67 Thunderstruck

New chapter is out, and it's a big one for the plot. Comments are very much appreciated. I make sure to read every one of them.

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"Politely refrain from aiming for my throat, Sasuke." I said clearly, deflecting a sword slash from my friend, his face drenched in sweat and his breathing laboured.

It had been nearly a week since Sasuke found out the truth about Itachi and his clan, and by god he didn't take it well.

But he didn't take it too badly either.

I'd come across him destroying everything in sight at one of the training grounds, running himself into the ground with Ninjutsu training and a rather shoddy attempt at kenjutsu.

Rin said she didn't know where he was today, so I ended up tracking and eventually found him here, smashing stuff apart.

"I don't want to talk to you." He gritted out, his eyes crimson as three black tomoe spun lazily around the red.

I should've realized something was wrong when Sasuke's eyes bled or got irritated. Thankfully, he hadn't used them enough to do anything to his vision, but it was still scary to think about.

"I'm not here to talk," I promised, lowering my hand and letting my chakra blade disappear, "Rin told me you're not wanting to talk all that much, so I guessed you were doing something else to cope."

Sasuke lowered his training sword, his grip looking amateurish to someone well versed in kenjutsu like me.

"There's no coping with this," He growled, tossing the sword into the dirt as he turned away, "I have someone else to kill. A different Uchiha."

Itachi told him about Tobi, and how he'd killed the children and a fair portion of their clan. Nothing was left out by Itachi.

"Then you'll have to get in line." I said clearly, stepping to my left to be in his line of sight. "You're not the only one to have lost something precious because of the one eyed bastard."

Sasuke whirled around and stared at me, Sharingan glinting in the midday light.

"You don't know a thing about loss, Naruto," He practically growled my name, "Your life and Rin's is bad, I won't deny that, but you weren't betrayed. You didn't see your parents die in front of you over and over again." My friend trailed off, wiping at his eyes.

"Rin," Sasuke inhaled sharply, "Told me about your father."

That was something Rin and I had discussed after she had started staying over at Sasuke's for hours on end while he basically tried to put his life back into a modicum of order after his life got upended a second time.

Basically, Sasuke could be told about it along with our friends.

"But you never knew your parents," He whispered, his head downcast, "You didn't hear them tell you that they loved you."

'I did this. I let them die.'

I tried to cut Sasuke off, deciding in that moment I'd tell him the truth about the first few minutes of my life, but he didn't let me.

"You always had Rin," Sasuke struggled to make eye contact, but he managed, his Sharingan flickering on and off, "I had nothing but hate for five years."

"Sasuke," I tried to say, seeing how much he was hurting, "Please, I need to tell you this."

Sasuke stared directly at me, his Sharingan still active.

"It wasn't a Genjutsu?" He asked rhetorically, but I could hear how fragile he sounded.

I couldn't hide the shiver at the memory. I couldn't imagine what Sasuke went through seeing my head get cut off.

"It wasn't." I acknowledged quietly, lowering my head.

Sasuke took a shaky breath, his Sharingan finally shutting off.

"Why weren't you honest with me?" He asked, sounding genuinely depressed at my lack of sharing.

"I wanted..." I cursed under my breath, hating the justification I was about to use, "I didn't want you to have something else burdening you."

I didn't expect Sasuke to grab me by my collar and jerk me towards him, our faces almost touching.

"I get to make that choice," He said fiercely, gripping my shirt tighter, "I bet you didn't tell Rin."

My lack of response was more than enough.

"What happens when you tell her?" He said coldly, "Or do I need to tell her?"

My hand grabbed his shoulder and I pressed down hard, enough to make him feel it.

"I will shatter the bones in your legs if you go behind my back, Sasuke," I growled quietly, "Friend or not."

I didn't care that what I said was harsh and unreasonable. Nobody, especially Sasuke, was going to tell Rin anything that pertained to me.

"I already told you Orochimaru wanted to sink his teeth into you," I forced myself to let go, noticing Sasuke exhale in relief, "And I protected you. I died protecting you."

To think that the sword Orochimaru cut my head off with was now in a specialized storage scroll currently in my pocket, waiting to be trained with.

"Don't." Sasuke gritted his teeth, "Don't try and guilt me into dropping this. You weren't thinking straight that first night in the forest and you worried me with how you were acting." He continued, "Were you lying when you said it was you and me against Itachi when the time came?"

I sighed and thought of my hostility to him telling Rin what happened.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything," I muttered, pushing his hand off my shoulder as I paced, "But I saw the look on your face when we woke up. You blamed yourself."

Sasuke's eyes looked downcast, his hand going up to push his hair out of his face.

"Of course I did." He mumbled, "You wouldn't have been killed if you didn't choose to protect me, and if I didn't chase after him."

Sasuke then looked back up at me.

"What was it you wanted to say to me?" He asked curiously, his dark eyes seeming to read my mind.

"I," I shook my head, pacing around, "My chakra does weird stuff to me. You sure you want to hear this?"

Sasuke nodded, staring intently.

You could not imagine how much I wanted Sasuke to drop it. I'd told Rin about it, Kakashi, Hiruzen, Ino, Hinata; pretty much my close friends. But it didn't mean it was easy for me.

"Okay," I sighed, steeling myself for a rough explanation.

I told Sasuke about how I remembered the very first moments of my existence, and how I remembered the Kyuubi attack.

And everything involved.

I told him about how my mind was destabilized by the Kyuubi being sealed in me, of how the memory came back after I was nearly killed.

Sasuke was pale and shaken by the end of my explanation, my voice tight from emotion.

"How are you still the way you are after all that?" He asked incredulously, looking at me with sympathy. "How are you not like... like."

"Like you?" I finished hoarsely, fidgeting with my fingers on my right hand as I tried to keep myself calm.

Bringing it back up made me feel nauseated, the reminder of nearly dying, and having Kurama sealed in me, was enough to set me on edge.

Sasuke didn't answer yes, but his chakra simmering low was as good of an affirmative as any.

"I had Rin." I said genuinely, "I had her when I had nothing else."

Had this been like the Canon universe, with only me, I probably would've become a cold and cynical person.

"I could never be like Itachi," I mumbled, wiping at my face furiously, "I could never do what he did to you, no matter how much I love Konoha."

Sasuke took a shuddering breath, slowly sitting down cross-legged.

"Tobi took him from me," He muttered, reaching for the training sword and setting it on his lap, "He's no longer my nii-san. He's the brother that threw me aside to protect his village."

My gaze went to Sasuke, my attention on how he was speaking and his chakra's feel.

"I'll never forgive him for what he did to me," Sasuke looked straight up at me, gripping the hilt, "And I'll never forgive Tobi for forcing him into that situation."

"Our parents died because of that fucking traitor," Sasuke's voice twisted into a snarl, his legs straightening as he stood back up, "And you said the Akatsuki want you and Rin dead."

His hand was clenched so tightly around the hilt that I could see his knuckles turn white.

"I'll kill every single one before I let them take you from me," Sasuke promised, surprising me completely by grabbing me and pulling me into a one armed hug, "I am not my brother. I will never turn on my friends."

I felt my entire body relax as I absorbed what Sasuke said, my worries about his journey of self discovery about his new main goal being abated.

Itachi made him hyper-focused now on his friends. Neither Orochimaru or Obito were ever going to sink their claws into Sasuke now.

He was free.

"Then promise me this." I said seriously, looking into my friend's eyes. "When we finally corner the bastard, when we decide on who gets to kill the fucker, we'll let go of that hatred. We'll let it die with him."

Whether the Curse of Hatred was a real thing or if it was a predisposition for Uchiha to be afflicted by trauma that tended to breed into hatred, I didn't know. But I couldn't let Sasuke fall to it, especially when I had my own hatred.

Sasuke didn't seem to agree, but I needed him to let go.

"It dies with him," I said, seeing Obito's godforsaken and damned face in my head, "I don't want my future polluted by the hatred that marked us. I refuse to believe it's an indelible mark on our futures."

"I survived on hatred, Naruto," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "You're asking a lot from me."

"You survived, but you didn't live." I said sadly, remembering the choice I made, even if it might not have changed anything, "I never told you what my dream was, Sasuke. What made me keep fighting through everything. Zabuza, Orochimaru, the Kaguya."

I placed my hand gently on his shoulder, smiling softly.

"I want to grow old and have a large family," I blinked quickly, remembering that dream I held onto, "I want dozens of grandkids pestering me about stories of us old guys fighting the baddies... just like I did with the Hokage when asking about war stories."

This was straight from the heart. This was my greatest desire, my quarry, my journey's end.

There was nothing I wanted more than to have what I was denied in both lives.

"There's only three of us left, Sasuke," I felt tears run down my face as I saw Rin and Karin's faces in my mind, "I don't want to be the last of my clan."

Everything I knew would die with me. All the history and culture of my first life, aside from the language I taught Rin, would die with me. I couldn't stand that happening here as well.

And Sasuke was the exact same, only two other Uchiha aside from him being alive.

"I won't let them know how much hatred I have for this world," I was shaking noticeably, Sasuke holding onto me as tightly as I held him, "This world made me a Jinchuriki, made my little sister be hated because of our father. I will not let my hatred pollute their innocence."

"I didn't," Sasuke cleared his throat, his eyes wide, "I didn't realize you thought like I did. I hated being called the Last Uchiha. I didn't want to be the last one."

"Promise me, Sasuke," I practically begged him, not wanting him to be consumed by the Curse of Hatred I forced on him, "Promise me you won't be the last. Please, tell me we'll kill the bastard and we can finally live. Will you let go with me?"

Sasuke's chakra felt tumultuous, his eyes solely on me.

"But I am the last," Sasuke mumbled, letting out a choked sob, "I didn't betray my clan. I'm alone... the last."

I couldn't imagine what this was doing to Sasuke. Itachi and Obito might technically be alive and Uchiha, but neither of them were truly there for Sasuke like clansmen should be. Itachi destroyed their sibling connection.

I needed to give him something to hold onto.

"Not the last of the old, Sasuke." I smiled, my hand still on his shoulder as I looked into his eyes, "The first of the new."

This was a private thing between me and Sasuke. Nobody needed to know what we talked about.

Nothing was said for a time. Sasuke remained quiet as he mulled over my request.

"I'll try." He eventually said, slowly closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'll try."

That's all I need to hear.

Sasuke was my friend. I couldn't let him walk this road alone.

I clapped his shoulder, setting my hand on his training sword.

"You need a hand with Kenjutsu?" I asked, stepping away from him.

Sasuke perked up at the offer, nodding quickly.

"Good," I said, pulling out the storage scroll that housed the Kusanagi, "Keep your Sharingan on my movements. We're going to fast track your stance and katas."

The next hour was me going through different katas and engagements with my clones, letting Sasuke copy and begin to mimic them as best as he could.

Aside from the slight weight difference, my new sword wasn't too different from my other. But speaking of which, I needed the thing reforged. I wasn't letting it remain broken, even if the Kusanagi was going to be my go-to weapon in kenjutsu.

"Stop being so rigid, Sasuke," The flat end of my blade smacked the side of his head, causing him to blindly swing his blade at me, "You're not adding personal flare."

"That's not how my eyes work." He glared, his face around his left eye starting to swell. "I can't just copy your moves and modify them on the fly."

I groaned and lowered my blade tapping my fingers against my forehead repeatedly in frustration.

"How does it feel when you were moving through my katas?" I asked, hoping to paint a picture on what Sasuke fought like.

I had to pretty much learn that my mindset when I had a sword in hand was different to how I approached taijutsu and Ninjutsu.

My style of kenjutsu that worked best for me was to weather strike after strike, wearing down my opponent to get an opening to pounce. I pretty much rode a storm of fury that wrapped around me as a gathering tide about a rock.

My taijutsu focused on quick counters and taking the initiative, while my Ninjutsu was quite frankly, was like a storm of death.

"Restrictive," Sasuke said, hissing as he pressed his fingers to the rapidly swelling knot at his temple, "I can read your movements when you're attacking, but your defense is too rigid for me to use."

'Hmm, sounds like he could modify it into a slightly less defensive form, and add in portions for a punishing counter a bit earlier.'

I explained my thoughts to Sasuke, who looked receptive to the advice.

"It almost sounds like the Interceptor style of taijutsu," He pointed out, a ghost of a grin forming on his face, "I could probably make it work."

"Great," I grinned openly, "Now come on, get good. We've got a one eyed shit to kill."

Our blades clashed again, the song of steel striking steel ringing out.

///////////////////

"I've called you four here for a specific reason," Senju Tsunade said to them, her eyes going over them. "And I'm sure you're wondering why."

Hinata, Ino, Karin, and Sakura were in a private office with the female Sannin, several scrolls filled with information about the four girls on them.

"The three of you," She looked the three Konoha genin, two of whom were to be promoted to Chunin, "Already have a proper and basic understanding of Iryo-ninjutsu. And these reports say you've actually healed people in the field, yes?"

Hinata and Ino had healed their teammates and Naruto during the second exam and the invasion, and all three had volunteered their services to help lower the strain on the hospitals.

They all had the proper disposition to be excellent medics.

"I'm also aware of potential antagonism between the two of you," She levelled a flat look towards Ino and Sakura, "Has it been addressed, or do I need to step in myself?"

Ino and Sakura both shrunk away at the look, glancing at each other.

"No, Tsunade-sama," Ino said, "It's not a problem anymore."

Sakura nodded as well.

"It hasn't been for awhile."

"Good," Tsunade smiled, holding up a packet of papers and focusing on Sakura, "I've looked at your academy transcripts, Sakura, as well as reports from the Sandaime and your Jonin Sensei. I'm impressed."

Sakura blushed a bit at the praise, while Hinata stayed silent as she saw her blonde friend keep a neutral expression.

"Your chakra control is impeccable and you have a knack for Genjutsu, and your intellect is perfect for being a first class medical ninja."

'Please don't get annoyed, Ino.' Hinata prayed, seeing the girl fidget a bit.

Tsunade then looked at Ino.

"Miss Yamanaka," Tsunade said, setting down Sakura's papers and holding up what was presumedly hers, "Your transcripts are also impressive, and I'm told you're an empathic sensor as well?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Ino nodded, her voice quiet, "I am."

Tsunade smiled reassuringly, flicking her gaze between all four of them once more.

"Each of you four have a certain individual flare to your Iryo-ninjutsu that will serve Konoha well. Sakura, your control is truly special. Ino, your chakra will be less likely to be rejected by a host that has calloused their tenketsu to foreign chakra."

Hinata remembered her father mentioning something about people coaxing their chakra into being hostile to other people's chakra to make Genjutsu harder to settle on them, but a side effect of that was Iryo-ninjutsu being more difficult to work for them.

"The Byakugan is the perfect kekkai genkai for a medi-nin and you were Kunoichi of the Year," Tsunade looked at Hinata, before turning to Karin, "Your ability to heal likely derives from your unique chakra. If there's anybody that can figure out how you can use it without being bitten, it'll be me. And I'll be able to heal those scars after this meeting if you wish."

Karin swallowed thickly, adjusting her glasses some.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." She whispered, massaging her arms lightly.

"I'm currently the greatest living medi-nin," Tsunade addressed all of them, "Only my grandfather, the Shodai Hokage, surpassed me in that skill. Each of you four are capable of being immensely skilled ones as well...and I plan on bringing out that potential personally."

Hinata felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes widening.

"You'r-" She tried to say, the blonde smirking at the looks of surprise.

"I'll be training the four of you." She said, making a cross seal and spawning three clones. "In both personal one on one training, and helping you help each other."

'How can we help each other?' Hinata wondered, her thoughts likely being reflected amongst the other three girls.

Tsunade seemed to read their thoughts, because she tapped her forehead with her index, specifically the purple mark at the center.

"This seal stores immense levels of chakra. I have more chakra than anybody in the village when including this."

Hinata discreetly activated her eyes, tilting her head as she saw how bright the surface of the seal was.

No chakra leaked out, at least not enough for her to see. But it practically glowed white.

"I didn't design this seal," Tsunade leaned against the table next to her, tapping her nails against the wood, "The idea was ironed out by my great grandfather and great uncle, while my grandmother succeeded in actually getting it to work. Do you know why I bring that up?"

The Hyuga heiress tried to understand why Tsunade did.

Unless-

"Four properly educated medi-nin can brainstorm and build up a foundation of excellence better than just one." Tsunade intoned, signaling her clones to pop.

"I'm wanting you four to be the core of the next generation of medi-nin for Konoha," Tsunade finished, looking pleased with herself, "And if any of you can replicate my strength technique," Tsunade casually pulled a kunai from her pocket and bent it into a knot with just her thumb and index, "Or my seal," Her amber eyes flicked towards Hinata and the girl saw a small flash of chakra, the seal releasing a tiny amount of chakra, "Then that's a bonus."

'So much chakra.' Hinata shivered, never seeing such dense chakra outside of her two closest friends.

Hinata slowly turned to Ino, who gave her a reassuring nod, even though she herself seemed just as shocked by the events as her.

"Now, if you don't mind," Tsunade cleared the table, tossing four identical books in front of them, "Start reading."

Hinata slowly opened the book, grimacing apprehensively as she realized what the book was.

Tsunade's own published medical works, and the advanced manual on Iryo-ninjutsu.

'This will be a long day.' Hinata moaned internally, starting to read.

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A giant, meaty fist from Jiraiya smashed into me so hard my teeth rattled in my head, my vision spinning.

"Keep your guard up!" He barked, his punches speeding up.

I could feel sweat dripping down my face and my clothes were clinging to me, the training I was being subjected to being worse than even the month with the man.

One of his punches glanced off my shoulder and I pivoted, driving a chakra blade towards his forearm with my fingers as a guide.

Jiraiya deftly pushed my hand aside, his bracer getting a decent gash carved into it.

The next thing I knew, his foot struck me in the chest and sent me flying. I struck the ground and rolled, raising the Kusanagi shakily and forming a half seal with my left hand.

To most outside viewers, I disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving an afterimage before reappearing next to Jiraiya, my sword coming down towards his shoulder.

Jiraiya avoided the hit, turning and glancing at me with a neutral expression as he dodged or sidestepped my slashes and cuts.

Midswing, I Shunshined again and darted back towards him, spinning as I wildly twirled the blade.

Jiraiya pulled out a kunai this time and was forced to actually block the blade, his eyes narrowed.

"Not fast enough," He said, coating his hand with earth chakra and grabbing my sword to wrench it from my hands, "Think smarter."

I didn't hesitate to pulse lightning chakra through the blade, the sword glowing blue and crackling loudly.

My teacher let go of the blade, recovering quickly enough to kick out at my elbow, diverting the sword out of position.

A single hand seal had a stream of flames coming from his mouth, obscuring him from sight.

I dove to the side, tucking into a roll to avoid the flames. But Jiraiya expected that and had sunk into the ground, judging by the ironclad grip that started pulling me down once I avoided the fire.

"Bullshit," I snarled in English, trying to kick my way free. But it was pointless. My legs were aching, my whole body was covered in sweat, and my chakra was at less than half from the hours long training exercises Jiraiya had put me through.

Jiraiya finally stopped after I reached chest level, popping up no problem out of the ground.

"I win, again." He remarkable nonchalantly, his clothes having a few cuts and stains on them.

"Sannin." I muttered, hating that Jiraiya, despite his laidback and sarcastic nature, could kill me with little difficulty if he was forced to.

"And don't you forget it." He smiled, pulling me up as gently as he could. "You feeling that delicious burn in every inch of your body that means you're becoming less useless?" He laughed.

"You feel that delicious burn in your junk after banging that definitely clean hooker?" I fired back, trying to not wobble from fatigue.

Jiraiya laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Proud of you, kid. Stronger than your old man at 13. I'll make you the best I ever trained at this rate."

Keeping up pretenses, I raised a brow.

"Who else did you train?"

Jiraiya smiled sadly and started walking back towards Konoha, helping hold me steady until my healing assisted me enough to walk fine.

"I'll tell you in a little" He promised, "You need to rest up some before you meet the Raikage."

I frowned at that, remembering that the meeting was tomorrow.

The leaders of Konoha and Kumo were going to discuss plans to combat the Akatsuki, with Itachi giving information about the group.

'Jiraiya's not going to take the information about Pein's eyes well.'

It didn't matter. Give it a couple years, and I'll be able to put the bastard down myself. I don't care for his philosophy of stoking hatred and fear. If I scare people into submission on my path to being powerful, then it was only collateral. I didn't seek that specifically.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Jiraiya said, turning towards where mine and Rin's apartment was. "And get something to eat before you make a fool of yourself in front of the Raikage."

"What's he gonna do," I asked sarcastically, "Give me a taste of his iron claw?"

Jiraiya let out a snort and didn't respond immediately, the two of us making our way through the village.

"He's taller than me, gaki, and probably hits harder too."

"Oh, for shame," I said dramatically, looking up at the man, "The only two things you're good at aren't enough."

Jiraiya laughed and shoved his fingers through my hair, yanking the tie loose.

"Bitch" I growled in English, stumbling away from him as my hair fell forward. "Quit messing with my hair."

I hated having my hair touch my forehead. It annoyed me like you wouldn't believe.

"One of these days," Jiraiya snickered, "You're gonna have to tell me what some of those words mean. You got some heat in them."

I grumbled under my breath, tucking my hair behind my ears until I could get a new hair tie because Jiraiya intentionally broke the other.

Once we got to the entrance of the village, I broached a subject.

"Have you talked to Itachi about the Akatsuki?" I asked, assuming no because Jiraiya hadn't been out of it about Pein.

Jiraiya shook his head.

"I've been running my network into the ground to check for any movement in the other villages. I'll listen alongside the others tomorrow."

I grimaced at that, Jiraiya noticing.

"What is it?"

"It's," I paused, trying to say it delicately since we were outside, "Let's just say if it wasn't Uchiha Itachi saying it, I'd think the person was crazy and stupid to say the leader was what he said he was."

Jiraiya's dark eyes were focused totally on me, the feeling a little disconcerting.

"I might need to talk with him." Jiraiya stated, the two of us entering Konoha now. "Or I can be informed alongside the Raikage and his entourage. It might be better to show we didn't cook up some lie."

I didn't say anything, but I didn't think it was going to work out so well.

I really hoped this didn't blow up in our faces.

////////////////

"Uzumaki Naruto to meet with a bunch of scary S-rank foreigners." I announced my presence to the ANBU guards, the one being familiar.

Bear sighed and raised his hand to silence the other ANBU from saying anything, the other looking uptight and by the book.

"I sincerely hope a diplomatic incident can be avoided." Bear said, sounding half serious.

"My conception was a diplomatic incident." I deadpanned.

I could feel several massive chakra signatures behind the door, both familiar and unfamiliar.

Bear shrugged and stepped aside, letting me in.

I stepped forward and walked through the doorway, noting the circular table at the center of the rather large room.

On one side, there was Ay, who looked massive even when sitting down, with B and Yugito flanking him.

The chakra rolling off him so casually had me on edge. This was a warrior draped in the pleasantries of an official political office. I didn't doubt any of my memories of the man at all.

On the other side, there was a still frail looking Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, while Itachi was at the center between the two parties.

"Hokages-sama," I bowed towards both Hiruzen and Tsunade, then turning towards Ay, "Raikage-sama."

B was the last one I addressed specifically.

"Hachibi-sama."

I didn't miss the slight tilt of Ay's head when I said that.

"I can see you have your father's face, boy, and you've got the Uzukage's hair."

"That's not the only thing I inherited from him," I responded pleasantly, "I'm sure you know that after the finals."

I wasn't disappointed when I saw Ay scowl at the reminder.

"Managing a rudimentary version of that at 13 would've made you a legend in Kumo, but Namikaze's son doing it? Hah," His eyes narrowed as he let out a mock laugh, "Half my advisors would want me to rip your head off to protect Kumo."

I felt Itachi and Jiraiya's chakra sharpen at the statement, but I just stood relaxed.

"But they're not here." I pointed out, knowing Ay wasn't a fool enough to actually threaten me.

"No," Ay smirked, "No they're not. You're definitely someone to look out for, even right now."

Ay's eyes then went to the others.

"I prefer to hear information about the Akatsuki from the Uchiha right now," He stated casually, focusing on Itachi, "We must know the strengths of our enemies before we can formulate plans to destroy them."

I sat down between where Itachi was and the others, my gaze moving between Itachi and Ay.

'Fox.' I said in my mind, trying to get his attention. 'Fox.'

'What do you want?' He asked coldly, 'Wanting to lock me away again?'

He'd been sulking for days after I told him off and pushed him back into the seal after Sasuke had his breakdown.

'Itachi is about to give information about the Akatsuki,' I said, 'I thought you'd possibly want to hear why they want to take you.'

Kurama audibly huffed, his chakra shifting a bit under my skin.

'Fine, and tell the woman that Matatabi is a bitch.'

I snickered under my breath, trying to not draw attention.

Ay noticed it.

"Do you wish to share something, Uzumaki?" He asked suspiciously.

"No," I said clearly, "Just a random thought that went through my head. I too wish to hear from Uchiha Itachi."

Ay dropped it, but I could tell that B and Yugito noticed what it probably was.

Now that all eyes were on Itachi, the former Konoha Shinobi stood up, looking completely relaxed.

But his chakra said otherwise.

Some degree of nervousness was leaking out, but at least he didn't look beat to hell and back. He still looked pale and sleep deprived, but that probably was from Sasuke ghosting him completely, the only people visiting him in detainment being me, Kakashi, and Jiraiya.

"I have given information on all members of the Akatsuki, save for four members," He explained, having told me and Jiraiya about the other Akatsuki, Pein in my case.

He explained Zetsu being the information gatherer, but he didn't know how Zetsu acquired information the way he did.

"But the leader has not been brought up at all to anyone aside from Uzumaki," His familiar dark eyes flicked towards mine, "nor the brains behind all of this."

'I hope you managed to kill him, Grandfather.' I prayed, thinking of how much everything would change if Obito was dead.

Zetsu would have to change his plans drastically, possibly needing to target Sasuke to get him to become the Jinchuriki for the Juubi.

I could cut the plant down if he exposed himself like that.

"The claimed leader goes by the name of Pein," Itachi said, "He possesses the Rinnegan."

"WHAT?!" Kurama roared in my head, making me clutch my head as I didn't expect the backlash.

B and Yugito also stumbled, grabbing at their heads as their chakra twisted from their tenants reacting just as badly.

"Will you chill the fuck out?" I gritted my teeth, my fingers leaving dents in the table from clenching the wood so hard. "I feel like my head's going to split open."

After muscling through the worst of the pain, I realized that Jiraiya was totally silent, and his chakra had seemed to freeze.

"No," The man mumbled, his breath faint, "It's not possible."

"The Rinnegan is a myth." Ay shook his head, scowling at Itachi, "What's next, the Sage of the Six Paths is also real? The big and scary Ten Tails?"

"They all exist." Kurama growled in my head, "Tell him!"

"The fox says all three are true." I muttered, breathing in and out to keep my mood steady. Kurama was making my head hurt, the chakra disruption being unwelcome.

"It's true, sir," Yugito looked at her superior, "Matatabi says the same thing."

"Same from Gyuki," B nodded as well, "No matter how crazy it may be."

The next few seconds weren't pleasant as everybody started to digest what was just said.

I was undoubtedly handling this the best out of everyone, given that I already knew this. Everybody's chakra was turbulent and mixing together, making the atmosphere difficult to scope out from all the emotion in the air.

"If this is true," Hiruzen said slowly, grimacing as he shifted in his seat, "How do the Bijuu know of this?"

I gave Kurama an expectant 'look' for him to tell me.

"The old man created us from the Juubi's chakra." Kurama said harshly. "He breathed life into us."

"Because the Sage created them." I replied, looking towards the four highest ranked Shinobi in Konoha. "From the Juubi."

Kurama gave me a basic rundown of Hagoromo fighting and subduing the Juubi, alongside his brother.

Kurama didn't say anything about Kaguya or the moon for some reason. Maybe because he assumed she was permanently sealed.

I then recited everything he said, B and Yugito corroborating my story.

"This," Tsunade swallowed, glancing at a shaky Jiraiya, "I don't know what to say. I never thought the stories of the Sage had any truth to them. Children's tales."

"Well it seems the stories are true," I stated flatly, "And a certain Rinnegan wielder and an Uchiha are aware of it as well. If the Rinnegan can control and subdue the Juubi, and if Bijuu can't permanently die, could the reason for possessing them all be to bring back the Juubi itself and control it?"

"You have no idea how much this organization needs killed, Naruto," Kurama sounded genuinely worried, "I'm not joking when I say you need to kill yourself, with me as well, if you have to."

'I know.' I replied to him, focusing on everyone else again.

"But like Itachi said, Pein evidently isn't the true leader."

I gave a pointed glare towards Itachi for him to tell Ay about Tobi.

As Itachi started to explain the details he knew of Tobi, Jiraiya interrupted harshly.

"Tell me about Pein," He said tightly, "What does he look like? Is Pein really his name?"

"Jiraiya." Hiruzen warned, but Jiraiya didn't seem to care.

"Who else is in the Akatsuki?!" Jiraiya stared at Itachi, his eyes smoldering. "Who are the other members not mentioned?!"

"Pein's second in command, his confidant, is a woman named Konan." Itachi replied, staring at Jiraiya warily. "She uses paper jutsu and has purple hair, if that helps."

And that was the moment I saw Jiraiya break. I visibly felt his chakra crack, his breath stopping for several seconds.

My godfather collapsed into his chair, all strength in his limbs gone.

"How," I heard him whisper to himself, "How are they alive? They died."

"I didn't realize core members of the Akatsuki were known by you, Jiraiya." Ay growled, standing up.

Tsunade and Hiruzen also stood up, the older of the two gritting his teeth from shifting quickly.

"Oh come off it," I snapped, shooting a glare at Ay, "Jiraiya is my godfather. Do you really think he'd conspire to kill Jinchuriki when his beloved student's two children are Jinchuriki?"

I wasn't going to let Ay find something to bitch about to get more concessions in this little 'alliance' of ours. Sure, we'd work together to kill these bastards and cancel the apocalypse, but what happens after? I don't plan on Ay pulling a Canon Sasuke and fucking me or my own after we exhaust ourselves against the Akatsuki.

"You're not necessary to us destroying the Akatsuki, Raikage," I said coldly, "The only thing to be gained is less people getting killed because it's finished quicker. I care about saving lives over something as petty as pride."

"You still haven't explained how Jiraiya would know about them." Ay pointed out, staring me down while B and Yugito were more guarded.

"He trained three orphans in Ame a couple years after Uzu's destruction," I said coldly, remembering the hour long conversation Jiraiya had with me just earlier today, "One of them had the Rinnegan. Either this 'Pein' is said orphan, or had his eyes stolen by Pein" I felt Itachi's chakra shimmer slightly at that, "And you'll be fumbling in the dark on figuring anything out without us helping each other."

"I may just take our chances on our own," Ay smirked, getting up and preparing to leave, "Kumo doesn't have a single missing nin in the Akatsuki, and they'll have to fight our armies to reach our Jinchuriki. This alliance doesn't seem beneficial."

I could tell the others were shocked by the threat Ay made, the meeting seeming to go as bad as can be.

But this wasn't the way Ay acted during the Kage Summit.

He was testing me.

"Go ahead," I challenged him, stepping on top of the table and walking towards him, holding my hands out and keeping my chakra low and steady, "Leave Konoha and don't come back. Cower in your home, and when I do personally kill the bastards that wish to kill my sister and your brother, I will show them the mercy your father showed to the army that tried to kill his comrades."

Ay's chakra flared at that.

'Oohh, struck a nerve.'

"Bold of you to bring up my father, boy," His eyes looked like they were carved from marble, unyielding, "Are you really prepared to play with the adults?"

I could tell Hiruzen was focusing the most on me. Jiraiya was still reeling from the shock of Pein's likely identity and Tsunade didn't know me.

'Focus, Naruto. This alliance falls on you to make sure it goes through.'

"Given that I've fought and defeated 2 A-rank Shinobi, and survived Orochimaru trying to kill me," I stared unwaveringly back at Ay, refusing to show weakness, "I think it doesn't matter what I think about being ready. Conflict pursues me like my own shadow, a constant companion."

Ay snorted at my proclamation, looking unimpressed.

"You weren't told about what happened when the Kyuubi tore apart Konoha," I pointed out, turning my gaze towards Yugito and B temporarily, "But I will illustrate what happened, because it sure as hell wasn't an accident."

I gave a basic rundown of how Tobi had infiltrated Konoha and tore open my mother's seal, unleashing Kurama.

"The person that unleashed the Kyuubi, this Tobi," I said the name with derision, "Stalemated my father, the man that matched both you and your brother during the Third War, and he's likely gotten better."

"And this is where you say only by working together will we defeat this foe?" Ay laughed, crossing his arms as he leaned a bit to his left, "You got balls, kid, but I'll be damned if you aren't naive."

Hiruzen started to say something, but to everyone's shock, myself included, I held up my hand.

I prevented Sarutobi Hiruzen from speaking.

'I must do this. I can't cower in their shadows.'

"I have a better idea than working together and heading off an existential threat that will kill thousands, if not more of our people." I grinned viciously, taking a step towards him.

Jiraiya stood to intervene and stop what he knew I was doing, but I didn't care. I swore to protect what was precious to me, and the paradise in which I would live my life and forge my future was right here in Konoha.

"I know precisely how Tobi fights," I continued walking towards Ay, slowly and steadily, not flinching when B and Yugito flared their chakra, "And I know how to kill him."

I was just 10 feet from Ay, my hearing picking up the faint static buzz that emanated from him.

"If I fight against him, alone, without your assistance," I stepped closer, getting within arm's reach of the man that was over a foot and a half taller than me and had even larger chakra reserves, "He will be made aware that you and your entire Shinobi corps know nothing about his abilities, while Konoha's S-ranks will know precisely how to counter him."

Ay took a step towards me, the buzzing growing louder.

'If we die because of your stupidity.' Kurama growled in my mind, but I didn't care.

"You would threaten my people? My home?"

"No," I replied steadily, meeting his dark eyes with my own, "I am telling you what will happen if you let your disdain for my home, my people, my blood, get in the way of doing what is right."

I shut off my sensing so I wouldn't get distracted by the turbulence of emotion laden chakra in the air.

"I should hate you all," I stared at Yugito especially, "I will never have a normal life because of my name or my pedigree. You killed my clan and hunted survivors down, along with Iwa because you feared us."

"But," I looked back at Ay, "I'm sure some members of Kumo, the widows, widowers, and orphans created by my clan don't see it that way, do they?"

"No," The Raikage nodded, "They don't. Redheads were scorned in some cases because of the Uzumaki."

I nodded in acknowledgement, but I pressed on.

"By all rights, I should want nothing more than to turn your village to ash and exterminate Iwa for everything that's been taken from me."

Ay looked at me expectantly, knowing I was building up to something.

"But I don't blame you or anybody here for what happened. The Nidaime Raikage is dead, and the Kumo nin that fought at Uzu have mostly retired by now."

Ay tilted his head and let out a snort.

"You would just let go of hating Kumo? Just like that?"

I nodded.

"I stopped hating my father for making my sister and me Jinchuriki. I can let go of Shinobi just following orders."

It was much more complicated than the way I said it. Kumo was Konoha's greatest rival for a reason, but rivalries and vying for power fell to the wayside when the Akatsuki needed killed.

Ay looked at me skeptically, his tree trunk looking arms remaining crossed as he continued to look down at me.

"Tell me something about Tobi to prove you're willing to let bygones be bygones." Ay's eyes were watching my every move, almost like a predator looking for an opening.

I returned the look, not blinking.

I made the choice of not turning around to get an accepting nod from Hiruzen. I couldn't be seen as being a mouthpiece for the others if I wanted to stand on my own two feet.

"He grafted some of the Shodai Hokage's cells into his body." I said clearly, visualizing his face as best as I could, "He is capable of the Mokuton on a rudimentary level and has accelerated healing as a side effect."

Ay's eyes held a calculating look as he absorbed that information, his face remaining stony.

"Capable of suppressing Bijuu chakra, and can heal..." He paused, seeming to run through potential measures to combat that, "A dangerous opponent."

I nodded, taking a step back to get away from the buzzing my ears were picking up from Ay's chakra.

The Yondaime Raikage, one of the fastest men in history, capable of going hand to hand with Bijuu, gave me a smile that I hadn't seen on his face throughout this whole conversation.

"You know, your father said that he and I would meet each other once again as the Kage of our respective villages." He said evenly, his arms lowering to his sides. "That was the last time we spoke."

My eyes didn't leave Ay's as he said that, that particular detail already being known by me. I wouldn't be surprised if Ay saw part of Minato in me, especially from my face and my instinctive grasp on chakra and combat.

"Do you believe that we, historic rivals and enemies, could form a meaningful alliance? After all that has occured?"

That question may have been too much for others to answer. The hatred between our two villages ran deep, and my own personal rage at Kumo had only just started to simmer down after I had learned of the nature of Uzu's destruction.

But I could do this. It would save the world.

It would save Rin.

I smiled and nodded. "It was considered impossible for the Senju and Uchiha to ever make peace, yet they did and founded Konoha. So yes, I do, because I choose to believe it."

The silence was almost deafening, my heart hammering in my chest as I kept my gaze on Ay.

Finally, after several seconds of nothing being said, Ay nodded his head, his posture at ease now.

"I look forward to seeing what you become, Uzumaki Naruto. You father didn't reach his full potential, but we'll see about you."

In a display of trust, Ay turned his back to me and walked back to his seat, sitting back down in his chair.

My feet carried me back to mine, my breath faint as I came down from the adrenaline rush of dancing on a knife's edge.

Once I sat down, Jiraiya stood up.

"I need to be dismissed." He said shakily, his face almost as white as his hair. "I... I need to go."

"Jiraiya." Hiruzen's voice was soft, much like how he spoke to me when I was younger, "Are you alright?"

Jiraiya shook his head, not caring that Ay, B, and Yugito could see and hear.

"No. No I'm not."

Without being given permission to leave by either Hiruzen or Tsunade, Jiraiya rushed out of the room, the fractured feel to his chakra making me almost shiver.

Hiruzen turned to look at me once Jiraiya left, his eyes dim.

"Would you mind-" He began to say, and I nodded.

I made a clone and ordered it to try and follow Jiraiya to make sure he was okay and to monitor him, if he didn't ghost me completely.

"Send one to bring Kakashi here." Hiruzen requested, probably because Jiraiya wasn't coming back and another 'guard' was needed.

I nodded and made another one to find Kakashi.

As we waited on Kakashi to get here, I decided to ask Kurama a question.

'Fox,' I thought internally, 'Can you tell me more about the Sage after this?'

'No.' He replied, not elaborating.

'I will harass you nonstop if you don't.' I threatened lightly.

I wanted to hear it, not just know it from watching a series. This was the waking world in which I lived in now, not just a means of entertainment. Hagoromo was real, and his sons were destroyed by his decisions.

I needed to know.

Kurama eventually huffed in my mind. 'Fine, I will share, but later.'

Right as he said that, my clone popped and gave me back the memories, Kakashi being on his way.

"He'll be here in a minute." I said aloud, looking at Hiruzen.

Sure enough, Kakashi arrived in the room after going through the security check. The man probably looked normal to anyone that wasn't around him often, but I could tell he was...not apprehensive, but a little on edge.

"Hatake." Ay nodded respectfully, his eyes following Kakashi as he sat down next to Hiruzen.

"So," Tsunade pressed her hands together, leaning forward in her seat some, "Shall we iron out the details on a unified strategy?"

Ay gave a nod of affirmation, beginning to talk about different plans to combat the Akatsuki.

I listened to every single detail, focusing intently on it all.

For a couple hours, all of the others gave input on different plans, while I was asked for my opinion every now and then.

Once the majority of plans were roughly outlined, we called it a day.

"It was good meeting you, Uzumaki," Ay stood up to leave, giving an appreciative nod towards the others, "Will tomorrow morning be an acceptable follow up?" He asked Hiruzen and Tsunade.

I assumed he was addressing the two at the same time because Tsunade wasn't scheduled to be sworn in as Godaime until a couple days from now, and Hiruzen was the one Ay was expecting to deal with leading up to the exams.

It also helped that Hiruzen, out of anybody alive aside from Onoki, had more experience waging war against threats of this magnitude.

"Yes." Tsunade replied, giving Hiruzen a look of mild concern at the grunt that escaped him.

Hiruzen waived off the concern, despite the thin sheen of sweat on his brow from sitting upright for a prolonged period.

He still was probably weeks away from being fully stable, and he probably wasn't going to be fighting again.

But old war dogs like him were dangerous even on their deathbeds. Nothing short of an S-rank could kill him, even right now.

Ay acknowledged Tsunade's response and gave a nod of agreement, gesturing for B and Yugito to follow him out the door.

Once the sounds of their footsteps could no longer be heard, Tsunade made a couple hand seals and pressed her hands against Hiruzen's side, her fingers glowing green.

"You should've told me you were hurting," She glared at her Sensei, "Stubborn old man."

Hiruzen's breathing steadied and he let out a groan of relief, not trying to defend his choice to remain silent.

"Better to not show anymore weakness," He hissed as Tsunade smacked his hand when he reached for his pipe, "Let me, Tsuna."

"Not until you're recovered fully." She scowled, taking her hands away from his side. "There, better."

Tsunade then helped Hiruzen out of his chair, much to the man's annoyance. Once the old man was stood up, Kakashi turned and glanced at me, then to Hiruzen.

"What happened with Jiraiya-sama?" He asked neutrally, having only heard the bare minimum from my clone.

I let Hiruzen explain, my own thoughts elsewhere.

A faint ember of hope that I could actually do this was visible. Kumo, our greatest military rival, was onboard with working against the Akatsuki, and with Itachi here, we could out muscle the Akatsuki in practically any engagement.

Speaking of Itachi, I gave him an appreciative nod.

"Naruto," Hiruzen's voice cut through my thoughts, causing me to turn towards him, "Would you mind escorting Itachi to his quarters?"

I tilted my head in curiosity, wondering why he'd request that. Assuming he asked for a reason, I nodded and didn't ask for clarification.

"Sure." I said, gesturing for Itachi to follow me.

The older Uchiha followed me as I exited the room, giving him a look of questioning.

"I didn't ask where you're staying."

"An apartment under an assumed name." He replied quietly, Henging as a nondescript blond man in his twenties. "East side of the village."

I shrugged and went in that direction as we got outside, cutting through the middle of the village to make it quick.

The silence was an uncomfortable one as we passed one of the markets, so I spoke up with a question I'd been thinking of ever since Itachi was captured.

"Question," I said, turning to look up at him, not breaking my stride, "How does taking on a student sound to you?"

Aside from a slight pause in his stride, Itachi didn't show any reaction.

"I assume you are thinking of Sasuke," He said, his eyes flicking towards a rooftop where an ANBU was at, "A student/teacher dynamic won't work when the student hates the teacher."

Itachi assumed I was talking about Sasuke only, but I wasn't.

"I wasn't exactly thinking of Sasuke." I snorted, scratching my chin.

Itachi didn't immediately reply to my clarification, but when he did, his voice carried a hint of curiosity.

"You?"

My hand went up in an 'iffy' gesture, but I explained what I was trying to get at.

"Rin told me how good you were at teaching her and Sasuke for the month. Jiraiya is going to be occupied training me, so somebody needs to make sure my sister and one of my close friends doesn't get left in the dust. And who better to train an Uchiha than you?"

Itachi's chakra was really damned difficult to read, but I could tell he wasn't comfortable with the idea.

"Sasuke will not accept it, and your sister hates me."

"I hate you too," I deadpanned, jabbing him with a lightning coated finger to disrupt his Henge, "You mind molested me and threatened my sister, but I'd to be receptive to you training me if Jiraiya decided to up and train Rin. So, embrace the suck."

Itachi gave me a rather exasperated look from popping his Henge, but I didn't really care. The dude needed to chill out some and stop focusing on the scorn he was the object of for years.

"I would prefer that you not refer to it as 'mind molesting'." He muttered, "And I wasn't going to actually hurt your sister."

"Well, I'm an overprotective brother to an unhealthy level." I laughed, tapping my fingers against my temple for a moment, "And scaring her warrants retaliation in my book."

The former missing nin sighed as he resigned himself to me bringing that up.

"And a random thing," I said suddenly, narrowing my eyes as I stopped and stared at him, "Were you actually sick, or was I wrong?"

Itachi's face twitched, causing me to grin.

'You can't hide your surprise.'

"I," He paused, weighing his words, "You were not wrong about me being afflicted with something. I would have died a few years from now had I not received treatment."

That was a relief. It would be such a waste if Itachi would die. He was one of the most dangerous Uchiha in history at only 18 years old, and Konoha would benefit from his presence.

And Sasuke would benefit too, despite what either would say.

Right as I was about to say something in response, he cut me off.

"Don't try to leverage that as a way for me to train anyone," Itachi said sharply, closing his eyes as he exhaled audibly, "If I were to train any of you three, it will be my choice."

I snorted at the last part. "As if we have the luxury of choice. At least I'm not trying to fool myself into thinking Sasuke would benefit from having no one else to turn to. I don't think his focus on killing a certain Uchiha is any healthier because it's no longer you, but Tobi now."

An extremely vague explanation occured about the goal to kill Tobi, but I kept most details because I promised to not share much.

Itachi abruptly stopped and turned a corner, making me course correct. He obviously knew where he was going, so I didn't see the point in asking.

"I will only exasperate the situation." Itachi said emotionlessly, his eyes rather dull.

Deciding to be a dick to get Itachi out of the cynical state of mind, I crafted a perfectly good story that was true, but held no context.

"Him having a roll model like me is going to make him into a bigger lecher than Jiraiya." I stated matter of factly, causing Itachi to do a doubletake.

"What?" He asked rather flatly, unamused.

"He entered the hot springs with two other boys," I explained, hiding any amusement I had, "I was doing a D-rank in the sewers and saw them. And he has a history of looking at women."

Itachi, being the untrusting and always on guard little Uchiha, shook his head.

"I don't believe you."

"You can mind molest me and see if I'm telling the truth." I offered, actually starting to enjoy screwing with him.

I've screwed with all four Hokages in one or more ways, screwed with Jiraiya and Kakashi, so of course I was going to screw with Itachi.

Gotta catch them all.

Itachi's eyes seemed to come alive and focused on me, holding a coldness to it similar to when Sasuke was concealing his irritation.

"Do not call it that."

"You're right," I nodded, giving him a smirk, "I'll call it, 'Carnally caressing my most intimate place'. Better?"

Was I being vindictive about Itachi hitting me the Tsukuyomi? Yes, I was. He clearly didn't like me wording it the way I did, so I was going to poke harder.

Itachi shut his eyes and clenched his hand, exhaling unsteadily.

"You are exactly like your ancestor, and that is not a compliment."

I scoffed at that, not taking it personally.

"I take pride in what I am," I lengthened my stride, "And Sasuke is worse than Ashina, because he infiltrated the hot springs."

Itachi decided to ignore me and we walked in silence the rest of the way to the apartments on the east side of the village.

He stopped at one of the buildings, likely being where is apartment was, and started to go towards the door.

"Do not think I don't know why you shifted the subject towards Sasuke or the other kind, Uzumaki," Itachi said quietly, pushing the grey door open, "Shisui would try and distract me from my thoughts with other topics, but he didn't quite do it the way you have."

That thought hadn't crossed my mind, that Shisui, the optimistic and eternally polite Uchiha would do that for Itachi's sake.

It made my choice of inaction hurt more.

"Would you be able to tell me more about him?" I asked the only person alive that really knew him, his best friend, "I've only heard good things about him."

Itachi blinked slowly, his expression flat.

"Yes," He eventually said, "So long as you don't harass me with juvenile subjects. It astounds me that Sasuke hasn't attempted to kill you yet."

I just laughed and turned to leave, waving at Itachi in a farewell gesture.

Whether Itachi was honest about not wanting to train anybody, it didn't matter. He knew that it would be necessary to help prepare at least one of the top three prospects Konoha had available for the inevitable fights on the horizon.

Without a care at all, I pulsed lightning chakra through my nerves and Shunshined away, slipping through the streets without a problem at all.

/////////////////

"Alright, fox, tell me about the Sage." I looked up at Kurama, having just went to sleep just moments ago.

Kurama huffed, his crimson eyes narrowed.

"I would prefer not, but I know you would give me no rest about it."

Sitting down and crossing my legs, I gestured for him to start his tale.

And so he did.

For hours, Kurama told me about how Hagoromo and his twin fought the Juubi, of how he breathed life into the nine of them, of his two sons and the philosophy he believed in, and finally, the nature of the two brothers' feud.

"Indra couldn't deal with his father's rejection." Kurama spat, his voice more gravelly than usual. "His descendants and Ashura's have fought for centuries, and what do they have to offer from it? Two broken legacies."

"What are their clans?" I asked curiously, acting ignorant of the truth. "Maybe something can be done about it."

"Heh," Kurama let out a scoff, "Indra's descendants are the Uchiha," He paused for dramatic effect, "And Ashura's are the Senju and, by extension, the Uzumaki."

My reaction was conducted as well as I could manage, my breath catching in my throat.

"W-what?" I managed to force out, blinking in shock.

"I wasn't lying when I said your Uchiha friend is dangerous to you," Kurama said clearly, lowering his head to look at me closer, "Indra murdered friends of his to mature his eyes, and trauma is what often empowers them."

"I," I remained rather lost sounding at the reveal of being descended from the Sage of Six Paths, "I don't know what exactly to say."

"It doesn't matter what you say, he will eventually be consumed by his hatred. There is no balance in them."

"You don't know that." I said sharply, staring at him defiantly. "Fate doesn't act like that."

"Uchiha lack balance, just like Ashura's descendants," Kurama countered, chuckling at my denial, "Tell me the vixen is as intelligent as you and the Uchiha, who both have Yin dominant chakra."

The urge to bare my teeth at him was definitely bubbling up in my chest, but a squashed it down harshly.

"Indra received his father's eyes and Yin chakra that makes Uchiha uniquely adept at Genjutsu and improves their minds," Kurama explained, his teeth glinting in his mouth, "And Ashura inherited his Yang chakra, giving him unmatched stamina and chakra reserves. Sound familiar?"

"I get it, my clan owes our superior nature to Ashura," I muttered irritably, "But that means nothing. The conflict is dead. Sasuke is friends with me, and I him. We're not the brothers."

Kurama sighed audibly, his breath blowing my hair back.

"The nature of the two doesn't change. It hasn't for the centuries the clans fought. The Shodai and Madara weren't the first to try and stop the fighting, but it always failed. I remember the last time I spoke with Ashura, and do you know what he said?"

I shook my head, not realizing Kurama really talked with either of the two that often.

"He said he wished he spoke out against his father. He secretly hated his father for tearing him and Indra apart. He said a wound was left in his soul from being separated from Indra."

That made me flinch, the wording cutting deep as I remembered how much I screamed when Rin was taken from me.

"The old man's dream died when Ashura came back to his clan's encampment after a titanic battle, missing an arm and covered in blood not his own."

I shuddered as I visualized that, the thought of Rin's blood covering me making me nauseous. Killing his own brother, and being mutilated as a result.

"Ashura never spoke with any of us Bijuu after that. It took his son telling me decades later why Ashura didn't speak."

"Yes?" I leaned forward more, hanging on to every word that Kurama was saying.

"He nearly killed Indra, but the youngest son of Indra jumped in front to take the hit. He was only 10."

"That was the last completely civil conversation I ever had with a Senju."

"And what happened to Indra and Ashura?" I asked, noticing he didn't say.

"Indra evidently was more crippled than Ashura and died, while Ashura lost his will to lead his clan and died."

"He just wasted away?" I asked hollowly, trying to reconcile that image with the stalwart man who swore to his dying father that he would stop Indra from enslaving the world. "He gave up?"

"Would you if you were forced to kill your sister? Or if she simply died?"

I looked away from him as he asked that, my thoughts making my head hurt.

"Now you see why I have no faith in this feud ever ending. Their descendants seem to have a hunger to destroy each other, and not even the Shodai and Madara's friendship could stop it."

I swallowed and steadied my breathing, looking back up at the fox.

"I will." I whispered, not lying at all.

Kurama laid flat on his stomach, his face level with mine.

"You think you can fix a blood feud that goes back centuries, a feud the Sage himself couldn't prevent, and reconcile a war between family?"

Without hesitation, I nodded.

"I'm neither of the two, and I'm not Hagoromo either. I convinced Itachi to return to the village, didn't I? Konoha's greatest rival is working to destroy the Akatsuki. I'd say I'm off to a good start bringing about a better world. And I didn't need my dad being the Sage to do it."

Ashura and Indra weren't special for being able to reincarnate. They're a bunch of damned parasites that should've given up and moved on, but they didn't because of Hagoromo's mistake.

"One person can't maintain a peaceful world on their own, like what Indra believed. It requires many, and you can't always be polite and kind about it like Ashura wanted."

Kurama's eyes adopted a steely glint to them, his hackles raising as he growled lightly.

"Easy for you to say, free of such choices the two faced. Do you think you have the ruthlessness of Indra and the compassion of Ashura? Do you think you could find a way that neither of the two saw?"

I walked through the bars and stood only a few feet from him.

"You know everything I have done," I said flatly, standing straight with my arms to my sides, "I forgave you for taking my parents from me, I killed those missing nin who oppressed the people of Nami. If anyone could bring about the Sage's dream, then it will be me. And I've got you as an advisor too."

Kurama actually laughed, his breath making me stagger from the gust of air just a few feet in front of me.

"An advisor? Hah! I will be watching you attempt this was great interest, Uzumaki Naruto." He said my name for the first time ever. "If you somehow succeed, then good. But if you fail, I'm free from my prison."

Kurama then stood up and started to walk away, probably done talking.

"You never told me about the Rinnegan's abilities!" I shouted, having asked him that at the beginning, but he evaded the topic.

"Being a Jinchuriki is one thing," He didn't turn around as he shouted back, "But having the old man's power is not something I trust you with. Earn it!" His presence then vanished, leaving me alone.

"Damnit." I grumbled irritably, walking through the bars to my side of the seal.

I needed Kurama to tell me stuff about the Rinnegan so I had a plausible explanation for being able to take on Pein. I didn't want anybody but me facing him because he could rip out souls through one of the Paths.

And telling Kurama about my knowledge was out of the question. Nobody would know it, it was mine alone.

With Kurama unwilling to explain more, I broke the connection and woke up.

///////////////////0

Jiraiya poured another helping of sake into his glass, downing it with a gulp and hissing softly.

He was currently on top of the Hokage monument, the alcohol and faint whistling of the wind being his only companions.

Nagato and Konan were alive. Two young children that he basically raised for a few years, who he thought had died, were not only very much alive, but they were actively attempting to destroy everything.

The shock of Pein's identity was almost as collosal as the little tale told by the Kyuubi, with Naruto narrating and the other two Jinchuriki corroborating it.

To think, the Juubi was real, and the Sage a real person. He wouldn't have believed it if it weren't for what he heard from Naruto and Gamamaru.

Jiraiya had suspected it for quite some time, and it was confirmed when Ashina said he was certain the Sage existed, but he never expected the story told.

Twin brothers fighting against an absolute monstrosity, with the eldest getting the legendary status of...of...

Jiraiya audibly gasped, his drunken state almost forgotten.

'No.' Jiraiya thought in horror, his empty cup almost slipping from his grasp.

Gamamaru mentioned fraternal twins.

Was that who Gamamaru was speaking of, not Naruto? Did he mistake what the old toad said and thought he was speaking about the Child of Prophecy and not the Sage?

'No. I refuse to believe that.' Jiraiya growled internally, his gut burning from how much alcohol he'd already consumed. 'Nagato is not the one it pertains to.'

It had to be Naruto. He refused to believe it was Nagato, not after he saw firsthand how much potential Naruto had. Enough to surpass even Sarutobi-sensei in his prime.

The prophecy was that someone would bring about a great change, but it didn't say whether it would be good or bad.

Was that the destiny of the world? To end in death and destruction as the Juubi was reformed to unleash unspeakable horrors on the Elemental Nations?

"No." Jiraiya mumbled aloud, clenching his fists so tight that the cup shattered, the shards cutting into his palm. "No." He repeated, but it came out as a near snarl.

The Sannin stood up, but stumbled and nearly fell from his lack of balance.

'It means nothing.' He breathed in deeply, trying to keep his heart rate steady. 'It is Naruto. Fuck anyone who says otherwise.'

But that traitorous voice in his head, the same one that told him he was a worthless friend and Sensei, who failed to protect Tsunade from despair and couldn't protect his students, whispered in his ear.

'You will die before you see the end of war.'

That was Jiraiya's fear, that his entire 51 years of life, and all the years ahead, would be nothing but war shifting into a cold one, with the cycle repeating constantly.

He didn't want to be his Sensei, who grew old and broken by decades of conflict. But he was basically his Sensei already, with two murderous students instead of just one.

And his thoughts circled right back to what he was fleeing from, his inability to stop any of this.

Letting out a choked gasp, Jiraiya grabbed the bottle and chugged the remaining liquid, coughing and feeling tears form in his eyes.

And it wasn't from the burn of his throat.

"I'm so sorry," He fell to his knees, his nails digging into the top of the carving he stood upon, the one of the student he considered a son, "I'm sorry, Tsunade. I wasn't there for your brother."

Her wails of anguish haunted him to this day, the chill of that evening as the heavens themselves seemed to weep being burned into his mind as if he had a demented version of the Sharingan.

"I'm sorry, Ashina-sama," His vision was blurred as he coughed wetly, his hair hanging over his shoulder from falling forward, "You never deserved this."

If only they'd gotten there. So many things could have been stopped.

If only.

"Minato." Jiraiya couldn't even put into words how ashamed he felt just by thinking of his ridiculously intelligent and kind student.

He wasn't there to assist Konoha when the Kyuubi was torn out of Kushina's seal, and he wasn't there for Naruto or Rin, his students innocent children.

Peace would elude Jiraiya for quite some time, the chill running through him not being completely from the nighttime breeze, whistling across the village hidden in the leaves.

/////////////////////

End chapter:

I've never read a Naruto fic that has a realistic reaction to the origins of the legend surrounding Hagoromo. Such a thing in the Naruto series would almost be like confirming, beyond every shred of doubt, that the Shroud of Turin is the burial shroud of a certain man executed in Judea.

Inserts never seem to try and fish for details or even humour the idea of getting some inside knowledge from the Bijuu, or at least like this, so I put that in.

Tsunade will be training more than just one student because it would be such a waste if only one person could succeed her in any capacity. Even if I haven't given Sakura much screentime, she's still damned good at Iryo-ninjutsu and has excellent potential like she did canonically. But she's not going to be the only one to benefit from training.

And Mito had what looked like a Byakugo seal, so I'm going with my own head canon that it was devised by the Uzumaki clan, but Tsunade perfected it. It also ties in to how I've depicted portions of Ashina's "Innovations" actually being filling in the blanks on what he knows is possible from seeing it in the memories.

The background I put of Ashura and Indra is just me doing it. No idea what actually happened.

But the meeting with Ay occurs, and he seems rather impressed with Naruto after he refused to take any BS or walk on eggshells.

And Jiraiya realizing that Nagato and Konan are alive, especially in this way, wouldn't be good for him at all. His faith in Naruto being the prophecized one has been shaken.

Tsunade gets sworn in as Hokage next chapter, and the foundation of the 2-3 year gap between og Naruto and Shippuden, in it's completely altered glory, will be coming up.

Enjoy the chapter. Later.

Raging.