Seven and Nine

Mission Assignment Room

"Nice to meet you, Seven. I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said cheerfully, and everyone wondered what he meant by calling her seven.

Fuu blinked twice before a huge cute smile spread across her face; she had never thought that she would meet another Jinchuuriki like her.

"Nice to meet you too, Nine. I'm Fuu," she replied, and both team 10 and Iruka stared at the young girl when she called Naruto nine. Seeing that Naruto called her seven, that could only mean she was also a jinchuuriki. Who would figure?

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. He didn't know of Naruto being a Jinchuuriki before; of course, he had seen the way people looked at his friend and the names they called him, Shika had tried to ignore them, but at the same time, he was angry for calling his friend a demon.

Now hearing Naruto call the other girl 'Seven' and the girl... Fuu called Naruto 'Nine', Shika had no doubts anymore; his best friend was Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi.

Ino, on the other hand, was happy to see her favorite blonde meet someone like him.

"So, old man, I guess the mission involves Fuu?" Naruto asked, and the Hokage chuckled.

"The mission I have for you is a B-rank because of its importance rather than danger," the Hokage started. "The mission is to go to Hidden Village in the Waterfall and negotiate trading agreements. Fuu here will accompany you to the village since it's hard to find," the Hokage concluded.

The Hokage picked up the scroll and threw it at Asuma, and said, "In there are the mission details."

"So let's head out. I want to see your village," Naruto said towards Fuu, who was happy to talk with someone like her.

"Before we part ways, prepare for a one-week mission. Gather at the west gate in one hour," Asuma said, and everyone left the room.

West Gate

About one hour later, everyone stood ready at the gate. After they signed their release forms, they left the village traveling at shinobi pace towards Fuu's village.

Soon Naruto decided to know more about Fuu.

"So Fuu, what's like your village?" Naruto asked, and Fuu got a bit hesitant.

"The only thing I can say is that it's beautiful," Fuu replied, keeping her cheerful attitude, but Naruto could tell that perhaps Taki wasn't really that friendly towards her. "The thing I love most is that it has the most beautiful sunsets," she explained with a smile, and Naruto nodded.

"Wow, that must be a beautiful place," Naruto said, with Fuu agreeing immediately before a thought came to her mind.

"If you want, I can show you a spot once we arrive there," Fuu said, turning at Naruto, who nodded in agreement.

"That would be awesome," Naruto agreed, much to Fuu's delight.

"So, Fuu, tell me, what is your favorite activity to do?" Naruto asked curiously towards the green-haired girl who beamed.

"I like to capture insects, Chomei likes when we do it together, not only that but sometimes I fly along with them when it is night, is like a race who can fly faster," Fuu explained, her orange eyes looking at Naruto's blue ones.

"Wow, that must be amazing; I'm sure it is beautiful to see the village from above," Naruto said, with Fuu nodding in agreement.

"What about you? What is Konoha like?" Fuu asked, feeling that it was too easy to talk with Naruto, and she could tell her questions didn't bug him.

Can he be my first friend! She thought with hope in her heart.

"Well, Konoha is a beautiful village, especially the Hokage monument; looking at the village from up there while the sun disappears over the mountain is the most beautiful image you can see; the whole village gains a shade of red, making everything look peaceful," Naruto explained to Fuu who listened closely.

While the duo Jinchuuriki were happily talking with one another, the rest of Team 10 were walking behind them, wondering just what was happening.

"Wow, never seen Naruto be so friendly with a stranger so soon," Shikamaru commented, not wanting to mention the fact that both were Jinchuuriki, and that could be the reason for that Shika was almost convinced that Asuma-sensei knew of Naruto being a Jinchuuriki. Still, he didn't know how much Ino knew; therefore, he kept that piece of information to himself.

"That's Naruto for you, always ready to be friends with anyone," Asuma replied to Shika, who just made a 'hmmmh' sound like agreeing with him.

As for Ino, she was happy to see her blonde finding another friend but at the same time wondering if Fuu would soon see Naruto as something more.

Yesterday when she had been training with Anko-sensei, she had been approached by the snake mistress in a new way!

"So, you like Naruto too?" Anko suddenly asked out of the blue as Ino was trying to catch her breath; they had been training for hours, but now Ino could barely stand; she looked up at the snake mistress almost as if she couldn't understand what she just said.

"W-what??" Ino asked back weakly, not sure if she heard her right.

"I said that you like Naruto?" Anko asked again but more like a statement rather than a question, a dangerous smirk not leaving her pretty dangerous face.

Ino felt shivers down her spine; everyone in Konoha knew of her sadistic nature; that's one of the main reasons why many people tend to avoid her, except Naruto, of course, and a few others.

"Ah-ah-ah," Ino tried to speak, but unable to find the right words, she hoped Anko wasn't going to unleash her snakes at her, and Ino, being exhausted like this, she doubted she would be able to run away.

The snake mistress knew Ino liked her blonde; she, of course, had no problem with it. Anko smirked sweetly at the platinum hair girl. "You don't have to be scared of me. I would never hurt my student, not to mention I'm completely ok with that," Anko said sweetly before licking her lips.

"Y-you okay with that?" Ino asked/shouted, not bothering to hide that she was surprised before a blush crept onto her face.

"Of course," she said seductively before approaching Ino, who straightened up, feeling an arm around her shoulder and Anko's breath close to her neck send shivers of pleasure in her spine; she felt her knees feel like jelly.

"Perhaps next time, you can join us; he's Quite Big," she whispered to Ino's ear, who blushed heavily at the thought of Naruto's...

"Oj Ino, you alright," She escaped her naughty thoughts when she felt something touching her forehead; her eyes saw Shikamaru literally knocking on her forehead as if it was some door waiting to open.

"You spaced out; everything alright?" Shika asked again, noticing the blush on Ino's face; she opened and closed her mouth before...

"I'm fine, baka, just thinking," Ino screamed out before walking forward, ignoring the confused looks of Shika and Asuma.

"Since when does she think?!" Shikamaru wondered aloud before shrugging his shoulders, not that it mattered anyway.

While that happened, Naruto was still talking with Fuu.

"Another thing is that my village's atmosphere tends to be a bit moist from the waterfalls, so it's perfect for finding new bugs," she concluded.

"By the way, how is Chomei?" Naruto asked curiously.

Fuu's eyes widened slightly; she hadn't expected Naruto to know the true name of her friend!

"You know her name?" She asked, turning her head so fast at him that he wondered how she didn't break her neck while they were walking towards Takigakure.

"Yes, Kurama told me the names of everyone," Naruto replied with a nod; this surprised Fuu even more; she had heard from Chomei that from all tailed beasts out there, Kyuubi was the one who hated humans the most.

"Wow, this is a surprise to think Kurama, of all of us, would one day outgrow his ego and decide to be friendly for once," Chomei suddenly said in her head.

"If you want, we can talk together?" Fuu asked, and Naruto nodded. This time instead of bumping their fists, Naruto and Fuu bumped others' palms.

A few seconds later, two figures appeared in the room. The first one seemed to be a giant bug with horns and wings, and on top of her head was Fuu. The other was a big fox the nine tails and orange fur, and on top of his head was Naruto.

"Chomei, long time no see," Kurama said uncaringly. Is not like Chomei had changed much, the same annoying bug he had known since he knew anything.

"It's been a while, Kurama. I see you haven't changed much," Chomei replied, paying more attention to the Jinchuuriki rather than Kurama.

"You know, I never thought of seeing you friendly with your container; what could have caused such drastic change," Chomei said playfully while smirking but still happy to see her brother was friendly for once.

"It can get boring sleeping all the time; therefore, I gave the brat a chance; it turns out he's not half bad," Kurama replied, annoyed by the tone Chomei was using with him.

"Ha, who are you calling a brat? Don't forget you still need to pay the rent for sleeping in such a cozy place," Naruto replied with a cheeky grin, and then Kyuubi used his tails and knocked him down from his head and sent him crashing to the ground.

"You are still a brat," Kurama growled, and Fuu laughed loudly while holding her stomach with her hands. Naruto simply stuck his tongue out to Kurama. "Damn furball," he muttered.

Fuu then turned her eyes at Kurama, who growled slightly. "Wow, you're not that scary, Chomei always described you with a huge ego, but you sound more like a big cute furball," Fuu said cutely with her usual happy attitude.

Kurama growled, showing his teeth and spreading his Killing Intent, while Naruto was laughing along with Fuu, "Be careful who you call 'furball' insect brat," Kurama said. Still, the threat seemed to have flown entirely over Fuu's head, who didn't pay him attention, not mentioning when it came to KI. The amount Kurama was using was nothing new to Fuu since she had experienced almost the full KI of Chomei during their training.

"Fuu, since when do you know Chomei?" Naruto suddenly asked, standing on the ground where Kurama threw him.

Fuu put the finger on her chin, thinking before opening her eyes. "I think on my fourth birthday, I needed to jump over a long cliff, and Chomei helped me," Fuu replied with a happy smile patting Chomei underneath her, who seemed to enjoy if her purr was anything to go by!

"Why did you need to jump over a cliff?" Naruto asked, confused but instantly regretted it when the cheerful smile of Fuu disappeared, a frown replaced, before looking down, playing with her green hair.

"Nothing to worry about, Naruto-kun; she was running away from a... bear," Chomei responded instead of Fuu, feeling her friend's sadness.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back bad memories," Naruto apologized, hoping he hadn't ruined it, but a smile appeared immediately on Fuu's face.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-friend," Fuu said with a cute smile; At the same time, Naruto and Fuu kept on talking, returning back to their friendly talk; Kurama and Chomei were having a conversation that their containers couldn't hear.

"I saw the symbols on his hands; there's no doubt it is him!" Chomei spoke with an unusually serious tone.

She had seen and felt the moon and sun symbol on Naruto's palms, she had no doubt that Naruto was the one they had been waiting for, but now the question was, what was this Naruto going to do with that power?

"Indeed, the brat is quite gifted," Kurama replied, knowing Naruto's power.

"What does he intends to do with it?" Chomei asked, knowing how dangerous this power could be in the hands of evil men, especially if Naruto learned of 'Unmei' Jutsu.

"Does he know of Unmei Jutsu?" Chomei asked with a fearful tone.

Kurama shook his head in denial; while he trusted Naruto, he wanted to know first if he could truly believe him with every secret before letting him know of Unmei Jutsu.

"Not yet, but I will tell him when I think he's ready," Kurama replied; Chomei thought to say something, but instead, she reluctantly nodded. Soon their talk ended.

"It was good seeing you again. Until next time" Kurama said, and both of them exited their mindscapes.

Escaping their mindscape, both Fuu and Naruto noticed the rest of Team 10 looked at them with confused looks.

"What happened, Naruto? Both of you spaced out," Asuma asked.

"We were just talking amongst ourselves with the Kyuubi and Nanabi; they haven't seen each other in a few years," Naruto said, and seeing the confused look of Asuma, Fuu decided to elaborate.

"Jinchuurikis can create a mental link with other Jinchuurikis and talk through our mind," Fuu explained, and Asuma nodded.

A Cave

Somewhere in a dark underground cave, two lone shadowy figures stood together, where the only sound that could be heard was the slow dripping of water falling from stalactites.

After a few minutes, seven more shadowy figures appeared, one after the other, where the only discernible feature that linked the nine figures together were the red clouds on their black cloaks, indicating that they were members of the Akatsuki.

"Is been a long time since we gathered like this, but what's the occasion? Are we going after Jinchuurikis?" One with long blonde hair asked, looking around, his voice sounding irritated.

"Shut up, Deidara, let's see what Leader-Sama has called us for," one short member said, losing his patience before looking at their leader.

"We have received important information that Nanabi Jinchuuriki is outside of the village apparently she has a mission in Konoha, but not only that but the team hired to go to Takigakure is Team 10, one of the members is Jinchuuriki of Nine Tails" The leader spoke much to the surprise of everyone.

A Whistle was heard from a shark grin who stood close to Itachi, "Wow, they must really like showing their Jinchuuriki to one another; Itachi isn't the brat, your student?" Kisame asked with a shark grin looking down at the other member, who was quiet for several seconds.

"Indeed, Naruto was my student," Itachi confirmed, keeping his voice calm and uncaring.

"How much should we expect from him?" The leader asked, knowing a student of Itachi wasn't a weak one and should not be underestimated.

"When I slaughtered my clan, Naruto was there trying to stop me; his power was around Genin level; knowing him, he most likely kept training to gain revenge. I Would say he should be Medium Chunin level if Not High Chunin," Itachi informed, caughting almost everyone by surprise; he was only a genin, and to be that strong was rare these days of "Peace" amongst the Villages.

"Very well, Kakuzu and Hidan. I Want you to go to Takigakure and test their abilities, capture them only if you can but don't attract too much attention" The leader spoke towards his henchmen, who nodded reluctantly, but before the meeting could end.

"Leader-sama, I would like to make a suggestion," Itachi spoke, much to the surprise of everyone.

"What is it, Itachi?" The Leader asked.

"I would suggest that me and Kisame go after the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and Nanabi Jinchuuriki," Itachi offered.

Kisame was quite taken back by this; he wondered if his teammate didn't want his student to die probably.

"What? Shut Up, Itachi, Or I will sacrifice you To Jashi..." "SILENCE," Pain ordered with a tone that sent shivers to everyone's spine.

Pain then turned to Itachi, looking at him with a calculating look.

"Why?"

"Hidan and Kakuzu are not good at doing jobs quietly; they will most likely gather the attention of everyone in Taki, which not only will lessen their chances of capturing the Jinchuuriki but also increase the chances of the Five Great Villages finding out about Akatsuki," Itachi explained.

Kisame, in a way, had to agree. His teammate indeed brought up a good point, Hidan with his stupid god and Kakuzu with his money addiction.

Pain went quiet and seemed to be thinking of what Itachi said; his eyes turned to look at the woman to his right, who shook her head.

Turning to Itachi, "No need for that; your duty is to observe the Gobi," Pain ordered before they disappeared.

Opening his eyes, Pain turned to look at the corner of the tower, the rain falling from the sky, crying for the Pain of this world. Soon a masked man appeared before him. Konan stood close to Pain, wary of Uchiha Madara.

"So Itachi wants to say 'Hi' to Uzumaki Naruto, it doesn't matter, his Mangekyo will soon go blind either that or his sickness will make him unable to fight. Once that happens, I can finally set foot on Konoha," He spoke before disappearing.

Night - Team 10

The Team had stopped walking after traveling the whole day; Asuma had ordered his team to gather wood, food, and other things for the night; while Fuu didn't need to work, she still went to help Naruto to gather wood.

"Naruto, your team seems to like you," Fuu said; she had seen how his team acted towards Naruto and was nowhere close to how her own team treats her.

Naruto felt bad for her; he knew how complicated things could get for a Jinchuuriki; unlike him, who had Kakashi, Anko, his Team, and Kurama, Fuu only had Chomei to be her one and only friend.

Naruto spread clones everywhere to gather wood before turning to Fuu, only now noticing the moonlight shining on her figure; her beautiful orange eyes seemed to shine, especially her green hair that had the scent of mint.

"They do indeed, but it wasn't always like that; in the beginning, I was by myself just like you," Naruto said; Fuu just listened to him.

"I know how it is to have eyes of hatred burning on your back; it can feel lonely, especially their harsh words. A long time ago, they hurt me, but eventually. I understand who I was, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I don't care what others thought of me," Naruto passionately said before putting his hand on her shoulder; Fuu liked the way his hand was touching her skin, her orange eyes soon meet with Naruto's blue ones.

The air smelled like a breath of fresh air; the sound of a nearby river was echoing through the air, with the birds flying from tree to tree.

"I can be your friend, Fuu, of course, if you want..." Naruto didn't finish before she engulfed him in a tight hug; Naruto found himself blushing from the close contact with the cute girl, hugging her back; the smell of mint was on her beautiful green hair.

"I would be happy to be friends, Naruto-Kun," Fuu said, feeling her eyes welling up; Naruto chuckled before they pulled away; the clones soon returned with the wood they gathered; Naruto offered Fuu to teach her how to use Shadow Clones Jutsu, Fuu said that she didn't see the appeal of it, but changed her mind when Naruto explained that all the memories of the clones went to the original after they disappeared.

"With that, you can easily learn new Jutsu and Elemental Manipulation; the only thing you need to do on your own is training your body," Naruto explained, walking towards the camp.

"Chomei trained me since I'm six years old, I can even control four tails mini Bijuu form without going berserk, but only for ten minutes," Fuu explained; Naruto was quite impressed to hear that; it was one thing to control Chakra Cloak, but Mini Bijuu form was ten times harder to control than Chakra Cloak.

"That's quite impressive, Fuu-Chan," Naruto complimented her, Fuu suddenly felt her cheeks burning, but she didn't understand why?

"You will understand soon, Fuu-chan," Chomei suddenly spoke in her mind, making the Jinchuuriki girl even more confused.

"What do you mean, Chomei?" Fuu asked, only to meet silence in return.

Stupid giant bug...

She suddenly felt a nudge on her shoulders, turning to her left, seeing Naruto looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You spaced out," Naruto said, knowing it was probably Chomei.

"Nothing really. Chomei is bugging me," Fuu replied, irritated before hearing Naruto chuckle.

"Was that a bug pun?"

"Pun? What's That?"

"Is too troublesome to explain," Naruto said deadpanned before his eyes widened in horror.

Oh no, I'm turning into Shikamaru, Naruto screamed in terror with Kurama laughing his ass off.

Soon the Jinchuuriki duo reached the camp; Naruto started cooking the food since he knew how to cook, one of the things that Naruto knew he inherited from his mother.

Ino was busy talking with Fuu, wanting to know more about the Jinchuuriki girl.

After cooking the food, everyone started eating. Team 10 was used to Naruto's cooking except for Fuu, who was the first to react.

"This is So Delicious; please, Can I have More?" Fuu asked with Naruto laughing before giving her more.

Few Hours Later, Near the Waterfall Village

When Naruto's instinct kicked in, causing him to slightly jump out of surprise as Team 10 and Fuu approached the village entrance.

"What's the matter, Naruto-kun?" Concerned, Ino inquired.

"I feel three chakra signatures approaching at fast speed, all jonin level," Naruto stated as everyone took their places. "What is your rank, Fuu?" Naruto inquired.

"On my own, I'm a Medium Chunin level, but if I use Nanabi's chakra, I'm about Low Jonin level," she stated, not revealing to anybody but Naruto that she could control Four Tails Chomei and battle a Low S-Rank to Medium S-Rank Shinobi with it.

"They may not be enemies, but let's be cautious," Naruto stated as Asuma assumed command.

"We'll have to split up since there are three jonin. Can you take one by yourself, Naruto?" Naruto nodded in response to Asuma's question.

Naruto said, "I've got a few tricks under my sleeve, and if necessary, I can use the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Then Naruto, take one, Ino and Shikamaru, the other, and me and Fuu, the last," Asuma instructed.

Three individuals raced out of the trees and leaped in front of team 10 and Fuu moments afterward.

The center person, who seemed to be the commander, was dressed in a full-body sleeveless outfit that was predominantly black with bright purple sides. He had black eyes and white hair. The other two donned the identical attire, including a full-body black suit with a light purple mid-sleeved shirt on top and a black belt around their waist. A black mask fully obscured the faces, leaving just the eyes visible.

"What's your name? And what exactly are you looking for?" Asuma inquired her guard up.

He pointed at Fuu and said, "My name is Atakashi, and we are coming to kidnap her." As soon as he said that, everyone formed a protective ring around her.

Asuma said, "Atakashi, you are a lost ninja from Kumo Village."

"What exactly do you want from me? Also, your emblem is unfamiliar to me," Fuu inquired, her face solemn and devoid of fear in the face of the hostile Shinobi.

"We're from the Hidden Sound Village, and we're looking for you because you know how to find the Eiyu no Mizu (Hero Water)," Atakashi said that he was preparing to seize by force if necessary.

"Hero Water?" Naruto inquired, his interest piqued. Fuu was hesitant to inform the others, but she decided to do so since they would most likely assist her.

"Hero Water is unique water that can only be found in our town and is considered a prohibited beverage. When you drink it, the water offers the individual a massive chakra boost. The water increases the user's chakra production tenfold but also shortens their lifespan. When our community was threatened, our forefathers utilized it to protect us." Team 10's eyes widened as Fuu said. It takes a lot of strength to increase chakra production tenfold. However, no power comes without a price.

Naruto stepped forward and stated, "Well, you're not getting Fuu."

"Aren't you a courageous little Genin?" Atakashi grinned and pulled his sword.

"Enough of this," Atakashi said, "if you don't release the girl, we'll take her by force."

"We're not going to let her go. Therefore we're going to fight. Because of the sword, Asuma-sensei, I will take Atakashi, and my affinity should be able to defeat him," Naruto said. He channeled chakra into his storage seal, and his blade appeared in a puff of smoke to his right.

Naruto vs. Atakashi

The groups splintered until only Atakashi, and Naruto remained. Before one of them made a move, they exchanged glances.

"You've got a lot of guts to go up against me in a fight. I'm unstoppable," Smirking, Atakashi remarked.

Naruto stated with a shake of his head, "You're much too self-assured. There is no such thing as an indestructible shinobi; we all have flaws and make mistakes"...

Atakashi ran forward, determined to eliminate the obnoxious blond. He slashed him with a vertical slash, attempting to kill him in one rapid action. Naruto, on the other hand, stopped the sword with his own sword, and the two struggled for supremacy until they came to a halt.

"How is that possible? How did you manage to block this blade in such a manner?" Atakashi inquired, irritated.

"As I already said, no one is invincible, and that sword isn't all-powerful. My sword is composed of chakra metal, and I have a strong affinity for lightning, so it's nearly as good as yours," Smirking and pissing Atakashi off, Naruto stated.

"Senbon Shower," Atakashi exclaimed, picking up his umbrella and flinging it into the air. The umbrella began to spin, launching a large quantity of senbons toward Naruto. Naruto realized there was no way to avoid them all, so he used a couple of hand seals. "Doton - Doryuuheki (Earth Wall)," Naruto said, and a wall of earth emerged from the ground, blocking the senbon.

"For a Genin, you're not awful," Atakashi replied.

"Genin is just a name," remarked Naruto, smiling as he went through additional hand seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)," Naruto remarked as he hurled a fireball toward Atakashi. He just raised his sword and chopped through the flame with a downward swipe, making it vanish.

Atakashi raced at Naruto, this time channeling chakra into the sword in an attempt to stun him. The sword launched a shockwave toward Naruto, who remained firm and didn't budge. Atakashi burst out laughing, believing he'd caught Naruto, but immediately quieted down when he saw Naruto standing there as if nothing had happened.

"How are you able to stand there?" Atakashi inquired.

"I said that I had a strong affinity towards lightning. Any lightning assault I get is rendered ineffectual due to the covering of the chakra on my exterior body. I'm resistant to lightning assaults with anything less than S-Rank jutsu or other incredibly concentrated jutsu. That is why I have resolved to fight you" Atakashi clenched his teeth as Naruto spoke.

"It makes no difference since I'm going to murder you regardless," Atakashi remarked as he attempted to slash Naruto once more, but he was blocked and leaped back.

"Let's see what you can accomplish without your prized sword," Naruto said, smirking before grabbing his swords, taking them away; he immediately sealed them away, leaving his enemy without anything.

"It's time to wrap this up; I need to check in on the rest of my crew."

Naruto ran forward, and Atakashi couldn't accomplish much without his sword, as he had imagined. Atakashi took the same road as other kekkei Genkai addicts, focusing only on it and believing themselves invincible.

Atakashi blocked with a kunai and jumped to the right as Naruto brought his sword to a vertical slash. "Shuriken Shadow Clone (Kage Shuriken no Jutsu)" Naruto stated this while throwing five shurikens that multiplied by 100. Atakashi raised his umbrella and shielded them all with it.

Naruto was stabbed in the back with a kunai before Atakashi realized what had happened. Atakashi grinned until 'Naruto' vanished in a flash of blue light, startling him with a burst of raiton chakra. Atakashi twitched a little as he searched for Naruto.

As Naruto's hand emerged from the ground and attempted to grasp him, Atakashi narrowly avoided it. "Teppoudama (Water Bullet) - Suiton" Atakashi and a fired a few shots at Naruto, who was wounded three times, twice in the chest and once in the leg, leaving him gasping in agony on the ground.

Atakashi approached Naruto, readying a kunai to finish him down. He cut his neck with it as he brought it down. Atakashi grinned until Naruto exhaled heavily and stopped in place, unable to move. Naruto just appeared behind his back and slammed his fist into his back.

"H-how?" Atakashi barely got a question out.

"You've let your guard down a little. You thought you got me when you struck me with the water bullets, but when you sent them, I swapped with a clone and hid underground. I sprang up and set a paralysis seal on you as you approached to kill my clone" Atakashi cursed his fate for being beaten by a 14-year-old, Naruto added.

"Now that you are unable to move, please answer a few questions before I send you to the Leaf," Naruto muttered as he moved up to Atakashi and paused a few inches in front of him.

"How do you intend to use the hero water?" Naruto inquired in his ice-blue eyes, which appeared to mirror Atakashi's soul onto them in a dispassionate tone.

"Like I'd tell you anything," hissed Atakashi, while Naruto merely grinned.

"Let's have some fun then," Naruto replied, shivering as he licked his lips in the classic Anko way.

"Damn brat, you should stop spending so much time with Anko" Kurama was taken aback by the abrupt shift in attitude.

"I'm curious as to why you won't speak out. You're already heading to Konoha, so why not make it simpler for yourself?" Naruto was attempting to reason with him.

"I'm afraid it isn't Konoha," Atakashi said, raising an eyebrow.

"Kurama. Could you assist me?" Naruto inquired.

"Sure," Kurama smirked, "I'm always up for some fun." Naruto turned off his Sharingan and channeled the energy of Kyuubi into his eyes, making them blood crimson with black vertical slits.

When Naruto locked his sight on Atakashi, he was drawn inside Naruto's head. Atakashi had no idea where he was until he came across steel caged doors that seemed to be used to keep something kept away. However, once the doors were completely opened, that notion sent chills up my spine. When Atakashi looked inside, he saw two blood-red eyes gleaming in the darkness. As a person approached, the pupils of the eyes dilated.

Atakashi was frozen in place as the figure presented itself to him a few seconds later. An orange fox with nine tails swirled in front of him. The Kyuubi no Yoko, the most powerful bijuu of them, stood in front of him.

"This is a very good breakfast. I can finally chew something," Kurama muttered, cautiously approaching Atakashi, who remained still but seemed to have lost control of his bladder.

"I told you I wasn't a horrible man," Naruto said as he stood there watching Atakashi literally wet himself.

Kurama walked up to Atakashi, licking his fangs and preparing to eat him.

"O-Ok, I'll t-tell y-y-you e-everything I-I-K-K-" Atakashi stammered, unable to maintain control of his body at the time.

"That wasn't too difficult, was it?" Naruto posed a rhetorical question. Naruto inquired, "Why do you want the water?"

"It had been a mission. Our village's leader has made obtaining water a top goal. But I'm not sure why he wants it, "Atakashi said swiftly.

"I see, and who is the chief of your village?" Naruto inquired.

Atakashi responded, "Orochimaru, the snake sannin," and Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Orochimaru, did you know that he created his own village? When I go back, I'll tell the old guy about it, "Naruto pondered.

"Is there anything else I should know right now?" When Naruto inquired, Atakashi swiftly shook his head and said no. Naruto dispelled the illusion and attacked him from behind, knocking him unconscious with a chop to the neck. Naruto was able to break the paralysis by using a chakra seal instead. To keep him alive, he bound him with ninja wire and placed him in a stasis scroll.

"Thank you, Kurama," Naruto expressed his gratitude.

The Others

Naruto arrived just in time to watch the other battles come to a finish.

"Are you all OK, Naruto?" Asuma enquired.

"Yes. His weapon is in my possession, and he's imprisoned in a stasis scroll. I'll return to interrogate him, but I did learn that Orochimaru is in charge of his village" Naruto clarified the situation.

"Orochimaru?"

"Yes, we'll notify Hokage-Sama when we get to the village," Naruto responded. "How are things going for everyone?" He inquired.

"Shikamaru and Ino are out of breath, with a few injuries but nothing serious," Fuu said.

"Let's relax in the village and relay the information," Asuma said.

As the team left along with Fuu, from far away, two figures stood together, one with a giant scythe over his shoulder, the other looking at the landscape with an angry look, remembering how his village betrayed him a long time ago, not that it mattered anymore, in a way Kakuzu was grateful, he wasn't bound to any village anymore.

"Happy to return to your old home, Kakuzu," the other asked with a smirk earning a growl from the other.

"Just shut up and let's deal with this," Kakuzu said, ignoring Hidan before walking forward, ready to say 'Hello' to his old home.