reason to choose names. Kawazaki did because he decided to join Kiri after his jinchuuriki passed on," replied the hachibi.

"I did just because," replied Shukaku.

"Yeah, that was an interesting time of my life. By the way, I've been meaning to ask, but what happened to the Samehada?" asked Kawazaki, while looking at Kisame.

"Zabuza destroyed it," replied Kisame.

"At the time, he was acting against Konoha," spoke Zabuza.

"The Samehada was destroyed!? That was one of the best ones I made. To hear that Zabuza was the one is rather interesting, though," replied Kawazaki.

"It appeared to have been weakened before I met Kisame in battle," spoke Zabuza.

"Against my tenant," spoke the hachibi.

"I see. That makes sense. Do you still have the parts of the sword?" asked Kawazaki.

"Yeah, I couldn't bring myself to trash them. I was hoping to find a way to reforge it," replied Kisame.

"I doubt you have the resources. I'll consider reforging it after we have a duel. You better impress me, or I won't do it," replied Kawazaki.

"Heh, fair enough," spoke Kisame, with a shark-like grin on his face.

"Looks like the sun is about to set. We should set up camp here," spoke Jiraiya.

"Alright, there looks to be a clearing up ahead. We'll set up camp there," replied Minato.

The clearing Minato was referring to was a rather large field. For the size of the group, having a large field worked out to the benefit of the group. The bijuu didn't have any supplies, and asked to join in with some of the others. Minato, Jiraiya, and Kakashi volunteered to guard Madara in case he had a plan for escape. The group pulled out their field rations for their dinner, not having the strength to search for other forms of food. For the most part, the members of the group slept easily. The only ones who had trouble were those with Madara.

"So, you guys know each other well?" asked Madara, once again falling into his Tobi personality.

"Well enough..." muttered Jiraiya.

"I'll take first watch. I'm not quite as worn out as you guys," spoke Minato.

Kakashi and Jiraiya didn't last another five seconds before drifting off into sleep, leaving Minato and Madara.

"I hate you, just so you know," spoke Madara.

"I do something to you?" asked Minato.

"You stopped my attack on Konoha!" shouted Madara.

"Easy, if those two wake up, I doubt they'll be happy with you," replied Minato.

"Fine, but only because I can't do anything. That brat of yours messed up my body to the point where I can't even use my Sharingan."

"You get what you deserve."

"Deserve? You know nothing about me."

"I know what you told Naruto. Everything for the clan, right?"

"Exactly. Everything for the clan."

"So destroying all the major villages, and wiping out most of the people within them, including the remaining members of your clan that reside within Konoha would be for the best for the clan?"

"They descended from the weak. Only the strong can rebuild my clan."

"The only 'strong' members are left are Itachi and Sasuke. You didn't seem to be pulling any punches back there against them."

"Of course not. If they survived, I would have kept them around. I would use their DNA to help bring more Uchiha into the world."

"Like our old friend Orochimaru?"

"He may have been a crazy freak of nature, but he knew science. You can't deny the value of his research, whether or not you agree with his methods."

"Perhaps."

A moment of silence followed, as the two thought of other things worthwhile to discuss.

"You and that brat of yours are quite powerful. You would have done well in the world I was trying to create," spoke Madara.

"We could survive in your world, but it's not the kind of world we would choose to live in," replied Minato.

"What do you mean? Don't you enjoy a good fight?"

"I won't deny it, but I wouldn't make a life of it. Maybe it's my perspective from being a village leader talking, but I always felt it was best to work towards peace. I know fights will always happen, and there will always be missions. We'll never have true peace, but if, at the very least, I can provide my village with prosperity, I'll know I've done my part as the Hokage."

"Hokage, eh? I sought to be the shodai, but that privilege was given to the Senju Hashirama. I can't say I share your philosophy. Prosperity is in war. A village takes in far more funds in war than it does in times of peace."

"I understand that, but funds are a small part of it. The morale of a village constantly in war is much different than that of one in peace."

"The warrior spirit would burn brightly in the village under my control. I would have made it the greatest village of all time, for all time."

"You still don't get it, do you. Not everyone thinks like you. Not everyone wants war. There are those who long for peace. Those people outweigh those who wish for war."

"Are you so sure of that?"

"Why do you think Hashirama-sama was given the title Hokage? Even those in your own clan agreed with his principles over yours."

"That's what made them weak."

"That's what made them strong. Those who became corrupt were defeated by one individual. I can't find a better example of those with a drive for peace succeeding over those with a drive for violence."

"I see... you have a point... it doesn't matter now, though. It's all in the past. I have no desire to become Hokage, and I have no intention to resume my role as Mizukage."

"It's better for you that you don't; I doubt Kiri would allow you to resume the role after all you have done."

"I wouldn't expect them to willingly allow me back; I could take the position if I wanted it that badly."

"Not in your current state."

"Bah, I'm going to sleep. You can keep talking if you want."

Madara turned away from Minato and closed his eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep. A small smile crept across Minato's face. He was growing tired of trying to reason with the Uchiha elder, and after being within his son for so many years was looking forward to enjoying a little peace and quiet.

The rest of the night passed by quickly. Madara never woke again for the rest of the night, making the lives of Jiraiya and Kakashi easy when they took their turns for guard duty. Everyone had a quick breakfast, then packed up their camp and made their way for Konoha at their best speed. The group arrived at the main gate by the end of the day. Kotetsu and Izumo were surprised by how the group had increased since they left, but were glad to see Madara bound up. The group explained the disguised bijuu as prisoners who were being manipulated by Madara. They figured it was close enough to the truth to explain their presence without upsetting the village. A group of ANBU came to the gate to take Madara into custody. After being relieved of their prisoner, the group made their way for the Hokage's tower. Minato made sure to keep himself under disguise, as he was not quite ready to reveal to the village that he was indeed alive. Tsunade immediately let the group in, relieved to see that everyone had made it back. Tsunade took quick notice of Nagato and Konan being missing.

"Where are Nagato and Konan? Were they killed by Madara?" asked Tsunade.

"No, Hokage-sama, they are in their village beginning the recovery progress. They gave their word that they would not flee and would come when summoned," replied Jiraiya.

"Very well, I trust your judgment. Who are these people that you have brought back with you?" asked Tsunade.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any, right?" asked Kawazaki. The other bijuu nodded, and dropped their henges. Tsunade was shocked beyond words at the sight.

"I might as well join you," spoke Minato, as he, too, dropped his henge. Tsunade nearly fell into cardiac arrest upon seeing the Yondaime Hokage before her. She nearly fainted from seeing the bijuu and Minato, but did her best to regain her composure. Several ANBU entered the room upon sensing the release of several chakra signatures. Tsunade told them to standby while she pondered on what to do next.

"I suppose I'll start with you, Minato-san. How did you manage to survive? I assumed you were killed upon sealing the kyuubi within Naruto," spoke Tsunade.

"I would have been under normal circumstances, but, since I used Naruto's body as a medium, instead of being sealed within the shinigami, I was sealed into him. Once Naruto fully released the seal holding back the kyuubi's chakra, I was released," explained Minato.

"Does this mean the kyuubi could leave Naruto's body at any time and cause another rampage throughout the village?" asked Tsunade.

"Hey, hey, she had nothing against your village. She was being controlled by Madara!" shouted Kawazaki.

"Of course, but could she get free?" asked Tsunade.

"She could, but she has decided to remain with Naruto for the time being," replied Minato.

"I see. Well, I have an explanation of his presence. I take it you followed with my shinobi upon being freed from Madara's control?" asked Tsunade.

"Correct. Upon being freed by Uzumaki-san, we decided to join up with his group. I have no set plans for myself, since my jinchuuriki passed on quite some time ago. The others wish to rejoin their hosts, hopefully reviving those who were killed," replied Kawazaki.

"If that is the case, I see no reason to detain any of you here. You are free to go about as you please," spoke Tsunade.

"Well, it's been fun. We should get the group together again after we get our hosts back," spoke the hachibi.

"As long as you find a way to cap his tendency to 'bust rhymes,'" replied the nibi.

The bijuu, except for Kawazaki, left Tsunade's office, and split off to where they last remembered their hosts to be. They made sure to remain under a henge to avoid raising suspicion. Tsunade had one of her ANBU alert Kotetsu and Izumo to allow the group to leave.

"I'll remain here for the time being. Fish boy over there owes me a spare, anyway," replied Kawazaki.

"If that is your choice," replied Tsunade.

"So, how should we go about letting the village know of my return?" asked Minato.

"This is a delicate matter, Minato-san. It would be difficult to just simply come out and say it, but at the same time, we can't hide it from the village. As much as I hate to admit it, I'll need to consult with the councilors on this one," replied Tsunade.

"Ah, that's right, those old fossils are still around, aren't they?" asked Minato.

"I may be old, but I still have some edge over you," spoke Hiruzen, who managed to enter the room without being noticed until he spoke.

"Sarutobi-sensei?" asked Minato, as he slowly turned around. Sure enough, the former Hokage was face to face with his predecessor.

"How long have you been in here?" asked Tsunade.

"Since the bijuu left. The other two will be here momentarily. They were meeting with Danzou to discuss the situation of what to do with Uchiha Madara," replied Hiruzen.

"Of course. Then you know of the issue which I need to discuss with you?" asked Tsunade.

"You are right, of course, we can't simply show him to the village and say 'here he is!' No, we need to let knowledge of his return sift through the village gradually. The jonin will be allowed to know first, then chunin, and finally genin and the civilians. By then, we should have a solution for the reactions of the villagers," explained Hiruzen.

"I agree with your approach. I was thinking along those lines. Do you agree, Minato-san?" asked Tsunade.

"I have no problem with this," replied Minato.

"Isn't he a hero of your village? Wouldn't he be welcomed back with open arms?" asked Kawazaki.

"It might seem that way, but rarely are issues of the shinobi world so cut and dry. There are those within the village that bear ill will towards him for 'unleashing' Naruto upon them. Though people of this mindset are dwindling, there are still those who think along those lines. Then there is Danzou. News of his return likely won't sit well with the old war hawk. Finally, there are those that may turn up that would accuse Minato of abandoning them in their time of need, even though his disappearance was necessary. That's why we have to be careful about how we let the village know of his return," explained Tsunade.

"Makes sense. There are still a few villagers who give me dirty looks. Can't please everyone, I suppose," spoke Naruto.

"I suppose I should make sure I have secure living arrangements for the time being, shouldn't I?" asked Minato.

"You can stay with us for the time being. I'm sure kaa-san won't have a problem. She can keep a secret, too," spoke Sasuke.

"I have no problem with this arrangement," replied Minato.

"Very well. What of your living arrangements?" asked Tsunade of Kawazaki.

"Hmm... I'll be staying around for a good while, so I suppose I could use an apartment," replied Kawazaki.

"You know, now that you're not keeping me in a detention cell, I could use an apartment, too," spoke Kisame.

"Fine, I'll arrange an apartment for you two. If that is all, you are dismissed," spoke Tsunade.

Minato and Kawazaki resumed their henges and joined the others in leaving the Hokage's office.

"I suppose it's time for another career change, eh Sarutobi-sensei?" asked Tsunade.

"You're not going back to the bar or gambling. I'm not going to let you do that to yourself," replied Hiruzen.

"I know, I know. I'll probably train medics. Dan and I dreamed about having enough medics for every team we send out on dangerous missions. It's time to make the dream a reality," spoke Tsunade.

Hiruzen nodded in response as he took a seat and pulled out a bottle of sake. He felt he could use a drink with his student.

The group leaving the Hokage's tower split off. Naruto and Sasuke decided to see how their girlfriends were doing, knowing they would be more than excited to see them. Minato decided to go with Itachi to Ichiraku's, dragging Kawazaki along, stating to him that he hadn't lived until he tried Ichiraku Ramen, causing the bijuu the mutter something about being a thousand years old.

"It feels like it's been forever since I've spent any time with Hinata-chan," spoke Naruto.

"I could say the same about Sakura. Haven't talked to Kiba in a while, either," replied Sasuke.

"We'll have to get our old teams together, too," replied Naruto.

The two boys split off to head to the homes of their lovers. Sasuke made his way for Sakura's home. He found the girl was off training after learning the village was no longer under threat of attack. Sasuke found his girlfriend training in their teams old training field.

"Hey, Sakura!" shouted Sasuke.

"Eh? Sasuke-kun!?" shouted Sakura. Upon seeing the young Uchiha, the girl ceased her training efforts, and ran in the direction of Sasuke. The bone crushing hug he received in return let Sasuke know just how hard Sakura had been training.

"Sa... ku... ra... I can't... breathe..." muttered Sasuke.

"Oh, gomen, Sasuke-kun," replied Sakura, as she released Sasuke from her grip.

"It's alright. After all that training you've received, it's not too surprising."

"I'm still not up to your level, though."

"Maybe, but if I took a punch from you, I would be out for a week and a half."

"Guess you better not make me mad, Sa-suke-kun."

Sasuke shivered a little at the way Sakura spaced out the syllables in his name.

"So, from what I heard about the village no longer being under alert, I take it that your mission was a success?" asked Sakura.

"Of course, Naruto and I don't know how to fail a mission," replied Sasuke.

"What all took place?"

Sasuke decided to explain to Sakura the battle that took place in Amegakure. He expressed how at one point, it seemed as though they wouldn't make it, and how Naruto awakened the full of Kyubi's power, and used it to crush Madara.

"So it was thanks to Naruto that you were able to pull through?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah. It was some showing. Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel it. The intensity of the chakra between the two. The kid really does have a lot of surprises," replied Sasuke.

"You have plenty of surprises on your own. You fought against the strongest member of your clan hand to hand. That's no small accomplishment."

"That was the most intense battle I've ever had. Not even my fight with Orochimaru comes close. Part of me wants to get another shot at him. It's unfortunate I'll never get that chance. Well, there are always extreme spars with Naruto."

"You two often do find a way to take it out of hand. Those bunshin spars of yours are the most intense."

"True enough, but it's nice to be able to go all out and not have to worry about killing your opponent. You should try it out some time."

"Some time? Why not now? I was busy training to increase my chakra reserves. I wouldn't mind seeing what a kage bunshin of mine could do against a kage bunshin of yours."

"Why not? Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A kage bunshin of both Sakura and Sasuke appeared. The two clones smirked at one another. The bunshin walked over to the nearest sparring ring, and looked out to their corresponding originals.

"Alright, let's see what they can do!" shouted Sasuke.

Sasuke's kage bunshin pulled out a katana, while Sakura's kage bunshin tightened her gloves.

"Let's go!" shouted Sakura's kage bunshin as she leaped in front of Sasuke's kage bunshin, and attempted to deliver a crushing blow to her target. Sasuke's bunshin leaped out of the way, causing Sakura's bunshin to leave a giant crater.

"There goes another training field..." muttered Sasuke. Sakura only smiled in return. The dust kicked up by Sakura's bunshin clouded the vision of Sasuke's bunshin, allowing Sakura the chance to launch several kunai and shuriken. Sasuke's bunshin activated his Sharingan, making it possible to see the weapons being thrown in his direction. He quickly pulled out his katana, and deflected all the weapons, then began making hand seals.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" shouted Sasuke's bunshin. Several fireballs were sent in the direction of Sakura's bunshin. She used her agility to avoid being hit. Sasuke's bunshin jumped in behind the attacks and began engaging Sakura in close combat. Sasuke's bunshin used his katana, while Sakura pulled out a kunai to parry Sasuke's strikes. Sakura's agility gave her a slight advantage, making it difficult for Sasuke's bunshin to even leave a cut in Sakura's clothing.

"Your speed has improved. It's not beyond the tracking abilities of the Sharingan, but still, you've improved much since we were Team Seven," spoke Sasuke.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun... but... flattery will get you no where," replied Sakura, as her bunshin started to become more aggressive. Sakura's bunshin began taking advantage of the few openings Sasuke's bunshin provided. One of her bunshin's strikes came close to landing a blow on Sasuke's bunshin. After the near hit, Sasuke's bunshin chose to back off, opting to stick to long range.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" shouted Sasuke's bunshin, as it launched a giant fireball. Sakura's bunshin evaded the fireball only to have a near miss with a couple kunai.

"Almost, but not quite. Now, to show you a jutsu of mine I've been working on," spoke Sakura.

"You've been working on diversifying yourself? This should be interesting," replied Sasuke.

Sakura's bunshin quickly ran through some hand seals, and slammed her fist into the ground.

"Doton: Gansekiken no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique)" shouted Sakura's bunshin. The ground in front of Sasuke's bunshin cracked apart and formed into a rising column with a blunted end. The end glowed with Sakura's chakra, much like her hands do right before one of her strikes. Sasuke's bunshin quickly pulled out his katana to block the strike. The bunshin was knocked back by the force; however, it wasn't hit with enough force to dissipate. Before the bunshin could hit the ground again, Sakura went through the seals for her jutsu again.

"Got ya this time! Doton: Gansekiken no Jutsu!" shouted Sakura's bunshin.

"Raikiri!" shouted Sasuke's bunshin, tearing through the rock form before it could strike him.

"Raikiri Nagashi!" shouted Sasuke's bunshin, sending an electrical current towards Sakura's bunshin. Upon seeing the attack heading her way, Sakura's bunshin took to the skies. Sasuke's bunshin took advantage, and leaped into the air after her, brining his katana to her neck, and dissipating the bunshin.

"Geez, I can almost feel it! You didn't have to do that, you know!!" shouted Sakura.

"What's the point in fighting with bunshin if you don't let them finish off each other?" asked Sasuke. The Uchiha received his answer in the form of a lump on his head.

"Ow..." muttered Sasuke.

"Serves you right," replied Sakura.

"Well, I will say this. You have improved quite a bit. Last time, I didn't have to use any of my jutsu to defeat you. And your speed has increased as well. You know, you should consider talking to Lee and Gai about working further on it. Those two could probably teach you a thing or two."

"I suppose, but if they make me wear those 'unfortunate' spandex outfits, I'm going to force you into wearing one, too."

"Hmm..."

"Sasuke? What are thinking about?"

"Well, as awful as those outfits are on them, they would bring out your curves nicely."

"I think I need to reserve a hospital bed. We're going to be getting a patient with several broken bones and severe head trauma."

"What makes you think that... oh..."

"Run!!"

Sasuke took off as fast as he ever ran with Sakura chasing after him.

"What, I just thought you would look hot!" shouted Sasuke.

"Pervert!!" shouted Sakura.

"Gomennasai!!"

Upon catching up to Sasuke, Sakura added another lump to his head, and then proceeded to drag him back to the Uchiha compound to a confused Mikoto.

Naruto had made his way to the Hyuga compound. After he was allowed entrance, he found Neji was having tea and decided to join him.

"Hey, Neji," spoke Naruto.

"Oh, Naruto. I take it you are here looking for Hinata?" asked Neji.

"Yeah, have you seen her?"

"She's out training with Hiashi-sama. After our mission, I felt it would be best to enjoy a day of rest before resuming training."

"Makes sense. I know I'm not up to training right now. Just means I'll have to train twice as hard tomorrow."

"Didn't you have a spare with Itachi?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. And there's no way he'll let me out of it. Well... that's just more reason for me to make sure I get some rest. I can't fight him while tired."

"It would be unwise to do so. Would you like some tea?"

"Oh, sure."

Neji poured Naruto some tea, and the two enjoyed a few moments of peace. The two jonin continued to drink tea until Hanabi appeared.

"I hate cats!!" shouted Hanabi.

"The village was in danger, and they still had to issue that mission?" muttered Naruto.

"The should call it the true test of becoming a genin. Just about every genin team since the daimyou's wife received that cat has had this mission," spoke Neji.

"How the Hell can that fur ball be so fast. And how on earth could it avoid the byakugan!?" shouted a frustrated Hanabi.

"Years of practice," spoke Naruto.

"It's faced the byakugan on more than one occasion. I suppose it has finally learned how to deal with it," replied Neji.

"I hope that cat dies in a fire!" shouted Hanabi.

"I don't think that cat would mind. Anything to get away from that woman," spoke Naruto.

Neji nodded his head in agreement.

"Fine, I'll learn a good katon jutsu, and roast the little fur ball the next time I see it," replied Hanabi, as she threw off her sandals and sat down in the living area.

A few minutes later, Hinata finished her training with Hiashi and entered the house to see Neji and Naruto. Hinata walked over the Naruto and gave him a hug, happy to see him back from his mission.

"I'm glad to see you, Naruto-kun. I heard that you had returned from your mission," spoke Hinata.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Hinata-chan," replied Naruto.

"I think we should give them some time alone," spoke Hiashi.

"Agreed; we can resume our training," spoke Neji.

Neji and Hiashi walked off towards the Hyuga compound dojo.

"What kind of training have they been working on?" asked Naruto.

"They've been working on elemental fusions with our juuken taijutsu," replied Hinata.

"Nature manipulation with juuken? I heard that he used that style in one of his fights against Madara," spoke Naruto.

"It makes the juuken that much more dangerous. If you think a juuken strike hurts, being hit by one of his lightning chakra strikes is worse," replied Hinata.

"What nature chakra does your father have?" asked Naruto.

"Tou-san? Lightning chakra, like Neji," replied Hinata.

"It makes sense, for some reason," spoke Naruto.

"So, how was your mission?" asked Hinata.

Naruto told Hinata of what took place on his mission to defeat Madara. He went into detail about how he almost lost, and how he was able to achieve victory through releasing all of Kyubi's strength.

"So you can use all of Kyubi's power now?" asked Hinata.

"I could, but I don't want to make a habit of it. Her power isn't my power. I want my strength to come from me. I've made it my dream to become the strongest shinobi in the village. I won't be able to do that if I rely on her. The only reason I did so against Madara was because he was using the power of the bijuu," replied Naruto.

"I understand. I'm willing to help you do anything you need to in order to become stronger, Naruto-kun. I want to be able to help," spoke Hinata.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," replied Naruto, as he gave Hinata a hug.

"Aww... you two make such a cute couple," spoke Hanabi.

"Oh... I forgot you were there," spoke Naruto, blushing slightly.

"I just hope I can one day find a guy as good as you," replied Hanabi.

"You will if you keep your eyes open. I'm sure there's someone out there for you," spoke Hinata.

"Yeah, I suppose," replied Hanabi.

"Anyone on your team of interest?" asked Naruto.

"That fan boy and mister strong and silent? The one worships the ground I walk on. While I find it kind of cute, it's not what I'm looking for in someone. The other is too busy studying to do anything fun. Maybe I'll run into my guy on a mission. Not everyone can find their significant other on their shinobi team, after all, Naruto," replied Hanabi.

"I suppose not," spoke Naruto.

"So, Jashin-boy, what are you going to do now?" asked Kisame. Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori decided to drag Hidan to a bar. There were a couple of ANBU in the shadows keeping an eye over Kisame and Hidan, but they were out of sight and out of mind as far as the group of former Akatsuki members were concerned.

"Watch it fish-boy, or I'll turn your ass into a sacrifice," replied Hidan.

"Hey, hey, I was just kidding around," spoke Kisame.

"Uh... those ANBU outside have it easy. We'll be the ones that'll have to restrain those two," whispered Sasori.

"Hai, hm," whispered Deidara.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I can't disobey the commandments, but it would be a problem for me if I went around sacrificing people like I did before I joined Akatsuki," spoke Hidan.

"You could always find a job that would allow you to kill a lot of people," replied Kisame.

"Like what?" asked Hidan.

"Maybe be a hunter-nin somewhere. What about your old village?" asked Kisame.

"Yugakure? Please, they fucking turned a hidden village into a fucking resort. How fucked up is that? I mean, seriously, a resort? I couldn't go back there if I wanted to," replied Hidan.

"Tough break. I can't go back to my village either. Kind of hard to do so after attempting to kill the kage and daimyou," spoke Kisame.

"You could always wait for them to croak, hm," replied Deidara.

"You got lucky. If that Tsuchikage wasn't corrupt, you'd be in an ANBU holding cell right now," spoke Sasori.

"Hey, you got lucky, too. If no one knew how corrupt the Sandaime Kazekage was, you'd be dead right now," replied Deidara.

"He's got you there," spoke Kisame.

"Bah, maybe. At least I can go back to my village with my head held high. I doubt either of you three could do that," replied Sasori.

"I'm not going anywhere near Iwa again," spoke Deidara.

"Like Hell I'll go anywhere near Yu," replied Hidan.

"Screw Kiri," spoke Kisame.

"You could always join Konoha, like me, hm," spoke Deidara.

"I suppose. Zabuza and Kawazaki are here. It wouldn't be too bad," spoke Kisame.

"Sorry, but this place isn't for me. Our old leader ran a fun little village. Maybe he could use a good hunter-nin," replied Hidan.

"If that's what works for you," spoke Kisame.

"I heard he has to keep a lot of people on his hit list. I wouldn't mind popping them off for him. I bet he could give a Jashinist some work," replied Hidan.

"Didn't you always say you'd 'curse' the leader, though, hm?" asked Deidara.

"Fuck... well, if he gives me good reason to, I'll still sacrifice his ass," replied Hidan.

"Sorry to interrupt, but does he always swear this much when drunk?" asked the bartender.

"He hasn't even had a drink yet. He's like this all the time. He thinks getting drunk is a sin," replied Kisame.

"It dulls the wits and leads to thoughts one shouldn't have," spoke Hidan, "Why do you think I wanted to go somewhere else?"

"Well, we're here now. Might as well find a way to enjoy it, hm," replied Deidara.

"Ah, there you are," spoke a voice from behind the group.

"Eh? Kawazaki?" asked Kisame.

"Yeah. I was finally able to get away from the 'ramen brothers.' I swear, those two could shut the place down," spoke Kawazaki.

"What did you think? I liked their ramen," asked Deidara.

"Well... it was damn good, but still, they didn't have to drag me there," replied Kawazaki.

"What did you come here for?" asked Sasori.

"Fish boy owes me a spare," replied Kawazaki.

"Oh, this should be good. We'll watch," spoke Hidan.

"Alright, then," replied Kawazaki.

The group walked outside to the nearest open training ring. Deidara, Sasori, and Hidan stood outside the ring, watching intently at the two in the middle.

"It's best we not use ninjutsu. Things could get out of hand rather quickly. Kenjutsu will do," spoke Kawazaki.

"Fine by me," spoke Kisame.

"You have something to use?" asked Kawazaki.

"I have this zanbatou. The weapons shops here aren't so bad. Not up to Kiri's standards, though," replied Kisame.

"Very well," spoke Kawazaki, as he pulled out the Kagetatsu.

"You're going to use that?" asked Kisame.

"Hey, you broke yours. Not my problem. You don't like it, then give me a good fight, and maybe, just maybe, I'll reconstruct the Samehada," replied Kawazaki.

"I'm not complaining. I could use a good challenge. Let's go!" shouted Kisame, as he charged forward towards Kawazaki. The bijuu smiled as he pulled up the Kagetatsu and charged forward towards Kisame. A loud clang could be heard as the two met in the center of the training ring. The other former members of Akatsuki smiled on as Kisame and Kawazaki began their duel. Kisame was forced to duck a strike that would have taken out his legs, and flipped back, while taking a couple of slashes at Kawazaki. Kawazaki ducked out of the way, and pulled up the Kagetatsu to block. When Kisame was out of range of Kawazaki's strikes, he pulled back his sword, and swung it forward. Water natured chakra shot out from the sword in the form of a blade, headed straight for Kawazaki.

"A chakra conducting blade, huh? I don't know how you managed to afford one that size, but, it won't really give you that much of an edge against me," spoke Kawazaki.

Kawazaki pulled back the Kagetatsu, and swung it into Kisame's attack. A shadow form of the Kagetatsu appeared and cut through the attack, breaking the jutsu. Kisame used Kawazaki's shift in focus to get near the bijuu and make a quick strike in the direction of the bijuu. Kawazaki could only smile as he was forced to step back. He spun the Kagetatsu around and quickly swung it forward, knocking Kisame back. Kisame pulled back his sword and took another swing forward. Kawazaki blocked the strike and attempted to knock Kisame's sword out of his hand. Kisame was able to keep his grip on the sword and charged more chakra into his sword. Kisame took another swing at Kawazaki. When the two weapons met, there was a splash of chakra, as opposed to a clang. Water chakra and dark chakra met between the two swordsmen. Both smiled as the chakra knocked the pair back.

"I don't think I've ever seen Kisame this excited about a match before, hm," spoke Deidara.

"Only a bijuu could match him in chakra. If the two were fighting seriously, this place would be wasted in an instant," replied Sasori.

"They seem rather serious to me, even if they aren't fighting at full," spoke Hidan.

"True. I suppose saying they aren't fighting at full would be more accurate," replied Sasori.

Kawazaki began a quick series of movements with the Kagetatsu in front of him. He appeared to be swinging the weapon in a controlled series of strikes, forming a pattern that appeared to be in the form of a shield. As Kawazaki increased the speed of his movement, the dark chakra of the sword was left behind, creating of shield of dark chakra. Kisame took note of this, and did the same with his zanbatou. Kisame was unable to move his larger weapon at the same speed as Kawazaki, thus leaving his "shield" with more gaps then Kawazaki's. The two appeared to meet a maximum in their speed and flared their chakra. The two shields were shot out against one another. The two jutsu sped towards each other and met in the middle of the training ring. Chakra began spilling out as the two jutsu ground into each other. In the end, Kisame's jutsu was ground away into nothing, leaving nothing to block Kawazaki's jutsu. Kisame charged his chakra into his zanbatou and thrust the weapon into Kawazaki's jutsu. The blade held its ground against the jutsu. Kawazaki seemed amused at this, but could only smile as Kisame was slowly being pushed back. Kisame increased the amount of chakra he was pumping into his zanbatou. His weapon began to glow blue with chakra. Kisame ceased being pushed back, and began to gain some ground against Kawazaki's jutsu. With enough effort, Kisame was about to deflect the jutsu to the side and into the ground. The jutsu almost hit those watching the fight. After Kisame deflected Kawazaki's jutsu, he found himself face to face with Kawazaki, who made a strike that could have separated Kisame's head from his body, had the shark-nin not blocked at the last second. Kawazaki spun around quickly and held the Kagetatsu to Kisame's neck.

"Yield," spoke Kawazaki.

"Alright, alright, you win," replied Kisame.

"Good, you still have some humility. I suppose I'll reforge the Samehada. Heaven help you if you manage to damage it again, though," spoke Kawazaki.

"Alright. I'll get the halves to you," replied Kisame.

"That was a good match, Kisame. Fun to watch, hm," spoke Deidara.

"You use your skills well," spoke Sasori.

"It would have been better if you cut his head off, but it was still good to watch," spoke Hidan.

"The members of the Seven are masters of the art. Are you really so surprised?" asked a person who was passing through.

"Zabuza? You saw that, eh?" asked Kisame.

"It's been a while since I've seen the leader fight. Thought it would be worthwhile," replied Zabuza.

"That was something else," spoke a man next to Zabuza.

"Who's that? Is that the younger of the Hozuki brothers? Didn't think you would be here, too," spoke Kisame.

"Yeah, I was taken out of Orochimaru's camps after Uchiha Sasuke killed the snake. Figured Zabuza would be the best sensei for kenjutsu," replied Suigetsu.

"Is this a Kiri-nin convention, or what? Are there others here, or is it just us?" asked Kawazaki.

"My former subordinate, Haku. She has the Hyouton Kekkei Genkai, and would have been executed had she remained in Kiri," replied Zabuza.

"I see. Very well. Come Kisame, I have to get us permission to leave the village. We have to go to a special place to reforge the Samehada," spoke Kawazaki.

"I figured as much. Let's go, then," replied Kisame.

The group split off in different directions. Kisame and Kawazaki headed for the Hokage's tower. Hidan left with Sasori and Deidara. Zabuza and Suigetsu decided to use the training ring Kawazaki and Kisame were using. The next day, Tsunade sent for Nagato and Konan, as well as the kages of the other main shinobi villages along with the village leaders of the lesser villages. It was agreed that they would meet in Konoha, as they had Madara, and it was located roughly the same distance from most of the villages. While waiting for the arrival of the village leaders, Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi decided they would have their match.

"Alright, are you two ready?" asked Itachi.

"Ready as always," spoke Naruto.

"I'm always up for a good challenge," replied Sasuke.

"Go Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun!" shouted Hinata and Sakura.

"I thought you two didn't date fan girls?" asked Itachi.

"Hey, I am no fan girl! I could cave in your heart if given the chance," replied Hinata.

"I could launch you over the top of Mt. Hokage!" shouted Sakura, while pulling back on her gloves.

"I'd apologize if I were you," spoke Sasuke.

"Yeah, there won't be anything left for us to fight once those two are done with you," spoke Naruto.

"Fine by me. I didn't want anything to do with this," Tenzo thought to himself.

"Uh... gomen..." spoke Itachi.

Sakura and Hinata smiled at Itachi in a manner that made Itachi shiver, not that he let it show.

"Thank goodness for ANBU training," Itachi thought to himself.

"Well, should we get this started?" asked Sasuke.

"Hai. Let's keep it simple. Since the village leaders could arrive at anytime, let's keep it a taijutsu match. You can use any enhancements you want, but don't overdo it," replied Itachi.

"So, no projectiles, eh? That kind of cuts down on the fun, but alright," spoke Naruto.

"I wouldn't say that. A good taijutsu match can have as much thrill as one of our all-out kage bunshin duels," replied Sasuke.

"If you say so. Let's go!" shouted Naruto.

Naruto charged after Tenzo, while Sasuke charged after Itachi. Sasuke charged a little chakra into his strikes, catching Itachi off guard as he felt a little heat in Sasuke's strikes.

"Who taught you that?" asked Itachi.

"Sakura," replied Sasuke, as he took aim at Itachi's midsection. Itachi grabbed Sasuke's fist, and attempted to land his right fist on Sasuke's face. Sasuke ducked below the strike, and spun his body around, aiming a kick for Itachi's gut. Itachi let go of Sasuke's hand, and backed up, staying clear of Sasuke's foot. Itachi used his greater reach to deliver a kick to Sasuke's face, knocking the younger Uchiha off balance. Itachi pulled back his fist, and pounded Sasuke into the ground. Sasuke flipped back up and shook off the hit, while aiming a kick for Itachi's chest. Itachi caught Sasuke's foot. Sasuke smiled as he twisted his body about his foot, and delivered a kick to Itachi's face. Itachi was knocked off balance, giving Sasuke a chance to land a few solid blows to Itachi's midsection. Itachi coughed a little, but quickly recovered, aiming for Sasuke's chest. Sasuke blocked and attempted to land an uppercut on Itachi. Itachi took a couple steps back, and spun around Sasuke. Itachi delivered an elbow to Sasuke's back, knocking him forward. Sasuke used his hands to keep from falling, and sent his leg back, kicking Itachi in the gut. Sasuke got up and turned around to face Itachi. The two Uchiha smiled as they prepared for another round.

Naruto and Tenzo commenced their fight. Naruto sent a forward thrust towards Tenzo's chest, only to have his strike blocked. Tenzo swung his leg around and aimed for Naruto's head. The young blond took the hit to his head, and used the momentum from the hit to spin around on his left foot while kicking out with his right, catching Tenzo in the back. Tenzo stepped forward, and turned around to face Naruto. Naruto pulled back his left fist and took a shot at Tenzo's face. Tenzo caught Naruto's fist, and delivered a blow to Naruto's head. Naruto allowed the hit and lost his balance, leaving him open to taking a kick from Tenzo. At the last second, Naruto freed his one hand and caught Tenzo's kick. Naruto used his strength to twist Tenzo's body about his leg, slamming the ANBU member into the ground. Naruto attempted to slam Tenzo into the ground, but the ANBU rolled to the side and quickly got back to his feet. Tenzo spun around and knocked Naruto into the ground. The blond attempted to keep his balance, but Tenzo did a sweeping kick the ensure Naruto lost his balance. Tenzo stomped his foot into Naruto's back, making the young blond cough in response. Tenzo backed up, giving Naruto a couple moments to recover. Tenzo was surprised when Naruto quickly got back to his feet, and delivered a hard punch to his face. Tenzo's side guards kept his jaw from being broken from the force of the blow. Tenzo opted not to lower his guard again while fighting with the blond.

"Four people fighting with such spirit! I feel the fires of youth burning!" shouted a certain spandex clad chunin who happened to see the fight.

"Easy, Lee. This fight is just between them. Maybe you could challenge the winner," spoke Sakura.

"Ah, I see. I'll continue to watch," replied Lee.

Sasuke had charged towards Itachi with a flaming fist, forcing Itachi to duck to the side. Sasuke took note of this, and performed a sweeping kick in an attempt to force Itachi to the ground. Itachi saw Sasuke's kick coming, and jumped over Sasuke's leg. Itachi used the opening given to him to deliver a kick to Sasuke's side. Sasuke ended up stumbling, and was assaulted with a two-punch combo from Itachi. Sasuke caught what would have been a third strike, and pulled back his other fist. Sasuke thrust forward only to have his fist caught by Itachi. The two Uchiha siblings were in a deadlock, with each holding the striking arm of the other. The two gripped the other harder and attempted to push the other back. Itachi, having more physical strength than Sasuke, began to push his younger brother back. As Sasuke began to slide back, Itachi charged chakra to his feet, and knocked Sasuke off balance, forcing him to release his grip. Itachi took advantage of the opening, and slammed Sasuke into the ground. Sasuke fell, seeing Itachi prepare to deliver another blow. Sasuke rolled out of the way and pulled his legs behind Itachi. Sasuke ended up pulling Itachi to the ground. As soon as Itachi's face hit the dirt, Sasuke pulled himself back up, and prepared to deliver a knock-out punch to Itachi. Knowing what was about to happen, Itachi noticed Sasuke's foot was close enough for him to grab it. Itachi pulled on Sasuke's leg, causing the younger Uchiha to stumble. Itachi quickly rose to his feet, and delivered a kick to Sasuke's face. Sasuke flipped back, and fell onto the flat of his back. Sasuke was knocked out from the hit.

Tenzo was forced back from another one of Naruto's thrusts forward. Tenzo was still slightly disoriented from Naruto's previous hit. Tenzo attempted to deliver a kick to Naruto's head, only to miss his target. Naruto spun around and delivered a kick to Tenzo's back, causing him to stumble forward. Naruto felt he had Tenzo and attempted to hit him in the head from behind. Tenzo sidestepped away from Naruto. Due to the force Naruto had intended his hit to have, he lost his balance when he missed his target. Tenzo took advantage of this and hit Naruto in the side with a kick, knocking Naruto off balance. Tenzo performed a sweeping kick, tripping up Naruto and forcing the blond onto the ground. Tenzo attempted to finish off Naruto, only to have the blond roll out of the way at the last second. Naruto delivered a kick to Tenzo's midsection, knocking the ANBU member back. Naruto got back on his feet, and delivered a three-hit combo to Tenzo's midsection, forcing the ANBU member to cough. Naruto attempted a finishing blow only to be blocked by Tenzo. Tenzo used his other hand to hit Naruto in the side. Naruto stepped to the side slightly while still in Tenzo's grip. Tenzo delivered a hard kick to Naruto's head, knocking him back, and onto the ground. Tenzo let Naruto go as he hit the ground. It appeared to Tenzo he was knocked out. As soon as Tenzo dropped his guard, Naruto resumed his footing, and delivered a hard kick to Tenzo's head, knocking him onto the ground. Naruto saw Tenzo hit the ground, and looked to see if Tenzo would get up. Not wanting to fall for the same trick he used, Naruto kept his guard up, making sure Tenzo was down. Upon noting Tenzo wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, Naruto turned to see the result of Sasuke's fight with Itachi. He saw Sasuke on the ground, with Itachi smiling, seeing that he would get to fight his adopted younger brother, as well.

"One down," spoke Itachi.

"One to go," replied Naruto.

The two charged at one another, having their fists meet between the two. The sound of bone hitting bone could be heard by the two as their fists met. The two pulled back and prepared to hit each other with another hit. Itachi faked his strike, and twisted to the side, allowing Naruto to lose his footing. Itachi delivered a kick to Naruto's chin, forcing the young blond to fall forward. Itachi attempted to finish off Naruto, only to have the young blond roll away at the last second.

"You should know I won't fall for that," spoke Itachi.

"Figured it was worth a shot," replied Naruto, as he got back to his feet.

"If it didn't work when you were little, it won't work now," replied Itachi, as he thrust forward.

Naruto stepped back, not wanting to take one of Itachi's blows head on. Itachi continued to thrust forward, forcing Naruto to step back. Naruto put too much of his focus on Itachi, and stumbled over Sasuke, giving Itachi an opening. Itachi delivered a kick to Naruto, piling him on top of Sasuke. Naruto was slightly shaken, but wasn't knocked out from the hit, and got back to his feet, hoping to catch Itachi off guard with a quick punch. Itachi saw Naruto's strike coming and blocked it. Itachi responded with a forward thrust of his own aimed at Naruto's midsection. Naruto took the hit, and stumbled slightly. Itachi delivered a kick to Naruto's face, knocking Naruto down on the ground on his side. Naruto's eyes closed as his body was knocked out from the hit. Itachi kept a careful eye on Naruto, knowing full well the differences in Naruto's body when he was pretending to be knocked out. Upon confirming Naruto's loss, Itachi bowed to those watching.

"Not too bad, eh? Looks like I still have the advantage when it comes to taijutsu," spoke Itachi.

Sakura and Hinata nodded, not having anything to say.

"That was incredible! Your flames of youth are burning so brightly!!" shouted Lee.

"Oh, Gai's protege, eh? I suppose our little match would catch your attention. I'll say this, I would lose against Gai in a straight taijutsu match," replied Itachi.

"Gai-sensei is the best with taijutsu. I've yet to see a person to defeat Gai-sensei in taijutsu," spoke Lee.

"Indeed. Well, I've taught those two a good lesson. Jonin or not, I can still kick their little rears. Rather unfortunate that Yamato here lost, though," spoke Itachi.

"Uh... Itachi-senpai..." muttered Tenzo.

"Oh, you up Yamato?" asked Itachi.

"You didn't tell me they were that strong," spoke Tenzo.

"I thought I didn't have to. They are jonin, after all. And I did train them when they were younger," replied Itachi.

"Right..." muttered Tenzo.

"I suppose you should try to revive those two. I would hate to just leave them here," spoke Itachi.

"Right," spoke Sakura, as she began to work on Sasuke and Naruto's injuries.

Over the next couple of days, the village leaders arrived within the village. The last to arrive was the Mizukage. Kisame and Zabuza made sure to steer clear of the man. The kages and village leaders met in a conference room within the Hokage tower. Several jonin were present from each village.

"Where is the prisoner?" asked Gaara.

"He is being detained within this building," replied Tsunade.

"Bring him out," spoke the Raikage.

"Yes, I would like to see the one strong enough defeat a kage," spoke the Tsuchikage.

"Very well, bring him in," commanded Tsunade. Two ANBU came in with Madara.

"He doesn't look too strong," spoke the leader of Kusa.

"Looks can be deceiving. The strongest are often underestimated," spoke the Mizukage.

"Kirishima Kesshuu? So you're my successor, eh?" asked Madara.

"He was the Sandaime Mizukage!?" shouted Tsunade.

"Something we would rather not let others know. Hai, he was," replied Kesshuu.

"What of the others? The leader of Akatsuki?" asked Gaara.

"Uchiha Madara was the true leader. The other 'leader' was merely a figurehead set up by Madara," explained Tsunade.

"I see," replied Gaara.

"He shouldn't be left out of this. Have him step forward," spoke the Tsuchikage.

"As you wish," spoke Nagato. He and Konan stepped forward, standing beside Madara and those restraining him.

"The leader of Amegakure?" asked the leader of Takigakure.

"Correct. I am the leader of Amegakure. I took the nation from Hanzo several years ago. If you wish to judge my leadership skills, ask those of my village. They will vouch for my abilities in that area," replied Nagato.

"I could care less about what kind of leader you are," replied the leader of Taki.

"What do you wish to try me of?" asked Nagato.

"Crimes against the shinobi nations," spoke the Tsuchikage.

"Hold on. His crimes have righted themselves," spoke one of the jonin with the Raikage.

"And you would be?" asked the Tsuchikage.

"Takahachi Kirabi, brother of the Raikage, mister Tsuchikage," replied the jonin.

"He is also a jinchuuriki, one who was targeted by Akatsuki. Both our jinchuuriki are alive and well, thanks to the efforts of those from Konoha. Incidentally, the leader of Amegakure also participated in this battle," spoke the Raikage.

"Is this true? We have him to thank for our being alive right now?" spoke one of the jonin with the Tsuchikage.

"Interesting," spoke an armor clad jonin, also standing with the Tsuchikage.

"I propose we drop all charges against Nagato, the leader of Ame. His crimes have been resolved. His village needs him in their reconstruction," spoke Gaara.

"Very well, I agree to your proposal, Kazekage-dono," replied the Tsuchikage.

"I agree," spoke the Mizukage.

"He is a man of good character. I agree," replied the Raikage.

"Very well. Nagato, you may retake your seat," spoke Tsunade.

"Now, for this one. I propose he be executed immediately," spoke the Mizukage.

"Hold on, I believe he should be locked in a detention cell, rather than executed. Giving him a free ride into death doesn't seem a suitable punishment," replied the Tsuchikage.

"Oh, and just where shall he be kept? He and his organization committed crimes against all our nations. He intended to use the power of the bijuu to destroy all our villages," spoke the Raikage.

"Yes, we can't allow him to go on living," replied the Mizukage.

"He was originally of Konoha. He should be kept here. He has committed far more crimes against this village than he has to our nations," spoke Gaara.

"This is true. However, I brought you all here so all may have a say in the matter. If a decision is reached to execute him, then so be it," replied Tsunade.

"I agree with with Tsuchikage and Kazekage. He should be kept alive in a detention cell within Konoha for his remaining days. I believe he has been given immortality through means I know not of. Attempting to kill him would be pointless," spoke the Raikage.

"He's immortal? Very well, he can stay alive, then," replied the Mizukage.

"I can agree with keeping him in Konoha," spoke the Tsuchikage.

"I won't argue with the kages of the five shinobi nations. Konoha may deal with him," spoke the leader of Taki.

"I agree," replied the leader of Kusa.

"Then he shall remain here, by order of the kages and leaders of the shinobi villages. ANBU, return him to his cell," spoke Tsunade.

The ANBU escorted Madara to his cell. The entire time, Madara held a smile on his face, though he made sure to keep it hidden from the village leaders.

The meeting of the village leaders came to an end, and the village leaders parted ways, except Gaara and his siblings, who wished for a chance to meet with Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I'm glad to see you again," spoke Gaara.

"I was hoping to get a chance to see you while you were here, Gaara. I heard you were going to be coming here," replied Naruto.

"Heard you defeated that Madara guy. This true?" asked Temari.

"Yeah, though, I did have the help of all my friends," replied Naruto.

"Not bad. I didn't think you were that strong," spoke Temari.

"It would be unwise to underestimate him," spoke Gaara.

"Yeah, I know. It still bothers me I owe the brat twice," replied Temari.

"Brat?" asked Naruto.

Kankuro chuckled at the look on Naruto's face.

"At least I didn't almost lose to the laziest person in the village. Good thing Shikamaru made chunin that time, or you would have been in trouble," spoke Naruto.

"Gah, I could beat him now," muttered Temari.

"I would hope so. He would probably mutter something about it being troublesome," replied Naruto.

"Yeah," spoke Temari.

"Hey, you guys ever get a chance to go to Ichiraku Ramen?" asked Naruto.

"Ichiraku Ramen?" asked Gaara.

A large grin spread across Naruto's face as he led Gaara and his siblings to his favorite restaurant.

"Oh... Kazekage-sama!? It's an honor to have you here!" shouted old man Teuchi.

"He has to try out your ramen before returning to Suna. He might not get another chance for a while. It's not easy for a kage to leave their village," spoke Naruto.

"What can I get you?" asked Ayame.

"Four miso pork ramen, please," replied Naruto.

Within a few minutes, the group had their bowls of ramen. Naruto's grin returned as he began with is bowl. He turned to see how Gaara would enjoy his ramen. The kazekage was slow to pick up his first group of noodles. Naruto watched as Gaara slowly savored the taste before swallowing it.

"So?" asked Naruto.

Teuchi and Ayame were looking on with excitement. It wasn't everyday they had the chance to serve a kage of another village. Gaara responded by gulping down the rest of his bowl in a fashion similar to how Naruto does.

"Very good," spoke Gaara in a calm tone, "another please."

"Ha ha, looks like I've converted another!" shouted Naruto.

"Make that three more," spoke Temari.

"Make it four!" shouted Naruto.

After a half hour, Kankuro and Temari each had three bowls, while Naruto and Gaara managed to go through ten each. Gaara decided to pay for the meal as his thanks to Naruto for introducing him to the restaurant. As the group was walking through town, they happened to run into Kawazaki and Kisame. Upon seeing Gaara, Kawazaki ceased walking, staring at Gaara for several moments.

"I sense something familiar... oh, you're Shukaku's host, aren't you?" asked Kawazaki.

"How can you tell?" asked Gaara.

"Kame Kawazaki, former leader of the Kiri Shinobigatana Nananin Shuu. I'm also known as the sanbi," replied Kawazaki.

"You're a bijuu?" asked Gaara.

"We each have human forms, though, that tanuki only used his to go to bars. Oh, did he find his way back to you?" asked Kawazaki.

"I placed him under a heavy seal to ensure he doesn't control me as he did when I was young," replied Gaara.

"Yeah, Shukaku was rather obnoxious. I suppose some things will never change. It's good to see a jinchuuriki as a kage. Maybe that'll help in people understanding us better. We're not mindless beasts that kill for the sake of killing, after all," spoke Kawazaki.

"Well, Shukaku is questionable on that," replied Gaara.

"You have a point, but that's because he's paranoid about losing his status as a bijuu. It's not like he'll stop being one. You hear that, you crazy old tanuki!" shouted Kawazaki.

"Uh... you really shouldn't rile him up..." spoke Temari.

"Oh please, I could handle that tanuki with my hands tied," spoke Kawazaki.

"Shove it up your ass!" shouted Gaara.

"Eh?" muttered Naruto, surprised at the outburst.

"Shukaku," spoke Gaara.

"Oh..." muttered Naruto.

"Alright, I'll stop the banter. I wouldn't take on a kage... well, I wouldn't mind giving the Mizukage a black eye, but I have nothing against you, Kazekage-sama. Until the next time," spoke Kawazaki as he walked off with Kisame.

"He's the only one without a host. I think he likes it that way," spoke Naruto.

"He should watch his mouth. He is an interesting person, though," replied Gaara.

Gaara decided to spend the night in Konoha. The next day, Gaara and his siblings headed for the main gate.

"I wish you good luck on your journeys, Naruto. Until we meet again," spoke Gaara, as he extended his hand.

"Until next time. I swear, I'll make kage yet, Gaara," replied Naruto, as he extended his hand. The two shook hands, and then Gaara and his siblings departed. Naruto waved them off until they were out of site.

In the hospital, Konan and Nagato, along with his Deva Path, were in a room which held Nagato's other bodies.

"I can heal them, if you wish. There's no need to keep them here," spoke Tsunade.

"There is one thing I wish to ask. Can you remove the disease within this body?" asked Nagato, as Deva Path stepped forward.

"I've only been able to prevent it from destroying this body by putting it in a near death state, and controlling it with my chakra. If it is possible, I would like to give Yahiko his body back," spoke Nagato.

"I can try. I can't make any promises," replied Tsunade.

"I understand," spoke Nagato.

Deva Path laid on a bed, while Tsunade looked the body over. She spent hours looking over the body, making sure to confirm which disease the body had.

"It's a fairly rare degenerative disease. It's passed on genetically. It came from a clan in Kirigakure. Tell me, did one of his parents have the disease?" asked Tsunade.

"I can't say for sure. We were young when we lost our parents. There's little we can remember about them," replied Konan.

"I see. I can treat him. The process takes several treatments, but it will cure him of the disease. I can begin the initial treatment as soon as you are ready," spoke Tsunade.

"Very well. I'll have to remove the piercings. He won't be able to emerge while they are in place," replied Nagato.

"Okay," spoke Tsunade.

Nagato and Konan carefully removed the piercings from Yahiko's body. Nagato and Tsunade healed the wounds opened up by their removal, being careful not to leave scars.

"Now, for the final step," spoke Nagato, "Kai!"

Nagato placed his hand on Yahiko's forehead. When Yahiko's eyes opened, they didn't have the Rinnegan, but his original eyes.

"Na... Nagato? And Konan... and... you... you're... Tsunade?" asked Yahiko.

"Hai, my friend," spoke Nagato.

"Am I?" asked Yahiko.

"You will be. She can cure you. You'll be able to be yourself again," spoke Nagato.

"I see..." replied Yahiko.

"You can catch up later. I should begin the treatment as soon as possible. It seems he was in the late stages of the disease before you stalled it with your treatment," spoke Tsunade.

"We'll come by in a few hours," spoke Nagato, as he and Konan left Tsunade to do what she needed to.

"I suppose that's it. Will you rebuild the paths?" asked Konan.

"I intend to," replied Nagato.

"Who will be your Deva Path?"

"I'll use my former Animal Path. The body is already here, and has already been adapted. It will only take a little work for him to become my Deva Path."

"The hunter... ironic. The one who once saved Yahiko will now replace him."

"Yes, if it weren't for that jutsu he showed to us that day, Yahiko would have been lost to us. He should consider it the highest honor to be my next Deva Path."

Konan and Nagato went to the room Nagato's former Animal Path was being held to adjust it to become the new Deva Path. Their work consisted of changing around several of the piercings to receive a specific part of Nagato's chakra. They finished around the same time Tsunade finished with her work on Yahiko.

"I've completed the first phase of the treatment. It will take several months to complete the treatment, but his life is no longer in danger," spoke Tsunade.

"Arigatou," spoke Nagato and Konan.

"This body was used for summoning, right?" asked Tsunade.

"I was. I am now Deva Path," replied the former Animal Path.

"I see," replied Tsunade.

"I will work on reviving the other bodies. They were heavily injured in my fight with Uzumaki, but none are beyond repair. Konan and I have to leave after our work is done. We will leave Yahiko in your care for the time being," spoke Nagato.

"I understand. He will be well taken care of," replied Tsunade.

"May we see him?" asked Konan.

"You may," replied Tsunade.

The group entered the room Yahiko was in. Tsunade took him to a different room, near the room that held Nagato's other bodies. Yahiko was sitting up, waiting for them to arrive.

"Ah, took you long enough," spoke Yahiko.

"I was adjusting Deva Path," replied Nagato.

"So he's going to be your new Deva Path, huh? I suppose I owe him. Now I owe Tsunade, too," spoke Yahiko.

"And to think Orochimaru suggested we kill you," spoke Tsunade.

"I was pondering that the day he was let into Akatsuki. That's in the past, now. I try not to hold grudges against those who are undeserving," replied Nagato.

"Nagato, I wanted to ask... has the world learned pain?" asked Yahiko.

"The world... it has seen pain. I believe I learned more about pain then anyone else in my attempts to mature the world. I would call it a second awakening," spoke Nagato.

"I see. Tsunade told me about what happened to the village. You know, you were always the better leader. I may have been loud and 'in your face,' but you were always calm, cool, collected. I'll leave it to you to make our dream come true," replied Yahiko.

"You're part of it, too. As soon as you're ready," spoke Konan.

"Indeed, indeed. Well, Tsunade told me I should rest. I guess I should do that," replied Yahiko.

"Rest easy, Yahiko," spoke Nagato.

"See you later," spoke Konan.

The group left Yahiko to get his sleep. Nagato and Konan began work on reviving Nagato's other bodies.

In the ANBU detention center, the ANBU guards in charge of Madara were being asked about a request of Madara.

"You do understand what you are asking, right?" asked one of the ANBU.

"I wish to see his grave, and I wish for Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke to act as my guards. Is that so much to ask for?" asked Madara.

"I will take it up with Hokage-sama. Until then, you are to remain here," replied the ANBU.

"Very well," replied Madara.

The ANBU waited for her relief, then made her way for Tsunade's office. Tsunade had just returned from healing Yahiko and was hoping to take care of the mountain of paperwork that awaited her.

"I don't suppose you could just do it?" asked Tsunade.

"Sorry Tsunade-sama," replied Shizune.

"Uh... if it weren't for all this nonsense, I wouldn't mind being Hokage so much," spoke Tsunade.

The ANBU knocked on the door, and allowed herself to enter.

"Yugao? You have something for me?" asked Tsunade.

"Prisoner Uchiha Madara has a request of you," replied Yugao.

"Does he now? And what is this request?" asked Tsunade.

"He wishes to visit a grave of someone he knew. He asks that Naruto-san and Sasuke-san act as his guard," replied Yugao.

"And just who is this person?" asked Tsunade.

Yugao explained who the grave belonged to, and why this person was of such importance to Madara. Upon hearing Yugao's explanation, Tsunade considered Madara's request.

"Very well. I find it difficult to deny such a request, but you will observe from the shadows, along with two others. I won't leave anything to chance," replied Tsunade.

"I will inform him of your decision. Good evening, Tsunade-sama," spoke Yugao, as she left Tsunade's office.

The next morning, Naruto and Sasuke were summoned to the ANBU detention cells. They were informed of Madara's request, and escorted him to the grave he wished to visit.

"This is the grave," spoke Madara, as he pointed to one of the headstones. It was larger than the others in the graveyard. The graveyard held the bodies of high ranking members of the Uchiha clan. This grave was separate from the others, left alone. It appeared to be poorly tended to over the years. The name was hard to make out.

"Uchiha Izuna?" asked Sasuke.

"Hai," replied Madara.

"Who was he?" asked Naruto.

"My younger brother," replied Madara.

"The one whose eyes you stole?" asked Sasuke.

"It's a common misunderstanding that many have held of me over the years. They accused me of being a monster that stole his brother's eyes in order to gain power. He gave his eyes to me. I never forced him into it. At one point, I even offered my eyes to him, as they were no longer of use to me. He refused me, though. He insisted that I take his eyes. I couldn't deny him. He felt I would be the best between the two of us to lead the old Uchiha Clan," explained Madara.

"How can we believe you?" asked Naruto.

"I didn't expect you to. Just listen. Everything I did was for the Uchiha Clan. I would have given my life ten times over for the clan. I wished nothing but the best. My clan repaid me by taking scraps from the Senju Clan. They allowed themselves to be struck down into nothing but pawns. The hokages knew. They always knew that the clan would one day rebel against them. They awoke too late to be able to do anything. And then they were struck down again after my failed assault on Konoha. You and Itachi are the only remaining strong members of the clan," spoke Madara.

"You don't count yourself anymore, do you?" asked Sasuke.

"I've lost. I can admit to that. I have all the time in the world to evaluate my actions. Perhaps I'll be able to reach a conclusion in regards to if I have done the right thing. Until then, I can only believe I have done what is right for the clan. There is an item I have in a special seal. It's on my left arm. Sasuke-san, use your blood to unseal the item," spoke Madara.

"Very well," replied Sasuke, "Naruto, keep an eye on him. This may be some kind of trick."

Naruto nodded in response.

"I can assure you, this is no trick. You'll see when you unseal the item," spoke Madara.

Sasuke bit his finger, and swiped his blood on the seal. The item that emerged from the seal was a small book.

"What is this? It has no markings on it," asked Sasuke.

"This is his journal. It contains his thoughts on everything that took place in his lifetime," replied Madara.

"How do we know this is real, and not some kind of trick you intend to use to twist history?" asked Sasuke.

"You don't. Believe what you will. I leave this to you two. Get from it what you can. I'll leave history to judge me. Now, if you excuse me. I have no intention to remain a prisoner," replied Madara.

Sasuke and Naruto drew their weapons, while the ANBU went into alert. They watched to see what Madara would do.

"There's little you can do. My jutsu permanently damaged your ability to use chakra," spoke Naruto.

"Are you so sure? I was merely faking it. I've said what I've wanted. Take it for what it is. Ja ne," spoke Madara, as he disappeared.

"Search the area!" shouted Yugao. Her and the other ANBU spread out, searching the entire village, only to find Madara was no where to be found.

"I don't believe it... he tricked us. I don't understand how, though," spoke Naruto.

"Perhaps he has some kind of regenerative ability we don't know about. At the time he was examined, he had no way of molding chakra," replied Sasuke.

"Damn it. Wait, Sasuke, there's something written on the inside of the back cover," spoke Naruto.

"I didn't notice. Let me see... is this what he wanted us to see?" asked Sasuke.

"What does it say?" asked Naruto.

"For my clan, for my brother, I give it all for them. His last thoughts?" spoke Sasuke.

"Maybe... we need to join the search. Let's go," replied Naruto.

"Right," spoke Sasuke.

Far away from the village, Madara was walking along a road, observing the clouds.

"I guess that brat messed me up more than I thought. This is as far as I could get. Never mind, though. They'll never catch up to me. I'll leave things be for now. Perhaps I should find a different way to go about things," spoke Madara with a tone close to that of him as Tobi. Madara continued on, his Mangekyou Sharingan present in his eyes.

Tsunade was not happy at hearing word of Madara's escape. She ordered a continued search, hoping to turn up some sign of the elder Uchiha.

"Tsunade, he gave us this before he disappeared," spoke Sasuke, as he handed Izuna's journal to Tsunade.

"It's his brother's journal," spoke Naruto.

"Why did he give this to you?" asked Tsunade.

"Perhaps to justify his actions. It would seem he wishes for us to believe he did everything for his brother," replied Sasuke.

"It's possible he merely copied his brother's handwriting, though, right?" asked Tsunade.

"It is possible to copy that with the Sharingan. He knew that though," spoke Naruto.

"I see. I don't need to hold onto to this. If he wished you to have it, then you can hold on to it," replied Tsunade, as she handed the journal back to Sasuke.

"You two are dismissed. Remain on standby for now. I'll have missions for you soon," spoke Tsunade.

Naruto and Sasuke nodded as they left the office. The two headed for the Uchiha compound.

"Do you think they'll find him?" asked Naruto.

"I can't say for sure. If he has his space-time jutsu back, it would be difficult for anyone to keep a hold of him, even if they did find him," replied Sasuke.

"I know."

The two continued to walk along. As they got into the clan section of Konoha, Sasuke stopped for a moment and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto, tell me, what do you think is going to happen now?" asked Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" replied Naruto.

"With Akatsuki gone, and Madara weakened, it seems like we won't have as much to worry about."

"I'll continue to do missions and train. I have to build up my reputation before I'll be able to become Hokage, right?"

"That's true. Thinking of leading a team of genin in the near future?"

"Maybe a couple of years from now. I'm not about to bring myself upon a helpless group of genin yet. What about you?"

"Me? I'm not sure. The Uchiha used to run the military police. My father used to lead the military police. Perhaps I'll take up a post there. I'll take missions outside the village once in a while, but I'd like to remain close,"

"To keep an eye on Sakura?"

"Well, sort of. She'll still have her missions. I can't keep an eye on her all the time. I was pondering what I was going to do with my life after we got back. You've decided to follow in your father's footsteps, so I've decided to follow in mine, without the attempt of betraying the village, of course."

"Doesn't really sound like you, though. You'd probably be better as a hunter-nin."

"Yeah, I thought about it. Jumping around in the shadows sounds like fun."

"You should go with that, then. The military police don't need a Uchiha to run them."

"You're right. I should stick with a job that fits me. What about you? You really want to be Hokage."

"Of course. I've always sought to gain acknowledgment and keep an eye out for those I care for. It's the best position for both."

"You're right on that point."

Sasuke and Naruto finally arrived at the Uchiha compound. Konan, Nagato, and the Pein Rikudou awaited them.

"Nagato? What are you doing here?" asked Naruto.

"We were about to leave. I didn't want to head out without saying goodbye to the one person capable of besting me in battle," replied Nagato.

"I wouldn't mind a rematch. I'm always up for a challenge," replied Naruto.

"I wouldn't mind getting a shot at you, either," spoke Sasuke.

"I'll take you up on that one day, Naruto-san, Sasuke-san. For now, I have a village to rebuild. Continue your training, both of you. I look forward to seeing you both in the future," replied Nagato.

"Be careful in your journeys. If we find Madara, we'll let Konoha know," spoke Konan.

"Thanks for everything, Naruto-san, Sasuke-san," spoke Nagato, as he extended his hand towards Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke shook hands with Nagato, while Konan gave the two a small hug.

"Hey, hey, enough with the sentimental bull shit. You told me you'd be at the gate a half hour ago!" shouted Hidan, as he walked towards the group.

"We didn't think they would be out. My apologies. You should be a little more respectful, if you wish to work for me," spoke Nagato.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go," replied Hidan.

"Farewell Naruto, Sasuke," spoke Nagato. He, Konan, Hidan, and Nagato's other bodies made their way for the main gate of Konoha.

"Well, it's still a little early to just sit around here," spoke Naruto.

"I agree. Let's have a quick little spar, shall we?" asked Sasuke.

"It's like you read my mind," replied Naruto.

The two headed for the training ring in the Uchiha compound, and took their fighting stances.

"Ready?" asked Sasuke.

"Let's go!" shouted Naruto.

A/N: And there you have it, the final chapter of Warriors of the Leaf. It's been fun. I suppose I did okay for my first story here. I suppose I should play the name game one more time, this time for Kirishima Kesshuu, the Yondaime Mizukage. Kirishima can be spelled as 霧嶋, where 霧 means mist and 嶋 means island. Misty island sounds like Kirigakure to me. Kesshuu can be spelled as 血秋, where 血 means blood and 秋 means autumn. The choice of using the kanji for blood is a reference to the "Village of the Bloody Mist." The choice of autumn was arbitrary; there weren't any names I could find with the kanji for blood alone. I did plan on making a sequel to this story. The title will be "Shadows of the Past." I won't go into too many details here; I'll put a preview on my profile page. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story. Don't forget to leave a review of this chapter. Ja ne.