Chapter 50

One Year Later

It was October tenth again and Naruto was now 15. Mina had thrown him another birthday party. Actually the party had been for him and her son. The guest list had been the same, but as no one was born this time around the party had not been quite as memorable as the last one.

He and Hinata snuck out while everyone was focused on the other Naruto. They were currently snuggled together on the roof of one of the many abandoned buildings in the Uchiha compound. They were making out like… well like a couple teenagers. Hinata was dressed in her usual black pants and slightly snug black shirt. The bulky jacket of her academy days was a distant memory. Physically her body had started to really mature, especially her chest. This had not gone unnoticed by the young men of the village. With her physical beauty, friendly outgoing nature, great skills as a medic nin, and her position as the Hyuuga heiress she was the leading beauty of the village. She surpassed even the ravishing Ino and left plain old Sakura far behind. Sadly for all the young men of Konoha Hinata's heart was already taken.

Naruto had his hand inside her shirt slowly stroking her bra and the breast hidden just beneath. Even with their tongues sliding into each other's mouths she still gave a little moan. He knew she would make him stop soon; this was as far as she was willing to let him go. Getting to be alone together so often they had slowly grown more intimate. Naruto longed to go even further but Hinata never let him go past the fondling stage. And even if she had been willing he had made that promise to Hiashi. As he kissed her and touched her it occurred to him this was the girl he'd once dismissed as a quiet weirdo. Damn I really was a complete idiot back then.

"Naruto stop," as he'd known would happen she took his hand away and pulled her shirt back down over her bra.

"Aw come on Hinata-chan, it's my birthday. Can't we go a little further?"

She gave her boyfriend a knowing smile. "I've already let you go a little further than usual, we can't do more."

Why not? He decided to argue, just going this far was amazing and he loved that Hinata was a good girl. She was exactly her sort of woman any man should want to marry. "O.k. I guess," he slid his arms around her and held her close as he lay back down in the roof. "The fireworks should be starting soon."

She pressed herself against him. He'd removed his vest to let her get as close as possible. "Are you worried about the Jonin test tomorrow?"

"Nope," he said with a confident smile. "I was able to beat Itachi so there's no way I'm not passing, no matter what the test is like." He'd pleaded with the old man, Kakashi, Ebisu, and every other Jonin he knew but no one would reveal what the test was.

"You really beat Itachi?"

XXXXXXXXXX

One Month Earlier

Itachi moved silently through the shadows of the Uchiha compound. For the past three hours he and Naruto had been having their own little game of hide and seek. It was also a variation of the bell test. Each of them carried a single bell on their belt. The nature of the exercise was simple; use your stealth skills to take the bell from your opponent. Over the past year Naruto had greatly improved his chakra control as well as his stealth abilities. He'd actually become a very worthy adversary and a genuine challenge. But he was still no match for the master.

Itachi had found Naruto's hiding place. He's masked his presence and chakra signature well but Itachi had managed to pick up just the faintest trace from him. Moving with slow and practiced care within the shadows he approached Naruto from behind. With one perfectly timed move he took the bell cleanly from Naruto's belt, ending the night's test.

"Well done Naruto, your skill is excellent, but the test is now over."

Naruto slowly stood up and grinned. "It was over an hour ago I was waiting for you to notice." He pointed to the bell on Itachi's belt. The bell there instantly vanished in a puff of smoke. The bell in his hand along with Naruto also vanished in smoke.

"Your stupidity has just killed you," Naruto's voice whispered in Itachi's ear.

Itachi turned about to see his student standing there grinning and holding a bell. He took my bell and got right behind me without my ever sensing him. "Very well done Naruto," Itachi gave him a respectful nod of his head. "I think you have learned everything I can teach you."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yeah I did, so no matter what this test is I'll beat it."

Hinata was quiet for a moment. "Naruto, how are you doing with the Hiraishin?"

He looked at her and his confident grin remained firmly in place. "I'm close, I'm sure I'll get there soon."

"Naruto," she said cautiously. "You've been saying that for months now. You have one year until my father's deadline. What if…"

"Hinata-chan," He leaned in close and brought his mouth to hers. "I will master the Hiraishin no Jutsu before I turn sixteen. I have absolutely no doubt about it, none."

She looked into his sky blue eyes. Ever since she'd been a timid little girl just looking at him had been enough to give her courage. Being with him had completely changed her life. Her shyness, her insecurities were a thing of the past. Naruto thought she was special and he loved her, how could she possibly doubt herself when he believed in her? But the thought of losing him and of his having that horrible seal implanted onto his forehead filled her with dread. "How can you be so sure Naruto-kun?"

"Because if you want something with all your heart and you go after it with everything you've got you can make anything happen!" If confidence alone could make it possible then he would succeed without any doubt at all. "I love you with all my heart Hinata-chan. I will learn the Hiraishin, I will become Hokage, and I will make you my wife and love you forever. Don't doubt it for even a second."

"Naruto-kun," she whispered.

As they kissed the fireworks filled the night sky.

They didn't notice.

XXXXXXXXXX

A dozen rain ninja lay defeated and unconscious around him.

"You didn't kill any of them," Tobi / Madara noted impressed. To defeat an enemy without killing him was the height of skill.

Sasuke stood there in his black robe with red clouds. His face was hidden beneath a swirling black mask that was similar to Tobi's except for its black color. "They're not the ones I want to kill. I'm sick of training. When do I get what you promised me master?"

"Soon," Madara said comfortingly "Everything is about to begin. Soon we will both have our revenge."

XXXXXXXXXX

Karin was working late at the research base when she heard screams. Screams were hardly out of the ordinary in this place. But these screams weren't coming from the labs they seemed to be coming from the living quarters. Dear kami have some of the test subjects broken free? That hadn't happened in more than a year, not since that animal Yuzuru escaped after slaughtering half the research staff.

After that security had been greatly heightened. Among other things she'd had cameras installed throughout the facility. She could access their pictures from right here in her lab. Going to a console she brought the images up. What she saw made her gasp. Her people, her researchers were being slaughtered in their beds or in the halls as they tried to run. But that wasn't the worst of what she was seeing. It wasn't any of the test subjects who were murdering her people.

It was the various incarnations of Pein.

He seemed to somehow know she was watching him. His main body turned to one of the cameras and spoke. "I am sorry about this Karin. You and your team did a marvelous job and I am truly grateful. But now that your work is done you are much too dangerous to risk having someone capture you. I am afraid you and the other scientists here are now expendable. Please remain where you are and wait. I will be there in less than a minute. I promise to make your death quick and painless." With that he began walking towards the lab where she was.

"Oh fuck!" She needed to get out. She could sense his chakra and he really would be there in less than a minute. Before she took off in her lab coat though she ran over to a computer and popped out a disk and put it in a case. I'll need this to bargain with! She then ran to a secret door she'd had installed along with the cameras and other measures.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pein arrived at lab 01 to find the door unlocked. When he entered he found the place deserted. He calmly shut his eyes and reached out with his senses to try and find her. To his great annoyance there seemed to be no trace of her anywhere. "This could be a problem." With a thought one of his incarnations summoned a tracking animal and set out to find the wayward scientist.

XXXXXXXXXX

"A bell test?!" Naruto shouted. "Are you kidding me?" These bell tests were turning into the bane of his existence.

"Yosh!" an excited Gai cried out. His near fatal injuries long since healed. "That is the fire of youth every Jonin needs! Don't you agree my eternal rival?"

Kakashi looked up from his book. "Sorry, did you say something?"

As Gai began to sputter about Kakashi and his hip attitude Asuma grinned and took another drag on his cigarette. "Don't worry Naruto it shouldn't be that bad. Well, at least it won't be fatal."

"Fatal?"

"He's teasing you Naruto," Kakashi said. Each of the elite Jonin had a single bell tied to his belt. Naruto had been given one as well. "You probably won't even be hurt… much."

"You know I'm starting to remember why I never liked you much as a sensei," Naruto said in an annoyed tone.

Sarutobi grinned at the banter between them. "The test is simple Naruto," the Hokage explained. "You will go into training ground twelve and remain there for three hours. Kakashi, Gai, and Asuma will try to track you down and take your bell. To pass the test you must keep your bell for the full three hours. You need not only remain on the defensive. You can remove each of them from the exam by, 'killing' them and taking their bells. Obviously if you manage to take all three bells you pass the test immediately."

Naruto smiled wickedly. For some reason seeing that made Kakashi a bit nervous. "Can I use any jutsus I want?"

"Certainly, but do keep in mind these are your fellow Leaf nin so try to avoid lethal force. Now the test will begin in five minutes so I suggest you find a hiding spot."

"Right!" Naruto said cheerfully and jogged into the training ground. He had no worries about success. If he could successfully hide from Itachi no one else would be able to track him down, not even Kakashi with his nin dogs. No, he had something else in mind.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Kakashi muttered.

Five minutes later the three Jonin entered the training ground.

They went ion as a group and were about to split up when they heard a loud voice cry out.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu."

The entire training ground seemed to be enveloped with smoke. When it cleared the three Jonin were surrounded by two thousand shadow clones. "Don't worry!" They all said at once. "I probably won't hurt you… much."

"Yosh! Now this is a challenge!" Gai cried out in genuine enthusiasm.

The other two looked at him as though he were insane.

With a roar the kage bushins charged.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ten minutes later Konoha's newest Jonin came tramping out whistling a jaunty tune. "Here you are," he handed the Hokage three bells.

Sarutobi looked back at the training ground. "This is a new record Naruto; you didn't injure them did you?"

"Not seriously," Naruto said. He thought of Kakashi and grinned. "I happen to know for a fact that the Thousand Years of Death no Jutsu is non lethal."

He headed home wondering how far Hinata would let him get as they celebrated his promotion.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Do you understand your mission?" Pein said to the two astral images.

"You need us to track down and kill this woman for you," Sasori growled.

"Sounds like fun, yeah!" Deidara said.

"Do not take this lightly," Pein said stern and uncompromising. "She is no warrior, but she is very skilled at self preservation, and what she knows could bring us ruin. Make certain she dies with her secrets intact."

"Understood," Sasori nodded his bulky neck.

The two images vanished.

"This could be a real problem," Konan offered. "Do you want to delay things until she has been dealt with?"

"No, this day has been delayed long enough. Today we will begin to bring the world peace, the only way possible, with the sword. We will conquer the world and impose peace upon them from above. Let us begin Operation Legacy."

He stepped out from the hidden room at the very top of his sacred, 'temple.' Gathered below him were a thousand ninja. Every one of them with a Rain hitai-ite with a scratch through it. Every one of them with a curse seal; the legacy of Orochimaru's genius.

"The great and holy day is upon us!" He cried out. "In the name of your living god go forth and conquer all who oppose me! Let us bring this world peace through fire and blood!"

And from down below he was answered by a thousand roars.

Thus began the Fourth Great Ninja war and Akatsuki's bid to conquer the world.