章 18: Chapter 15

Strange things did occur in this world but Naruto didn't often allow them to surprise him. Perhaps it was because he understood that not everything could go exactly as planned. He had not the mind to control all situations. He had not the power to make all men bow before him. He was just a mere mortal. He had held a great deal of control over things, but he was still just a mere human. Naruto had no desire to be God. What would possess him to leave the riches and beauty of simply being alive and human?

Kabuto appearing before his very throne with Naoki was not a surprise. No, Naruto had been expecting this. Perhaps not in this fashion but when he called off the search, he had come to realize that Kabuto would not be caught easily and he would make an appearance soon enough.

The Emperor did not greet the wanted man with a smile. He had nothing but an expressionless mask on his face. He could simply order Naoki to behead him. Perhaps there would be some consequences but he could deal with it. He did believe that nothing was truly impossible. There was no situation that would arise and be beyond his limits. Naruto could handle it. But it was important to handle things with care. He didn't want to end up doing something that would take away his focus from his beautifully crafted war. He needed his war to succeed. He needed things to fall into plan for his dreams to become a reality.

Naruto's stern eyes faced Kabuto for a long minute before he finally spoke. "You played your card right," he said. He didn't need for Naoki to tell him, but the reason the man was here was because he had allowed himself to be caught.

"I figured if I tried to live in hiding, I was likely to be killed," Kabuto said those words in a measured tone, yet with no hint of nervousness in his tone.

Kabuto had known that once Orochimaru died, he had become a wanted person. It wasn't his physical prowess that made him a threat but his knowledge and resourceful. Uzu wanted to get rid of him. He had gone into hiding because he wanted to avoid this mess. He wasn't even sure if he would be allowed leave even now but he came prepared for anything. He came prepared knowing that despite what he had to offer, these people might just decide he was too much of a threat and then kill him.

"I still want to kill you," Naruto said calmly. "But perhaps since you came here, you have something to offer me."

"Indeed," Kabuto said with a nod. "It will be my pleasure to share my knowledge with Uzushiogakure. I could also be useful to the empire and its agenda."

"We don't need you to cooperate with us, Yakushi," Naoki said in a stern tone. "We can just get the information we want from you from your head. There isn't any amount of security that can you put on your brain that will stop us…"

Kabuto smiled. He did not doubt those words and he did not wish to test them. For certain, these people had ways and tools. "You would need to have a brain for you to do anything," he said calmly.

Naoki resisted frowning upon hearing those words: that was possible. Kabuto could destroy his mind and in such situation, there would be nothing they could do. There would be nothing they can do to change things. "Your Majesty, I should take him down before he does anything…" he said to Naruto, ready to kill Kabuto.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm certain Kabuto didn't come here to die. Besides, he must have known that coming here was the best thing he could do for his life."

Kabuto nodded to this. "During my time in hiding, Uzu's reach became quite obvious to me and I knew that the moment I went out of hiding, I would not live for too long. I came here because I want to help and really don't want to die, yet."

"You think I won't kill you?"

"I don't know but I know I can bring my unique set of skills to help you achieve your goal… or should I say the Uzumaki's goal."

Naruto raised an eye brow. "You have said something before," he said. "What is it that you know about us, Kabuto…. Our agenda, specifically…"

Kabuto smiled. "Not much… I just know that you seek domination. In the near future, the shinobi world will probably be ruled by the Uzumaki Empire." He said.

"I see," Naruto said without confirming or denying anything. "What is it that you can offer us? You certainly made some precautions to avoid being killed but I can be reckless and wouldn't care much about it… so whether you can live or die depends on your answer."

Kabuto had not expected anything less. From observation, he had concluded that Naruto could be reasoned with. He was not a difficult person. This did not mean stupid; Far from it. This was just the kind of crude person you did not want to underestimate. "I know you have been observing Yamato for his Mokuton Jutsu and have a black Zetsu problem. Yamato is a product of Orochimaru's research. I can provide that to you. I als…."

Naruto raised his left hand to stop Kabuto from saying anything further. "You will tell me more about your research some other day. The Mokuton part seems is interesting but I don't have the time for it now. Naoki, take him to Yoshino. Once done, you will take him to Karin." He said, standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"Kirigakure," Naruto said. "It appears that the Mizukage has some concerns about our actions."

Mei's concerns were nothing unexpected. The Mizukage was a person with a 'clear' conscious. She did not want anything to do with war. Perhaps it was because her village had just been in a civil war that claimed many lives. But Naruto was not going to get Kiri involved unless the other villages decide to force it to enter into the fray. He would even work against anyone trying to force the village into war. There was no telling which side Kiri was going to take and he did not want to be surrounded by enemies. It would certainly prove to be a dangerous situation.

"Kirigakure has never been factored in as an enemy and should things change now, it would force us to reconsider our strategy," Naoki said. "Well, if the Mizukage becomes a problem, we can always remove her from the picture." He said coldly.

"That would be foolish," Naruto said in stern tone. "Mei is loved within her home village and any attempt to remove her would leave us with an entire village vying for our blood. The situation would become a little uncontrollable and we cannot have that for the moment."

Naoki shrugged. "I don't play politics," he said. "But that is the exact situation we will have when we have to face both Kumo and Iwagakure."

Naruto shook his head. "Stick to your job and leave the decision making as well as politics to us, Naoki," Naruto said in a measured tone. "Leave," he said waving his right hand.

Yoshino's Tower

Yoshino smiled seeing Kabuto being brought into his office. The only reason this person could be here would be because Naruto had permitted him to work for the Empire and nothing else. It was a possibility that Naruto would be swayed to put this person into work. The Emperor was a very rational person – at least when it was convenient. Naruto would not miss a chance to gain a valuable asset because of some negative perceptions. If the benefit outweighed the consequences, he was going to do it.

"Kabuto Yakushi," Yoshino relaxed behind his chair, with a flat smile on his lips. "We meet again," he said.

"Indeed," Kabuto said with a smile of his own. "Though, I did not think we would meet once more under these circumstances."

"Things are continuously moving and changing in this world. Things do not fall in a straight line," Yoshino said with a wave of his right hand. "I assume you have already spoken to the Emperor."

"I have," Kabuto said with a nod. He fixed his eyes on Yoshino for a couple of moments before asking. "Tell me, Naruto did not do much in terms of hands on building Uzushiogakure and forming alliances with other villages but you did it. You could never say that Naruto was behind it all because he didn't actually do anything. You did everything. So tell me, who is the real leader of Uzushiogakure?" He shook his head. "No; who is the real leader of the Uzumaki Empire?"

Yoshino looked amused. "One would expect such curiosity from a spy," he said. "It is all just curiosity, right?"

"Of course," Kabuto said.

"Then I don't have to respond to that; you will eventually find out who reigns supreme within Uzushiogakure as you are going to remain here until you die. You have already been given the Uzumaki seal; you will be with us until we decide otherwise… I don't need to tell you how you ought to behave. You studied Uzu long and hard enough to have your conclusions."

Kabuto hadn't expected to be given all the answers. Things here were very interesting. Naruto was the Emperor but there were still other things that had to be done. There were still other forces that were at play within the Empire. Well, he would find out about things eventually.

Kirigakure

Mei stared at the smiling face of the Uzu Emperor with a cautious look on her face. The last time he was here, he had made his intentions clear but Mei had not expected things to move so quickly. It was getting dangerous and it would just be across the sea. There was a chance that she was going to get dragged in this war and she didn't want anything to do with it. If cutting ties with Uzushiogakure was what she needed to do avoid getting dragged into a pointless war, then Mei was going to do it. She was still mindful of the past of course. There was a chance that Uzu would turn on them if they did anything, but she was fairly content with her village's military strength.

Mei managed a small smile as the Emperor grew closer towards her desk; her eyes never left him. She was afraid she might miss something. In such a situation, it could be dangerously suicidal to miss a hint of some mischievousness from the blond.

"Hello, Mei," Naruto greeted quietly before settling down in front of the Mizukage desk. His head faced up for a moment before turning to face Mei. The tower was under heavy guard. It was unlikely that he would leave without a massacre if he tried to do something to the woman before him. It was truly difficult to be trusted these days. Everyone always had their backs covered – and he came here alone.

Such a disappointment but it could not be helped. This was his world. This was the world that he birthed him. It was corrupt to the core. If you did not watch your back, even your children could stab you in the back. Allies were just allies in names. Friends could turn enemies if it suited them. It was such a world. Though disappointing, Naruto did not fault Mei for having such measures.

"Naruto," Mei responded. "I'm glad you could make it."

"You expressed some concerns and it would be quite honestly irresponsible for me to ignore them."

"Are you just not afraid of losing your only ally?"

"Fear? No," Naruto shook his head. "And as far as I am concerned, we have not come to that point we can call ourselves allies. Partners? Yes, I can agree to that. You still have some concerns with us. I cannot, however, deny that it would dangerous for me to have our current agreement scrapped."

"I imagine so," Mei said, watching the blond carefully. "You were quick to come here; which is rather curious given your attitude towards the Hidden Leaf."

"I cannot treat Konoha like a child," Naruto said with a small shrug. "But please expression your concerns. I cannot be far away for too long. Either Kumo or Iwa could attack my village any time soon, so I need to be there to defend."

"It wouldn't be like you didn't provoke them," Mei said sternly. "But their actions couldn't be helped either. Either way, it does appear that I was right. You orchestrated events to get this situation. You wanted both Kumogakure and Iwagakure to make the first move."

"I won't deny that things have been by design but I won't take credit for everything. Certain things just happened to fall into places and we used this to our advantage. Regardless, I want to think that I am not a bad person."

"Not a lot of people actually think they are bad people. Evil always thinks it is doing right. People become so corrupted that they cannot even tell between right and wrong, good or evil. I certainly hope you are not that kind of person, Your Majesty," Mei said in a stern tone, her eyes just as hardened.

Naruto was silent for a couple of moments before responding. "I am able to define right and wrong."

"Then I hope you will do the right things," Mei said.

"To whom?" The Emperor asked. "Something might be right, but still interpreted as wrong by some people. Our standards differ on what is wrong and right. Very few share a universal code of the right morals. You must know this well. Our morals end with our borders. We do right within our villages, but outside, we don't care." Naruto shook his head. "I did not come here for this kind of discussion. Perhaps we will have this debate some other time."

"But this discussion is part of my concerns. I don't want to be seen siding with people who are morally corrupted and flawed. If you have no disregard for what is right, despite what you bring to this village, I cannot continue to side with you."

"Interesting," Naruto said. "You are more bold and daring than I thought. But that is fine; a pushover for a Kage would have been disappointing. You must stand for what you believe in – I respect that."

"But?"

"No buts," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I won't lie to you and say Kiri is a fundamental partner in future events. Uzu has no need for this village. Our efforts have so been to ensure that we don't collide because it would not benefit any of us. Although I have been giving Konoha the cold shoulder, my message to them was the same however, I have not gone as far as I have with you."

"Why?"

"Because you are not like any other Kage. You viewpoint isn't limited to what is within your borders but you also look elsewhere. Your sense of duty isn't just to this village but to the shinobi world. I don't want to become an enemy to such a person. We don't agree with objectives as now, but I understand and believe that we will soon see eye to eye once this situation has been resolved."

Mei leaned back to her chair and stared at Naruto for a long moment before speaking. "Once more, you seem overly confident that you will be able to handle both Kumo and Iwagakure."

"We are not as stupid as to try something without measuring ourselves against those villages. We did our research. We studied those villages, their power, their defenses, their personalities, their structures and moods. We are not idiots who act without thinking."

Mei frowned deeply upon hearing those words. Assuming all movements have so far been a calculation, it was safe to think that even their actions towards this village were because of this study they did. They must have studied her personality before deciding a better way to deal with her. If she was someone who did not listen, they would not have bothered using this approach. They came to talk to her because they knew she would listen. She was not the stubborn person like the Sandaime Tsuchikage and not hard headed like the Yondaime Raikage. For Konoha, it was simply a test of their resolve. Would they be willing to attack him even if he has said he has no plans to do so?

She was obviously dealing with dangerous people. But simply because they were dangerous didn't mean that she would just cower to them. No, Mei would do no such thing. She would stand for her beliefs and would not allow anyone to abuse her people and use this village. She would protect the village she shed blood to free from the reigns of Yagura.

As if he was reading her thoughts, Naruto spoke. "You need not concern yourself with us doing anything to get behind you," the blond said calmly. "While Kiri has not factor into our plans, we don't want it to make an enemy out of you. Besides, Nadeshiko would be in trouble if we did something. Our movements also factor in those around us. We do not walk around like a tall giant, careless of what we stomp."

"I hear that you are saying but I am still worried."

"You said we orchestrated for things to happen this way, and I did not say anything about that. Let me correct you; we did nothing. I won't deny that a war is what we wanted, but we did not manipulate anyone into doing anything."

"No, but you moved into a position that would force other people to react."

Naruto smiled. "But your reaction was not the same with those villages? You see, greed and fear determined the reactions of both Kumo and Iwagakure. Perhaps if they had reacted differently, we would not have done anything. But things have occurred because of those villages nature."

"I assume if we had done something, we would have also been marked."

"Naturally," Naruto said without blinking. "If your first reaction to seeing something you don't understand is to attack it, that thing will attack back because in its view, it is being attack for simply existing."

"If Kumo and Iwa try diplomatic means to resolve the issues that have been caused by their attempts on Uzu, will you be open to listening."

Naruto stared for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "You'll forgive me but I haven't heard something so ridiculously unrealistic in quite some time," he said with a smile. "It is good to be optimistic but some people are just not worth the effort. Of course, if you want to try it, I will offer you an opportunity to try to talk those two Kages out of going to war with Uzu. I will even give you a helping hand by releasing the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. But a warning, your efforts will be futile and one of those two will even go as far as to threaten you into taking against us or face the risk of an invasion." Naruto added those words in a cold tone.

Mei put on an indifferent mask, but those words really shook her. Just how was the situation hopeless? That sickening laughter was the laugh of a man who had no hope that both Onoki and Ai could change. Was he really willing to give this a chance or was it just another calculated move? No, Mei shook her head. At this point, those two have already declared Uzu an enemy that needs to be destroyed. You could also not forget the past when coming to that conclusion.

"Kiri will continue to partner with you in the case of food security and other things that affect the wellbeing of our people. Outside of that, in terms of military collaboration, the door shall remain closed. We will however continue to voice our political opinions regarding your actions. If there needs to be a political pressure we can put, we will do so."

Naruto smiled. "I accept but you should know that politics mean nothing outside the borders. Kingdoms, feudal lords play politics, but Hidden Villages play military games. I truly hope things do come to a point where political pressure can even make the strongest cave in," he said while standing up.

"Is that your object? To create a world where talks can achieve something?"

Naruto just smiled before waving his right hand. He was gone along with gusts of winds.

Once he was gone, Mei released a long breath before closing her eyes.

Naruto's Compound

Throne Room

The lion of Uzushiogakure was sitting on his throne. The only sense that could detect him was eyesight. Guren could not feel his chakra, his scent. Nothing, her instincts couldn't even react to that ridiculous ability of his. The Emperor had his head resting on the palm of his right hand, eyes closed. It was more like the scene that had welcomed Guren when she first came here. At least this time around, there was no darkness. Still, when he wanted to be, Naruto could still be a frightening person. There were moments when that 'agreeable' and seemingly 'careless' attitude was thrown out of the window. Guren honestly preferred it when he was in a 'happy' mood and allowing people to express their thoughts.

She walked into the throne room along with Haku. When they both kneeled before the Emperor, Naoki made his appearance before the man. He was just standing there, his presence almost non-existent. The only person who has so far been successful in diminishing his presence was Naruto.

Naruto's slightly opened eyes turned towards Naoki without shifting his head. When he spoke, it was in a whisper. "I don't remember calling for you, Naoki."

Although he was often allowed to say whatever he wanted to the Emperor even in serious moments, Naoki knew when not to cross the line. The look Naruto was giving him told him this was not a moment to say anything stupid or else he would find himself gasping for air. "You did not, Your Majesty." He said cautiously.

Naruto looked away. "Then leave," he said.

"I apologize Your Majesty, but what brought me here will affect what you have to say these two. It may even force you to reconsider your decisions."

"I'm not reconsidering anything. And no one will force me to change the decisions that I have made," Naruto said in a sharp tone. "Leave Naoki; you will tell me those concerns once I am done with these two and you will explain it to me why you are only deciding to tell me now."

The man hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

Once he was gone, Naruto's eyes turned towards both Haku and Guren before he settled straight-up. He did not speak for a couple of moments. "Guren; I want to thank you for the service you have given to the empire ever since you were brought in. You have been useful, and you proudly wore our symbol in all the battles you fought against spies and our enemies. We thank you for that."

Guren shook her head. "There is no need for his Majesty to thank me, I was simply happy to serve in the opportunity that I was given. Yukimaru has been given everything here and I have been able to feel useful once more – that is more than enough."

"Humility has never been your biggest traits. It bothers me when you do something that seems to express humility," Naruto said those words with indifference. "Regardless, Yoshino has already informed you about the Sound and your promotion, yes?"

"He did so."

"Our plan was not to immediately have the village linked to us at this time, but there is no helping the issue. We don't know what might come tomorrow. It will be useful to have emergency forces stationed somewhere else to call upon in case we are boxed."

The moment he said those words, Guren realized that the Empire was spread out in different locations systematically. No one could really surround it. Getting to the point of surrounding the Island of Uzu would be damn near impossible to begin with but other items attached to the empire were spread through various lands. That meant that it could attack in different locations. Naruto wasn't concerned about spreading his forces too much. Amegakure had a monster living there, and on this side, there was another one. The emperor was an army on his own. Nagato was a man who could destroy an army.

"You will be leaving today to assume your new role in the Sound. Don't concern yourself with any village; we will handle the threats that come your way. I will also have some members of the Akatsuki come to you to offer that protection."

"What of Yukimaru?"

"For the moment, he will stay here. The Sound will not provide a safe environment for him. You are to continue with your operations while still there. Should Konoha try to form communication, you are free to do as you please. But you are not to reveal anything and if you do anything dangerous, it should not come to this side. It stays between the borders," Naruto said in a stern tone.

"Understood," Guren said. She was a little sad that she had to leave Yukimaru behind, but she understood that if things go in another direction, the Sound could become a war zone. Naruto might not have mentioned it, but there was that possibility.

"You are the leader of the Sound; we have taken out the Sound's feudal lord. No one from Uzu will question you on that and no one will tell you what to do without my understanding. If there is any message from me, you know where it will come from."

Guren nodded; it would come from either Naoki or Haku, perhaps even Naori. She was going to be in the same position as Yoshino. But his position was a little bigger because this was Uzu. Either way, there would be more freedom in her new position. She also understood that inner politics were starting to play a role within the Empire but Naruto was not having any of it.

"You may leave."

Haku watched the woman leave silently before turning his eyes towards the Emperor. "How did things go in Kirigakure yesterday?" he asked calmly.

"Issues solved… I don't think we will have a confrontation with them," Naruto said calmly. "The Mizukage is a person who understands things. She doesn't act rashly like certain people. Were you that worried about things?"

"A little," Haku admitted. "Depending on the situation, you may have decided to make Kiri a target."

Naruto shook his head. "You should know that we don't really hold grudges against the villages that attacked us and nearly wiped us out of existence. There is some bitterness of lost families. But if vengeance was the reason for our movements, even Kiri would have been put into the mix. I do not want to get the village involved."

Haku smiled upon hearing those words. The Mist had already seen much blood shed. The wounds of the civil war were still fresh. That aside, the Mizukage looked like a decent person. No, she was really a pleasant person. "With your permission, I would like to visit the Mizukage today, if possible. We don't know when our enemies will attack, I'd like to solve issues with the Water country before they attack," Haku said.

Naruto was silent for a couple of moments. "I was planning on having you accompany me when I go out today." He paused, thinking. "You can still leave later. You have my permission but you'll still need to accompany me into the Fire Country."

"What is happening?"

"It appears that Zetsu is trying to get around some members of the Akatsuki. I guess since we ruined his plans, he is going to try to ruin ours." Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I knew he would make an appearance, but not like this. I really hope he doesn't insert himself in anything. Well, with what Obito wanted, we can say that whatever happens in this world is simply trivial to him."

"Who are we going to meet?"

"The Zombie brothers," Naruto said with a smile. "Their immortality is also quite interesting. Well, at least Hidan's. I am quite certain Karin would love to cut him up to study just why he cannot die even if you chop him down to pieces," the blond said.

"I thought Karin was no longer conducting such work," Haku said.

Naruto just shrugged his shoulders before getting onto why he had called Haku. "You do understand what your new role entails, right? Yoshino was more or less my right hand man. Within the Empire there is still no one with more influence than him. You will become my new right hand man. What you say will represent what I say. When you speak, I am the one who is speaking. Anyone disrespects you, they disrespect me."

Naoki made his appearance known once more. "That is the reason I was here, Your Majesty," he said.

"I figured as much," Naruto said. "Why did you wait only to tell me now? Surely even though Haku's new position was only proposed yesterday by Yoshino, there have been some people who were not content with his proximity to me," he said.

"I did not say anything then because it was nothing that needed his Majesty's attention. Yoshino knew all these before he even proposed anything. I'll even wager that he did it purposefully…"

"Yoshino's role is not to fill me in on the whispers – that is your role, Naoki," Naruto said. "But you are probably right about the last part." The emperor shook his head at the thought. "What are the whispers?"

"They are more like voices of disapproval, really," Naoki said. "The Council sat late last night. Yoshino was summoned, so was I. Those immortal geezers were complaining about why a non-Uzumaki is taking on such a role. There is also some discontent with Guren's position as well."

"As well as mine," Naruto finished with a smile. "What else?"

"Our financial situation."

Naruto frowned upon hearing those words. "And war is still going to cost us. Quite honestly, we will be going to negatives but we can still recover the costs once all is finished." He said quietly. "Schedule a meeting with them, I will address them."

"For when?"

"In three days…" Naruto said. "Guren should have already arrived in the Sound, and Haku should be away in Kiri handling his business then."

"I will get it done," Naoki said. "Should I accompany you?"

"No," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "Just mind your own business and stop being an annoyance. You should also stop eavesdropping on my conversations. If you are going to do it, don't let me notice you. And don't let me see you. And don't make it obvious you were doing it. If I catch you, you'll go back to training."

"That isn't fair… His Majesty expects me to completely disappear from his senses…"

"I chose you and Naori because of your stealth skills. You are supposed to be better than me in that department. No one should be able to get behind me, but you should at least have a second of free movement before I can react. If you don't have that, you are not worthy of being my guard and I'll stick with Haku."

"Wouldn't that be a little extreme?" Naoki asked carefully. "You have never complained about our work before. I'd always assumed we did everything perfectly."

Naruto did not offer a response to this question. "Make sure that Guren has everything and that those people are present for the Council meeting. I won't return until the day of the meeting."

Naoki was silent for a couple of moments, wondering where Naruto could be going. He was never gone for too long. Even when he left, he always returned from late at night. Perhaps it was his concern for threats to Uzu. But now it was no longer just safe for him. He was marked in both Kumo and Iwa's bingo books. They'd put large bounties on his head. Even worthless shinobi would now be attacking him. Was it really safe to allow him to leave with just Haku? The Ice User was strong – Naruto had ensured he was strong but it was his reluctance to do what needed to be done that bothered him. Haku could never massacre people for Naruto but Naoki could do it without even blinking.

Naoki was not going to suggest that Naruto was not thinking things through. He was the emperor. He knew what he was doing. Perhaps at times he allowed convenient things to occur for his amusement, which could give rise to dangerous situations but he was not the kind of person one would need to worry about. There was no one in this island who could match the blond in power. The Great Nations were certainly going to be shocked when they learn more about his frightening power.

"Please be careful and don't do anything reckless," Naoki ended up saying. "Are going to see Temari?"

"That is none of your business," Naruto said in a flat tone.

"As your guard, it is my business to know your whereabouts. If something happens to you, it is my head that will roll," Naoki responded in an even tone.

Naruto glanced at the redhead for a moment before taking steps towards Haku. "Your job is what I say it is," he said. "Prepare for your departure. I am going to see our prisoners…"

Haku nodded. It was not for the departure to see Hidan and Kakuzu. He was still going to do that but he would just not be returning to this village once he leaves. He was going to head straight to Kiri after they are done with the two Akatsuki members.

Two Minutes Later

Kurotsuchi snarled seeing Naruto standing in front of the bars that kept her locked away in this world that seemed detached from the rest of the world. He was nothing but the subject of her contempt. She could not forgive him for everything she had been put through. It didn't matter that she had tried to kill him – he had given her enough reasons to kill him. The self-righteous part of her didn't even think that she did something wrong. This bastard was the one who was wrong.

The anger within her, the complete and pure desire to strangle him made her body tremble slightly. If her eyes could glow, they would have glowed with the fire burning inside of her. She was even lucky her intestines were not burnt to crisp, because the fire was truly too much to be contained.

There he was, standing there like he owned everything, like he ruled this world. He was nothing. He was nothing compared to her grandfather and Kurotsuchi would make sure that one day, he was kissing her feet. But she would still not allow him to die. No; she would burn this village to the ground and slaughter everyone one of his clansmen and then, she would permit him to die. Because of him, she had been made to suffer in the hands of a sadistic woman. It was just plain abuse.

"Looking at me with that kind of look only amuses me, Kurotsuchi," Naruto said in flat tone. "I have been subject to contempt through most of life. The look you give me now doesn't even make me cringe. It's actually pitiful that you have been reduced to this."

From what Kurotsuchi understood, Naruto had been hated by Konoha's villagers. They had blamed him for the killings the Kyubi made when it went on a rampage. She could imagine them looking at him with contempt, for killing their loved ones. She laughed madly at the thought. Once done, she looked towards Naruto and spoke, "Can't say you didn't deserve it."

"And I can't say you didn't deserve the pain Guren has made you suffer," Naruto responded flatly. He then smiled. "Oh, will you look at it; we both deserve what has fallen upon us…"

Kurotsuchi spat out, "You bastard, I will make you pay for this! I swear I will!"

Naruto completely ignored those words. "While we have both suffered, at least I stand outside of this cell and you there, at my mercy. I can still make you suffer more pain if I want to…"

Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth, she could not curse him. She didn't want any more of it. She has already suffered enough. She could not go through more of that any more. Her body could not take it anymore. "What do you want?"

"I came to free you," Naruto said calmly. "Your grandfather has declared war on us and has said that he will destroy us if we don't release you. Of course, we could hold you as hostage in case he decides to do something, but we are not that cruel."

"Yeah right," Kurotsuchi responded with bitter sarcasm. "I told you my grandfather would not let you get away with it." She said triumphantly.

Naruto unlocked the cell and waited as Kurotsuchi stood up. He watched her slowly walk towards him with that smile of hers. She indeed believed that she was being released because of the pressure from her grandfather. It was indeed sad. He really wanted to just slam the cell shut and burst in laughter when he sees her hopeless look. But he was not that of a cruel person.

Kurotsuchi stopped just inches away from Naruto and stared into eyes. "I will be sure to return the fav-"

A firm hand grabbed her by her throat before she could even finish what she wanted to say. Kurotsuchi tried to force Naruto to release her but the grip would not loosen and his hold was making it difficult for her to breathe. When he picked her up into the air, she kicked out hysterically, while being suffocated. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, she was dropped to the ground.

She fell on her butt and started gasping for air whilst both her hands were on her throat.

"I'm not that merciful and you are not going back to Iwagakure because we fear your grandfather. I believe I have already you that your grandfather will surely die for your sin. There is a consequence for every action you take, Kurotsuchi. Of course, just because we intend to punish your grandfather doesn't mean that if you do things that warrantee your death we won't do it." Naruto stated in a hardened tone. "I'm simply releasing you so that you can have a front row seat to watch your grandfather die. You won't be able to do anything because until I decide otherwise, you will not be able to use your chakra."

If it wasn't because she was afraid, Kurotsuchi would have lunged at the blond right there and then.

Naruto snapped his fingers and Naori appeared from the shadows. "Break both her legs and drop her off at the gates of her village," he ordered coldly. When Kurotsuchi's body tensed up, he smiled. "I'm just messing with you," he said. "Or not…"

Naori didn't wait for anything further from Naruto but just forcefully grabbed Kurotsuchi and took her away. Once the two were gone, Naruto turned to face the silent person still sitting within the cell. "Your silence is curious," he said without stepping inside.

Yugito didn't offer an immediate response. But what could she have said about the situation? Honestly, she was pleased she didn't have to sleep in the same place as that woman. Kurotsuchi was truly a bitter person who grumbled too much. She was still sad that she wasn't going to be released, but at least she would not have to listen to Kurotsuchi's ramblings.

"Nothing I would have said was going to change anything," she said with a slight shake of her head.

"You underestimate yourself," Naruto said calmly. "I'm sorry I won't be releasing you. I cannot give Kumogakure any more power than it already has. Things could become troublesome for us," he said with a shake of his head.

"I held no illusions that I would be released," Yugito said.

"You don't have to be so hopeless about the situation," Naruto said. "No one is going to hurt you, no one is going to do anything to you and you will eventually leave this place."

"Apparently," Yugito said. "My stay hasn't been that unpleasant except for where I am made to sleep."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "I will come back to you on that one. Hopefully, we can give you a better place to stay but you will still not leave this village. Not anytime soon. My hope is that you don't leave, but if you want to leave, you will be permitted to do so – just not now because there is war."

"And if Kumogakure manages to get into the island?"

Naruto shook his head. "We have taken measures to insure that such a thing doesn't happen." He said calmly. "Both Kumo and Iwagakure have already declared war on us. Very soon, they will be sitting to discuss a truce and form their strategies. We will be fighting soon. I will keep you updated on what is happening."

"If you can't? You can't really believe that everything will go your way and you will win this war…"

"But I do believe that… well, not the part that everything will go my way but at the end I will win this war. Ai and Onoki will be dead in the end and the Uzumaki Empire will usher the shinobi world into a new world.

Fire Country

What was it? Everyone worked for their own benefit. Everyone had an agenda. The strongman always had something planned up and they always wanted to achieve something by using others. Kakuzu had lived a long life to be a mere puppet to someone else's game. The years he has lived have taught him many lessons – Which he was never going to throw away. He could not say for reminder of his life or until he died, because he really, was not planning to die anytime soon. Kakuzu intended to live a very long life. He would surely stay with this godforsaken partner of his. The cursed Hidan could never shut up, but he was at least a partner who could just not die.

The internal battles of the Akatsuki didn't mean anything to him. He didn't care for them and had no interest in following them. It wasn't the agenda of the group that made him follow it; it was the protection that it offered him that he felt he could follow them. He was save here. Zetsu could try to poach him into doing other things but Kakuzu was not stupid. He had not lived this long life by being a stupid man who could be fooled by just anyone. The fact that Zetsu was even coming behind Pain meant that he could not fight the Leader. He was weak. It would be illogical for him to follow such a person – no; a creature.

A rock hit him on his forehead and Kakuzu looked towards his partner. The man was sprouting something but he had turned off his ears to listen to his thoughts. For a moment, he got annoyed at being hit by a rock but he reigned over the emotion and listened to what the man was saying.

"Teme, are you listening now?!"

Contempt and frustrations; Kakuzu could tell those emotions from Hidan's tone. But he really didn't care for it. He was Hidan's partner, not his sponsor. "What?" He demanded. "And if you hit me by a rock again, I will kill you." He threatened.

Hidan grabbed his scythe firmly, "Wanna have a go at it? I dare you right now to have a go at me and we will see who will kill who!"

Always ready to have a go at someone – This reckless bastard. One day, Kakuzu was going to sever his head from his shoulders and then sell it to someone for a high price. He could always retrieve it at a later date. It wasn't like there was nothing that could be done to destroy it anyway.

"It would be rather unfortunate if you two 'killed' each other," Naruto suddenly spoke, appearing into the clearing with Haku walking beside him. Kakuzu was sitting on the stairs of a temple with Hidan standing below. It appeared that a battle had been occurring here.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

"I have heard that you have a foul mouth, but I didn't think it was like this. Does your god permit such a foul rat to be his worshiper?" Naruto asked calmly, with an indifferent look on his face.

"What do you know about Jashin-sama?"

"Nothing, really," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "You two are still wearing the cloak of the Akatsuki, which is good. I thought Zetsu would have poisoned you into betraying the organization."

"And if we had done so?"

Naruto smiled. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked calmly. "Both of you have large bounties on your head. I would have been forced to chop of your heads from your shoulders and turn you in for the bounties. It would have been rather ironic given that this has been your job for a long time, isn't it?"

Kakuzu wasn't amused by this statement. He knew who this person was. Hidan might not know because of his ignorance but Kakuzu knew. He was alive because he knew what was happening in this world. "You also have a bounty in your head, a very big one. If we capture you, I could make a killing."

"Indeed," Naruto said with a nod of his head. "I'm quite certain that Onoki would even give you a bonus for your service."

"But you speak like you are part of the Akatsuki… no, you have connection with Pain if what Zetsu said was true," Kakuzu said in thought.

"I'm not part of the Akatsuki but I do know the man you call Pain," Naruto said calmly. "I actually came here on his behalf. We are doing some cleaning of the house. We really don't want people backstabbing us. We are going to war and we need to know where we stand with you people."

"We are still members of the Akatsuki," Kakuzu said.

Naruto nodded his head. "I want to believe that, but…" he suddenly lunged towards Hidan with a sword gripped fully on his right hand. The sword cleaved through the air in a vertical slash. Hidan blocked the swing with the back of his scythe and tried to push the blond away but he realized, the blond was not budging.

"That is impressive," Naruto said to Hidan, who had managed to block his sword and still manage to stop the momentum while also trying to push him away.

"Impressive? Are you mocking me?!"

"I was expressing my delight in your physical prowess as well as instincts," Naruto said calmly before doing a slight jump backwards to create some distance between him and Hidan.

Hidan charged towards Naruto holding his scythe. He then swung it from his left, cutting towards Naruto's left shoulder in impressive speed. But Naruto still saw everything perfectly. He avoided the swing by ducking under it. His eyes watched it pass just above him in speed before he straightened up. He then twisted around, flashing his sword across Hidan's chest but the man managed to hold out the handle of his scythe just in front of him to block the sword.

Naruto absorbed a bit of wind before releasing powerful gusts of wind from his mouth whilst his sword was still pressed against Hidan's scythe. The gusts slammed straight into Hidan, causing him to be hurled backwards. While he was still airborne, Naruto flashed above the man, both his feet crashed onto his chest.

Boom!

They crashed into the ground, with Hidan hitting with his back and Naruto on top of him. The Akatsuki nin brushed it off like it was nothing as he cursed Naruto. "That hurt!" He shouted while pushing the blond away from him.

Naruto jumped away from Hidan and landed a distance away. The moment he touched down the ground, Haku also landed behind him, back turned against him. He narrowed his eyes towards the Ice user before turning his eyes upwards the entrance of the temple.

"Finally," Naruto said while looking towards the black figure that had made its appearance in the scene. His sword disappeared from his hand.

"Don't take your eyes away from me!" Hidan yelled, while lunging toward Naruto. He was holding his scythe with both his hands, swinging it towards Naruto's chest.

Naruto's coated his right hand with wind chakra to harden it enough to be able to block the swing. His movements caught Hidan by surprise as he appeared to block the scythe by his arm. Naruto pushed the scythe away from him before taking a step forward in the blink of an eye. A brutal and resounding punch connected with Hidan's gut, causing him to spit out saliva.

He dispelled the wind and placed the palm of his right hand on Hidan's chest. Marks began to spread through the man's body, restraining him.

"Close your eyes and count from one to hundred, the seal should be gone by the time you finish counting. For now, you are no longer of interest," Naruto said in a cold tone before turning his attention towards Zetsu.

Haku then froze Hidan's legs to the ground along with the Scythe to keep him from moving.

Kakuzu was certain that Naruto had no intentions to seriously fight Hidan. If there had been the purpose to kill them, even Haku would have taken part but the black haired shinobi had just been observing. Naruto's dismissal of Hidan the moment Zetsu shows up just confirmed that the blond had merely been interested in Hidan – Perhaps he just wanted to test his immortality. He did not get up from his position, nor did he strain his neck trying to look at the lurking shadow behind him.

"I figured you'd show up if I did things this way," Black Zetsu said without stepping out of the shadows.

"Of course, if you were serious, you could have chosen better candidates," Naruto responded calmly. "I wasn't expecting to see you though. I thought I would just do my business and be on my way."

"I can't appear in Uzu… admittedly, it's a little dangerous, so is appearing when you are free to do anything you want," Black Zetsu admitted. "I really had no intentions of turning these two against Nagato. I just wanted to draw you out and let you know that I am able to ruin things for you. I could have let the secret out to Konoha long ago, I could have informed Onoki before you even went to Iwagakure. But I did not because I do not want your plans to fail. I want you to succeed. And when you do, Madara will come back in this world and destroy everything. You will watch everything you build be destroyed…" Black Zetsu disappeared after saying those words.

Naruto sighed after the figure disappeared. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about him interfering with my plans…" he said calmly.

"Express a little concern for this…" Haku cautioned. "He knows too much and just confirmed that he still plans to revive Madara."

"But we know that the only way that can happen is through Nagato. Zetsu doesn't have the capability to defeat Nagato," Naruto said carelessly. "But you are right. It won't be right to discard things."

"By Madara does he mean the legendary Uchiha Madara?" Kakuzu asked with interest. "The same man who could stand toe on toe with the Shodai Hokage?"

"I forget you once fought Hashirama," Naruto said in thought. "But yes, he does mean that infamous Uchiha…" he said. "I have a message from Pain; please move towards the Sound Country. Your next assignment shall come from there. There is a war coming, and you will play a role."

"Can we still collect bounty?"

Naruto smiled. "Of course," he said. "It was good I brought you along, Haku. You can't really know what happens when walking in these paths. You can go to Kiri now. I'll depart toward the Wind."

"You are not going to cause any troubles, are you? You must be annoyed that you didn't get to finish your sparring session with Hidan-san," Haku said with a stare.

Naruto waved his right hand dismissively.

Kakuzu watched Naruto leave with an expressionless mask on his face. While he had no interest in the deeper workings of the Akatsuki, it was indeed apparent that there was something going on in the shadows and if it involved the return of Madara Uchiha, it could very well be interesting. Yet, Naruto didn't seem bothered by it. The blond was still a brat but this was still the shinobi world. Black Zetsu had been so cautious that he didn't even step closer – it meant the blond was dangerous. Well, it could explain why both Kumogakure and Iwa have put large bounties on his head. Either way, unless there was profit he mostly definitely could not ignore, Kakuzu wasn't going to get involved. Some matters you just stayed away from to save yourself.

Sunagakure

Training exercises were being done by everyone, although she had students, Temari also took some time to ready herself. There was war coming and while it looked like they would only become spectators, it was also safe for them to be ready for anything. There was no telling what would happen tomorrow. Even Konoha had been preparing for war over the past years. Suna wasn't as strong as the other villages but at least in this village, in the middle of the desert, an invasion was unlikely. Not when Gaara was still alive. Her brother could turn the desert into a mass grave yard for any army that tries to attack the Sand.

Temari wiped a sweat over her eyebrows and released a long breath. She missed having a partner. The time Naruto had been here in this village, she had been challenged and met someone who controlled the Wind around him as if it was an extension of his body. Naruto certainly had unique skills with wind. She prided herself in being the best Wind user within the Wind country, but she certainly could not compare to that person. His skills were outstanding. You'd think he had a bloodline but it was all just control and an understanding of how Futon chakra works.

Thinking of the blond just made her frown. They had a good thing going before he ruined it. And when she went to see him in Uzushio, he had been cold. She had ended up leaving without even having that dinner with him. She could not have handled sitting beside him. He was really different from the teasing blond who had warmed his way into her heart. He had been cold sitting on that throne. She hadn't known anything about him. Then again, he had never been the most revealing person despite never refusing to answer questions.

Temari held her fan and tried to use it but a slightly cold air washed over her. It was a gentle breeze that made her turn around quickly. And there he was: he was wearing civilian clothes, hair black, but she could not mistake his eyes, his presence. The little smile that had annoyed her many times he was in her presence.

"I think you were just thinking about me," he suddenly said. "I thought I should honor this by making an appearance."

Temari scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Naruto didn't lose his smile. "There is no need to shy. I know you were thinking about me…" he said calmly. "I also think about you and the things when did when it was just the two of us. Do you remember the first time we did it?"

How could she forget? At that time, she had completely surrendered herself to him. She had allowed this man to do what he wanted with her. He had undressed her. Caressed her and made her feel good. The thought made her cheeks flush slightly but she quickly shook it off and replaced it with anger.

"Is that why you came here? To remind me about the old days?"

"Yes and no," Naruto said. "But those days were good, yes?"

Temari refused to answer this. "What do you want, Naruto? No, your majesty?" She amended with mild sarcasm.

Naruto sighed. "Sarcasm isn't really helping with anything," he said. "Do you know how I was able to make the air feel slightly cold? It is because I was trying to recreate ice. Wind and Water make Ice. I thought if I could combine the two elements, it could work, but it did not work out."

"You were trying to recreate something that is possible through a bloodline." Temari responded with a flat look on her face.

"My wind control is excellent, and I thought there was no jutsu that was impossible to learn," Naruto said.

"You must have been crushed."

"Disappointed, yes but I was not crushed."

"A pity," Temari said.

"Now that is just cold, dear," Naruto said with a stare.

"I am dear now? You were cold towards me when I came to Uzu. You pretty much had no interest in the business I had come to conduct with you."

"I won't deny that," Naruto said quietly. "But I have not come here for business. I am here on personal issues. That is why I even bothered wearing a disguise."

"And yet, still couldn't get rid of the Uzumaki clan symbol."

Naruto didn't need to look at the symbol on his chest, he just shook his head. "Couldn't help it. It would feel weird wearing clothing that does not have any symbol on it."

"You need help!"

Naruto laughed at this. "I don't think things need to go that far. We all have certain things we simply don't want to separate from. I love my clan, and the symbols make me feel proud to be Uzumaki."

"I'd say it is useless being in a henge and yet still maintain that mark," Temari said in a flat tone.

"Perhaps," Naruto said in thought. He moved closer to Temari – who backed away when he got too close for her comfort. He didn't force the issue though.

"What do you want?"

"I came to see you."

"Why?"

Naruto looked up into the sky while he responded. "I grew to know you while in this training ground. Of course, there was a certain distance I kept. But it did not change that I found you likeable. Perhaps for the first time in my life, I had learned to like a girl. Dealing with that was not my strength. I also had many things to do and I prioritized. Admittedly, I failed. I went wrong in some parts. I failed you, Temari." He faced her, staring deep into her eyes. "I admit that," he smiled bitterly. "And I am sorry for making you go through the pain of losing me. I am sorry for not telling you anything. I should have. But a flawed part of me at times thinks everyone has emotional problems like I do."

"So you admit you have problems," Temari said.

"Perhaps to you, I have been nice. But with most people, I feel nothing, I express nothing. My childhood forced me to keep things locked up. The Sandaime once tried to have me make friends. I tried. I really did. But you know what? Those people had no desire to befriend me. They pretended and then led me into a death trap. From then, I just stopped trying."

"I'd always thought you were different from what my brother was…"

"In some ways, I was different but not a better person. That is at least what I tell myself. The good thing is that I taught myself not to hate long ago. There was too much for me to hate. Each time I thought of my anger, I could hear the voice of the Kyubi. Its chakra would leak out. It scared me. You know why? Because I knew if I did not deal with my anger, I would eventually lose myself and I would never become what I wanted to become."

"How did you deal?"

"I adopted a partially logical thinking mindset…" Naruto paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I understand you were hurt. And I am at fault for that."

"You understand?" Temari asked in a bitter tone. "And yet you just watched me suffer without even telling me anything. You could have saved me a lot of pain if you'd just popped out of nowhere and said 'I'm actually alive' but you just decided to watch me suffer!"

Naruto did not give an immediate response. Perhaps following what other people had said would have put him in a different situation but he had decided to do things this way. "I'm not that cruel, Temari."

She watched him with narrowed eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I could not have brought myself to come here and watch you suffer. I did not even watch Konoha or step out of Uzu for that matter," Naruto explained. "I don't want you to think that I am a cold hearted person who does not care about anyone."

"It actually looked that way to me."

Naruto smiled. "I don't blame you for having such an image of me. Regardless, even if am I called cold hearted, I want you to know that this cold hearted person still admires you. I came here for that. Not because I want to see you naked."

"Could you not say such things with a straight face?"

"Why? Does it make you feel embarrassed or did you just picture something naughty?"

Temari was close enough to swing her fan towards Naruto's shoulder. But the blond jumped away to avoid the blow. He still smiled. "I did not know you'd become such a naughty girl, Temari…" he said.

"I'm not!"

"Really?" Naruto disappeared in a show of extreme speed. He appeared behind Temari in a blur. Both his hands moved over her and held her by her waist before he leaned over to her right ear. "If I were to move my hands downwards while whispering sweet things, would you not have dirty thoughts?"

"I'd grab that thing between your legs and break it before you say anything."

"What would please you if you did such a thing, Temari? I don't remember you having such contempt for that thing. I remember you were very eager for me to put it inside of you."

Temari stomped on his right foot with all the strength she could muster before speaking. "You are seeing illusions. I never said you satisfied me."

Naruto laughed. Both hands moved up slowly, feeling the shape of her body and stopped just below her breasts. He kissed her on her neck before speaking. "See, you are not denying me. And you had a pleasant look on her face when in Konoha."

Temari decided to get away from Naruto. He did not stop her. She twisted around to look at him. He had that smile. She glared at those lips. God, she had missed him. Temari shook her head.

Naruto laughed once more. "It was a pleasure speaking and seeing you once more, Temari. Please invite me when you want to see me. I will be eagerly waiting for that invite." He smiled once more before disappearing along gusts of winds.

That was cruel, Temari thought mildly.

Naruto had just come and gone. She hadn't even been able to ask him anything about his plans. Well, what would he have said that he couldn't have said to her when she was at Uzushiogakure? She would not be as naïve as to think that she could get the blond to tell her his secrets by being in a relationship with him. Naruto could be closed as a cage. He did not leak. He did not say what he didn't want to say. He was closely guarded and Temari was not going to get ahead of herself. But on a personal note, this had not been so bad. Perhaps she could invite him some time and Gaara didn't need to know he was here. She shook her head. She could not keep that from him. Not when he had been so supportive over the past couple of years.

With that in mind, Temari turned toward the Kage tower. It was a slow walk. She was still a little tired from the training she had been doing. When she got to the tower, Temari went straight towards Gaara's office. She was surprised to see Shikamaru there with him.

"Hey, Temari," the Nara greeted lazily.

"Shikamaru, I didn't know you were coming to Suna," she said before settling on a chair beside the Nara.

"It was something hurried," Shikamaru said.

Temari nodded. With Shikamaru around, she could not tell Gaara about Naruto's personal visit. If it had been politics, she would say. "So, what brings you to the Hidden Sand?"

"War," Shikamaru said in a slightly serious tone. "Or at least how we observe it. Konoha does not wish to take part in any of it."

"Even if Uzu is being destroyed?"

Shikamaru nodded. "I spoke with the Emperor. He made it absolutely clear that he did not want help. He also gave you the same message, Temari. Besides, if Konoha gets involved, Suna gets involved and it becomes a wide scale shinobi world war. There is more loss and damage when things happen like that."

"But it would still be cruel to see another village being destroyed and do nothing," Gaara said.

"I don't think Uzu will get destroyed. Even if the Uzumaki lose the war, Uzu will most likely remain standing," Shikamaru said with confidence. "On another note, the Emperor said he was willing to open dialogues and engage in something useful. Probably when the war is over and he would like it if you and I could work together."

"Why? He dismissed me the last time I was there," Temari asked curiously.

"A calculated move," Shikamaru said. "But if you think the Emperor is going to take decisions that favor you on account to history with him, you are mistaken. Still, we have a chance, and we have to work something out – that is why I am here."

Uzushiogakure

Naruto was sitting by the back of his compound, leaning against a wall, left knee raised, with his right foot touching the outside; there was the sound of water running through the small streams created in the garden. There was a bird chirping within the garden. But Naruto wasn't listening to it. His mind was elsewhere. On his left inside, inside the house, there was a bottle and a saucer, just sitting, a book that had been taken for the purpose of being read but the moment he had sat down, he had lost interest in it.

It wasn't often that he came here with many things to do here, but whenever he felt sentimental, he did come here just to be lost in thought, and enjoy his peace. If he hadn't destroyed his apartment in Konoha, Naruto would have made time just to go there and seat by the window, lost in thought and ignoring the world around him.

Naoki flashed beside the Emperor and stared for a long minute before clapping both his hands. Naruto didn't even blink to the sound or the presence of the man. Naoki then leaned over to Naruto's ear and whispered. "Your former sensei is waiting for you in the throne room," he said.

It took more or less a minute for Naruto to finally respond. His lost expression did not change and his tone was distant. "Who invited him?"

"You should know he needs no invitation to move around."

Naruto went silent once more before responding. "Bring him here," he said. "I would rather not move for a little while longer."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Two minutes later, slowly and cautiously, Jiraiya walked towards Naruto. He had been brought through the back. The Sannin could not feel Naruto's presence. The blond had not even reacted to his appearance. It was one of those days. He was glad he came when Naruto was like this. Had the blond been sitting on the throne, he probably would not have been entertained. He had only been taking a chance even coming to this village. Since Shikamaru was entertained, he figured perhaps he could get some minutes with the blond as well. Besides, he hadn't come here being a messenger of Konoha.

Of course, he could not forget the last time he spoke with Naruto. It had been an unpleasant conversation at the Hidden leaf and Naruto had just shown them cold eyes that had told them he didn't care about them. It had wounded him; he had taken Naruto away because he thought they could bond. Well, perhaps they did bond. Before the incident, they really did get along, despite Naruto never truly showing his personality.

Jiraiya settled down with a heavy and tired sigh. He glanced at Naruto through the corner of his eyes for a moment before staring at the beautifully crafted garden. It was truly such a waste that it was made for Naruto. The blond could not see it, he couldn't breathe it, and he couldn't feel it.

"I see you're still sentimental," Jiraiya said the first words. He summoned his bottle from a storage scroll as he waited for Naruto to respond.

Naruto only shifted his eyes for a moment before staring back into the empty space ahead of him. "I have not lost of things," he said.

"I wonder about that," Jiraiya said in thought. "I don't see women around here. This place is rather lonely and I didn't hear any word of you hitting the bars to pick up girls or just sitting there alone."

"Can you imagine the Emperor sitting in a bar alone, staring into nothing?" Naruto asked rhetorically. "I don't seem to recall always being surrounded by women. Sure, I had my moments, but not always."

Jiraiya nodded. "I'm hoping you can use your influence to get me a present before I leave. I saw some beautiful girls when coming here. With you around, I'm sure I can get some fine material for my next book. I think I will call it…"

"The Emperor's Paradise," Naruto finished for Jiraiya. "You're growing old, Jiraiya. Do you think it is wise to waste your life working on your books? You'll die without leaving a legacy behind in this world."

Jiraiya frowned deeply. He had no student like Minato to leave behind. Things could have worked out with Naruto but the blond never really felt he was his student. "Who should I blame for that?"

"Your attitude and negligence," Naruto said in a flat tone.

"That's rather harsh," Jiraiya said before taking a sip of his drink.

Naruto shrugged carelessly. "I don't recall having being gentle with you. Besides, you are not a child anymore. And nor are you a woman."

"What about you?"

"What of me, sensei?" Naruto said purposefully. "Nagato still calls you sensei. I do believe that you will always be remembered in his heart. Well, you did form a great deal of his happy childhood," the blond said in thought.

Jiraiya snorted. "I find that hard to believe," he said. "He was willing to kill me not long ago. And the Nagato that lives now is not the Nagato that I trained long ago."

"For their dreams, people will do everything, and anything. It doesn't matter if we care for someone, if we think that you are standing in the way of what we want to achieve, we will get rid of you. The same can be said for me. If I ever thought that you would stand in my way, I wouldn't hesitate to put a knife on your back," Naruto said.

"The only thing that comforts me with those words is that even facing someone as strong as me, you wouldn't use such a tactic to get rid of me – you would give me the honor of a death in battle." Jiraiya said while eyeing Naruto with the corner of his eyes; the blond wasn't looking at him. "What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind, Naruto?"

"That question doesn't deserve a response," Naruto said in a flat tone. "I'm in a good mood today. You are welcomed, but tomorrow you will not be welcomed. Use your time wisely, Jiraiya sensei."

Jiraiya frowned. Things were really quick to escalate with Naruto. He should have known though. "I'll probably get ignored if I talk about your goals," he said bitterly. "Shall we reminisce about the days we spent together?"