Chapter 15 Prophecy

Jutsu,

Summon Speech

I do not own Naruto what so ever or any of the characters or any of the OC that I used from other shows or games

Last time on Raikage

"With the Fourth Shinobi World War now at an end, and the Akatsuki back on the move, things will start to change even more and at a much faster pace" thought Zhuge Liang. He looked up at the storm clouds above, formed from Anisu's Hyourinmaru, and could not help but find them fitting. To him, they signified the storm of change that Naruto had brought about the Elemental Continent in the past few weeks, when he won the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, and this storm of change would only grow in a few months' time.

Yet for some unknown reason Zhuge Liang had a strange feeling, almost like a premonition that there was an even greater storm upon the horizon, and it would bring an even greater level of change and upheaval. One that no-one, not even Naruto or himself could predict, and their world would never be the same again, whether it be for good… or evil.

But despite this feeling, Zhuge Liang chuckled silently to himself, finding it amusing that one young man could bring about so much commotion and disruption to the shinobi world.

Soon, Zhuge Liang turned and walked towards his people to help with the caring of the wounded and getting everything ready for their return journey to New Kumo.

-Several Days Later in Konoha-

It had been just over three weeks since the Battle of Konoha and the end of Fourth Great Shinobi World War.

During that time, Kusagakure (Hidden Grass) had sent both Konoha and New Kumo an envoy of their surrender and quickly agreed on a settlement. In the settlement, Kusa agreed to a non-aggression pact with New Kumo and the Heavenly Alliance and agreed to pay quarter of the repairs to the damage done to Konoha.

Sadly, even this amount of money would not make much difference in the financial difficulty the village found itself in. Just as Naruto had stated in his meeting with Tsunade and the Konoha Council, given the cost of the war and the cost for the rebuilding of the village. Along with the compensation that they have to make to Naruto for the attacks made against him, and reimbursements to his inheritance, Konoha would be in a deep recession for many years to come.

And just when people thought things could not get any worse, Naruto's book on his life in Konoha was released, painting a non-too flattering image of the village. When people learned of this, several high ranking business men and lords took their business and mission requests to other villages, as they did not want to be associated with a village that was known for beating children.

It got even worse, when Gaara sent an official letter stating that he was annulling Suna's alliance with Konoha in favour of allying with New Kumo and the Heavenly Alliance.

Not to mention divisions were beginning to form in the village, when the truth as to who Naruto really was began to spread among the populace. Many of course did not believe that Naruto was the son of the Yondaime at first, believing that he was lying. But when Tsunade herself officially announced that Naruto was indeed the son of the Yondaime, those who had doubted Naruto's lineage had no other choice but to accept the truth.

With these revelations, many of the younger generation couldn't even look at some of their parents, when their names and actions were mentioned in Naruto's book. While others who had known Naruto personally, fully realized how much of a raw deal Naruto had received from the village.

Those who had persecuted Naruto in the past had to face the cold, harsh reality. They had created hell for the son of their hero, the man who not only sacrificed his life to save their village, but also his son. People couldn't even look at each other; knowing how ugly they were on the inside, to abuse such an innocent boy.

But despite all this, there were still those who held their grudges. Whether it was because he held the Kyuubi in him or they believed he was a threat to the village or they blamed him for the pitiful state that most of them lived in now and the lives that were lost when he let Orochimaru and his allies attack them.

Regardless, this division hampered Konoha's recovery. Numerous people argued over who was right and who was wrong, resulting in much fighting where villagers were unable to rebuild.

Currently sitting at a sake bar (the only remaining one left standing in the village), the majority of the members of the Konoha Eleven as well as the the Konohamaru Corp, were seated around a large table. The group was discussing the events that had played out the past few weeks, given how they had little time to talk to one another, with the rebuilding of the village and all.

"Maaaaaaan it's been one wild couple of weeks" stated Kiba, after take a large gulp of sake.

"No kidding" replied Konohamaru, as he took a sip of his own.

"I still can't believe that Naruto took advantage of the entire war, and fucking used us to take out Orochimaru and his allies and make New Kumo and the Heavenly Alliance more powerful", muttered Ino.

"Well, to quote Naruto-san, 'believe it'!" replied Neji.

"Yea well, I still have trouble accepting that Naruto was able to do it in the first place. He was never exactly the master tactician or strategist type." said Kiba.

"People can change- especially when betrayed by their home and find out that their own father was part of the reason their life sucked ", answered Shikamaru.

"Still…I didn't think he could change this much. I don't get how he did it all!" replied Kiba, exasperated.

"His plan wasn't that complicated Kiba. Just simply combining two similar but highly effective strategies- divide and conquer with bait and bleed. The first part involving his attack on "The Hold" and his intervention on Nami no Kuni (Wave Country), were part of his divide and conquer strategy, where with his freeing the prisoners in The Hold. Naruto gained the trust and support of the rebel factions in Kiri and Mizu no Kuni (Water Country), who would be invaluable allies in his invasion of Kiri and Mizu no Kuni. While his intervention at Nami no Kuni allowed him to place a large number of shinobi there without raising suspicion, they would be positioned to come up from behind the Kiri shinobi, who would be in retreat after the battle here, allowing the New Kumo forces to surround the remaining Kiri shinobi. The intervention at Nami no Kuni also forced Orochimaru and his allies to accelerate their plans in their attack on us, since originally they had planned to open a third front from Nami no Kuni and weaken our forces further before launching their main attack", explained Shikamaru, continuing on.

"Naruto of course wanted them to launch their attack on us soon, since he was preparing his own forces. They would invade both Oto and Kiri, when their defences were weakened, after Orochimaru and the Mizukage took a significant number of their forces to attack us. After that, Naruto used his bait and bleed strategy, where he used us as bait to lure in Orochimaru and his allies in one place and had us keep them busy and weaken their forces, until he and his forces were ready to attack. Allowing Naruto and his forces to eliminate Orochimaru's coalition with minimum effort or loss- his plan also probably involved weakening us at the same time. Making New Kumo the strongest shinobi village" finished Shikamaru.

"Not only that…" added Neji, "…but with Oto and Kiri now under Pro-Heavenly Alliance hands, and us as a protectorate, Naruto has made the Heavenly Alliance the strongest force on the continent. Given how both the new rulers of Kiri, Oto and the rulers of their home nations will seek an alliance with the Heavenly Alliance, just like Suna has or try and join it like Umi no Kuni (Sea Country), Tsuki no Kuni (Moon Country) and Nami no Kuni. Both Kiri and Oto will require the resources of the Heavenly Alliance to help their nations and villages rebuild."

"But how did he know that we would ask for an alliance after the battle at Nami no Kuni and the battle here, that Sasuke would attack him and that Akira would try to have him arrested?" asked Kiba. "Not to mention that Danzo would try to kidnap shinobi from both New Kumo and Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall)."

At this question, Shikamaru simply replied, "Know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss."

"Huh?" asked Kiba confused.

Shikamaru just sighed and muttered "troublesome" before answering, "It's a quote from the famous strategist Sun Tzu. To put it simply Naruto was able to predict what we would do, because he knew us and if you know an opponent well enough, you can predict what they will do in certain situations. For example, he knew that one of the Civilian Council members would try something against him, once his identity was revealed and he knew that if he riled Sasuke up enough he would attack him. As for Danzo… well it's no secret that he's fanatic when it comes to Konoha's security and safety."

Kiba could only nod- it did make sense.

"What surprises me most is how strong Naruto's Ranbure-ka (Stormbreaker) limit has made him. I mean, being able to defeat, Orochimaru, the Tsuchikage, the Mizukage and the leaders of both Kusa and the Hannya Clan, along with all four Hokages? That's crazy!" stated Choji.

"You're wrong…" murmured Konohamaru, gaining everyone's attention, "…Nii-san didn't become this strong simply because of his bloodline. Sure that may have helped, but from want he told me when we spoke, he trained his ass off nearly every day for the past ten years to get as strong as he is now."

"That is indeed the most logical conclusion, given the level of power he possesses. Especially given the fact that Naruto-sama, was trained by Jiraiya-sama himself. He was trained by Akechi Mitsuhide, Miyoshi Saiyuri and the famed Nemuriryu (Sleeping Dragon) Zhuge Liang and his wife. Also we cannot ignore that Naruto-sama was most likely trained by Killer Bee to control Kyuubi's power. After being trained by so many powerful master shinobi it is not surprising that he has become so powerful", stated Shino.

No one in the group could disagree with Shino's logic.

"Regardless of how strong Naruto-kun has become or who he is now, he is still Naruto-kun and he is still our friend" spoke Hinata for the first time.

"Are you sure of that Hinata? Naruto isn't exactly the same person that he used to be. He's a lot colder, uncaring and in some ways crueler. There was a time when Naruto would do next to anything for Konoha or any of us and last thing he would do was hurt the village" rebutted Sakura. She had heard from Tsunade what Naruto had said in the council meeting, about how she was only saved from the Hold because she was with Kureani, Lee and Choji. Despite understanding why Naruto felt this way, it still saddened her.

"Naruto-kun may have indeed changed in certain aspects Haruno…"replied Hinta rather coolly, "…but in the ways that count the most, he is still the same. Naruto-kun said so himself that he could've easily have waited until the battle was over to attack, but did not, since he still cared for us…his friends. He showed that before, when he came to save Nami no Kuni, not because it was strategically important for the war, but because he cared for the people of Nami no Kuni."

"Hinata is right…!" exclaimed Konohamaru, "… if he's really has become a different person, he wouldn't have saved us when we were losing the battle. Besides, even if he does hate the village, can any of you really blame him? The village practically spat on the Yondaime's dying wish to treat nii-san as a hero. And, then threw him out and tried to use him to destroy Akatsuki."

The rest of the group remained silent and mulling over what facts said. The village had betrayed Naruto and if they had been in his shoes, they would've been resentful too.

After a few minutes of silence, Moegi decided to speak, "So what do you guys think will happen at the coming Alliance Gathering?"

"Hard to say, since Naruto holds all the cards and can give as little or take as much as he wants from us. He knows that we're desperate and can't do anything against him. I mean without the Heavenly Alliance we're screwed. Irregardless of what happens, Naruto practically owns Konoha." replied Shikamaru. He couldn't help but remember another quote from the great tactician Sun Tzu.

'To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. But to subdue the enemy without fighting is'. And that was exactly what Naruto did.

"Even if we do get the help we need, we're in bad condition and we needed to make concessions just to become a protectorate of the Heavenly Alliance. Not to mention the bad publicity the village has been receiving lately. It'll be a long time before the village returns to what it once was", stated Tenten.

"That is if it can to begin with" commented Konohamaru.

-With Tsunade-

Sitting at her desk, Tsunade was in the middle of a meeting with Danzo, Koharu and Homura, with Shizune standing next to her.

The meeting was, of course, about the status of the village. When Shizune handed her another form to look over with her advisors, the female Hokage could only sigh with annoyance. The past few weeks had been an absolute nightmare for her.

Suddenly, a large puff of smoke appeared behind Danzo, revealing Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya…you're late! You were supposed to be back a week ago!" said the irritated Kage .

"Ah hime, if I didn't know better, I'd think you had been worried about me" spoke Jiraiya with a slight cheesy grin.

"Hmph! You wish Pervert" replied Tsunade as she scoffed at his remark.

"Well, despite your "concern"…"said Jiraya, , "…there was a reason for my being late."

"And what would be this reason be?" asked Koharu, with a slightly aggravated tone. A serious look appeared on Jiraiya's face, something that was not seen very often.

"The Akatsuki"

At the mention of the infamous organization, the listeners stiffened and came at attention.

"What about them? Are then planning to make their move?" asked Tsunade.

"Not exactly or, at least not for a while. Someone already made their own move against them" replied Jiraiya.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade was surprised. Who would be bold enough to attack the Akatsuki? But just as she began to wonder, she just as quickly realized the answer.

"Naruto!" proclaimed the female Hokage.

"Right on the first guess hime."

"So how exactly did he attack them?" asked Danzo, "Did he hit one of their bases or did he ambush one of their teams?"

"A bit of both actually. He attacked all nine of them at once, since according to my Intel they had gathered together in one place in person, to discuss Naruto appearing in Konoha during the war and revealing himself as the Raikage. Somehow Naruto's Intelligence learned of their meeting. He sent in a full platoon made up of his top Shinobi led by Zhuge Liang, along with New Kumo's entire STORM division."

Tsunade and Shizune along with the elders where shocked, since no one had ever-ever-made such a massive assault on Akatsuki.

"Naruto didn't lead the attack himself?" asked Shizune in surprise.

"No. My guess is that Naruto, didn't want to give Akatsuki the opportunity to capture him, nor did he want to leave his village vulnerable with his strongest ninja gone." replied Jiraiya. "That was also probably the same reason why he kept Yugito and the others with him."

"…And what exactly was the result of the battle?" inquired Danzo. A battle between two such powerful groups, would leave casualties high, making the losing side weak and open to attack.

"Naruto's people sent them running with their tails between their legs."

"Jiraiya are you serious? You're telling me that they were able to send nine S class nuke-nins running, without Naruto or his bodyguards help!" Tsunade questioned in astonishment. Even though she knew that Naruto had many strong people on his side, she still found it hard to believe that he had a group of ninja capable of driving back the Akatsuki by themselves.

"Pretty much. Although to be fair, Naruto's people had them at a disadvantage from the start. The Akatsuki were gathered in a large cave when Naruto's ninja surrounded them, where they managed to limit Akatsuki fighting power, by keeping the battle in the cave.", explained Jiraiya, continuing.

"Once they were separated, the STORM division rushed the base, and with Zhuge Liang's team, overwhelmed the Akatsuki with their superior numbers. Naruto also sent in Seiwa Anisu to help in the battle", finished Jiraiya.

Tsunade frowned, remembering Anisu, who led the invasion of Mizu no Kuni and singlehandedly conquered the port city of Sairyu.

"Jiriaya, do you know what kinds of losses New Kumo and the Akatsuki suffered from their battle?" asked Koharu.

"Neither side really took any serious loses, as all the members of the Akastuki were able to somehow escape."

"And what of the New Kumo forces?" asked Homura.

"According to my sources they didn't suffer any loses either- no one was killed."

The conversation about the battle continued for the next hour until Tsunade dismissed the Elders. She gave Shizune some folders to file away and the rest of the day off for her and Yamato- whom she was now engaged to. They were planning to have their wedding next year in the beginning of spring.

Once Shizune left the office, Tsunade opened a drawer and took out a Sake bottle and two small drinking plates.

Seeing this Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, "I thought you quit."

"I started again. After the past couple of weeks we've had, I need a drink."

Jiraiya couldn't help but agree with his former team-mate. With all the shit that went down it was all enough to drive anyone to the bottle, just to make sense of it all.

As the two Sannin took deep gulps, they began to talk about the village and how it was recovering.

"So how are things going here?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hard" replied Tsunade, as she took a sip of sake. "Three quarters of the village is in ruins and we're short of everything. Most of the villagers are living in tents right now or in the underground bunkers. We might as well just blow up what's left and start from scratch."

Jiraiya only nodded at the logic. He could clearly see from the window, the flat area that Naruto created from his battle with Orochimaru and the hundred meters wide and mile long trench that Naruto's Inazuma(Lightning Flash).

As he gazed outside, flashes of memories of the epic battle came. Toad Sennin shook his head slightly. Zhuge Liang had been right. They had indeed witnessed history in the making. Naruto resurrected a legendary bloodline, solidified the Heavenly Alliance, shifted the position of the strongest shinobi nation to New Kumo and was declared the strongest shinobi and kage to have ever lived.

Jiraiya was brought back out of his mussing when he heard Tsunade speaking to him.

"…Practically everything needs rebuilding or repairs and I'm swamped everyday with more paperwork than ever I wanted to see in a life time. But the worst thing about all this is that we simply don't have the funds to pay for it everything, and barely have enough ninja to protect the village let alone the boarders. The only thing I don't have to worry about is the village orphanage."

"Why's that?"

"Well it seems that before Naruto left, he arranged for Iruka to take ownership of the Namikaze estate, and arranged for an ample sum of his inheritance to be sent to an account controlled by Iruka to redevelop the estate into the new orphanage. He's even calling it the Uzumaki Kushina orphanage, at Naruto's request", she explained.

"I guess Naruto has soft spot for orphans, given how he was one as well" Jiraiya stated with a slight tone of shame.

"Maybe, but it's not the full reason why he did it."

"What do mean?"

"Well as you know, the truth about Naruto being Minato's son didn't go over well with many people. Since a division has formed in the village between those who still hate Naruto and those who finally realize that they were wrong about Naruto ", explained Tsunade.

"I'm guessing that the ones who hate Naruto are made up of those from the older generation, and the other half is made up of those from the younger generation" stated Jiraiya.

"Pretty much, although some of the older generation has realized their mistake and have the decency to be ashamed of themselves."

"But what has this got to do with Naruto and the orphanage?"

"I was getting to that" said Tsunade, with a slightly annoyed tone, taking a quick sip before speaking.

"You see, Naruto knew that there would still be a lot of resentment in the village towards him, and that it's unlikely he'll ever win the over everyone in the older generation. This resentment could eventually spread in Konoha into later generations, resulting in Konoha growing to hate Naruto as much as Iwa hated the Yondaime. So to help avoid a future war, Naurto decided to win over the next generation, by building the new orphanage. Naruto has already paid for everything they'll need to run the orphanage, as well as any fees they might have if they choose to go to the Academy. Those who don't, will be given just enough money to help them get started off into whatever career they wish."

"So he'll win those kids over, and give himself good PR while making those that still hate Naruto look more like bigots" stated Jiraiya.

"Oh, it's more than just that" murmured Tsunade with a sly grin, "by doing this Naruto is also hitting Danzo."

"Huh?"

"Eighty percent of Danzo's ROOT division is made of former orphans. With the orphanage Naruto is crippling his recruitment drive knowing they've entered it."

"I'm gonna assume the brat modified the seals and the barriers so none of Danzo's people can infiltrate the estate either".

"Correct, and Danzo can't do anything about it becaue the orphanage doesn't follow under shinobi jurisdiction, and his Civilian Council puppets can't do a thing. It's totally Iruka's control."

"Does Danzo know all this?" Jiraiya asked.

"Of course. The old fart realized it, the moment it was announced "replied Tsunade with a smirk.

"And how did he take it?"

"Not well, he's probably cursing Naruto from hell and back right now".

"And how did you come to realize all this?".

"Iruka told me Naruto's plan when he asked me to put him on the full time reserve list."

"And you let him?" asked Jiraiya, with mild surprise.

"Tch, it wasn't like the plan was going to harm the village in any real way and it only screws with Danzo. Besides, some good might come out of this war and those kids, deserve a better chance at life, given how they lost their parents".

"There is also the chance…" continued Tsunade, "…that this thing with the orphans is Naruto's way in keeping Konoha in check. It would help keep Konoha divided in some way, so on the slight chance that Konoha tries anything against the Alliance, those orphans and other sympathisers will support Naruto and the Heavenly Alliance, making it easier for them to take us out."

"Hopefully, for the village's sake that day will never come" replied Jiraiya as he took yet another sip of sake, Tsunade nodding in agreement.

"But still…" commented Jiraiya with a slight smirk, "…I have to admit. That brat never ceases to surprise me; I always knew he had a slight sneaky streak in him.

But still, this is on a whole other level."

"The brat certainly has changed" Tsunade agreed.

"Speaking of changes, have you heard how Iwa and the others nations that aren't with the Heavenly Alliance are reacting to the news?" asked Jiraiya.

"No I haven't" replied the female Kage.

"Well it seems that they've declared Naruto a SS-rank Ninja…" he explained.

"Are you serious!" spoke Tsunade with surprise, interrupting Jiraiya. If what he said was true then Iwa and the other villages were recognizing that Naruto was most powerful and dangerous shinobi alive. No one, not even Minato was given the SS rank.

"Dead serious. They're also ordering all their ninja to flee at the sight of him, regardless of how many of them there are" finished Jiraiya.

"Just like his father." muttered Tsunade. "Although I had half expected Iwa to declare war on New Kumo and the Heavenly Alliance once they learned Naruto's heritage.

"Ryoku (Yondaime Tsuchikage) and the other higher ups in Iwa are that stupid. They know that if they go to war with New Kumo and the Alliance, Iwa would be wiped out".

"So he's alive then?" asked Tsunade, assuming Ryoku to be dead given the injuries he suffered. If alive, then his ninja career would be over.

"Not really sure, since Iwa has tightened their security after the battle here. It could be all a ruse to keep us from acting against them. I find it hard to believe that he survived the injuries he suffered and even if he did it's unlikely that Iwa would follow a Tsuchikage who can't use chakra anymore." mused Jiraiya.

"But regardless…" he continued, "…it seems that whoever is in charge is wise enough to end the fighting. I hear Iwa has sent a petition to New Kumo for a ceasefire."

Tsunade raised her right eyebrow stunned, but quickly accepted it, as it made sense, only a fool would try and fight a power like the Heavenly Alliance alone.

The blonde Hokage let out a sad sigh, "I should've released Naruto's heritage the moment that Koharu and the others suggested that we banish him. If I had, it might have prevented him from being banished in the first place or at the very least I should've just resigned and gone with him."

"Don't blame yourself hime, if you had released his heritage it would've stopped the kid from being banished but, Ryoku would've learned about it and sent countless ninja after him. He might've been desperate enough declare war just to get Naruto and have his revenge. As for resigning, if you had done that then Danzo would've maneuvered himself to become Hokage. Don't think I need to tell you what would've happen then".

"If there is anyone who's to blame here it's me." continued the Sennin. "I was me, I was his Godfather and it was my responsibility to raise him or at the very least look out for him. But instead I took the easy way out and left him in Sensei's care, using the excuse that I wasn't the right person to raise him."

Tsunade said nothing, since it was obvious that Jiraiya hated himself for this.. She remembered the angry and disgusted look Minato gave him when he learned what happened to Naruto.

"Well it doesn't matter now; we can't change the past, no matter how much we want to".

"That's funny coming from you. Then again, you are becoming philosophical in your old ag-gggaaaahhhhhh!" Jiraiya joked, before Tsunade punched him right in the face. He was sent flying into the villages below.

"Smart alec bastard…" muttered Tsunade.

-In New Kumogakure-

Sitting at his desk, the Rokudaime Raikage, aka The Raiden no Kami (God of Thunder and Lightning) Uzumaki Naruto was listening to the debriefing from his sensei's Zhuge Liang, Akechi Mitsihide and his best friend Seiwa Anisu.

"…And after that, they were able to get away", finished Zhuge Liang. "I apologize for failing in our mission, Raikage-sama. As leader I take full responsibility".

"There will be no need for that Sensei" said Naruto "It was rather optimistic of me to think that we could capture or take out all of them a single attack".

"The plan was perfectly executed, unfortunately we underestimated them slightly" answered Zhuge Liang.

"Regardless, we were still able to show Akatsuki, that we are a force to be reckoned with. They'll be more hesitant to act against us, giving us some breathing room to solidify our new position as the strongest shinobi nation. Not to mention we've field tested the new and improved chakra armor- which worked perfectly and are ready to be used for high level missions by the way."

At this the other three men nodded. The mission wasn't a total loss.

"Excuse me Raikage-sama, but I was wondering if you have received any sort of petition from Iwa about the possible ceasefire yet?" asked Mitsuhide.

"I did just yesterday from one of our outposts along the northern sea via messenger hawk."

"So it would seem that Masato-san's (head of Naruto's intelligence division CIND) information was correct that the new Godaime Tsuchikage Berugu is seeking to end hostilities with us" stated Zhuge Liang.

"Yes. Although, I'm certain that it's only to buy time for him to rebuild his forces. He's trying to maintain the ruse that his father Ryoku is still alive, by signing it as him", answered Naruto with a serious look.

"Do you still plan to accept the ceasefire?" inquired Anisu.

"Yes, we may be able to deal with Iwa without having to fight them. Besides the Tsuchikage's petition mentioned something interesting."

"Interesting…how so?" asked Zhuge Liang with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"It seems that the Tsuchikage plans to send his sister Kokimi to negotiate the terms of the ceasefire."

"I didn't know that the Yondaime Tsuchikage had a daughter" said Anisu with slight surprise.

"Well he did, but she prefers to remain unnoticed and keeps to the shadows." stated Naruto. "According to Uki (the Chi no Megami (Goddess of Earth)), she's quite dangerous and very devious."

"A very potent and dangerous mix, you'll have to be careful around her" advised Zhuge Liang.

"So where do you plan to meet her?" asked Anisu.

"I plan to invite her and her escort to come here during the Alliance Gathering" Naruto replied, which gained some concern.

"Are you sure that is wise Raikage-sama? Would it not be better to meet in a neutral location like Tetsu no Kuni (Iron country)?" asked Zhuge Liang.

"Normally yes, but since the Alliance Gathering is nearing, I believe it would best to have it here. Perhaps once Kokimi sees how strong both we are with her own eyes, she can convince her brother that waging a war of revenge against me would be foolhardy."

"But what if she tries to assassinate you?" Mitsuhide asked.

"If she is half as intelligent as Uki makes her out to be, she'll know it'll be suicide to try. She's probably just here to spy on us, not to assassinate me", replied Naruto.

"If that is the case then why are you going to let her enter the village?" asked Anisu.

"Simple. Right now Kokimi and Berugu are biding their time to strike back at me and are attempting to gather as much information on what we're capable of before they plan anything. They will do whatever they can to get as much information on us as possible. So the best way to deal with that problem is to bring Kokimi here, allowing her to see New Kumo and control what she sees and learns in it, where we can feed her some misinformation at the same time. This will quench Iwa's desire for information for a while, and at the same time keep them in check. Some of the information that we'll feed her will make her and her brother overestimate us in certain things and underestimate us in others."

"A clever plan Raikage-sama, but doesn't it still hold some danger in backfiring?" queried Zhuge Liang.

"True, but victory cannot be achieved without some risk" replied Naruto. "Moreover, was it not you Zhuge Liang-sensei, who once told me that one of the best ways to achieve victory in a war, is to control what your enemy sees, hears and knows, so to control their actions?"

"So I did" answered Zhuge Liang with a small smile.

Once the matter of Iwa was settled, Naruto decided proceed with the next issue. "So tell me, have Yue Ying-sensei (Zhuge Liang's wife) and Kisuke finished analyzing that body of Pain that you captured?" asked Naruto.

"They are still examining it, but they'll give a full report once they've finished", replied Anisu.

"Very well, you're all dismissed. I want a full written battle report on each of your battles along with the others."

"Hai Raikage-sama" the men chorused.

Once they left the room, Naruto swung his chair around to look out the window into the bright orange sunset across the sky.

Seeing it, Naruto could not help but remember the days he use to watch such sunsets on the Hokage Monument.

Thinking back then also reminded Naruto of how far he had come and how everything he had done in the past ten years had led up to him becoming Raikage and forming the Heavenly Alliance. The funny thing was, all of this happened because Konoha had banished him. If they hadn't he would never have met his sensei's and later become the Rokudaime Raikage. (1)

-In Amegakure-

Recovering from his recent battle with the forces of New Kumo, Nagato stood in a large room not far from Konan, who was preparing to replace Animal Path.

As Konan was finishing up, both Nagato and Kona's sensed a new presence enter the room. This presence was not an unfamiliar so they relaxed their guard, slightly.

"I see that you're recovering nicely from our unexpected scuffle with New Kumo" commented the orange mask wearing man.

"I could say the same thing for you as well Madara" replied Nagato, looking at the man's new arm.

"Yes, I have" said the former Uchiha leader.

"So what should we do?" Konan asked.

"The plan has not changed, we must simply proceed carefully." replied Madara.

"I believe our plan has changed a great deal more than you're willing to admit Madara" Konan retorted. "The Kyuubi jinchūriki's, forces were somehow able to find us, when we gathered together in person for the first time in years. Not only that, but they were nearly able to capture us. They most likely know that we reside here in Amegakure, since they were able to somehow steal the Salamander contract without us knowing."

"I'll admit I've greatly underestimated the Kyuubi jinchūriki's resources and abilities. I never imagined that the Uzumaki Clan was in reality the legendary Stormcaller Clan, let alone that he would somehow awaken their lost bloodline. I know that this does complicate matters greatly. But still, I'm certain we can overcome the problem, we just have to be more careful" replied Madara calmly. On the inside though, Madara was greatly vexed.

At this remark, Konan frowned, unconvinced.

"If you are so confident that we can still win, then perhaps you could tell us where New Kumo is. Even Zetsu has been unable to find it. You could also explain why the Raikage hasn't sent his forces to invade here."

"Sadly I am unable to locate the village. I believe there is some kind of barrier that is protecting the village from detection." answered Madara.

"How would that be possible?" asked Nagato, since he knew about Madara's Jikūkan Idō (Time–Space Migration), which allowed him to locate anyone and teleport to them.

"Little would surprise me at what he can do. Since he has access to the lost Library of the White Lotus Society" responded Madara.

"You mean he actually found the Library of Benzaiten?" asked Nagato in shock.

"So it does exist… I thought it was just a myth" Konan murmured said in equal surprise.

"I can assure you it does existence and it also explains why New Kumo and this Heavenly Alliance have become so powerful so quickly" answered Madara, with slight annoyance. He had spent many years before he began his plan with the Biju, searching for the lost Library.

"This makes them that much more dangerous" spoke Nagato.

"That still doesn't explain why New Kumo or its allies haven't attacked us here" Konan reminded them.

"More than likely the Kyuubi jinchūriki knows this is our main base of operations and is watching our boarders in the hope of keeping taps on some of our movements" replied the former founder of Konoha.

At this Nagato frowned, but nodded, "How exactly shall we proceed?"

"For now, we'll rest and recover our strength and wait for the right moment to strike. Sooner or later an opportunity will arise" answered Madara.

"That is if New Kumo or the Heavenly Alliance doesn't hit us before then" muttered Konan.

"If I didn't knowing any better, I would think that you're losing faint in our cause" spoke Madara.

"I' am just stating how things are" retorted Konan, as she narrowed her eyes slightly.

Madara said nothing and teleported away.

Once he was gone, Konan turned to her childhood friend. "Nagato I don't like this. I don't trust him. At all."

"Nor do I Konan, but Madara is a means to an end and when we have all nine Biju, I will deal with him myself" stated Nagato.

"But why do we even have to go that far? Perhaps we can end this before things get out of hand" said Konan.

"What do you mean?"

"We could negotiate a peace treaty with the Raikage. His goals are obviously the same as ours, and this Heavenly Alliance that he is building, is growing more and more. From what we've heard, Kiri, Konoha Suna, their host nations and several other nations are already attempting to ally or join the Alliance. Eventually he could actually unite the entire elemental continent and create a lasting peace just like we've always dreamed of. Both of you are even from the same Clan, so surely he would be willing to at least talk with us." she explained.

For a moment or two Nagato remained silent, as if thinking over what Konan suggested, but then said, "No. Although the Raikage's goals are similar to our own and are noble, they are still naive. True peace can only be gained by making people realize the true horror of war, which they will, when we have all nine Biju and create the weapon that that will allow us to destroy the shinobi nations in an instant. The Raikage's dream is only a fantasy. Eventually people will break their alliances and treaties and the Heavenly Alliance will fall apart like so many others and war will just come again. We've committed to this path and we will see it through to the very end, no matter what" replied Nagato,

"Are you with me, Konan?"

Konan did not answer right away, but eventually she let out a sigh and said "I' am with you Nagato…no matter what."

Nagato just nodded.

-Lightning Daimyo's Royal Palace, New Kumo, Over a Month Later-

Naruto sat in a comfortable chair next to a large warm fire chuckling away, as he read his favourite manga "Tadaaki's World".

The room itself was not too big, but not too small either. It had four comfortable armchairs that were near large fire, with a large desk and chair to the side, with two large windows behind it. On the other side of the room was a large bookshelf.

Soon enough though, Naruto heard a knock on the large double doors of the room, when he said "Enter", a middle aged woman opened it and entered the room.

"Excuse me, Raikage-sama, but Anisu-dono is here to speak to you" said the woman.

"Ah, yes thank you Jade, let him in" responded Naruto, with a smile, as he put his manga down. The woman nodded and let Anisu in.

Naruto greeted his friend and invited him to sit on the chair in front of him.

Anisu then decided to speak, "So Naruto, why do you need to talk to me at this hour?"

"I'm sorry for taking you away from your family Anisu, but there is something important I need to tell you" answered Naruto.

"Oh, what's the problem?" asked Anisu.

"A few hours ago, Shion contacted me through her projection ball about something important" explained Naruto.

"What's wrong, she getting wedding jitters or something?" joked Anisu, as he knew that Shion was engaged to marry Naruto in a three months' time.

"Hardly, she had a vision about me"

At this Anisu immediately stopped joking and became serious. Shion's predictions were not something to joke about.

"What did she see?"

-Flashback several hours again-

As Naruto sat in his office, signing his last document for the day, he suddenly saw his projection ball glowing. When he picked it up, he saw his fiancée Shion standing in front of him, who was red faced and tears in her eyes as if upset about something.

"Naruto-kun, thank goodness you're ok!" cried the frantic Shion.

"Huh, Shion what's wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" asked the slightly confused and worried Naruto.

"I had a vision of something terrible happing to you and New Kumo" explained Shion, where when Naruto heard this, a serious look appeared on his face.

"What was the vision Shion-chan?"

"In the vision I found myself in New Kumo, but it was in ruins. Dark clouds covered the sky, most of the village was destroyed, fires were burning all around, and most of the buildings were ruin. There were dead bodies of people all over the ground and I could hear the sounds of explosions and people yelling and screaming, as if a massive battle was happening in the village. When I closed my eyes hoping to wake up, I suddenly found myself in a hospital room, where I saw you screaming in agony as if you were in horrible pain, as if you had been injured or something. I saw Unohana-san and other medic's frantically trying to help you and keep you from falling off the bed. It was then at that moment that I saw a dark cloaked figure suddenly appearing in the room…"

"And what happened then?" asked Naruto urgently.

"I don't know I woke up at that point" replied Shion.

After hearing this Naruto remained silent.

"What do you plan to do Naruto-kun?" asked Shion.

"I don't really know, Shion-chan, but for now, I want you to forget about that vision and get some rest. You'll need it to start you journey here for the Alliance Gathering" replied Naruto.

"But how can I forget something so horrible like that?" Shion roared with disbelief.

"Look, Shion-chan, I know it'll be hard, but please try for my sake. This isn't the first time you saw my death, but like before I beat it. I'll take extra precaution for the gathering here and I will talk it over with Zhuge Liang-sensei and the others later on and plan what to do from there, ok?" responded Naruto.

Shion just sighed and nodded, "Ok, I'll try, but please Naruto-kun be safe, for my sake and the others."

"Yea, I will. I know you want to use me to make lots of little high priestesses with you" joked Naruto, which caused the young woman to turn even redder and smile a little.

"Pervert!" giggled Shion. Naruto just smirked in response .Soon enough she faded away.

-End Flashback-

Anisu frowned deeply, "Have you told Zhuge Liang-sensei and the others about it yet?"

"No not yet. You're the first to hear about it. I plan to tell only you, Mitsuhide-sensei, Saiyuri-sensei, Zhuge Liang-sensei and Masato (Head of the CIND division)", explained Naruto.

"But what about the girls? Surely they'll want to know about what Shion saw?"

"No, if I tell them, the girls will just worry themselves sick. For now I'll keep them in the dark."

"You do know that once they find out about what Shion saw and how you purposely keep them in the dark about it, they will kill you themselves."

"True…maybe I should just hope that the prediction comes true. The death she saw for me, sounds a hell of a lot more pleasant to what the girls would do to me" replied Naruto with a smirk.

"Oh, if only the world could see this now! The infamous Uzumaki Naruto, strongest Kage in the shinobi world cowering at the idea of facing his angry wives!" laughed Anisu.

"Hah! Like you're any better than me. You're just as scared of your wives, as I am of mine! Or have you forgotten what happened six months ago with Koyuki, Saya and Saiko? When you used your ice powers to freeze the hot spring, when they were still in it?"

Anisu shuddered slightly. By the time his wives were done with him, he was in a sorry state.

"It wasn't my fault! They mentioned that the hot spring was a bit too hot; I was just trying to cool it down for them a bit! I didn't mean to freeze them." whined Anisu, causing Naruto to laugh.

The laughing soon stopped though, when Anisu became serious again. "Listen Naruto, after hearing about Shion's prediction, maybe you should rethink about your idea in letting the groups from Iwa and Konoha. Since both places have more than enough people with grudges against you for one reason or another and they may be the ones behind what Shion saw."

"No, everything will stay according to plan and if we refuse them entry now right before the gathering. It could cause more trouble than it would solve, not to mention it could destroy any chance of the ceasefire with Iwa and I would much rather avoid another war. Besides I don't believe Konoha or Iwa are the ones behind Shion's predictions, since for one thing Iwa doesn't have the strength by itself to destroy us. They would need allies and from what our intelligence tells me, none of the remaining minor shinobi villages that aren't with us, are willing to fight us, especially at what happened in the recent war. As for Konoha, they're even less likely to hit us, since at their current level; they've gone from the strongest of the five great shinobi powers to the weakest and wouldn't have the resources to hit us. Tsunade also knows that Konoha needs our protection and support to survive. Not to mention I don't believe Tsunade would ever try to attack us or more specifically me. Regardless of our falling out, I still trust her."

"So does that mean you've forgiven her for not telling you about your family?"

"I never hated Tsunade, I was just angry at her, even though she probably did it, in the belief that she was protecting me."

"Well even so, I still don't really like that we're bringing them here, along with the Iwa group. Too many things could go wrong."

"Don't worry Anisu. I already plan to double security. An ant won't be able to enter this village without me knowing", Naruto assured. "I also plan to have Masato get in touch with his intelligence network along with all his informants and other agents and have them report any possible threats no matter how minor."

"Fair enough."

"Now there is something else that I need to tell you as well. It's a sensitive subject." Naruto said, gaining his friends attention.

"What is it?"

"As you know, for security reasons, I've the representative groups for Konoha, Kiri, Suna, their host nations, as well as the representatives of, Umi no Kuni (Sea Country) Tsuki, no Kuni (Moon country) all gather together at Nami no Kuni (Wave Country). There they'll meet the Zennyo Ryūō (2) and be escorted by our fleet to one of our naval ports and then be brought here."

"I get why we don't want them to travel by land, for fear of assassination attempts by rival groups, who want to disrupt the Heavenly Alliance. But still I don't see why we can't transport them here by airships, as it would probably be a lot quicker."

"That's true, but it isn't as secure, as they would still vulnerable to attack, like from the Akatsuki. They could kidnap the representatives in the hope of using them as bargaining chips or kill them to disrupt the Heavenly Alliance" stated the young Raikage. "The best way we can secure their safety is by sea, which we now have control of, with Godaime Mizukage and the former Water Daimyo dead."

"So what exactly do you want me do?"

"I want you to go and meet the representatives on the Zennyo Ryūō"

"Why?"

"Here look at this; it's a list of the representatives of who will be coming here for the gathering" said Naruto as he handed Anisu a sheet of paper.

As Anisu looked over the names, he recognised several of them; the first two were Tanuza and Inari who would be representing Nami no Kuni along with official from the Wave Daimyo's royal court.

Another set of names he recognised where the Godaime Kazekage Gaara, his brother Kankuro, his sister Temari and his former sensei Baki. With them as well, were also several officials from the royal court of the Wind Daimyo.

The next sent of names that Anisu saw caught him by surprise, as not only was the new Rokudaime Mizukage Terumi Mei coming, but also the newly instated Water Daimyo along with the names of the fifth new generation of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist). Also among the group and acting as the Water Daimyo's guards were Uesugi Kenshin and his bodyguard Kasuga (3).

"So the Water Daimyo himself is coming" stated Anisu in mild surprise.

"Yea, this proves that he really wants this new alliance with us to work."

"I'm also guessing that the reason why the Mizukage is bringing in all the new members of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū. It's not only to protect the Water Daimyo, but also in the hope of making a good impression with us."

"That's my guess…now look at the group that's coming from Konoha" added Naruto.

When Anisu looked at the names he was of course astounded. Not only was the Hokage Tsunade coming, Jiraiya,Hatake Kakashi, all of Naruto's old friends from the Konoha twelve, Sarutobi Konohamaru and his team, Umino Iruka, his wife Anko and their daughter Aiko, Naruto's old team, the Elders and former Clan Head Hyuga Hiashi.

"You can see why I am asking you to escort them. I want someone there that I can trust to make sure that certain people in that group can be controlled and to make sure that things don't get out of hand. If I send a large contingent of ninjai to escort them, it might give the other representatives the wrong impression, but if I send you along with your wives with the regular crew and ninja on the ships, then I can assure their safety, and not seem threatening at the same time."

"Okay, I get that, but still, why on earth is Konoha sending so many of their best ninja, the Elders, your old Academy teacher and his family?"

"I think Tsunade is playing the same kind of game that the Rokudaime Mizukage is playing. Bringing the best to try and show us that Konoha still has capable ninja and can be an asset to us. She's also hoping that if she brings some of my old friends from Konoha, it might put me in a better mood during the negotiations."

"Sounds pretty desperate to me."

"They are."

"But the Elders, Hyuga Hiashi, Jiraiya and your old team and the Yamanaka girl? It's not like they are among your top favourite people in the world. Hell their presence alone, could have the opposite effect that they're hoping for."

"My guess is that Jiraiya, Ino, Hatake, Hiashi and Haruno somehow convinced Tsunade to let them come in the hope reconciling with me, so that they can remove the guilt from themselves,"

"Will you ever forgive them?"

"I don't hate them if that's what you're saying, simply don't like them. But as forgiving them… well Ino I might, since we were never that close. Hiashi, well quite frankly I pity him. From what I heard, anything I could do to the man, has already been done to him by Hinata. He's been shamed, disgraced and beaten down in front of the whole village. He's nothing more than a broken man now. As for Hatake, Haruno and the Toad…no I can't forgive them, not after what they did." responded Naruto, with slight anger at the last part.

"Fair enough, but what about the Uchiha and the Elders?"

"Homara, I'm not sure. I've heard the man is starting to have second thoughts on some of the things he's done and is actually siding against Danzo and Koharu, on many decisions. But regardless of why he's going, Danzo and Koharu are going because, they've been "greatly displeased" with many of Tsunade's decisions, especially with recent events, so they're going to "make sure"that Tsunade doesn't give away too much in the negotiations. As for Sasuke, ever since the little "incident"with him trying to kill me twice Danzo has been making sure he has Sasuke within eyesight of him or his people at all times."

"Sounds like he doesn't trust the Uchiha anymore."

"Danzo doesn't trust anyone period" Naruto answered. "But what puzzles me is what makes Danzo believe he can control Sasuke and get him to make Konoha the way he wants it to be. The most Sasuke would do as Hokage is use Konoha's resources to help him hunt down and kill Itachi and Sasuke isn't the type that can be brainwashed like the rest of Danzo goons. For as much as a teme Sasuke is, he's still one of the most strong-willed and determined people I have ever known, and wouldn't allow himself to be controlled by anyone."

"Do you know?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, he must be certain of it, since it's highly likely that Sasuke will one day go rogue, especially if it's to get what he wants" answered Naruto.

For the next hour or so, Naruto and Anisu continued to talk about what to do for the Alliance Gathering and what else they had left to prepare. Eventually they called it a night, but before he left Anisu asked Naruto if there were any orders regarding to Sasuke when he met him.

Naruto just smiled and gave him the order. Anisu grinned and said "With pleasure"

Once Anisu, left the room, Naruto slightly chuckled to himself and thought, "Things will certainly become more interesting in the coming weeks."