Bab 9: Chapter 7 part 2 The Emperor, a Prophecy and Discoveries
Later that night
There was a small symbol of the Uzumaki, a kanji for chakra at the heart of it; at the top and base, there were two similar markings. The marking at the top was lying upside down and the one at the base lying flat. The drawings on the top read 'seal' and at the base 'release.'
This was the work Jiraiya found when he returned late at night. It was drawn on a large sealing scroll, left open on a small table. Naruto always had a table in each room they rented, wasn't it? He had questioned Naruto's prowess in fuinjutsu but now he was seeing it. He had learned the art, so he could tell it was as a complex work that could regulate chakra. He stared at the seal for a couple of moments, trying to piece it together. It had three parts and they were all separated. Perhaps it wasn't a finished product but a work in progress.
"Are you sleeping?" Jiraiya asked in a quiet tone. Naruto was sitting silently by the window with his eyes closed.
"I was before you woke me up with your presence." Naruto responded without looking at the Sannin.
"What is this?"
"Something I was working on today. I'm trying to create a second storage of chakra to be used in case I deplete my chakra reserves." Naruto responded calmly.
"Do you need to worry about that?"
Naruto nodded. "Some of my jutsus require massive amounts of chakra… my Rasenshuriken has limited use because it demands too much chakra. In a situation where I have to fight a long battle, having more chakra will be important. Stamina I have… I can fight for longer periods but stamina is nothing when you are out of chakra and your first fighting style is the use of Ninjutsu."
Things were going to get heated soon. Naruto could already see himself fighting large number of shinobi and if things happen like that, he would need almost unlimited supply of chakra. Well, that is if a war occurs. With Kumo and Iwagakure, lurking, anything could happen, Naruto wasn't going to take any chances because he had to be prepared for anything. Only those with strong minds and bodies could survive a war. Naruto wanted to survive. He wanted to live a long life worthy of someone with the Uzumaki blood.
"I know you said you studied almost everything about Fuinjutsu, I didn't think you were this good…" Jiraiya said. "And all this time you never said a damn thing."
Naruto shrugged his shoulders in a careless manner. "You should know me already now, Jiraiya-sensei. It was never convenient for me to use my Fuinjutsu skills. And I never pretended to be ignorant of it. This was just a subject we never really did discuss in details."
Jiraiya sighed before settling down. He cast his glance towards the seal once more. It had been left there on purpose, just for him to see. He had said they would have to discuss the practical use of Fuinjutsu. What did he expect anyway? Naruto was a proud Uzumaki – what did the Uzumaki excel in? There was no doubt he was Uzumaki now. But what more could the blond do with Fuinjutsu? He had obviously developed that from scratch. And that was no easy feat. Drawing a new formula was no easy thing to do. He had learned most of the seals he knew.
Naruto has probably learned more about many seals than he has since he has studied seals for many hours.
"I am going to be honest with you, Naruto…" Jiraiya said in a serious tone.
"You shouldn't phrase your statement like that, sensei…" Naruto said. "You make it sound as if you have been lying all this time… and which isn't true…" he paused and looked over at the Toad sage. "I figured this was going to come any time soon…" he said.
"You figured?"
Naruto nodded before looking outside; the streets were dark. The sun was nowhere to be seen. The moon had its eyes closed tonight. "When you came for me, the air around you felt tense when you were staring at me. I couldn't read anything from your mask. You are a professional at that."
Jiraiya was silent for a couple of moments. Naruto hadn't even twitched to show him he thought there was something wrong. The blond was truly another professional when it comes to schooling his reactions. It just spoke volumes to how calm and controlled he was. "The Toads told me something… I have told you about the prophecy the Toads told me, right?"
Naruto nodded. Perhaps it was something that made him cautious about being near the toads. "You did say something like that…you did say you once thought it could be my father… but that didn't end well… you also had another student…"
"Nagato…" Jiraiya said. "He was Uzumaki and had the Rinnegan… the eyes once wielded by the legendary Sage of Six paths…"
The Sage of Six Paths… that wasn't something Naruto thought much about. But the man did once exist in this world. Another story does state that he was truly a master of the sealing art. Perhaps the Uzumaki got this from him. Both the Senju and Uchiha were descendants of the Sage.., and they inherited his powers… or so the powers of his sons. If you didn't know the history of both clans in their founding you wouldn't know something like that.
"Uzumaki…" Jiraiya smiled. "The clan wasn't blessed with the doujutsu prowess of the Uchiha, and yet they were the danger. You know, there was once a time when there was a rule… if you meet a Sharingan wielder and you are alone, you don't face, you run away. The Sharingan is also powerful enough to cast genjutsu to control a Bijuu… yet, it wasn't the clan that was determined the most threat, but Uzumaki. There are just many things that we don't know about why they were destroyed and we might never know."
"Perhaps…" Naruto said. "Some secrets have died with relics of the past. You might find that fifty thousand people were involved but only one of them knows the real truth of what actually happened."
"There is that possibility," Jiraiya said. "I think that you might be the child of prophecy Naruto. I think that you can bring change in this world… but whether it will be destruction or peace is another matter that nobody can determine. I really hope that if the prophecy is indeed true and I am correct, you will become a savior of the shinobi world, Naruto."
Destruction, oh yes there were powers in this world that could cause so much destruction and death. It could just be pure chaos. One person could destroy the even a village like Konoha with just one jutsu. Naruto had a clear idea on what he needed to do but whether there was going to be peace or destruction would depend on how the elemental nations responded to him. He wasn't thinking about that for now, he was most concerned about what was in front of him.
"You have huge dreams, sensei…" Naruto said.
Naruto wasn't going to comment on his proclamation, Jiraiya realized. Before, he would have allowed the blond to get away with it but not this time – he wasn't going to do something like that. "I want your response about what I just said Naruto."
Naruto looked at the Sannin for a couple of moments before looking away. "That is something to think about… but it is really a frightening knowledge. I am not a kind hearted person who is as idealistic as you are, sensei. Nevertheless, I heard what you have said. Perhaps it excites me more than it does frighten me. Either way, we will not know anything unless we truly live that reality. I have no thirst for destruction… and I'm still evaluating things."
"I will be watching you from now on, Naruto… more so than I did…" Jiraiya said in a hardened tone. "You are my student… yes you do not share my dreams, but it doesn't change anything. I don't know how you will involve yourself with the Uzumaki, but you'll probably play a huge role. As your sensei, it is my job to ensure that your role is good; your role doesn't bring chaos and destruction in this world. You have the power of the Kyubi, that isn't something even I can go against."
"Then I look forward to seeing what you are going to do, sensei…" Naruto said with a small smile. "What are we going to do?"
"I said we would visit Amegakure, I never mentioned why." Jiraiya said. "Amegakure was led by Hanzo, but we haven't heard anything about him. Given how strong he was, I doubt he is dead. The Rain has nevertheless been under lockdown for a while. Its reputation with spies is as notorious as Uzushio. We are going to investigate to see is happening. I have also learned that the Akatsuki might be located there. I have also learned that there is a civil war in the village. It might the Akatsuki against Hanzo."
"What is the problem with the Akatsuki, Jiraiya? They are just a mercenary group, isn't it?"
Jiraiya nodded his head. "That is true but Orochimaru was once a member, and Itachi is currently a member. Who is able to control these powerful shinobi? The leader of the group must be a powerful shinobi. We don't know anything; hence we are going to investigate. I know the civil war is real, but if the Akatsuki is involved, it means a mercenary group is trying to take over a village."
"This will be my first 'spy thriller,'" Naruto said with a smile. "When do we leave?"
"You'll have to be careful, Naruto. Amegakure is dangerous… If we go there, we could be walking straight into a civil war…" Jiraiya said.
He hadn't been planning on taking Naruto with him but with the blond done with his training, he had to take him. That aside, Naruto knew how to hide his presence; he knew how to be subtle. And if something happened, the two of them could always handle it. Naruto had perfected Senjutsu. There shouldn't be problems the two of them couldn't handle. They would make a combo, wouldn't they? If they entered a battlefield in sage mode, they would decimate their opponents.
"When have I been careless, sensei?"
Those words ran inside Jiraiya's head like a loud bell that left him dazed for a moment. Perhaps he had been right to think that Naruto would do well. The blond was never careless. He certainly moved with the slickness of a snake. "I sometimes forget those qualities you don't always show…"
"You should pay attention to your student, Jiraiya…" Naruto said sternly. "What was it with Kurenai's team?"
Jiraiya grinned. "I thought it would be a nice touch to remind you of home. We had been avoiding Konoha shinobi and never talked more about it. I just thought it would be nice if some of your friends saw you. You know old feelings…"
Naruto shook his head. "Don't be diabolical, sensei. You are already a shameless pervert; you need not add such a trait in your personality."
Jiraiya shrugged indifferently. "We leave tomorrow morning." The Sannin said. "Be ready when I come."
"Sleeping elsewhere?"
Jiraiya merely smiled before he started to walk away. He stopped by the seal on the small table and stared at it for a long minute. "After this mission, you'll need to show me more seals you know…" he said in a serious tone.
Konoha
When Danzo burst into her office, waking her from her nap, Tsunade was close to jumping on the man to crush him for disturbing her but she quickly stopped from doing so. There had to be a reason he was in her office. She hadn't been seeing more of him in the past month because she had been busy tidying up things in the village and he had been busy running his show in the underground.
The war hawk had a rather serious look about him – it was a stern look. Perhaps it was something that she had used to doing but this one looked different. "What is it, Danzo?"
Danzo stared at the woman for a moment. It wasn't easy working 'for' her. But he was managing. He hasn't been doing anything that would warrant her attention but he was just being careful. There was no need to do anything now. Patience has always been his friend and he would be patient. He would strike when the time was right. He wouldn't be afraid if she failed with Uzushio and Iwagakure. He could pick up the pieces.
But the fact that she wasn't glaring at him meant that Uzushiogakure didn't inform her that it caught his people who had a mission to assassinate their leader. It had been a risk worth taking. If he had managed to kill the leader of Uzu and leak this to Iwagakure and Kumo, he could have plotted things wonderfully and Konoha would watch the chaos occur before pouncing. Yet, the fact that Uzushio didn't say anything to Tsunade was a little troubling. He was dealing with devious people.
Well, it was better that the Godaime didn't know. He was safe as long as she didn't know. But Uzu wouldn't try to use this information to blackmail him, would it? If something happened, this woman would no doubt send her shinobi after him and it would not be pretty. At this point, he was even considering using Shisui's eye on her.
"I have just received a report that Sasuke has left Orochimaru." Danzo said.
"What?"
"He left Orochimaru and was seen into the Fire Nation. We don't know where he ended up going but he is possibly looking for Itachi." Danzo said.
It would be troublesome if Itachi comes across the younger Uchiha and says something. No, the Uchiha knew his duty to the village. He wouldn't dare say anything to Sasuke. With how emotional the young Uchiha was, he would no doubt try to attack Konoha. With how the elder Uchiha loved the Leaf, it was unlikely he would do anything that would lead to such an action.
Tsunade stared at the war hawk for a moment; Sakura had been right. This was happening, but where was he going? Did he think that he was now powerful enough to defeat his elder brother? "What about Orochimaru?"
"I don't know if he is alive or dead…" though, it would be best if he was dead. Orochimaru was a liability to the Leaf and to him. His continued existence was nothing more than a ticking time bomb.
"I want something more than that Danzo…" Tsunade said in a firm. "Go confirm it, if he is indeed dead, I want his head before me. If you can't bring his head, get me something I can work on. If he is still alive, confirm it. There is still Kabuto to think about, where is he?"
"I will have to look for that."
"Then get to it." Tsunade ordered in a hardened tone. "I want results soon."
Danzo didn't respond to being order like that. He could permit it, for now. He had patience to deal with this. For now, but the day would come. She would either be dead or kneel before him and beg for him to spare her life. "We have not discussed Sasuke."
"What of him?"
"If possible, it would be best that he not even meet with Itachi. We have a better chance of catching him since he isn't under the protection of Orochimaru." Danzo said those words in a stern tone.
"Do you have his exact location or general location?" Tsunade asked.
"No."
"Then go find it, and when you do, come back to me and we will discuss what needs to be done. I will be more than happy to send my top shinobi after both him and Itachi." Tsunade said.
He would not allow that to happen. Danzo would make sure that Itachi was dead before he arrived in the Hidden Leaf. There was a chance of talking if he arrived back in the Leaf. They had not even been actively pursuing him because they had let him leave the village after serving it. A truly noble act as one should expect from a true shinobi of the Hidden leaf.
"You still haven't given me a clear answer on whether you will give Sasuke to me or not…" Danzo said. "Since we have a clear chance of getting him back, we need to settle the issue."
Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment. Whether she gave Sasuke to Danzo would depend on a couple of things. She was going to conduct a psychological evaluation on the Uchiha to determine if he needed to be sent into a cage and given strict lessons by Anbu. It would be a good mental exercise that should teach him better emotional control. Speaking of evaluations, she needed to order Shikaku to have them performed for every active shinobi to determine their state of mind. She didn't want loose cannons in a situation like this.
Tsunade would really not want to deal with Sasuke. It would be good if he was with Danzo. But there were risks contained there. Nevertheless, she could do without the headache. "I provisionally give you my approval to handle him. However, after some time, I will call him back, determine his state of mind and see if he can get back under my control."
"That is acceptable."
"Good…" Tsunade said. "Now go find him and Itachi."
"There is still one more issue." Danzo said
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"I have to first congratulate you on implementing changes to the shinobi academy and approving tough guidelines on how Jonins train their students. While it is not enough, it is still a start and at a time like this it is needed. Of course, we would have never come to this point if Hiruzen had bothered listening to me…" Danzo said.
Tsunade stared at the war hawk for a moment before sighing. Receiving praise from Danzo was nothing good. She didn't need it from him. Those words felt a bit disgusting. But she didn't show it. "Then?"
"We need to do something about both Kumo and Iwa…" Danzo said. "We cannot simply allow them to form a partnership in this situation. It would prove to be a problem for our survival. We need to ensure that they never become allies. If you approve it, I have the necessary methods to make sure that they fight each other."
Tsunade frowned. It was always something dark with Danzo. There was just no way Tsunade was going to go under that path. Even her grandfather would be ashamed. They needed to survive this. And indeed if Kumo and Iwa rallied against them, it would prove to be a challenge they might not be able to overcome, but going dark like that? Never. Konoha has already done many dark things, she would not do this.
"I am not giving you my approval and you will not do it." Tsunade said firmly. "If I hear that there is something happening between the two, Ibiki and Inoichi will have a couple of words with you."
"Predictable." Danzo said before walking away from the office. He had known she would give a response like that. He was hardly surprised, but for Konoha's survival, Danzo would do anything in his power to protect it. He would make sure that the leaf survived this mess. He would not allow a naïve woman who allows her emotions to get the best of her to drag this village down with her.
Danzo blamed Hiruzen for this mess. These people were following his former teammate's teaching and it was dragging this once great nation down.
Amegakure
Naruto looked down at the Toad that had sneaked him into the Rain through the large lake that surrounded the village. You entered the village through a bridge but that didn't accept visitors. And so, they had been swallowed by small toads and then dived into the water. They were now out and into the raining village.
Naruto didn't look around; he didn't run for cover as Jiraiya did. The Sannin had quickly made his way out of the rain to look for shelter but Naruto stood still, looking up into the clouds with his right hand held up, waiting for the rain drops to hit him. He closed his eyes and felt the drops hit his body. It wasn't the kind of rain that made you wet in a second.
"Hey, what are you doing standing there?" Jiraiya said to Naruto. There was no one around here, and so they were safe. But he didn't want Naruto standing in the rain like that as if he was a child.
Naruto didn't respond immediately, after a minute or so, he walked over to the Sannin – who was giving him a questioning look. "Long ago when the orphanage stopped being my home, when it rained, I could freely cry without anyone noticing I was indeed crying. I was just remembering those cold and miserable moments."
"Why remember something like that now?" Jiraiya asked.
Naruto shrugged. "You know I am rather sentimental, sensei…" he said carelessly.
Jiraiya shook his head. He knew that but it didn't make it okay some times. Some times Naruto did things that were like rituals. They were here for an important mission and they didn't need to do anything that would give them away. He was ready to fight, but if he could avoid it, he would do so.
"This isn't going to affect you, yes?"
Naruto glanced over at the Sannin, asking if he was making a joke or not. He didn't even bother responding, he merely transformed into a different person. The Elder Toad Sage did the same and they started to slowly walk into the Rain. "Amegakure is truly locked up, isn't it?"
There was just no way of entering the village without sneaking in as they did. There was always rain; so entering the village through aerial means might prove to be a little difficult for many people. Well, it wasn't that people had the means to travel through the air. Perhaps that was why most shinobi villages were not prepared for such assaults. Perhaps the sky nation was once feared because of their ability to bomb nations by flying over them.
Jiraiya looked around for a moment. It wasn't always like this. This place could be easily accessible by shinobi and in all the past wars; it had been used as a battleground by Konoha and Iwagakure. Hanzo would always have to join the battles to make sure that the battles didn't affect his village. He'd never liked the Kages and he had killed all shinobi who faced him.
Locking in Amegakure had been his way of ensuring the village survived. "Hanzo started the rule because the land was used as a battle ground. We ended up fighting him because we were also fighting in this land."
Naruto looked up for moment; this village. Shinobi nations use it for their wars. How despicable. How selfish and rotten for these nations. They didn't fight their wars in their own lands. They fought in other people's lands. Whenever there is a war, smaller nations are the ones who have to suffer. They always suffer. Horny shinobi take over their homes. Their lands are destroyed as shinobi battle it out to their deaths. There was always massive destruction.
Amegakure has never done anything to ignite war, even if it hasn't been an enemy of any of the Great Nations, it still wouldn't have been spared from the destruction. When giants fight, it is the land that suffers. For the small creatures to survive, they have to become giants themselves.
"Sannins…" Naruto said. "Hanzo was that powerful, huh? Yet, it didn't stop the Great Nations from using this country as a battle ground. You simply didn't care about smaller nations. It was better them than you."
Jiraiya wasn't going to deny that past actions had been unjust, even by Konoha. But no matter how evil Konoha was, it was still his home and he would defend it. He would not look at what other villages have done. Certainly, none of their enemies were innocent. They were just as corrupt as the Hidden Leaf.
"Maybe I felt pity for the orphans because I did realize that it was our actions that had brought them to the state. Nagato's parents were killed by Leaf shinobi and he became an orphan. He was still a young boy and had to steal food to survive…" Jiraiya smiled sadly as the memories of his students flashed through his mind. ''They were all innocent children who had just been caught in our wars."
"You saved three, Jiraiya." Naruto started. "What do you think the others grew up believing? You know, it is one of those things that make children grow up hating you. You always speak about the cycle of hatred, but when great nations fight and crush those beneath them in the process, do you not think the small nations feel aggrieved and learn to hate?"
"That is what happens…" Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. "They were different though. They were kind and loving children. I taught them how to live and they became good people who fought for peace… that just proves to you that not everyone gets tangled up in the path of darkness."
"If you have guidance, sensei…" Naruto said. "What are we looking for around this village? You said it was supposed to be locked up and in some civil war, but everything looks fine now."
Jiraiya frowned. This had worried him the moment he saw the village. But he knew there had been a civil war. It just means that the civil war ended with how locked down the village was, nobody was told about it. And they haven't made any movements that showed that Hanzo was dead. In fact, they'd been acting as if he was still alive. This made the situation worrying. Perhaps he was still alive.
He really should have asked Danzo about this. He knew the two were connected. "We have to find out what happened after the civil war, when it ended and who is in charge of the village now. Once we are done, we can see what we have before deciding if we should meet the leader. If Hanzo is still alive, we can go see him. He shouldn't be hostile towards me. Even if he is, I am sure we can handle the situation."
"Well, you are no longer the same person you were when he defeated you…" Naruto said in thought. "What time do we rendezvous and where?"
"Let's keep walking…" Jiraiya said. "I never said I would be allowing you to go alone."
Naruto shrugged. "It wouldn't be so much of a learning experience for me if I am with you. Besides, it will be more effective if we go our separate ways…" he paused and glared at the man. "Don't speak as if you hadn't suggested we would be going separately."
Jiraiya merely smiled. They finally found bar. It wasn't crowded but there were people around. They didn't enter. "We will meet here in about three hours. If you're late by 30 minutes, I'm searching for you, but in case you were just running late and don't find me, I will leave instructions."
Naruto nodded. "You are going to start here?"
The Sannin nodded.
Naruto peeked inside. "I don't see any woman you'd want to charm…" he said.
Jiraiya didn't bother responding to Naruto, he merely stepped into the bar. Naruto shook his head and looked around for a moment before both his hands slipped into his pockets and he slowly started to walk away from the bar.
Pain's Tower
Nagato looked through the rain with the Rinnegan as he felt disturbances in the rain. He stopped his jutsu and turned around to face Kona – His longtime friend and partner stared at him curiously before asking. "Is something wrong?"
"There is an intruder and a guest." He said.
"Intruder…" Konan said. They usually killed those without asking too many questions. "Is he powerful?" she asked.
Nagato nodded his head. "Yes…" he said. "Go deal with it… I will go to welcome our guest."
Konan enquired about the general location before heading out. Nagato took the other way to find another person who has managed to infiltrate his village. When was the last time he even stepped out of the tower like this? Ever since he stopped using the mechanical walker, he had yet to step out but just moved around the tower.
With Jiraiya
Ridiculous, you look away for a moment and the man who once fought the Sandaime's students is dead and everyone in his clan is systematical erased from the face of this world. It was perhaps a good method to gain control and keep someone from rising up to challenge you. But it was a brutal method; A cold hearted move that would only please the likes of Danzo.
That aside, Pain seemed to be a good leader to his people. They spoke wonderfully about him and they actually worshipped him for his power. There more Jiraiya heard from the people, the more he became curious about the mysterious Leader. The people here didn't know about the Akatsuki and they didn't appear fond of the Great Nations – he could understand that.
Nevertheless, there was something that makes him uncomfortable – it was the militarization of this village. Amegakure wasn't supposed to have strong shinobi. But since he started his search, Jiraiya had come to realize, Amegakure has been under a heavy method of increasing its strength over the past years. He couldn't determine its strength, but it wasn't the same village that was once led by Hanzo.
The man who took over here certainly has an idea. It wasn't suffering. Everything looked in order. But the way the people spoke about their Leader made him curious. He wanted to meet him. But he still needed to first see Naruto – they would go together.
Jiraiya came to a halt when he saw a woman flying over, wings flapped behind her. She looked like an angel. He grinned, seeing that she was ready to fight. "So, you are the angel…" he said. He looked at the woman who was stone faced. An image flashed into his mind and he gawked; He was seeing a ghost. "Konan..?"
The Toad sage undid his henge.
Konan looked at her former sensei for a moment as she considered what to do about this man. What was happening in this village wasn't supposed to be known by an outsider. They risked invasion if people from the outside knew about them. They didn't want to start trouble now and they had been willing to kill anyone who threatened their secrets in any other way.
"Jiraiya… sensei…" Konan acknowledged the man. She didn't get down. She was still deciding if she should kill him or just let it slide. She sighed inwardly and dropped to the ground.
The moment she landed, Jiraiya was upon her, his eyes wide. "It is really you, Konan!" He said filled with happiness. "You have truly grown into a fine, woman!" He added with a perverted grin.
Konan didn't share Jiraiya's happiness. She simply stared at him, "Why are you here, Jiraiya-sensei?"
It took a moment for Jiraiya to get hold of himself. He was finally happy to learn know that his student was alive. He had thought they were dead. But she was standing here, looking alive. He didn't even notice that she was wearing the same cloak as Itachi – the red clouds of the Akatsuki. When it finally dawned on him, he took a step back.
"What is happening here, Konan?" Jiraiya demanded with narrowed eyes.
"I should be asking you the same question. You infiltrated this village…"
"I came here because I am looking for information. I didn't think I would end up seeing people who were supposed to be dead. I see now that the story of your death was false and massively exaggerated. Are both Yahiko and Nagato still alive?"
Konan did not answer the question. "I would rather you leave the village, Jiraiya. We do not take kindly to intruders."
This wasn't going so well. He didn't think that he would meet his students like this, and the hostility. If Nagato was the one who was behind Hanzo's death, what did it mean? Did it mean he was the leader of this village? What did it say about the child of prophecy if Nagato was still alive? He too was Uzumaki, this just changed everything. It was a confusing situation!
"Last time we spoke, I was crying because I was going to miss you, Konan, is this how you greet me now after all these years?"
Konan was silent for a couple of moments. She then turned around and started walking away from the Sannin without saying a word. Jiraiya followed her, he attempted to ask questions but she didn't budge. She didn't twitch. She didn't say a damn word to him. Even when he made a lewd comment to try to get a reaction, she ignored his comments. She led him towards the tallest tower.
When he arrived, he saw Naruto sitting by the balcony, in his favorite pose. The blond turned towards him. "Oh, sensei, you got caught too…" he said casually before looking away once more.
Jiraiya hurried over to the blond, leaving Konan behind. Naruto looked fine; he was just sitting as he would when sitting by the window. He wondered, what would happen when they head back to Konoha, would they be fighting for the window? That was his spot, he would fight for it!
"I'd even forgotten about you when I saw Konan…" the Toad Sage admitted. "But I'm glad you are fine. I don't think we are fine though – If her reception is anything to go by. She is one of my former students, but I think depending on what we say to them, we might not leave freely…" he whispered into Naruto's ear.
"No kidding," Naruto said.
If Jiraiya wasn't used to Naruto's indifference, he would have been frowning now. But he was used to it. He didn't respond but merely turned around. He saw Nagato standing there next to Konan. The Rinnegan. He looked between his students and then Nagato once more. He was now a man. He had once believed this was the child of prophecy. He was supposed to be dead, but he was very much alive.
"Jiraiya-sensei…" Nagato started without emotion. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. What brought you here?"
This was not the same Nagato he knew. This was not the same child he had trained. Nagato was strong. If he had defeated Hanzo, it meant that much. But it was still something that the kind hearted person he had trained would massacre everyone who was connected to Hanzo just to strengthen his grip on power. The Nagato he knew wouldn't do something like that. This made Jiraiya stiffen. They were both different. Both? There should be three of them…
"If you two are alive, where is Yahiko?"
There was no reaction from the two that gave anything away. They just stood there, unflinching before Nagato spoke. "You have not answered my question, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya knew; things were not going to go smoothly if he did not respond to the question. He could see that they were prepared for anything. He glanced at Naruto, his eyes were cast outside, but still ready to jump in if anything happens. He smiled. He could always count on the blond.
"Last time I heard this village was in a civil war… I also heard that the Akatsuki was connected to this village. Are you the leader of the group, Nagato?" Jiraiya asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yahiko is dead. He was taken from us by Hanzo… but that is something Danzo should know very well…" it was Konan who responded.
"What do you mean by that?" Jiraiya asked with suspicion.
Nagato walked away from Konan and then past Jiraiya. He stood over the balcony and looked down the streets before responding. "We were doing well in our group with Yahiko as our leader. Our group earned many admirers and many comrades joined us. I'm sure our actions even reached your ears."
Jiraiya nodded. "I kept receiving the information. I was really proud of your actions. Everything stopped when we were informed that you were dead."
"We did die." Nagato said in a cold tone. "Our actions even reached Hanzo. We met him once and he supported our work. We had his blessings. One day, he called us out and we went to him. But it turned out to be a trap. Hanzo was under the illusion that we were just power hungry children who were after his power. He tricked us, and that was when Yahiko died. That was when we died.
"In order to protect his power, Hanzo betrayed us. But it turned out that he was fed false information by Danzo of the Hidden Leaf. Danzo feared that we might overthrow Hanzo and that would threaten his power. Hanzo was his ally so he didn't want to lose that. When Hanzo laid the trap for us, he even offered Hanzo his shinobi. Our group had grown in strength and in numbers. To Danzo, our actions were not good. Our growth wasn't good. It was a threat and so he conspired with Hanzo to get rid of us."
"That bastard!"
"That is all for today, Jiraiya-sensei. We have been hospitable because you were once our sensei and you treated us well. But you must leave this village. We do not want any trouble and would appreciate it if you left. We will not answer any of your questions and will prefer it if you left in the same way you came in. As you can see, this village is enjoying its peace and growth. We do not wish to have any interaction with the outside world for you have brought us nothing but pain and destruction." Nagato said those words in a powerful tone. "Konan will escort you out."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What makes you think that I will simply leave like this? You have obviously been rebuilding and you're no longer the same Nagato as you were. I wouldn't forgive myself if you ended up being a threat to the Elemental nations and I let it happen."
"If we had plans to be your enemy, you wouldn't be standing here with us, Jiraiya-sensei." Nagato said walking away from the balcony.
Jiraiya got the message loud and clear. If Nagato thought he was an enemy, they would have been fighting now. That much was apparent and clear. No, it should have been clear from the start. These people were not afraid to fight him just as he wasn't afraid to do it. Perhaps for him it would be out of responsibility for having spared their lives and trained them.
"What really happened to you, Nagato?"
Nagato didn't say anything – he was already walking away.
"Jiraiya-sensei, please let me escort you out peacefully. There will be time to talk, but we have don't have anything more to say to you now. We have said we want to say to you…" Konan said to Jiraiya in a stern tone. "Are you going to force things?"
Jiraiya glanced at the silent Naruto for a moment before shaking his head. "No…"
Konan nodded. "Please don't try to sneak in again and we would appreciate it if what you discovered doesn't find its way to the nations that surrounds us. We are not ignorant of what is happening in the world outside."
Nagato was Uzumaki and he was alive. It made him the second Uzumaki was alive but not in Uzushiogakure. A combination of Nagato and Naruto? That was just a frightening thought. But did these two not have any connections with the clan? With Nagato, it would be doubtful to think that the Uzumaki would not approach him if they know he was alive.
This great revelation just changed everything now. He had thought Naruto was the child of prophecy but if Nagato was alive, then it was one of them. So, was it Nagato or Naruto? Was it both? If it was, one of them, the other would desire to save the world and the other would seek destruction. If they worked together, would it be for destruction? Jiraiya didn't want to dismiss that possibility. They have both been wronged and could have strong emotions about the issue.
He had his work cut out for him. In the next month or so, before they return to Konoha, he would be forced to work hard to try to make sure that Naruto becomes the savior of this world.
There was another problem of Danzo. He would deal with this.
"Konan," Jiraiya started calmly. "Is this village connected to Uzushio? Its actions seem familiar to what Uzu is doing. Both these villages have also suffered in the hands of the Great Nations, are you connected? Is Uzushio also building its military strength while on lockdown?"
"It is pointless to ask these questions; I will not answer them." Konan said. She was walking behind the two Konoha shinobi.
"At this stage, I am tempted to force you to answer questions." Jiraiya said with a smile. "It is me and Naruto… we can take you down silently before Nagato even notices."
Konan didn't say anything; she kept her silence and kept walking.
Minutes later
Talk about a plot twist: Jiraiya could still not comprehend what had just happened in the Rain. He'd gone to find Intel in a land that was supposed to be in a civil war but he'd found a peaceful village which was prospering. But what he found next has truly put a spanner in everything that he had been thinking. He would have to redraw all his conclusions and even consult with the Toads. They had said a 'child of prophecy' not children. It possibly couldn't mean two of his students were somehow part of the plot, could it?
Jiraiya shook his head; he needed more time to think about this matter. "I can't believe that they are still alive…" he said as they made the distance with the Hidden Rain.
"People who don't want to be seen fake their deaths many times… it happens… it is a good way to disappear and not have people still look after you." Naruto responded quietly. "I guess I am no longer the child of prophecy, huh?"
Jiraiya frowned. "I don't know…" he said. 'I don't really know."
"Days ago, you were saying you are positive that I am the child of prophecy, you should really make up your mind, sensei. Our world is full of many surprises and if you allow them to change your every decision, you'll be filled with indecision for the rest of your life. At this moment, you can't choose between me and Nagato. You have gone all your thinking maybe this is the one, maybe not him, maybe this one. You have lived long enough, sensei. You need to decide on who you believe is the child of prophecy.
"I'm saying this because it also affects me; you cannot come and tell me that I could be responsible for either destruction or be the one who saves this world, and then the next moment you say, you really don't know. If you are full of indecision, nothing happens. You sow nothing but confusion."
Unknown Location
Sasuke stared into the eyes of his brother with nothing but hatred. The fact that the man even smiled infuriated him even more. "Itachi…" he growled.
"Sasuke-kun…" Itachi said. "I see you rushed over here after receiving my message. Do you think you have the strength to face me, now? I watched your battle with Naruto-kun… I was quite honestly disappointed."
"What was some months ago…" Sasuke responded with gritted teeth.
"I see…" Itachi said. "Come, Sasuke-kun. Fight me. If you defeat me, I will answer all your actions. I'm sure you are curious about why I did what I did. But if I win, I will take your eyes."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone