"Naruto was worried this day would come," she said softly, apprehensively, "so he made me promise that before I let his friends try to save him from the Akatsuki, I would tell them why this was happening. The Hokage told us that the Akatsuki were a threat, but she didn't tell us the entire story. Naruto wanted you to know the truth before you put your lives at risk."
"Hinata, don't" Sakura ordered her harshly, "You know the law. And we need their help."
"The Third Hokage's restriction doesn't apply, because it is Naruto's wish," Hinata countered, "And this is not a mission. We could all be counted at renegades for doing this. They need to know."
Many of the assembled shinobi looked confused by the exchange, but the number who did not surprised both women. Sakura stared sternly at her younger teammate for a moment, and then nodded.
"If it was Naruto, he would probably give you the back story and the guilt trip first," Hinata told them, "But I am just going to say it outright.
She took a deep breath, and looked at them determinedly.
"Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails Fox Demon," she announced, steadying herself for their reactions. Neji just nodded, as did Shikamaru. None of the three foreign ninjas were surprised by the news. And Shino betrayed no more emotion than usual. Lee frowned, taking in the news. Tenten looked visibly frightened, as did Sasame. Choji's mouth dropped open. Ino was disturbed, but her expression was more sad than anything else. The only one to vocalize more than a gasp was Kiba.
"What the heck, Hinata?" the dog trainer roared, "This isn't the time for jokes."
"This is no joke," Sakura snapped back, "Not to us, and especially not to Naruto."
"The Kyubi is the reason why the Akatsuki captured Naruto," Hinata added, "And he wanted his friends to have the whole story before you tried to rescue him."
"What rescue?" Kiba chuckled harshly, "Why should we go through with this?"
"Naruto is a comrade," Shikamaru said, "And more than that, a friend. He's done good by us, though with the way we used to treat him, none of us deserve it. Well, except for Hinata."
"But we would be saving the demon that nearly destroyed the village," Tenten objected softly, "that killed so many people, before the Fourth Hokage defeated it."
"Iruka-sensei does not appear to begrudge Naruto the Fox's actions," Neji told his lover, "And the demon killed both of his parents."
"Yeah, Iruka-sensei's some kind of saint," Kiba growled, "But that doesn't mean we should put ourselves out there for that monster..."
SMACK! Kiba's head spun from the force of the slap, and he tumbled to the ground. Everyone blinked, and glanced at Hinata, but Naruto's girlfriend had not moved. Instead, Ino Yamanaka was standing over Kiba, tears streaming down her face.
"He's not a monster," her voice was livid despite her tears, "He's a human being who was forced to contain a demon. HE protected us from that thing, and we tortured him for it. He was lonely, with no one to trust. We should count ourselves lucky that Mizuki was the only one who tried to use Naruto, if it had been someone smarter..."
Choji put his hand on Ino's shoulder and she dove into his chest. Like Ino's lover, Shikamaru and Temari recognized that Naruto was not the only Jinchuriki Ino was thinking about. Indeed, everyone expect Kaede had heard the tale of Ino's encounter with the vessel of the Shadow Roc.
"I know I'm still the newcomer," Sasame said softly, meeting Hinata's gaze reassuringly, before looking at Kiba and Tenten, "and I was shocked and a little afraid when Hinata said that Naruto contains a demon. But Naruto is the one of the kindest, most generous people I know. I betrayed him, and he not only forgave me, he helped me. So it doesn't matter to me that he is a Jinchuriki, I will help Naruto."
"You're right," Tenten nodded, looking chagrinned, "I'm sorry, Hinata, of course I'm with you."
"You don't have to apologize," Hinata shook her head, "Naruto expected everyone would react like this. He didn't want anyone to feel they were tricked into this."
"Well, I do have to apologize then," Kiba backed away as he stood, "Because I'm out. Even if I accepted that Naruto and the Fox are separate, that demon killed my uncle and his wife, and my aunt. So I think it deserves whatever the Akatsuki do to it."
"Idiot," Neji snorted.
"What was that?" Kiba snarled at Jonin.
"The Akatsuki intend to use the Kyubi as some sort of weapon," Neji answered condescendingly, "How many more will die if we let those rogues take the beast?"
"Naruto," Temari said, "Naruto will die if the Akatsuki remove the demon. "
"Akamaru," Shino interjected, "Do you want to come with us?"
The large hound looked at his partner, and then back to Shino, barking loudly once.
"What?" Kiba looked at the dog in confusion, "Why?"
"When Akamaru was infected with the bio-weapon," the insect user reminded his teammate, "he attacked Naruto, and despite that, Naruto defied the Hokage and risked his life to help save Akamaru. I'm sure Akamaru hasn't forgotten that, either."
"So, even though Naruto wanted us to have a choice in the matter," Kiba grumbled, "If I don't choose to help, I'm a big, insensitive, ungrateful, bigoted jerk?"
"Don't forget you'll be helping the enemies of your village," Kankuro reminded him sarcastically.
"If you decide not to help Naruto, I'm sure it will make Hanabi happy," Hinata suggested innocently. A shudder went done Kiba's spine.
"OK, fine, I'm in," he told them guiltily, "But when I see that guy, I'm gonna slug him in the gut for not telling us sooner."
"Twelve Zodiac animals," Madara examined Hinata's seal, "forming a dodecahedral web. But where did it start and where does it end..."
He probed each of the anchors in turn, studying how they connected, and how they reacted. The Uchiha founder was forced to admit a grudging respect for whoever had crafted the secondary cage; it was perfectly balanced. Unable to find the loose thread from the outside, Madara moved to hover over Naruto's face. He pried open one of the younger man's eyes and stared deeply into it with his own red orb.
"Tsukiyomi," he incanted, pouring his thoughts into the Leaf Chunin's mind. Madara was amused to find himself in the middle of a vast field of flowers. He could feel the divide, with the teenage human on one side and the fox demon on the other. Uzumaki responded sluggishly to the new arrival, looking at him in confusion.
"Who are you?" the blonde asked lazily. This caught the Kyubi's attention. She lifted her head, and her crimson eyes flared.
"Uchiha?" she screeched, "How did you get here, you bastard?"
"Is that any way to speak to your master?" Madara taunted. The demon roared in response, and charged him. But the Sharingan user was on Naruto's side of the seal, and the net of flowers stopped the Bijuu. She howled again, and sent her chakra crashing through the floral barrier, trying to force him out of Naruto's soul. But the raw energy had no effect, if anything Madara appeared to drink it in and become more solid. Uzumaki blinked at them, too deeply drugged to recognize what was happening.
"Why are you here, Madara?" the fox stepped back from the boundary, still livid but now more in control.
"To set you free," he answered, watching closely as the web of vines retracted once again, "I need to find the key to unraveling the Zodiac Seal. Then my followers will be able to take you out of Naruto."
"Bullshit," the demon scoffed, " You don't want to free me. You're going to take me from the kit, and seal me in that statue, so you can use my power."
"Of course. You belong to me. This little vacation has made you mouthy again, but soon I will remind you of your place."
He sneered viciously as he turned at started to walk towards the edge of the field.
"Look forward to it," he offered as parting shot, as he faded back to the real world.
Madara lifted his head, and turned back to Naruto's belly. The fox's display had inadvertently given him the information he needed.
"Start with the Dragon," he noted as he began to craft the hand signs that would remove the anchor and pass its links to him to continue the removal of the seal.
"How do we find Naruto?" Lee asked. The assembled rescue team paused, and looked to Hinata.
"Well," she froze slightly at being the center of attention, but remembering Naruto being pulled into the ground drove out her hesitation.
"We should go to the Akatsuki base in the Land of Fire," she told them, "It is closest, and if Naruto isn't there, we can probably find out where he is."
Kaede and Shikamaru both nodded, but Shino shook his head.
"If you don't mind, I may have a faster way," the insect user noted, taking out a miniature cage. Inside was a small beetle with bright blue eyes and a long, elephantine nose. Its shell was mottled brown and grey, but Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba recognized it anyway.
"It's the Bikochu," Hinata noted.
"Yes, we have been breeding her these past few years, with moderate success," Shino explained, "But this species does not live much longer than four years. So I thought she might like one last chance to fulfill her primary purpose."
"Then we should go to the lagoon and start from there," Hinata suggested.
"Why are we stopping again?" Temari demanded grumpily, "We just took a half hour break three hours ago."
"The Bikochu is near the end of her life, and I feel it is best if we do not tax her too much," Shino explained, feeding the beetle and also providing her with some of his chakra.
"It's almost nightfall, and we are at the edge of the Land of Fire," Hinata suggested, "So perhaps we should make camp and continue after we've all had a chance to rest. After all, this is no mere group of bandits we are facing. We need to be at our best."
Neji and Temari both nodded. Then the four Jonin took charge, arranging smaller groups to find food and set up a perimeter. Somewhat conspicuously, they avoided assigning any tasks to Hinata. Their de facto leader slumped down against a tree. Now that she was no long charging forward, she found it even harder to keep her emotions in check. Then a blanket was draped over her shoulders, and Tenten sat next to her.
"How are you doing, Hinata?" the older Chunin asked. Hinata tried to smile, but couldn't.
"It's hard," the Byakugan expert whispered harshly, "Not even nine hours ago, Naruto and I were having fun at the beach. Our biggest worry was the outcome of the Jonin Trials. Now we're all AWOL, getting ready to attack a group of S-Rank criminals, and Naruto's life hangs in the balance."
Hinata trembled as she sighed, determined not to cry, "The only bright spot is that everyone is here. Naruto was so sure that most of you would turn your backs on him."
"It was a big shock," Tenten admitted, "And I guess that explains why Naruto had it so rough. But what Ino and Sasame said is right. Naruto is our friend, and he wouldn't hesitate to do this for any of us."
"Get some rest," the weapon specialist advised as she stood, "I'll come get you when the food is ready."
"Thank you, Tenten," Hinata finally managed to smile, even as her eyelids grew heavy.
"Are you sure about this?" Choji asked Kiba suddenly. The two young men had caught a moderate sized buck, and were bringing their prize back to the makeshift camp.
"What about you?" Kiba countered carefully, "You didn't look to happy to find out Naruto is a... Naruto's little secret."
"I was surprised," the large youth conceded, "But after what happened in the Sound Village, I can understand how hard a Jinchuriki can have it. And I don't have any doubts that Naruto and the Kyubi are separate creatures, like Yori and the Roc. Besides, Shikamaru apparently figured it out years ago, and I trust him."
"Hmm," Kiba didn't have anything to say.
"Choji," Kankuro's voice emerged from the twilight seconds before the puppeteer himself, "Can you take the deer alone? I'd like to have a few words with Kiba."
"Sure thing," Akimichi shouldered the carcass, and lumbered back towards camp.
"You got a problem?" Kiba asked loudly, not entirely comfortable being alone with the Hidden Sand Jonin.
"Yes, I do," Gaara's older brother said directly, and Inuzuka tensed.
"But for Naruto's sake, I'm not going to make an issue of it now," Kankuro elaborated, "I just wanted to say if you're really not sure you want to help, turn back now."
"And no one will think the less of me, I suppose?"
"Oh, no," Kankuro grinned wickedly, "Everyone will know just what kind of man you are. I expect even Hinata won't be able to totally overlook it."
The Sand ninja turned back towards the camp, and started to walk away.
"Why are you here?" Kiba suddenly asked, "I mean, Naruto's not even from your village."
"Yeah, but we owe him, big time," Kankuro admitted, "I don't know how much you know, but Naruto saved Gaara's life and his sanity. If it weren't for that punk, my brother would still be a sadistic killer, instead of a noble, respected leader. And Temari and I would probably be dead by Gaara's hands."
"So make up your mind, Kiba," Kankuro instructed firmly, "If you're not fully committed, you'll just drag us down."
The older shinobi walked away, leaving the Chunin alone with his thoughts.
"Enough," Tsunade sighed, "We've been over and over this. At this point, it almost seems like you're just arguing to be contrary."
She directed the complaint at the Mizukage and Raikage. Yasuo looked upset, but Goro chuckled at the statement.
The leaders of the five great villages had discussed and debated the Akatsuki and Naruto all afternoon. They had taken a break for dinner, before resuming their talks. The hour had been quickly approaching midnight, when the Hokage had her outburst.
"Everyone is tired," Mitsuru offered, "Perhaps we should take a short recess?"
Gaara nodded, but Goro had other ideas.
"Maybe we should just drop this for tonight, and resume in the morning," the Lightning Shadow suggested, yawning hyperbolically for effect.
"I can agree to a fifteen minute break," the Wind Shadow shook his head, "But any longer would be negligent."
"Fine, a quarter hour," Goro waved his hand, "Unless there are any objections?"
He directed the question to the Water and Fire Shadows, but neither said anything. The Raikage stood with a theatrical groan, and exited out his door. The Earth Shadow closed her eyes, and began to snore lightly
"Yasuo!" Tsunade whispered angrily, closing in on the Mizukage, "What are you doing? I know you like to 'cover all the angles', but this is getting ridiculous. Why are you still arguing with us and with the Raikage? Are you really still trying to decide?"
"No, my mind is made up," the Mizukage informed them, as Gaara moved closer, "I am still hoping I can sway Goro. A unanimous agreement would serve us better than a four to one vote."
"You won't convince him" the Kazekage told his counterparts, "He has already made up his mind. He is stalling us at this point, and possibly hoping to sway Lady Mitsuru."
"You think he is trying to keep us here?" Tsunade turned back to her younger ally, no longer keeping her voice in check.
"As do I," the Tsuchikage abandoned her pretense of sleep, and stood to join them.
"Why would he do that?" the Leader of the Village Hidden in the Mist said darkly, "Doesn't he realize what's at stake here?"
The query left them silent in worried thought, until the Hokage spoke again.
"Unless he's not concerned about the possibility of the Akatsuki capturing the Nine-tails," Tsunade mused angrily.
"What are you suggesting?" the Stone Village Leader prompted.
"I can think of two reasons he wouldn't care if Madara got his hands on the Nine-Tails again," the younger Kunoichi answered, "Either he has the Six-Tails or Seven-Fins in custody, and knows that there is still time. Or he is in league with the Akatsuki."
Madara Uchiha stepped back from the comatose form of Naruto Uzumaki with a harsh sigh. He fumbled for his mask, and took a deep breath to steady himself to resume his Tobi persona. After Orochimaru's defection, he had started to second guess allowing Pein to lead the Akatsuki; so when Sasori was destroyed and Deidara allowed Gaara to 'escape', the Uchiha founder inserted himself into the ring-bearers' ranks under the guise of lovable Tobi. The façade amused Madara, both because it was fun to be Tobi, and because it thoroughly annoyed Konan.
Madara shook his head, smirking darkly under his mask as he glanced back at the still visible Eight Trigrams Divination Seal. He supposed his encounter with the Kyubi was making him nostalgic; sixteen years was a long time, even for an immortal with more than a century under his belt.
Realizing he was doing it again, he unlocked the door, and trudged out. After all, Tobi was the type to slump and shuffle when he was exhausted, and disguise or not, the Akatsuki founder was drained.
"All done," he told the waiting chakra researcher, with a thumbs-up, "It was a little tougher than I thought."
"Good, we'll get started on the removal," the scientist said, ushering her assistants back into the extraction room. As he turned to head back to his room for a nap, he was instead confronted by Mayuko Kakuyoku. The rogue Chunin from the Land of Snow bowed slightly, and delivered her report.
"Lord Tobi," she started, but he raised his hand to interrupt her.
"Mayuko, I'm tired, so can you make this quick," he yawned, "And for the seventeenth time don't call me 'lord'. Or 'master', or 'boss', for that matter. However I wouldn't mind if you called me Tobi-oniisan or just Big Brother."
"OK, Tobi..." she said hesitantly, "Making it quick. Deidara and the Reaper returned about two hours ago, they are resting. Our spies in the Leaf Village report a small group of the Jinchuriki's friends have disappeared."
"What, that's all?" he pouted. The he grew slightly serious, and instructed her, "Send out harrier units to intercept Leaf ninjas, we need to buy as much time as we can."
"Yes, sir," she answered, and then darted away. Tobi yawned again, and resumed his exaggerated hobble back to his quarters.
The Shadows of Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water had all returned to their seats by the time the Lightning Shadow returned. They quickly drew the Raikage back into the debate, but this time with a plan. Though on the surface their positions were unchanged, they now structured their arguments to try to determine Goro's reasoning. But knowing the Cloud Ninja would not slip up easily, the four other leaders also set a time limit of two hours.
Unfortunately, Goro lived up to their expectations, and as the clock struck two, they were no closer to an answer.
"I grow tired of this," Mitsuru finally rumbled, "The issues surrounding the Hokage's proposal have been more than thoroughly discussed. I do not believe there is anything that can be said now that will change any of our minds."
She directed her attention to Tsunade, and continued, "I do not intended to provided you assistance in terms of manpower. However I am willing to share all of our current intelligence on the movements of the Akatsuki, and to sanction this rescue mission so your troops may enter the Land of Earth or the lesser nations allied with us. Shall we put that to a vote? All in favor of an open exchange of data and officially endorsing the mission to rescue Naruto Uzumaki?"
"One addendum, if you don't mind," the Mizukage put forth, "I would like it stipulated that any Hidden Village that sees fit to officially assist in this rescue be allowed to do so. I understand Naruto has made some friends outside the Leaf Village, and it would be a shame to start an international incident because they decided to help in this."
Mitsuru and Gaara both nodded, and Goro rolled his eyes.
"Shall we vote then?" the Kazekage prompted, raising his hand. The Hokage quickly followed suit, with the Mizukage and Tsuchikage also indicating their agreement. Then all four turned to look at the Raikage.
"Fine," he exhaled grudgingly, putting up his arm. Then he reached into his jacket, and withdrew a CD-ROM, which he threw viciously at Tsunade. The Sannin caught the disc and set it on the table.
"That's everything my intelligence units have gathered on the Akatsuki, for all the good it will do you," he grumbled standing, "And I will be expecting copies of your data in return, by the end of the day. Now, since you don't need me any more, I'll be going to bed."
Goro exited out the portal leading to the Kumogakure, slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later, the door became a shadow, and then faded away. After he was gone, Mitsuru stood, and walked around the table to Tsunade. She took out a scroll and handed it to the slightly younger woman.
"I am guessing you won't need me any more, either," the Earth Ninja told them, "But I do wish you luck, for what it is worth."
"Thank you," Tsunade told her counterpart warmly. Mitsuru just smiled in response and headed back to her gate. But before she left, she turned back to them and grinned ruefully.
"And while I see no issue with you three planning here," she warned them, "I would remind you it is against the covenant to use this room to transport troops..."
"Of course," Gaara agreed with a straight face, but Tsunade and Yasuo both looked away sheepishly. The Tsuchikage nodded as she withdrew, and as with the Raikage, her portal vanished with her.
During the early morning guard switch, Sakura convinced Hinata to submit to a Genjutsu so she could get a few hours of sleep. Naruto's girlfriend had taken a brief nap before dinner, but as the others settled down, the Hyuga heiress found herself wide awake. She had been trying to figure out how much time they had left. And she had felt guilty for risking her friends' lives and careers; even if it was for Naruto. It was only thanks to Sakura's illusion that Hinata was able to get any rest.
Though Hinata was forced into a deep slumber, it was hardly restful. Her dreams were plagued by shadowy figures in red and black cloaks, and the half-formed shapes of the nine Tailed Beasts. It almost came as a relief when Shikamaru's chakra touched hers, removing the spell. But the loss of the nightmare was replaced by the knowledge that they were into Naruto's second day of capture.
The fourteen shinobi were already on the move when the sun crested the horizon. They had forgone breakfast, knowing that in two and a half to three hours they would be taking another rest for the aging beetle. But before that occurred, the rescue party crossed into the Land of Forests, which along with the Land of Silver, occupied the space between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
There were three of the known Akatsuki hideouts in the general direction they were heading; one in the Land of Forests, and the other two in the Land of Lightning. The Land of Forests did not worry them; the country was sparsely populated, and did not possess a Hidden Village, since the Kyubi had annihilated the Village Hidden in the Lakes seventeen years earlier.
However, the Land of Lighting was more dangerous. The matter of entering one of the five great nations and potentially clashing with the Hidden cloud village aside, to reach the Land of Lightning they would either have to travel by sea, or pass through the Land of Silver. As the name implied, the small country was known for its mineral resources. The country was guarded fiercely by the Village Hidden in the Mines, a shinobi village known for having never lost a defensive battle. Being discovered by the Mines Ninjas could slow or even end their mission entirely. But crossing the sea between the Lands of Forests and Lightning could slow them down even more.
But all considerations about the difficulties reaching their goal left the minds of the ninja when a cloud of shuriken crossed their path. Following close behind were more than a dozen warriors, clad in full stealth gear.
Tsunade emerged from the portal, and quickly snuffed the candle. As she dropped heavily into her chair, Shizune rushed over.
"Lady Tsunade..." her apprentice started, but the Hokage cut her off. She set two scrolls, a manila folder and the CD-ROM on her desk as she spoke.
"We have their approval," she told the younger healer, "And their intel. The Mist and Sand are each sending a five-man strike team each to assist us."
Tsunade finally looked at Shizune's face, and saw her anxiety.
"What?" the Leader of the Leaf Shinobi asked grumpily.
"They're gone," Shizune told her, "Naruto's friends."
"All of them?"
"Not Konohamaru's group. But all of the members of Teams Gai, Kakashi, Anko, and Yugao, along with Temari, Kankuro, and Kaede Mizuno," Shizune confirmed, "Also the Aburame clan leader informs me that the Bikochu specimen keyed to Naruto's scent 'went missing' yesterday."
"Hmm," Tsunade grunted appreciatively, "That's a pretty good idea."
"You're not mad?" Shizune settled slightly at the Sannin's reaction.
"I expected Hinata or Sakura would do something like this," the Hokage answered, "If I didn't want them to leave, I would have ordered the ANBU to watch them."
"Anyway, get their team leaders in here, and Iruka for good measure. We'll send them out to intercept the kids and meet the teams from the other villages."
Tsunade picked up the disc and extended it to her assistant, "And then give this to the tech boys. Have them triple check it on isolated system before they start analyzing the data. I wouldn't put it past Goro to have some sort of intrusion program on there."
The younger Jonin bowed and hurried out.