Chapter 42: Two Sides

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm…."- Bijuu

"Hmm..."- Flashback

Chapter 42:

Two Sides

"This is an outrage!"

"What are we even doing here!?"

"We owe Konoha nothing!"

These were some of the shouts that could be heard through the sea of screams. It was late at night. After several days had passed since the shattered Uzumaki clan had arrived in Konoha, the compound had been finished to where the clan could now move in and start making it their home. At least, that was what the Hokage had been expecting. But the Uzumaki clan was far from content. They were pissed, annoyed, and agitated at their current situation. They didn't like Konoha. Nor were they planning on calling it their 'home.' Their expectations had been to stay in the grand village for a few days so that they recuperate before they returned to Uzu so that they could pick up the pieces of their true home. They didn't want to stay in Konoha for the foreseeable future. To many of them, it was Konoha's fault that they were even in this mess to begin with. If anything, the village should be helping them get their home back. Staying with outsiders was something that none of them wanted to do.

Which was what led to this current situation.

Arashi tried to appease his fellow clan members. "Please. All of you have to understand that this is for the best now. The other villages won't stay still if we return now."

With the barrier now gone and three of the five villages openly hostile to them, they would be met with restless attacks. Even if Naruto and Sasuke were with them. It would only descend down to anarchy. But Arashi knew that that was inevitable at this point. With the destruction of their village, many of their clan members wanted to pay Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri the same favor. They wanted blood. But Arashi knew that the Hokage didn't want to drag the shinobi world into another war. Looking at the angry faces of his fellow Uzumaki, though, Arashi was certain that peace wasn't possible right now.

Standing next to her husband, Kazumi looked at Arashi with a worried gaze. She knew that this was hectic for him. And she couldn't blame him. He was in charge of a very agitated group of people. But in the back of her mind, Kazumi knew that many members of the council that had survived were just waiting for the right moment to strip Arashi from his position. They had been trying ever since the end of the Second Shinobi War where that catastrophe had happened.

And it seemed as if they knew this was the perfect moment as one of them stood up from his seat. "Arashi, this cannot go unanswered. The villages have disgraced our entire heritage. Our way of life. Not only that, but they have burned our home to the ground, staining our once beloved village with the blood of our family. And now, you're telling us to seat here and do nothing while trying to make us accept this place, Konoha, as our home. The very same village that dragged us down into this conflict to begin with. How exactly can you ask that of us? It makes me wonder on whose side you really are. To me, it seems that you're more concerned with earning Konoha's approval than the well being of our clan."

There were many shouts of approval at what the council member had just said. It was what many of them were thinking right now.

Sitting in the crowd, Kushina bit her lip as she looked at her shaking father in apprehension. She didn't know what to do in order to help him. But what could she do? She was only a genin. Nothing of importance right now. At least, to her clan she wasn't. Glancing at Kaito, she saw her brother looking at their father impassively with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She wondered what he was thinking right now. Maybe he could help their father out of this. Somehow…..

Looking down at her hands on her lap, Kushina let those thoughts drift away. If Kaito could do something about this, he already would have. He was just as powerless as she was right now.

"How could you insinuate that!" Arashi roared as he looked at his clan before him. "I consider everyone in this room a part of my family just like you all do. I have fought and bled alongside many of you. And now, you have the nerve to tell me that I don't care?"

The council member did look down for a moment, his shoulders dropping. It expressed just how much this week's events had weighed down on him. That rang true for all the others as well. But he could not agree with Arashi's course of actions. Especially since it led to staying tied to this village. They could not be content with this.

But before he could say anything else, another voice was heard in the gathering area inside the newly built compound. "You are an idiot."

Everyone turned their heads towards the middle of the room to see the one and only Naruto walking to stand up next to his grandfather.

The council member frowned as he looked at the boy who stopped next to Arashi who was looking at the blond in surprise. Kazumi was merely giving Naruto a grateful look.

"What exactly do you think you are doing, boy?" he began with narrowed eyes. "This is a discussion between adults. It's no place for children."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that so? Because as far as I can see, you're behaving just like a spoiled brat would. You're doing nothing more than point fingers at someone else so that you can alleviate yourself of your own guilt."

The whole gathered clan looked at the whiskered blond with shocked faces, not quite believing what they were hearing. Even Kushina was looking at Naruto with wide eyes.

'What the hell are you doing, idiot!?' she screamed to herself in her mind.

The council member clenched his teeth. "What did you just say?"

If Naruto was afraid of the anger rising in the council member, he hid it well as he crossed his arms in front of him. "You heard me. After the end of the last war, you and many in the council have tried to take my dad out of his position." It felt weird calling Arashi his father since he was his grandfather. But it was close enough. "You felt that he wasn't guiding the clan in the right direction. But in fact you only wanted to increase your own standing in the village. You wanted power. You let greed get the best of you."

The council member felt his cheeks on fire from how much anger he currently felt. "How dare you accuse me of that, you brat! I only care for the well being of this clan! For our family! That is why we shouldn't try to live in one of the villages that nearly destroyed us!"

"If you really meant that, then you wouldn't have split this clan in half," Naruto retorted. "In all of our history, we managed to survive against foes that were stronger and bigger than us because we stayed united as one. Our ancestors didn't let their petty jealousy get the best of them. They worked together, insuring that the clan and village survived for the future generations. The moment that you all formed another faction in the village was the moment that we were all doomed. We were no longer united. A house divided can never stand. And that is exactly what happened. It's how our enemies got the better of us and were able to infiltrate our beloved village, ensuring that we would all remember that day in agony for as long as we live."

The Uzumakis looked at the blond in silence, not sure how to respond to that. Arashi had already informed them all how it had been Hiroshi, one of their own, to lead the enemy inside the barrier and execute the attack. It had devastated them all. They would have never assumed that one of their own had been behind their destruction. The fact that the man was now dead didn't do anything to make them feel better. That was why they wanted revenge. As far as they were concerned, it was the only thing that could pull all their agony away from them.

"Revenge solves nothing," Naruto continued with a shake of his head. "It only leaves you empty inside. And you become someone else entirely, someone you can no longer recognize. You will have no one with you. You will only spread more pain to others."

"And what of it?" the council member asked, getting back his nerve as he locked eyes with the blond's unnerving blue eyes. "After the pain the world has cost us, why should we care about how they feel? They caused us pain without a care in the world. How is it fair to only allow them to continue their lives like nothing has happened while we suffer in the shadows? What kind of future is that?"

Naruto sighed at hearing that. "I'm not saying it's easy. Nor am I saying that the other villages, Konoha included, are not guilty for why we are here today. Ever since Uzu was founded, the clan has always maintained a 'no hand' stance with the rest of the nations. It was a policy that brought great prosperity and security to the clan. The only exception that has ever been made has been in times that Konoha has called us for help. It was due to the treaty made between the Shodai and the clan head at the time. Why? Because the Senju and the Uzumaki are family. However, as time went on and as Konoha was dragged into many different conflicts since its founding, the clan began to change. No longer did everyone in the clan believe that we should help Konoha. Our stance in the last war proved that. Even my dad agreed. He didn't want to put any of us in any danger. But Uzu's relationship with Konoha was something else that he had to consider. Even though our clan's survival depended on the trade between the two nations, it all boiled down to one thing: family."

Naruto smiled. "That's right. My dad sees Konoha as our family even you all no longer see it that way. And why shouldn't we? This village was what the Shodai and his clan left behind. Even if the Senju are nearly extinct, that fact remains unchanged. Just like we have extended our help to Konoha in the past, so has Konoha done the same for us now. I know for a fact that the Hokage wishes to support us as much as he can. Even if we wish to rebuilt our precious Uzu once again. Which we shall. I promise you that. We will return to Uzu and make her a better nation than ever before. But before we can think to the future, we have to think of the present. We have been dealt a great blow. But we are not out for the count. We are all judged by our worst. So let us show the world our worst by being the best. Let us show them that our clan still has the fire to keep moving forward. And we will do that by healing our wounds and building ourselves a temporary home here. Not by striking at those that have nothing to do with this."

The council member gritted his teeth. "Pretty words. But for what? It doesn't change the fact that-"

Naruto looked at him. "It changes everything. Spreading more misery will only bring misery for us. Especially to those that are only slaves to this corrupt and imperfect system that we are a part of as well."

The blond turned his attention to his clan, spreading his arms out. "Attacking the other villages will only make us be the same as them. To be a part of this endless cycle of hatred. That is what the creation of the ninja system today has brought. It is no different from the days before the system was put in place. It is an abomination. In order to overcome them, we should strive to beat this system instead. To reject it. And to create hope for those that will come after us. That will unsure us to be the true victor."

The gathered clan could only stare at Naruto, none of them daring to say a word.

"I must say that I am surprised, young man. This is the first time that I've seen anyone call my husband's dream an abomination."

Naruto looked surprised when he saw none other than Uzumaki Mito in front of him. She was in a wheelchair while a nurse stood behind her. There was a small smile plastered on her face as she waved the nurse off.

"I didn't think you would be here tonight," Naruto said with a sheepish look as he rubbed the back of his head. The two were currently standing by the entrance to the meeting hall, the clan members having split off into their own groups as they continued to talk about what had just happened.

"My family is in the village," Mito replied. "Of course I wasn't going to miss this."

"And you are always welcomed here," Arashi said as he appeared next to Naruto with a smile of his own.

Mito chuckled. "It is nice to see you again, child. Even if it is under these circumstances."

Arashi merely nodded before Mito turned her attention back to the blond. "But I am more interested in you right now, Naruto."

Naruto looked at the woman in front of him. Uzumaki Mito. The kunoichi who had reintroduced the concept of a jinchuriki back into the world after the Rikudo Sennin had died. In many ways, Naruto knew how that action had caused many problems down the line in the future. But at the same time, Naruto knew that she had only done it with the intention to help the Shodai Hokage in his battle against Madara.

"Is that so?" Naruto said. "It seems that Jiji has told you some things."

Mito laughed. "Hahaha yes, although I suspect that he left out some things as well. But don't be too hard on him because of it. Your friend Sasuke made it hard for him to keep all of it a secret from me."

Now, Naruto was curious. It seemed as if the teme had left some things out from when they had traded stories about what they had been up to. This was the first he was hearing of this, after all.

"I see…."

Mito waved one of her hands, dismissing the issue. "But that's neither here nor there. Although now that I'm getting to know more about you, a lot of things make sense." Looking at him with another smile, she said, "You're the reason why Sasuke is so different, aren't you?"

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that. "What?"

Chuckling, the old jinchuriki explained. "When I first met the boy, I could see that he had light burning inside him. But at the same time, there was also darkness left in his eyes. It was all going the last time I saw him, though. I can only guess that it had something to do with you."

Naruto looked to the side, a small smile on his face. "Sasuke made his own choices. I had nothing to do with it. He's here now because he wants to be. That's all."

Arashi glanced at his grandson, already knowing for a fact that Sasuke was the way he was today because of Naruto. Of course, it seemed as if the blond couldn't realize it. Which was kind of surprising honestly.

Thinking alone the same lines as Arashi, Mito continued to smile as she said, "Regardless, I must thank you for saving our family. Although I can guess that your goal will lead to the destruction of what my husband created."

Looking back at her, Naruto nodded. He could already tell that he could trust Mito. "Yes. I don't believe that the formation of the villages was necessarily a bad thing in of itself. But the outcome is. Instead of clans, it's now village against village. I want to make a future where that can be overcome. A future where a shinobi doesn't identify himself as a shinobi from Konoha or Iwa or whatever. But simply as a shinobi, just like all those around him. The idea of separate nations will be over. Only cooperation and peace will prevail. That is my dream."

"Ah, I see," Mito said, looking at him in another light. "That is a big dream, not one that can be achieved so easily."

Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head again. "I know. But many people have put their trust on me so that I may be here today and accomplish my dream. I can't let them down. Nor will I. No matter how long it takes, I will accomplish it."

Mito was silent, only studying the young boy before her. He reminded her so much of Hashirama it wasn't even funny. But unlike her now dead husband, the boy before her had chosen a different goal in order to create peace, one even more ambiguous than the one Hashirama had set out to create.

"Then I wish you luck, my boy," Mito said with a smile.

Kushina fidgeted in her spot from the other side of the room when she saw Naruto and her father talking to Mito. She couldn't tell what their conversation was about, but she still wanted to go talk to the blond. With how hectic things had been recently, they hadn't been able to have any time for themselves except for when she had met Mito for the first time. But that had been a few days ago.

"You looks nervous."

Kushina turned to look at Kaito who stopped next to her with a small smile.

Nodding, she turned to look back at the blond. "Yeah…..things have changed…"

That was the understatement of the year. Not to mention that both Aika and Haru had died in the attack. The young Uzumaki was still trying to wrap her head around that one. But she was much more concerned about how Naruto had taken it. No one had seen him cry or anything, though. But she could tell. The boy was still hurting about it. And yet, he had just made a whole speech about not giving into their hatred when he should want that the most. The girl he cared deeply for had been ripped away from him. And all because of the villages' petty fear that they were too powerful to be left alone. If only they got the memo, they would have realized that her clan only wanted to be left alone.

Sighing, Kaito closed his eyes. "That is true. But like Naruto said, we have to keep moving forward. And that includes you. Especially with what you have to face next."

Kushina nodded, already knowing that she would become the next jinchuriki for the Kyuubi in the coming days. What made her feel better was that her family was all around her, supporting her. And that included Naruto. Kushina was eternally grateful for that. She didn't have to go through any of this alone.

She came out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking at her brother again, she saw him smiling at her.

"Just be careful, okay? You can tell me anything, you know."

'Not really anything,' she thought to herself, already knowing about one topic concerning Naruto that she couldn't tell her brother about. She still appreciated the gesture nevertheless.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," she said, smiling back.

Nodding, Kaito retracted his hand as he made his way out of the gathering hall. He wanted to think about some things right now.

"You're so lucky he's dense like your father."

Startled, Kushina turned to see her mother taking Kaito's spot as she shook his head. "You're too obvious with your feelings."

Blushing, the girl averted her gaze. "That's not true….."

Chuckling, Kazumi didn't say anything else as she looked at Naruto and her husband. For the moment, there were certain things that she needed to get straight in her mind before she came to any sort of conclusion towards the future.

It was still early, after all.

The council of the Uchiha clan looked to be in shock when they heard what the Hokage had just told them. But they weren't the only ones. Both Sasuke and Fugaku stood off to the side, the former with his eyes closed while the latter looked stricken with shock. They were currently in one of the many chambers in the Uchiha compound where the council gathered on a weekly basis.

"That can't be!" one member screamed. "There has to be some sort of mistake!"

Shaking his head, Sarutobi handed them the scroll that Kenshin had given him. "I am not. This is his will. The next clan head is to be none other than Sasuke."

Most of the members could not believe their ears or their eyes as they scanned the scroll's content. And sure enough, it was just as the Sandaime said.

But one of them was looking at Sarutobi with narrowed eyes. "Why did he leave this scroll with you? This is a matter of the Uchiha clan. Such decisions aren't something that have to be consulted with you."

Before Sarutobi could defend himself, Sasuke beat him to it. "Because my father didn't trust any of you."

The council all turned to look at the boy who walked towards them, stopping right in between Sarutobi and the members. Looking at them with narrowed eyes, he said, "Many of you have tried many underhanded methods throughout the years to try and curve power away from the clan head. He knew that if he left his will behind with you, you would twist it in order to fit your own ambitions."

The council member from before h'mphed. "Don't talk about things you know nothing of, boy. There is much more going on here than you could possibly imagine!"

"Oh, I already know what most of you are thinking," Sasuke said in return with a shrug. "You're discontent with your position in the village. You don't feel appreciated enough. You feel like the clan is losing power and prestige in the village. Well, you're partially right."

Looking at them, he continued. "Things will change from now on, though. I know that I am not old enough to claim the clan head position just yet, but that doesn't mean that I will let any of you run free either. The Uchiha clan will be reborn. We will be better than we have ever been. And that includes many policy changes that the Hokage and I will devise."

Sarutobi looked at Sasuke in slight surprise. He hadn't thought that the boy would have anything in mind given just how many things had happened in the past week.

Looking at Sasuke, many of the clan members knew that the boy was serious. He wasn't afraid of any of them. Not only that, but they couldn't claim that the scroll was fake. It had the seal of the Uchiha clan head, and the handwriting matched that of Kenshin. They were trapped.

Fugaku could only look at Sasuke with wide eyes. This was the first time that he had seen his fellow Uchiha so passionate about anything. And hearing the fire behind his voice, he was certain that Sasuke would remake the Uchiha clan for the better.

'It was what father would have wanted,' Fugaku thought to himself. The boy knew that he lacked Sasuke's fire. Given the circumstances, he could understand why his father had made the decision that he had. And if he were honest with himself, Fugaku didn't feel as angry as he thought he would be. If anything, he felt relieved. But relieved at what, he didn't know. He only knew that he could place his trust on Sasuke. Of that, he was certain of.

Meeting his father's eyes, Sasuke was surprised when he saw approval in them. Sasuke had been expecting for Fugaku to have reacted negatively to the news. But instead, he seemed pleased.

That certainly made him feel better.

"Call me tomato again, will ya!?"

Sasuke shuddered every so slightly when he saw the fight, nay the massacre, happening below him. Next to him, Naruto was laughing his butt off as he saw the same thing. The two were currently up on the rooftop of the academy that Sasuke had made as his spot for when they had their usual lunch breaks.

"You know, dobe," the Uchiha began as he flinched when he saw Kushina land another heavy punch to one of the boys she was fighting, "your mother is seriously scary."

Naruto held his stomach. "Hahaha! This is awesome!"

It wasn't something unusual in their class anymore. Ever since the first day that Naruto and Kushina had transferred to Sasuke's class, a lot of the boys had taken to making fun of Kushina's appearance. Of course, it hadn't ended well for them. One would wonder if they would learn their lesson already.

"Troublesome. Red is going at it again."

Naruto grinned when he saw his father and the others walking towards them. He had quickly become friends with them since Sasuke was already hanging out with them. But even if Sasuke hadn't, Naruto would have approached them anyway. There was no way he wouldn't have. He was only grateful that he had already met his dad before. Otherwise, he would have acted like a complete fanboy in front of him. And that would have been embarrassing.

"Yo, guys! How's it going?"

Minato chuckled at his fellow blond's enthusiasm. "We're only trying to escape Kushina's wrath for the moment."

Inoichi rolled his eyes as they sat down. "I'm surprised you're not down there trying to stop it."

Minato shook his head at that. "No. This is…..different." And he didn't want to get hurt. He really didn't want to get hurt.

Nodding his head in understanding, Inoichi patted his back. "I understand. You wouldn't want your fan club to disappear because of a fatal hit to that face of yours."

Minato sweatdropped. "Sure…let's go with that."

Naruto chuckled as he remembered Inoichi's reaction when they had first met. He had basically called him a Minato look-alike except with whiskers. Kushina had also been surprised before she had shrugged it off. Unfortunately, it looked like she wasn't too interested in Minato. For now anyway. He already had a plan in his head.

There was a chibi version of himself crackling like a madman inside his mind.

"For the lord of-SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Naruto didn't respond to Shukaku's pissed off scream. If there was one thing that he could attest to, it was the fact that the one tailed bijuu loved to nap the most out of all of his siblings. It was sort of funny really. In the past, he was the one to cause pain and mental damage to any of his hosts who slept. But that was a thought for another time.

Focusing on what was happening in front of him, Naruto elbowed Minato, making the blond look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Say, Minato…what do you think of Kushina?"

Shikaku raised an eyebrow when he heard the question but didn't comment. Sasuke merely shook his head. He could already see where his best friend was going with this.

Minato looked at him in confusion. "Uh, well…she's nice?"

Naruto sent him a blank look. "She's nice? That's it?"

Minato shrugged, not exactly knowing what his newest friend wanted to hear.

"Minato is not good with girls," Choza commented as he continued his rampage through another bag of chips. "He gets too shy."

Minato blushed. "That's not true!"

Inoichi shook his head as he sighed. "Honestly. You have a gift. You should use it! Although Kushina wouldn't be my first choice. She's too violent for my tastes."

Naruto rolled his eyes. 'Oh, don't worry. Your daughter will be the exact same way.'

"Besides," the Yamanaka continued, looking at another girl with a blush of his own, "no one compares to Mikoto!"

Naruto glanced towards Sasuke. The blond had to hold back his laughter when he saw the Uchiha glaring daggers at Inoichi. One could easily mistake it for jealousy. But the simple truth was that Sasuke still believed that his parents would end up together. They just had to.

Shikaku shook his head. "Forget it, Inoichi. She's too far out of your league. Not to mention that her father would never allow it." The last the lazy Nara had heard was that she and Fugaku were set to be married. That hadn't deterred the enthusiastic Inoichi, though.

"I don't care!" he announced, raising up his fist to the sky. "Girls love a guy with confidence!"

"Yeah, but too much just makes you seem arrogant," Shikaku muttered to himself. Choza caught it but simply smiled as he continued to devour his chips. It didn't concern him anyhow.

Naruto sighed as he observed his dad through his peripherals. Somehow, through some unforeseeable force, he would get him and Kushina together. He was the master of pranks, after all. He was sure he could come up with a few things in the coming future.

Another chibi version of himself appeared beside him with the same laugh.

He would plan everything out!

"You got real spunk. I like it."

Kushina looked at the grinning girl in front of her. She had just finished beating up the latest set of bullies that had tried to mess with her. The redhead could only wonder how long it would take for the boys in the class to stop messing with her. It was annoying. Not only that, but she had lost sight of Naruto. Again. She really wasn't in the mood for a conversation. But then again, she had just been complimented. She couldn't pass that up, after all.

"Ah, thanks," she replied, not sure what else to say.

"The name's Tsume," the girl said, pointing at herself. "And this is my partner, Kuromaru."

Kushina blinked when she saw a small puppy popping its head from the girl's jacket. She was feral, that was for sure. But she was also the first girl that had tried to approach her. The others had already isolated her. From what she could see anyway.

"I'm Kushina. Nice to meet you."

Tsume waved her hand in dismissal. "No need for that pleasantry stuff. It's boring."

Kuromaru barked in agreement. Kushina could only blink again. This girl was more laid-back than she was. A small smile then appeared on her face.

"You better watch out around here," Tsume continued with a low growl as she looked over to where Mikoto was sitting on the other side of the courtyard. "There are some bitches here that are hard to put down."

"Uuuuuhhhh…" Kushina blinked yet again, wondering just how she was supposed to respond to that. At the very least, she could tell that Tsume had no qualms about speaking her mind. Looking over at said Uchiha, however, Kushina didn't know what was that made her so special. She had already heard most of the boys talking about her like she was some sort of goddess. If she were honest with herself, Mikoto reminded her a lot of Aika in a lot of ways. And she didn't like it.

'I just hope that Naruto doesn't fall for her too,' she thought to herself before shaking those thoughts away.

"Oh? You're talking to the new girl already, Tsume?"

Both girls turned to look at a blonde girl making her way towards them with a wave and a smile. She was wearing a light pink skirt, a pink short-sleeved vest with a raised collar that exposed her stomach, and blue shinobi sandals. She also had white bandages wrapped tightly around her torso. Her blonde hair was short, stopping right above her shoulders. Her eyes were a light blue color, almost teal.

Tsume smiled when the blond girl stopped in front of them. "Emi. I was just showing the newbie the ropes around here."

Kushina took a step back when she saw the girl studying her intently. She didn't say anything, too confused about what was happening to actually form a coherent sentence.

After a few more moments of this, the girl finally smiled as she extended her hand towards the redhead. "Hi. I'm Yamanaka Emi. Nice to meet you, Kushina."

Taking the hand, Kushina also smiled in return. "Yeah, thanks."

Tsume chuckled as she pointed at the blonde. "She's the friendliest person you'll meet here. Trust me. Unless you get on her bad side."

Emi rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, and you're the one that just has to fight anyone that you don't like. Honestly. That heated nature of yours is going to cost you problems later on."

Tsume huffed. "Whatever. It's not like it's a bad thing. I want to get stronger, stronger than anyone else around." And as far as she was concerned, Mikoto was the biggest obstacle for her at the moment.

Kushina looked at Tsume in a new light. "Is that so? Well, I'll be the strongest kunoichi! You can count on that!"

Tsume smirked in return. She had been right. Kushina had a ton of spirit in her. She liked that.

Emi sighed in amusement. "Oh, great. She now has a partner to help her along. Just what this class needs." She giggled when she saw both girls huffing at the same time. "Anyway, until either of you can beat Mikoto, then I'm afraid that title is out of your hands."

Tsume t'ched at that. In all their time at the academy, she had never been able to defeat the Uchiha. No matter how many times she challenged her to a fight, the outcome was the same.

As for Kushina, she only looked at Mikoto with another challenging look. It seemed as if she now had another rival in front of her.

Rolling her eyes, Emi grabbed both of their hands. "Let's go, you two. I'll introduce you to some of my friends, Kushina."

Tsume didn't respond while Kushina only nodded, another smile appearing on her face. At least she now had friends. Real friends this time. That made this day a lot better for her.

Mikoto sighed to herself from her spot under the tree. Even from all the way over here, she had been able to sense Tsume's ire directed at her. Not only that, but it seemed that the new student added to their class was also following the Inuzuka's lead. Not like it mattered to her. She had more important things to worry about.

Looking up towards the rooftop of the academy building, she saw Sasuke talking with his usual group of friends with the addition of the blond boy who had joined along with the redhead. She, like the rest of the class, had first been surprised when they had seen just how much he looked like Minato. It had become even more apparent when they had stood next to each other for the first time. Minato's fan club had gone crazy, thinking that there was a second Minato in their midst. It had been a funny at first. But now, Mikoto found it as boring as ever. Besides, she now had to worry about her father pestering her to get together with Sasuke. All because he was now going to be the clan head.

The shocking news had been announced to the Uchiha earlier in the morning before she had left for the academy. No one had been expecting this, especially after Kazuki had "disappeared." That was another thing that had Mikoto on edge. She knew that there was more to that story than what was let on. But of course, she had no idea what. Only the elders of the clan and the Hokage knew about what had really happened to Kazuki.

Of course, the rest of the class had quickly moved on, completely forgetting that Kazuki had once been a part of their group. It was a bit distasteful, she had to admit.

Even so, Mikoto knew that she would not start dating Sasuke or anyone else just because her father told her to. If there was one thing that she had learn in the recent years, it was that she would be the one to choose her future. Not her father. She had gotten out of one forced engagement. She wasn't going to get into another one.

Mikoto would make sure of that.

"Sensei! What are you doing here? And with the Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched when Naruto and Sasuke entered his apartment and took a seat in front of him. Kaito was sitting to his right with his arms crossed. He was no longer wearing his Uzu jonin attire. He had a simple pair of black pants, a long sleeved black shirt with the Uzumaki clan symbol in the back, and blue shinobi sandals.

"I'm here to ask what you guys are planning on doing next," Kaito answered, looking at Jiraiya. "He tells me that there is something that he wishes to talk to you about."

Miyuki appeared behind Naruto in an instant, her head bowed as she knelt. "Naruto-sama also asked me to be here."

Jiraiya shrugged. "That's fine too. Especially since I'm sure that you have most of the answers we're looking for."

Miyuki looked at him with a questioning look.

"We're talking about Madara here," Naruto said, answering her unasked question. Looking at Sasuke, he continued, "I already know how you and Ero-sennin went looking for him but lost his trace."

Jiraiya scowled. "Stop calling me that, brat! Do you realize just how that will scare the ladies away if they hear you calling me that!?"

Ignoring Jiraiya's outburst, Sasuke said, "Yeah. Unfortunately, he must have known that I searched through the memories of one of the Zetsu clones and took off from his previous hideout to a different one." Looking at Miyuki, he added, "I already know of your abilities as Naruto has filled me in. I also know how you've kept track of him all these years. So-"

"I already know what you want to ask, Uchiha," Miyuki cut in as she shook her head. "Unfortunately, I do not know where Madara is. Or where he keeps the Gedo Mazo. The only reason I've been able to keep track of Naruto-sama's movements all these years is because his chakra is connected to mine. Just like Hagoromo-sama's in the past. I've only known about you and your actions because Hagoromo-sama kept me informed of what was happening."

"So then, it was super gramps who could have known where Madara is right now?" Naruto asked.

Nodding, Miyuki replied, "Yes. Hagoromo-sama was no longer alive. Unlike me, he was pure chakra who roamed our world and others, seeing everything that was happening."

"And he didn't tell you anything?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

Miyuki shook her head. "He did not. You two have to understand something here. Hagoromo-sama wasn't the one to bring you here alone. It was a combined effort. Nori assured that you two wouldn't perish during your trip through the void. And he was also the one to make you both younger again so that you would blend into this time period better. However, there was also another part. It has to do with you two not disappearing even if your parents were to unexpectedly die. Hagoromo-sama was a careful man. He didn't want to leave anything open."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at one another, already knowing of this.

"But what does that have to do with not telling you anything?" Jiraiya questioned, bringing the obvious question forward.

"It's because he cut a second deal, just like he did with Nori," Miyuki answered, elaborating further. "He never told me with whom or what the deal consisted of. Only that he couldn't interfere with what was happening. That extended to Hamura as well. So even if he knew where Madara is now, he wouldn't be able to tell you anything."

Well…..that sucked. It seemed like Hagoromo had to deal with harsh terms to get them here.

Kaito sighed. "This situation is a mess."

"Especially with this Nori guy," Jiraiya said, adding his two cents in while rubbing his chin. "I still don't understand why he helped you get here and is now trying to take you out of the picture."

"This is all a game to him," Miyuki answered with a scowl. "He doesn't care about this world or about any of you. He only wants to bring Naruto and Sasuke under him. At first, he had assumed that Sasuke would come to him willingly when he learned of his existence. That was why he focused solely on Naruto. But then you rejected him, Uchiha. So now, he looks at both of you as disobedient pests that he has to put down. Not once has he cared about Madara's plans or the future of this world. Hagoromo-sama knew this. But he didn't exactly have any other choice when he asked for Nori's assistance. And when Nori saw how this could benefit him, he agreed."

Both Naruto and Sasuke already knew what she meant. With Naruto, Aika's death and the destruction of Uzu would have assured his turn. With Sasuke, it would have been confronting the Hokage and Danzo all over again while seeing his clan intact once more. It would push him to do anything that was necessary in order to keep them safe, even if it meant turning against Hagoromo. It would have all played right into Nori's hands.

"But it didn't go as he was expecting," Kaito said, bringing everyone's thoughts together. "Naruto and Sasuke are here now, still pushing their original goal forward. So with that plan out of the way, what is he going to do next?"

"I do not know," Miyuki answered. "I doubt even Hagoromo-sama knew. Nori's dimension isn't something that I can penetrate alone. Not even Hagoromo-sama could. But one thing is certain: he hasn't given up yet. And he never will until he takes his last breath on this world."

Both Naruto and Sasuke already knew what she was talking about: his death. It was the only way. Nori was no different from Madara now: he was their enemy, not their ally.

Jiraiya sighed. "It seems that there is conflict everywhere you go."

"Don't worry, Ero-sennin," Naruto said with a smile. "Why do you think we're here? To rectify that."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. No need to remind me. And stop calling me that dammit!"

Naruto merely shrugged.

But Sasuke was still focused on Miyuki. "Speaking of the Gedo Mazo…..it can summoned by the Rinnegan, right?"

Miyuki looked at him with a frown. "Yes…where are you going with this?"

"I have my Rinnegan," Sasuke stated with a frown of his own. "But during my training, I wasn't able to summon it, no matter how much I tried to."

Miyuki looked troubled by this. "I can't say for sure. This is the first time that there have been two different wielders of the Rinnegan at the same time. The only hypothesis I can come with is that the Gedo Mazo is now linked to Madara's Rinnegan alone and cannot be taken by someone else unless his Rinnegan is to be destroyed."

Sasuke continued to frown. That didn't help him in the slightest. In fact, it only made their situation worse. If they could take the Gedo Mazo away from Madara, then his whole plan would be shattered. But it seemed like that option was thrown out the window. Unless…..

"We have to get to Nagato then," Naruto stated, already having been told by Sasuke about the boy's appearance. "That's the only option we have left."

Jiraiya looked at them. "You do know that means leaving Konoha and going to Ame, right?" He had already been planning on heading back once the commotion settled down here anyway.

Naruto nodded. "We know. And we'll do it."

Kaito looked at him with a grin. "You have to graduate first, you know."

Naruto t'ched. "Yeah, whatever. Don't act all smug just because you can stay as a jonin here." It wasn't fair honestly. Why did the jonin keep their position? The chunnin had been demoted to genin while the genin had been made to return to the academy. It just wasn't fair. This was his third time in the hell known as the academy. When was he going to catch a break?

"That being said," Kaito continued, "I'm coming with you."

Naruto looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure about that? Gramps might be-"

"It doesn't matter," Kaito interjected with a shake of his head. "I want to help you all in any way that I can. And as far as I can see it, this is the best way."

Sasuke shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me either way."

Jiraiya also shrugged. "If sensei is all right with it, I won't oppose it."

Naruto grumbled. "Fine, fine. You can come with us." He already knew his uncle wasn't going to back down even if he said no. This way, the issue was resolved quickly and with no bickering.

"So it's settled!" Jiraiya said as he stood up, a massive grin on his face. "When you two graduate, we're heading to Ame!"

Kazuki frowned as he felt the hot winds around him continue to hit him one after the other. Even with the cloak he was hearing, it was annoying.

"Why are we going through the front door again?" he asked his companion who was walking in front of him. "With your jutsu, it would be easy to sneak in and be done with it."

Tobi looked back at his fellow Uchiha. He too was wearing a cloak that hid his features. But more importantly, he was now wearing a mustard colored mask with a black spiral. Like his other mask in the future, it only had one opening for his Sharingan eye.

"We don't want to cause a commotion yet," he answered in a patient tone. "Even if our end goal is the end of this world, we have to work through it in order to accomplish it. Not only that, but our numbers are few right now. We need to gather more members as quietly as possible, especially given who our enemies are."

Kazuki didn't respond. He already knew what this guy was talking about, after all.

Flashback: Start

"The future, you say?" Madara repeated with a calm look. It was the opposite reaction one would expect to have after hearing that someone was from the future. But Madara was different, after all. No matter how incredulous the situation before him was, he would always analyze it with a calm demeanor. It was the best way to get the answer as soon as possible, after all.

Kazuki was watching the situation unfold in front of him with interest.

"Yes," Tobi replied. "This Rinnegan…..it should tell you that I'm telling the truth. It once belonged to you, after all."

Madara didn't respond as his brain began to connect several dots together. "Are you the only one from the future that's in this time now?"

Tobi looked at Madara with curiosity. "To my knowledge, yes. Why do you ask?"

Madara looked up at White Zetsu for a moment before turning his attention back to his fellow Uchiha. "Because it seems that you are not the only one here. Two brats joined you on your trip here."

Tobi contemplated this. "Two of them? Who are they?"

"We don't know," White Zetsu answered, already knowing where Madara was going with this. "They showed up out of thin air. But now, it seems more likely to say that they came from the future just like you did. Especially with how powerful they are."

"One is an Uchiha like us," Madara continued. "The other might be an Uzumaki. It is not clear yet. But he has the chakra of the bijuu with him."

"They even managed to defeat an entire army by themselves," White Zetsu finished with a grin. That had been explosive all right.

Tobi frowned. With that description, he only knew of two people that they could be. And it was troublesome to say the least.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke."

Kazuki's eyes widened at hearing this. 'Sasuke? But how…..?'

"Oh?" Madara looked in interest. "It seems like you know them."

"They're the ones to pose the greatest threat to us in the future," Tobi explained. "And if they're here…I'm sure their intentions will be the same."

"Of that, I can agree with you," Madara said, remembering his encounter with Sasuke. "They're not ordinary brats."

"It doesn't matter," Tobi said in return. "No matter what, no one can stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi. This is only a delay. It shall come into fruition. That's why I'm here. To continue where we had left off."

Madara wasn't a fool. He could already tell that a lot of things hadn't gone as planned. Tobi had the Rinnegan, after all. But glancing at Kazuki for a moment, Madara knew that he had an ace in the hole. No matter what, he would be the one to come out on top in the end. He was Uchiha Madara, after all.

"All right. Let's hear you out then, Tobi."

Flashback: End

After that, Madara had shut off his connection to the Gedo Mazo, effectively killing him within seconds. But not before he had shared many techniques with Kazuki as well as implant his "will" onto White Zetsu. The boy had quickly known it was Black Zetsu. He had many questions to ask him, but Kazuki knew that now wasn't the time. They had a lot of things to do now that Madara had passed on and left them his plans. It was time to begin their journey towards the dream world that they all so desperately craved. He was also grateful for the implant that Tobi had given him of White Zetsu cells, or more specifically of that of the Shodai Hokage. If not, he would be going blind right now due to the Mangekyo that he now possessed.

As for Tobi, his thoughts were drifting more towards Naruto and Sasuke. Just how had they gotten here? He had arrived in this time period a few months back but had been crippled since he had somehow lost all the bijuu on the way here. With the Gedo Mazo still residing within him, though, he had been able to survive. The only problem that he had learned of after he had been stuck in a forest for a while was that the Gedo Mazo was no longer inside him. Somehow, he had absorbed the shell of the Juubi into him completely. It had merged with his chakra. It was thanks to that that he was now able to use his Mangekyo powers again. Now that he knew that both Naruto and Sasuke were here too, though, he had more questions than answers.

But he could get them later. For right now, he had to revive the Akatsuki so that he could have a formidable force to fight against Naruto and Sasuke. And in using White Zetsu's espionage skills, he already had a list of applicants ready. It was only a matter of approaching them. And unlike last time, Nagato wasn't his top priority. He had the Rinnegan. He could control the Gedo Mazo even without the brat's help. Even so, he knew that it wouldn't do well to leave Nagato alone for too long. He would approach him soon enough.

Those thoughts left him when he saw his destination appearing in the distance.

Kazuki did as well, glad that they would be able to get out of this damn desert. But even so, the hot weather and the amount of sand wouldn't change.

Their destination was none other than Suna, after all.