Naruto's Hidden Power

Chapter 10

After a year worth of training Orochimaru was finally seeing results in the performance of his new students. He wasn't so surprised by Sasuke and Neji, but Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino did surprise him. He knew about the Naru possibly the smartest person in the world, but the rate at which he absorbed everything he taught was even better then Anko who and the fact that he was able to perform what he was asked with no more than one explanation was something he welcomed since he didn't fancy repeating himself. Shino didn't absorb information as well as Shikamaru, but his kikai bugs seemed to remember any additional information he couldn't. Choji on the other hand couldn't remember anything that wasn't repeated to him over and over and if it wasn't for Shikamaru's confidence in t he boy he wouldn't have made it this far.

Orochimaru watched as Shikamaru laid on the ground watching clouds while Choji sat next to him eating chips and talking bout something. Shino was off in the distance crawling around on the ground, looking for bugs again he guessed. Sasuke, Neji, Juugo, and Kimimaro all off training somewhere by themselves. He assumed that all found somewhere separate from the others so they can train in private. He spotted Tayuya off meditating and Karin near her clearing bothering the older girl. Despite their quirks, they all was quickly building their skills as fast as he wanted so he could start with his plan to rule the shinobi world. His only real problem was that they all hated each other except what Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino who held on to their friendship and neither listened to any of his current generals.

(break)

A year of training without missions was clearly wearing on Naruto, Kiba, Lee, and Tenten who could barely contain their frustration at being stuck in the village. In fact if Kushina could remember correct the only person who wasn't complaining about not having a mission this past year was Sakura, and her skills was a show of how far she came. She picked the minds of both Tsunade and Shizune until Tsunade finally got tired of her trying to pry her brain for information on medics and made the girl her apprentice. Unfortunately for Tsunade that only made Sakura want to know more. Hinata used her year of training going over everything that was recovered from the old Hyuuga compound until she had every major date a almost every genin and chuunin level skill memorized. She also made sure every Hyuuga was learning the skills needed to protect themselves while taking special interest in making Hanabi the strongest person under the age of 14. Hana simple took things in stride and soaked up all the information from both her clan and Itachi while proving that there was a reason she hailed within her clan as the best tracker. Simply put, her nose and her three dogs found many relics from the old clans of Whirlpool.

Kushina sighed as she thought about them simple because that's where the normal stopped, Ino started learning medics from Shizune while digging deeper into the more forbidden parts of the Yamanaka clan jutsus. After all if she was going to take over as head of the clan she needed to know and use every jutsu within the clan that was available, or that's what she told Kushina when she asked her about learn the more dangerous jutsus. The girl was simply jutsu obsessed to the point of getting jutsus from anyone who would give her some. She even hounded Yuugao for jutsus until the jounin agreed to teach her young eager apprentice everything she knew. Lee spent his every waking moment punching and kicking trees, when he wasn't sprinting around the village while yelling something about being youthful, to be honest Kushina had no clue what he be talking about, and all this was without taking off his weights. When he took his weights off he was always found on the ocean running. Kiba was just determined to catch Hana. Him and Akamaru an Inuzuka jutsu juggernaut while his speed surprised everyone since he reached speeds that no previous Inuzuka ever reached. While he tried to catch Hana he inadvertently made himself more distant, if she was calmness he was turbulence, she thought her actions through he acted without thinking, she was gentle he was rough, she was quiet he was loud, both by Inuzuka standards. In fact Hana was possibly the quietest Inuzuka ever while Kiba was loudest. Naruto was just as bad as the other three in training as he wouldn't stop trying to master everything about the Uzumaki in as little time as possible and with the help of kage bushin he was learning quite a bit and was becoming a force to be reckoned with. Aside from disagreeing with Itachi on everything they did he relished in the thought of learning a new jutsu or sparing with Kiba or Lee, if only to prove which of the three was stronger. Strangely enough he still couldn't beat Tenten. Speaking of Tenten, she took it upon herself to find, master, and utilize every weapon she could come across. Like with the previous four training crazy genin's, she had to closely monitor how much time she spent training. She even went as far as to ban anyone pulling out a new weapon when Tenten was in the area, but that still didn't stop the girl from finding the new weapons as they came into the village.

"What are you thinking about?" someone asked snapping Kushina out of her thoughts.

"Just thinking about how much those 8 have grown in the past year, what brings you hear Tsunade?" Kushina responded.

Tsunade looked out the window and saw the 8 she was referring to laughing at Naruto who was currently telling one of his elaborate stories, "Yes they have grown and I must say Itachi has made his mark on them."

"That he has." Jiraiya said sitting on a window seal.

"Anyways, the reason I'm here is because Iwa have demanded we honor the agreement between Konoha and Iwa and give them Hanabi in an arranged marriage, they are sending a group here now to explain why we should go along with this." Tsunade said.

"I see that your plan of making people think Konoha has simply moved and not destroyed is working." Kushina said.

"Yes, but we have bigger problems then that." Jiraiya said.

"Like what?" the other sannin asked.

"There is a group of elite ninjas from every shinobi village forming, they are collecting jinchuuriki." Jiraiya told them.

Both Kushina and Tsunade looked at him hoping he was joking, "How many?" Kushina slowly asked.

"Right now, 9, all are high jounin to kage level." Jiraiya told her.

"What will we do, I can't lose Naruto again?" Kushina asked concerned for her son.

"We need a spy within the group." Tsunade said.

"Yes but who and how will we get them into the group?" Jiraiya asked.

"There is only four people with the skills to join them and it will be to obvious if one of us join them." Tsunade said.

"I need to think." Kushina said and walked out of the building.

(break)

Itachi was standing looking out into the ocean as his robe blew into the wind. He knew about this new group of elite ninjas and their goal of capturing jinchuuriki's. He turned and looked down the beach at his 8 chuunin's playing as if nothing was wrong and knew what he had to do. Vanishing he appeared in the middle of all eight of them and drew his katana, "Don't hold back." was all the warning they got before he attacked.

(break)

Feeling the spike in 8 chakra's at the same time every trained shinobi rushed to the beach area where Itachi trained his team and saw him standing there with not one scratch on him but his team looked like they was about to pass out at any minute. Lee vanished and appeared in the air above Itachi with his spiked glove aimed at his head, but the jounin simply jumped and kicked him out the air painfully. Sakura attacked next with her spiked mace but was stopped by Itachi's katana then he punched her in the stomach knocking her out the fight also. Next both Hana and Hinata attacked hoping to hold him in place long enough for the others but that ended quickly as Itachi pulled them close to him and kicked Hana in the air then kneed Hinata in the stomach and dropped an elbow on her neck knocking before flipping back kicking Hana to the ground knocking her out. Rasengan Naruto and Tenten yelled as they ran at him, Shintenshin no jutsu Ino called out as Kiba jumped at Itachi with his giant kunai's. Itachi vanished in a bunch of crows before all four genin's fell on the ground unconscious.

Naruto tried to struggle up but couldn't move, "Why?" he was able to ask.

"I thought you was good enough to be the leader but looks like I was wrong, you can't even coordinate your friends to make a decent attack on someone who you otherwise have no hope of beating." Itachi said while turning around.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Naruto demanded.

"Become stronger, become a leader, become a true ninja then come challenge me." the jounin said then started to walk away.

Kushina ran full speed from the other side of the village to find her son not moving and Itachi standing over him before walking away, she completely missed the others also on the ground as she saw red and exploded with chakra as she was on Itachi before he knew what was happening, "I trusted you!" she yelled before he was flying out to the ocean followed be kage.

Itachi flipped mid air and slid back on the water before he stopped himself and calmly looked at Kushina, "I never asked for your trust." he said before activating his sharingan.

"Why?" Kushina asked.

"These ninjas who are collecting jinchuuriki are a threat and must be watched." Itachi responded before vanishing.

Kushina grabbed her katana and vanished meeting Itachi in the middle as their katana's met in a tie as they tried to overpower the other. The shock wave of chakra that came off the two put fear in those watching who wasn't a sannin. The speed at which they was fighting at was to much for anyone but the two sannin's to keep up with. Katon: grand fireball jutsu Itachi called. Kushina easily dodged and was about to attack him from behind. "Shouldn't you be more worried about them?" he asked calmly as his jutsu sped towards the unconscious teens.

Kushina saw her mistake and vanished with pure speed and appeared between them and the jutsu with the tip of her sword left hand and the hilt in her right hand, Satetsu: iron wall she said and a wall of iron quickly was built blocking the fireball. By the time the wall was gone Itachi was long gone. Kushina dropped her katana and ran to Naruto and lifted his head as the parents of the other kids arrived.

"What made him do it?" Tsume asked as she pulled both her kids to her.

"I don't know, I think he knew we was behind the destruction of Konoha." Kushina lied.

"Impossible we never talk about it." Anko said.

"Do you have a better explanation on why my son is barely breathing then?" Kushina snapped at her.

"No use in yelling at her for it, we are all just as confused by his betrayal as you are." Tsunade said.

"I'm leaving, when I come back I'm taking over their training." was all Jiraiya said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

(a week later)

Itachi was sitting in a small restaurant when someone sat across from him, "There is a rumor going around going around by those underground that you destroyed the Uchiha clan." the person said.

"Don't bother me with rumors so if you don't have a reason for being here then leave before I kill you." Itachi said.

"My leader want you to join Akatsuki." the man said.

"What will I get out of this?" the Uchiha wondered.

"Power." the man answered.

The sharingan user looked at the blond man for the first time, "You are going to have to offer more than that it you want my skills." he said then got up. The man reached and grabbed Itachi's arm, Itachi vanished and held the man in the air by his neck, "Touch me again and it will be the last thing you do in your pathetic life." he said before dropping him and vanishing.

The Akatsuki ring lit up, "Deidara what happened?" the hologram asked.

"That Uchiha is insanely powerful and he said you need to offer him more than power." the one now named Deidara said.

"Get him to come towards the base." the hologram said then it was gone.

Deidara sighed as he stood up and dusted himself off, "I better get double for this." he said before running out the restaurant and bumping Itachi and jumping up on a clay bird that was waiting for him, "If you want it back you will have to catch me." he said before taking off. Itachi watched him before he was no longer in his sight before he started walking in the same direction.

(break)

Deidara floated in midair on his clay bird in an open field and looked back to see if Itachi was following him. He was in the same spot for 20 minutes before he saw a figure approaching him. He watched as the figure got closer and realized that his plan to get Itachi to follow him worked, but he was left to wonder what would happen if Itachi didn't get his necklace back immediately. Itachi stopped a few feet away from Deidara and looked up at him, "Drop my necklace and you may survive long enough to be of good use to someone."

"You arrogant piece of shit!" the blond yelled back at him.

"Itachi Uchiha, join us!" he heard.

Completely ignoring the newcomers and he tilted his head so he could see the flying blond, "This is your last chance give me what belongs to me or I will take it off your dead body."

Deidara let it hang from his hand, "Come get it if you can." he taunted.

Itachi vanished and Deidara vanished at the exact same time. When they appeared Itachi was standing on Deidara's bird while Deidara was standing where Itachi previously was, "I'm known for my abilities to use clay and my speed." Deidara told him.

"Your skills is child's play." Itachi told him.

"You arrogant bastard I'm going to kill you." Deidara yelled.

"Deidara calm down, we need his skills." the man with black piercings all over his face.

Deidara laughed as he made a fist with his right hand and his clay bird exploded with Itachi still on it. The other 8 members watched in mild surprise as blood sprayed down over them all "I knew he was nothing compared to me!" Deidara exclaimed.

"So sad to see him die, he was a cute shinobi." the female member said.

"Is that the best you can do, pathetic." they heard.

They looked up and saw Itachi and the bird still floating in mid air, "I blew you up!" Deidara yelled.

"The sharingan, we have been under its spell." the pale member said.

"Like I said your skills are child's play and I know chuunin's whose speed is surpassing yours." Itachi said as they saw his necklace that Deidara previously had move in the wind as it blew past Itachi.

There was a large chakra pulse as the effect of the sharingan was canceled on everyone "We have to fight him without looking into his eyes." the member who did the chakra pulse said.

"How do you know this Orochimaru?" another member asked.

"I make it my mission to know everything that other people don't know." Orochimaru said.

"I'll kill you for making a mockery of me!" Deidara exclaimed before jumping up towards Itachi.

Itachi stepped off the bird and used the attaching shinobi to propel himself into the air and flip over the other members, "I don't have time for kids." and started walking away.

"Itachi wait, join us and you can have whatever you want?" the man with the piercing asked.

"None of you are worth my time." was the reply he received.

"You bastard!" he heard before a large scythe came at him.

He stopped it with a simple kunai, "Fine you want me to join your group, I will."

"Just like that?" the female asked.

"Yes, if one of you can get just one hand on me I'll join you." he told her.

"Your joking right?" the female asked.

"I don't joke." he told her.

"There are 9 of us and we all are kage level." she told him.

"Then it should be easy shouldn't it?" Itachi asked.

"Your going to swallow that arrogant attitude." the wooden mechanical, thing. Actually Itachi wasn't sure exactly what that was, but it didn't look like it was a problem, which is exactly why he decided he needed to keep an eye on him or it.

2 katana's and a tail pierced Itachi before he burst in a flock of crows, "You have to come at me with the intent to kill or you will never have me in your group." he told them.

Itachi proceeded to dodge and flip through their attacks with what seemed like little effort while the female and the man with the pierced face watched "He cant be this good, even I would have trouble taking on all them." the man said.

"He has the sharingan, he can see their attacks before they make them." the female told him.

Itachi landed a few feet away from the group and watched for their next move when he found himself in what looked like a paper cage "Will you join us now Itachi-san?" the female asked with her hand clearly on his back.

"How come I didn't sense you?" he asked.

"Because I posed no threat to you so you dismissed me until I attacked, by the time you sensed me coming it was to late." she told him.

Itachi smirked using them as a distraction, "Your devious."

"So will you join us?" she repeated.

"Will you release me?" he asked.

"That depends on your answer." was her reply.

"I did give my word that I would join you if anyone can touch me, so I'll join you." he said.

"Good your to cute to kill right now." she said and released him.

"Now why don't you tell me exactly who you are?" Itachi asked.

"I'm Konan, the man with the face piercing and rings in his eyes is Pain, you already encountered Deidara, and I'm assuming you know Orochimaru since you are from the village, the flytrap one is Zetsu, the blue one is Kisame, the old looking one id Kakuzu, the annoying one with the scythe is Hidan, the puppet is Sasori, and finally there is Tobi we don't know much about him besides the fact that he is powerful and always wear that stupid looking mask." she told him.

Itachi picked his hat up off the ground and dusted it off before putting it back on, "What exactly do we do?" he asked.

"We are known as Akatsuki and we collect jinchuuriki for the power of their bijuu." Pain said.

Itachi finally got a good look at the man "You posses the rinnegan." he stated.

Everyone looked at him in surprise "What do you know about the rinnegan?" Pain asked.

Itachi smirked "A lot."

"Anyway, this is your ring that associates you with Akatsuki, it will only stay on your right ring finger and it is used to contact other members of the group." Konan told him. Itachi looked at the ring before slipping it on his right ring finger.

"Your partner will be Kisame, you two will travel together at all times." Pain told him.

"So what your the leader or something?" Itachi asked.

"What if I am?" Pain asked. Itachi just chuckled then ignored him in preference to look at the female member of the group.

(break)

A group of Iwa ninjas arrived and saw a sign above an open gate, 'NEW WHIRLPOOL'. The ninjas looked at each other before starting to walk through the gate, "Halt state your reason for entering without permission of the Shodai Uzukage!" the guard said.

"We are here on behalf of Iwa and our business doesn't concern you." one of the shinobi said.

"Your trying to gain entrance to our village show respect." the guard yelled.

Haku walked up to the gate, "Follow me, the Uzukage has been expecting you." she said before turning and walking away with the 10 Iwa ninjas following her.

They walked to the Uzukage building when Haku opened the door and held it open for the six Iwa ninjas to enter. Kushina and her guest turned to see who was coming in, "Welcome." Kushina greeted.

"Kasumi leave so Kushina-sama can talk to her guest." Haku demanded.

"Oh but Haku I am her guest." Kasumi said smiling at the young chuunin.

"Important guest." Haku retorted.

"I'm Mizukage the only guest that's more important than me is a Daimyou." Kasumi replied.

"Get out." Haku said through clenched teeth.

"Haku are you threatening me?" the Mizukage asked in mock surprise.

Haku's face turned red "Haku calm down she is just taunting you." Kushina said.

"I knew that." Haku said.

"Well little Haku are you going to lead the way out?" the Mizukage asked as she continued her taunts.

Haku let the door shut "You know where the exit is."

"Aww is little Haku getting embarrassed?" Kasumi asked while laughing and walking out the office.

"I hate her." Haku mumbled

"Now that the distraction has passed," she sent a pointed look at Haku "why don't we get down to business." Kushina said.

"My name is Kurotsuchi and I'm the leader of this group and we would like to accomplish two things on this trip." one of the two kunoichi's said.

Kushina looked at her, "What would those things be?"

"First we would like to develop a treaty between Iwa and New Whirlpool." she said.

"I'm Kushina Uzumaki and I'm from Old Whirlpool and I remember clearly how Iwa attacked our country in fear of our ability with fuinjutsu," she stopped to see how the 10 ninjas was taking this and so far only 3 looked as if they would try and destroy them again "how do I know you wont try something like that again?" she finished.

"I know nothing about that, as you can see I'm quite young for a jounin, but I do know that the second reason we are here would prevent that from happening." Kurotsuchi said.

"Whats that?" Haku asked.

"A marriage contract between Whirlpool and Iwa." Kurotsuchi told them.

"You mean demanding Hanabi-chan marries some creep from Iwa." Haku spat out.

"Haku quiet," Kushina said before looking at Kurotsuchi "as you can see people here are protective of the younger generations, so you should choose your words wisely."

"Would you take her place instead?" an older shinobi asked while looking her up and down.

"She is young enough to be your granddaughter." another shinobi said while pushing his glasses up on his face.

"So you saying you wouldn't sleep with her Jibachi?" the man asked.

"Your old enough to be my father Kurobachi, have some standards." Jibachi said.

"Suzumebachi get your brothers under control." Kurotsuchi told her.

"Unfortunately they were raised to be perverts." Suzumebachi said.

"Just so you know, its well within Haku's rights to kill them for their perverted conversation about her so I would suggest you get your team under control now Kurotsuchi or there will be no chance of a treaty." Kushina told her.

"All of you wait outside and don't move." Kurotsuchi told them. One by one they walked out the building "Sorry being the youngest they feel that they don't have to obey me at times, I'm constantly forced to remind them who is in charge."

"Well back to business, I'm willing to work on a treaty, but your going to have your work cut out for you if you want me to marry off my daughter." Kushina said.

(break)

8 chuunin's walked down the path towards the Uzukage's building. All 8 had on standard Whirlpool outfits except they was of each chuunin favorite color. In addition Naruto was also wearing a dark red coat with short sleeves and white flames on the bottom. It was held close by a tiny orange rope and the coat stopped at his knees. On his back was his huge head-cutter. Ino had her katana upside down on her back so the handle was next to her right hand for easy grabbing purposes. Tenten had tons of pockets on her outfit each filled with a scroll full of weapons. Hinata had her rose-whip in her hair over her right ear. Hana had her chain-whip attached to her hip. Kiba had his giant kunai's across his back in an 'x' shape. Sakura had her mace in a scroll for easy carrying, and Lee had gloves on like always.

They walked right past the Iwa ninjas not even realizing they was there and entered the building, "Mom can we finally go on a mission?"

"Naruto-kun, please be quiet Kushina-sama is in a meeting." Haku said as she directed them into her small area of the office.

"Whats going on?" Naruto asked.

"They are here for form a treaty with us." Haku said.

"They?" Naruto asked confused.

"You mean you didn't see the Iwa ninjas standing outside the building?" Hana asked.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Am I the only one who didn't see them?" he asked. Everyone looked at him and he dropped his head "At least pretend I'm not the only one who missed them."

"Oh Naruto-nii we totally missed the ninjas standing outside the building in the open." Tenten mocked.

"No need to mock me." Naruto said.

"Naruto-kun will you please quiet down, Kurotsuchi-san is trying to give Iwa's reasons for why we should marry off Hanabi-chan to an Iwa shinobi." Haku told them.

"I'll kill you if you think your going to marry my sister off to some creep!" Hinata, Tenten, Hana, Ino, and Sakura all said at the same time.

Kushina sighed while looking at them "Will you please give them a mission so I can get this treaty done?"

"Your Naruto Uzumaki?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"Well last time I checked that was my name why?" Naruto told her.

She activated a seal on her right arm and a small scroll appeared "I don't know if it means anything but I have this from a few years ago." she then gave the scroll to Kushina.

Kushina read the scroll "That bastard, if he wasn't already dead I would kill him!" she declared.

"Whats wrong mom?" Naruto asked worried.

"Kakashi decided to have you married off to the daughter of the Tsuchikage. " she said.

"That bastard." Naruto said in anger.

Kurotsuchi for her part looked like she regretted bring it up "Sorry if I would have known I wouldn't have said anything."

"Its not your fault and we are not angry with you bring this to our attention, but this certainly complicates things." Kushina told her.

"We don't even know who this mystery person is!" Naruto said in frustration.

"The Tsuchikage doesn't have a daughter." Kushina informed him.

"Actually," Kurotsuchi started slowly not sure how they would take the upcoming news "the person who the Tsuchikage-sama would offer is his granddaughter."

The door burst open "Kurotsuchi-chan you can't marry some unproven punk!" said a very big shinobi.

"Holy crap he is huge!" Kiba said.

"Akatsuchi go back outside!" Kurotsuchi yelled at him.

"Who are you calling unproven?" Naruto yelled.

"I'm calling you unproven!" the bigger shinobi replied.

"How about I show you how unproven I am!" Naruto challenged before he vanished.

His punch was effectively blocked but the force made the two slide out the door that was now wide open. Akatsuchi grabbed Naruto's wrist and threw him over his head towards a nearby building. Naruto flipped in the air and caught his balance in time to gently land on the building and jump back at his opponent. His right hand went for the handle of his weapon as he had a look of determination in his eyes. Akatsuchi pulled out a kunai and ran at him in preparation to counter the smaller faster shinobi.

Youton: youkai no jutsu they heard before a stream of lava stopped Akatsuchi advance and forced Naruto to jam his sword in the ground to stop himself.