23

/~/

"I'm not even mad; I'm just impressed at your gall."

Tsunade sat directly across from him, steepled hands resting on her desk as she leaned upon it. Her posture was intense, but conveyed no threat. Fitting for a Hokage, he mused, satisfied. Her eyes, however, told a different story.

Jiraiya stood silent behind her, leaning leisurely against the window, arms crossed over his chest. His emotions were easier to categorize despite his fairly neutral stance, both by virtue of his prized student being very much in question, as well as the veritable storm of suffocating killing intent that was barely being restrained.

It was a sobering reminder that in spite of his own formidable abilities, he was very much at risk; either of the two shinobi across from him could kill him without much challenge, never mind working together. And while it was very unlikely to come to blows, he hadn't lived as long as he had without assessing the risks in every situation.

He had known many legendary shinobi through the years; he had worked with some, he had killed others. While perhaps not the most perilous situation he had ever entered, sitting alone in the Hokage's office facing down two of Sarutobi's distinctly unhappy students certainly was a cause for treading carefully. Though not unexpected.

Uzumaki Naruto had apparently wasted no time in tracking down his sensei after receiving his mission information. He had no confirmation, but he expected that both Koharu and Homura had been brought in for questioning separately as well. Divide and conquer.

At his silence, Tsunade continued, "It has always been within the elders' powers to hand out missions in lieu of the Hokage. The utmost discretion is, of course, to be used in all cases. Unilateral action seems to be something of a habit of yours, Danzo."

"When Konoha's best interests are at stake, I've always felt it my duty to do what was necessary," he replied flatly.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, unaffected by his bland statement. A fitting Hokage indeed, he mused, content for the first time that her lecherous teammate and his student had managed to retrieve her.

"As should all loyal shinobi," she demurred, and Danzo could find no mockery in her tone. Her posture changed abruptly as she leaned forward once more, placing her palms flat on her desk as if she made to stand. "I don't like playing games with my own shinobi, Danzo. By all accounts, this was your plan from the outset. And it's the second time in recent memory that you've sought to rectify one of Konoha's problems by sacrificing one of our best and brightest."

Danzo let the unasked question hang for a few moments, weighing his words before, "I swore to protect Konoha at any cost, Hokage-sama. The same as Sarutobi, the same as your grandfather."

"They did not needlessly sacrifice the village's future in times of crisis."

No, they sacrificed themselves, Danzo thought. The question of whether he would do the same when the time came, the question that had defined his career, rattled through his head. Things were simpler then.

"You seem to be under the impression that this is what I want. That could not be further from the truth. Given his pedigree and his tenant, Uzumaki is perhaps the greatest talent we've seen since Jiraiya's last student; a barely thirteen year old chunin able to not only stand toe-to-toe with other jinchuriki, but actively lead a team of untested genin out of enemy territory. That type of talent should, indeed, be nurtured. However –"

"However, you believe that Orochimaru is currently the greatest threat to Konoha at the moment," Tsunade interrupted. "I happen to agree with you – Jiraiya does as well. That doesn't justify sending Naruto into a situation for which he cannot possibly be prepared for."

"Orochimaru would spot a trained plant in moments. The lack of preparation is precisely why Uzumaki is the only one who could be selected," he countered. "Orochimaru has repeatedly expressed a strong interest in the boy's loyalty. Given the chance, it is highly likely he would take the opportunity to train the boy rather than kill him. Such a likelihood presents an unprecedented opportunity for us."

"And if Naruto turns? What then?" Behind Tsunade, Jiraiya's narrowed eyes flickered to her before snapping back to Danzo.

The elder paused, surprised in spite of himself at the Godaime's frankness. He felt his respect for her rise slightly. "The possibility exists, of course," he conceded. "Admittedly, I do not usually put much stock in character. But given Uzumaki's vehement defense against the Shukaku and his conduct on the mission to retrieve you, Hokage-sama, I find it unlikely that he would turn."

"Then you don't know Orochimaru," Jiraiya all but growled. Danzo turned his one visible eye to him. "He's twisted beyond the most insane shinobi in Konoha. There are no limits, there are no boundaries, not when he wants something."

The white haired man shook his head. "You know what we do to interrogate enemy shinobi, how we break down potential spies, the lengths we go to. Even as far as we go, there are limits. Orochimaru has none. As mentally strong as Naruto is – and he is strong – he's nothing to what the snake would do to him."

But he did know all too well just what Orochimaru's brand of sociopathy said about the man; he had used, nurtured, and encouraged it. The Snake Sannin was utterly remorseless and always had been. It had been why Danzo had endorsed the man so vehemently for the position of Yondaime – not that Namikaze had been a bad choice. That remorseless ruthlessness, when channeled toward Konoha's best interests, would have undoubtedly kept the village on top of the proverbial food chain for years to come.

Instead, it was being used against them.

Danzo glanced back and forth between the legendary ninja in front of him, knowing, as he did when he walked in, that he was fighting an unwinnable battle. "Your next steps, Hokage-sama?" he asked tonelessly.

Tsunade considered him for a moment, learning forward onto her desk once more. "Sarutobi-sensei valued your opinion; you advised him for decades. I'd be a fool to toss you aside and you know that. However, I have enough work on my plate as it is without having to fight you too, Danzo."

"Consider this your first and last warning. I don't condone sacrificing the village's future any more than Sarutobi-sensei did; reasons be damned. Leave Orochimaru to us." She gestured to herself and the still stone-faced Jiraiya. "Valued opinion or not, try to pull this shit again and our next discussion will be planning your immediate retirement."

Danzo lifted his chin, not in defiance but in acknowledgment. He rose, recognizing the tacit dismissal as easily the not-so-veiled threat in Tsunade's words. "Hokage-sama," he said, bowed, and turned to leave.

He was at the doors when the Hokage's voice called, "Danzo," and he turned.

"It should go without saying, but I'll make it explicit for you," Tsunade said, voice hard as tempered steel. "Whatever plans you have for your Ne, leave Naruto out of them. He's off limits. Period."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he acknowledged, and opened the double doors. They closed behind him and he allowed himself a smile.

He had taken the measure of the Godaime and she had, surprisingly, not been lacking. Tsunade knew what she didn't know and recognized the value in having different opinions as sounding boards. She was pragmatic enough to see his usefulness as an ally, but firm enough that Danzo had no doubt she'd dispose of him in an instant if she felt he was moving against her wishes.

He allowed himself a moment of contentment with the outcome of his gamble with Uzumaki. It was less than ideal – Orochimaru remained, of course – but he knew he could at least work with the Godaime instead of having to work around her the way he had in Sarutobi's second tenure. He would make the best of this as he had with everything else in his career.

The feeling passed as quickly as it appeared, and he strode into a concealed entrance to ANBU headquarters beside the Hokage's office.

/~/

"You were soft on him," Jiraiya said the moment Danzo had moved back into the depths of ANBU headquarters.

"I need allies, Jiraiya. Like it or not, he's a good one to have," Tsunade returned easily. She turned to face her teammate. He stood facing out the window, hooded eyes on the face of his most famous student. She felt her lingering frustrations with the morning's events evaporate at the sight. Even after nearly five decades of knowing the man, how much Jiraiya truly cared for people still managed to surprise her.

That he had made it this far in his career with what many, herself included, would consider a debilitating weakness, was more surprising still. All shinobi had their precious persons, those they would fight and die for; it was a rare ninja that actively cared about people outside of their village. But Jiraiya had always been an idealist.

She sighed, wishing, not for the first time since she took the job, for a bottle of sake and a poker table to lose herself at. "I understand your qualms with his methods, but –"

"They're necessary. I get it, hime," Jiraiya said tiredly. He favored her with a smile that didn't come close to touching his eyes. "You've read my reports from the last decade or so. I'm not as naïve as you and Sarutobi-sensei always said I was."

Tsunade allowed his point to stand, rising and joining him by the window. Konoha was vibrant in the early afternoon sun: merchants rushed to and fro, peddling wares that customers gladly lapped up. Shinobi hopped from roof to roof, green vests flying by like leaves in a breeze as they went about their business. All mine to protect now.

"You know I'm not ignoring your qualms about him. We have our eyes and ears inside his ranks thanks to you. If he moves against Naruto in any way, we'll know," she soothed.

Jiraiya's sigh brought her eyes back to him in time to see him lean his forehead, lacking its usual hitai-ate, against the window. "Can't help worrying about the kid. Even in my wildest nightmares I didn't think he'd get caught up in all this shit. Internal village politics he can deal with – he'd have had to no matter what. But between Akatsuki and Orochimaru, Danzo is just one more schemer trying to control him."

"Where is he now?"

"Training grounds. Doing speed drills with a clone of mine. He calmed down once I told him he wasn't, under any circumstances, taking a suicide mission."

A blond eyebrow rose. "We both know Orochimaru wouldn't kill him. Not after Tanzaku-gai." He's too interested, she mused. She had known the treacherous man long enough to know when his interest was piqued.

"You know there are things worse than death, Tsunade," Jiraiya returned, voice clipped.

Like surviving where all your loved ones died, she almost said, but bit down on it at the last moment. Jiraiya knew perfectly well what demons she was battling just by being in Konoha, just as she knew the demons he was battling every time he looked at his godson. He's just anxious, she thought clinically. Delving into a pointless argument about who was suffering more solved nothing.

And she had no desire to hurt one of the last people she truly cared for.

"Danzo does raise the point of what exactly to do about him," she said instead. They had done well to present a unified front when the elder had been in the room, but they didn't have any more of a plan to bring down their renegade teammate.

"He'll be in hiding for a while," Jiraiya said. "He'd have already exhausted all other avenues of restoring his arms if he sought you out. He'll be forced to change bodies, and even that may not work. If it does, he'll be out of commission for a while."

Tsunade withheld a shudder at the twisted methods her old teammate had created. In his own way, Orochimaru was as much a medical genius as she was. As much as she could clinically appreciate the man's skill, the utter wrongness of his quest for immortality offended her on such a fundamental level that she couldn't help her revulsion. All men must die, she thought. She knew it better than most.

"It gives us a small window of opportunity –"

"It'll be closed by the time we move," her teammate cut her off. He shook his head, long white hair falling in waves over his shoulders. "I have information on six potential locations spread across the continent. He could be at any of them by now and sending anything less than a squad of elite jonin is just a waste of lives."

A spike of annoyance shot through Tsunade. She was a problem solver by nature, and this problem had no easy solution. "You know his tendencies better than anyone," she conceded. "What's our best play here?"

A dark look passed over Jiraiya's face. Which means he's come to the same conclusion I have…

"We wait. Catalogue and counteract his movements as best we can, and try to draw him out once Naruto is capable of holding his own against him."

Orochimaru was in the position all shinobi were taught to be in: even weakened, his enemies couldn't reach him without recklessly overextending themselves. Their only option that wouldn't leave them exposed to unacceptable loss was to make him come to them; and there were precious few things the snake wanted badly enough to leave himself even slightly vulnerable.

"The Uchiha?" she asked. "His file says Orochimaru marked him. That's as much overt interest as he's shown in Naruto."

Jiraiya shook his head again. "The only thing that would speed up the process would be using either of them like Danzo wants to. I'm not sending a child into hell for the sheer possibility of it working in our favor. And there's even less of a way to guarantee Sasuke's loyalty than Naruto's. Not to mention Itachi's reaction…"

Tsunade contained a wince at the holes being poked in her, admittedly weak, idea. The truth of the Uchiha Massacre had been one of her first briefings upon taking power. Itachi's allegiance was contingent solely upon their protection of Sasuke. There was little doubt the man would be less than pleased if his little brother was sent on a suicide mission. And they had enough enemies as it was without making more out of their allies.

"Not to mention Naruto would raise hell on the home front," she heard Jiraiya mutter, breaking her musings. At her questioning glance, he allowed himself a small smile. "The Uchiha is Naruto's friend. He wouldn't let him go to Orochimaru without a fight."

Noted. She let the new information pass from her mind. "So we're stuck playing catch up," she declared, doing her best to keep the frustration out of her voice. Less than a week on the job and she was already losing sleep. "Do you have updates on anyone else who wants to kill us all?"

Some warmth returned to Jiraiya's face at her black humor. Always tough to keep him down for long. "You wanna start with the villages or the mercenary organization trying to control the biju?"

She let her face drop into her palm as she sunk back into her armchair. "Never mind. Forget I asked," she said. "I need a vacation…"

"Aww, cheer up, hime!" her teammate boomed, suddenly in good spirits. The sound of clay meeting the wood of her desk brought her eyes up, where they came to rest upon a simple bottle of sake. "The first intelligence briefing is always the worst, but I promise I'll be gentle."

The snort that escaped her was anything but ladylike. "Don't rush into it, now. A woman likes when you take your time and make the moment last." She poured two cups of sake, smiling slightly at Jiraiya's answering smirk.

"Only took five decades for you to succumb to my charm, who'd've thought," he laughed, taking his cup. They raised their sake in unison, eyes meeting and holding in a toast, and smiled.

/~/

The door to his apartment swung inward on well-oiled hinges. He crossed the threshold, dropping his bag lazily on the floor, and closed the door behind him. His vest was hung on the single hook with now practiced ease.

"What a day," he muttered, letting his forehead fall into the Kevlar padded back of his chunin vest. He breathed a chuckle, closed his eyes, and shook his head in tired wonderment.

Unable to find Jiraiya immediately following his "mission" being assigned, he had retreated to his apartment to panic in solitude. At some point he had fallen into an uneasy, restless sleep. The next morning had been more fruitful – Thank god – and his sensei had come to him to get him ready for some intense training.

Needless to say, those plans had been tabled once Naruto had blurted out the details of the council's assignment. Jiraiya had told him to stay put, disappeared, and reappeared two hours later.

"Your assignment's been canceled," he said, as if discussing the weather.

Naruto's heart leapt, almost unwilling to believe it. "You're sure?" he gasped.

"Course I'm sure, kiddo! Tsunade is handling the council now, so don't even stress. Now c'mon! We've got skills to sharpen and research to do," Jiraiya declared easily, turning about and walking right back out the door, the blond doing his best not to trip over himself in his haste to follow.

A day filled with speed drills later, he still wasn't sure what to think. He heaved himself off the doorframe with a tired grunt and strode to the kitchen.

Rummaging through the cabinets was a good deal more difficult than it had been before; Asuma had started overhauling his usual food supply of ramen in favor of things like whole grains, lean meat, and vegetables, a process Jiraiya had all but completed in the time since they'd returned from retrieving Tsunade.

Even still, he managed to keep a small supply of his favorite instant ramen hidden just for occasions like this. Though Ero-sensei probably saw it. "Heh." The smallest of grins split his lips as his fingers found purchase, pulling a cylindrical Styrofoam container out.

Three long minutes later saw a steaming cup of noodles in his hand as he walked to his living room window. He lifted it open and clambered onto the sill with practiced ease, his leg handing lazily outside, not quite able to touch the metal fire escape just beneath him. Naruto exhaled heavily, closing his eyes momentarily as he felt the night's breeze ruffle his hair.

To think that training to survive Akatsuki's onslaught would be the simplest of his problems. It was, at the least, straightforward: get strong enough to survive, or die trying.

Then that fucking snake had to fuck everything up, he thought viciously, aggressively slurping his ramen. He paused, mulling over his unbidden thought, and snorted hard enough to nearly choke on his noodles.

Mulling over the cosmic joke that his life clearly was wasn't a particularly fun exercise, and with it came renewed memories of small, dark rooms filled with elders ready to send him to the slaughter in the name of the greater good.

His original panic had dissipated, replaced instead by a cloying mist of uncertainty that hung over him.

"All S-class missions outside of wartime are voluntarily accepted, not mandated."

The words spoken by the Sandaime's teammate rang like a bell in his head. His anxiety, however, had been that of a man walking to his death, regardless of the necessity of his willing participation.

"Would you have done it?" he asked himself, his voice a whisper beneath the evening's breeze.

It hadn't been long ago that he had walked the streets of his home, a baleful glare ready to figuratively eviscerate any civilian that looked at him funny; and look at him funny they did. From expressions of rage, to terror, and, finally, to awe, the people of Konoha never seemed to know how to see him.

And he hated them for it. Hated their smiles and well wishes even more than he had hated the glares and contemptuous disinterest from his childhood; hated even more that he had to grin and bear it when every impulse in his body wanted nothing more than to wipe their hypocritical smiles from their faces.

So why had sheer panic gripped him when a mission that was entirely voluntary was laid on the table for him to choose? His reputation wasn't on the line – all the information was classified S-ranked, according to Danzo – not that he cared about it anyway. His hatred of Orochimaru burned hotter than any of the flames Sasuke loved to conjure, but he wasn't so consumed with rage that he was willing to leap into the jaws of death for the slightest chance of success.

He was loyal to his team, to his friends who had morphed into the closest thing to a family he had ever had. He was loyal to his senseis, whose unwavering support of Konoha, in giving their lives, awed as much as it ashamed him when his conflicting emotions failed to live up to their standard. But it hadn't been some underlying sense of duty that had seen him throw himself against a bijuu.

Naruto closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze tickle his face, and he immersed himself in memories of fury and desperation; memories of wanton destruction and shattered lives; memories of panicked, agonized screams that turned to silence as death claimed more victims; memories of impossible odds that didn't matter in the face of the need to protect his home.

His blue eyes fluttered open, mind awhirl. It hadn't been just the Kyuubi's rage that had fueled him against the Ichibi. His own had bubbled forth as well, lost in the red haze of his host's malevolence.

When did I start wanting to protect this goddamn village? he wondered. There had always been those he liked: his classmates, Sasuke, and, later, his team and his teachers. But that camaraderie had never extended beyond that, never to the shinobi forces as a whole, and certainly never to the civilians.

Home, it seemed, was home. And despite everything he hated about it, it was the only one he had. Sad state of affairs, Uzumaki.

His ramen had gone cold in his hands, but he paid it little mind as he cast his eyes out over the rooftops. Unbidden, a tiny smile split his lips. Home was home; he had protected it and would do so again, he realized.

And in the process, maybe, just maybe, he would find a way to live up to his sensei's legacies.

The smile froze on his face as the memory of a clone shoved its way to the forefront of his mind. What the hell is he doing? he thought for a moment, but it was swiftly discarded as its subject appeared soundlessly on his fire escape.

Sasuke peered at him with an intensity that Naruto felt should have necessitated his sharingan be activated. He was back in the garb he had worn in their academy days, the blue shirt that the blond knew had the Uchiha crest emblazoned on it reaching up to cover his friend's chin. Naruto felt his eyes narrow as he spied the fully loaded backpack draped over Sasuke's shoulders, confusion bubbling to the surface.

"We need to talk."

/~/

"Not wearing your vest?" Naruto asked after Sasuke had bullied himself into his apartment. The Uchiha hadn't quite been as overtly proud of his chunin promotion as his blond counterpart had been, but that didn't stop him from wearing it everywhere he went.

Sasuke didn't answer, electing instead to peer about the small living area with his Sharingan activated. Naruto quirked a brow but didn't say anything when his friend strode into his bedroom wordlessly, and the second joined it a moment later as he walked into his bathroom. Well this is normal, he thought sarcastically, an undercurrent of unease settling in his gut. "Looking for something?"

"Making sure the Yamanaka isn't here."

Naruto sputtered despite his unease. It's late! "She's not – we don't…" he trailed off helplessly. He shook himself. Focus, Naruto.

The Uchiha stepped back out a moment later, eyes onyx once more, and regarded him seriously. "I'm leaving the village."

Naruto blinked, taking in his friend. No headband, no vest, full pack. And they don't send new chunin on missions in the middle of the night…The pit of unease in his stomach ballooned.

Orochimaru? he wondered, as if from a great distance, but he already knew the answer. Sasuke's silence only confirmed it, and Naruto only barely kept down the hurricane of emotions roiling within him. "Why?" he whispered.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, surveying him. "I'm done with games. I'm done with playing ninja with people that are only holding me back. I have one goal."

Seven months' worth of consistent complaints about his team, frustration at the inability to receive personal training, Orochimaru's promises of power, Itachi's manhandling of him in Shukuba town Naruto could read it all like a book in Sasuke's eyes. The tempered insanity he had gotten used to seeing there had been fanned into an inferno.

Itachi…what did you do to him? The thought rang through his head like a claxon. Sasuke never went into detail about his brother, and he hadn't bothered asking.

"You think he's offering you power for free?"

Sasuke's familiar smirk settled in place, but Naruto felt like he was staring at a stranger's face given the gleam in his friend's eyes. "Don't be an idiot. I don't care what he wants. I'll pay any price to see him dead."

Overheard conversations between Jiraiya and Tsunade rushed to the forefront of Naruto's mind. Conversations of ambition and immortality and a man so twisted that he'd found a way to cheat death. "What if the price is you? He wants your body for himself. Your eyes."

The Uchiha only shrugged, still smirking, and Naruto knew there was no changing his friend's mind.

"Why are you telling me this?" he burst out. "You know I–" Sasuke's chuckle cut him off.

"You have to what, dobe? Stop me? No you don't," his friend said. "You're like me. You know what it's like to have someone to kill."

Naruto's eyes snapped to Sasuke's onyx orbs at the syllable. But he didn't see the usual derision he got from people when they asked him why he did things. He didn't see the polite curiosity or indulgence that he got when he spoke to the Hokage. Naruto saw two eyes sizing him up, assessing him. He straightened almost unconsciously.

"I've got some people that…" That what? That I need to kill? Naruto asked himself. "People that I've gotta be stronger than."

He expected a shrug, a laugh, a put down or an insult to his skills. He didn't expect understanding in the eyes of the class genius. He didn't expect a nod. And he didn't expect:

"So do I."

The memory of their first conversation played itself out in Naruto's mind like it had been yesterday. "Why are you here?" he whispered.

"Come with me," Sasuke demanded. "I spoke with his men earlier tonight. They say he made you an offer too. Did he?"

"He attacked the village," Naruto returned, not willing to confirm what Sasuke clearly already knew.

The Uchiha laughed derisively. "You care about these people? You told me about the Kyubi, and I've seen how the villagers treat you because of it. You can't lie to me, Naruto; these people don't mean anything to you."

Clarity struck Naruto like a hammer blow, and he remembered his thoughts from a week earlier, when he and Sasuke had trained together. The mark! It's changing him! He's not thinking straight… "Why should I come with you?" he asked, a bizarre calm settling over him at the realization of his friend's plight.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Me and you, we're the same. The same drive, the same goals. Itachi is mine, but that leaves you with all the rest." The Uchiha bared his teeth in something that couldn't be called a smile. "You'll need some help."

Naruto felt his lips twitch in spite of himself. Sasuke will be Sasuke. Even now. "How nice of you."

"That's what friends are for," Sasuke said, shrugging, and Naruto nearly started. The Uchiha had never referred to them as friends before, no matter how Naruto considered them. It wasn't in his nature. Avengers didn't need friends.

His resolve crystalized. I need to stop him. And there's no way I can talk him out of it when he's like this… Which meant he'd have to be subdued. "Where are we meeting his men?" he asked.

Sasuke didn't react with anything more than a slight smirk. He never doubted that I'd come with him, Naruto realized.

"We're hidden past the north gate. Pack for two day's hard travel."

"We?" Naruto burst out.

His friend chuckled darkly. "Kage bunshin is pretty useful. I told them you'd come, but they made me send a clone just in case you decided to get stupid."

Fuck fuck fuck FUCK! He must've copied it in one of our spars. And if I dispel him, they split… "I'll get my bag," he said, trying to contain his alarm.

"Hurry up. We leave in fifteen minutes and they haven't told me where to."

"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto trailed off, hustling to his room, feeling like his heart was beating out of his chest. And with him watching me I can't make my own clone to warn anyone, he thought frantically and he heard Sasuke follow closely behind him. He's not leaving this to chance. And even if I make one hidden he'll still feel the chakra output. Shit!

He packed his bag haphazardly, mind awhirl trying to come up with a plan. I have to find a way to take them out. But dealing with Sasuke alone was hard enough, never mind however many other men Orochimaru had sent to escort them.

"How many people are we travelling with?" he asked casually, slinging his pack over his shoulder.

"Four," Sasuke answered easily. "Three weirdos and a girl who can't stop cursing," he said with distaste.

Kyubi, Naruto concluded with dread. If put out enough chakra, I'll alert an ANBU patrol even if I can't stop them myself.

"Conversation should be fun," he returned weakly. They slipped out of the still open window soundlessly and vaulted to the rooftop.

Clinging to shadows, they hopped from roof to roof. Blue eyes flickered about, searching in vain for a hidden patrol that might happen upon them, but didn't trust the hope. Konoha was undermanned still from the invasion, patrols limited to the village walls while ANBU and regular shinobi were limited. Someone will notice, he told himself as he tried to steady his breathing, preparing to unleash hell upon Orochimaru's lieutenants.

They reached the northern wall in what felt like the blink of an eye, and hopped over it without preamble. Naruto turned his head to the east and could barely spy the northern gate from their position. They planned this fucking beautifully, he marveled in spite of himself. Many of the reserves were deployed elsewhere to secure key borders with Iwa, Kiri, Kumo, and Suna. Combined with a skeleton force in the village itself…Prime for an infiltration mission.

They scaled a small hill that left them with a good view of Konoha's north wall. Which means they should have a decent view of us, Naruto thought resolutely. He sighed heavily, the exhale calming his frayed nerves and making way for his chakra to circulate in earnest.

"Tch. Don't worry so much, dobe," Sasuke told him as they crested the rise. Five figures stood in shadows to greet them, and suddenly the Sasuke next to him dispersed into smoke.

"I told them you'd come," the real Uchiha declared. He stepped out of the shadows, his smirk firmly in place.

Naruto said nothing, his eyes flickering around the other four figures. They weren't much older than he and Sasuke. A fat boy had his arms crossed and stared at Naruto with undisguised impatience. A short boy with a ponytail grinned at him with too sharp teeth, the expression stretching a scar across the center of his face. An older teen with white hair simply smiled enigmatically, while the lone girl glared daggers at him that the blond could practically feel.

"And who're you all supposed to be?" he growled, tapping into the Kyubi's chakra with a thought.

"They're the Sound Four," a familiar voice spoke from right behind him. Naruto whirled around in recognition, lashing out in an instinctive punch. What the fuck is he –

Kabuto caught his wrist with ease and stepped inside his guard, iridescent purple reflecting off his glasses before he slammed five, flame covered fingers into Naruto's exposed stomach. The blond coughed as the air was driven out of his lungs, and suddenly the red hot chakra of his tenant was gone.

He sank to his knees as the world began to blur. "So glad you could join us tonight, Naruto-kun," he heard Kabuto say, and he knew no more.

/~/

"What did you do to him?"

Kabuto glanced up from Orochimaru's prize to regard the young Uchiha, dissecting him with a glance. Young Sasuke wasn't angry, merely irritated at the unexpected turn of events. He smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Merely following orders, Sasuke-kun. He'll be fine." The Uchiha stared him down for a moment before turning away dismissively.

"When do I get this second stage you guys mentioned earlier?" he asked the Sound Four.

You really should get better friends, Naruto-kun, Kabuto thought with some amusement as Sakon handed Sasuke a pill. Come all this way to save your friend, only to have him turn his back on you. Perhaps Orochimaru-sama won't have to teach that lesson after all.

He picked the blond jinchuriki up and walked to Jirobo. "Take him," he commanded. The fat teen took Naruto without effort, merely scowling at the added weight. Kabuto paid him no mind, laying a hand covered with medical chakra on the blonde's forehead for a moment. "He won't wake until I draw him out of unconsciousness. We'll rendezvous at the border if I don't catch you earlier."

"You're not coming with us?" Kidomaru asked.

Kabuto smiled, his eyes darting to the container that Sasuke had climbed his way into. All according to plan. "I have one last task here," he told them. That was all they needed to hear, as they nodded and dispersed into the trees.

The spy turned back to regard Konoha, moonlight illuminating it from above. "Someone has to lay the groundwork for Naruto-kun's defection."

/~/