The Rescue Mission Begins...

Jiraiya and Tsunade stood beside Hiruzen, as they watched the three assemble.

Hiruzen inhaled from his smoke pipe and exhaled the smoke, taking a moment to think about the matters at hand.

"Kakashi!" Hiruzen called out.

"Though it may be unusual, I am putting Naruto in charge of this particular mission."

"I would like for both, you and Uchiha Sasuke to follow Naruto's commands in this mission."

"This mission is an off-records S-Rank mission!" Hiruzen explained….

("My first S-Rank mission is off records…") Sasuke thought.

"Kakashi!"

"Sasuke!"

"Do you have any complaints against anything I have just said?" Hiruzen asked.

"NO!" Kakashi and Sasuke responded.

"Good!" Hiruzen said as he turned towards Naruto.

"Naruto, please explain your method of operation for the mission."

"I'll see if there's any wisdom I can offer."

Naruto nodded as he stepped forth.

"For this mission, I am not one-hundred percent sure of who are all involved, but I can mention the key characters we are going to face."

"I wish to have Kakashi-sensei approach the Fourth Kazekage, as an envoy of the Hidden Leaf in accompanying the Kazekage's journey to the Hidden Leaf Village."

"However…."

"There's a chance that Orochimaru may appear over there," Naruto said.

"'Orochimaru!' why would he arrive with the Kazekage?"

"Isn't that the same as claiming that he is working with the Kazekage?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraiya frowned.

"Naruto!"

"Are you saying that Orochimaru is…"

"Precisely!" Naruto pointed out.

Kakashi was surprised at Naruto's plans, but the people who would appear in the plan could only make him dread the mission even more.

"Orochimaru intends to kill the Kazekage," Naruto said.

"Why?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraiya put his hand in front of Tsunade to calm Tsunade down.

Hiruzen and Jiraiya knew that Orochimaru was the kind of scum to do so…

Another contributing factor was Naruto having the knowledge of these events that would take place.

"I intend to stop Orochimaru while making the Kazekage realize Orochimaru's intention towards their cooperation was all a sham…" Naruto explained.

"Thus preserving the treaty and turning the Kazekage in favor of our side…" Hiruzen completed Naruto's explanation.

"Looks like this might make things easy for us after all!" Hiruzen smiled towards Naruto.

Naruto walked up to Hiruzen as he reached into his pockets.

He then handed over the kunai with the Flying Thunder God Seal.

Hiruzen stared at Naruto, seeing Minato's image staring back at him.

"Please keep this with you at all times," Naruto said.

Hiruzen smiled as he ruffled Naruto's hair.

"I regret never revealing your parent's identity to you Naruto," Hiruzen said as he adjusted his cap to cover his face.

Naruto squatted down and lifted his head to look at Hiruzen behind his cap...

"I know you did it to protect me!" Naruto said as he smiled at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen almost felt like crying,

("Minato….")

("Kushina….")

("Your boy has grown into a fine young man!") Hiruzen spoke to them in his mind.

Meanwhile, Sasuke stared at Naruto.

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FB - Chapter 4

"Weakness is a choice Sasuke. Some somethings can only be found through authority" Naruto said dejectedly.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked

"You knew your parents, and you know their killer, whereas I do not know my parents, and neither their killer," Naruto said

"What does that have to do with me?" Sasuke asked impatiently

"The third Hokage knows, yet he refuses to say, I guess there is a story behind yours too that he is hiding I am afraid…." Naruto said trying to calm down Sasuke

"Are you saying I have no resolve" Sasuke screamed, showing changes in his pupil

"I see, you have awakened your Sharingan," Naruto said dejectedly

Sasuke tried moving around but was still pinned to the ground.

"That is nothing in front of true strength Sasuke, But that is what I am here to do," Naruto said as he faced Sasuke while pinning him to the ground.

"I want us both working together hand in hand while steadily increasing our power and also finding out the truth to our problems, but I need your help," Naruto asked with a friendly look.

"But why? Why someone as strong as you ask my help?" Sasuke asked

"We have been rivals for a long time, and have almost lived the same lifestyle for the past few years" "No one could possibly understand me better than you…." Naruto said as he got up and extended a hand.

—————————————————

Jiraiya walked towards Naruto.

"Naruto!"

"Do you remember what happened a few days ago?" Jiraiya asked.

"You mean the Akatsuki," Naruto said as he thought back to the intel that he had received in the restaurant.

"Mm." Jiraiya nodded.

"Don't worry."

"I can handle anything that comes in my way," Naruto reassured.

Jiraiya reached into his clothes and pulled out a scroll.

"Naruto, take this scroll with you." Jiraiya handed over the scroll.

Naruto stared at the scroll.

"Use that scroll in conjunction with the summoning technique."

"You will be able to summon the second Great Sage of Mount Myouboku, Fukasaku-sama."

"If there is any problem, Fukasaku-sama can reverse summon me to the place where you are at," Jiraiya said.

Naruto nodded as he stored the scroll in his pocket.

Jiraiya walked towards Sasuke.

Sasuke lifted his head as looked at Jiraiya.

"Sasuke-kun."

"Be careful on your mission. I suppose this is the first time you are taking an S-Rank mission right?" Jiraiya asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"Don't let fear get to you, always have a calm mind when you are faced with the most troublesome of problems."

"A calm mind can make you see through everything, just like your Sharingan," Jiraiya said.

Sasuke bowed down towards Jiraiya…

"Thank You for your guidance."

"Mm." Jiraiya nodded.

...

Tsunade walked up to Naruto as she thought back to the time Naruto had left the meeting to meet up with Sasuke.

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Situational FB

"Tsunade-sama!"

"That was very reckless of you."

"To think you would bet that Necklace of all things!" Shizune reprimanded Tsunade.

"Shizune!"

"I believe in that boy."

"He could already stand up against Orochimaru for his age."

"What more troubles can befall him?"

"You think that this necklace is so cursed, that it would kill him as well?" Tsunade argued.

———————————

("I may have argued against you Shizune…")

("This time, it really feels like he is running towards Death itself…") Tsunade thought as she stared at Naruto.

"Naruto!"

"Hm?" Naruto turned towards Tsunade.

"Please come back alive!" Tsunade said.

Naruto smiled at Tsunade as he stuck his right thumb towards Tsunade.

"I will be back in one piece along with Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke stood side by side once again in front of the three.

"We'll Leave for the Hidden Sand now!" Kakashi said.

"Good luck!" Hiruzen said, upon which the trio vanished as they jumped over the buildings while heading in the direction of the village gates.

…..

Hiruzen turned towards Jiraiya.

"Do you think Naruto will be able to pull it off?"

Jiraiya thought back to Naruto's Elemental Rasengan training. (author's note - all different elements)

"Yes!"

....

....

In the sand village…

Where the desert winds flowed throughout the year, in a particular building, within a room.

A man sat down as he stared at the messages written on the scroll.

The man wore a combination of White and Blue attire with a cap that contained the character for the word 'Wind' on the tip of the hat.

"Yūra!" The Fourth Kazekage called out.

The door in the room opened revealing a man with a white cap and long hair that covered half of the face diagonally as it stretched all the way to the neck.

"Yūra!"

"What happened to the second team of the ANBU Black OPS?"

"None of them are in the building." The fourth Kazekage complained.

"Kazekage-sama!"

"I had them increase the security around the village," Yūra said.

"What for?" The Kazekage asked.

"There is a rumor of the Akatsuki appearing along our borders," Yūra said.

"Who was the source?" The Kazekage asked.

"Jiraiya of the Legendary-Sanin," Yūra confirmed.

Jiraiya had sent this information to the people who would share intel with him. This information was sent long before Jiraiya received the message regarding Kazekage's intention to breach the terms of the alliance.

"No matter how powerful they are…"

"No ninjas will be capable of infiltration by force!"