Chapter 47: What it means to be Chosen

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm…."- Bijuu, Black Zetsu

Chapter 47:

What it means to be Chosen

Nagato took a step back, unsure of what to make of his and his friends' new dire situation. The boy had never expected anyone to be bold enough to attack them like this. Not to mention that, even if he had been worried that someone would try to ambush them, they would be some petty thugs. But staring at the redhead in front of him, Nagato could already tell that this guy was anything but petty. He had a serious vibe around him that practically screamed high level shinobi. Those blank eyes staring at them also further proved Nagato's observation.

Similar thoughts were running in both Yahiko's and Konan's head at the moment. But they were smart enough to calm themselves down. The streets had taught them to never panic in such situations way before Jiraiya had begun to teach them ninjutsu. Right now, their only hope was the underground tunnel. It would give them a means of escape. If they could get to the entrance before they were killed.

Fuka hummed as she took a couple of steps forward, her eyes analyzing the three orphans. Like Sasori, she already knew what their target looked like. And her eyes lit up when they landed on Nagato.

"Well then," she said in what could only be conceived as a surprised tone, "that little spy network of yours did come in handy. It's him!"

Sasori didn't reply. But his eyes told a different story. They were inspecting Nagato very closely.

It was something that said boy picked up on as he took another step back. 'They're here for me?' he thought to himself, wondering why anyone would ever target him. He was no one special. Well, Jiraiya had told him about his eyes and how they were something considered to be godly. But Nagato still had his doubts about that. To him, he was a simple boy who had been caught up in the destruction of the last war just like many other unfortunate children living in this country. Just like Yahiko and Konan. His dream was also simple: he only wanted to protect his friends. There was nothing grand about any of that.

But Yahiko thought otherwise as he stepped in front of him. The orange haired boy could already tell that these two were interested in Nagato.

Sasori's eyes went to him.

"What do you guys want with Nagato?" Yahiko asked with a frown.

Konan glanced at Nagato worriedly.

Fuka chuckled as she shook her head. "That doesn't concern you, boy. So how about you take yourself and your other friend out of here before things turn ugly. I don't really like hurting children, but I will if you leave me no choice." Her eyes turned cold. "This world isn't a playground, after all. So if you don't want to die, I suggest you leave now."

Yahiko scowled. "Yeah, right! Like we've never heard that before! Do you think we're just going to stand here and let you guys take Nagato away from us!? Think-"

The boy didn't get to finish as Fuka appeared in front of him in an instant. Yahiko felt the air leave his lungs as Fuka kneed him with an incredible force.

"Yahiko!"

Nagato could only watch his friend fall to the floor in pain as Konan screamed out his name. These guys….they weren't playing around.

Fuka's face showed that as she looked down at the coughing Yahiko. "If there's one thing that I hate, it's obnoxious brats. You think you've seen everything. But the world is a bigger place than you can comprehend. Not only that, but you fail to learn what reality teaches you. You could have been smart and walked away. But instead, you threw your life away. Obnoxious brat."

Konan's eyes widened when she saw the woman pull out a kunai from within her cloak. She was about to charge her herself.

But Sasori spoke first. "Fuka. That's enough."

Said redhead glanced at him. "What?"

"Our target is the other boy," Sasori said calmly. "I would rather avoid spilling any unnecessary blood here. Especially the kind of ignorant children. Just get the boy so we can get out of here already."

Fuka didn't respond for a few moments as the two stared at one another.

Konan felt her heart race as she reached for the kunai pouch strapped on her left leg. Yahiko looked up at the woman with gritting teeth as he held his stomach. As for Nagato, he could only stare at the ongoing scene in front of him with wide eyes, still not believing what was happening.

After what seemed like eternity, Fuka finally sighed as she relented. "Fine, fine. I guess you're right. Although I never would have pegged you as a softie, Sasori. I guess you do have feelings behind that cold look of yours."

"I can say the same to you," Sasori retorted without elaborating before he turned his attention to Nagato who was still standing a bit behind Fuka. "Now, boy, come with us. Otherwise, your friends are going to get killed here. I would rather not use force if possible."

But the choice was taken out of Nagato's hands as Yahiko screamed, pulling out an explosive tag out of his kunai pouch before tagging Fuka's leg with it.

Said redhead merely raised an eyebrow as Yahiko jumped back up before making his way back towards Konan, the tag going off a moment later.

The three orphans shielded their eyes from the explosion while Sasori sighed. The former Suna shinobi reached into his cloak with a sense of calmness.

'I guess people, even brats, don't like making things easy in the end,' he thought to himself in distaste.

Meanwhile, both Yahiko and Konan reached for Nagato in the midst of the explosion, intent on using this diversion to cover up their escape to the underground tunnel.

But Sasori already knew this.

The three orphans were forced to stop right before they could reach the door to the underground tunnel in the other side of the living room as Karasu appeared in front of them.

"You shouldn't underestimate us too much," Sasori stated calmly as he appeared from the other side of the smoke, his hand extended which showed that he was the one controlling Karasu.

'Is this guy….. a puppeteer?' Konan thought. She had read about them before. They were mostly found within Suna. So that was where the most powerful were as well. That did give them an opening, however. Because they had to concentrate on their puppets, it left the puppeteers themselves wide open for a counterattack. They didn't do well in close combat either. Both Nagato and Yahiko excelled at close combat while she could handle long rage attacks thanks to her paper based jutsu. In other words, if they were careful enough, they could handle their attacker well enough if they worked together.

But Konan's plan died when another figure appeared next to Sasori.

"You let your guard down."

Fuka t'ched, already knowing that Sasori was annoyed with her. "Yeah, I know. I underestimated these brats too much. I should have known better." Especially since Jiraiya had apparently been training them.

The three orphans could only look at Fuka with wide eyes. There wasn't a single scratch on her! But how!? Even with a substitution, her leg should have at least been grazed!

Fuka sent them a wink when she saw their shocked faces. "Don't worry about that. My jutsu is something that none of you could begin to understand."

'These guys…..they really are beyond us!' Konan screamed in her mind while Yahiko was gritting his teeth.

Nagato could only glance at his friends, knowing that he had to do something about this. If things went any further, they really were going to get killed.

'You have to focus!' he said to himself. 'Remember Jiraiya-sensei's instructions…..these eyes…the Rinnegan…jutsu that only I can pull off…..'

Sasori sighed. "Now then. Enough with these theatrics. My patience is already running thin. Unlike my associate here, I won't bother to go easy on you."

Fuka glanced at her fellow redhead with a raised eyebrow. "Really? I thought that you didn't want to kill them."

"I don't like to be kept waiting," was Sasori's simple response. It only made Fuka more amused.

Yahiko was about to try his next move before Nagato walked forward, his resolve solidified.

"Oh?" Fuka said in surprise when she saw this. "Are you coming willingly?"

Both Yahiko and Konan looked at Nagato with wide eyes, not actually believing that their friend was actually going to turn himself over. Especially for them. That wasn't how they did things. Well, Yahiko didn't want Nagato to do that at the very least.

But they didn't remain shock about that for too long as Nagato brought his hands forward in an instant.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Both Sasori and Fuka didn't know what hit them as they were instantly propelled backwards and out of the house by an incredible force. The attack was fierce enough to even make Sasori lose control over his Karasu, the puppet falling to the ground less than a second later.

Both Yahiko and Konan were shocked yet again, but this time at the fact that Nagato knew such a powerful technique. This was the first time that they were seeing him use something like that. Just what kind of jutsu was that?

Nagato was also staring at his hands in wonders, not believing that he had actually gotten it right on his first try. It usually took him around three tries before he actually succeeded.

But Konan was the one to come out of her shock first. The girl grabbed both boys by their hands, knowing that this was the perfect opening to get out of here. If they stayed any longer, it was another moment where they could possibly die.

Outside of the house, both Sasori and Fuka stood up groggily, not exactly sure what had just happened.

"That boy….." Fuka began with a frown. She didn't even care that she was caught in the rain. No. Her mind was too focused on what had just happened to them.

"It seems that we are beginning to understand why Tobi wants him," Sasori said as he stood back up. He felt his shoulder joints pop with tension. 'I get the feeling that we didn't experience that jutsu at its full power,' he thought to himself, recalling how surprised the boy had looked before he had been hit by it. 'He must still be working on it…..'

Still, if these were the effects of the jutsu when it wasn't completed, Sasori could only imagine how powerful it was when it was at full power. Yes, Tobi's interest with this boy was definitely beginning to make sense to him.

"We better go after him."

Fuka groaned as Sasori began to make his way back into the house. This was just too much work for her. Those brats were going to pay all right. She would see to that.

Sasori paused misstep, however, when he felt two new presences behind him. Also feeling the same thing, Fuka t'ched again. More work. Great.

Turning around, Sasori met face to face with someone that he had not been expecting to come across with ever again. His surprise was expressed with his eyes widening a bit. And who was that? It was none other than one Uzumaki Naruto.

Said blond was also looking at him with wide eyes, not actually believing the sight before him. Next to him was Jiraiya who had his eyes narrowed.

Standing up, Fuka raised an eyebrow when her eyes landed on Naruto's form. 'What is he doing here?' she thought to himself. The last she heard, Uzu had been wiped out. Of course, there had been some survivors. But the news hadn't actually impacted her all that much. Her ties with Uzu were all nonexistent now. If anything, the last person from her clan that she still cared about ever so slightly wasn't even in Uzu. And this boy in front of her was also an Uzumaki. So she had thought that the odds of him surviving were incredibly low.

'Then again, he's Sasuke's ally,' Fuka said to herself. 'So him being skilled isn't something that should surprise me.' It also made her wonder if Sasuke was in the area as well, especially since the blond appeared to be a Konoha shinobi now if the headband he was wearing was anything to go by.

"I didn't think that I would meet you here of all places, Naruto," Sasori stated in a calm tone.

Ah, that was right. Sasori had also met the blond during the attack of Hidan's cult at the fire daimyo's palace all those months ago. It seemed like an eternity ago now.

Naruto didn't reply for a few moments as he continued to stare at Sasori. After a few more moments of this, the blond finally said, "That cloak…why are you wearing it?"

Sasori raised an eyebrow at this, Karasu appearing behind him. "Of what importance is that to you exactly?"

"Just answer the question," Naruto stated through clenched teeth.

"I simply joined an organization," Sasori answered, not seeing the need to go into any specifics. Even if he hid the fact that he was a rogue ninja now, his profile would soon be all over the bingo book. His village wasn't stupid enough to take his desertion lightly, after all. Especially since it was obvious that he had deserted to begin with.

"Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya glanced towards his apprentice, only to be met with Naruto's dead serious look. It was the first time that he had seen the brat so serious. It seemed as if he had some sort of history with this guy in front of them. Jiraiya could only wonder what that history was.

"Go after Nagato and the others," Naruto said, his eyes never leaving Sasori. "I'll hold these two off here."

Fuka frowned at hearing this while Sasori had no reaction.

Usually, Jiraiya would voice his complaints and instead demand that they worked together. But he also knew the circumstances. Naruto could take care of himself, and he needed to catch up to his three other students before they vanished again. That wouldn't help them any.

So instead, Jiraiya simply nodded before he rushed towards the house.

Seeing this, Fuka made to stop him, only to be met by Naruto who appeared in front of her faster than her eyes could follow. The redhead grunted in pain as she found herself in the receiving end of a powerful kick that had her being knocked back.

Seeing this with calculated eyes, Sasori h'mphed, not bothering to try and stop Jiraiya as he ran past him. He already knew that it would be pointless since Jiraiya could possibly block his attacks. And if he didn't, the redhead could already tell that the blond was prepared to. This only left him with one option.

"You really are powerful," Sasori commented as Naruto stopped in front of him. Fuka was off to the side as she got up to her knees while holding her stomach. She was also glaring daggers at Naruto who didn't pay any attention to that. The blond's focus was entirely on Sasori.

"I guess you were holding back when we worked together," Sasori added.

But that didn't concern Naruto. "Why did you join Akatsuki?"

Now, Sasori's eyes did widen exponentially. "How do you know of that name?"

"That doesn't really matter," Naruto said in return. "Now, answer my question."

"Then let me say that in return," Sasori replied. "My reasons for joining don't matter. It was simply my choice. And here I am. But since you know of us, I take it that you're not going to let us go without a fight."

Naruto didn't respond to that.

"This situation has turned for the worst," Kurama said in his mind. "Somehow, the Akatsuki has been formed in this time period…but by whom?"

"Madara could still be alive," Gyuki said. "Could he have done this?"

"It would be too soon, though," Kokuo said in contemplation. "After all, Obito isn't even a genin yet. Madara should still be looking for someone to follow his plan….."

Then how?

'I'll simply force it out of him then,' Naruto stated as he brought out one of his Hiraishin kunai.

"Fuka."

Said redhead looked towards her partner to see him pulling out another scroll.

"We're retreating."

Fuka closed her eyes at that. Just like she had thought. If even Sasori was admitting that retreat was the best solution, then that could only mean that the blond was too much for them. And for the first time since she had become a rogue shinobi, Fuka had failed to complete a mission. It was certainly annoying.

Naruto didn't say a word as a puff of smoke emerged in front of Sasori. He could already recognize the two puppets that he had pulled out. They were the same ones that Kankuro had in the future. If Sasori had them, it could only mean that he had been the one to create them. That was an interesting detail.

But the blond didn't focus too much on that as the two puppets made to charge at him.

Sasori maneuvered Karasu to go in front while Kuroari took the rear. These two worked best as a team, after all.

Naruto didn't wait a second as he jumped back in order to evade the two puppets. In midair, he also threw his Hiraishin towards Sasori, only for another puff of smoke to appear in front of the puppeteer.

But he wasn't able to focus too much on that as he was forced to duck from the blades that emerged from each puppet. Naruto t'ched at this, obviously not pleased with the tedious distractions that were these puppets.

The puppets weren't the only thing that he had to deal with, however, as Fuka came heading straight towards him while mixing in with the puppets.

The blond was forced to take a solid punch from the redhead that had him skidding back.

"That's payback for before," Fuka said while holding her fist. She was standing in between both Karasu and Kuroari.

Naruto felt his cheek stinging a bit as he looked towards Sasori to see a third puppet taking a stance in front of him. But unlike the other two that looked humanoid, this one had a salamander-like shape to it. It was the best description that Naruto could give it. But its appearance wasn't what concerned the blond. No, instead it was the fact that it had blocked his kunai from reaching Sasori with a well placed shield on its back. But before he could worry about getting around it, he would have to deal with the other two puppets and Fuka herself. Not that that would be too hard. He had already made the first move.

Fuka narrowed her eyes when she saw three shadow clones form around the blond. This was the first time that she was seeing the blond fight first-hand. But a stretched out confrontation wasn't their goal here. No, they simply wanted an opening to where it would give them the means of escape. And so far, that hadn't happened.

No words were spoken. The only sound that could be heard was of the endless rain drops falling around them. But none of them payed any attention to that.

They were all still until Naruto and his clones charged towards Fuka and the two puppets beside her. Sasori quickly maneuvered them to charge as well with Fuka holding her ground.

Naruto and his clones converged into a straight line before two disappeared in a yellow flash.

Fuka's eyes widened at seeing this. Her senses quickly told her to duck, which she did. She twisted herself to see Naruto behind her with a fist stretched out. There was another Naruto standing before Sasori and his third puppet. But Fuka didn't have any time to wonder just how the blond had been able to get around them as she was quickly forced into a taijutsu match with the Naruto in front of her. Taijutsu wasn't a specialty of hers. Thankfully, it seemed as if it wasn't a specialty for the blond either. But defending his punches and kicks head on was something that was taking a toll on her body already as she was being kept on the defensive. The blond could hit hard.

The other two Narutos were facing off with Karasu and and Kuroari with relative ease thanks to Sasori's attention being mostly focused on the other Naruto that had appeared in front of his final and defensive puppet.

Both Narutos stood back to back as the puppets circled them before Karasu fired an array of needles towards them. This caused the two to jump into the air in order to evade the needles. But they were so focused on dodging Karasu's offensive attack that they weren't able to catch Kuroari's presence behind them. They were both caught by Kuroari's secret compartment a moment later.

But Sasori didn't say a word as he watched the Naruto in front of him pick up the kunai that Sanshouo had blocked.

'That kunai…..'

Sasori h'mphed as Karasu's entire body was split up into individual blades, all aimed at Kuroari's compartment where the two Narutos had been captured.

"Kurohigi Kiki Ippatsu!"

"Odama Rasengan!"

But before the blades could reach, the two Narutos burst free from inside Kuroari with the gigantic Rasengan in hand. With the blades still on their way, however, the two got caught in the middle of the barrage. The end result was the two Narutos disappearing in a puff of smoke as soon as they were hit with the blades.

Sasori t'ched at seeing this. 'So they were only shadow clones in the end…..' And now he was down one puppet. But something was out of place here. He had spent countless hours on Kuroari, working to make it what it had been today. That was the gift and curse of being a puppeteer…..they put their souls into the puppets that they created. And when they fell in battle, it usually brought great pain to them. The puppets were in a sense an extension of themselves, after all. But he didn't feel a thing. Why? He didn't understand. Unless…..

Sasori smiled.

The Naruto in front of him frowned at seeing the smile. 'What is he thinking right now?'

"How about we start getting serious now, Naruto?" Sasori said as he began to reach into his cloak. "This is the first time that I will be testing this…..you should feel honored. You are about to see one of my favorite creations."

Naruto didn't respond. But the two weren't able to continue with their fight as a vortex appeared next to them both. Next to Naruto, Miyuki appeared with Sasuke and Kaito in tow. Next to Sasori, it was none other than Tobi himself.

"Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu!"

The Naruto facing Fuka was caught within the water dragon, only to disappear into a puff of smoke just like the other two before him.

Fuka frowned at seeing this from her kneeling position. 'A clone, huh…..damn brat…..'

Her eyes instantly went back towards Sasori, only for them to widen when they caught sight of what was happening over there.

There was an eerie silence as both sides stared at one another, both Naruto and Sasuke not believing who was in front of them. Miyuki was in a similar state as well as she observed the masked man in front of them. Kaito was the only one who was left out of the loop.

"Oi, this can't be…..what the hell is he doing here!?"

Naruto had no way of answering Kurama.

"It seems that you two were caught in quite the mess," Tobi commented as Fuka appeared on the other side of Sasori. Sasuke's eyes went to hers for a moment. There were many questions in his and many answers in hers.

"We weren't able to complete the second half of our mission," was Sasori's simple response.

This only made Tobi chuckle. "No matter. It will have to go another way now."

But his attention turned to the group in front of him as Naruto took a step forward. "You…how are you here, Obito!?"

Both Sasori and Fuka glanced towards their leader, wondering about this Obito comment.

"I would guess by the same way that you two got here," Tobi replied, glancing towards Miyuki. "It does seem that you two have gained new powers and allies. I've missed quite a bit….."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes while he took all of this information in. It wasn't that hard. Seeing Obito and the other two wearing those familiar cloaks practically screamed to him that his fellow Uchiha had already revived Akatsuki. He had even recruited Fuka. They had also come here in order to capture Nagato before his Rinnegan eyes could fall into their hands. He was only annoyed that Miyuki hadn't informed him of what was happening over here from the beginning. It had taken a lot of probing on his part in order to get her to tell him after he had noticed how uncomfortable she had become. Then again, the only reason she hadn't told him anything was because Naruto had ordered her not to through that bond of theirs. So in the end, the one he should be pissed at was Naruto. But he could complain to the blond later. Right now, the situation in front of them was what mattered.

"You don't have to do this anymore!" Naruto exclaimed as he pointed at him. "This is no longer the present that first came to be. We can change things for the better! For you! For Rin!"

Tobi chuckled. "Yes, I know all about it. Right now, my naive self is carrying on with his life without realizing the hell that he's in….I also know of the current Rin here."

There was a pause.

His sharingan spun behind his mask. "So what of it?"

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that, not quite believing that Obito was still willing to throw his former life down the drain even though he had been presented with this golden opportunity.

But Tobi wasn't finished as he extended his arms around him. "This world is hell. Even if my past self hasn't realized it, I already know of it. It no longer matters where or when I am. My goal is still clear. As long as this rotten shinobi world exists, there can be no peace. There can be no hope. Only despair exists. That's something that we all have in common. Wouldn't you agree, Naruto? After all, your precious village was destroyed without a second thought. And you still believe that your ideals are the right path? What a laughable idea."

"I can't deny that," Naruto replied. "This system is a mess. And just like me, you were also caught in the hatred that it brings. A victim. But I also can't allow you to carry with your plans. My resolve is already clear. I will stop you, no matter what."

"No."

Tobi's gaze fell on Sasuke who walked to stand next to Naruto.

"We will stop you."

Tobi chuckled again as he stared at the two boys in front of him. "Yes, I already know that you two will stand against me until the end. But it matters not. Unfortunately, I no longer have the power to defeat you right now. So our fight will have to wait until another day. Sasori. Fuka. We're leaving."

Fuka merely nodded while Sasori pulled out three scrolls while the Sanshouo behind him disappeared into a puff of smoke.

Naruto didn't know how to reply as the redhead threw all three scrolls at him.

"They're yours," Sasori stated. "I no longer need them."

Tobi simply observed this as he activated his Kamui, engulfing all three of them before Naruto or Sasuke could attack.

None of them said a word.

"You have many things to explain to us."

Tobi had already known this was going to happen as he and his fellow Akatsuki members reappeared inside a small cave in order to shield themselves from the rain outside. Zetsu was already there, waiting for them.

Fuka glanced at Sasori to see him staring intently at their apparent leader.

But Tobi didn't answer him as he looked at Zetsu. "Well?"

"We weren't able to reach him in time," White Zetsu stated.

"Jiraiya was already with them by the time that we arrived," Black Zetsu finished.

"That settles it then," Tobi said in return. The Uchiha could still feel Sasori's gaze on him. Turning his head back, he looked at the frowning redhead. "Your questions will be answered. But for now, fall back. You will no longer be needed here."

"What exactly are we supposed to do now then?" Fuka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's obvious." Tobi turned away from them. "Be ready for when we resume our hunt for the bijuu."

Nagato looked uneasily to all the new people that had met with them after Jiraiya had surprised them all with his arrival back into this poor country. They had been transported to one of the reaming safe houses by some weird jutsu that the beautiful silver haired lady had used. She was currently sitting next to the blond boy who was also Jiraiya's apprentice from what they had been told. There was also another dark haired boy sitting on the other side of the blond with his eyes closed. Jiraiya was sitting at one end of the table with the red haired man sitting on the other end.

Both Yahiko and Konan were sitting next to him on the other side of the table while facing the blond and the other two. Konan was sitting patiently until conversation started. Yahiko on the other hand was staring intently at the blond with an impatient look on his face.

What no one else knew was that Naruto was already having a conversation of his own.

"It could explain it….."

"But we also don't know when he arrived. Or when they started to move. There are too many unknowns here."

"Roshi wouldn't disappear like that without a reason, though. I know it."

"Yes, but you were so quick to believe that he had done so on purpose before."

"That's because there was no better explanation! It was the only one that made any sense! But with what just happened, I am forced to reevaluate my earlier statements…."

'What are you guys talking about?'

Matatabi sighed. "Well, it deals with the Son of this time period….."

'What about him? I know that he hasn't bothered to reply to my summons. But that's because he's stubborn.'

Kokuo shook his head. "Yes, that is true. But we also lost trace of his chakra a few weeks back. We didn't know what had caused this. We could only assume that he had hidden his chakra from us so that we couldn't contact him anymore."

'You guys can do that?'

"You would be surprised at how much we disliked each other in the past," Isobu said with a sigh of his own.

"I wouldn't do that, though," Saiken muttered. But the others didn't hear him.

"You also know how we got in contact with my past self," Kokuo continued, causing Naruto to hum in agreement. In his mind. It would be weird if he did that out in the real world, especially since Nagato and the others didn't know about his tenants yet.

"Well, it looks like I've already been sealed inside Han," Kokuo said. "We've already established a mutual relationship for the time being. It helps that he's just a little boy right now. But through their connection, my past self was able to find out that Roshi went missing around the same time that Son's chakra vanished."

"But Roshi has always hated being in Iwa," Son Goku said, stepping in. "Even I can remember that he used the pretense of controlling my power to finally leave the village after the Third Shinobi War ended. It was why I thought that he might have tried something really stupid this time around, especially since the timeline seems to be in a flux."

That last part was true. After all, Nagato was sitting in front of him right now despite the fact that Uzu had survived longer than the first time around.

"But with Obito's appearance as well as the Akatsuki being reformed, we can only assume that they've already captured Roshi and Son," Matatabi finished with a low growl.

That definitely spelled trouble for them all. Despite the fact that he could change the outcome of things, Obito wasn't interested in it. Naruto couldn't understand that. Even Sasuke had accepted the fact that, with his clan back, he could change things. So why couldn't Obito? Did his hatred for the shinobi world really stem that far? It was a question to which he had no answer to right now. The same could be said for Sasori…..he didn't understand the redhead's motivation for this. It really made no sense to him.

Today had been a terrible mess for sure. But at least they had Nagato. For now.

"First things first."

Everyone glanced towards Sasuke who was looking straight at Miyuki. "Do you mind explaining how Obito followed us through the void? From what I remember, Hagoromo told us that he had perished when he had lost control of the Juubi."

Kaito's eyes lit up in realization while Jiraiya looked troubled.

It was a look that was shared by Miyuki as well who shook her head. "I have no way of answering that. While I did know that he had been stuck in the void just like you two, I never would have guessed that he would survive the journey to here. Both Hagoromo-sama and Nori had made a wager about it. I can only guess that Nori interfered somehow…"

"But you knew that he had survived," Sasuke said, pressing on with narrowed eyes. "Why didn't you mention that to Naruto before?"

Miyuki shook her head again. "Yes, I did know. That was how I was able to take all the bijuu out of him and transfer them into Naruto."

'So that was why she fought us in that world of hers,' Naruto said to himself. It had something to do with the place that connected all dimensions or something like that. It had made it easier for her to transfer the bijuu into him.

"That was the only reason I knew of his existence to begin with," Miyuki continued. "But without the Juubi's power to sustain him, I naturally assumed that he would be destroyed within the void. Or that he would simply disappear when his past self walked a different path. Since neither has happened…..I can't say why he's here."

"So that means that either the current Obito will follow the same path, or…"

'That Obito was given the same blessing that both Sasuke and I received,' Naruto finished for Kurama. If that were the case, then Nori couldn't do it. As far as he knew, the man didn't possess such powers. That could only mean that it had to do with the other deal that Hagoromo had made without telling Miyuki of what it consisted.

Both Naruto and Sasuke glanced at one another. The blond could already tell that his best friend was thinking the same thing right now. But with so little information, there was nothing else they could do about the matter. For now, they were forced to deal with the fact that the Obito of the future had followed after them and had already established Akatsuki once more with one bijuu possibly in their possession already. Things had really turned for the worst for them. Then again, when was it ever simple?

"Jiraiya-sensei, you have a lot of things to explain to us."

Said perverted man turned his attention to Yahiko who was still staring at Naruto.

Konan nodded in agreement. "Yes. Who were those people? What did they want with Nagato?"

"His eyes."

The three orphans looked at Sasuke who was looking at Nagato specifically. "You have something in your possession that will help us greatly. It may even stop their plans altogether."

Miyuki glanced at Naruto. Said blond noticed how the woman shook her head at him. That could only mean one thing…..

The bijuu were now thinking the same thing too. If Obito had already captured Roshi, then what good use would that be if he didn't have the Rinnegan in order to control the Gedo Mazo? Unless he already possessed it…..

"We were forgetting about that," Kurama said with a low growl. "He already had the Rinnegan under his possession when he became the jinchuriki for the Juubi. It would only be natural to assume that he still has it. It would make sense as to why Nagato wasn't his first priority then."

So then, was Nagato's Rinnegan now useless? From what Miyuki had told them, there hadn't been more than one Rinnegan user at a time. But now there were three. So if the first to awaken it was the one that controlled the Gedo Mazo, it would stand to reason that Obito was the one in control now.

Well…that was a bitch.

"That's why we're here now," Jiraiya said, bringing Naruto's attention back to the conversation. "We need to continue with our training so that you three can protect yourselves."

Yahiko frowned. He didn't mind the training. But…..

"This has nothing to do with us," he stated, his frown still present. "We only want to bring this country into its glory state. Not to be stuck in the same endless wars that everyone else wants to get us involved in."

Konan glanced at her friend. 'Yahiko…..'

The boy pointed at Naruto and the others. "That's exactly what you're all doing right now. We're not concerned with your affairs. We only want to live our lives the way we see fit."

Sasuke scowled. "Stop thinking like a brat. Otherwise, you really will end up dead."

Yahiko gritted his teeth. "What was that?"

Naruto sighed. 'Well, here we go….'

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You heard me. Do you think that any of us asked to be here? Get in line, kid. We would all rather be with our families without a care in the world. Unfortunately, the world isn't that nice of a place. Do you really think that you're the only one that has suffered? Everyone has their own problems. You're not special in that regard. Trust me. So whatever petty grievances you have with us, get over it. Otherwise, you will only cause the death of those you hold most dear."

Naruto stood up from his seat before Yahiko could retort. "What my friend is trying to say is that we all need to work together now. Our only intentions are to help you all. Including this country."

Nagato perked up at this. "What do you mean?"

Naruto smiled. "There are many problems in this world, one of which is the way that this tiny nation is treated. You're only used as buffer zones for the grand wars that the bigger nations take part in. Afterwards, you're left to pick up the pieces on your own. It is an unfair and unjustified treatment for sure. But we want to fix that."

"How are you going to do that?" Nagato asked, his voice filled with curiosity. "You can't control every nation."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Naruto said in return. "But at the same time, I will make every nation realize that they have more things in common than they realize. I will make them realize that working together is a better alternative than fighting one another. I will rewrite what defines a shinobi. There will be no more suffering like the one you have gone through. At the very least, I want to end all grand conflicts. That is why we are here. We believe in the future. And we want your help as well, Nagato. Yahiko. Konan."

Yahiko was looking at Naruto in a different light, something that was shared by Konan. But Nagato could only shake his head.

"Why would you want my help? Even if you tell me that the eyes that I possess are somehow special, it doesn't mean that I myself am. I'm too indecisive. I can't lead anyone to anything spectacular."

Naruto sighed as he sat back down. "Really now? Is that what you think of yourself?"

Nagato looked at him before nodding. This made Yahiko t'ch while Konan looked at Nagato with a worried gaze. She never realized that the boy had such little confidence in himself. But Jiraiya did.

'It seems that he still hasn't gotten over that,' he thought to himself before shifting his attention to Naruto. 'But if there's anyone that can change his mind, it's him.'

"What do you think it takes in order to change the world?"

Nagato looked surprised at the question. But seeing Naruto's serious expression, Nagato knew that the blond wanted his answer. Except that he didn't have one. He didn't know how to answer such a question.

"I…..don't know."

Naruto shrugged as he smiled. "It's simple. All it takes is a dream. And the determination to follow that dream."

"What?"

Naruto chuckled. "That's right. Do you think there's anything special in me? I'm only a guy with a dream that wants to make it happen. You don't have to be 'special' for anything. Hard work always pays off. With determination and hard work, there's nothing that you can't do. That's why I'm here. Anyone can be the chosen one, if you will. Even if you don't see it in yourself, your friends will always be there for you in order to prove you otherwise."

"He's right!" Yahiko exclaimed as he pointed at Nagato. "I've always believed that you would be our savior, Nagato. So don't let me down!"

Konan nodded. "That's right. You're stronger than either of us. If there's anyone that can change this country, it's you."

Nagato looked down at his hands. "I can be….?"

Sasuke was already standing behind him with a scowl on his face as he smacked the boy's head. "Enough with the hesitation already. That's what I hate the most. If you still don't believe us, then just wait until we're done with you. You'll realize just how strong you can be."

Yahiko looked at Naruto. "You're going to train us?"

"That's our mission," Naruto replied as he stood up again. "We're all here to help you turn this country around. Once we leave, we will know that it will be in safe hands with you guys around."

Jiraiya chuckled as he pointed at himself. "Well? Do you think you can handle the rigors of my teachings again? Hmm?"

"You got it, you old perv!" Yahiko shouted in excitement which only caused Jiraiya to twitch in irritation. That excitement was quickly transferred into both Nagato and Konan as well.

Kaito sighed from his spot as he shook his head. Naruto never ceased to amaze him.

Miyuki was thinking similar things as well before she frowned. It was something that Naruto picked up on but didn't comment on.

Right now, it was celebration time.

"You're being too hard on yourself, you know."

Miyuki didn't need to turn around to know that it was Naruto who walked behind her in order to stand next to her. They were currently outside on the porch while the others continued their small party in order to celebrate Jiraiya's reunion with his students.

"There are a great many things that I do not know of," Miyuki replied with a shake of her head. "It seems that Hagoromo-sama kept many things from me. That is clear to me now."

Naruto could sense that she was hurt by that. It was something that he understood very well.

"I'm not trying to make any excuses for him," Naruto began with a sigh. "You already know how irritated I got with you all since you kept many things from me and Sasuke as well. Even now, that is still true. Except that we're all in it together now. I can only say that super gramps probably thought that what he was doing was right. I still want to punch him at least once, though…."

Miyuki laughed softly at that. "Not many people would say that they would punch the man that was the founder of this world."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not most people. Besides, he's hurt you. I don't take that lightly."

Miyuki looked at him in surprise. "You think of me as one of your own already?"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I? You're here with us, helping us in any way that you can. Even though I don't know much of your past, I know that you're a good person now. That's the only thing that matters to me now."

Miyuki could only stand there in stunned silence before she finally bowed. "Thank you."

Naruto brought his hands up with an uncomfortable look on his face. "You don't have to do that now, you know. I don't know what sort of relationship you had with super gramps, but you already know how I don't like that sort of stuff."

Miyuki didn't respond for a few moments. For a moment, Naruto thought he had somehow hurt her feelings before she embraced him.

"Is this better?"

Naruto chuckled at the quiet tone in which she asked that. "Yes, it is. You can be comfortable around us. No one is going to think any less of you if you do."

Miyuki didn't reply, simply basking in the warmth that Naruto's body brought. It had been thousands of years since she had been this close to another person. And she was grateful that it was Naruto.

As for the blond, he simply let the woman sort out her feelings. There were many things he still didn't know about her. But he meant what he said.

He trusted her.

Tobi knew that he still had one final backup plan. If anything, this would serve as the best distraction in order to allow him to claim the Rinnegan as his own. His whole plan depended on it.

But Hanzo wasn't one to be caught surprised so easily. From his position on his bed, he instantly threw a kunai aimed specifically at Tobi's head. Unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough as it simple went through the masked Uchiha.

Seeing this, Hanzo instantly jumped from his bed and up to the ceiling as he narrowed his eyes down at Tobi. Five guards instantly burst through the door of his private quarters, all armed and ready to defend their leader.

"I didn't think anyone wanted my head this badly," Hanzo muttered. Then again, he had lost count of how many people he had screwed over in the last several years.

"You can relax, Hanzo," Tobi began. "I'm not here to assassinate you."

The leader of Ame raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then why would you bother to sneak into my room then?" Which had gone successfully, if he might add. Which he didn't. But Hanzo already knew that this man had great skills since he had been able to pull that off.

Tobi shrugged. "It's simple really. There is a certain group from Konoha that has sneaked into your country. They're also here in order to bring you down. I'm only here to inform you of this."

But Hanzo wasn't sold. "Why would someone like you bother to come here to tell me such a thing? You're not under my employ."

Tobi chuckled. "Take it anyway you want. On a whim. On purpose. Or whatever. I have simply relayed to you what I know. What you choose to do is up to you. Let it be known that you were warned, however."

Hanzo didn't respond. Instead, he simply watched how the masked man disappeared in a vortex. That was certainly an interesting jutsu. And it seemed to be how he had been able to sneak into his room so easily. Which also meant that he could possibly try to kill him anytime he wanted.

But that wasn't what was on his mind right now.

"Hanzo-sama…."

Hanzo h'mphed as he drooped down from the ceiling and in front of his men.

"Get a search party ready. I want this information confirmed."

The battle for Nagato's Rinnegan wasn't over yet.