All the former genin teams, Sai, Itachi, Obito, Yamato and Jiraiya were gathered at Tsunade's office. Everyone was shocked to see the other Kurama with Naruto upon entering, but remained silent as he explained the situation. Kurama told them everything he heard from within Nariko, that the false Akatsuki had the same plan the original did, were planning on taking Nariko's Rinnegan and implanting it into the leader, and if that fails, they have followers in all the ninja villages so they could overthrow them from the inside. Upon hearing this, Tsunade sent out messenger hawks to all of the Kages to warn them of the traitors in their villages and that they should raise their defenses.
"Jiraiya, I want you to help me search the whole village for these traitors. Afterwards, we'll improve our security as well. Anyone who isn't registered in our citizen records will be inspected by the Torture and Interrogation Force. The rest of you will be sent to rendezvous with the other Akatsuki members. I have already sent a message to Pein about the situation. All of you are to follow Kurama to where the false Akatsuki hideout is. Your main mission is to rescue Nariko, but if you can, try to stop the enemy. Since Kurama has said that the hideout is in the Land of Wind, I have requested the Kazekage to have a medical team on standby to heal anyone who gets injured. Make any preparations that you need to, then leave immediately." Tsunade ordered, and everyone agreed before leaving.
It took the rescue team a few hours to reach the borders of the Land of Rain and Wind. Kiba and Kakashi were leading the group, using Akamaru's and Pakkun's tracking skills to find where the other Akatsuki members were waiting for them. Once they were all together, Pein suggested they rest for the time being. It was nighttime when Kurama reached the Hidden Leaf, and it was still a couple hours before the sun rose. Everyone agreed to camp out until sunrise, though Naruto was reluctant.
As everyone conversed with each other, Naruto sat alone on a fallen log, Kurama sleeping beside him since he was tired from his long travel. Pein soon joined Naruto, sitting silently for a moment before speaking. "You're worried about Nariko, aren't you?" He asked, and Naruto nodded solemnly. "I understand. It's been hard on everyone, knowing she's out there and possibly being hurt because of the burdens she bears. The false Akatsuki most likely chose to target her not just because of the Rinnegan she possesses, but of how powerful she is even without it. She was a Jinchuuriki, wields the Rinnegan, can use Senjutsu along with the Flying Thunder God technique. Not only that, but if the false Akatsuki are copycats of our original group, then Nariko knows all of their skills and jutsus like the back of her hand." Pein explained, then chuckled humorlessly. "It was actually a smart move for them to make because even if they take her power away, Nariko's determination and her protectiveness over everyone still makes her strong. I just hope her determination holds out until we get to her, and we aren't too late to save her." He added. "Yeah." Naruto agreed quietly.
They sat silently for another moment, then Naruto spoke up. "Did you know Nariko was my twin sister?" He asked softly. "Of course. I knew the moment she and I met that she was. When Nariko was brought to me, the first thing she asked was to be let go so she could go to you or Gaara. However, I didn't want to release her because of the potential she had. I wanted to use that potential to help with the Akatsuki's original plan to destroy the ninja society." Pein told him, making him look at him in shock. "But, you were planning on capturing the Bijuu! How could you let her join the Akatsuki knowing she was a Jinchuuriki, too?" Naruto questioned, but Pein shook his head. "We never knew she was one." He replied before chuckling. "Nariko did a very good job in hiding that from all of us. Obito knew, but he kept it a secret as well." Pein added as he glanced at Obito, who was talking with Kakashi.
"That day that I sent Itachi and Kisame to capture you, Nariko intervened and revealed that she was a Jinchuuriki." Pein said, and Naruto nodded. He remembered that day, especially how frightened he was when the two men took Nariko away in his place. "We all loved Nariko. She adopted us as her family, and we grew to become just that for her. None of us can bear the thought of losing her, killing her for the Kyuubi, or fighting her to capture the other Bijuu. She was the reason why we gave up the plan to overthrow the ninja nations." Pein continued, astonishing Naruto as they fell silent again.
After a moment, Pein glanced at Naruto, taking a good look at him then smirked in amusement. "It's interesting. You have the clan name, 'Uzumaki', but you don't have the features of the clan members." He said, and Naruto laughed a bit sheepishly while scratching his head. "Yeah. Apparently I look like my dad while Nariko looks like mom." He replied. "I know. All Uzumaki's tend to inherit red hair." Pein told him with a light chuckle. "Really?" Naruto asked, and Pein nodded. "I'm also an Uzumaki." He said, shocking Naruto. "What?! But Pein-san, you have orange hair, not red hair!" He exclaimed, pointing at said orange hair.
"That's because this isn't Pein's real body." Konan said as she went to stand beside Pein. "Naruto, have you ever seen one of Nariko's paths, the people with silver hair and their forehead protectors acting as blindfolds?" She asked, and Naruto nodded. "Pein's paths are similar. This 'Pein' is just one of his paths." Konan told him. "What?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock again.
"Yes. My real name is Nagato Uzumaki. My real body is very weak and sickly, so I constantly have to use my paths to do my tasks. The path you're currently speaking to was once an old friend of mine and Konan. He originally had orange hair, and I simply dyed the rest of my paths' hair orange to match. My real hair color is red." Pein explained, stunning Naruto into silence again as he processed all of this.
"Well, since we in the Akatsuki adopted Nariko as family, we can adopt you as well since you're her older twin brother." Pein said a bit jokingly, a smile on his face as Naruto looked at him with wide eyes. Naruto jumped a bit, startled as the other Akatsuki members voiced their agreements and cheered, welcoming him into their misfit family. Some of the boisterous members, like Obito and Hidan, became rowdy even though they all were supposed to be resting. They needed to save Nariko, but this moment of joy was needed in this dark time. It didn't take long for all of them to fall asleep, though, each of them scattered around each other as the exhaustion caught up with them.
Once the sun had risen over the horizon, everyone was awake and formed in a circle. After last night, they all felt they had a closer bond with each other, and easily formed a strategy on who will act as defense and who will rescue Nariko. Shikamaru, Pein, Konan and Obito formed the plan while Sasori provided the layout of the land, having grown up in the Land of Wind. The plan was that Naruto, along with Yin-Kurama, is to lead the group into the hideout. Pein, Konan, the rest of Team 7, and Yamato are to stay with him to find and rescue Nariko. The rest are to act as defense, stopping to fight anyone who gets in their way and clearing a path to where Nariko is. Basically, it's the same as the Sasuke Extraction Mission when they were younger.
With the plan ready, everyone set out to the hideout, Yin-Kurama guiding them on where to go from his spot in Naruto's arms. As soon as they were in range of the hideout, rogues came out to fight them. Team Guy stopped first to fight, and as the group went further into the hideout, the other teams had to branch off to fight as more rogues kept appearing. Even though it wasn't according to plan, Team 7 also had to branch off, leaving Pein, Konan and Yamato with Naruto and Yin-Kurama.
"Go down the hall on the left. Nariko's in the room at the end of the hall." Yin-Kurama said, and the remaining group ran to the room. Naruto slammed the door open, and after running inside a couple of steps, they all froze in shock and horror at the scene in front of them.
Nariko was where Yin-Kurama left her, laying on a metal table with her wrists and ankles bound to it by chakra chains. However, she was mutilated. Nariko's gag and blindfold were gone, and her eyelids were sunken in from her eyes missing, tears of blood drying around them and down the sides of her face. Her abdomen was also cut open, her insides exposed as she was left to bleed out. The sight and smell was sickening, even to the veteran ninjas who were supposed to be used to such things.
Naruto was frozen in place, staring in shock at his terribly injured sister as the others rushed to her side. Yin-Kurama even jumped out of his arms, running and leaping up onto the table next to Nariko. "We need to cover the wound and stop the bleeding as much as we can." Konan said hurriedly to Yamato, and the two bandaged Nariko's abdomen, Konan using her papers to bind everything together. Pein and Yin-Kurama went to Nariko's head, Pein gently brushing away the stray hair on her face. He grew angry for his daughter, upset with how injured she was and that they took too long to find her.
"Nariko, can you hear me?" Pein called to Nariko, gently but firmly rubbing her cheek in attempt to get her attention. Nariko was fading in and out of consciousness, the blood loss and chakra chains making her weak and tired. However, she felt the pressure on her cheek and heard the familiar voice above her. "Otōsan...? Is that you...?" Nariko asked, her voice hoarse from when she had screamed in pain. "Yes, Okāsan, Yamato, Naruto and Yin-Kurama are here as well. The others are outside fighting off the rogues in the hideout." Pein said as Yin-Kurama placed a paw on her shoulder gently, making her smile weakly.
"Kurama, what can we do for her?" Pein asked the small Bijuu. "She's still bleeding out!" Yamato said as he and Konan kept trying to cover Nariko's wound. "I have to seal myself back in her. I'll be able to heal her that way." Yin-Kurama told Pein, making all three adults look at him. "You can't! If Nariko dies, then so will you!" Yamato protested, but Yin-Kurama just smiled solemnly. "I have been by her side since she was born. If Nariko dies, I will gladly join her." He replied, and they all looked at him in sadness as he sealed himself back into Nariko. Immediately, a dark orange chakra cloak surrounded her, slowly healing her wounds.
As if by instinct, Naruto automatically walked up to them and took Nariko's hand, following the pull within him even though he was still in shock. A light orange chakra cloak surrounded him, and the light and dark chakra swirled together on the joined hands. The joint power also boosted Nariko's healing, helping to slow her bleeding faster. It shocked the adults, but they didn't have time to just be staring at the twin Jinchuurikis.
"Naruto, since the joint power of yours and Nariko's Kyuubi is healing her faster, you should carry her while we leave." Yamato suggested. Naruto snapped out of it a bit, glancing at Yamato before nodding and carefully lifting Nariko into his arms bridal style. "Let's go." Pein said, leading the group out as Konan and Yamato flanked Naruto, defending him and Nariko from any possible threats.
It was eerily quiet as they ran down the halls to the exit. They were uneasy as they saw all the fallen rogues but not their allies, wondering to themselves where they were at. They soon found out as they ran out of the hideout.
Some feet away from the exit were the rest of the rescue team, scattered on the ground and mostly unconscious with wounds littering their bodies. Not that far from the fallen team was the false Akatsuki, lined up in a row with some having disappointed expressions while others were smirking in triumph and arrogance. The sight shocked and horrified the remaining rescue team as the false Akatsuki leader tutted at them. "It's sad and disappointing how weak the original Akatsuki has become." He said, and some of his teammates chuckled in agreement.
Konan glanced at Naruto, knowing he was just as protective of his friends as Nariko. Upon seeing the rage in his expression, she took Nariko from him and carefully held her, and she was relieved yet worried that Naruto let her. Konan was also relieved that Nariko's bleeding had slowed a lot and her abdomen seemed to be closing back up, her eyes restored as well even though they remained closed. "Naruto, you need to stay calm." Pein said to the teen, Yamato already preparing to restrain him.
"Surrender to us. Your allies are defeated and on the brink of death. I will allow you the chance to escape and get them to safety if you agree not to interfere with our plans. We'll even be merciful enough to spare all of you and let you live in the future we will create. However, you must hand over Naruto Uzumaki and Nariko Namikaze. We need their Kyuubi for our plans." The leader told the remaining rescue team, and a few of the false Akatsuki members chuckled again at the offer of mercy.
"There's no need for this. You can find another way-" Pein tried talking them down, but the leader sighed in disappointment. "Pein. We idolized you and the other original Akatsuki members, so much to the point that we learned the same fighting techniques and jutsus as all of you. We wanted to live in the world you imagined all those years ago. Now, we just hate all of you. You gave up your plans because of sentiment over a little girl who is a Jinchuuriki. You're all fools! You were ruthless criminals and powerful rogues, yet you gave everything up for that child!" The leader began yelling before pointing at Nariko angrily.
The leader then took a deep breath to calm himself, and looked at Pein coldly. "If you won't surrender, then we'll show no mercy." He said, then nodded at the Sasori imposter. The imposter used chakra strings to lift Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata up above the ground, the three being the only ones left conscious in the injured group. The three winced in pain, but knew what was going to happen. Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other, tears beginning to fall from Sakura's eyes in fear as Sasuke gave her a reassuring look. "I love you, Sakura." He told her softly, only making her cry more. "I love you, too." She sobbed.
"Naruto-kun..." Hinata called weakly, making Naruto look at her with wide, fearful eyes as he turned away from his teammates. He then looked desperately to the false Akatsuki leader. "Please, stop-!" He shouted. Naruto was afraid for all of his friends. He was afraid for his teammates, but he was most afraid for Hinata. He didn't know why, but there was a strong feeling within him that made him want to beg for it all to stop. The leader didn't listen, though. Since he didn't have the same jutsus as Pein to pierce the three with poles, he instead used a Wind style jutsu to slice their abdomens, making them cry out as blood spurted from the deep wounds.
The scene immediately made Naruto black out in rage. He roared as he was quickly consumed by Kurama's chakra, taking on the version two form with three tails. Yamato, Konan and Pein leaped away, and Pein used Universal Pull to bring their allies away to safety. Yamato didn't have a chance to stop Naruto. The enraged Jinchuuriki immediately charged the false Akatsuki, who tried fighting back in defense. They all didn't stand a chance against him, all of them except for the leader were killed in his wrath. The leader was terribly injured and shuffling away, crying out in terror as Naruto crept towards him menacingly before killing him.
Naruto roared over the dead leader, then looked at his allies as he sensed more living victims. He was lost in his rage and didn't recognize them at that point. Seeing this, Yamato immediately went into action, using his Wood style to cage and bind him before placing a seal on his face. Naruto cried out as the dark chakra melted away, revealing his burned skin before he fell unconscious. Yamato unbound him and looked him over, sighing in relief that he was only burned by the chakra cloak.
The three adults tensed, though, sensing a group quickly approaching them. They relaxed when they saw it was a group of Sand medic ninjas, the Sand Siblings leading the group to them. "Kazekage-sama, Kankuro, Temari? What are you doing here?" Yamato asked, shocked to see them leading the medic team. "We already found the moles in our village, so we figured we should come check on you guys. Gaara found you all with the chakra necklace Nariko gave him when they were kids." Kankuro explained, and Gaara held up his necklace, the red chakra-infused crystal on it glowing brightly.
Gaara then gave out orders to the medic team, telling the strongest ones to treat Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata while the others looked after the other injured rescue team members. Temari went over to Shikamaru, watching over him in worry as he was being healed. Kankuro oversaw all of the healing as Gaara went to check on Nariko and Naruto. "How are they?" He asked worriedly to the three adults. "Nariko was badly injured, but she's mostly healed now thanks to Yin-Kyuubi and Naruto." Konan said. "Naruto is also mostly fine. He went berserk again and burned his skin with his chakra cloak, but hasn't sustained any other injuries." Yamato added.
"What exactly happened to Nariko? She has blood all over her." Kankuro questioned as he came up to them, glancing at the unconscious girl in worry and slight disturbance. "We're not entirely sure. We found her with her abdomen cut open and her eyes missing, and she was left to bleed out while chakra chained to a metal table. We don't know why they cut her open, or what they could have taken out of her. We were too busy trying to cover the wound and stop the bleeding." Konan explained as she looked down at her daughter. Kankuro's eyes widened at that before he turned serious, though his eyes still held worry. Gaara had closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, pained for his beloved, then gazed at her in worry as he gently to her hand in his. As if sensing him, Nariko's hand twitched, and Gaara rubbed it soothingly.
As soon as the medic team finished the healings, each one carried their patients on their backs and awaited their Kazekage's order to return to the village. "Konan-san, may I take Nariko?" Gaara asked as he looked at the woman. Konan nodded and carefully put Nariko in his arms, the two not surprised when some of Gaara's sand wrapped around Nariko's wrist, purple markings on the sand to indicate it was Shukaku controlling it. With that, Gaara led the group back to the village. Kankuro ran alongside him, and Temari ran alongside the medic who had Shikamaru. Pein was on Gaara's other side, carrying Naruto as Konan and Yamato ran with him.