Yokai Mates

family reunion

Chapter Twenty-Five: family reunion

Nagato let out a sharp gasp when he felt Naruto's sage eyes on him through the chakra rods.  He didn't expect to have Sasuke's question stump him and testing his convictions.  This gave Naruto the chance to take out and deal with the last Pain.

"Nagato......  What is it?" asked Konan in concern.  But Nagato couldn't hear her.  His attention was drawn into Naruto's eyes.

'Why is it that I feel like I should know you?' both asked themselves as they could both feel and sense that there was a strong connection that ran deep.  Both Sasuke and Konan broke their connection by shaking the two of them.

"Nagato what happened?" Konan asked.

"The Kitsune reversed track me using the sage mode.  Both he and the Tengu are on their way here as we speak." replied Nagato as he didn't want to tell her that something about Naruto and this whole mission to capture the nine tails didn't sit well with him.  Perhaps that is the reason why Sasuke's question caused him to faultier.

Meanwhile......  Sasuke shook Naruto breaking his connection with Nagato.  Naruto gasped out as Sasuke took the chakra rod from his hand throwing it aside.

"Naruto........  Are you all right?" Sasuke asked in concern.

"I am fine Sasuke.  Sorry about that.  But I had found out where the puppeteer for these beings are at.  I want to talk with him face to face." answered Naruto.

"How are you sure that this is not a trap?" asked Sasuke.

"I am not sure.  But something about him.......  It feels familiar.  Like I know him even though we had never meet." replied Naruto as he set fire to the remaining Pain bodies.

Naruto lead Sasuke to the paper tree on top of the hill close by to where they were fighting.  Sasuke opened up the tree having a black chakra rod come shooting out at him.  Reacting quickly, Sasuke dove to the side taking Naruto with him.  The Tengu let out a low deep snarl at Nagato as his Sharingan eyes shined in the dark space.  Naruto gently placed his hand onto Sasuke's shoulder as he stood face to face with Nagato as the connection they briefly seconds ago came back much stronger now.

"So the nine tails has come.  Have you come to surrender yourself knowing that it is pointless to continue fighting?" asked Nagato.

"No......  I have come to talk.  To try to understand why you are doing all of this for.  To try to understand your goals.  But first.......  I would like to know who I am talking to." replied Naruto.  For some reason Nagato felt like giving the Kitsune his true name not the name and the persona that he made up.  Even being in the same area as the Kitsune Jinchuriki, Nagato couldn't help but to feel connected to Naruto.

"Nagato Uzumaki." Nagato replied causing Konan to look at him in shock.  She wasn't the only one.  Both Naruto and Sasuke couldn't hide their shock either as tears began to streak down Naruto's face.

"I always thought that I was the only one that I had no family left but...... yet here you are standing before me as my enemy." Naruto stated sadly.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Nagato asked.

"The Uzumaki Clan.  Naruto thought that he was the last one alive." Sasuke replied as he pulled the weeping Kitune into his arms.  This time Nagato looked shocked by the Tengu's words.

"You are lying!" growled Konan.

Suddenly it seemed like Naruto's attitude had changed as a dark snarl arose from his lips.  He turned facing the two Akatsuki as his eyes were no longer the soft baby blue but rather the blood red ones belonging to Kurama.  The nine tailed fox arose when he felt Naruto's sadness and sorrow of facing against what seemed to be family.  The young Kitsune couldn't kill the person that was before him if he was family.

"My Kit is no liar!" Kurama snapped out angrily at Konan through Naruto.  Sasuke gently placed one hand onto Naruto's shoulder as if to tell his mate to calm down.  Or rather to tell the Biju that was controlling Naruto to calm down.  

"Usually the Uzumaki are known for their red hair.  I have never seen a blonde Uzumaki before, let alone one that had fox ears and tails." stated Nagato.

"Naruto's mother.......  Kushina......  My previous Jinchuriki had red hair.  It's not like we chose to be stuck in this merged form.  It all that bastard in the strange mask's fault.  He was the one who caused this to happen." replied Kurama.

"A man in a strange mask?  Did he happen to call himself Madara Uchiha?" Nagato asked causing Kurama to nod Naruto's head.

"I have dealt with and had been in the presence of real Madara Uchiha a long time ago.  That man in the mask is definitely a Uchiha but, not Madara." replied Kurama as he could feel that Naruto had finally calmed down as he gave his Jinchuriki back control.

"Nagato.......  Why are you just sitting there talking to them?  we should capture the nine tails now while we can!" roared out Konan.

Konan's statement caused both Naruto and Sasuke to leap back into a defensive position.  Nagato turned glaring at the young woman causing her to bite her lip in silence.  

"What is your name nine tailed Jinchuriki?" Nagato asked as he faced Naruto again seeing the young Kitsune's blue eyes again knowing that he was in control over his body again.

"Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki." 

"That name......... Naruto.  It sounds so familiar.  Where Have I heard it before?" Nagato asked himself quietly.  Naruto's keen ears heard what Nagato said as he pulled out the book Jiraiya had given him.  Tales of the Gutsy Ninja.  Nagato's eyes widened when he saw the book in Naruto's hands.  "I know that book."

"It was written by the Toad sage, my godfather, and my father's sensei......." Naruto began.

"Jiraiya the sanin......." finished Nagato.

"He based the character off of someone he had meet.  I'm guessing that person was you.  My father like the character so much that he gave me its name.  Much like the character in this book, I refuse to give up and give in when things seem to get tough." replied Naruto.  Tears began to streak down Nagato's face this time.  The two Uzumaki where trained and taught by the same man who wanted to instill his teaching for peace to them.  It was then like a spell that had been placed on and over Nagato broke transforming what seemed to be an older broken man into a younger more physical young man.  

Konan gasped out in complete shock seeing her friend and teammate transform back into his younger youthful appearance.  Nagato stumbled out of the chakra chair finally free of his captivity.  Konan quickly went to Nagato's aid as she placed her Akatsuki cloak over his somewhat nude body.  Being freed from the fake Madara's spell, Nagato looked at Naruto whom had approached the two smiling softly.

"Perhaps together we can honor pervy sage's teachings and try to find a way to achieve peace without further blood shed." Naruto stated extending his hand out towards Nagato.  Nagato smiled back as he reached out taking Naruto's hand into his as the two shook hands strengthening the bond that they both felt.  

"I would like that......" replied Nagato as the young Kitsune and Konan helped him back onto his feet.  Sasuke smiled at the reunion happy for Naruto as now the Kitsune was no longer alone.  He finally had family.  If Nagato was out there alive, there could be a chance that their were other Uzumaki out there in hiding.  The four of them left heading back to the leaf village.  Naruto had alerted to his summons mentally that he was coming home with Sasuke and the two former members of the Akatsuki as one of them was family.  He made sure that Shippo told Tsunade about the situation and to have Anbu guards at the gate.  With Nagato on their side, they now had more of an insight into the Akatsuki and their so-called leader whom called himself and believed that he was Madara Uchiha.