Birds in a Cage

Naruto stopped hopping through the trees and jumped on the ground. He put both his hands on his pocket and started walking slowly.

"You know I don't like it when you tail me like a shadow."

Being watched by those unreadable eyes always made Naruto nervous. Black Zetsu was something else that admittedly made him cautious, perhaps a little because of fear. He didn't even like him telling him important information unless he had no other choice. It had always felt like the creature was an entity that surpassed his understanding. Even Obito was cautious as he kept his thoughts to himself. But it did not matter – Black Zetsu was always watching. It was suffocating at times. Naruto kept the distance because he needed to breathe.

"Come on, just let us follow you this once. It seems like you are going to do something interesting," White Zetsu said, smiling.

Naruto stopped walking and glanced toward his right. The two were together, only half of their body appearing from a tree.

"Something interesting? What gave me away?"

"You never do things just for the sake of doing them…. There is usually a reason," Black Zetsu said. "If you are going where we think you are going, we feel more inclined to follow you."

He was heading towards the Sound. A visit to Konoha had left him curious about certain things regarding Orochimaru. He had no regard for the snake. But he had valuable information and Naruto was feeling slightly bored. He could as well annoy someone for his amusement and see how they react to being provoked.

He continued walking without saying anything.

"Does that mean we get to follow?" White Zetsu said excitedly.

"Next time," Naruto said. "I am just going to ask Orochimaru a couple of questions regarding Konoha before going to meet Sasori."

"Must be something secretive," Black Zetsu said.

"It is," Naruto said. "But if you stay away from this one; I will either take you in my next trip or I will tell you a little secret. I'm afraid I have been mischievous recently…"

"Obito knows you went to Konoha."

"I'm not concerned about that," Naruto said with a shrug. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," White Zetsu said. "But you do know that Pein has put out an order for Orochimaru to be killed. If you have a casual conversation with him, it would be against the wishes of the organization."

"Believe me; If I could choose which people must live in this world, Orochimaru would be the first to die and I would do it very slowly," Naruto said in a cold tone. "But I am not arrogant. I don't believe I can win against a Sannin. I must still practice more."

"If you could take control over the Kyubi, you wouldn't worry about that."

Naruto shrugged. "I prefer to have things that know how to reason. Puppets are predictable, you move them by shifting a string. There is no challenge. Besides, I'm not that cruel. A part of me feels for the Bijuu. I am going to send it back to the Gedo Mazo, may has well allow it to have its thoughts before we get to that."

"Just be careful… you are going to walk into his den…"

"Since when I have been reckless?" Naruto asked. "Although I was a little whimsical about the decision, I have thought about things clearly and will not rush to do anything less stupid. Well, if you suspect something has happened, you know where to look."

"If we are too late? If you die, it puts a dent on the Akatsuki's mission."

Yes, he was the last piece of the puzzle. They could capture all other Jinchurikis but if they failed to get the Kyubi, there would be no revival of the Jubi. Obito would chew him alive if he became a problem. The reason he had even gone as far as to take him away from the Leaf was because he needed to ensure that he had all pieces. For certain, with everything he knew, Naruto could not return to the Hidden Leaf. Besides, with the tricks played on him, he could not effectively change things in the way he liked.

"It would be unfortunate." Naruto said. "But I will not die. I cannot afford to lose my life like that. We went through difficult situations just to make sure I could survive the extraction of the Kyubi."

Nobody still knew if it would be enough. But these people really didn't care.

Sound

In what world was it right to have a man who did nothing but kidnap people, cut them open and then kill them just for his amusement? The Great Nations turned a blind eye to the atrocity occurring in this country. When thinking about what other people had to suffer in the hands of Orochimaru, Naruto could not have any other thought than to say, this man was just pure evil. Humans were truly despicable creatures. They were nasty. They might smile and color people with kindness, but the hearts carried darkness that was worth creatures categorized as demons.

Otogakure was a web of hideouts. In each hideout, Orochimaru conducted a specific experiment but he had to have his true base of operations. It was likely that the Sannin was merely using these experiments to collect data for whatever he was planning. Perhaps it was another pathetic attempt to gain immorality. But no doubt the Sharingan was still converted by the Sannin. Had Itachi not humiliated him, he would have been far by now.

There was darkness, the air was foul. It felt like rotting corpses. The passages were dark. Naruto's hair stood. He was uncomfortable in this place. It felt like he was walking towards a place of the damned. There were even traps along the way. A single mistake and he would have a nasty surprise greeting him with sharp intentions.

Naruto took slow steps; as he walked, a hidden door below him burst open, leaving him to fall down. There were steel spikes below: even he would not live to try again if he fell on those spikes – they would tear his body apart and the Bijuu within him would certain dance in joy, knowing that it would delay the Akatsuki's goal, even if it was just for a while.

Naruto took out a kunai tied with a steel thread attached to it and flung it upward. It hit the ceiling before he pulled himself up. Once freed, he continued walking until he came across cages. The foul smell was at large. His intestines cringed. There were people within the cells. He stopped, looking at their miserable faces. It was truly sad. Not long ago, someone had shown him kindness in Ame. What was the kindness he could show this people? It was just ending their misery.

He took out tags from the pockets inside his cloak; lightning was stored within them. They worked like sealing scrolls. He threw them in the cages and continued walking. He felt the distinct sound of lightning and muffled cries of pain as he disappeared into the darkness.

The smell seemed to disappear as drew deeper. He wondered, how big was this hideout? Dairoku had said he would find Orochimaru here but there was no sign of the snake. Then again, he could be waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Lance!"

Naruto looked up and saw a woman lunging towards him. Her forearm surrounded by a crystal spear. She was moving in speed, but the crimson eyes given to him watched her move, calculating and he adjusted his body to only made the necessary movement. He only took a slight step to the right and watched as the crystal spear blew past him. It crashed into the ground, piercing through without shattering.

Naruto put the palm of his left hand on the spear before using it as balance to launch his right foot towards the woman's left shoulder.

Guren created a crystal shield on her shoulder. Naruto's foot slammed into the shield, failing to break through it.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Spikes!"

Naruto sensed this and bent his left arm slightly before propelling himself into the air. The moment he separated from Guren, crystal spikes protruded from the spear. There were three of them, moving fast and hit the ceiling in speed.

Naruto flipped several times in midair before landing on the floor on both feet.

"That is some welcome and a rare jutsu that you use here…" he commented while straightening up. "Naruto Uzumaki… you do owe me your name at least…"

Guren considered him for a moment; she had been told to attack him and then bring him to Orochimaru. She didn't know anything about him. He was still a brat though but he moved well.

"Guren," she ended up saying.

"Well, Guren," Naruto opened his eyes fully, revealing the fully matured Sharingan. "Let us dance…" he said while doing hand seals. "Katon: Great Fire Ball!" He released a large ball of flames from his mouth that covered the entire passage as it moved towards Guren with intense heat.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Wall!"

Guren formed a thick wall of crystal that covered her entire front. The wall blocked the flames which only exploded, burning the walls slightly before dying down. She then released her jutsu. The second she did, Naruto was right in front of her, lunging in speed with his right hand outstretched. She raised her left hand and slapped the hand away from her, while raising her right foot. It slammed into the blond's left shoulder, sending him crashing into a wall.

She did not stop there but charged towards him, her right fist encased by crystal. She attempted to slam the fist into his face, but he shifted away quickly in the last second. Her fist crashed into the wall, breaking through it.

Naruto created a distance from Guren and looked at her curiously. She was honestly strong. He bloodline also fascinated him. It was a rare thing that he had not seen anywhere.

"I see, you are unable to freely use your ninjutsu because of the narrow space," he said.

"I don't need that to defeat you," Guren said confidently as she took several steps towards Naruto.

"Orochimaru is known for his arrogance, I didn't think even his subordinates would be so arrogant," Naruto said with disappointment. "And you were showing me such great promise."

Guren responded by darting towards him. Naruto moved as well. They met in between; Guren formed a blade with her jutsu and swung it in a horizontal slash across Naruto's neck. The blond blocked the slash with a wind enhanced kunai.

Being forced back, Naruto jumped back. But while he was still in the air, Guren lunged towards him, flashing her right foot towards the side of his chest. Guren's kick slammed into him, sending him crashing into the wall once more.

"Tsk," she cursed. "Genjutsu," she said before clasping her hands together to release herself from the illusion. When it dispersed, she felt something touching her from behind. Her eyes shifted quickly; Naruto was holding a single hand sign with his right hand while his left was on her back.

"Lightning Release: Thunder Shock!" An incredible amount of electricity flowed from his hand, hitting Guren hard. The electricity hit her entire body. She felt her body heating up, pain coursing through her muscles and let out a pained cry, before forcing her body to move away from the blond.

She flashed away, twisted around to face him and fell down on one knee. Even though Naruto was no longer touching her, there was still some static running through her body. Her muscles felt stiff. If she had not used her very will power, she might have been burnt by the jutsu.

"Ah, you got away," Naruto said with a sigh.

Guren calmed her breathing and stood up. Her muscles still felt stiff. What was that jutsu. "But it does appear that even the Sharingan cannot copy my jutsu."

"Well, it is a bloodline… any other normal jutsu I can copy just fine," Naruto said with a wave of his right hand. "You want to go again."

"I made a mistake; it won't happen again."

Naruto looked at her fully, and used both his hands to slight shut his eyelids. "I will surely burn you alive," he said. "But this is quite enough, don't you think, Orochimaru?"

"Kukukukuku," Orochimaru chuckled as he emerged from he shadows. "That is enough, Guren… please follow me, Naruto-kun…" he said heading deep into the hideout. "I would have appreciated it if you didn't kill my test subjects."

Naruto shrugged. "They looked miserable," he said.

Orochimaru just grinned. "I did not think you had that in you."

"Don't confuse my intentions for something else you imagine," Naruto was quick to say.

"Don't be like that…" Orochimaru said. "You always avoided me when I was Itachi-kun's partner, I didn't think you'd come here."

"You are on the wanted list of the Akatsuki." Naruto stated. "I thought perhaps I could claim your head. But given what I have already faced, it appears that such a thing would prove to be difficult if not impossible for me…" he said with a shake of his head.

Orochimaru just narrowed his eyes but did not say anything until they reached what was a large hall; it was brightly lit, with a large throne that looked like the mouth of a snake facing the entrance. He settled, folding his legs before staring at Naruto.

"I have say; it is a pleasure that to be seeing you again.'

"I cannot say the same," Naruto's tone expressed disgust. "But I do have a couple of questions that I want to ask. They might seem nonsensical to you, but I want to know."

"I'm willing to answer if you can answer my questions, as well."

Naruto had no intentions of giving Orochimaru any information. He did not even bother responding to the statement.

"I had heard that you did unspeakable things to people. I actually just wanted to see it. I wanted to know what I'd think or do if I saw you after seeing what you do to people. When I said I had questions, I was lying," the blond said. "And I also want you to give you a warning: we are watching you and if any member of the Akatsuki sees you, they will surely kill you."

"Kukukuku," Orochimaru laughed. "Those are big words, Naruto-kun… why don't you do that?"

Naruto shook his head. "You live terrorizing other people; they live in fear because of you. I want to know if you can experience the same fear. I want you to know that if you step up from the shadows, your abomination of existence will end. I want you to live in fear."

"Can you do it?"

Naruto smiled. "Orochimaru, before my eyes, all your ninjutsu is useless'. I believe Itachi said these words to you… before you ran with humiliation." He placed his right hand on his right eye, and fully opened the left eye, revealing a Mangekyo Sharingan. The moment the eye saw Orochimaru, the snake burst into black flames. "Even when Itachi is not here, he can do this. We are watching you, Orochimaru… be very afraid."

Naruto felt movements but he ignored it all jumped into the air. He spun around, hurling explosive tags into all directions. A second later, the loud explosion tore through the hall, destroying its walls, and the earth above it, leaving a huge hole that left it exposed to the surface.

Orochimaru hissed silently before opening his mouth wide. Hands slowly slipped out as she shed his skin. He had a deep frown on his lips.

"I want him brought to me!"

Minutes Later

Naruto was running through the ground in speed, knowing Orochimaru was probably going to have people chase after him. He suddenly came to a halt.

"Is this what you call not following me?"

"You said we had to do something if you did not emerge." Black Zetsu said.

"We kept an eye on the hideout for a while, just in case. We could not have been in a position to do anything if we were not close," White Zetsu added. "What did you even do? It doesn't seem like you were going for a civil meeting…"

Naruto raised an eye brow. "Did you think I would have something civil to do with Orochimaru? I am not kind, but I am not evil either. I also have preference of who I associate myself with," he explained lightly. "Were you that curious?"

"Maybe…" they said at the same time. "What did you do?"

"Told him that he had to be very afraid because he would be killed," Naruto said indifferently. "He enjoys putting fear in people, and I want him to experience that fear."

"I don't think its going to work coming from you…"

Naruto smiled. "Oh, I know he won't listen to my words. I am just a child before him while he is the most powerful Sannin," the blond stated. "But I will haunt him. In moments he thinks he is safe, I will appear before him. Of course, I would need you to help me with that."

"This will be fun," White Zetsu said with a wide smile.

"I didn't think you were that cruel…"

"I'm not," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I just think it's poetic. You are cruel to other people, someone should be cruel to you. You manipulate others, someone should manipulate you in the end."

"Do you wish the same for yourself?"

"Nobody ever wishes bad for themselves but if I ever become a mass murderer and a sadist, I would not mind dying that way," Naruto said. "But that is all too irrelevant, at least for my part. Once the plan is enacted, nothing matters. I will live for all eternity, in peace and in happiness."

"Why go through this?"

"It's not for the fun of it… I'm still in this world, I must live it. I won't ignore everything happening," he said. "I think…" he frowned and knelt down before placing the palm of his hand on the ground. "Someone is coming for me… I must outrun them. I would rather not fight… but just to make things interesting…"

He created 15 clones, and they all ran towards different locations and so did he.

A week later

Everything was constantly moving; life never stopped. Part of being alive meant coming through challenges, fatal and non-fatal. In the shinobi world, there was no such thing as perfection. To simply wish for a world where loved ones did not die was a dream of a naïve child who still thinks everyone can just smile and be merry with one another. Observations disagreed with this wishful thinking. Human behavior meant mistakes would be made. Sometimes purposeful – to simply hurt you.

To live. To belong. To breathe. It was all about taking risks. For shinobi; it was a wild forest. The strongest survived and the weak became food. In the surface and deep within the sea – it seemed like it was natures rule. But no one could go against nature: It was an unstoppable violent force that could wipe out all humans from the belly of this world.

"Thinking about something deep?" Deidara asked, hovering above Naruto – who was lying under a tree, eyes closed.

"You know I am a deep thinker," Naruto responded without opening his eyes.

Deidara and Sasori; they were not his friends, but he got along with them. He amused himself with his hypocrisy over the situation. Almost everyone in the Akatsuki was evil. Sasori was an immoral person who has killed many to make them puppets. He killed everyone. Naruto wondered if the infamous shinobi even had a heart to begin with. Well, no matter, it wasn't like he cares for any of these people.

"I think I may have pissed off Orochimaru," Naruto said as he got up from the ground. "What can you tell me about his recent activities? I feel like ruining things for him."

Sasori wondered if Naruto was a sadist who enjoyed watching people dance on his palms. For the blond, it was always about moving things where no one could see. He acted like a god. He has once asked if Sasori believed there was a true god in this world. He said he loved being human, alive but there were certain things he could not tolerate. Even so, he did nothing for justice. The thought was ridiculous. Naruto did things for convenience. He only thought about himself.

He was a selfish child.

"Orochimaru is someone dangerous; you really don't want to be his enemy," Sasori cautioned.

"I'm unconcerned about the danger he poses because the Akatsuki is after him. I can hide behind the organization if things become too dangerous for me."

"He can indirectly allow Konoha to know of your survival and tell them that you are a member of the Akatsuki."

How would that play out? With Orochimaru after him, he would also have Konoha becoming vocal about his existence. It would be a like he had joined the crusaders of wanted people. He was already moving in stealth, if things went to the point, he would continuously live in hiding, afraid of being captured or killed.

"He won't do that now," Naruto said confidently. "Even if he does, it's fine. My connection to the Akatsuki is going to be revealed once we begin the hunt anyway," he shrugged.

"Orochimaru is planning something with Suna and it probably includes Konoha. We are not sure, but we have seen that he frequents the village along with Kabuto," Sasori said.

"Hmm…" Naruto thought for a couple of moments before nodding. "My next destination is Sunagakure then," he said. "Can you get me travelling papers from somewhere? I'm afraid having to sneak into every village is becoming a problem. I want to feel normal for once."

That feeling of walking through the gates like he was not a thief. Always, it was lurking in the shadows, hiding from the eyes of people. It was enough that he had to wear a mask, but to continue with this sneaking like a shadow was becoming a bore, intolerable. He wanted a change. To feel like a normal civilian and just smile through the gates, answering nonsensical questions before booking a hotel.

"You are going to get killed one day for making decisions so whimsically," Deidara said with a stare.

"You should think about things," Sasori said in agreement with his partner.

"I do think about things," Naruto said. "But I don't have much time. I want to experience this world. I'm playing a role now. I want to finish it and play another role soon. Spending time fussing over things will delay me."

Sasori did not try to talk Naruto out of it. Like the god he sometimes played out to be, Naruto did things he liked, when it was convenient for him. He had no boss.

"Why the sudden interest in Orochimaru?"

"I was in Konoha and spoke about him with Dairoku and then when I was talking to Itachi, I just thought, 'why not?"

Sasori shook inwardly shook his head. "I didn't think that Onoki would hire you to kill the Earth Daimyo. In times of peace, Daimyos are powerful figures with the political muscles to make even one of the Great Five behave in a certain way."

But when war came, the Kages could care less about them. They were useless in those times. Politics didn't weigh a damn thing; it was all about military muscles.

"He claims that he didn't hire me but someone merely requested him to hire the Akatsuki. The head I gave him; he claims it was sent to him by someone."

"Hahahahahaha!" Deidara laughed. "That sounds like him, hn…"

"Who has become Daimyo now?"

"A man named Yoshino. I don't the details and how he was connected to the previous Daimyo. I will send someone to gather Intel. Since you went there and with the Tsuchikage involved, there has to be something happening. Even if there wasn't, I don't think in such a situation, you'd leave empty-handed."

Naruto stared at Sasori with his head tilted to the side. It felt ridiculous sometimes starring at those inhuman eyes of the puppet within which Sasori hid. He may be a puppet, but that slithering, mechanical tail was just as poisonous as Orochimaru's fangs.

"When and where will I get my papers?"

"Go to the River country… Tanigakure… speak to the leader of the village."

Two and Half Weeks Later

The Wind country should have just been named, the desert country. The violent storms of the desert repelled those who took the direction of the winds. The sand without any sign of tree generated humid conditions that caused his young body to sweat and tire easily. Naruto had never been in such an ungodly place as this before. As if it was truly dead, large black birds patrolled the sky, looking for anyone falling prey into the life sucking nature of the desert. This was a place that killed you and then fed your body to the birds – the storms would bury what remained under the gold like sand.

Naruto had laboured travelling through the Wind. He envied those with abilities to teleport. He would not need to suffer such horrid conditions if he could bend the space before him and manipulate time to appear anywhere he so wished like a god. But he was a mere mortal with no blessed special ability to make space and time bow before his will. It was truly sad. Frustrating that some were given and some were not.

When he finally arrived at the Hidden Sand, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. But the thought of travelling through the desert once more made the relief disappear without any trace. The air around the village was at least pleasant. The wind was still strong. It was like this country was the well of wind energy.

The guards checked his papers and satisfied themselves before allowing him entry. He was still hidden in a henge. He was here, but not really here. His continued mask of an existence still continued even to this day. He had thought it would feel different walking through the gates, but it was not. He was still not Naruto Uzumaki – he was just an invented character made for this situation. For how long would he continue to wear masks meant to conceal Naruto away from the shinobi world?

Naruto truly felt like a caged bird. He had no freedom. Obito could say he did as he liked, but this was false. He did not do as he liked. He did as the masks he wore liked.

"Your pathetic moans about your situation amuse me," Kurama said with a smile.

Naruto looked around the village, walking through the streets silently. The houses were different, but humans were still humans. People in this village were used to the conditions, they did not dress differently. Shinobi were still shinobi regardless of loyalties. Civilians continued to move with ignorance, even in this village. It didn't matter where you were, human nature never changed. Maybe culture, environment differed, but fundamentally, people were like one consciousness that had different masks and walked around in human form.

Was he also part of this simplicity? This sand glass that had no head or tail, back or forth.

"It should not amuse you; we are both prisoners. Freedom, I have realized, is fundamental for a human. There are certain things you don't do because you don't want to, not because you can't. But even when it is something you don't do, when something blocks your ability to do it, you feel as if you have been held hostage and cannot move freely."

"You are a prisoner of your making. If you want to free yourself, you can do so."

"I'm not stupid enough to die for freedom. I value my life above all things. The natural instinct for a normal person is to flee from danger, to protect yourself. I will do what I can to protect myself while thinking of a way to be free. It does not mean that I don't want to live freely without always having to wear a mask. For now, there is no good in removing it if I am just going to lose my miserable life."

"If you are saying that, I do caution you to be cautious. We do share a fate together."

"I'm well aware of that, but if I am going to die, I would rather die with you."

Kurama laughed.

"You amuse me."

"Well, that is the least I can do for my precious prisoner."

"For how long I wonder."

"For as long as I live…"

"That is if that bastard doesn't have his way. Or that Black Zetsu."

"Nobody sees all things. Anybody can be manipulated. No human is perfect in everything. We will see how it turns out," Naruto said. "Can you sense Shukaku's Jinchuriki?"

"You're perfectly capable of doing that by yourself. You just need to find the largest chakra reserves…"

Naruto shook his head and did not offer a response to his moody prisoner. He walked around the village silently until coming to a halt at a secluded place. He took out a small book and looked at the pictures before smiling. He was staring at the Kazekage's children. Gaara was sitting alone, a murderous intent from him while the other two trained a bit away from him. Naruto had no interest in those two – he was most interested in the Jinchuriki. Had he ever battled a Jinchuriki before?

Testing himself was important. He did need to grow stronger if he was going to escape the hell that Obito had dragged him into. If everything was correct, Gaara was living in hell, wasn't he? Naruto felt no sympathy. He was after all, a very selfish person.

Without warning, he took out a kunai and darted towards Gaara from behind.

Temari was the first to notice black haired man rushing towards her brother. She felt fear grip her heart when she saw that he was holding a kunai at hand. "Gaara!" she called out while charging as well, holding her fan firmly.

Naruto only eyed the blonde.

He calculated the distance between him and Gaara along with that of Gaara before deciding to leap into the air. He flung the Kunai towards the still Gaara's back and then blurred out of sight.

Temari's body froze and she stopped running. She watched as Gaara's automatic defense blocked the kunai without even him looking at the attack. Though fear had gripped her, she felt relieved seeing him safe. Why had she even worried? Her brother was strong – nobody in this village could kill him. Their father had stopped short of trying to do it himself. At least the assassins had stopped these days. It was still nevertheless surprising to see someone attack her brother out of nowhere. Everyone feared him in this village and many hated him. They just could not do anything to him.

"You're in the way."

This person, speaking behind her was the reason she had stopped running. Gaara had turned to their side, but he looked less interested. The danger behind her was still there nevertheless. He had moved so swiftly, she hadn't seen a damn thing. She was afraid to even looking – afraid that he would stab her with a kunai from behind.

"Do not get involved." He spoke again in a chilling tone that had her feeling slightly disarmed.

"Bastard! Get away from Temari!" Kankuro shouted.

Temari breathed slightly. She still had him.

Naruto eyed the puppeteer and placed both his hands on Temari's shoulders. The sudden movement made her body flinch stiffly. Naruto used her as balance to push himself into the air. He flipped upside down, and jumped away from Temari, just above her. He watched her grip her fan before twirling it in a swift motion. The fan released a powerful blast of wind. The wind slammed into Naruto, sending him flying to the side.

He landed on the ground on both feet, unharmed and dusted himself while smiling. He raised both his hands.

"No need for anything extra."

"Nothing, extra? You attacked us and you think we are just going to let you go? This is Sunagakure!" Kankuro shouted, ready to have a go.

"Stop, Kankuro!" Temari said a bit forcefully. "You could have dodged my attack and attacked me if you wanted to, but did not. Yet, when you told me I was in the way, I was certain you were going to attack Gaara again."

"I was going to do so but there are other chakra signatures around and if I went ahead, it would cause an incident. Besides, I just wanted to see if the rumors about the perfect defense were indeed true."

"You think we are going to believe a story like that?"

"Quiet, Kankuro…" Gaara cut in murderously. He stared at Naruto intently. He was not normal and the voices inside his shouted murder. Was he like him?

"The answer is yes," Naruto suddenly said. "I must depart before I get in trouble. The reaction was a little quicker than I thought. We shall meet again, nevertheless." He suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Three days later

Sunagakure was in a difficult position. From what he had gathered, the village was having problems with the Wind Daimyo and depended a lot on the Hidden Leaf. From the Great Five Nations, it had always been the weakest. It didn't look like things could change soon. But there was too much activity within the village. Something was suspiciously happening. Then again, he had come here because Sasori had said so. The puppet's information was always accurate.

Naruto was sitting in a bar, wearing the face of a young light skinned black haired young man. Drunk shinobi who were weak often talked much easily. The thing he didn't enjoy the most in such an environment was when young girls sent him glances. There was always something they wanted. Men usually did the hunting, but there were women who had no problems in sniffing around. Naruto never indulged – he believed he was too young. He did satisfy his curiosity about certain things but some things he did not partake. You did need to have boundaries.

"Are you sure I can continue drinking on your tab?"

It was the man sitting in front of him who asked. He was a low ranking Chunin. They hardly made enough money in such tough situations. Missions could become too dangerous to handle. Low rank missions didn't pay much. Getting drunk came at a cost. Naruto could afford a couple of bottles. He never did worry about money. Bounties always kept his pockets full.

"Yeah, sure… I'm in a good mood tonight."

"A girl?"

"How could you tell?"

The man laughed. "The smile on your face." He said. "It is nice to be young and in love. I envy you. When you are a shinobi, always busy with missions, you hardly have time for relationships. You can find one, but sometimes missions take too long and when you return, she has moved on."

"That is the life of a shinobi. You sacrifice a lot to serve and protect your village."

"Sometimes you really ask yourself if it is worth it. At this rate, many fight just to make a living. If you don't take missions, you can't get any pay."

"That is unfortunately how the shinobi world works." Naruto said. "Suna preparing for something? There has been a lot of shinobi movement lately."

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Konoha is hosting the Chunin exams in about five weeks. Suna will obviously send Genins there. The Kazekage will surely visit the village. The Chunin exams are usually shown to show case a village's young talents."

Chunin exams? Well, that was interesting. Naruto smiled. He could take part in the exams, as Naruto Uzumaki. It would be a good time to reveal himself. The Akatsuki was going to start its mission soon anyway. Staying hidden would not change things for the organization. Besides, he wasn't going to reveal that he was a member of the Akatsuki. He was just going to enter the exams and play his role. Konoha would approach him and he would indulge them. He just needed to find a way past Obito. He could still make things happen without talking to the miserable man. It was not like he was going to stand in the way and have him locked up in a prison to keep him from moving.

But how did this connect with Orochimaru? Was the Sannin planning something against the Leaf? Speculation would not help his cause, he would need to dig deep. He was in no hurry – If Sasori was right, Orochimaru would soon make an appearance and he would find out what the Sannin was plotting.

The night was a long one. Naruto indulged the bubbling man for longer than he would have liked. But there was still nothing better to do. He could try to sneak around but he didn't want to do anything that would cause him to flee from the village before discovering the intentions of Orochimaru. And so, he had stayed for a bit longer. When he felt he needed to go back to his hotel room, he stepped outside of the bar and started walking.

After walking for a couple of minutes, he stopped and turned his eyes towards an alley.

"You're leaking killing intent. Shukaku must be filling your head with murderous noises," he said calmly.

Gaara did not step out of the shadows. "You are like me. No wonder he is thirsty for your blood…"

Naruto smiled. "And you came here to kill me?"

"Yes; he is not going to stop unless I kill you."

Gaara's bloody hands were not just a rumor after all. Naruto didn't want to fight here. It would attract attention – which he did not want. The stupid decision he had taken was approaching them in the first place. He would need to hide from this person until he leaves because Gaara was going to consistently try to kill him. Given the Jinchurikis record in this village, no one was probably going to help.

"Hmm?"

Naruto's senses picked up. He saw a wave of sand moved towards him. He was indeed serious about killing him. The blond jumped quickly and landed on a roof. He closed his eyes and merged with the darkness.

Three Weeks Later

Being locked up in a place with nothing to do was not a new experience for Naruto. For most of his life, Obito had locked him in the depths of the hideout and swallowed the Keys. He could never go out. Freedom of movement was a fantasy Zetsu shared with him. In this treacherously hot village, there was nothing better for him to do other than be on the look out. It had been smooth in the first week but the second week he had started to feel bored. And he could not move recklessly because there was Gaara and he didn't want the village's forces to know he was a Jinchuriki. They would probably turn on him and try to brainwash him to make him their own.

He had managed to stay out of trouble. It was only in the third week that things started to get interesting. The movements during the night changed. The leaders constantly met for heated discussions. He could not get s whiff of what they discussed. Naruto had considered putting another henge and then hang on of the council members upside down to look for answers. But he had crushed the idea when he thought they could track his chakra signature.

Kabuto was probably around, but he'd never seen him nor Orochimaru. But Gaara was being tested. These people wanted to see his power. It looked like Suna was preparing for war. But with Orochimaru involved, it could be something interesting. Suna wanted to fight for its survival and live the good life rather than keep getting fat on the cheap handouts from the Leaf.

In one of the days, Naruto finally caught Kabuto. Perhaps it was out of excitement or frustration that he had been waiting and searching for a bit longer than he would have liked. But Naruto had run towards the former Konoha spy along the rooftops and stopped him while smiling wildly. Kabuto had not recognized him. Of course, although he had quickly run to see the nin, he hadn't been foolish to go in person but rather, he had sent a clone while the original departed from the village. If he could talk to Kabuto, then he could gain something and decide what to do.

"I have been searching and searching for you. You really know how to hide, Kabuto-san," Naruto said after stopping just behind the man on the roof of a building a little bit away from the Kazekage tower.

Kabuto looked curiously. "Who are you?"

Naruto kept smiling. "Ah, of course you would not know who I am. You do not have my scent or chakra signature. But that is not important. We must talk about why you are moving stealthily around this village."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes.

"You are not from this village and you know me. Who are you really? I have never come across you before…"

"Kukukukuku…"

Naruto frowned and narrowed his eyes from behind when he heard Orochimaru's sinister laugh. It was troublesome that he had chosen to appear. He would have been fine without talking to the Sannin. But since he was here, he could not flee.

"Ah, you ruined the mood."

"It is nice for you to join us, Naruto-kun. I had a feeling we would meet again after that last appearance you made at our hideout. You made quite the scene when you fled."

"Well, I had to. I didn't want to stay behind and do something stupid that would lead me to being captured and turned into an experiment."

"That is a thought I had never considered. You are a Jinchuriki, surely your regenerative abilities would make you a perfect subject. We would of course need to do something about the pet inside of you."

"He is very offended at being called a pet. I'm certain he'd rip you to shreds if he was released."

"Not more than he would rip the man who released him from your mother and then turned him against the Leaf…" Orochimaru laughed. "It is interesting that you'd work for the same man who led to the deaths of your parents. Are you that foolish or mentally challenged?"

Naruto smiled. Of course, Orochimaru would know such details. There was hardly anything Orochimaru didn't know. "I may be mentally challenged. You want to help me?"

"Kukukukuku," Orochimaru laughed as he walked past Naruto. He stood by Kabuto and faced the Uzumaki. "He isn't quite mentally challenged, is he, Kabuto?"

"No," Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "He is fairly competent and strong. He did manage to hold his own against Guren. He came here, and was specifically looking for us. He probably knows something."

"Indeed," Orochimaru stared a little seriously. "What are you doing here, Naruto?"

Naruto considered his options. It was no like these people were going to be easy to deal with but he did want some answers. "A little bird told me that you were plotting something and I came here to investigate. You see, I am very curious about what happens in the shinobi world. The little things and the bigger things. It has become apparent Suna is planning something big – war perhaps. Does it have to do anything with the Chunin exams being held in Konoha?"

"Such information makes it a little difficult to let you live…"

Naruto waved his right hand. "Don't confuse me. I have no love for Konoha or anything else."

"Kukukukuku…" Orochimaru laughed. "Sensei will be quite shocked to learn that you do not care for Konoha. I was informed that your disappearance affected him badly. Your father was a Hokage and still is Konoha's greatest hero. Of course, I am not sad he is dead."

"Ah, he did steal the position from you. You had been certain your beloved sensei would give it to you."

"Sensei had always held a soft spot for me…"

"Then, this does have something to do with Konoha. I wonder how it will turn out. The Hidden Leaf is hosting Chunin exams soon, people will be coming in and going…" Naruto smiled. "Why would a former Leaf want to see it harmed? Konoha is not trying to do anything to you despite you being wanted in the village for your crimes."

Orochimaru considered things. He could not let Naruto walk away after saying those words. He was speaking on mere speculation but still closer to the point. Naruto didn't like him and would not have a problem about letting slip to the Hidden Leaf. The blond was still just a brat, but a dangerous brat. If he could get his hands on him, perhaps he could become a useful tool and he seemed to have finer control over the Sharingan.

"Kukuku… you are a little too curious for your age, Naruto-kun."

"I grew a bit quickly. From the day I started speaking, I was put under harsh training that filled me with all kinds of horrors."

"It worked perfectly if you turned out this way."

"Perhaps."

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave this village. We want to keep things secret. Our success depends on the element of surprise."

"I know how to keep secrets."

"We cannot take chances. You'll have to forgive us but this must still be done." Orochimaru said, waving his right hand.

A group of shinobi appeared around them and Naruto released a long breath. "Predictable. Well, at least I have managed to keep my identity hidden and I doubt you'd go as far as to reveal it. Your cooperation with this village has not gone that way. Still, anyone willing to trust you must be truly desperate. I wouldn't trust you even if I was. I'd kick the bucket before I could do so." He waved his right hand. He smiled. "But I did warn you, did I not? We are watching you, Orochimaru."

He burst into a cloud of smoke.

Orochimaru frowned. "Kage Bunshin," he said. "Find him. Bring him alive." He ordered.

"Do you think he is still around?" Kabuto asked. He was honestly surprised and very much impressed. The blond was young but he was still cautious as hell. He was trained well to have planned this far ahead.

"What do you think?"

"It is possible that he is already out of the village. Last time he ran from us when we tried to capture him. He wouldn't just appear in front of is without a backup plan."

"Likely," Orochimaru said. "But we have far more important issues to deal with than Naruto-kun. If he is gone, we will eventually meet him."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama."

Days Later

Naruto was sitting on a rock inside a cave that was used by the Akatsuki. He was waiting for Nagato.

It didn't take long for the holographic image of the man to appear in the cave. He looked stern as always. The Rinnegan gleamed with mystical power. That hypnotic gaze always made him wonder what it would be like to wield the legendary Doujutsu. It was a pity that the only way he could do so would be if Nagato was dead but as things stood, defeating the man was very unlikely for anyone who was alive in the shinobi world. Perhaps Obito's intangibility jutsu would give him some advantage. Nagato did not have the speed and Obito knew the secrets of the Rinnegan.

"What do you want?"

"Konoha's invite for the Chunin exams should have reached the Rain. Considering that they still think Hanzo leads the village, they will no doubt send a request."

"It did arrive but we are not going to accept it. We would like to keep things hidden from now on. Besides, as far as people in the outside are concerned, the Hidden Rain is embroiled in a civil war. We want to keep them thinking that way. It keeps their attention away from us while we continue with the work of the Akatsuki."

"I was hoping you'd send a team to the Leaf."

Nagato has always been a little overprotective of the Hidden Rain. Naruto was not going to interfere with that but he needed to join the exams to see what was happening in the village. Of course, he would not want to attract attention to Ame and invite Nagato's glare.

"We are not doing that."

"Send me two Genins. I will see what I will do with them. We will figure out what to do but we will not have any associations with the Hidden Rain. Of course, Konoha might try to bar us but I will think of something."

"Why are you interested in going there? The Leaf has nothing to do with the Akatsuki's goal."

"Orochimaru is planning something. What happens in the Leaf might also affect the other Hidden Villages and that could have a consequence to the Akatsuki. It does seem that Suna and Konoha will fight. I am not sure, but things point to that side and I want to be in the middle of it to manage things. I still want to understand things a little better with how things operate in this world. You cannot change something you do not understand."

"If it is possible to take him down, do it."

"Of course."

"I will send the two Genins. But make sure nothing connects them and you to Amegakure."

"I will be careful."

"Does this mean you will reveal yourself to the Hidden Leaf?"

"Yes."

"What will they say about this? Surely they will try to keep you from leaving the village. You were taken from them and they will have a problem with whatever village you choose to 'represent.'"

"I have thought about it but there is a way out."

Nagato stared but simply shook his head and then disappeared from the view without another word.

The first step was sorted. Now he just had to deal with Obito. That was probably the reason Nagato had stared at him. The man would ask some questions but Naruto was ready for it. Perhaps he had even considered that something like this would happen after going to Konoha with Itachi. He was probably not going to stop him but it didn't mean the questions would not come. He would have to divulge things he would rather not say to anyone before they actually occur. But when you did not have all the power, you could only move in this way. The ones with power liked to dictate and didn't like anything that went outside of their scope of plans.

Obito appeared before him while he was walking along the ground in the fire country. The man stood on a limb of a tree and looked down at him. Naruto did not stop walking until he was below the tree. He leaned over the trunk without looking up at Obito.

"You came quickly."

"You are moving quickly."

"I don't have much time to experience this reality. You have experienced pain and suffering brought by the shinobi world, I have not. It is much simpler for you to turn your back on it. I know Konoha hates me but I have not experienced that hatred. Besides, my existence is bound to become known sooner or later. It makes a lot more sense to make it known right in the eyes of Konoha."

"In doing so, you will attract its attention."

"Yes, that is a given."

"If you want to experience hatred, you will experience it. Go ahead to Konoha and you will experience it," Obito said before disappearing.

Naruto frowned. He had not liked one word the man said. It was the dark tone that made him uncomfortable. He hoped Obito was not planning anything sinister for him. To make Nagato realize the cruelty of this world, Obito had not stopped dirtying his words. The same was possible for him.

Hideout

Itachi was not at the hideout but Black Zetsu was there. Naruto immediately frowned upon seeing the creature. It could not be a good sign that this thing was here. He had always tried to avoid this kind of situation. He knew nothing would happen in Madara's hideout because Obito was always there and if not, the idiot white Zetsu was always there.

"If you'd told me you'd be coming, I would have brought some food for you."

"You know I don't eat," Zetsu said, his upper body visible from a tree in the training ground behind the hideout.

"Chit chat to avoid getting onto the subject at hand," Naruto said before sitting down. "You want something, yes? I doubt you would have come here alone without wanting something from me."

"You know about your heart, don't you?"

End of chapter

So, the Chunin exams will start in the next chapter – which will take some time to complete.

Umm, obviously, Obito would take measures to ensure that Naruto never betrays him. I'm just going to leave that ending as is. There won't be anything to add on it in the next chapter.

The Omnipresent Sage