Choices:

Hey guys I'm back with the seventh chapter. This is the beginning of the events of Shippuden, which mind you will start of a bit different from canon before it diverges. I just want you guys to keep a couple of things in mind before I proceed.

1. Shinobi battles are fast and decisive. It's not a long drawn out slugfest, it's who's faster at slitting the other guys neck. A single wrong move can end a battle. Which is why even a great ninja can be made to look like a chump if he isn't careful.
2. Naruto is not boringly overpowered. Every fight is going to carry a lot of risk and the chance of him failing is pretty damn high. I'm going to try my best to avoid plot armor in any fights or conflicts
3. This is not a romance story so the focus is not going to be Naruto and X. They're going to be subplots happening alongside the main story. Like I said before, he's going to be having interactions and friendships with multiple female characters. Neither is he going to be stuck on one the entire story nor is he going to make a harem of every possible female.
4. Some of the arcs will be overarching so they will span several chapters even if it isn't the focus of most of the chapters.

Other than that enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think.

Chapter 7: It Begins

Year 16, February 9th:

Unknown Cave:

Eight holographs materialized in a circle surrounding a rock. Faint light illuminated it allowing them to see each other.

"You have something to report Kakuzu"

"Hai Leader-sama. We-"

"We found the Nibi bitch!" Hidan exploded in excitement, "I can't wait to bathe in her-"

"You'll do well to remember we need the jinchuriki alive Hidan" Pein warned in a steely tone causing the normally loud-mouthed Jashinist to shut his mouth.

Nobody dared cross Pein and for a good reason. The Akatsuki was composed of not only some of the most dangerous shinobi in the world, but the most volatile. Keeping them together was a task and a half, yet the Akatsuki functioned all thanks to the fear that their leader evoked. A man with unknown capabilities, chakra so powerful it felt inhuman and possession of the mythical eyes said to belong to the progenitor of ninjutsu? His claims of being a God sometimes didn't seem all that farfetched.

Despite Hidan thinking such claims were blasphemy, even he wasn't sure his immortality could hold up against him. Considering his intelligence paled in comparison to every other member, who had all been rather high-ranking shinobi within their village prior to their defection, it really wasn't surprising Pein kept the entire organization in line.

His purple ringed eyes turned his attention towards his partner, "Explain"

"We have remained to the East of Hi no Kuni as per your orders. Sasori's spies have confirmed that the Nibi jinchuriki takes on many missions and is almost constantly outside the village. We crossed paths with her and have been tailing her for two days. We are awaiting your orders"

"I see…what is the status of the other jinchuriki?"

The gruff voice belonging to Sasori spoke up, "All of them are accounted for except the Kyuubi jinchuriki. As predicted Jiraiya of the Sannin was last spotted in Kusa no Kuni meaning he's most probably investigating Iwa's mobilizations"

"It's doubtful that he would allow the boy to accompany him there" Konan pointed out, "Which means that he is most likely hiding on his own since there isn't anything to indicate he has returned to Konoha"

It was one of the rare times that something to do with Hidan hadn't ended up giving him a migraine. The Jashinist had no concept of subtlety and it was only Kakuzu's decades of experience and skill that had managed to keep them out of the radar of any major villages. With Onokhi mobilizing his forces, they had suspected Jiraiya would investigate around there. To play it safe he had decided that Hidan couldn't be anywhere near Iwa which had resulted in him ordering the two to remain on the East of Hi no Kuni.

"It may be earlier than anticipated but we cannot pass up such an opportunity. Deidara, Sasori; you both will drop whatever you were working on and coordinate with Itachi and Kisame to find the Kyuubi jinchuriki. Hidan, Kakuzu; the two of you are tasked with capturing the Nibi. Once you've captured your target you will assist the other four"

"Doing so will push back attempts at infiltrating Suna by several months" Sasori spoke, "My spies require a lot of…close contact". It was the truth, since the jutsu he used to control his agents required constant reinforcement. He had learned that the best way to lie to someone was to tell them only half the truth.

"The Ichibi jinchuriki is the Kazekage. We know exactly where he will be, he won't be going anywhere. Such a delay is acceptable" Pein retorted to which Sasori grunted.

"What of the extraction?" Kakuzu questioned.

"It will be done within Ame instead off as planned. You have your orders…and Kakuzu remember if Hidan kills the target it's on your head"

Both bit their tongues as they withdrew from the meeting.

"This meeting is adjourned. Continue with your duties"

"Hai"

As soon as Pein and Konan returned to their bodies, they sensed a familiar build up off chakra. The air almost ripped as a swirl materialized and from it a tall orange-masked man emerged.

"What is it Madara?" Konan asked sharply.

"Is that any way to talk to your dear associate?" Tobi asked tauntingly before his posture shifted betraying his seriousness, "You are being hasty Pein. The Gedo Mazo is not prepared to contain any of the bijuu, much less the Kyuubi"

"The bijuu are nothing but pawns in a much larger plan. Their uses stretch beyond chakra sources" Pein replied.

Konan shifted to stand by Deva path as she spoke, "We know our goals. We made no illusion off what we wish to use the bijuu for".

"Unless you've forgotten what keeps your real body alive. Do not sully our plans before they have begun from your childishness Nagato…" Tobi shot back threateningly.

"And you will do well to remember why I still lead this organization. We will tolerate your presence as long as you remain useful to us. If you have an issue with my leadership then you're welcome to try and usurp me"

Tobi didn't rise to his challenge, "Your foolishness will be your downfall boy. Fail and there will be severe consequences…" he warned before disappearing with the same swirl of air with which he appeared.

Konan quietly stared out of her room's window watching the endless rain descend upon Amegakure.

She hated the rain.

It was a constant reminder of the days after her parents were killed during the Second War. Starving and freezing on the streets with no hope whatsoever. The skies were constantly overcast which always imparted a sense of doom to her.

It was at times like this that she missed Yahiko. No matter how overcast it was, he always made the day feel brighter. Like the elusive sun that hid behind the constant cover of clouds. She fell in love with Yahiko because he gave her hope – hope that things will get better, hope to fight for a better future for their country.

His death had changed everything. Instead of being a peaceful organization aiming for social revolution they were now a ruthless criminal syndicate aiming to capture the nine bijuu and hang them over the heads of every shinobi village as a threat. Nagato had become convinced that the nature of man was too chaotic, that they were far too driven by their fears and selfish desires and the only way to ever achieve peace was by having a single all-powerful figure that inspired fear and conformity.

He became convinced that peace required a god amongst men. That was what gave birth to Pein.

This went against everything Jiraiya had thought them. The Sannin believed that peace could be achieved through some sort of social contract. Where there was an unspoken understanding between people to help and support each other. That humans had it in them to do good and they required their leader's to encourage them to do so. It such an idealized notion of peace – one that Yahiko had bought into completely and it was the very same notion that had led to his downfall.

Jiraiya had abandoned them to their fate. His teachings were naïve and rooted in a world that was far too idealistic. She really did wish that it was the way forward, but a lifetime of lessons and suffering had shown her the cold, harsh reality that was their world.

Nagato may have snapped, he may have warped from a kind, caring boy into a deranged and delusional psychopath but he was still her friend. No matter how many questionable moves he made she just couldn't abandon him. Not when he was at his lowest and especially not when he was dying. She knew anybody else in her position would've tried to move on a long time ago. They would have left Nagato alone and they'd be justified considering his grip on reality was slowly declining.

But she just couldn't. No matter how badly she wanted to, she valued her friendship with Nagato far more than that. So, she'd continue this way. She'd continue to stand by his side no matter what hardships she would have to face. She regretted all the things she had never got to experience in life, but if it meant giving a chance to another person like her to never have to face what she did…

It was worth all the tears, sweat and blood she had shed.

February 10th:

Yu no Kuni:

Exhaustion was a near constant for Nii Yugito. She spent most of her time outside the village, taking on a series of missions each time she left. Sometimes she'd have a team along, but she mostly took them on solo. Since she made chunin six years ago she'd have a whole bunch of missions dumped on her, she'd finish them, get home long enough to recover and then she was out again. It really wasn't all that surprising she was in a sour mood most of the time.

This was only worsened by the fact that she was being tailed by two men whose cloaks matched the description of the organization called the Akatsuki. The red clouds were a dead giveaway before considering how loud the one called Hidan was. She hated how quickly Raikage brushed them off as irrelevant when it was her life on the line. Taking on so many missions didn't just come with physical exhaustion, her judgement tended to be skewed. If they were even a couple of A-ranked shinobi she was going to be in trouble in her current state, much less if they were S-rankers.

Panic, fear, anxiety…she felt them all the time, but it was so much more pronounced now. The uncertainty of what she could face and what could happen. She didn't like feeling this way, always preferring to stay cool and reserved, but she really couldn't help it…

Much to her fortune, she found a rather dense forest nearby, something that would be helpful slowing them down. She dashed forward but a voice in her head caused her to change her directions.

"Go left and hide"

She was used to having Matatabi speak to her from time to time. She didn't have the greatest relationship with the bijuu within her for obvious reasons, she was effectively her prison. But the understanding that Yugito was far too strong-willed to ever lose control and release her, had allowed them to reach an understanding. Apparently, dispersion was far more painful than being trapped for several decades.

She suppressed her chakra carefully as to not allow her pursuers to find her. She leaned slightly and watched from the corner of her left eye.

She blinked in surprise when she saw somebody using a Henge of her appearance and running in the opposite direction, the two men in mad pursuit after her.

Perfect.

Taking several minutes, she cleared any evidence of her presence in the area. Footprints, scent, chakra – it was as if she had never even been there. Now the only question was…

Who had led them away?

"He's approaching you right now. Talk to him"

'He could be an enemy'

"I'm well aware child. But he could prove to be a valuable ally and he bears no ill intent that I can discern. Talk to him" she ordered sternly.

Yugito suppressed a sigh and called out, "Whoever you are, show yourself"

"Don't attack" a male voice responded. She remained on guard as she watched a blonde-haired teenager about fifteen or sixteen step out from the tree line. His hands were raised to try and show he meant no harm. He was a couple of inches shorter than her, a slim build, wore a burnt orange and black jacket with matching burnt orange pants. Blue eyes and three whisker marks on each cheek. Long spiky hair touching the black cloth of his hitai-ate.

Konoha…

Kumo and Konoha had been on terrible terms since the Hyuuga affair. She knew she should have been incredibly cautious around him given he had effortlessly executed a Henge on a Shadow clone, sneaked up on her and Matatabi seemed to believe he was strong. Then there was that odd sensation of familiarity that she got from the moment she saw him.

It didn't take her long to put two and two together, "You're a jinchuriki aren't you?" she asked.

He slowly lowered his hands, "Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha. Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. And you are?"

Through her surprise, she spoke, "Nii Yugito of Kumo, jinchuriki of the Nibi…I always had a feeling that the Yondaime killing the Kyuubi was a lie…let's cut to the chase. What do you want from me?"

"Those two after you-"

"They're from the Akatsuki"

"They are. I don't know how much you know about them but they're dangerous. Both S-ranked with unknown abilities. I figured this would buy some time so we can at least talk and maybe come to a…understanding of sorts"

Yugito studied him carefully. The problem was he was being entirely sincere. She hadn't known him long enough to guess if he was choosing to do so or if he was simply that open. But as a ninja, attempts at sincerity were always red flags. How better to gain somebody's trust than to pretend to be sincere? For all she knew he planned to subdue her and get his village another bijuu. The admission of him being a jinchuriki would make sense since he might be using it to lull her into a false sense of security.

Yet…he just seemed so innocuous. It wasn't just his appearance; his posture and method of speaking didn't impart the slightest hint of caution. His posture was relaxed, his chakra gave off a calm and soothing aura. Everything about him just put her at ease which was incredible considering she was a shinobi from a rival village who was trying to exercise caution around him.

As if reading her mind, he spoke, "I know it may look like I'm going to try something with you, but I promise you I just want to talk"

She narrowed her eyes, "You realize that doesn't mean much to me…"

"How about we're both jinchuriki? We have something in common, something to understand each other by. I don't make promises lightly, it's something very important to me"

Again, with the complete honesty. It was really driving her up the wall.

"Silly human" Matatabi chuckled within her, "Always doing the opposite of what you wish to do. You know there's ample evidence that you can trust him. Why hesitate?"

'…I have a duty to my village. I can't risk it'

"Rationalize all you want, but you know I'm right. Like I said he can prove to be a valuable ally" she replied calmly, "Don't forget that I've been alive for decades. I know enough about your kind to know when you're lying. Everything he's spoken so far is the truth"

She sighed lightly, "I'll give you that…is there somewhere we can go to talk?"

"I have a safe house nearby if you're okay with following me there"

She nodded, "Very well, lead the way"

Furious didn't begin to describe what Kakuzu was feeling right now. He had been a shinobi for a very long time now, having lived almost three times as long as the average shinobi and he had spent decades of his career working as a bounty hunter under the radar of every hidden village. He also held the distinction of having faced the Shodai Hokage and living to tell the tale. He had pride in his abilities and he regarded himself as one of the strongest shinobi in the world, something that wasn't unfounded.

But his fury stemmed from the fact that somebody had made a fool of him. What he thought was the Nibi jinchuriki ended up being a shadow clone. He estimated they had been chasing the clone for at least four hours and in that time the clone expended a notable amount of chakra keeping away. He knew the Nibi jinchuriki had a lot of chakra but from his observations, he knew that she wouldn't be able to produce a clone to sustain that kind of chakra expenditure and a Henge at the same time. The logical deduction would be that the clone was produced by another jinchuriki, one with greater chakra reserves.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki was somewhat renowned for his use of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu but it was far more likely that it was the Hachibi jinchuriki intervening. This made Kakuzu a bit uneasy. A man wielding the entire power of a bijuu? It was true that the Akatsuki members all had their own ways to counteract a jinchuriki's ability to channel their bijuu's chakra, but he wouldn't delude himself into thinking anybody apart from the leader, Itachi or Kisame would be able to fight Kirabi. He hadn't survived all these decades by being incapable of gauging his potential enemies.

But Pein wasn't a tolerant man and his patience was already running thin with the two of them thanks to the blithering idiot that was his partner. He could always try and run, but the time and resources that would go into hiding from the Akatsuki wasn't something he was willing to expend. He'd have to give it to Orochimaru, not only did he have the stones to stab the Akatsuki in the back, but he had successfully evaded detection by them since his betrayal.

Before he had much time to think on what to do, he heard the faint but unmistakable sound of a tripwire reeling. His eyes snapped towards Hidan who had triggered a trap. His instincts took over as he leapt backwards and barely avoided a set of kunai covered in wind natured chakra rocketing downwards. The kunai embedded deep into the ground underneath setting off explosive tags buried underneath. The airborne Kakuzu was sent flying backwards into a mesh of ninja wire that quickly wrapped around him. He sent Doton chakra coursing through his skin hardening it to the same toughness as steel. Unfortunately, his preference for using this technique over Kawarimi worked against him since many of the wires were covered in lightning and wind type chakra enhancing their sharpness which let them cut through. Grunting he deactivated his Doton technique and used a Kawarimi to escape it. The Jiongu meant that his body didn't have blood or organs, replaced by living tendrils of hair. He was capable of feeling a little pain through his skin but the only way to harm him was through his five hearts, four of which were hidden behind porcelain masks that could only be broken by a targeted and focused A or S-ranked jutsu.

With a quick set of hand signs, he created several Mizu Bunshins to diffuse nearby traps. He was about to hide but a rustle among the trees next to him drew his attention. He was about to draw his Futon mask and attack, but he managed to catch a blur of motion coming towards him in his peripheral vision. Even though it was blurred, there was no mistaking the jutsu that was aimed at him. The blue sphere of chakra that the Yondaime Hokage had created.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki had ambushed him.

He raised his arms in defense channeling all the Doton natured chakra he could through them. He was almost thrown back from the force of impact alone, but he managed to dig his feet into the ground. His assailant seemed to be losing momentum but with a cry of determination, the sphere expanded and began to push him backward again. Kakuzu yelled defiantly and resisted it for several more seconds before he was sent skidding backward a few feet.

His ears rang from the grinding noise, his hand had gone numb from the pain and his focus was scattered trying to locate the Kyuubi jinchuriki. Hearing motion behind him he barely shifted his position as he felt a sharp pain in his chest that had just missed his original heart. The distinct smell of ozone told him he had been impaled by a Raiton flow technique.

He swung his arms behind him almost catching the person behind him. His focus slowly returning he watched as the Nibi jinchuriki darted up into the trees. He narrowed his eyes dangerously realizing that the two jinchuriki had teamed up to take him down. The thick scent of blood and string of profanity confirmed Hidan had indeed been incapacitated by the traps.

With a low growl, he ripped the kunai out of his chest. He had two brats to capture.

Crouched within one of the trees Naruto watched as the mysterious man casually ripped the kunai out of his chest. Not even a drop of blood…to add to that he had taken the full brunt of an Oodama Rasengan and all he had to show was a bit of bruised skin. That and the fact that he had five distinct chakra signatures – five!

Yugito slid in next to him and leaned close to his ear, "He's not human...his body is made of these hairy tendrils and he has no blood" she whispered, "What about the other one?"

"He survived with his head chopped off, so I sealed him in a scroll. We'll need a plan to deal with this guy, kunai and wires aren't going to cut it. He has five chakra signatures which are probably connected to the threads in his body"

"Then let's put some offensive pressure. Attack at range with ninjutsu and regroup"

Naruto nodded, "Stay back for now. Wait for the oil and wind".

It was a straightforward deduction, her bijuu was covered in flames which meant that she either her primary affinity was Katon or she had a very strong one for it. She was more than likely to have several powerful Katon jutsu in her arsenal, which was complemented by his Futon affinity and his ability to use the Toad oil.

He bounded forward as she bounded away, preparing himself to unleash a storm of attacks. Naruto's style of combat was centered around him being the aggressor. This was by far the rarest tactic employed in the shinobi world since for most people, the risk exponentially outweighed any benefits. But there were two reasons why Naruto could use such a tactic.

One, his durability was one of his strongest traits. His focus and willpower gave him a rather high pain threshold and his body was gifted with the natural Uzumaki sturdiness which had been enhanced quite a bit by the Kyuubi. Despite his appearance, Naruto was capable of enduring the most brutal of attacks, just look at what he had been on the receiving end off when he was twelve. The Jyuuken and Chidori would definitely stand out given both techniques were capable of causing instant death.

The second reason stemmed from what his training over the last two years had been focused on. His biggest advantages were his massive chakra reserves and his mastery of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He hadn't learned a whole lot of techniques, but what he did have were incredibly refined ones that were capable of dealing out a massive amount of damage, the type of jutsu that typically were used minimally due to their chakra requirements. Are you seeing the brilliance? Five Futon ninjutsu, two Raiton ninjutsu and seven others he had picked up on Myobokuzan on ones he already knew – that was all Naruto needed to resemble a bullet hell final boss from a video game. He rained down his assault without worry of collateral damage to either his comrades or innocent bystanders and Yugito had retreated a fair distance. The ground and trees were torn apart from the hail of attacks.

Even with the excellent coordination and constant adjustments of the attacks, Kakuzu showed that he was every bit the S-ranker that he was known and feared to be. He weaved and ducked through the attacks receiving only glancing blows. With the Jiongu the only real way he could be harmed or killed was through his five hearts which wouldn't happen if he didn't receive a direct hit. But the constant stream of attacks meant that he had very little room to execute a counterattack since it always came with the risk of taking a direct hit which could damage one or two of his hearts.

It was here that Kakuzu made a major tactical error that cost him the battle. He brushed off the two jinchuriki due to both being teenagers and moved to end the battle as soon as possible. He hadn't stopped to consider that was expending a lot of chakra and even with his monstrous reserves he couldn't keep up an attack like this for very long. If he had been patient, he would have weakened Naruto significantly which would have made the battle a whole lot easier. Instead he made his play earlier, allowing Naruto to conserve a good portion of his chakra that he otherwise would have expended.

His play had been to use Doton: Doryuheki. While Doton jutsu were weak against Raiton jutsu, it bought a couple of milliseconds, enough for him to execute a Shunshin and escape the line of attack. Instead he found himself alarmed when a shadow loomed over him. Turning upwards he watched as a massive wave of oil descended on him quickly, no doubt being pushed down by a Futon jutsu. He heard the other jinchuriki calling out her jutsu, "Katon: Nekomata Endan!" – and he knew he was screwed. Blue flames shot forward and roared to life when they met the oil and wind.

Hastily he summoned his Katon and Futon masks, using his own collaboration technique to shield him but it wasn't too much help. It bought him enough time to dodge the attack before it did too much damage to him. He lost a good portion of his tendrils which while replaceable cost a good chunk of chakra to regenerate.

Despite being a foul-tempered individual, Kakuzu always approached combat very calmly and rationally. But these two brats were really pushing that approach to its limits. His pride reared its ugly head when he found himself cornered by a duo who he considered blips to his own power. He wanted more than to beat them, he wanted humiliation and suffering.

And this only made him dig his grave deeper.

"Can't find him…" Naruto muttered, "I saw him pull out masks from his body, they seem to be the source of the signatures"

"So, we target the masks" she nodded.

"Better watch out, he might be able to use all five nature transformations"

This really was something to be wary off. Learning how to use successive nature transformations after your first one which usually was your affinity tended to be exponentially harder. Most jonin could manage just two even with years of training, three was exceptional. Five on the other hand? Only the Sandaime Hokage was known to have mastered all five nature transformations.

Their conversation was halted when the black tendrils they had seen earlier shot out from several different directions. They weren't just fast, but they were very strong and difficult to cut. Naruto used a Futon chakra covered kunai, while Yugito extended claws from her fingertips and hacked away. But the tendrils were being replaced faster than they could cut it, ensnaring them and making it hard to move. They tried their best to get away, but it was getting increasingly hard.

A disembodied voice spoke around them, "I was going to just knock you out but now that you two brats have pissed me off…I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm"

"I hate! That! Damn! Technique!" Naruto ground out each time he cut a bunch of tendrils. It gave him flashbacks of his fight against Zabuza and Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, both events that had given him nightmares as a genin.

"He's going to attack soon! Be on guard!" Yugito responded trying to focus on cutting through. It was only sheer focus and determination that was keeping her from keeling over from exhaustion. She was slowly approaching her limits and if she planned on surviving then they'd have to end the battle quickly.

Naruto tripped over one and fell forward. "You're mine!" a loud voice boomed as Kakuzu rocketed forward from the bushes below and slammed a hardened hand into his chest immediately sending a sickening crack. He was thrown back through several trees. Yugito barely managed to fling a smoke bomb down and flared her signature blue flames around her burning the tendrils. From the sound alone she knew her fellow blonde broke at least a few ribs if his lung hadn't been punctured.

She found him sticking upside down to a branch holding his chest and wheezing. She grabbed him by the waist and darted away to give them some room. As they moved, she felt a lot of heat build-up around his chest, a faint sizzling sound and a very thin veil of steam. His breathing evened out almost immediately showing he had healed them as though it was nothing.

She placed him on the branch next to him, "You alright?"

"I'm fine, I heal-duck!" Naruto yelled as a bolt of electricity flew over them.

"Raiton: Jibashi!" Kakuzu roared as he unleashed a torrent of electricity to try and fry them.

Getting on their feet they scampered away from the man until they found a clearing nearby. They heard Kakuzu's voice around taunting them. Their backs pressed against each other as they waited for the attack to come. When the tendrils shot out, several of Naruto's clones appeared helping them keep them at bay but they weren't lasting long since the tendrils kept choking them to death.

Naruto violently sliced through the tendrils holding his wrists, "Incoming twelve and two!" he managed out in between.

Her training paid dividends when she didn't pause in shock over the two monstrous-looking creatures made of the same tendrils. The white masks that Naruto had described formed the head of these creatures standing out against their black bodies.

"Move!" she yelled as they both shifted out of the way of a blast of water and wind. The two creatures immediately shot towards her attacking with the same blasts of water and wind making her time dodging the tendrils even harder than it was.

Naruto tried to run over to her to help but Kakuzu pounced on him and engaged him in close combat while using his Katon and Raiton masks to put a lot of pressure on him.

"You messed with the wrong person kid. Too bad you're not going to live long enough to learn from it"

"Yeah first time I've heard that" Naruto shot back sarcastically, "Big talk from the guy who fell into an ambush from a genin"

This got under Kakuzu's skin as he proceeded to attack thrice as aggressively giving Naruto an even harder time. But it did allow him to dodge freely without worrying about surprise attacks or counters giving him time to try and formulate a plan.

He wasn't going to beat him in taijutsu. The guy hit way too hard and a couple of hits would put him out of commission even with his healing. He wasn't too keen on trading ninjutsu since not only did his masks counter his two most viable nature transformations but he didn't want to needlessly expend chakra if he needed it later to deliver a killing blow. But if he engaged him at close range too long he ran the risk on making a mistake and getting taken down.

Why, oh why did every battle of his have to be so difficult? Couldn't he ever get a strong enemy that he could just roll over?

Knowing he couldn't do this alone he was going to have to get Yugito out of her stalemate. Apart from the exhaustion she was facing from her missions, the Suiton mas was countering every attempt to call up her blue flames. Katon jutsu required the greatest amount of time to charge and was the second worse element defensively. He'd give her about a minute before she was captured which he couldn't allow. If he caught her, he'd have leverage over him. Sometimes he wished he could be a cold-hearted bastard and get rid of his damn hero complex but there was nothing he could do to change it. What he had to focus on was eliminating the Suiton mask – a move that would shift momentum in their favor.

He had a plan and another thing he wished for was the ability not to rely on ballsy and frankly insane plans like this but again it was all he had. He was putting everything on the line in this one move, if he failed, they were both going to die a very painful and slow death which was going to happen anyway with the way things were going.

Kakuzu knew he had the advantage. He wasn't showing it but the boy was feeling the after-effects of his initial attack. When a person expended large amounts of chakra quickly it placed a strain on their coils and body producing one of the most painful sensations known to ninja. It was a miracle he was still fighting considering he'd already taken a huge hit.

When he leaped back Kakuzu felt the familiar thrill that rose whenever he believed the battle was over. He was perfectly poised to launch ninjutsu at him and the room to dodge or counter was practically non-existent. All was set to take down this miserable brat…

But he couldn't help but stall for a second when he felt a shiver pass down his spine. The Kyuubi's chakra wasn't just powerful but it gave off a presence that no human could ever hope to match. Even a shinobi as hardened as him couldn't help but equate the sensation to pure evil.

The second was all Naruto needed to summon two enormous Rasengans in both his hands. Kakuzu prepared to defend himself but the attack never came. Instead his senses just vanished – his sight cloaked in white, his ears ringing and his smell registering just earth and smoke. He stumbled lightly with the only thing keeping him grounded was sensing the Kyuubi's chakra. Both he and Yugito sensed a massive spike of Naruto's chakra but upon it vanishing completely and so quickly they both panicked.

"Above" a gruff unfamiliar voice spoke in Yugito's head. Despite being completely terrified of the unknown voice she managed to locate her fellow jinchuriki hovering in the air above her before he began to shoot downwards. Realizing his plan she channeled all the chakra she could muster preparing to release her strongest Katon jutsu.

Just as the Suiton mask was about to launch another counter, a blue of orange smashed into it and towards the disoriented Kakuzu below who unfortunately managed to leap away in time. Yugito timed her jump perfectly and released her jutsu to destroy the Futon mask and to propel her much like she'd seen Naruto do. She was shortly buffeted by the wind and dust that followed, but when she laid eyes on the size of the crater…

It had to be at least eighty meters in diameter and about three meters deep. She couldn't see him probably meaning he had buried himself in a ton of rubble. The kind of destructive force required to achieve that was off the charts. She'd gotten a pretty good idea of his capabilities…or so she thought since her estimates were far off. He had undoubtedly activated some sort of technique while in the air. He had hovered up there using the wind for a few seconds to activate the technique before using the height to accelerate his fall and bolster his attack. Maybe it had something to do with the Kyuubi? There was really no way to tell unless she asked him, or she saw him use it several times more.

Just as she landed, she felt the ground begin to rumble. She watched as spikes of earth as tall as her began to shoot out rapidly in her direction. She just managed to jump but a spike caught her thigh. She was about to fall back but she felt the collar of her shirt being grabbed as a figure zoomed past her so fast that all she felt was the breeze that followed him. Groaning she sliced through the spike with her claws leaving a large chunk stuck inside. She watched Naruto's clone dispel as soon as it placed her on top of the branch.

Turning around despite the pain she watched as Naruto effortlessly destroyed one of his masks with…a missed punch? This technique was seeming more and more broken by the minute. She may not have been as fast as Naruto was right now, but she had always been light on her feet. As had been the case throughout the fight, he read her intentions perfectly. After a dominant show of taijutsu and strength, he destroyed the Futon mask with a gust of wind so strong it ripped away trees for hundreds of meters. As soon as the jutsu died down she darted behind him and prepared to strike his final heart down.

Naruto shot forward quicker than she could even react and grabbed the man in place. She watched as he struggled to get out of his grips, smashing his so hard that the ground shook but it didn't even look like it fazed him. With a deep breath, she shot forward and buried a Raiton covered kunai through his heart.

"No…" he wheezed out before he fell to the ground in a heap. She looked up at Naruto and couldn't help but blink at what she saw. Orange pigmentation around his eyes, golden irises with a black rectangular pupil.

'A doujutsu?' she thought.

"No…it's an incredible power he has at his disposal. I shall tell you more about it later" Matatabi spoke within her mind.

"To think…that two brats like you ended me…I even survived against the Shodai Hokage" he grunted out breathlessly.

Naruto crouched down and gave the man a hard look, "I hope the rest of the Akatsuki think this way. If you'd have been a bit more serious and treated us like ninja instead of kids…there was a very good chance our bijuu's would have been sucked out…it'll make dealing with you bastards that much easier for me"

He gave a weak chuckle, "You're an interesting kid…there are four others looking for you now…you better not lose to them when you beat them…" he grunted.

Naruto looked up to Yugito who nodded. Both raised a kunai and brought it down before the checked for the other masks not taking any risks. Two minutes later they had both come to the same conclusion.

Kakuzu had been eliminated.

With her arm slung around Naruto's shoulder, Yugito limped into the safe house. The spike had gone all the down to the bone. It pained like a real bitch with the adrenaline having faded but she did her best not to show it.

Naruto by now looked like he had just gone through an intense training session. His wounds steamed and disappeared leaving no evidence that they had ever existed. Heck he'd healed from broken ribs and a punctured lung within the span of a battle. As a jinchuriki she had accelerated healing as well, but nothing close to what he had shown to be capable of.

She unclipped her cuirass and flung it away as Naruto did the same for his orange jacket revealing a mesh wire top, "Better fix that wound. It looks pretty bad"

She clenched her fist lightly as he placed her on the bed, "It's not that bad. You'll need to take the piece out and close the wound".

"The thing is touching your bone and you can't stop clenching" he deadpanned before flipping through several hand-signs, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu".

With a cloud of smoke, a purple toad about the size of a large dog appeared, "Hello Naruto-san. How may I help you?"

"Hey Tori-san, my friend here is injured. Could you help her out?"

She nodded, "Of course. Please show me the wound"

Lowering her pants, she watched what she thought was a frog skillfully remove the chunk. She kept her face straight only twitching occasionally from the pain. The familiar warmth from the Shosen no Jutsu helped her relax a little as she watched the wound quickly close up. She tensed up when she pricked her but relaxed when she immediately felt the pain begin to numb up.

"You should feel some soreness for a couple of days. Please take it easy" she told her politely.

Yugito couldn't help but smile in return, "Thank you"

Naruto nodded, "Thanks a ton Tori-san. Could you please deliver this scroll to sensei?"

"Of course, Naruto-san. Please call me anytime you need help" she replied before reverse-summoning.

"Nice frog…" Yugito muttered breaking the silence.

"Toad" Naruto corrected, "They get pretty offended if you mix them up"

"I see…" she looked down at her exposed thigh, "This is going to leave a scar"

"You don't seem to mind too much"

She pulled up her undershirt slightly showing a round scar next to her belly button about the size of a coin, "Got this when I got stabbed with a spear two years ago. It was goodbye bikinis after that" she said sarcastically.

Naruto chuckled dryly, "I don't get scars for the most part but…" he pulled his shirt up towards his chest. A light star-shaped mark about the size of a fist was over his right lung. If not for the size, it would have easily been mistakable for a birthmark, "It never healed completely. It's almost like…a reminder for me"

"A reminder of what?"

What had transpired following Sasuke's betrayal was a very touchy issue for him. Despite having moved on from him, his betrayal stung him even today. He really did wish that Sasuke was a better person because god knew how many times he wished he had him as a friend and teammate. He didn't like to dwell on it too much because it reminded him of how different he was before that. It had become such a defining moment in his life now.

The only question was – did he want to share it with Yugito?

Despite her being a practical stranger and from a rival village, he had this strange feeling around her. It was hard to articulate in words, but it was a sense of understanding and comfort of knowing that there was somebody who could relate to what he was going through. The only other person he'd ever felt this way with was Gaara, another jinchuriki. Maybe…maybe the resonance they shared with the bijuu within them extended to other containers.

It made sense considering he was able to read her thoughts and emotions near perfectly, and she had done the same as well during the battle. And everything about her was telling him that he could trust her, that she was somebody he'd want to have as a friend.

He pursed his lips "I was dealt a shitty hand by life. I can't change the fact, but I have the right to acknowledge it. But everybody around me had become far too content forgetting that. They'd act like I was using it as an excuse when I never even brought it up. This scar reminds me of the fact that if people try to diminish or dismiss the difficulties I had to face, then they have no right to begrudge me for my shortcomings"

"I know what you mean…they like to peg all our shortcomings on us. We're too weak mentally, we don't try hard enough, we're disobedient. What about their faults?" she replied her voice low in anger, "They treat us like crap but expect us to be loyal to them. If we snap, they forget they pushed us to it. We're nothing but disposable tools"

"It was a bit naïve of me, but I really hoped that somewhere there is a jinchuriki who's isn't miserable" Naruto admitted, "Just hoping that one-day things will get better"

"That just feels like a pipedream"

"I know, but sometimes you just need a little hope…"

She agreed with him entirely. When she was younger and still naïve, she used to feel hope. Hope that things would eventually get better and it just seemed to make everything feel that much less dreary. But as the years went by she felt herself becoming increasingly cynical. She used to think that the world was fair and just, that there was some sense of balance. But she just couldn't believe in it anymore. It was just so hard to believe in something you knew for a fact that wasn't achievable.

But Naruto acknowledged the same fact yet he was still able to hold on to it. He wasn't delusional or in denial, he just wanted to continue believing in it. Most people would accuse him of being a masochist, for opening himself up to disappointment and hurt. But she saw it differently…he had the strength of character not to give up on who he was and what he believed in. No matter what the situation he'd continue fighting on even if he knew he was going down.

Just the way he fought proved that. He was willing to take risks in a bad situation instead of giving in or getting desperate like most people would have done if they were pinned like they were by Kakuzu. He fought on even in the face of their probable death. Shinobi battles were short and decisive, a single small mistake made all the difference which was what made such a thing even more incredibly.

Honestly, he was…very impressive.

As a person, as a ninja and he was good looking to boot. It was easy to talk to him and she felt a sort of ease that she had only ever felt with Kirabi. And she knew for a fact he felt the same way. While fighting he was as straight-faced and impassive as any shinobi but when they were alone, she could almost read him like a book. The fact that he chose to let his emotions show told her that he already trusted her somewhat, which was something she found really endearing.

But what really amused her was him checking out her legs ever so often. It'd take a blind man to miss the fact that they were both attracted to each other. Neither was a stranger to hooking since it was actually rather common among shinobi.

It was a vice much like alcohol or gambling. With the constant dangers and uncertainty of when you'll meet your end, a lot of shinobi used to help cope with the stresses of their line. Most engaged in casual relationships until they moved on in most cases or took it to the next step in a very few.

"Are you into the whole…roses and chocolates deal?" Naruto asked.

She raised an eyebrow, "I pegged you as the type of guy into that…apparently not"

"I don't know…maybe I am but I'm not looking for a relationship. There's just so much happening right now and I…I'm just not looking for one…not right now…"

She couldn't help but grin, "I think I know what you are looking for right now" with that she leaned forward and pulled him into a searing kiss. She felt a hint of satisfaction when he kissed back knowing exactly where this was leading.

And neither noticed, deep within the conscious, the conversation that was going on.

Otogakure:

Kabuto hated to admit it but he was a follower not a leader. No matter how highly he thought of himself, he knew he wasn't the kind of person to take the initiative, the kind to pull others in his cause. He was a damned good subordinate but he doubted he'd ever be able to lead people as his master did.

Orochimaru was everything that Kabuto wished he could be. Gifted not only with incredibly intellect and foresight – his charisma and ability to read people allowed him to draw in all sorts of people towards his cause. Most of them remained loyal out of fear or because Orochimaru twisted them into fanatics.

But what pricked him even more was that his grasp of science and medicine surpassed his own. It wasn't just from knowledge gained through the decades of age he had over him, no his intuition and conceptualization were unrivalled. The manner in which he approached a problem and the perspectives he derived from it…they just couldn't be replicated, learned or stolen. Above all that was the one trait Kabuto wished he possessed.

He carefully pulled out a test tube with a pale yellow fluid and poured it into an airtight container, within it contained a pure culture of bacteria that Orochimaru had engineered and studied for years. Kabuto wasn't sure what the culture was capable of, but he knew to be incredibly cautious.

"The isolation is complete my lord"

"Excellent. After five years, we finally have our hands on a pure sample"

"If I may ask…what exactly is this culture made of?"

He turned towards him and regarded him curiously, "This species mutated overtime to produce a unique exotoxin that promotes the production of certain steroidal hormones in humans. But a truly fascinating trait of this culture is the ability to rapidly replicate in drinking water"

"I see…you wish to use it as a vector to deliver other potential toxins or chemicals"

To this the man chuckled, "If I had wanted that then I would have engineered it to do so. No…there are far superior ways to deliver poisons. But there are very few ways to mimic a steroidal induced rage"

Despite not understanding what the Sannin's plan was, Kabuto was never one to disobey orders directly, "Shall I infect Konoha-"

"No" he stopped him, "Tsunade would see through it in a minute and it'll close an avenue to poison Konoha in the future. You're going to be doing this to Iwa instead. If you remember, they store all their transported water in a single location. Drop the culture in and the effects will be visible in the span of a few months…leave immediately and then check the bases in Shimo no Kuni"

"As you wish Orochimaru-sama" he bowed before departing.

It was a few hours later that Kabuto realized exactly what Orochimaru was planning. Iwa had been playing aggressively as of late and had been dealing with the Akatsuki. The plan was intended to influence the behavior of Iwa's shinobi and make them more aggressive. Doing so would likely accelerate the start of the war by a significant portion.

Orochimaru stood so much to gain from a potential war. It would throw up a massive smokescreen for him allowing him to move around relatively freely since the villages would be more concerned with each other. The number of potential test subjects and bases he could open during this time was staggering. Better still it would weaken Konoha temporarily. If he decided to finally exact his revenge, it would be that much easier if the village was drained from their efforts in a world war. And if he didn't the chances of them trying to retrieve Sasuke would go far, far lower. And these were only the most immediate ones he could think of.

This was exactly what he meant about Orochimaru. The vision he possessed was frightening even more so considering his understanding of psychology despite his disdain for humanity. He understood what people wanted and how to use that desire to manipulate events in his favor. Now imagine said man with the Sharingan and immortality?

He could bring the entire world under the banner of Oto.

And that's a wrap!

I always liked the concept of Naruto having casual relationships or just plain friendships with a bunch of girls but there is no expectation to commit. They hang out for the most part and either they've hooked up once or they do so on occasion. For example, Naruto hangs out with Ino, Sakura, Hinata and Temari, he's friends with all four of them. Maybe he's FWB with Ino, slept with Temari one time when he visited Suna while he's platonic with Hinata and Sakura. He doesn't have to date all of them just for them to be in the story. Nor does just hanging out with them mean that most of them are in a harem. Dear god, it's like people who write these have never been in an actual relationship…though it would explain the 90% of fics being trash, power-wanking ones.

There's a bit of suspense over how the Akatsuki will respond. Having Itachi, Kisame, Deidara and Sasori after you sounds like a practical death sentence. It's going to be interesting to see how Naruto and Yugito get past them…or will they?

You'll find out soon.

Peace!