2/2

"A shinobi is someone who kills people, usually for money. If ordered to, they ruthlessly kill people because someone paid their village to. Assassins kill people…but we do so to protect thousands of other people from death, slavery, and oppression. We do not randomly kill; we kill only those who threaten the freedom and safety of people. If anything, Jiraiya…we kill people for far better reasons than shinobi do. Shinobi like yourself, and what you want Naruto to be," Raphael said coldly. "If you cannot handle it, you may find yourself unable to connect to Naruto in whatever way you wish to."

With that he left, leaving Jiraiya standing there, fists clenched, before he sagged slightly and sighed. He stood there for a few moments, before following.

At the Uchiha Clan, Kiseki frowned as she leaned against a tree, hood up and hidden in its shadow, as she watched Sasuke speaking with his mother, Kakashi, and a couple other Uchiha shinobi. They were talking about his training methods for the next month, with Mikoto not wanting to take chances with a mad man like Orochimaru after her son. She was insistent that all the training done be within the confines of the Uchiha district, where the other clan members could help keep an eye on Sasuke, as well as aid in training him for the next month. Kakashi was not entirely happy about that, but in the face of an overprotective mother who happened to be the clan head, he seemed to be acquiescing to her demands.

Kiseki glanced at Sasuke, seeing him rub his shoulder gently, where the Curse Seal lay. She knew that he was still experiencing phantom pain from it. But Jiraiya had assured them that the seal would prevent it from influencing Sasuke so long as his will remained strong and he resisted it. The more he wanted to use it, the more he gave in, the weaker the seal would become, until it broke.

The Uchiha Assassin closed her eyes, trying to squash feelings of guilt that arose. She knew there was nothing she could have done. She wasn't there to confront Orochimaru, and she couldn't have been there even if she wanted to. Yet she couldn't help but feel guilt at Sasuke being marked like this by Orochimaru. She felt like she had failed Mikoto and...him. She shuddered, looking away for a moment, before lowering her hood and approaching Mikoto as the others disappeared with Sasuke. "How is he?" She asked Mikoto softly.

Mikoto turned to Kiseki, before letting out a worried sigh. "He seems fine, but…I don't know if it's just his stubbornness or him putting on a brave face for me. Either way, I'm going to worry no matter what."

"You're a mother. That's what they do," Kiseki said softly. "My mother is the same way with me every time I leave for a mission, ever since father died. I imagine I'd be the same way, with any children I would have."

Mikoto hesitated for a moment as she heard that. "…I imagine you would have made a wonderful mother," she said softly.

"I still could be," Kiseki told her quietly, looking at her. "Mikoto…I know that the wound for you is still painful, but you must move on. Itachi did what he did, and we cannot change that. We must move forward, or else we can never allow our pain to leave."

Mikoto just looked down. "I know…you're right…but I still…I can't help but feel this ache, knowing what my son did…I wonder…if it was my fault somehow. Was I not enough of a good mom? Did I not shield him enough from his father? I…I hope it wasn't because of me that he's gone, and that you have suffered his loss as well," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.

"It was not you, Mikoto. I always watched, and sometimes envied Itachi, for having such a caring mother, who was willing to stand up to her husband as you did. The only fault lies with those who pushed Itachi to this. Nothing more," Kiseki said, gently hugging the woman who would have been her mother in law.

Mikoto just sniffled and smiled. "Thank you Kiseki…you've done so much for me these past few years. It warms my heart so much to see you're still the kind and good person I saw in you as you grew up," she said, before sighing. "And you're right…I need to move on. Right now, Sasuke needs my attention. And he'll have it," she said, as she slipped from Kiseki's arms, and stood up. "I would ask for your help, but you have your mysterious group, and-," she started.

"Don't worry. I'll be happy to help Sasuke however I can," Kiseki said with a smile, as she stood up. "It is the least I can do."

"Thank you, again," Mikoto said with a smile, before heading off to take care of some things, leaving Kiseki to lose her smile, and glance downward. She hated lying to Mikoto, when she knew the truth, knew Itachi wasn't a monster. But which would be worse? Believing he was a power hungry monster, or knowing he had slaughtered those Uchiha on Hokage-sama's orders? Kiseki knew that if the Uchiha clan learned of what happened, there would be strife. At least some of the clan would be in total outrage at what happened, possibly a large enough faction of the clan to cause problems for the village. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps that was what needed to happen. To weed out those who would support Fugaku's actions from those who would understand that what happened needed to be done.

She shook her head quietly. She knew such thoughts stemmed more from a small part of her that wanted Itachi back. A small part of her that, despite everything, still loved him. She squashed that part of her, knowing that no matter what, Itachi wasn't coming back. Not without something going horribly wrong. Sighing, she decided to head back to her home, to rest for a bit, suddenly feeling overcome with both physical and mental fatigue.

Training Grounds

The genin of Team Eight were all waiting patiently when Anko arrived, the latter having calmed down somewhat from her conversation with Jiraiya. She grinned as she saw the trio immediately stand up as she approached, moving to stand before her. "Well, good to see you're all here and ready to start training. So first off, we're going to start by analyzing your opponents for the coming matches. Hinata, you're first."

Hinata nodded before speaking. "My opponent is Neji Hyuuga, the 'prodigy' of the Hyuuga clan. He's a member of the Branch Family, but he was pushing and training himself hard to become the absolute best he can be back when I was part of the clan. And he still seems to be doing so. He was Rookie of the Year for his graduating class, and he specializes in both the Byakugan and Jyuuken. From what we saw in his match against the Kumo genin, he is highly proficient. This makes him a taijutsu specialist, who will attempt to engage me in close quarters combat throughout the match."

At this point she paused and frowned slightly. "What worries me is he has shown skill beyond what I'd expect of the Branch Family. He utilized a technique that is supposedly a Main Family only technique, which I think means either someone is helping him, or he has managed to somehow learn these techniques on his own. This means he might have other surprises under his belt as well when I face him. He also seems to use psychological warfare on his opponents, attempting to break their confidence beforehand with declarations of fate declaring him the winner already. Whether he actually believes or it's just a tactic he employs, I don't know. If I'm going to beat him, I'm going to have to either be better at taijutsu, or keep out of his range and try to cripple or defeat him at a distance," she concluded.

Anko nodded at that. "Alright, we'll see about working on both. Ino, your turn," she said.

"Right. My opponent is the Suna genin Temari. She employs a giant fan in combat, which I'm betting due to the iron coverings can also double as a melee weapon if she needs to use it. She also is a wielder of Futon based ninjutsu, which makes her highly effective at dispersing long range attacks made up of weapons or other elemental jutsu, save for Katon based ninjutsu. However, her lack of any other weapons or tools indicate these are her only combat capabilities. I'm betting she largely engages enemies at range, keeping them back with her jutsu. So probably my best bet is to get up close and engage her in taijutsu, probably try to deprive her of that fan. Or distract her and hit her with some poison from behind or the flank when she can't see me," Ino stated her analysis.

"Very good. You're right, the main problem will be getting close to her. But, she showed off a big character flaw in her match initially. Remember?" Anko asked her.

Ino frowned for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "She was cocky and arrogant. She didn't immediately go for the victory, she showed off and played with Sakura," she said. "If she does the same in our match, I can maybe catch her off guard right from the start."

"Very good. Remember that, and try to think of some ways to exploit it," Anko told her, before turning to Naruto. "And your opponent?"

"Dosu of Oto. We've seen him in action, and his jutsu seem to revolve entirely around that gauntlet of his. He utilizes it to manipulate sound waves and air pressure, to either disable or debilitate his voices, or to unleash point blunt force attacks. However, he has shown no other skill, in taijutsu or other ninjutsu. He doesn't seem to carry any weapons on him either, so much like Temari, this seems to be his only capability. If I utilize earplugs I'll be able to negate his ability to try and disable or disorient me, which will force him to utilize his more combat oriented techniques. If I can get in close and put the pressure on him, that should stop him from being able to fight me effectively. Primarily though, I should focus on taking out his gauntlet, as it would render him next to useless in combat," Naruto stated evenly.

"I'm glad to see you all put thought into your opponents, and how to beat them. But remember, they are training to grow stronger now, and could gain new techniques over this month. You cannot rely on the information you have now, so be prepared for the unexpected," she reminded them. "You'll also need to consider your opponents in your next matches as well. We'll go over them, and see if we can-" she started to say, only to be interrupted by two figures arriving.

One was Raphael, who smiled at Hinata and Naruto. "Well look at you two. In the Finals I hear," he said with a grin.

"Raphael-sensei!" They both yelled, running over and hugging him, as he let out an 'oof' and stumbled a bit. He grinned, returning the hug, before they pulled back.

Naruto just grinned excitedly up at him. "It's about time you got back! I was afraid you wouldn't see us rise to the top in the Finals!" He proclaimed, as Raphael rose an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you," Raphael said, poking him in the forehead, as Naruto pouted, rubbing that spot.

The other figure, Jiraiya hung back frowning slightly as he watched Naruto and Raphael wistfully. He slowly moved forward, clearing his throat slightly. "Anko-san?"

Anko turned to him, her face emotionless. "Yes Jiraiya-sama?" She asked, watching him coldly.

Trying not to lose face, he looked her directly in the eyes, and spoke with the strength and confidence he could muster without coming across as arrogant. "Regarding our earlier conversation, I believe that perhaps your method would be better. If you and Naruto are willing, I will help in his training," he stated firmly, not wavering.

Anko raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "That so? Are you sure I can't find someone more competent to help train Naruto?" She asked, digging at him. She was impressed when he didn't flinch or react, only to turn her head as Naruto spoke up.

"Who are you?" He asked, as Jiraiya grinned, thinking of the perfect opportunity. He bit his thumb, and a few handsigns later, summoned a fairly large toad that he now stood on the back of.

"From the clouds of Kumo to the sands of Suna, enemies tremble and ladies swoon at my name! I am Jiraiya, the mighty Game Sennin!" He shouted, shuffling back and forth on the toad before whipping his long ponytail around and posing in a dramatic fashion.

The three genin just stared and blinked at him, while Anko and Raphael both just groaned, facepalming. Hinata was the first to speak.

"You're Jiraiya-sama, of the sannin?" She asked, her voice incredulous, but also holding some awe in it, as Jiraiya grinned.

"That's right! I am the master of ninjutsu and fuinjutsu! The slayer of men, the wooer of women! And the author of one of the best-selling series in the world!" He shouted, pulling out a copy of a book they all were familiar with.

"That's the pervy book Kakashi-sensei reads!" Ino shouted, glaring at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya just frowned, hopping off the toad. "This is not just a pervy book! This is a work of romantic erotic literature! There is far more in here than just perverseness!"

Naruto just stared at him. "You're a giant pervert, aren't you?" He asked.

Jiraiya grinned at him. "Nope! I'm a super pervert!" He said, before putting the book away. "But do not let that distract you, my dear boy. I understand that you are a budding student of fuinjutsu yourself, are you not? I could give you tips and advice, and help increase your skill if you like. Not to mention I have quite a number of ninjutsu I could pass on to you. I understand you've got an affinity for katon?" He asked.

Naruto blinked at that. "Well yeah, but I tend to avoid ninjutsu. Most of it draws too much attention to me when I'm casting it. I prefer to approach my enemies and defeat them without them seeing me," he said.

Jiraiya, undaunted, continued his spiel. "Aah, a wise method of defeating your enemies. But will that work in the Finals? You'll be forced to face your enemies head on. And do you think you can take all of them on with just stealth?" He asked.

Naruto frowned at that, and was about to speak, when he was interrupted by Raphael. "He does speak truthfully, Naruto. Sometimes, stealth is not enough. Where I came from, usually you could just escape or use weapons to end the battle then and there, but here, it might be prudent to get some more ninjutsu under your belt. For moments when you need to fight or flee," he said.

Naruto nodded quietly at that. "I guess so," he said reluctantly, looking to Anko. "What do you think, Anko-sensei?" He asked, not noticing the slight flinch in Jiraiya's face, at how much he trusted and listened to them.

Anko just sighed, crossing her arms before pinching the bridge of her nose. "If he agrees to my earlier condition, as well as two more conditions. One, you will not peep on me and the rest of my team. And two, you will not turn Naruto into a pervert. Got it?" She snapped at him, shifting a bit so he could clearly see the ulaks at her side, sending a clear message of 'or else' to him.

Jiraiya nodded at that. "Of course, of course! Besides, the path to becoming a super pervert is best learned on one's own!" He said with a grin.

Ino and Hinata just looked at each other. "This is one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha?" Ino asked quietly.

"Perhaps being strong makes one…eccentric?" Hinata weakly suggested, as equally disillusioned with him as Ino was. "Still, if he's strong, I'm sure he'll help Naruto-kun out."

"I hope so. Though Naruto might try to kill him if he does that goofy dance again," Ino said, as Anko turned to them.

"Alright, so on to you two now. Ino, I've talked to my friend Kurenai, who's been busy training the Kurama heiress. She's agreed to take you on and teach you some genjutsu, and how to incorporate it into your fighting style. Should come in handy if you're trying to distract someone. Hinata, unfortunately there aren't many experts in Konoha who can help you outside of me and Raphael-san…which is why I hired someone from outside of Konoha to come help you. They should be arriving tomorrow, and I definitely think they'll be helping you out. I'm also looking into someone skilled in suiton to help out as well, see if we can't bolster your own ninjutsu a bit," she said. "And of course, you two," she pointed to Naruto and Hinata, "will be training with Raphael-san, while all three of you are training with me. And by the time Finals roll around, your opponents won't know what hit them!" She said with a grin.

The three genin all nodded eagerly, as Anko nodded. "Then let's get to it! Let's start off with warm ups and weapons training!"

The trio of genin ran off, and Anko immediately turned to Jiraiya. "I'm warning you, you try anything funny with my student, and I'll show you what made Ibiki-sama consider me for the T&I department," she growled softly.

Jiraiya just frowned, but nodded, knowing he was on thin ice after his earlier attempt to order Anko and Raphael away from Naruto. He didn't get exactly what he wanted, but he at least was still getting time with Naruto. He'd train him up, and do his best to try and pull him away from the Assassins, if that was possible. But from the level of trust he showed Anko and Raphael, trying that might be a losing battle. Mentally sighing, Jiraiya watched Naruto warm up with his teammates, as he tried to figure out where to begin.

Hotel in Konoha

Karui growled angrily as she sharpened her sword, glaring down at the metal. "Can you believe that asshole?!" She snapped at Samui. "The way he tore Omoi apart like that, and acted like he was justified! After what their village did, he should be glad we didn't order that whole cursed clan be turned over for execution!"

Samui just silently looked out the window of their hotel, listening to her. "I did research into him after we returned yesterday. I understand his particular grudge against us. His father was the one given to use in exchange for the real criminal. He blames Kumo for his father's death, as well as the main family of his clan," she stated emotionlessly.

Karui just growled as the whetstone rang against the blade again, sparks flying off. "Doesn't excuse that fucking bullshit he pulled! Omoi didn't do anything to him!" She shouted.

Samui raised an eyebrow as she looked at her red haired compatriot. "Do you not find it ironic that you say that, yet you readily accepted our plan to injure or kill Naruto Uzumaki because of his association with the traitor? He did nothing to Kumo, did he?" She asked.

The fiery red head of Kumo just snarled as she slammed her sword into her sheathe. "Now you're defending these tree hugging pieces of crap?!" She snapped, as Samui shook her head.

"I am simply not allowing emotion to cloud things, Karui. Our plan was to hurt Yugito through Naruto, even though he did nothing to Kumo. Considering our stance on Neji Hyuuga's actions against Omoi, that would be hypocritical of us, but it doesn't stop us from justifying what we did. I'm simply accepting this, instead of allowing my emotions to cloud the issue and cause a greater problem. Emotions are all well and good when you can control them, instead of them controlling you Karui," Samui stated. "Had you more control over your emotions, you might be joining me in the Finals."

Karui just grumbled, arms crossed and head lowered a bit. "Yeah well…maybe that bun haired girl only lost cuz she was distracted by your giant fucking chest," she muttered.

Samui frowned as she looked down at her rather ample bosom, before shrugging. "If that is the case, then it was an advantage I'll be happy to exploit in the future…though not if the back pains persist," she said, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Karui just grumbled more about 'lucky big breasted cows', as Samui continued to gaze out the window.

Meanwhile, Kirabi, the remaining Kumo sensei, stopped for a moment and glanced up at the sun as he exited the hospital. Omoi was recovering from his injuries at the hands of Neji, but it was still going to be some time before he was back to full strength. The eight sword wielding jinchuuriki shook his head as he remembered seeing his unconscious student, laid out in the hospital bed with a blood infusion drip. Some of Neji's attacks had ruptured a couple of Omoi's veins, and the medics had to conduct surgery to repair them, before they hooked Omoi up to replace the blood lost. Thankfully it had been relatively simple, and his student would fully recover.

Turning, the hachibi jinchuuriki began heading back to the hotel his team was staying at, sensing the Konoha shinobi assigned to shadow him. Since the incident with the other Kumo team, the surviving member being locked up while their 'sensei' was expelled from Konoha, Kirabi and his genin were all put under surveillance. Kirabi was certain the only reason his team hadn't been kicked out was that they were actual genin and hadn't committed any crimes or acts of espionage. But they still were put under surveillance, in case something did happen.

As he entered an alleyway, Kirabi frowned as he sensed a new presence arriving at the end of it behind him once he had made it halfway down the alley. Not sensing any hostile intent, he turned to see a hooded figure clad in a dark purple short sleeved robe over a long sleeved black shirt and pants. The figure, clearly feminine, tilted her hooded head for a moment, before speaking. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it Bi?" Yugito asked, reaching up to lower her hood.

Kirabi shook his head quietly. "About eight or nine years. Been hard to see you when you betray your home and join another village," he said, not going into his usual raps.

"Well it's tough to be loyal to a village that slaughtered your parents in front of you and try to suppress all memories so you can be their perfect little weapon," Yugito said, no malice in her voice. "Double so when I come to a village where I'm treated more like a human and a person then my own home."

"You know that's not true. No one in Kumo saw you as Matatabi, they all saw you as Yugito Nii," Kirabi shot back.

"No, they saw me as Yugito Nii, the sword of Kumo. They saw me as the weapon to throw out on the important missions. I wasn't a person, I wasn't a kunoichi. I was a tool. A powerful weapon to be used, just like all the other artifacts and bloodlines the raikage have hoarded and stolen over the years to try and make Kumo great," Yugito countered. "I left Kumo because I would never be seen as a person; I would just be seen as another toy in the raikage's personal toy-chest of destruction."

"Big bro has to keep the village strong! All the raikage have done that! They've done what they have to so they could protect Kumo," Kirabi tried to reason.

"Look around you Bi. At this village," Yugito said, indicating Konoha. "Konoha has long since been considered the strongest of the five villages. Through every war, every skirmish, they've emerged victorious. They don't harbor weapons and relics. They don't militarize their village and force it to serve the shinobi. This village is more peaceful and happy and diplomatic than any of the other villages AND THEY STILL WIN. Against Kumo, Iwa, Kiri, Suna. What does that tell you, Kirabi? Huh? What does that tell you? The shinobi here are better than ours. And it's not because of some fancy relic weapon or harsh environment or by stealing other village's shinobi and bloodlines. It is because their shinobi are better motivated. They fight for their home, their friends and families and teammates. They don't fight for greed or to hold onto old grudges. They fight for the people around them, to make sure they have a brighter tomorrow."

Kirabi listened to her rant, arms crossed. He was frowning slightly as he listened to her. "Kumo has its problems, but you're only seeing the negative. It has some good things to," he said. "The people have pride, in that they're strengthening the village. They're helping to make it stronger."

"Maybe, but it's very hard to see the positive of a village that doesn't let me see those positives," Yugito said quietly. "I didn't come here to fight you, Kirabi. I have no interest in being your enemy…but I'm letting you know where I stand. If Kumo tries anything against Konoha…I will defend my home with everything I have. This village has given me more than Kumo ever did. And I will fight and die to protect it," she said firmly.

Kirabi studied her stance, seeing the resolution in her eyes, before letting out a sigh. "I really hope bro ain't fool enough to ever piss you off, Miss Two," he said. "I get your message. And I understand what yer getting at. But I'm going to fight for my home too, whatever it takes. So I hope you're ready, if we ever meet on the battlefield."

Yugito nodded. "I'd expect nothing less. Goodbye Kirabi," she said, as she flicked up her hood, and turned, almost seeming to vanish into the crowds.

Kirabi let out a long sigh, slouching against the wall as he pulled off his sunglasses and gently massaged the bridge of his nose. It had been tough, hearing Yugito say those words, because a part of Kirabi believed them. He believed that Kumo, for all the good he saw in it, was not on the right path to being truly strong. He had heard the rumors of what people in other nations and shinobi villages thought of Kumo. They were not a village you could ever trust. A village of thieves and liars, who would use diplomacy to stab you in the back or rob you blind. No one would ever trust a Kumo shinobi, except the people of Kaminari no Kuni, their own homeland.

Yet a part of him knew that Kumo did what it did to stay strong. To protect their citizens. Konoha had their way, and his village had its way. And no matter how much he might not agree with it, he would protect his home, and serve it. It was the least he owed his big bro A, for all he had done for him.

Sliding his glasses back on, he turned, leaving the alleyway and going to meet up with his genin, to let them know how Omoi was doing. That at least would be some good news, to help lift their spirits, and hopefully his own.

Unknown Location

Danzo quietly read over the report given to him by his 'associate' outside of Konoha, and set it aside. Tapping his cane on the ground, he watched as one of his many ROOT operatives appeared silently. "I want all commanders to report for briefing immediately. And begin preparations to seal up all our facility entrances,' he ordered, as the ROOT operative simply disappeared to fulfill his commands.

Danzo quietly sat at his desk, contemplating what was going to happen. He knew Sarutobi's weakness would lead to Konoha's downfall, and had been preparing for years for this eventuality. A storm was coming, one that would blow away all the precious 'leaves and branches' of Sarutobi's Konoha. And when that happened, the ROOT would prove that the tree of Konoha was still strong, and ready to bloom into the strong military force the village was always meant to be.

Silently, a dozen masked individuals appeared in his office, and he looked up at them, before speaking. "You will order all ROOT operatives to retreat to our main facility the day before the Chuunin exam Finals. After which we will seal the entrances and wait out the storm that is coming. When the flames and dust have died down, we will emerge, and take our rightful place as rulers and defenders of this village. Go and spread the word. Make sure this is done with absolute secrecy," he ordered.

Each ROOT operative gave a simple nod and disappeared, as Danzo simply sat there in his office. He would save and defend Konoha, from itself if necessary. Only he knew the truth of the shinobi world. And only he could save Konoha.

And chapter. Not exactly everything I wanted, but I didn't think adding anything more in would really add to the development and plot of the chapter.

I hope you all enjoy this, and that it works out. Like many of my chapters, I'm iffy on it, but usually, I'm proven to be worrying over nothing. Guess we'll see if that holds true.

Special thanks go out to my beta's Kyuubi123 and Bill Alain! Thank you guys so much!

Till next chapter!